Ja its true!
I used to hang out down there and flew on the Huey numerous times. Great ship, the Huey. Over the months though, things have happened down there at the Waterfront Helipad, and a lot of us Huey fans have watched it all from a distance, to scared to go close in case Gary or his security guys beat us up for saying anything about the Huey, good or bad.
In spite of all the problems with the Huey, all the Court cases and the bad publicity in the Newspapers, the Huey saga have continued uninterupted. This mainly due to the CAA not being able to touch the Gary. They have lost every single court case against him, and think there must have been about 6 of them.
At the end of the day we have all heard the stories, and the Cape Town Aviation fraternity have absorbed the latest gossip with awe!
Latest is that Gary is instructing on the Huey and have trained numerous pilots. That includes his right hand man and a very nice colored man who does have a PPL (H). (Part of his empowerment drive)
So it generally understood that in South Africa you can instruct with a PPL and no instructors rating, you can fly with no license, you can send students who don't have any student licenses solo, and for all of that, you will get a pat on the shoulder from the SACAA which will include a "well done".
People say Gary is controversial. Others fear him and his legal team, and that must include the SACAA, because the SACAA have allowed things to happen which makes a total mockery of the regulations in SA, and to date, NO ONE at the SACAA, which includes their lawyers, could say why they are allowing the Huey people to get away with what they get up to, and why they continue to allow it?
Some people say he's a modern day Jessie James, or a Walter Mittey character, but the bottom line is that the Huey and its people keep on going, and they keep on getting away with things that are way beyond what is prescribed in those 3 big blue books.
The SACAA is the regulatory authority, but in their books its OK for a non Huey rated DE, yes DE, to conduct type rating training to type. Yebo, no rating but he signed off a number of students and the SACAA condoned it. So its even possible these days to give a person a conversion even though you're not rated on the type. To qualify? Just prove to the SACAA that you can fly, have lots of experience and are a nice person.
In spite of all the gossip, rumours and story variants surrounding Gary and his Huey, the good old Huey keeps on chugging along thru the Cape Town skies with the foreign tourist on board. Whats really nice about it all is the fact that these poor tourists have'nt got the foggiest idea who the Commander is, whether he's qualified, whether he's rated, or whether he has a license. Bottom line is that the Huey is a major attraction and people love the beast. Viva the Huey!
Now why do we have a CAA in South Africa? To regulate and control what? Maybe some one can answer that one. Will be interesting to see!