Subscribe to RSSThe Haitian brothers who want to fly
Port-au-Prince – Depending on who you listen to, you can hear many defamatory descriptions of Haitian youth. Yes, it is true you’ll find some of them walking the streets all day long, playing cards or dominoes, basketball or football.
But these three brothers decided to show a different side of the youth. The oldest one is only 27 years old, done with classic study but can’t go to university. As a self-taught actor, he teaches the art to his younger brothers so they can make a living.
The brothers spent months performing in the city of Hinche, as well as in Port-au-Prince, because they were trying to save $45.000 Haitian dollars they needed to realize their dream: building this model helicopter:
For these brothers, creating this helicopter is the realization of a lifelong ambition. When they were kids, they were fascinated with the “ti totè”, a local slang for helicopters. The two started to think about making their project a reality when helicopters started to frequently fly over the Haitian soil in the past few decades.
So they have been searching about helicopters for years before they finally figured out the mechanics of what makes helicopters fly. Even once they understood the process, however, they still needed more support and knowledge before they could make it fly.
They began building the chopper in March 2007, and finished it in March 2008. The two participated in a local competition with their helicopter where they made it fly for several minutes, and won the first prize. They tell me that at the same time, a local company offered them $13 000 USD for their creation, but they turned them down. They wanted to receive something more important than money, like training or continued education. They also wanted it to become a part of Haiti’s national heritage.
After the January 12th earthquake, they took their helicopter out to the airport arrivals area. Their hope was that the foreign people arriving in the country would admire their creation, and that one of them would help them achieve their goals. And by the way, they stuck an Obama picture on the front window next to their own photo, as well as both the American and Canadian flags.
On the top they put the Haitian flag so everybody can easily identify the country in which this helicopter was created.
They also placed their helicopter there as a welcome to all nations coming in their country, especially the U.S Army.
Starting from scratch to create a helicopter, with no experience in the area is not an easy realization and to succeed is quite amazing. These two give Haitian youth a good name – there is no other way to describe these three young men except as “strong minded”!
Port-au-Prince student, fixer and researcher Emmanuel Midi is blogs weekly for Inside Disaster from Haiti. You can learn more about him in these blog posts, connect with him on Facebook or through his business, Haiti Fixers.
Emmanuel volunteers with the youth organization Fonds D’Actions pour le Développement (FAD), profiled by Nicolas Jolliet earlier this month.
FUNDING PROVIDED BY:
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82 Comments
2010-04-20
10:15:55
The only thing I can say 2 u guy is be <> I love that word (courage) because it's the most important of all the virtures, because without courage, u cant practice any other virtue consistently.
2010-04-20
10:27:22
Don juan
I know you're a Saint Thomas,but it is not impossible for somebody to assemble the parts in his/her garage to build a plane if he or she has the knowledge in aeronautic.
I have doubt that this helicoptère can really take off and fly for a long period of time,buut remember the way the Wright brothers started with their planes.Today we have 747,757 airplanes that can carry up to 500 passengers ;it is because these two brothers have a vision and they worked on it.
this helicoptère shows a change in the mentality of young haitians.They recognize the importance of technology in the development of the country.We need good machinists..good mechanical engineers. good industrial engineers to produce the machines that we need to modernize our agriculture.It is impossible to develop a country that is selling some cases of mango francisque to buy everything its people need from other countries.
2010-04-22
15:14:20
If only they could remove Obama's pics from it, they might be taken seriously.
2010-04-23
16:41:45
i am so proud of you guys, i pray that God will open the door for you and pour out his blessing. i pray you go far in life. i hope to fly in your plane one day. let me know if i can do anything. lol
2010-04-24
03:47:22
I'm so proud of u guys for ur creation,that mean for my Haitian people create a surch of big thing.try to post it on yutube so a lot people can it or ask the haitian media for help or try to talk to a Cnn journalist so they show you on there website, so the international community can see u guy.ask for help to continue ur education .may gless u guys
2010-04-24
16:15:22
Congratulations Guys, it's just incredible what i see in front of my eyes. I never thought Haitians could use the technology at that level to make some inventions
2010-04-26
11:17:08
this is amazing there is no words to describe this event i am so proud of you guys I know something good is coming from my country. Haiti is and will allways be the pearl of the caribean. No matter what people think we are smart and resourceful. Good luck let me know what I can do for you.God bless you
2010-04-26
18:26:01
Congratulations my brothers, we Haitians can do anything throuth Jesus Christ who strenghtens us. God bless you all, continue to aim high.
2010-04-26
20:07:36
I always knew that Haitian people was, is and will be a great nation no matter of what. They can do what ever they but they cannot distroy us and we will achieve what destiny reserve for us. The only thing I can say guys: I love you with all my heart . ou represent the begiming of the change for Haiti. Go for the best and to them that they have been always wrong about us. Congratulations, God bless
2010-04-27
13:38:07
This is incredible and uplifting. We are definitely a people of amazing ingenuity. We are a people that possesses god-like qualities...of nothingness, we create. Kuddos gentlemen! I hope that those who do care for the Haitians realize the magnitude of this creativity and revitalize the positive creative energy in the Haitian Youth.
2010-04-28
08:52:09
i don trust the Choper to fly more than 15 min without crash, It is more difficult to built an helicopter than a small plane,specially without technical knowledge in aviation. Haiti is a country of Bluffers, anyone can pretend they are engineer or doctors.
Can they just show a video of this object flying then we will consider.By the way they sell kit on the net at 85000$ and it fies.
2010-04-29
04:36:02
KEEP GOING GUYS, OUR COUNTRY NEEDS PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO WANT TO SHOW THE WORLD THE REAL HAITIAN POTENTIAL. MAY GOD BLESS AND GUIDE YOU.
2010-04-29
04:39:29
KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING, GUYS. I AM PROUD OF YOU AND I BELIEVE ALL HAITIANS DO. OUR COUNTRY NEEDS PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO WANT TO SHOW THE WORLD THE REAL HAITIAN POTENTIAL. MAY GOD BLESS AND GUIDE YOU. WE LOVE YOU GUYS.
2010-04-30
19:19:54
Mwen santim fye paske se yon Haitien parey mwen ki ap moutre sa nou ka fe men ede nou
2010-05-02
08:28:23
Toutes mes felicitations messieurs ca nous prrend juste de l'encadrement. Puis le reste, on s'arrange.Nous sommes capables.Les autres n'ont pas plus que nous,sauf une equippe qui pense pour eux!
felicitation encore et lachez-pas!!!
2010-05-03
22:18:46
Kom yon etidyan ki nan lekol Jeni Ayewospsyal Mwen plis ke fyè pou m' we ke sa lot konpatriyot mwem yo ka.
Kenbe La.
"Si ti foto Obama sa ak drapo etazini e kanada Pat ladan li tap pi bèl. se tap sa nèt".
Tankou Kapwa l'anmo Pèp Ayisyen m yo "An Avan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "En Avant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Inyon Fè fos.
Kontinye konsa.
Tankou Kapwa l'anmo Pèp Ayisyen m yo "An Avan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"En Avant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"Tankou Kapwa l'anmo Pèp Ayisyen m yo "An Avan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"En Avant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"Tankou Kapwa l'anmo Pèp Ayisyen m yo "An Avan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"En Avant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"Tankou Kapwa l'anmo Pèp Ayisyen m yo "An Avan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"En Avant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"Tankou Kapwa l'anmo Pèp Ayisyen m yo "An Avan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"En Avant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"All AYISYEN LETS LINKS-UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
2010-05-04
00:32:49
The most important thing that we should see is that Haitian people Got talent and great gift and it is also an encouragment that the government of haiti and of the Usa to take that as an opportunity to sponsor these guys and with a certainty- the first ellic... of the haitian company should start - I encourage you guys to know that the gift you have is great investment of millions and Billions - So look foward to your dream and the lifted head of our national country, that we should never forget - May the lord blesses you, Stay in the blood of Jesus Christ by the guidance of the Holy Ghost.. AMEN,
2010-05-04
00:35:02
_The most important thing that we should see is that Haitian people Got talent and great gift and it is also an encouragment that the government of haiti and of the Usa to take that as an opportunity to sponsor these guys and with a certainty- the first ellic... of the haitian company should start - I encourage you guys to know that the gift you have is great investment of millions and Billions - So look foward to your dream and the lifted head of our national country, that we should never forget - May the lord blesses you, Stay in the blood of Jesus Christ by the guidance of the Holy Ghost.. AMEN./
2010-05-05
14:16:49
Je suis très fière de vous. Continue ainsi. Et ne laisse personne vous dire et faire croire que vous ne pourrez pas realiser vos rêves. Seulement croyez qu'existe un Dieu qui veut votre bien. Et comme il est dit dans la bible: '' Fais de l'Eternel tes délices et il te donnera ce que ton coeur désire''. Sachez que vos rêves sont déjá des realisations á court termes. Ayez la foie.Je vous souhaite tout le succès du monde.
2010-05-07
23:00:41
ti mesye ayisyen mwen yo nou genn anpil talan men nou pa gen bon dirijan se yon pil vo..............................................................le
2010-05-08
17:17:21
I need to know where the parts for this helico are made. Are we witnessing a handcraft assembly version of an industrial hight technology aircraft item?
2010-05-16
13:41:17
Bonjour les amis,
je vous félicite pour cette remarquable invention. Par expérience, je sais que ce n'est pas facile.
J'aimerais communiquer avec vous de façon plus directe : courriel ou téléphone.
Pouvez-vous m'envoyer votre courriel ou votre téléphone?
À bientôt, j'espère
Aroll Exama
aexama@hotmail.com
2010-05-17
07:01:26
Je ne sais pas totalement ce dont votre hélicoptère est capble,je n'en ai vu que l'image. Toutefois c'est honorable et encourageant pour le pays d'avoir des jeunes qui pensent " Haut Niveau". Avec l'aide financière de certains,les encouragements des autres, votre longue vision Messieurs conduira sous peu à une importante étape technologique pour le pays. Merci déjà !
2010-05-26
06:17:50
mwen kontan anpil pou koken rev sa-a ki tounen yon realite.kenbe la pa dekouraje. antou ka pou moun sa-a kidi si ELICOPTER-a pat gen foto Obama ak drapo BREZIL la li tap pibel .fe yon bagay pou peyi'w tou .sis pan'n avek vwe parol san sans. mwen konen nou se yon peuple van yan . li le pou nou sispan'n kritike moun kap ede nou .
2010-05-26
06:26:36
mwen kontan anpil pou koken rev sa-a ki tounen yon realite.kenbe la pa dekouraje. antou ka pou moun sa-a kidi si ELICOPTER-a pat gen foto Obama ak drapo BREZIL la li tap pibel .fe yon bagay pou peyi'w tou .sis pan'n avek vwe parol san sans. mwen konen nou se yon peuple van yan . li le pou nou sispan'n kritike moun kap ede nou . nou men'm fre'm ak se'm yo an nou mete tet nou ansan'm pou nou ede jeune ti mesyesa yo avanse pou pide van . nouka fe plis ke sa , si yo ba nou sibilite.
2010-06-05
14:42:51
je suis tres content de vous , de toute facon la vie est un combat , alors il faut lutter contre la vie parceque vous etes sur le point de reussir , ne sois pas découragé ,car nous sommes fier de vous ,et je reste croire que Dieu va vous proteger sur toute la ligne . merci et bonne chance a vous tous, félicitation.
2010-06-06
20:14:31
There is nothing greater than your dream comes true geys. Go ahead and I think that the haitian community should do something about that. By the way, if I can have your phone no I would get you an interview on my radio show from Orland, Floride.
you get my emal, then send me your number. Good look guys
2010-07-07
01:20:44
I am so shocked to see what you guys have done. It is such amazing to me. I hope God will put some good people out there to help you continue with that wonderful invention. Keep it up create more. Good luck God bless. Kisses from Orlando from Martin (Argentina) and Josene (Haiti).
2010-07-31
09:47:05
I hope Gop keeps his hand over you guys it's a reat accomplisment as haitian
Lakay se lakay ke Bondye kenbe nou anba zel li
2010-09-03
02:45:48
Kompliman, fos ak kouraj se twa mo ki mache e ki pwodwi gro sikse.
An nou kenbe men ansanm pou yon bel Ayiti pwodiktif.......
2010-11-06
00:06:20
Bon tande byen mesye dam, Mwen se yon fanatik avion ak elikoptè minyati, mwen asanble plizye deja e kite mwen di nou ke elikoptè sa pa ka vole. Elis yo pa ase long e yo pa ase laj.
2011-09-05
10:43:22
Very nice guys keep it up let the world know about us. Haitian's are great we are! if we have technology like they do we will do what they do nothing impossible. Respect for showing the Haitian flag on there. peace