Airlines could take airforces cream
Date: 19 October 2006
The following is a (very) rough extract from an Afrikaans article that appeared in Beeld:
The commercial airline industry could shortly deprive the airforces most modern squadron of personnel.
85 Combat flying School (CFS), the home of the new Hawk lead-in fighter trainer aircraft, has just been established with six instructors and three test pilots.
Another eight student pilots are presently in training.
Local airlines, such as SAA, have just announced a 20% salary increase for their pilots.
Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano, Chief of the SAAF, said yesterday that this could mean that the cream of 85 CFS's pilots and engineers may look to greener pastures. It is not just in the fighter line that pilots are leaving for better salaries with the airlines.
According to Gagiano, three of the six pilots for the Boeing Business Jet, which transports President Thabo Mbeki, resigned last week.
Technical personel are also dwindling. There are just two flight engineers for the nine C-130 transport aircraft at 28 Squadron, AFB Waterkloof.
"We're trying to discuss the matter with the private sector in order to sort out the problem" Gagiano said.
According to Gagiano, the various branches of the local and international airline industry are busy cutting each others necks.
"Just when you think you have enough personnel, the situation changes to a crisis" he said during the opening ceremony at the School at Makhado.
The School was previously at Hoedspruit and moved to Makhado for the training of fighter pilots for the Gripen fighter. The training with start within two years.
The airforces salary is average, little more than half that of SAA.
On top of this, as there is a worldwide need for pilots, local airlines are pulling out the stops to retain their own personel.
Gagiano said ""We're trying to adapt our salaries and flight allowances, but were never going 'to match the private sector".
At the inauguration yesterday of 10 of the eventual 24 Hawks, Mr Mosiuoa Lekota, Minister of Defence, was positive that the aircraft will help the airforce for 40 years into the future.
The School will have 16 aircraft by the end of the year and 24 aircraft by the middle of next year.
Most of the current instructors were previously instructors on the retired Impala and just needed to undergo a conversion. Six of the aircraft will now be fully used operationally. According to Lekota, new equipment such as the Hawk are the reason South Africa is performing well in freedom operations.
Lekota said "We'll still have voices criticising the renewal program, but it is necessary for South Africa's international diplomacy".
