NEWS & EVENTS - GENERAL
12 May 2013
Crash pilot almost failed
General
The airforce pilot that crashed an Agusta helicopter in the Kruger National Park in March had a volatile history as a pilot.
10 May 2013
Air force wings clipped
General
The SA Air Force is in crisis. Its pilot and navigator recruitment programmes have been shut down and there are plans to shelve other projects.
10 May 2013
Slick SAAF air capability demo in spite of austerity
General
By Kim HelfrichAusterity does not mean inefficiency. This was ably proven by the SA Air Force (SAAF) during its air capability demonstration at the Roodewal bombing range in Limpopo yesterday. In common with the three other arms of service, the...
7 May 2013
SAAF Museum airshow going to be a goodie
General
Forty years of preserving South Africa’s military aviation history will be marked with a massive 40 helicopter formation flypast at the SAAF Museum airshow on Saturday.
7 May 2013
Industry targeting careers at SAAF Museum air show
General
The fear that South Africa’s pipeline of young engineers for the aerospace and aviation sectors is “drying up” is one of the reasons why major local defence industry company, Paramount Group, is supporting the SAAF Museum and its annual airshow.
3 May 2013
Airforce cancels new pilot courses
General
The South African Air Force (SAAF) has cancelled all new recruitment initiatives for the year, including that for pilots and navigators.
3 May 2013
Five senior government officials suspended in first “Guptagate” fall-out
General
Government’s bureaucratic machine has moved into top gear for both damage limitation and the hunt for culprits after the unauthorised arrival of a chartered jetliner at AFB Waterkloof earlier this week.
2 May 2013
Investigation underway into civilian use of AFB Waterkloof
General
Forty-eight hours after a breach of security, in terms of the apartheid-era National Key Points Act, a top government official apparently implicated in facilitating the arrival of a privately chartered airliner at AFB Waterkloof has been suspended.
23 April 2013
SAAF affirmative action report slated
General
A report stating the SAAFs affirmative action policy will result in nothing more than higher aircraft crash statistics has been trashed by sections of the wider community of aviation enthusiasts, writers and observers.
22 April 2013
AA could affect crash stats - think-tank
General
The international military think-tank website, Strategypage, believes the SAAF's affirmative action policy will result in nothing more than higher plane crash statistics.
18 April 2013
US military aid supports SAAF C-130s
General
By Guy MartinThe military aid that South Africa receives from the United States every year largely goes towards supporting the Air Force’s fleet of nine C-130 Hercules aircraft. According to an official from the US military’s Africa...
17 April 2013
Five of nine SAAF Hercules serviceable
General
The SAAF is operating five of its nine C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, as the others are either being serviced or are awaiting inspections.
9 April 2013
SA was ready for more
General
South Africa was ready and armed to the teeth for a second intervention in the Central African Republic (CAR), though the army denied it until now.
8 April 2013
Silver Falcons to be grounded
General
By Kim Helfrich The bite of the defence force budget bug seems to have claimed another victim. This time it’s the South African Air Force’s Silver Falcons elite aerobatic team, which has been grounded. “While there is no offic...
3 April 2013
SA sends more troops to CAR - report
General
While government has come under fire for the way in which troops were deployed to the Central African Republic, it has emerged that South Africa has sent even more troops, fighter planes and transport planes to the region.
2 April 2013
Heli crash: Captain to be a father
General
The captain that died in a helicopter crash in the Kruger National Park on Saturday night would have been a father for the first time in two months time.
1 April 2013
Silver Falcons convert to Hawk jets
General
The Silver Falcons, the official aerobatic team of the SAAF, has recently converted to the Hawk jet trainer.
1 April 2013
Troops saw comrades die
General
Soldiers curbing rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park on Sunday night heard and saw an airforce helicopter with five of their colleagues crash and explode.
31 March 2013
5 die in Kruger chopper crash
General
ive people died when a helicopter crashed in the Kruger National Park on Saturday evening, the SANDF said.
25 March 2013
SA Air Force 'on rescue mission to CAR'
General
South African Air Force rescue team has left the country bound for Entebbe Uganda to prepare to evacuate wounded SA soldiers in the Central African Republic (CAR), according to a report.
18 March 2013
Crisis upon crisis at AFB Makhado
General
Some 50 families from Air Force Base Makhado’s Braambos residential area will be left virtually destitute at the end of this month as a result of massive retrenchment action at the base.
17 March 2013
Military equipment almost auctioned
General
Aircraft parts sent by Air Force for servicing in a foreign country was almost sold at a public auction, due to a delay in issuing permits to re-import it again.
14 March 2013
Rooivalk ready to deploy after upgrades completed
General
The SAAF has its full complement of Rooivalk combat support helicopters back on inventory after Denel Aviation returned the final aircraft following more than two years of work on Block 1F upgrades.
12 March 2013
A dozen SAAF Gripens in long-term storage
General
Twelve of the SAAF’s 26 Gripen fighter jets are in long-term storage as the Air Force does not have the funding to fly them.
1 March 2013
SAAF to lose maintenance technicians
General
The SAAF’s air servicing units will lose 389 skilled maintenance technicians on April 1 but will retain the services of 139 specialists following the expiration of the contract with Denel’s AMG.
Crash pilot almost failed
General
The airforce pilot that crashed an Agusta helicopter in the Kruger National Park in March had a volatile history as a pilot.
Air force wings clipped
General
The SA Air Force is in crisis. Its pilot and navigator recruitment programmes have been shut down and there are plans to shelve other projects.
Slick SAAF air capability demo in spite of austerity
General
By Kim HelfrichAusterity does not mean inefficiency. This was ably proven by the SA Air Force (SAAF) during its air capability demonstration at the Roodewal bombing range in Limpopo yesterday. In common with the three other arms of service, the...
SAAF Museum airshow going to be a goodie
General
Forty years of preserving South Africa’s military aviation history will be marked with a massive 40 helicopter formation flypast at the SAAF Museum airshow on Saturday.
Industry targeting careers at SAAF Museum air show
General
The fear that South Africa’s pipeline of young engineers for the aerospace and aviation sectors is “drying up” is one of the reasons why major local defence industry company, Paramount Group, is supporting the SAAF Museum and its annual airshow.
Airforce cancels new pilot courses
General
The South African Air Force (SAAF) has cancelled all new recruitment initiatives for the year, including that for pilots and navigators.
Five senior government officials suspended in first “Guptagate” fall-out
General
Government’s bureaucratic machine has moved into top gear for both damage limitation and the hunt for culprits after the unauthorised arrival of a chartered jetliner at AFB Waterkloof earlier this week.
Investigation underway into civilian use of AFB Waterkloof
General
Forty-eight hours after a breach of security, in terms of the apartheid-era National Key Points Act, a top government official apparently implicated in facilitating the arrival of a privately chartered airliner at AFB Waterkloof has been suspended.
SAAF affirmative action report slated
General
A report stating the SAAFs affirmative action policy will result in nothing more than higher aircraft crash statistics has been trashed by sections of the wider community of aviation enthusiasts, writers and observers.
AA could affect crash stats - think-tank
General
The international military think-tank website, Strategypage, believes the SAAF's affirmative action policy will result in nothing more than higher plane crash statistics.
US military aid supports SAAF C-130s
General
By Guy MartinThe military aid that South Africa receives from the United States every year largely goes towards supporting the Air Force’s fleet of nine C-130 Hercules aircraft. According to an official from the US military’s Africa...
Five of nine SAAF Hercules serviceable
General
The SAAF is operating five of its nine C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, as the others are either being serviced or are awaiting inspections.
SA was ready for more
General
South Africa was ready and armed to the teeth for a second intervention in the Central African Republic (CAR), though the army denied it until now.
Silver Falcons to be grounded
General
By Kim Helfrich The bite of the defence force budget bug seems to have claimed another victim. This time it’s the South African Air Force’s Silver Falcons elite aerobatic team, which has been grounded. “While there is no offic...
SA sends more troops to CAR - report
General
While government has come under fire for the way in which troops were deployed to the Central African Republic, it has emerged that South Africa has sent even more troops, fighter planes and transport planes to the region.
Heli crash: Captain to be a father
General
The captain that died in a helicopter crash in the Kruger National Park on Saturday night would have been a father for the first time in two months time.
Silver Falcons convert to Hawk jets
General
The Silver Falcons, the official aerobatic team of the SAAF, has recently converted to the Hawk jet trainer.
Troops saw comrades die
General
Soldiers curbing rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park on Sunday night heard and saw an airforce helicopter with five of their colleagues crash and explode.
5 die in Kruger chopper crash
General
ive people died when a helicopter crashed in the Kruger National Park on Saturday evening, the SANDF said.
SA Air Force 'on rescue mission to CAR'
General
South African Air Force rescue team has left the country bound for Entebbe Uganda to prepare to evacuate wounded SA soldiers in the Central African Republic (CAR), according to a report.
Crisis upon crisis at AFB Makhado
General
Some 50 families from Air Force Base Makhado’s Braambos residential area will be left virtually destitute at the end of this month as a result of massive retrenchment action at the base.
Military equipment almost auctioned
General
Aircraft parts sent by Air Force for servicing in a foreign country was almost sold at a public auction, due to a delay in issuing permits to re-import it again.
Rooivalk ready to deploy after upgrades completed
General
The SAAF has its full complement of Rooivalk combat support helicopters back on inventory after Denel Aviation returned the final aircraft following more than two years of work on Block 1F upgrades.
A dozen SAAF Gripens in long-term storage
General
Twelve of the SAAF’s 26 Gripen fighter jets are in long-term storage as the Air Force does not have the funding to fly them.
SAAF to lose maintenance technicians
General
The SAAF’s air servicing units will lose 389 skilled maintenance technicians on April 1 but will retain the services of 139 specialists following the expiration of the contract with Denel’s AMG.
