“I always wanted to be a “bush” pilot. I am a patriotic Guyanese. I never thought of leaving this beautiful country. Our hinterland is so beautiful…It is so breathtaking…especially the Savannahs. I remember my days of making two trips per day to Lethem.” By Keeran DannyIn Guyana’s hinterland, where navigational equipment is not always readily available and the weather is quite unpredictable, our skillful pilots often depend on keen eyesight and judgement in a scenario where fog-covered mountain peaks and hills, or even dark clouds, loom larger than life as challenges.Given the rough, unforgiving terrain, with long days required to move cargo and people via road and river, air transport is the best solution, and the demand for flights in the hinterland has increased with expanding gold and diamond mining, and a tourism industry with unlimited potential.Feriel AllyIn 2010, Air Services Limited invested in a $75 million hangar at Mahdia, where over 300,000 lbs of cargo per month is shuttled to airstrips in Region Eight, providing an invaluable lifeline to those remote communities not accessible by road.Actively engaged in this work, stationed in Mahdia at Air Services Limited’s hangar facility is this week’s ‘special person’, Captain Feriel Ally, a fearless and vigilant female pilot who simply loves those flying machines, particularly the Cessna Grand Caravan.Feriel is the one of selected pilots responsible for contributing an essential service to the manyporkknockers, shopkeepers, cooks, students and residents in the region, who depend almost exclusively on the friendly skies.Her modesty, simplicity and upbringing made the transition from urban living to the hinterland easy.“I look forward to getting away from Ogle to the peace and solitude in Mahdia. Oh what a beautiful place it is.”While she enjoys waking to the scenery of tall trees, fog-covered mountains, and an abundance of fresh air, Feriel’s greatest satisfaction comes from piloting her aircraft to facilitate the rapid movement of people and goods.Everyday she’s in the cockpit, and her over two decades of experience is wholly reassuring to those who require her services. Her instincts, combined with her obsession for safe flying, have served her well. Her impeccable record supports this.Feriel was born on July 4, 1967 to Yacoob and Zinelle Ally. She is twice divorced and now has a loving boyfriend. She affectionately jokes that her father is a true Caribbean man – his children are mothered by three different women. Even with this, she has maintained a close relationship with her six siblings while growing up. They are now her biggest supporters.Her early childhood was spent in Supenaam where fond memories of outdoor adventures in the countryside remain. Despite moving to Georgetown and subsequently studying in Barbados, Feriel and her siblings returned to Supenaam from time to time, where one of her father’s three sawmills is located. There she learned to drive a speedboat and operate heavy-duty machinery, skills deemed unconventional for girls during that era.Feriel (right) and sister, Annette, at boarding school in BarbadosAt a tender age, she was transferred from Good Hope Primary School in Aurora, Region Two, to Stella Maris Primary in Georgetown. Admission to a Catholic School in those days was not easy, so to secure Feriel and her brother Irfaan’s admissions to the school, her father thoughtfully committed to building an extension to the building.But, her schooling in Guyana was short lived. When she was eight years old,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, Feriel and her older sister,Wholesale China Jerseys, Annette, were admitted to The Codrington School, which was at the time an all-girl boarding institution, located in Barbados.Feriel reflected on those days being away from home as very sad. Tears had become her companion. However days turned into years and in 1984 she graduated from the secondary level of The Codrington School. She returned home with the intention of eventually studying Business Management abroad, but those plans were soon shattered.“My father said he didn’t have any money for me to study and so the plan was for me to stay home and gain work experience. Also, he didn’t see the sense in me studying business in a developed country while I would be operating in a third-world country”.“My father believes in starting from the bottom and knowing every aspect of the business. I started from cleaning the planes, loading cargo, weighing cargo, working in the radio room, being a receptionist, and booking flights. I was given a little pocket money for my services,Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic,” a smiling Feriel recounted.Skills developed while working part-time during school holidays at Air Services Limited, helped her to fit neatly into the family business. Obviously