Captain Chola (left) with Co-Pilot Denise of TACV Cape Verde inside the cockpit of ATR 72-500.

Good afternoon passengers. This is your captain speaking. First I'd like to welcome everyone on "Lusaka" Airways Flight 50A. We are currently cruising at an altitude of 33, 000 feet at an airspeed of 400 miles per hour. The time is 13:25 hours. The weather looks good and with the tailwind on our side we are expecting to land in London approximately fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. The weather in London is clear and sunny, with a high of 25 degrees for this afternoon. If the weather cooperates we should get a great view of the city as we descend. The cabin crew will be coming around in about twenty minutes time to offer you a light snack and beverage, and the inflight movie will begin shortly after that. I'll talk to you again before we reach our destination. Until then, sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the flight.

You might have heard an announcement similar to the above on your last flight or if you are a frequent flyer, like me, it's all too familiar. However, for Captain Chola, who has been flying for 28 years now and has accumulated over 15,000 hours in the sky, it's an announcement he makes on all his flights. Its an assurance even to the nervous flyers that everything is okay and that they are in good hands.

Is The Sky The Limit?
In an exclusive two days telephone interview with mwape.com, from Canary Islands where he is on vacation, Captain Chola remembered his days at Luanshya Boys Secondary School (1971-1975), his 10 months in the Zambia National Service and his three years at the University of Zambia (UNZA). "I was born on 16th May 1957 in Mufulira and moved to Luanshya when I was born. My late father was head of Security for the mines in Luanshya at the time of his retirement," he recalled.

Before you ask, no it doesn't take three years to graduate from UNZA. Fred, as most of his friends at Rivercross Primary School and at Luanshya Boys called him, was accepted at UNZA's School of Natural Science in November of 1976. After doing college (A) level sciences for two years, he was sponsored by the mines to study in the school of mines. But his interest was architecture. As it was, the Zambia Institute of Architecture choose him to study architecture in the UK. He was ready to leave his three years of UNZA education to study something he like. However, the scholarship did not materialize.

I Believe I Can Fly
Long before R Kelly sang the song with this title, young Fred had contemplated flying every time he saw a plane in the sky. But it was just one of those many dreams Zambian kids day dream about.

...I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away ...

Well, some believe, dreams do come true! Losing a scholarship to study architecture in England was not the end of the world for Fred, infact it just openned the door to a new career that will see him study, live and work on each and every continent including some of the smallest islands. How did this happen? Well, "That same year, Zambia Airways came knocking at UNZA asking students who were interested in becoming Commercial Airline Pilots". "I was one of the dozen University students who were chosen and asked to go to Australia to study Aviation." he said.

The course lasted for 18 months. "Upon returning to Zambia, I was sent to India after just two weeks, to learn to fly advanced Hawker Siddley planes for six months" he said. The Irish Aer Lingus was flying Zambia Airways, Fred and his friends were told that they could not fly planes. They were sent to Ireland instead to study Flight Engineering. In those days there were as many as five crew men (Captain, Co-Pilot, Flight Engineer, Navigator, Temperature Reader) in the cockpit. Fred was the Fright Engineer on Zambia Airways Boeing 707 for three and half years and then on DC 10 Nkhwazi for another three and half years.

Delores, Fredrick and Lorena Chola celebrating dad's 50 birthday in Mauritius, May 2007.

Flying High
In 1988 he started flying Zambia Airways ATR 42-500 in Zambia as a co-pilot. He flew dignitaries including former President Kenneth Kaunda, when going to places with smaller airports. These were 46 passenger planes and he did this for two years. He was promoted to Co-Pilot on DC-10 in 1991. He did this until 1994 when Zambia Airways went liquidation.

Life After Zambia Airways
He joined a newly formed Zambian Express and was sent to Canada to train for Dash 8-300 which was short lived. From 1995 to 1997 he flew ATR 42 owned by Zambian Express. And in 1997, he was promoted to Captain after training in Dallas, Texas as a Captain and was sent to Air Botswana on secondment after Zambian Express went under. "I stayed with Air Botswana for 6 months and then joined TACV Cabo Verde Airline in Cape Verde where I flew ATR 42-300".

Love in the Air
"I met my wife Delores while flying TACV Airline in Cape Verde", he said. "She was a passanger on one of flights and a Citizen of Spain", he continued, "the plane was full, but a mutual friend of ours asked if I can make room for her". He shyly laughs as he narrates the circumstance and events that followed. It turns out that this mutual friend gave up his seat in the cabin as Captain Chola offered him a jump seat in the cockpit. Now anyone, who has been told they can't fly because the flight is fully booked (sold out) will understand just how thankful the young lady was to the Captain.

As the Captain thanked his passengers for flying with them upon landing, the all smiles Delores and the Captain talked briefly, the rest is history. "We have now been married for seven years and have a six year-old daughter Lorena who attends an international school in India," Captain Chola explained.

"My original contract with TACV Cape Verde Airline was for two years, but ended up staying for 5 years flying ATR 42-500 from February 1999 to March 2004," he said.

After leaving Cape Verde, he went back to Air Botswana "trying to stay near home" but found that life in Botswana had changed for expatriates. "I only worked there for 18 months and then left in September 2005 to take the job offer from Air Mauritius", Captain Chola said. He quickly added, "but the benefit package was not attractive".

Back To School

Captain and Mrs Chola are all smiles at his graduation in Sydney, Australia - 2004.

Did you ever think of obtaining your college degree some day?

"Not only did the idea of not graduating from UNZA haunt me for a long time, I saw, admired and supported my Children going to college," Captain recalls.

In preparation for our telephone interview, he wrote, "I have six children in all. Two are with their mother in the US.

"My first born son is 26 years old and has an MBA from Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia and is at the moment working there." The 25 years old daughter returned to Zambia from the US. Another daughter, 20 years old, is a pre-med student at a University in Michigan, USA. "My fourth is a 19 year old son in College in New York State. My fifth is a 15 years old daughter at an International School in Zambia." And of course, "Lorena, my youngest daughter is at an International School in India"

"I finally found time and school to accept some UNZA credits and work experience" he answered. He still had to study like any other part-time student from 1998 - 2004 before finally graduating at the same time with his son with a Bachelor of Arts in Aviation from the University of Western Sydney, Australia in 2004.

My Experiences As Pilot

Is a college degree required for one to get a Commercial Airline Pilot License? What are the best routes to professional pilot jobs?

"Academically minded people should pursue both college degree and flying school certification. Without a college degree most airline will not hire you as a pilot," explained the Captain. "Most Airlines, especially in the USA, will not hire you without a college degree", added the Captain.

Lorena Chola, when you are in India, dress like Indians sort of / kind of.

How old is too old to become a professional pilot? He said that to become a Captain one needs 3,000 flying hours depending on individual Airline requirements and National Civil Aviation Regulations. I have been flying for 28 years and I only have over 15,000 hours. It's good to start flying while young. Pilots are responsible of keeping a log book which contains, type of aircraft, co-pilot name, departure city and destination, time in hours the trip takes. This time is counted as you start taxing out. The airline also maintain this record.

Are the days of cockpit descrimination over?

"Yes and no. The descrimination days may be over because of increased demand in Commercial Airline Pilots. But also countries are more protective. I once applied for a job in China, and was told that the Chinese will not hire a black pilot."

Pursuing a career as pilot particularly a commercial pilot is said to be a painfully complex business. Please tell us your experience.

Pilots are required to be medically fit at all times. As a Captain, I take medical exam every six months in Lusaka, since I use a Zambian License. I cannot fly past 60 years of age as a Captain in Zambia. I also have to do reflesher courses in simulators out of Zambia every six months to maintain my Captain License. My employers, Kingfisher pays for these courses. They also pay my taxes, housing and all household furnshing and utensils.

One may get a Pilots Job through online application and or subscription. Also every airline you fly, you need to have ratings through Airline Transport Pilots' Licence for Captain which I did in 1997 in the USA for one month.

What are your present and future plans?

"Our plan is to stay in India for a while, help my kids finish their college education. We are also investing in real estate back in Zambia. I plan to retire at 60 and go to Zambia and settle with my wife."

Thank you Captain for allowing me to talk to you during your vacation time.

"You are welcome, James. Bye now."

June 25-27, 2008.

To quote any portions of this story, credit: http://www.mwape.com/fredrickchola.html and the date story was accessed.

[Editor's Note: Captain Chola, is one of the most experienced Captain in the Skies today. He is a very humble, patient and intelligent person, I enjoyed talking to him and would welcome a chance to talk to him again especially in person. Each month I talk to a lot of Zambia-born professionals around the world on the phone. Through this research work I have learned so much. Please, call: +1-856-745-1643 or email: james@mwape.com if you have a story to tell and we will do our best regardless of your education background.]