They fear the aircraft over their houses
Date: 10 July 2006
The following is a (very) rough extract from an Afrikaans article that appeared in Beeld:
Residents of houses around the Waterkloof airforce base live in fear after aircraft resumed training flights over their houses. The aircraft, which appear to be used for training, fly irregularly low over the neighborhood.
A retired airline pilot told the Son that the aircraft were Cessnas and that they use the Waterkloof airforce base to take-off and to land. He said they sometimes flew at a height of 500ft and although they were not performing intricate maneuvers, he believed they should rather practice their operational exercises in open areas. He warned that there was not a lot of time to implement emergency measures should an aircraft problem occur at such a low height. He also said that the Cessnas had an excellent safety record, but an aircraft accident in a residential area could have catastrophic consequences.
A spokesman for the Airforce referred all comments to Col Ronald Maseko.
