Tag Archives: Airbus H125
SAPS Johannesburg air support operations receives a boost with new H125 Airbus Helicopter
The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola has officially handed over a brand new H125 airbus helicopter to the Division: Visible Policing and Operations to bolster the organisation’s crime combatting efforts.
The newly procured H125 airbus adds to the SAPS existing fleet of helicopter’s across the country whose aim is to provide air support in crime prevention operation’s as well as Search and Rescue (SAR) missions.
Speaking during the handing over ceremony held at the Grand Central Airport in Midrand, General Masemola says resourcing and equipping the SAPS operational environments remains a top priority for the SAPS.
“This helicopter came at the very right time when we are entering the peak of our festive season operations, there is work out there cut for its size. We continue to resource our visible and operational response environment with vehicles and other resources to strengthen our crime combatting efforts. For now, this helicopter will be based in Gauteng to bolster crime combatting operations”, said General Fannie Masemola.
The SAPS Airwing unit consists of aircrafts and helicopter’s which are responsible for policing operations ranging from routine patrols to Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, to support operations for high risk units which include the Special Task Force (STF), the Counter Assault Team(CAT), the National Intervention Unit (NIU), Tactical Response Teams (TRT) and the Public Order Police (POP) units. They also provide Operational Support during public unrests and crowd control operations, Vehicle, Stock as well as Game Theft Operations.
They mainly focus on tracking and tracing suspects in high risk incidents such as Cash-In-Transit(CIT) heists, Armed Robberies, Hijacking’s and a host of other serious and violent crimes.
Police officers who are deployed to work on board are called Airborne Law Enforcement Officers (ALEO). Apart from providing air support to specialised teams on the ground, these members are trained in assisting SAPS pilots with observations and also reading of aerial maps.
David Simelane Promoted To Chief Pilot Of SANParks Air Services
South African National Parks (SANParks) is proud to announce that Ndabenhle David Simelane has become the first black Chief Pilot for SANParks Air Services. SANParks Chief Operating Officer Lize McCourt, said, “Simelane’s most recent promotion sees him moving from the rank of pilot to SANParks Chief Pilot and Person Responsible for Operations as per the South African Civil Aviation Authority’s regulations”.
“It comes as no surprise that Simelane aka “The Black-Black Hawk”, is progressing through the ranks as he is a skilled professional pilot with solid management and leadership skills with approachability and strength of character to boot”.
On arrival at the SANParks Airwing in Skukuza almost a year ago, Simelane wasted no time forging a solid relationship with the Civil Aviation Authority – an endeavour that serves SANParks well in terms of aviation compliance.
Air Services is part of the newly formed Area Integrity Management unit (AIM), which comprises Air-Services, Firearm Management, Special Operations, Environmental Crime Investigations, and Environmental Compliance. The main objective of creating the AIM unit was to establish and better coordinate safety and security within SANParks. The objective is well underway, with AIM providing core functions such as logistical ranger support, amongst other crucial services within SANParks. McCourt has noted that the unit played an integral role in establishing the Command Centre within Table Mountain National Parks. We believe that the team will continue to excel with Simelane at the helm of Air Services.
McCourt concluded, “There is no doubt in my mind that Simelane will take SANParks Air Services to the next level and it is my sincere pleasure to see transformation in the airwing. Fly Black Hawk, fly!”
COVID Aviation Trips – Rand Airport
By now most of us have been absolutely deprived of aviation. Unfortunately all airshows for 2020 have been either postponed or cancelled. This leaves us with almost no aviation action, or does it?
In the coming weeks, we will be looking at different smaller aviation spots that can help scratch that aviation itch that has been annoying us all during this lockdown.
In the third installment in this series we are looking at yet another smaller airport in Gauteng. Rand Airport is a great spot to feel the wind coming off aircraft and smell the turbine exhaust.
What makes Rand great is the fact that it has more than one great spots. The first of these being the SAA Museum located at the Eastern side of the airport.
The museum has many historic SAA aircraft like 737s, DC-4s and 747s where one can get the opportunity to not only admire them from the outside, but also from within.
At the museum one can also find the Dakotas Pub and Grill. From the restaurant one has a nice view of Runway 29 takeoffs and landings as well as some taxiway action.
The second spot at Rand Airport is another Harvard Cafe. Just like the one at Grand Central, this restaurant offers a nice view of the apron, with great food and a play area for children.
Rand Airport is home to many beautiful aircraft like the Flying Lions, Cows Pitts, Goodyear Eagles, Menno Parsons’ collection and many more.
This airport makes for another great outing during these times where aviation seems to be a scarcity. With the SAA Museum and Harvard Cafe one can easily get two unique trips out of this one spot.
Media Excursion to the Kruger National Park August 2018
Media Excursion to the Kruger National Park August 2018
Sunday the 19th August we were kindly invited to join up with SANPARKS officials to embark on a media excursion to the Kruger National Park.We were privileged to see certain things that the average person doesn’t experience as a visitor in the Kruger on a daily basis.There are major behind the scenes personnel and equipment that keeps the Kruger National Park flowing to protect most certainly its Wildlife,which brings many foreign visitors to see aninals,plant and birdlife face to face!
The conservation efforts in the park are extremely well underway to Anti-poaching operations,where we all know the brutal rhino poaching is taking part in the Kruger and many other Game Reserves around Southern Africa.The Kruger is not just suffering from losing its Rhinos,but aswell as many Elephants,Pangolin and other sort after game.
After a 3am wake-up call we were in convoy from Kruger Gate near Skukuza(The main camp in the Kruger National Park) and home to many operational centres of the park,such as the Skukuza Airport,Veterinary Clinic,ect.We made our way in OSV(open safari vehicles) towards Tshokwane picnic spot which is a half way house to Satara,we continued to the east of Tshokwane where we found the game capture unit waiting to conduct a game capture operation.The chossen area the ramgers and vets sort out for to capture Wildebeest to relocate them to The Mozambique’s Zinave National Park, over the years suffered a major loss of their wildlife and even having most of their wildlife extinct in certain areas,from many years of war.
A Airbus H125 “Squirrel” Helicopter was also part of the capture of game as the helicopter is equiped with a sound device divert the game into the “Boma” to Capture for relocation.The time spentbin the air for diverting game into the “Boma” is alot more quick and versitle then a diversion from a land vehicle.This operation takes alot of personal working as a team to insure the capture of atleast 20 animals that were saw captured are not over stressed or hurt as well as the members of the operation.
Once completed and all animals have been allocated to the trucks,they were transported through the border for a 26 Hour journey to the Mozambique’s Zinave National Park.
The journey continued towards Satara,we were buzzed over by a Bathawk as light sport aircraft manufactured in South Africa,many of these aircraft have now been delivered to the Kruger National Park.The Bathawk is supplied as a complete ready to fly aircraft. The aircraft complies with the ASTM2245 Build Standard rules and regulations as well as South African Civil Aviation Type Approval.
It features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration open cockpit, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.
As a conventional 3-axis light sport aircraft LSA, the Bat Hawk does not rely on pilot weight shift to affect control. Twin seats are positioned side by side for full dual control and both crew members are well protected from the weather by an aerodynamic fibreglass pod and large wrap-around windshield.We were able to get to know pilot and section Ranger of Letaba,Andrew Desment who was injured in 2013 during shootout with poachers in the park.
Satara Airstrip is also a private charter hub for aircraft bringing guests to the park and Singitas private lodge not far from Satara.We were welcomed by a Pilatus PC12, another Pc12 arrived shortly after and a Cessna Grand Caravan.
We then made our way to Skukuza Airport where we got a tour of the Majoc area and the SANPARKS airwing home to four H125 ‘Squirels’ and 2 Cessna aircraft.Our final day saw us at the K9 unit near pretoriuskop,There are currently 54 working dogs based at Kruger National Park’s dog unit trained in tracking firearms and animal products such as pangolin scales, ivory, and rhino horn, says Pretoriuskop section ranger Craig Williams.