NEWS & EVENTS - GENERAL
20 June 2002
Calling all ex-17 Squadron members
General
17 Squadron at AFB Swartkop will publish a pictorial history of its helicopter operations from 1957 to 2002.A team at 17 Squadron is busy compiling a photographic history of its helicopter operations. Dated photographs, graphics and newspaperclipping...
18 June 2002
SA lacks resources for new air force planes
General
The SA Air Force does not have the financial or personnel resources to allow full operational readiness of the new jet fighters and trainers that make up a large part of the R53bn strategic arms acquisitions.The choice of aircraft has been the subjec...
10 June 2002
Exercise Golden Eagle
General
Exercise Golden Eagle will take place over the period 31 May to 21 June 2002.This Exercise is the first since 1997, and it was decided that, in view of the current budgetary constraints, the exercise will be conducted jointly, utilising elements of t...
29 May 2002
Army and Air Force fight over nuclear bunker
General
The Afrikaans Gauteng daily, Beeld, reports that the SA Army and Air Force are fighting over maintaining a nuclear blast-proof bunker next to Army headquarters in Pretoria. The bunker, built in the 1980's to house the SAAF's command post (it ...
29 May 2002
New buyer for Mirage F1AZ fleet?
General
The defence minister of a Francophone African country is this week visiting South Africa to discuss the acquisition of the latter's retired Mirage F1AZ fleet. The aircraft can be updated with Russian technology (missiles and engines). An example ...
21 May 2002
Defence has spent R203m on consultants
General
Advice on arms deal cost about R23mParliamentary Editor CAPE TOWN The defence department had spent more than R203m on consultants with about R23m on the strategic defence packages during the past two years, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said yester...
26 April 2002
Pilot dies in Impala crash
General
Captain Brett Burmeister of 85 CFS was killed when his Impala MkII crashed into a hill during a low-level tactical navigation exercise in the Northern Province. The Impala went down about five kilometres east of the Albasini Dam between Louis Trichar...
19 April 2002
New plans for Ysterplaat
General
SAAF BULLETIN19 April 2002: No 10/2002BULLETIN: PROGRESS WITH REGARD TO CLOSURE OF AFB YSTERPLAATSAAF Bulletin 1/2002 dated 15 February 2002 contained the details concerning the migration of AFB Ysterplaat to Air Force Station Cape Town at Cape Town ...
10 April 2002
SAAF pilots
General
The SA Air Force says the availability of pilots is cyclical. It can therefore not always ensure that there are sufficient pilots, it told Erika Gibson, military correspondent for the Afrikaans Gauteng daily, Beeld. The best it can do is to be prepar...
5 April 2002
Government goes ahead with fighter-plane deal
General
The South African government has ignored opposition and civil society calls to cancel the purchase of 12 extra British Aerospace Hawk trainer jets in the second part of a fighter-aircraft deal expected to gobble R24-billion out of the nation's tr...
19 March 2002
63 pilots left SAAF, 30 for better jobs
General
The SAAF lost 63 pilots last year - 30 of them to better job opportunities, Defence Minister Mosiuona Lekota said in Parliament.In a written reply to a question, he said the contracts of 16 pilots expired, six took voluntary severence packages, five ...
6 March 2002
Tooth Rock range leased to abalone company
General
An 111-hectare piece of government owned land, formerly known as the Tooth Rock weapons range near Saldanha in the Western Cape, has been leased to a company for the development of an abalone farm. The property would be leased for a period of 10 year...
5 March 2002
Alouette III accident
General
A SAAF Alouette III was involved in an accident at Welkom after a crime prevention raid. The Alouette landed fairly heavily on a sports field after a cockpit warning was detected by the pilot, Capt Liesl Bennet. The crew were not seriously inju...
4 March 2002
Langebaanweg Fly-In
General
The Langebaanweg Fly In was held over the weekend of 4/5 March 2002. It was aimed at the local private pilots to let them fly their aircraft into the Base. Although attended by a small crown, there were many aircraft on display, ranging from micro-li...
22 February 2002
New commander at 44 Squadron
General
Lt Col Billy Port has assumed command of the 44 Squadron, a transport unit based at Waterkloof AFB. He succeeds Lt Col Hermann Olmesdahl who has been promoted. The unit flies the Casa 235, Casa 212 and Cessna 185.Defence Systems Daily ...
22 February 2002
South Africa's defence budget up 15%
General
South Africa is boosting its defence budget by 15 percent for the next financial year. The budget is being increased by R2.4 billion (US210 million) to R18.4 billion (US1.6 billion) to pay for the SANDF's arms acquisition programme and its "...
19 February 2002
AFB Ysterplaat rethink
General
Ysterplaat air base, until recently earmarked for closure has been given a new lease on life.The air force base is to be used in the short term for President Thabo Mbeki's flights instead of Cape Town International. And if plans go according to s...
6 February 2002
More generals and admirals appointed
General
The chief of the SANDF this week announced the promotion of 13 general officers and six admirals. General Siphiwe Nyanda also announced the promotion to general officer rank of eight colonels and to flag rank of one naval captain. Among the appointme...
25 January 2002
SAAF flies into another shortage
General
Shortly after the air force was given a temporary reprieve for its fuel and pilot shortages, it appears that only three full-time air-traffic controllers will be available as from the middle of February to man the Waterkloof air base, the air force&#...
23 January 2002
Where are the new BBJ pilots?
General
President Thabo Mbeki's new business jet is to be delivered later this year, but manning the jet may become a problem as the Air Force faces pilot shortages.Only six operational pilots (three crews of two each) out of the entire Air Force qualify...
16 January 2002
Generals grounding air force
General
The air force, and the rest of the defence force, must realise there will never again be a defence budget to waste, say military experts. They will just have to cut costs. Departments that want to make use of Air Force planes will have to pay up. If ...
15 January 2002
Fuel shortage grounds air force
General
The fuel supply at the Waterkloof Air Force Base is so low that fuel had to be borrowed for some flights recently undertaken by President Thabo Mbeki. Only certain VIP, emergency and emergency maintenance flights can be undertaken. Training flights h...
9 January 2002
SANDF trainees don't cut it
General
Erica GibsonAt least 70 of the 152 officers in training at the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Gymnasium in Heidelberg passed this year despite the fact that they had failed the final exam.According to the SANDF, each trainees' average marks fo...
9 January 2002
Pilot training standards high as ever
General
The SA National Defence Force says its pilot training standards are as tough as ever following reports that standards are being manipulated along racial lines.The SA National Defence Force on Wednesday said its pilot training standards were as tough ...
9 January 2002
Pilot training standards are as tough as ever
General
The SA National Defence Force on Wednesday said its pilot training standards were as tough as ever. The statement follows concerns expressed in media reports that on one hand training standards were being dropped in order to qualify more pilots from ...
Calling all ex-17 Squadron members
General
17 Squadron at AFB Swartkop will publish a pictorial history of its helicopter operations from 1957 to 2002.A team at 17 Squadron is busy compiling a photographic history of its helicopter operations. Dated photographs, graphics and newspaperclipping...
SA lacks resources for new air force planes
General
The SA Air Force does not have the financial or personnel resources to allow full operational readiness of the new jet fighters and trainers that make up a large part of the R53bn strategic arms acquisitions.The choice of aircraft has been the subjec...
Exercise Golden Eagle
General
Exercise Golden Eagle will take place over the period 31 May to 21 June 2002.This Exercise is the first since 1997, and it was decided that, in view of the current budgetary constraints, the exercise will be conducted jointly, utilising elements of t...
Army and Air Force fight over nuclear bunker
General
The Afrikaans Gauteng daily, Beeld, reports that the SA Army and Air Force are fighting over maintaining a nuclear blast-proof bunker next to Army headquarters in Pretoria. The bunker, built in the 1980's to house the SAAF's command post (it ...
New buyer for Mirage F1AZ fleet?
General
The defence minister of a Francophone African country is this week visiting South Africa to discuss the acquisition of the latter's retired Mirage F1AZ fleet. The aircraft can be updated with Russian technology (missiles and engines). An example ...
Defence has spent R203m on consultants
General
Advice on arms deal cost about R23mParliamentary Editor CAPE TOWN The defence department had spent more than R203m on consultants with about R23m on the strategic defence packages during the past two years, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said yester...
Pilot dies in Impala crash
General
Captain Brett Burmeister of 85 CFS was killed when his Impala MkII crashed into a hill during a low-level tactical navigation exercise in the Northern Province. The Impala went down about five kilometres east of the Albasini Dam between Louis Trichar...
New plans for Ysterplaat
General
SAAF BULLETIN19 April 2002: No 10/2002BULLETIN: PROGRESS WITH REGARD TO CLOSURE OF AFB YSTERPLAATSAAF Bulletin 1/2002 dated 15 February 2002 contained the details concerning the migration of AFB Ysterplaat to Air Force Station Cape Town at Cape Town ...
SAAF pilots
General
The SA Air Force says the availability of pilots is cyclical. It can therefore not always ensure that there are sufficient pilots, it told Erika Gibson, military correspondent for the Afrikaans Gauteng daily, Beeld. The best it can do is to be prepar...
Government goes ahead with fighter-plane deal
General
The South African government has ignored opposition and civil society calls to cancel the purchase of 12 extra British Aerospace Hawk trainer jets in the second part of a fighter-aircraft deal expected to gobble R24-billion out of the nation's tr...
63 pilots left SAAF, 30 for better jobs
General
The SAAF lost 63 pilots last year - 30 of them to better job opportunities, Defence Minister Mosiuona Lekota said in Parliament.In a written reply to a question, he said the contracts of 16 pilots expired, six took voluntary severence packages, five ...
Tooth Rock range leased to abalone company
General
An 111-hectare piece of government owned land, formerly known as the Tooth Rock weapons range near Saldanha in the Western Cape, has been leased to a company for the development of an abalone farm. The property would be leased for a period of 10 year...
Alouette III accident
General
A SAAF Alouette III was involved in an accident at Welkom after a crime prevention raid. The Alouette landed fairly heavily on a sports field after a cockpit warning was detected by the pilot, Capt Liesl Bennet. The crew were not seriously inju...
Langebaanweg Fly-In
General
The Langebaanweg Fly In was held over the weekend of 4/5 March 2002. It was aimed at the local private pilots to let them fly their aircraft into the Base. Although attended by a small crown, there were many aircraft on display, ranging from micro-li...
New commander at 44 Squadron
General
Lt Col Billy Port has assumed command of the 44 Squadron, a transport unit based at Waterkloof AFB. He succeeds Lt Col Hermann Olmesdahl who has been promoted. The unit flies the Casa 235, Casa 212 and Cessna 185.Defence Systems Daily ...
South Africa's defence budget up 15%
General
South Africa is boosting its defence budget by 15 percent for the next financial year. The budget is being increased by R2.4 billion (US210 million) to R18.4 billion (US1.6 billion) to pay for the SANDF's arms acquisition programme and its "...
AFB Ysterplaat rethink
General
Ysterplaat air base, until recently earmarked for closure has been given a new lease on life.The air force base is to be used in the short term for President Thabo Mbeki's flights instead of Cape Town International. And if plans go according to s...
More generals and admirals appointed
General
The chief of the SANDF this week announced the promotion of 13 general officers and six admirals. General Siphiwe Nyanda also announced the promotion to general officer rank of eight colonels and to flag rank of one naval captain. Among the appointme...
SAAF flies into another shortage
General
Shortly after the air force was given a temporary reprieve for its fuel and pilot shortages, it appears that only three full-time air-traffic controllers will be available as from the middle of February to man the Waterkloof air base, the air force&#...
Where are the new BBJ pilots?
General
President Thabo Mbeki's new business jet is to be delivered later this year, but manning the jet may become a problem as the Air Force faces pilot shortages.Only six operational pilots (three crews of two each) out of the entire Air Force qualify...
Generals grounding air force
General
The air force, and the rest of the defence force, must realise there will never again be a defence budget to waste, say military experts. They will just have to cut costs. Departments that want to make use of Air Force planes will have to pay up. If ...
Fuel shortage grounds air force
General
The fuel supply at the Waterkloof Air Force Base is so low that fuel had to be borrowed for some flights recently undertaken by President Thabo Mbeki. Only certain VIP, emergency and emergency maintenance flights can be undertaken. Training flights h...
SANDF trainees don't cut it
General
Erica GibsonAt least 70 of the 152 officers in training at the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Gymnasium in Heidelberg passed this year despite the fact that they had failed the final exam.According to the SANDF, each trainees' average marks fo...
Pilot training standards high as ever
General
The SA National Defence Force says its pilot training standards are as tough as ever following reports that standards are being manipulated along racial lines.The SA National Defence Force on Wednesday said its pilot training standards were as tough ...
Pilot training standards are as tough as ever
General
The SA National Defence Force on Wednesday said its pilot training standards were as tough as ever. The statement follows concerns expressed in media reports that on one hand training standards were being dropped in order to qualify more pilots from ...
