JG1 Your ideologies would be practical if we all had equal opportunities. Affirmative Action Was a means to give the non pales the 40 years headstart the pales had. So be realistic, if there was no preference hiring there would be no black pilots in SA today and the trend would continue for a very long long time.
You cannot for example compare a pale 18 yr old who just completed his Matric to a non pale in terms of mental development etc. The Pale grew up in the Suburbs with all the modern day luxuries Tous for mental stimulation etc. The non Pale grew up in Orange farm studying under candle Light and surviving on one meal a day if lucky.
Sad to Say this situation hasn't changed much in the last 12 years, So if government were to stand and watch, It would simply get worse. You probably heard that In SA The richer are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Thanks God for Affirmative Action, I'd probably be working in your hangar today washing your aeroplane.