As tears silently streamed down her face, Vernice West, widow of Caymanian pilot Adrian David ‘Josh’ West, lovingly received a replica, commemorative airplane model – a miniature version of the new Cayman Airways Twin Otter plane that was christened on Friday morning with her husband’s initials as its registration number.
Though it was a bittersweet moment, Brandon West, Captain West’s elder son, said it was a “truly special” moment for the family to see his father’s initials CAW on the plane’s tail.
“It means a lot to me because I get to see his plane being flown by the best pilots in the world, knowing that it’s in great hands,” West told the Cayman Compass in an interview following the special christening ceremony on the Cayman Airways hangar.
A legacy lives on
Captain West, of Bodden Town, died suddenly at the age of 49 in July 2023.
His son, who became emotional remembering his father, said he was grateful to Cayman Airways for honouring his father, who served the national flag carrier for 11 years.
“He would really be grateful for today,” he said, adding that he will always have special memories of his father and the Cayman Airways Express Service to the Sister Islands that Captain West used to pilot.
“I just have [special memories] of him just achieving his dreams of becoming a pilot, always wanting to fly the jet. So watching him starting from the ground up was really an inspiration for me,” Brandon West said.
Deputy Premier and Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan described Captain West as a “beloved figure within the Cayman Airways family”.
“First Officer West’s dedication to excellence in aviation serves as an inspiration to us all, and I am proud that his legacy will continue to take flight and his memory live on through this Cayman Airways Express aircraft,” Bryan said.
He added that the addition of a third Twin Otter to the domestic route was a “significant investment” by Cayman Airways.
“[It] underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring that there is a reliable airbridge between Grand Cayman and our Sister Islands,” he added.
Having more seats available for Little Cayman, Bryan said, “gives Cayman Airways the flexibility to improve its scheduling and offer a more dependable service, which are crucial elements of a seamless airline operation”.
Cayman Airways Chairman of the Board John-Paul Clarke welcomed the new addition to the fleet, which he said will increase the availability of flights to Little Cayman.
Cayman Airways President and CEO Fabian Whorms welcomed the new plane, which was purchased at a cost of $3 million.
He defended the decision to choose the Twin Otter over the Cessna, saying it was a more advanced model and was “ideally suited” for the airfield in Little Cayman.
“It is a solid, good, safe airplane,” Whorms said in response to social media criticism that he said had been levelled against the national airline.
He said though the plane was 48 years old, it has been upgraded and outfitted with new engines, wings and a new flight panel. He expected it to serve the islands for 40 years or more.
“The aircraft boasts an all glass digital cockpit with three screens, replacing some 35 individual instruments and gauges,” he told the Compass.
The plane has the capability to not only seat 19 passengers, he said, but can be and has already been used as a medical evacuation plane and a cargo plane, as the seats can be folded away in the cabin.
The Twin Otter was added to the regular rotation for domestic service on 17 Nov.
Whorms added that the airline’s other two Twin Otter aircraft cockpits will be upgraded to match this new aircraft by the middle of December, “just in time for the busy season, marking the beginning of a new era of operational reliability with our Twin Otter fleet”.
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