EDITOR, The Tribune.

Thank you for your Editorial (Tribune, Feb 25, 2014) about Bahamian-born Dr Albert E “Bert” Forsyth, who made aviation history, at 5:54pm on November 9, 1934, when he landed his Lambert Monocoupe, single-engine landplane, on a road in Westward Villas. Bert’s co-pilot was a very accomplished American, named Charles Alfred “Chief” Anderson, who is recognised as “The Father of Black Aviation”.

The United States Postal Service has just issued a brand new postage stamp, in recognition of “Chief’ Anderson’s contributions to aviation, and I thank you for supporting my hope that our fellow Bahamians will find a way to acknowledge the pioneer achievement of Bert Forsyth. 

In 1903, the Wright Brothers flew for the first time, but New Providence didn’t have a land airport until January 8, 1940, when Oakes Field opened (although the Bahamas Airways Douglas Dolphin had already made a test-landing there, on November 27, 1939). Before that, seaplanes and amphibians were the flying workhorses of  the Bahamas, operating from the Pan American base, on the shoreline, just west of the Sir Sidney Poitier bridge.

When Bert and “Chief’” landed, on terra firma, they were feted as the first pilots to land ON the island and the first blacks to be received at Government House, where they were photographed with HE The Governor, Sir Bede Clifford. Since your Editorial brought this to the public eye, I have received several phone calls and emails, mostly from friends and relatives of Bert Forsyth’s, agreeing that he deserves public recognition; a bust or, better still, a statue, at our new airport, being considered most-appropriate. Failing that, a postage stamp. Wouldn’t it be fitting to issue that stamp on November 9, 2014, the 80th anniversary?

May I use your columns to ask the public to support this proposal?

PAUL C ARANHA

Bahamas Pilot Licence #34

Nassau,

February 27, 2014.