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November
2006
JAMAICA MILITARY AVIATION SCHOOL(JMAS)
THE WAY OF THE FUTURE
In the summer of 2006, the end of an era was reached with the graduation of the final serial of Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) pilots being trained in Canada. While the ceremony was a time of elation for the young graduates, it was also a time of passing memories for many senior JDF pilots as the thirty-five year training relationship in Canada drew to a close.
The length of time that the JDF underwent pilot training in Canada stands as a testament to the quality of training provided by the Canadian Air Force. The entire JDF and the people of Jamaica have benefited both directly and indirectly from this training in Canada through the countless missions conducted by the Air Wing in support of the nation.
The decision to cease training in Canada was not made arbitrarily. In fact, the cessation of pilot training implemented as part of an overall plan to repatriate pilot training back to Jamaica. This plan, originally conceived between the Air Wing and the Canadian Military Training Assistance Programme (MTAP), began with the training of JDF instructors in Canada and the attachment of the Air Wing’s Captain Brain Creary to the Canadian fight school at Potage Le Prairie Manitoba. The experience gained through this attachment was crucial in creating a sustainable Jamaican capacity to train our military pilots as well as our regional allies.
Throughout 2006, work conducted behind the scenes both in Jamaica and in Canada moved the program further ahead. In the spring of 2006, a joint Canadian/Jamaican construction project rebuilt the Air Wing’s Manley base from the damage sustained during hurricane Ivan. Then, from August until November, Canadian instructional personal from Canada’s Central Flying School, conducted both helicopter and fixed wing instructor courses for JDF personnel here in Jamaica and Belize. Lastly, in September IT equipment and furniture shipped from Canada was installed in the newly renovated Manley facility.
Throughout the fall of 2006 the JDF began the acquisition process of acquiring a fleet of new training aircraft consisting of both fixed-wing and helicopter assets for training in Jamaica. Training curriculum, which Canada also provided, is undergoing the required modification for use on the new aircraft and the Jamaican environment.
The culmination of all of this activity will produce the Jamaica Military Aviation School (JMAS). This newly created facility will train Jamaican and international military students from Primary through to Wings standard on either Helicopter or Multi-engine aircraft following Canadian standards. The school will officially open on 7 December 2006 and students will begin training in the summer of 2007. | 
