Airforce loses skills at a ‘steady pace"

The following is a rough translation of an Afrikaans article that was published in the Afrikaans Beeld newspaper:

Fanie van Rooyen

The loss of human resources, scarce skills and above all, pilots, remains one of the biggest challenges for the South African Air Force (SAAF).

Gen. Carlo Gagiano, Chief of the Airforce, said yesterday at a special media conference at the Airforce Gymnasium in Pretoria that although he was ‘very positive' about recent complications in the airforce, there was still "large challenges ahead".

Gagiano spoke to the media shortly about important issues in the airforce before a Wings Parade at the Swartkop airforce base.

"The situation that concerns the loss of scarce skills as a result of resignations of SAAF members has not improved over the past year," Gagiano said.

Thirteen pilots and 74 technicians have resigned since January this year.

"The pace at which we are losing pilots and technicians, as a result of resignations, is unsustainable against the rate at which new pilots and personnel are appointed," he said.

In order to tackle the situation, the airforce will have mass campaign to decentralise the enlistment of new airforce personnel from January 2010.

"This will mean that commanders of airforce bases will take to the streets in order to recruit new airforce members from their own geographical area."

Gagiano said he was positive about the airforce's new pilot training system, the upgrading of the Waterkloof airforce base in Pretoria, the airforce's readiness for the 2010 Soccer World Cup tournament and the airforce's forthcoming cooperation with the civil aviation industry.

"The airforce has decided on a new three-tier training system for pilots and we believe this system will be more efficient, safer and cheaper than in the past."

The new training system contains an initial 70 flying hours in a "very basic" aircraft, in which the instructor and student pilot sit alongside each other.

This training phase has been outsourced to Babcock Central Flying Academy in Midrand and will be carried out on Cessna 172 aircraft.

The second phase contains training on the SAAF's Astra aircraft and the third phase contains advanced training in helicopters, fighter or transport aircraft.

Gagiano said that the upgrading of the Waterkloof airforce base is running on schedule and that the runway-upgrading  project will be completed by the end of 2011. The recent FIFA Confederations Cup soccer tournament was, "the largest airspace security operation in the history of the SAAF".

"The airforce acquitted itself very well is its task of securing the airspace during the Confederations Cup and we are confident that we ready for the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament".

Gagiano also said that various partnerships between the airforce and the civil aviation industry, inclusing SAA and Denel, serves as an opportunity to "ensure that the capacity and efficiency of the airforce will strengthen, in spite of the lasting tight defence budget.