I taught Rawlings how to fly aircraft – Retired Air Commodore K.K. Pumpuni

Retired Ghanaian military officer K. K. Pumpuni has revealed that he once trained the late former President Jerry John Rawlings in flying aircraft before Rawlings fully entered the Armed Forces.

Speaking in an interview with Kafui Dey, Air Commodore Pumpuni recounted how Rawlings learned to operate the type of aircraft he was flying at the time.

“I taught Rawlings how to fly,” Pumpuni said. “He came to learn to ride the kind of aircraft I was flying; the Beavers launched before he went to the Forces.”

According to the retired Air Commodore, Rawlings later rose to become one of Ghana’s most influential leaders, but he always maintained a respectful relationship with him.

His comment provides a glimpse into the early days of Rawlings’ aviation training and the relationships he built within the military before his rise to national leadership, maintaining respect for authority.

“He had lots of respect for me, always talking to me with ‘sir,” Pumpuni noted.