Oh where is Afriaviation??
Would have loved to hear some of his comments!!!
I am a white male who, probably in some eyes, have benefitted from our previous regime. I had opportunities in live, none of which were handed to me on a silver platter. Some opportunies presented itself and some I had to go look for. Nevertheless, had I not recognised those opportunities I would not have achived my goals.
I am thankfull for this.
What happened pre 1994 in South Africa is not unique. Since the beginning of time some groups were dominated by others. That is just a fact of live. Fair or not it happened and will happen again untill the end of time.
Although sitting here in my study, having achieved my goals, who some may argue was because i was advantaged by the previous regime, I suppose to expect the disadvantaged majority to just forgive and forget is too much to expect and too arrogant to ask.
However, although many wrongs were done, as long as we hold on to the past, we will forever be slaves of it. We will never be free to move forward and heal ourselves from the wrongs done by and to us.
Affimative action is something that us whities must accept and deal with. What the non-whites must accept and deal with, is that certain things take time. It takes time to get the experience to be a good commander. Anyone can learn the skills to "drive" an airplane, but good judgement and sound decision making is something that can only be learned with time, exposure and other peoples mistakes. To expect to be given a flying job carrying 100's of passengers just because of the colour of your skin is a very dangerous attitude.
Like they say, Rome wasn't build in one day....but it was destroyed in a couple. Inexperienced pilots MUST be given time to gain the neccessary experience to become good pilots...not just pilots. Getting blacks into the cockpit and getting the figures right will be achieved, but it must not be done with inexperienced pilots just to windowdress.
It sometimesis difficult for me to accept that the roles in my country are reversed, but I am working hard at it. We all want to be successful (or so I believe). Everybody wants to be proud of what they achieved by themselves...not what was given to them. This is especially true with pilots. We are very competative and want to be the best.
Let us not allow the politicians to make us enemies. We pilots, black and white, share the same things......the passion, thrill, excitement and ultimate satisfaction from flight.
Oh I have slipped the surely bonds of earth
and danced the skies on laughter silvered wings.
Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun split clouds
and done a hundred things you have not dreamed of,
wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence.
Hovering there I've chased the shouting wind aloft
and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up up the long delirious burning blue,
I've topped the wind swept heights with easy grace
where neither lark nor eagle flew.
And there with silent lifting mind
I've trod the high untrespassed sanctity of space
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.