In yesterdays morning paper I read that the Air Force is going to employ Zimbabwean flight instructors to see if our own "racist" (minister of defence) instructors aren't washing guys out unnecessarily.

Aparently some trainee made a moerse story about being thrown out a while back after failing most of his tests. He was put back into training and promptly bent a Astra in a hard landing. That same fool was given his wings and then wrote of a Hawk (this wasn't in the papers, this I heard from a source so I don't know how accurate it is).

I guess something like this would happen in a service which appoints Yvonne Chaka-Chaka as honorary Colonel.

I shall say no more

Vorster

Here's the link to the article Vorster is refering to:
Zim-instrukteurs gaan vlieëniers van SA leer vlieg

Here is the English translation from http://www.saairforce.co.za/ (under the current news section):

"13 March 2005: Zimbabwean instructors to teach SA flyers

The following is a rough translation from an Afrikaans article that appeared in Rapport:

Student pilots of the SAAF will be trained by flying instructors from Zimbabwe. The training will be conducted at the SAAF Central Flying School at Langebaan in the Western Cape.

The Zimbabweans are expected to arrive in the next few weeks to train the current group of South Africans who are presently undergoing training.

The announcement was made the past week by Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano, the new Chief of the SAAF, at a parade where pilots who had just completed their training recieved their wings.

Gagiano said the help of the Zimbabweans was called for because the air forces of the sub-continent needed to work closer together.

The announcement follows a year during which allegations of rascism were made against the current (mainly white) flying instructors at Langebaanweg.

Thousands of rand in damage was caused last year when one of the student pilots had a hard landing in an Astra training aircraft. The student pilot had earlier failed a test, but was still allowed to continue with the course.

After the incident, Mr Mosiuoa Lekota, Minister of Defence, stated that students pilots who failed their tests would be sent to Botswana 'to see if they really failed'.

Gagiano said he is 'absolutely satisfied' with the quality of the Zimbabwean instructors.

The Zimbabwean airforce uses an older version of the BAE Hawk, which will be the new (advanced) training aircraft for the SAAF. "

The Astra crash by the supposedly failed student appears under the 2004 news section in late September 2004/early October 2004.

As far as the decisions of the SANDF, just bear in mind that appointment of officers (regardless of branch of service) has always being politically motivated depending on the party that hold the parliamentry majority. This is not new, and this is not only applicable to SA. Now it's time to get off the soap box

Read the articles if you are interested, make your own minds up, but honestly, this has little to do with modelling.

Sorry got carried away abit. Point taken. By the by when is the next airshow at Bredasdorp at the Test Flight and Development Centre. If you know it will be appreciated as whe plan to go enmass this year if one is scheduled. Apparently it is better than the one at Africa Militaire

No problem.

The Bredasdorp fly-in is apparently tons of fun every year - something like what the Buffalo Rally is for motorcyclists :-) :-)

According to the events calendar on http://www.saairforce.co.za/ it's only the Fly-in at AFB Overberg / TFDC this year (25 - 27 November), but no airshow. But I suppose this have something to do with the "Super Airshow" at AFB Ysterplaat on 2 - 4 December (the following weekend).

What also looks interesting is the SAAF Museum Airshow (AFB Zwartkop, Pretoria) on 17 September.

Thx, but unfortunately it is our busiest time of year so I won't make it though. Pity. Work is such a lady sometimes, it gets in the way of modeling as usual.