Maurice Tito Gachamba, who dropped out of school owing to family problems, constructed his own plane from scratch and transported it to an airstrip before flying it.
He was believed to have simply observed a friend’s plane and learned the skills and techniques required to assemble it.
Gachamba never took any aeronautical engineering studies, as the majority of pilots do.
He built the fixed-wing plane from an 850cc scooter engine and scrap aluminum.
He reportedly spent three years constructing the plane’s body from scrap metal and canvas.
After three years of building and rebuilding the plane, Gachamba decided it was time for a test flight. In 1969, he flew his jet from Nyaribo Airstrip to Kenya Police College in Kiganjo.
“I was determined to fly…I towed the aircraft to Nyaribo airstrip using a motorcycle, and I cruised well on the runway until the engine was ready to fly,” he said.
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Gachamba wanted to fly to Karatina Town, but during the test flight, the plane’s engine started overheating, which forced him to turn back.
Although he was tensed, he was cheered by cops at Kiganjo, which rejuvenated him.
“I managed to turn back towards Nyaribo (airstrip) after flying for about nine miles. It was a frightening ordeal, and I was shaking. I was convinced I would die and even vowed never to repeat it again,” he stated.
However, his brief moment in the spotlight ended tragically when the plane’s wing collided with trees near the Nyaribo airfield, lost equilibrium and crashed.
His dreams to continue building planes were dashed when he incurred catastrophic injuries in an accident, forcing him to shift to constructing automobiles.
“After the aeroplane project, I decided to make this vehicle. I started it in 1969, and I am now in the final stages. Very soon it will hit the road,” he stated.
