A read through horrific litany of aircraft accidents in South Africa recently arises in the mind only one word - airmanship - rather lack of it. In so many of the recent disasters the question could be raised as to whether absence of airmanship is possibly the primary cause of the accident and lose of life.
Airmanship was to be a quality that had to be demonstrated by a pilot before he was either checked out as a PPL or had his two year(???) renewal check. If a trainee was not demonstrating airmanship he did not check out - even if the flying was perfekt. If this quality is now lacking in SA general aviation, it is perhaps that the instructor profession must bear much of the responsibility and that in the Flight Ops at CAA, the ultimate over seer, should ask itself if it does enough to monitor the control exercised by Grade II instructors over Grade III instructors and the dedication and maturity of those Grade II people thermselves.