User:Augustokpe/sandbox

August De Hems Okpe

(/ɔːˈɡʌst/; born August 18, 1943) is a Nigerian Aviator, Writer, and a retired Squadron leader who served Nigerian Air Force from 1964-!967, Biafran Air Force 1967-1970 and was in Civil aviation till the mid-1990s.

Okpe was born in Port-Harcourt in 1943 and was raised between Lagos and Owerri. His parents, Daniel Nnadi-Egbulam and Harriet Ahuruole, met in Owerri, Imo State, Daniel who lived in Lagos at the time met Harriet in Owerri about1913.

Okpe was educated in Owerri Christ Church Primary School but attended several others due to his father's posting. He later attended Government College Umuahia, upon graduation, he attended the Central Officers School of the Royal Canadian Air Force in Alberta, the Royal Canadian Air Force Flight School, in Penhold, the Royal Canadian Air Force Flight Instructors School in Moose-Jaw, the University of Southern California, the United States Air Force Flight Safety Centre in Georgia; the Boeing Airplane Flight School in Seattle, the British Airways Flight School at Gatwick, and UK's Cranfield University in Bedfordforshire.

After his graduation from the Military Academy Cadet program, he was among the first set of NAF (Nigerian Air Force) commissioned officers as an Air force Pilot Officer, in June 1962. During his service in NAF, Chief Flight Safety Officer & Air Accident Investigator, NAF Headquarters,

Okpe operated a variety of aircraft for the NAF, the Eastern Command, and later Biafra before and during the war. As the de facto Chief Pilot of the fledgling republic of Biafra, he later commanded the Tactical Air Command that won worldwide acclaim in its attempt to tip the balance in the war,  which the Biafran regime sadly could not sustain for too long. For that and other commendable services in the course of his prosecution of the war through unconventional military aviation tactics,  Gorilla-Piloting, Biafra honoured him with all the national awards possible at the time including the prestigious Military Cross.