20 Feb 2024

Ever wondered where old airplane wreckage ends up? Typically, owners strip salvaged parts before selling the remains.

These can be repurposed as restaurant décor, lodging facilities, or even as a museum to appreciate aircraft up close.

Dare To Dream, a  non-governmental organisation dedicated to advancing youth, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Entrepreneurship(STEAME), Aviation, and Aerospace careers, recently acquired an old BAE 146 aircraft and is now seeking to sell its fuselage to raise funds.

In an interview, Captain Kgomotso Phatsima, president and Founder of Dare To Dream, said while the fuselage could have been an interesting acquisition for a business, their primary focus was to establish a STEAME Leadership Aviation Centre.

This initiative necessitates the sale of the fuselage to raise funds. Captain Phatsima noted that the fuselage originally belonged to Air Botswana but was donated to their organisation by Ansett Aircraft Spares and Services Limited.  

She said they were selling it to raise capital for their educational program.
“Initially we wanted to use the fuselage as either a restaurant or a classroom for our STEAME project, but we did not have land to set up.

That is why the fuselage has been lying unused for some time,” she said.

She said since advertising the fuselage on social media, they had received interest from approximately 10 potential buyers, including one from the United States.

Many of these potential buyers were farmers looking to use the fuselage as a decorative element for photo-shoots at their farms. While the funds raised from the fuselage won’t be sufficient, it represents a small part of a larger project.

The fuselage is priced at P90 000, with negotiation possible based on factors such as stripping and transportation, to be covered by the buyer.

Captain Phatsima said the organisation aimed to build the planned centre at the airport, benefiting from allocated plots by the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana.

She emphasised that while the immediate goal was to raise funds, the long-term vision included generating local interest in the aviation industry, particularly among the youth and girls.

“Most of the local aviation industry is in the hands of foreigners, so I think when in full operation, our Centre will help elicit interest from locals,” she said,

She conveyed appreciation for the support received from various entities, including the AirBus Foundation and Air Botswana.

Captain Phatsima also thanked Air Botswana for its constant support, saying they have a collaboration where they allow Dare To Dream to use their 70-seater aircraft to fly students on scenic flights overhead Gaborone and Francistown.

In addition, she appreciated government’s support through other parastatals such as the CAAB for the allocation of the plots.

Their hope is to sell the fuselage by the end of the month, with ongoing discussions about the logistics of stripping and transporting it. Captain Phatsima also highlighted the aim of Dare To

Dream—to inspire and provide opportunities, especially to those like herself who did not have early exposure to the wonders of aviation.

“When I was growing up in the village, I never had the opportunity to sit down with a pilot nor see the inside of an aircraft until I had the opportunity to fly it.

After qualifying as one of the first military pilots in the Botswana Defence Force, I started Dare To Dream to inspire the next generation more especially youth, women, boys and girls and give them the chance I never had.

We use the ‘Power of Fight’ to ignite dreams, to celebrate passion and give the upcoming generation a sense of purpose in their education,” she said.

The organiation is currently soliciting support and assistance from individuals and businesses to help achieve their objectives.

Their aspirations include providing the upcoming generation with a sense of purpose in their education and career pursuits. With the sale of the fuselage, they hope to secure necessary funds for their organisation’s missions. ENDS