Sri Lankan takes flight in Fayetteville

Saturday, 1 January 2011 00:33 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — “Shavi” Samaranayake has a unique view of Northwest Arkansas. He’s only seen most of the region from above, in the left seat of a Piper Arrow.



Flying is a family affair for Samaranayake, whose grandfather was an aeronautical engineer for Air Ceylon. His mother works for the national airline in his hometown of Colombo, Sri Lanka. With only a few single-engine airplanes in Sri Lanka, Samaranayake had to travel to the United States to train as a pilot.

Samaranayake’s experience is representative of many others who came to Northwest Arkansas seeking job opportunities.

He spent a year in Tulsa, earning his private pilot’s licence and instrument rating, then moved to Fayetteville last month to complete his commercial rating and to earn a certified flight instructor licence. He’ll head home early next year and hopes to fly for the national Sri Lankan airline.

 “I was just looking online for flight schools, and this one popped up on Google,” Samaranayake said. “I’m spending three hours in the air on a good day.”

Samaranayake took his high school classes in English, the international standard language of the aviation industry. Once he completes his certified flight instructor licence, he’s headed home to teach at a flight school run by a family friend, and to enroll in college. Once he gets his degree, he hopes to take the test for pilot selection at the national airline and secure a special rating to fly Airbus jetliners.

Meanwhile, he’s enjoying his adopted home — and its comparatively good weather.

 “I like this area,” Samaranayake said. “It’s not as cold or snowy like Oklahoma was.” (Source: Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC)

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.