Aba banyeshuri batanu ni Cedric Hindura, Francis Shyaka, Henry Kenny Hagenimana, Milka Isingizwe na Patricia Mugabo. Bose bakoze uru rugendo rwabo rwa mbere babifashijwemo n’abarimu babo b’inzobere.

Aba banyeshuri barimo kwiga mu ishami rya Aeronautics and Engineering, aho iki gikorwa cyabaye binyuze mu bufatanye hagati ya Kent State University na sosiyete y’indege ya RwandAir. Iyi gahunda ikaba igamije gutegura abapilote bashya b’Abanyarwanda bazafasha mu iterambere ry’indege mu gihugu.

Batoranyijwe mu buryo bukomeye cyane, kuko batoranyijwe mu basaga 2,600 bari basabye kwinjira muri iyi gahunda. Nyuma yo gusoza amasomo yabo, bazasubira mu Rwanda aho bazatangira gukorera Sosiyete Nyarwanda y’ubwikorezi bwo mu kirere ya RwandAir, ari nayo yateye inkunga amasomo yabo n’amahugurwa mu by’indege.

Nyuma yo gukora igenzura ry’ibanze ry’indege, bahagurutse mu ndege zabo zo mu bwoko bwa Cessna, bakurikirana umwe ku wundi, aho buri wese yaje kugwa ku kibuga cy’indege nyuma y’iminota hafi 30.

Henry Kenny Hagenimana yavuze gutwara indege bwa mbere kuri we, byari ibintu bitangaje. Ati: “Byari ibintu bitangaje cyane. Kujya mu kirere bwa mbere byanshimishije cyane. Byari uburambe bwiza cyane. Ubu ndumva ndi gukunda ibicu kurushaho, kandi nifuza ko nari kubigumamo igihe kirekire.”

Hagenimana yongeyeho ko kuba umwe mu banyeshuri batanu batoranyijwe na RwandAir bakoherezwa kwiga muri Kent State University ari umugisha ukomeye.

Yagize ati: “Navuga iki? Turi abanyamahirwe cyane, kuza kwiga muri iyi Kaminuza ikomeye, imwe mu zifite gahunda nziza mu bijyanye n’ubupilote no kuba muri bake batoranyijwe. Twiteguye gutanga imbaraga zacu zose bijyanye n’aya mahirwe twahawe. Tuzahesha ishema imiryango yacu, Igihugu cyacu na Kent State University.”

Patricia Mugabo, yavuze ko afite intego yo gutera ishyaka abandi bakobwa b’Abanyarwanda bakinjira mu bijyanye no gutwara indege, kuko bakiri bake muri uyu mwuga.

Mugabo, usanzwe yambara urunigi ruriho agashushanyo k’indege mu ibara rya zahabu, yakomeje avuga ko kuba atwaye ingege bwa mbere kuri we byari ikintu gikomeye cyane. Ati: “Ni ibintu nahoraga nifuza gukora. Nishimye cyane kuko mfite intego yo kuzaba umupilote mwiza, umupilote w’umugore ukomeye.”

Maureen McFarland, Ph.D., Umuyobozi Wungirije ushinzwe amasomo muri College of Aeronautics and Engineering ya Kent State University, yavuze ko yishimiye cyane aba banyeshuri n’Abanyarwanda kandi ko yiteguye kureba icyo ejo hazaza habahishiye.

Kaminuza ya Kent State yatangiye gukorana na Kaminuza y’u Rwanda ndetse na Leta y’u Rwanda mu mwaka wa 2022, hagamijwe gushyiraho ubufatanye mu bijyanye n’uburezi.

Iyo Kaminuza yahise inafungura ishami ryayo rishinzwe gushaka abanyeshuri muri Afurika yo munsi y’ubutayu bwa Sahara, ryiswe Kent State Sub-Saharan African Center, rifite icyicaro i Kigali mu Rwanda. Muri uwo mwaka kandi, abanyeshuri 12 ba mbere b’Abanyarwanda bahise bajya gutangira amasomo yabo muri Kent State.

Kugeza ubu, Kent State University ifite abanyeshuri bagera kuri 70 baturuka mu Rwanda ndetse kandi umubare w’Abanyarwanda ukomeje kwiyongera ndetse benshi bari baje gushyigikira bagenzi babo ubwo bakoraga urugendo rwabo rwa mbere batwaye indege, bafite ibendera ry’u Rwanda, banabakomera amashyi.