SAAF on alert for terror from sky at Fancourt
GunsssR4ever
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SAAF on alert for terror from sky at Fancourt
The airspace over peaceful George will be restricted with air force jets ready to scramble this weekend - so world figures can relax at the Presidents Cup golf tourney at posh Fancourt.
Among guests jetting in are Dubya's dad and former president George Bush, President Thabo Mbeki, Nelson Mandela, Michael Schumacher, Franz Beckenbauer and 21 cabinet ministers.
A ring of steel has been thrown around the course at Fancourt, where the quadrennial event pits the 12 top golfers from the US against the 12 best from "the rest of the world".
In the field are world No 1 Tiger Woods, rival No 2 Vijay Singh and South Africa's Ernie Els.
The event will be broadcast on NBC in US prime time to an estimated audience of 800 million.
Steyn Momberg, manager of operations for the Presidents Cup, said the top echelon of the police force would be at the course, where security measures had exceeded even the stringent standards laid down by the Americans.
The South Africans have left nothing to chance in the post 9/11 era and Momberg said the entire operation was being co-ordinated by the Joint Security Services.
This body combined police, police intelligence and the army and reported directly to police Commissioner Jackie Selebi.
Momberg said airspace around the Fancourt Golf Estate and the links course was under air traffic control from George Airport to prevent any potential terror from the skies.
"We had to up the number of flights into George by 70 percent, which meant bringing in additional air traffic controllers from Johannesburg. I do not know what the reaction would be if anyone violated this airspace, but the air force are pretty close by and they would react," he said.
Momberg said hundreds of police had been brought in and hundreds more were in strategic positions in and around the golf estate.
Half of all the police in the area were involved in security operations and one of the biggest security firms in South Africa was securing checkpoints at the course - in particular, in and around the clubhouse.
A 24-hour operations centre was monitoring security.
Bush sen is scheduled to arrive in George this afternoon with 20 to 25 of his own bodyguards from the US.
"The security structures put in place are similar to that of the cricket World Cup opening ceremony," Momberg said.
"But this is something never seen before."
The four day tournament begins on Thursday and about 70 000 spectators are expected to file into the course past metal detectors. Cameras and cellphones have been banned from the area and a series of checkpoints have been established to keep unauthorised people away from sensitive areas.
"Even the Americans were taken aback by the level of security, which supersedes what they have in place for golf events in the US," said Momberg.
Among guests jetting in are Dubya's dad and former president George Bush, President Thabo Mbeki, Nelson Mandela, Michael Schumacher, Franz Beckenbauer and 21 cabinet ministers.
A ring of steel has been thrown around the course at Fancourt, where the quadrennial event pits the 12 top golfers from the US against the 12 best from "the rest of the world".
In the field are world No 1 Tiger Woods, rival No 2 Vijay Singh and South Africa's Ernie Els.
The event will be broadcast on NBC in US prime time to an estimated audience of 800 million.
Steyn Momberg, manager of operations for the Presidents Cup, said the top echelon of the police force would be at the course, where security measures had exceeded even the stringent standards laid down by the Americans.
The South Africans have left nothing to chance in the post 9/11 era and Momberg said the entire operation was being co-ordinated by the Joint Security Services.
This body combined police, police intelligence and the army and reported directly to police Commissioner Jackie Selebi.
Momberg said airspace around the Fancourt Golf Estate and the links course was under air traffic control from George Airport to prevent any potential terror from the skies.
"We had to up the number of flights into George by 70 percent, which meant bringing in additional air traffic controllers from Johannesburg. I do not know what the reaction would be if anyone violated this airspace, but the air force are pretty close by and they would react," he said.
Momberg said hundreds of police had been brought in and hundreds more were in strategic positions in and around the golf estate.
Half of all the police in the area were involved in security operations and one of the biggest security firms in South Africa was securing checkpoints at the course - in particular, in and around the clubhouse.
A 24-hour operations centre was monitoring security.
Bush sen is scheduled to arrive in George this afternoon with 20 to 25 of his own bodyguards from the US.
"The security structures put in place are similar to that of the cricket World Cup opening ceremony," Momberg said.
"But this is something never seen before."
The four day tournament begins on Thursday and about 70 000 spectators are expected to file into the course past metal detectors. Cameras and cellphones have been banned from the area and a series of checkpoints have been established to keep unauthorised people away from sensitive areas.
"Even the Americans were taken aback by the level of security, which supersedes what they have in place for golf events in the US," said Momberg.
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Hey Guns long time no hear - hope you are well.
Firstly there are no controllers from joberg, as dear old Fancourt says. There is only 1 extra one from Cape Town and he is rostered within the roster to ensure his rating remians valid, as far as I could remember( There is someone from the Flow management office sitting there, but they cannot/ do not control. Yup they do have a few plans to handle the extra aircraft, but clever pilots go to Oudtshoorn, as they can get in and out of there quicker and avoid the rush.
As to the Air Force jets, they will have one there - quite correct it is on standby and will be used to remove any foreign aircraft. When not being used for these duties, it carries the President around the country. It is there, so they might as well put it to good use!
Imagine it taking out a piper cherokee or a jet ranger !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Firstly there are no controllers from joberg, as dear old Fancourt says. There is only 1 extra one from Cape Town and he is rostered within the roster to ensure his rating remians valid, as far as I could remember( There is someone from the Flow management office sitting there, but they cannot/ do not control. Yup they do have a few plans to handle the extra aircraft, but clever pilots go to Oudtshoorn, as they can get in and out of there quicker and avoid the rush.
As to the Air Force jets, they will have one there - quite correct it is on standby and will be used to remove any foreign aircraft. When not being used for these duties, it carries the President around the country. It is there, so they might as well put it to good use!
Imagine it taking out a piper cherokee or a jet ranger !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last edited by Goldfish Jack; 20th Nov 2003 at 10:23.
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I'm assuming there could be more than two aircraft in the FAGG TMA do you think ATC can cope?
Seriously though I hope things go well for George which I'm sure hasn't been as busy for a long time if at all. I'm sure Goldfish's colleagues in FAGG will cope just fine. I wonder though what's going to happen to the PPL students at the two flying schools?
Seriously though I hope things go well for George which I'm sure hasn't been as busy for a long time if at all. I'm sure Goldfish's colleagues in FAGG will cope just fine. I wonder though what's going to happen to the PPL students at the two flying schools?
