SAAF has just 20 fighter pilots

alf101 said:
An unconfirmed story from a friend in the SANDF told me we only had 7 airworthy Cheetahs.

A few years back there were only 4 pilots qualified to fly Thabo's jet - and u need 2 at a time.

We got some brand new Gripens and BAE Hawks's on the way.
Starting delivery this year...
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The new aircraft will just stand aside and rot away, since there will be no-one available to maintain (let alone fly) them.

Whilst taxpayers' money is spend on their purchase and "maintenance".

Sad. :mad: :(
 
The fact that we've only got 20 fighter pilots is irrelevant when you consider that we've got no FIGHTERS. The Cheetah was recently retired. So until the Gripen arrives what are those pilots going to fly? Hawks? Our Hawks have got no integrated weapon systems apart from a cannon. Hardly a fighter.
 
We could always throw rocks at invaders. Air supperiority isn't THAT important :p

I mean, it's not like the US wins wars through their fleet or anything.
 
We have plenty of helicopters. Trainee jet jockeys will just have to run zig zag all over the parade ground with outstretched arms in mock dogfights until the Grippens arrive.
 
Are we all equal in terms of current capability - training? We are not, that is why BEE fails.
 
Banana republic's generally don't have an air force
 
alf101 said:
You'll see all of them at Ysterplaat in September.
There's at least 3 Cheetahs still flying. Maybe 4.

One Mirage 111, one Mirage F1 - from the Museum.

Impalas were sold mostly to Brazil AFAIK and one or two privately.
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There's a whole string of Impalas sitting in storage in the Mojave desert. They now belong to a private company and are apparently mostly airworthy. On the one hand it is sad to see our old planes with heaps of historic significance be lost to this country. OTOH at least they'll be well looked after in private hands.
 
There's also a very nice looking ex-SAAF Sabre in Mojave storage. Probably a Korean war vet.
 
StrongTurd said:
There's a whole string of Impalas sitting in storage in the Mojave desert. They now belong to a private company and are apparently mostly airworthy. On the one hand it is sad to see our old planes with heaps of historic significance be lost to this country. OTOH at least they'll be well looked after in private hands.
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What kind of a private company buys fighter jets? Umbrella corp?
 
From one of the best military's in the world, to a non-existant one. :rolleyes:
 
The Cosmos said:
From one of the best military's in the world, to a non-existant one. :rolleyes:
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The best military's what?

Anyway, while we in SA always liked to think we had a great military, we didn't really. We had a good military for Africa...
 
I have a cousin whos a fighter pilot, he used just stay and train in Polokwane at a base there, but they did nothing, the only thing he did was escort the president once or twice. And some war in the DRC where he delivered aid. He also left last year sometime to work for a private airline in California.
 
Claymore said:
The best military's what?

Anyway, while we in SA always liked to think we had a great military, we didn't really. We had a good military for Africa...
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So why not? What did we NOT have that was required of a great military? Sure, we were never comparable to the US, Russia or Europe (obviously). Still, our military prowess per capita was probably the best in the world. We were just 4 million whiteys and we had world-beating fighters, attack choppers, artillery, AFVs, personnell carriers, guided missiles and operational NUKES. That was no small feat. In fact, it was probably unparalelled in history.
 
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