Starlite Aviation Awarded SAAF Training
Date: 1 September 2007
Starlite, based at Virginia airport, Durban South Africa, has been awarded the renewal of the SAAF helicopter training contract. Originally, given as a contract for one year, this has now been confirmed and extended to run over a two year period ending July 2009.
Starlite's training director and shareholder Koos Myburgh says: "This means that there will be four intakes per year, consisting of eight students per intake, each undertaking 55 hours on the Robinson R22s and 10 hours on the Eurocopter EC120s (turbine conversion). In addition we will give the students 20 hours of instrument flying training in the multi crew environment, which is an added benefit that will enhance the pilot's readiness to proceed to Oryx helicopters. Also included in the training will be Night Vision Goggle theory training as well as three hours of NVG flight training, a facility that it only available in South Africa through Starlite for all civilian training."
He went on to say Starlite was particularly proud of this renewal and extension as "it shows the confidence that the SAAF has in the high standard of training that Starlite offers to all students wanting to learn to fly helicopters".
This is endorsed by the fact that Starlite is known for its high level of training expertise with all the instructors involved, having achieved distinctive experience in their own right over a considerable number of years in the Air Force themselves and therefore are aware of the stringent training expectations that are required.
Koos also commented "it is our training objective to offer our expertise to other African and countries outside Africa whether it be armed, air or police forces that require such attention. Our SOP (standard operating procedures) training is considered the very best available".
Col. Chris Stroebel of the SA Air Force commented "The SAAF needs to out-source the basic training and procedures as we have not been able to do it internally for some time. Starlite won the tender and we are confident about its ability to maintain its pilots proven level of training excellence".
Source: African Pilot (September 2007)
