kosmonooit Posted January 8, 2019 Posted January 8, 2019 Anyone know what's happening with the SAAF Gripen fleet? how many still flying? Who many pilots current? in training? Great aircraft, not so great for SA though IMHO. Long Wheel Base and Bateleur1 2
Bateleur1 Posted January 8, 2019 Posted January 8, 2019 Anyone know what's happening with the SAAF Gripen fleet? how many still flying? Who many pilots current? in training? Great aircraft, not so great for SA though IMHO. Last I heard ( about three or four years ago) it was not just the pilots but also lacking ground crew.
fanievb Posted January 8, 2019 Posted January 8, 2019 My granddad was a Brigadier is the SAAF until about 1990, and was at Waterkloof. Flew in the Bumbling Bees and Silver Falcons. Too this day, still think he has the most Impala hours. I lived with him from age 2 - 5. Needless too say, I spent a lot of time on the base, flew in Buccaneers, Impala, C130s, Dakotas. Missed my chance to go up in a Canberra and Harvards though. Thats where my love for aviation started.My late father in law was with 8sq maintained the imps at Bloemspruit and later at Hoedspruit Patchelicious and gummibear 2
SwissVan Posted January 8, 2019 Posted January 8, 2019 Argh fork it....My names Darryl and after so many years in aviation I need a break from the things???? Long Wheel Base, gummibear and Spokey 3
Jase619 Posted January 9, 2019 Posted January 9, 2019 The light failed me towards the end, but still some good photos. Spokey, Ed-Zulu, Lotus and 6 others 9
Long Wheel Base Posted January 9, 2019 Posted January 9, 2019 (edited) The light failed me towards the end, but still some good photos. IMG_0247small.jpgIMG_0296small.jpgIMG_0357small.jpgIMG_0360small.jpgIMG_0396small.jpgIMG_0405small.jpgWhen those okes did the water skiing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Edited January 9, 2019 by Long Wheel Base Captain Fastbastard Mayhem and fanievb 2
SwissVan Posted January 9, 2019 Posted January 9, 2019 When those okes did the water skiing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!When I showed some of my Swiss colleagues those videos they could not believe it Long Wheel Base 1
Patchelicious Posted January 9, 2019 Posted January 9, 2019 When those okes did the water skiing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!We were told stories of them returning to Langebaanweg with bent props from striking the swells doing low level training flights over the Atlantic. Long Wheel Base 1
Disher Posted January 9, 2019 Posted January 9, 2019 Swiss Van - were the Harvard pics taken at the Botswana airshow?? The light looks about 100 % the same as the year we flew in and they did a sort of impromptu evening show. With the sunset, the dust and the lights it looked phenomenal.
SwissVan Posted January 9, 2019 Posted January 9, 2019 Swiss Van - were the Harvard pics taken at the Botswana airshow?? The light looks about 100 % the same as the year we flew in and they did a sort of impromptu evening show. With the sunset, the dust and the lights it looked phenomenal. I'm guessing it was Bloem, but not my post, you need to ask Jase619
Jase619 Posted January 9, 2019 Posted January 9, 2019 (edited) Swiss Van - were the Harvard pics taken at the Botswana airshow?? The light looks about 100 % the same as the year we flew in and they did a sort of impromptu evening show. With the sunset, the dust and the lights it looked phenomenal. It was in Welkom in the Free State, every December the local publicity association organises some sort of a mini airshow. This year was the Harvards. Makes me miss when they actually organised a proper airshow at the local airport here. Used to be a massive thing. It helps having Brian Emmenis as a local here, he has a lot of contacts that he uses to show his home town some love. Edited January 9, 2019 by Jase619 fanievb and Long Wheel Base 2
Long Wheel Base Posted January 9, 2019 Posted January 9, 2019 We were told stories of them returning to Langebaanweg with bent props from striking the swells doing low level training flights over the Atlantic.SAA still own 2 Harvards(lol 2 of the 3 aircraft we actually own) and sometimes the pilots "hire" them. Few years back the one pilot took one for the weekend, when it came back the one wing had scratches underneath it. He denied knowing anything about and said they must have been there before. The guys that maintain them here know them better than the back of their hands so knew it never left like that. So the one dude happened to know the pilot owned a farm up north somewhere so he took a road trip up to his farm. Lo and behold he gets there and one of the boundary fences is stuffed. Took photos and approached the pilot. Admits guilt and says he was doing some low level flying because he had been having problems with people jumping his fence and killing his game. Sidersky and Jase619 2
SwissVan Posted January 9, 2019 Posted January 9, 2019 Some pics taken from a Swiss Aviation Calendar 2018 Davos WEF Gridlock Swiss based Harvard Swiss airforce F18 flying inverted in the mountains Long Wheel Base, Bateleur1 and Sidersky 3
Jase619 Posted January 9, 2019 Posted January 9, 2019 SAA still own 2 Harvards(lol 2 of the 3 aircraft we actually own) and sometimes the pilots "hire" them. Few years back the one pilot took one for the weekend, when it came back the one wing had scratches underneath it. He denied knowing anything about and said they must have been there before. The guys that maintain them here know them better than the back of their hands so knew it never left like that. So the one dude happened to know the pilot owned a farm up north somewhere so he took a road trip up to his farm. Lo and behold he gets there and one of the boundary fences is stuffed. Took photos and approached the pilot. Admits guilt and says he was doing some low level flying because he had been having problems with people jumping his fence and killing his game. Is the other one a Cessna?
Long Wheel Base Posted January 9, 2019 Posted January 9, 2019 Is the other one a Cessna?No. A junkers JU-52. SwissVan 1
Jase619 Posted January 9, 2019 Posted January 9, 2019 No. A junkers JU-52. Nice, and that is the sum total of SAA Assets Nothing from this Millenium Long Wheel Base 1
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