Post by Admin on Apr 26, 2014 8:46:49 GMT
In Memorium Willy Kerstens
He was born 21st January 1931 in Antwerp, Belgium.
He grew up in Rotterdam, where he went to school, primary and secondary education.
After graduation (A-levels for Maths, Physics and foreign languages) at the age of 18 years he joined the Royal Netherlands Air Force, where he received his basic pilots training.
Upon completion of the basic training, he was detached with the United States Air Force
Training Command, where he received his advanced fighter Pilots training in Texas, U.S.A.
Upon completion of the advanced training course with a major grade, he was commissioned
as a Flight Lieutenant with the Royal Netherlands Air Force and subsequently stationed in
Eelde Air Force Base, Netherlands, where upon completion of a specialised instructors training course he was appointed as a Flight Basic training instructor with the Royal Netherlands Air Force Squadron 306 as Flight Training Captain on Hawker Hunter Fighter
Airplanes. He completed his contract with the Air Force after 6 years of operational service when he resigned his commission as a Flight Captain (Squadron leader) in 1957.
After having resigned from the Air Force he applied for a flying career with K.L.M. –
(Royal Netherlands Airline Corporation). He was appointed as a Junior First Officer with the airline and detached with the subsidiary-company Netherlands New Guinea Airlines at Biak, Netherlands New Guinea to fly the Canada Havilland Beaver single engine aircraft as a
captain and the Douglas DC-3 as a First Officer and two years later as a captain DC-3.
Due to political developments and consequently a reorganisation of K.L.M., shortly after the introduction of the jet airliners with the K.L.M.-Fleet, Willy Kerstens was declared redundant in 1963 with the airline. Due to worldwide minimised demand for aircrews in civil aviation in those years, Willy Kerstens took up an office job. He worked as a director for a travel agency.
Willy Kerstens grabbed the first opportunity to go back to active flying. This was in 1965, where after having applied for a flying job with East African Airways Corporation, he was positioned in Nairobi as a First Officer on DC-3. After having qualified for the ALTP-license
He was promoted to Captain DC-3 and a year later as Captain Fokker F-27, where he was
appointed as training captain. In 1970 he was promoted to Captain Vickers Super VC-10.
For the second time in his career he was declared redundant by E.A.A.C. in 1977 due to bankruptcy of the airline. He returned to his mother’s country the Netherlands, where he got a flying job as factory instructor pilot with the Fokker Aviation factory. A few months later he developed a fatal decease and died on 30th April 1978.
He was a dedicated husband and father. May he rest in peace.
He was born 21st January 1931 in Antwerp, Belgium.
He grew up in Rotterdam, where he went to school, primary and secondary education.
After graduation (A-levels for Maths, Physics and foreign languages) at the age of 18 years he joined the Royal Netherlands Air Force, where he received his basic pilots training.
Upon completion of the basic training, he was detached with the United States Air Force
Training Command, where he received his advanced fighter Pilots training in Texas, U.S.A.
Upon completion of the advanced training course with a major grade, he was commissioned
as a Flight Lieutenant with the Royal Netherlands Air Force and subsequently stationed in
Eelde Air Force Base, Netherlands, where upon completion of a specialised instructors training course he was appointed as a Flight Basic training instructor with the Royal Netherlands Air Force Squadron 306 as Flight Training Captain on Hawker Hunter Fighter
Airplanes. He completed his contract with the Air Force after 6 years of operational service when he resigned his commission as a Flight Captain (Squadron leader) in 1957.
After having resigned from the Air Force he applied for a flying career with K.L.M. –
(Royal Netherlands Airline Corporation). He was appointed as a Junior First Officer with the airline and detached with the subsidiary-company Netherlands New Guinea Airlines at Biak, Netherlands New Guinea to fly the Canada Havilland Beaver single engine aircraft as a
captain and the Douglas DC-3 as a First Officer and two years later as a captain DC-3.
Due to political developments and consequently a reorganisation of K.L.M., shortly after the introduction of the jet airliners with the K.L.M.-Fleet, Willy Kerstens was declared redundant in 1963 with the airline. Due to worldwide minimised demand for aircrews in civil aviation in those years, Willy Kerstens took up an office job. He worked as a director for a travel agency.
Willy Kerstens grabbed the first opportunity to go back to active flying. This was in 1965, where after having applied for a flying job with East African Airways Corporation, he was positioned in Nairobi as a First Officer on DC-3. After having qualified for the ALTP-license
He was promoted to Captain DC-3 and a year later as Captain Fokker F-27, where he was
appointed as training captain. In 1970 he was promoted to Captain Vickers Super VC-10.
For the second time in his career he was declared redundant by E.A.A.C. in 1977 due to bankruptcy of the airline. He returned to his mother’s country the Netherlands, where he got a flying job as factory instructor pilot with the Fokker Aviation factory. A few months later he developed a fatal decease and died on 30th April 1978.
He was a dedicated husband and father. May he rest in peace.