NEWS & EVENTS - GENERAL
1 April 2013
Silver Falcons convert to Hawk jets
General
The Silver Falcons, the official aerobatic team of the SAAF, has recently converted to the Hawk jet trainer.
1 April 2013
Troops saw comrades die
General
Soldiers curbing rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park on Sunday night heard and saw an airforce helicopter with five of their colleagues crash and explode.
31 March 2013
5 die in Kruger chopper crash
General
ive people died when a helicopter crashed in the Kruger National Park on Saturday evening, the SANDF said.
25 March 2013
SA Air Force 'on rescue mission to CAR'
General
South African Air Force rescue team has left the country bound for Entebbe Uganda to prepare to evacuate wounded SA soldiers in the Central African Republic (CAR), according to a report.
18 March 2013
Crisis upon crisis at AFB Makhado
General
Some 50 families from Air Force Base Makhado’s Braambos residential area will be left virtually destitute at the end of this month as a result of massive retrenchment action at the base.
17 March 2013
Military equipment almost auctioned
General
Aircraft parts sent by Air Force for servicing in a foreign country was almost sold at a public auction, due to a delay in issuing permits to re-import it again.
14 March 2013
Rooivalk ready to deploy after upgrades completed
General
The SAAF has its full complement of Rooivalk combat support helicopters back on inventory after Denel Aviation returned the final aircraft following more than two years of work on Block 1F upgrades.
12 March 2013
A dozen SAAF Gripens in long-term storage
General
Twelve of the SAAF’s 26 Gripen fighter jets are in long-term storage as the Air Force does not have the funding to fly them.
1 March 2013
SAAF to lose maintenance technicians
General
The SAAF’s air servicing units will lose 389 skilled maintenance technicians on April 1 but will retain the services of 139 specialists following the expiration of the contract with Denel’s AMG.
28 February 2013
Defence budget up, but not by much
General
Its track record of getting the job done in spite of the shortage of resources does not appear to have overtly influenced Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in allocating funds to the South African National Defence Force.
27 February 2013
New Deputy Chief of the Airforce appointed
General
Major General Wiseman Simo Mbambo has taken over the reigns as the new Deputy Chief of the South African Air Force.
27 February 2013
Some AMG specialists will move to the SAAF
General
About 200 aircraft maintenance specialist engineers and technicians who have been ensuring continued airworthiness of many SAAF will find themselves in the employ of the Department of Defence.
7 February 2013
New Ysterplaat boss returns home
General
It was a welcome home for Col Christo Stroebel, the new OC of AFB Ysterplaat, when he took over command of the picturesque Cape Town airbase at a Change of Command Parade on Thursday.
5 February 2013
Sword of Peace for 35 Squadron
General
The SAAF's 35 Squadron based at Air Force Base Ysterplaat in Cape Town has won the SAAF Sword for Peace award for 2012/13.
4 February 2013
SAAF personnel welcome new book
General
Long-time military aviation enthusiast Dean Wingrin’s first foray into book publishing has been welcomed by retired and serving members of the South African Air Force.
2 February 2013
Ninety years of memories of the SAAF captured in new book
General
A new book on the SAAF has captured the personal history and many of the previously untold tales and experiences of dozens of airmen who served in both war and peace-time during the Air Force's first ninety years.
1 February 2013
SAAF in “good shape”
General
Financial and other resource constraints have not prevented the SAAF from successfully completing each and every task assigned to it.
1 February 2013
Drakensberg crash board of enquiry still underway
General
While the Minister might want speedy delivery of the preliminary report into the Drakensberg C-47TP crash the SAAF will be as “thorough as possible” in its investigations Deputy Chief Major General Jerry Malinga said.
1 February 2013
AMG contract cancellation will knock SAAF " Deputy
General
The SAAF will take some serious knocks due to the end of its maintenance contract with AMG, but the Deputy Chief of the Air Force is confident that the SAAF will retain maintenance capability.
29 January 2013
Mthatha airport claims another aircraft
General
In the space of two months, the small provincial airport has been associated with three incidents involving SAAF aircraft.
28 January 2013
SAAF CASA 212 a write-off
General
The SAAF has to all intents and purposes lost a quarter of its medium transport capability following a hard landing by a CASA 212.
28 January 2013
SAAF rhinos' horns treated to deter poachers
General
The SANDF effort in ending rhino poaching has moved into its own backyard, with the horns of all rhinos on and in the vicinity of Air Force Base Hoedspruit now treated with chemicals to make them unusable.
25 January 2013
Tempe accident aircraft to be written-off?
General
The exact extent of the damage caused to the SAAF transport aircraft that was involved in the hard landing incident near Bloemfontein last week has yet to be determined.
23 January 2013
Airforce defends cancelation of AMG contract
General
The SAAF has defended the cancellation of their contract with Aero Manpower Group (AMG), a Denel business unit and has hinted that a new contract may be negotiated.
21 January 2013
Air Force to put best face forward
General
The annual Air Force Day Parade taking place next week will be an opportunity for the new Chief of the Airforce to put some pride back into the airforce.
Silver Falcons convert to Hawk jets
General
The Silver Falcons, the official aerobatic team of the SAAF, has recently converted to the Hawk jet trainer.
Troops saw comrades die
General
Soldiers curbing rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park on Sunday night heard and saw an airforce helicopter with five of their colleagues crash and explode.
5 die in Kruger chopper crash
General
ive people died when a helicopter crashed in the Kruger National Park on Saturday evening, the SANDF said.
SA Air Force 'on rescue mission to CAR'
General
South African Air Force rescue team has left the country bound for Entebbe Uganda to prepare to evacuate wounded SA soldiers in the Central African Republic (CAR), according to a report.
Crisis upon crisis at AFB Makhado
General
Some 50 families from Air Force Base Makhado’s Braambos residential area will be left virtually destitute at the end of this month as a result of massive retrenchment action at the base.
Military equipment almost auctioned
General
Aircraft parts sent by Air Force for servicing in a foreign country was almost sold at a public auction, due to a delay in issuing permits to re-import it again.
Rooivalk ready to deploy after upgrades completed
General
The SAAF has its full complement of Rooivalk combat support helicopters back on inventory after Denel Aviation returned the final aircraft following more than two years of work on Block 1F upgrades.
A dozen SAAF Gripens in long-term storage
General
Twelve of the SAAF’s 26 Gripen fighter jets are in long-term storage as the Air Force does not have the funding to fly them.
SAAF to lose maintenance technicians
General
The SAAF’s air servicing units will lose 389 skilled maintenance technicians on April 1 but will retain the services of 139 specialists following the expiration of the contract with Denel’s AMG.
Defence budget up, but not by much
General
Its track record of getting the job done in spite of the shortage of resources does not appear to have overtly influenced Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in allocating funds to the South African National Defence Force.
New Deputy Chief of the Airforce appointed
General
Major General Wiseman Simo Mbambo has taken over the reigns as the new Deputy Chief of the South African Air Force.
Some AMG specialists will move to the SAAF
General
About 200 aircraft maintenance specialist engineers and technicians who have been ensuring continued airworthiness of many SAAF will find themselves in the employ of the Department of Defence.
New Ysterplaat boss returns home
General
It was a welcome home for Col Christo Stroebel, the new OC of AFB Ysterplaat, when he took over command of the picturesque Cape Town airbase at a Change of Command Parade on Thursday.
Sword of Peace for 35 Squadron
General
The SAAF's 35 Squadron based at Air Force Base Ysterplaat in Cape Town has won the SAAF Sword for Peace award for 2012/13.
SAAF personnel welcome new book
General
Long-time military aviation enthusiast Dean Wingrin’s first foray into book publishing has been welcomed by retired and serving members of the South African Air Force.
Ninety years of memories of the SAAF captured in new book
General
A new book on the SAAF has captured the personal history and many of the previously untold tales and experiences of dozens of airmen who served in both war and peace-time during the Air Force's first ninety years.
SAAF in “good shape”
General
Financial and other resource constraints have not prevented the SAAF from successfully completing each and every task assigned to it.
Drakensberg crash board of enquiry still underway
General
While the Minister might want speedy delivery of the preliminary report into the Drakensberg C-47TP crash the SAAF will be as “thorough as possible” in its investigations Deputy Chief Major General Jerry Malinga said.
AMG contract cancellation will knock SAAF " Deputy
General
The SAAF will take some serious knocks due to the end of its maintenance contract with AMG, but the Deputy Chief of the Air Force is confident that the SAAF will retain maintenance capability.
Mthatha airport claims another aircraft
General
In the space of two months, the small provincial airport has been associated with three incidents involving SAAF aircraft.
SAAF CASA 212 a write-off
General
The SAAF has to all intents and purposes lost a quarter of its medium transport capability following a hard landing by a CASA 212.
SAAF rhinos' horns treated to deter poachers
General
The SANDF effort in ending rhino poaching has moved into its own backyard, with the horns of all rhinos on and in the vicinity of Air Force Base Hoedspruit now treated with chemicals to make them unusable.
Tempe accident aircraft to be written-off?
General
The exact extent of the damage caused to the SAAF transport aircraft that was involved in the hard landing incident near Bloemfontein last week has yet to be determined.
Airforce defends cancelation of AMG contract
General
The SAAF has defended the cancellation of their contract with Aero Manpower Group (AMG), a Denel business unit and has hinted that a new contract may be negotiated.
Air Force to put best face forward
General
The annual Air Force Day Parade taking place next week will be an opportunity for the new Chief of the Airforce to put some pride back into the airforce.
