...A short precis.
Zim instructors to train SA military.
SAAF student pilots will be trained at Langebaanweg in the Western Cape by Zimbabwean instructors in future.
It was announced at a wings parade by Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano that the Zimbabweans will arrive within the next few weeks to train the current intake of pilots in an effort to work more closely with other regional Air Forces.
This follows unwarranted claims of racism against the current (mainly white) instructors at Langebaan.
Thousands of Rands worth of damage was done to an Astra (PC-9) trainer after a hard landing by a student who was repeatedly failed but still allowed to continue the course at the insistence of government officials. (My italics.) After the incident, Minister Lekota (Defence) stated that students who failed in future would be sent to Botswana to determine whether they "did, in fact, fail".
Gagiano stated that he was "absolutely satisfied" with the standard of the Zim instructors. (Guns' comment here...)
Zimbabwe uses an older version of the BAe Hawk, which will become the new trainer for the SAAF.