Butterflies in mid-air - Prempeh College heroes tell their maiden plane experiences
People usually do not forget their first flight experiences and for the three gallant winners of the 2017 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) and their 12 other team members, June 29 remains a special day in their stream of anniversaries.
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It was the day the school, led by the trio, triumphed over its peers in a competition that tests the intellectual capabilities of students in senior high schools in the country. It was also the day the long-held dream of the 15 lads – travelling by plane – came to reality.
After beating two archrivals to take the coveted prize, an anonymous past student of the school quickly arranged free tickets for the students in what will later bring to reality their air travel desires.
Although news of the air travel came in the middle of the frenzy celebrations, it did not pass without the usual anxiety-packed questions that mark such revelations. Among them were; how will it be, how long will it take and can we breathe, make or receive calls while mid-air?
Thus, while raising high the gold-plated cup to seal the school’s triumph over its peers, some part of the minds of the jubilating trio and their team members were imagining and fantasising the return trip back to school.
Triumph return through KIA
The journey was from Accra to Kumasi as their tickets stated and the team later learnt that one of the old students of the school, who wanted badly to thank the school for training such brilliant students, pulled some last minute strings to book a return trip flight with Starbow, a domestic airline in Ghana.
After going through somewhat tedious processes, 11 students were on board the first plane, leaving the remaining four to go in a different flight.
Wonder’s wonderful experience
The students enjoying their first flight
Sharing their experiences with the GRAPHIC BUSINESS on July 7, the three contestants, who represented the school during the quiz, said they were really overwhelmed.
Master Wonder Sarfo-Ansah, one of the contestants, said although he had earlier sat in an immobile plane at an excursion he attended at the airport while in junior high school, he was yet to have a real flying experience. After the experience with the immobile aircraft, Wonder said he had always anticipated an awesome feeling in a mobile plane.
Although he was not scared getting into the plane, he remembered experiencing butterflies in his stomach in the first few minutes of taxing and takeoff.
“During the flight, for the first few minutes, I encountered some strange feelings in my stomach and it was almost as if I had no organs working in me,” he said in a telephone interview.
“But after a few minutes, I wanted to burst out in laughter at the excitement of boarding a moving plane,” he said.
As if that was not enough, Wonder, as he is affectionately called, also wanted to take ‘selfies’ with the captain of the flight and the plane as well to show to his family and friends that he had a great first-time experience in the plane.
Missed expectations
Master Daniel Osei Badu also known as Blatta, another contestant, was too surprised to imagine the feeling of being in a flight for the first time.
He reminisced that at a point, he was very rigid in the plane and his expectations of an awesome flight, like some people had earlier said, were not met.
However, he felt like a king when he touched down and was descending the staircase of the plane, he said, smiling.
Master Kofi Konadu Boakye Yiadom, also known as Chase, had an entirely different experience.
Before the June 29 encounter, he said he had series of dreams about being in an airplane.
He was, therefore, shocked when he heard the return trip was by flight and started jubilating in his head and thanking God for showing him such dreams.
“I had dreamt a lot of times and had seen myself in a plane and because of that, I was very excited when I heard it.”
“I also felt very scared for a moment but began to relax as the plane took off.”
When heroes descend
About 30 minutes into the air, the plane started descending prior to landing at the Kumasi Airport.
In the waiting section were staff and students of Prempeh College who had thronged there to welcome their heroes back to campus.
Back in the plane, the three contestants and their colleagues were still relishing their maiden flight experiences.
The trio said the excitement was intense when the plane touched down and the entire school staff and friends were waiting to celebrate their victory with them.
The trio said the entire student body was very grateful to the sponsors of the flight and promised several other wins in the coming years.