Student builds plane out of scrap in pursuit of his dream to fly

(5 Jul 2005) Mavivye Village (110km East of Nairobi), Kenya - June 2005 1. Steven Kilonzo driving his homemade plane through the village 2. Steven inspecting the engine 3. Woman watching 4. Close up of Steven looking at engine 5. Steven winding a screw on oil tank 6. Wide of rural area around village 7. Midshot of cows 8. Steven looking at enging 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Steven Kilonzo, Homemade Plane Builder "This is because...." 10. Steven adjusting rudder 11. Cockpit and front of plane 12. Rudder pedals moving 13. Wide of Steven testing rudder 14. Various of wings 15. Steven adjusting wheel 16. Close up of hands on wheel 17. SOUNDBITE (English) Steven Kilonzo, Homemade Plane Builder "This one has taken...." 18. Close up of engine being started 19. Steven pull-starting the engine 20. Close up of propellors going around 21. Steven climbing in and removing chocks on wheels, pull out to plane setting off 22. SOUNDBITE (English) Steven Kilonzo, Homemade Plane Builder "I will make it ..." 23. Steven drives past camera in his plane SUGGESTED LEAD-IN: Modern technology is yet to reach many parts of Africa. Incomes are low and there are few opportunities for young people. But in a remote village in Kenya, one young man isn't letting that stand in the way of his dream to fly. Using resourcefulness mixed with a little technical know-how Steven Kilonzo has built his own plane. VOICE-OVER: One hundred years after the Wright brothers made the first powered flight, a young man in Africa is going to extraordinary lengths to fulfill his own burning desire to fly. In the remote Mavivye village, east of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Steven Kilonzo has built his own aeroplane that he hopes will one day carry him into the skies. A one hour flight with an instructor was meant to satisfy Steven's desire. Instead, it did the opposite, whetting his appetite for more. Flying lessons were out of the question - in rural Kenya the average income is less than 100 US dollars a month. So Steven set about finding another way to achieve his dream. SOUNDBITE (English) "This is because I wanted to do piloting but because my parents were not able to cater for my piloting needs, I had to make mine so that I can fly it and achieve my dream." SUPERCAPTION: Steven Kilonzo, Homemade Plane Builder The 22-year-old secondary school graduate spent three months putting together his plane. The engine was scavenged from an electricity generator. Rotor blades have been made from plywood. Steven worked out the rudimentary steering and rudder system. And the frame was welded together in his father's workshop. As for the wings, well, he had to use the only material available in the village: polythene bags. It's not Steven's first effort to build a plane. Two years ago (2003) he built a much heavier version but was forced by the authorities to dismantle it. He used the experience - and some of the parts - for this second attempt. SOUNDBITE (English) "This one has taken me three months. Because all my materials, I was removing from the old one then soldering on this one." SUPERCAPTION: Steven Kilonzo, Homemade Plane Builder UPSOUND: Engine starting The result is an ultra-light 70 kilogram plane with a wing span of about five metres. It's not quite "chocks away" though. At the moment the plane can only roll along the village streets. Steven is yet to work out the technology to make it fly - and anyway, he still has to learn to be a pilot. SOUNDBITE (English) SUPERCAPTION: Steven Kilonzo, Homemade Plane Builder Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/e521cc5ea8e72a4…

• #news_politics
• #ap_archive
• #454540
• #e521cc5ea8e72a4a799b82f72bc18dce
• #tt_kenya_plane
• #kenya
• #nairobi
• #east_africa
• #technology