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Aviation History
1985
1985 - 0179.PDF
* % 1 * 04 OS *** .1.. * % w % 4 lp?-r Hppr 1 vflf the moment electronic countermeasures and electronic intelligence are very high priorities. On weapons I am going for maximum efficiency and sophistication. We have got to be better than the threat, and the Angolans have got some of the latest aircraft and missiles in service now. "For the long term, I personally would like to see us get together with the West. South Africa was there in both World Wars,"and a lot of us, including me, fought for the West in Korea. I think if we were ever needed, we would be there again fighting with the West. We and the Israelis are the only people who can tell the West what it is like to fly against the latest Soviet equipment and tactics. We can provide naval facilities and, in the end, only we can protect the West's oil routes around the Cape. "We really ought to put aside our inter nal politics for the common good. The West has painted itself into a corner with that policy, we should get together on a more realistic basis instead of them condemning everything we do." The CAF's views are reflected at all levels within the SAAF, from junior first- tour pilots up to Command level. I did not meet one person in the two weeks who did not ask: "Can't the West see that we are on their side?" and "What has the Air Force to do with apartheid? We are here to protect everyone in South Africa, Black, White, Coloured, Green, Purple—makes no difference to me." The South African hope is that the West will come to its senses before one colour dominates the African continent—Red. But at present the SAAF knows that it must make do with what it has in the way of equipment, and make do it does. What it lacks in kit it makes up for with training and tactics. In most Nato air forces, a junior pilot will join his first operational fast-jet squadron, Jaguar, F-16, or F-104, with about 500hr total in his logbook. In the SAAF, the first time a pilot straps on a Mirage he will have 1,000 hr plus logged, some of it probably on actual operations. After induction, boot camp, and a spell at the SAAF College of Officer Training, the student pilot reports to CFS Dunnotter for basic training on the North American Harvard IIA, III, or the AT-6A variant. The course comprises 125hr in the air, including 85hr dual. What about "jet-like handling", the beloved buzz phrase of the trainer world? "You get that on jets. If you can learn to fly on a Harvard anything else comes easy", and, "The Harvard is easy to fly, but difficult to fly well. You get something wrong and it'll let you know pretty damn quickly. It teaches you airmanship and respect for your aeroplane." After basic on the Harvard, the students are streamed for light aircraft (Bosbok, Kudu), transports (usually starting on the DC-3), and helicopters (training on the Alouette). For those selected for fighters the next step is 83 Jet Training School at Laangebaanweg, and 80hr of dual in the Impala I, with Wings awarded after 125hr total. Some pilots then stay on until an operational training course is available. After Laangebaanweg comes 85 Air Combat School at Pietersburg with, first, conversion to the single-seat Impala II, followed by lOOhr learning the basics of combat flying—air-to-air and air-to- ground guns, rocketry, dive bombing, skip bombing, air-combat manoeuvring, and tactical navigation, followed by an introduction to basic bush recce, at which point the student will be qualified to wingman standard for operations on the Impala I. At this point the pilot joins one of the Impala units such as 4 Sqn at Lanseria where, after about 250hr of flying tactical armed recce as a wingman, he will return to Pietersburg for another 50hr to qualify as an Impala flight leader. Returning to an operational unit, he will complete a tour in that capacity, running up about 300hr. He can then apply for a Mirage conversion course. By then he will have more than l,000hr, including about 500hr on an oper ational Impala squadron. The SAAF very rarely loses one of its front-line jets as a result of finger trouble or inex perience. Personally, I feel sorry for instructors on Impalas. By now we are halfway round our tactical recce, having found and rocketed Target One, a windpump feeding into two troughs, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Apart from the occasional kopje or dried-up river, the country is, to European eyes, totally featureless. It is feature-full really, but all looks the same to me. Navigation is by map and hacking stopwatches. Used to fancy modern navkit, I find it disconcerting to see the pilot refolding the map—I suppose you get used to it. Target Two is an underground truck park next to a roofless ruin. Lead scans from 10 to 12 o'clock for the IP, we look from 12 to 10, flying along a dirt track. There we are, a gravel heap, call it in, look 500m east for the ruin, locate the under ground park entrance, 4g pull-up. Switches on, roll in, lead calls "In hot... Out". I see him cross ahead of us as we line up, call in, pull out, stay low and call out. What's next? Target Three, a lone hut, acting as a "Terr HQ" near a kraal east of a reservoir. En route we are contacted by squadron ops and re-fragged to carry out a road search to locate, identify, and count personnel vehicles. Flurry of maps, quick conflab, new course, and a few minutes of relative calm. I've now found that I do not like the Impala. The seat is agonisingly hard. Where there would be a dinghy, the SAAF packs an overland survival kit which contains, among other goodies, a panga and a folding -22 rifle. I wonder which of those is sticking into my anatomy? Feels like a foresight—good job it's not an M-16, I suppose. We spread out for the search, lead slightly ahead. We keep the road between us and set up a weave to throw off anybody's aim who might hold the search against us, and scan both sides of the road and the bushes either side. "One blue backie (pickup truck), three people, one female, stationary three klicks east of start" ... "White backie travelling west, two people speed 50" ... White Honda parked just off road to north, seven klicks from start, no people seen". After the search is completed we turn for home, carrying out the usual fuel checks. About twice a year 4 Sqn is deployed at short notice to operate from two up- country airstrips. The HQ element remains at Lanseria and CF personnel handle the bare-base defence while the squadron operates in its main roles: close air support, both preplanned and quick- reaction, and reconnaissance, which is FLIGHT International, 19 January 1985 19
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