Namibia's doors still shut for black pilots....
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Namibia's doors still shut for black pilots....
Yeah, white pilots get their CPL and jobs handed to them. ...on a plate. Funny how the minds of some people work...
Doors still shut for black pilots
LOCAL pilots have slammed the Government for failing to stop the monopoly white people seem to have in the aviation industry saying twenty years into the country’s independence, there are hardly any black Namibians who have climbed the ladder to the top in this sector.
Namibian pilots who preferred to remain anonymous told the Windhoek Observer the initiative undertaken by the Directorate of Civil Aviation to offer bursaries to previously disadvantaged Namibians wishing to pursue a career in the industry has failed to yield the desired results.
They accuse the bursary selection board of failing to comply with the Affirmative Action Policy by allowing candidates from previously advantaged group to “hijack” the bursaries.
The sources among black pilots said the situation was now so out of hand that Government awards bursaries to foreign nationals.
“You will find that out of for example eight people qualifying for the bursaries, only two are black Namibians. It (the initiative) has failed horrendously,” one pilot commented.
Another pilot added, “It is embarrassing that 20 years down the line we have a very small number of black Namibians flying the A340 or Boeing 737. The Government has failed to take the initiative and train the previously disadvantaged Namibians”.
About 11 years ago the Government introduced a bursary scheme to train Namibians aspiring to become pilots. Annually the Government injects N$5 million into pilot training, but up to now, the country does not have even half the number of qualified pilots needed to serve the industry.
The pilots attribute the failure to obtain accurate figures of graduates from Namibian Aviation Training Academy to a lack of stringent measures to ensure the system is monitored and control is maintained.
Director of Civil Aviation Angeline Simana Paulo confirmed to the Windhoek Observer that the programme has achieved very little.
At its inception, the Namibian Aviation Training Academy had 231 students. Of these, 197 were males and 44 were female. About 108 studied for a Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL), 67 pursued a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL) and 56 enrolled for Student Pilot Licences (SPL). A total of 148 have graduated since the programme started in 2007.
Licensing Inspector from the Directorate of Civil Aviation Graeme Van Niekerk said there are 140 Commercial pilots in the country and 65 airline transport pilots.
The industry needs a minimum of 400 pilots in order to operate at a comfortable level, he said.
Van Niekerk added that Air Namibia’s long-haul A340s has 8 captains and 10 co-pilots while the regional Boeing 737s has 12 captains and 13 co-pilots.
A source told the Windhoek Observer that the A340 has only three black Namibian pilots.
“Based on history we have more whites than blacks in the industry”, Van Niekerk commented.
However, another source contradicted Van Niekerk and claimed, “It is sad but true, that colour plays a role. Individuals at the top are mainly white and they are trying by all means to keep it that way”.
The Director of Civil Aviation told the Windhoek Observer the problems raised by the pilots were real DCA’s, which is why the directorate has decided not to renew the 10-year contract with the Namibian Aviation Training Academy (NATA).
NATA is a subsidiary of the German aviation company Dornier that Government gave the task of training Namibians for their private pilot licences, night rating, instrument rating and commercial pilot licence.
DCA has already put out a tender for another training school to take over, one that would ensure all the loopholes in the current system are closed
Training expensive
There are a number of factors that have contributed to the reasons why there are so few black Namibians in the aviation industry 20 years after Namibia became independent.
One factor that has been emphasised is the costs involved in training. Training to become a pilot at any level is very expensive with a CPL costing between N$250,000 and N$300,000. Training for a pilot’s licence at the entry level costs close to N$60,000.
According to the pilots the Windhoek Observer spoke to, puts the profession out of reach for an average Namibian family.
While they criticised the Government for not monitoring the implementation of its efforts aimed at empowering the previously disadvantaged Namibians in the air-transport industry, the sources said black Namibians are also to blame.
Some of the blacks who have gone through the first stages of pilot training have remained stagnant because they have not advanced their studies and have remained with the domestic fleet for 10 years or more.
The pilots also criticised the lack of a Namibian cadet training initiative, as is the case in South Africa. Under such a programme, young people with potential are identified and trained to become pilots free of charge.
Commercial pilot licence holder Namene Mbumba said it is not easy even for graduates to enter the job market.
For a person to qualify for a commercial licence he or she needs to have 200 flight hours, but aviation companies usually only take pilots who have clocked more hours than that.
Doors still shut for black pilots
LOCAL pilots have slammed the Government for failing to stop the monopoly white people seem to have in the aviation industry saying twenty years into the country’s independence, there are hardly any black Namibians who have climbed the ladder to the top in this sector.
Namibian pilots who preferred to remain anonymous told the Windhoek Observer the initiative undertaken by the Directorate of Civil Aviation to offer bursaries to previously disadvantaged Namibians wishing to pursue a career in the industry has failed to yield the desired results.
They accuse the bursary selection board of failing to comply with the Affirmative Action Policy by allowing candidates from previously advantaged group to “hijack” the bursaries.
The sources among black pilots said the situation was now so out of hand that Government awards bursaries to foreign nationals.
“You will find that out of for example eight people qualifying for the bursaries, only two are black Namibians. It (the initiative) has failed horrendously,” one pilot commented.
Another pilot added, “It is embarrassing that 20 years down the line we have a very small number of black Namibians flying the A340 or Boeing 737. The Government has failed to take the initiative and train the previously disadvantaged Namibians”.
About 11 years ago the Government introduced a bursary scheme to train Namibians aspiring to become pilots. Annually the Government injects N$5 million into pilot training, but up to now, the country does not have even half the number of qualified pilots needed to serve the industry.
The pilots attribute the failure to obtain accurate figures of graduates from Namibian Aviation Training Academy to a lack of stringent measures to ensure the system is monitored and control is maintained.
Director of Civil Aviation Angeline Simana Paulo confirmed to the Windhoek Observer that the programme has achieved very little.
At its inception, the Namibian Aviation Training Academy had 231 students. Of these, 197 were males and 44 were female. About 108 studied for a Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL), 67 pursued a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL) and 56 enrolled for Student Pilot Licences (SPL). A total of 148 have graduated since the programme started in 2007.
Licensing Inspector from the Directorate of Civil Aviation Graeme Van Niekerk said there are 140 Commercial pilots in the country and 65 airline transport pilots.
The industry needs a minimum of 400 pilots in order to operate at a comfortable level, he said.
Van Niekerk added that Air Namibia’s long-haul A340s has 8 captains and 10 co-pilots while the regional Boeing 737s has 12 captains and 13 co-pilots.
A source told the Windhoek Observer that the A340 has only three black Namibian pilots.
“Based on history we have more whites than blacks in the industry”, Van Niekerk commented.
However, another source contradicted Van Niekerk and claimed, “It is sad but true, that colour plays a role. Individuals at the top are mainly white and they are trying by all means to keep it that way”.
The Director of Civil Aviation told the Windhoek Observer the problems raised by the pilots were real DCA’s, which is why the directorate has decided not to renew the 10-year contract with the Namibian Aviation Training Academy (NATA).
NATA is a subsidiary of the German aviation company Dornier that Government gave the task of training Namibians for their private pilot licences, night rating, instrument rating and commercial pilot licence.
DCA has already put out a tender for another training school to take over, one that would ensure all the loopholes in the current system are closed
Training expensive
There are a number of factors that have contributed to the reasons why there are so few black Namibians in the aviation industry 20 years after Namibia became independent.
One factor that has been emphasised is the costs involved in training. Training to become a pilot at any level is very expensive with a CPL costing between N$250,000 and N$300,000. Training for a pilot’s licence at the entry level costs close to N$60,000.
According to the pilots the Windhoek Observer spoke to, puts the profession out of reach for an average Namibian family.
While they criticised the Government for not monitoring the implementation of its efforts aimed at empowering the previously disadvantaged Namibians in the air-transport industry, the sources said black Namibians are also to blame.
Some of the blacks who have gone through the first stages of pilot training have remained stagnant because they have not advanced their studies and have remained with the domestic fleet for 10 years or more.
The pilots also criticised the lack of a Namibian cadet training initiative, as is the case in South Africa. Under such a programme, young people with potential are identified and trained to become pilots free of charge.
Commercial pilot licence holder Namene Mbumba said it is not easy even for graduates to enter the job market.
For a person to qualify for a commercial licence he or she needs to have 200 flight hours, but aviation companies usually only take pilots who have clocked more hours than that.
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NATA trained many black candidates over the years and hugh sums were invested (wasted) to finance the initial training - however most dropped out due to bad performance or failed to pass the theory exams. The few guys that actually made it have become (as or even more) proficient as the white guys and most of them actually do have deserved jobs in the industry.
The other aspect is, that the idea of flying an aeroplane does not really form in their normal day to day culture - so the desire to fly of some potential candidates is not inherent. This might change natually over the years if government persues junior high school education and activates motivation in their youths through exposure to aviation in general - i.e. it starts in the family not politically. If somebody that is black has the aptitude to do this as a carreer and the inner motivation, he or she will be successful and has all doors wide open.
This blaming in the media is just a whole lot of bs.
The other aspect is, that the idea of flying an aeroplane does not really form in their normal day to day culture - so the desire to fly of some potential candidates is not inherent. This might change natually over the years if government persues junior high school education and activates motivation in their youths through exposure to aviation in general - i.e. it starts in the family not politically. If somebody that is black has the aptitude to do this as a carreer and the inner motivation, he or she will be successful and has all doors wide open.
This blaming in the media is just a whole lot of bs.
Last edited by Propellerpilot; 9th Aug 2010 at 12:51.
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I say give all the disadvantaged, marginalised, disillusioned blacks ATPS.
What is the point of all the exams and tests that are merely imperialist control measures anyway.
Give the licences, fill up their planes, and let them fly.
What is the point of all the exams and tests that are merely imperialist control measures anyway.
Give the licences, fill up their planes, and let them fly.
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Give the licences, fill up their planes, and let them fly.
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Personally, I don't like the color issue. But since the article is quite frank about naming black & white...
Referring to the B737 & A340 fleet, which is obviously Air Namibia's, the only pilots who have not made it up there are those, who have not passed their ATPL subjects, in some cases for 10+ years. If you only have the slightest drop of non-white blood in your body, you got a job with Air Nam. The company is in full Affirmative Action swing for many years now. In order to meet the required AA standards and avoid paying penalties, Air Nam rather employs non-white foreigners from India & South Africa, who do not even meet the minimum requirements, than white Namibian nationals, who would. In one case an Indian national was sponsored through his ME & IF rating, while already being on the payroll as F/O for months.
Most charter companies take a similar position and would employ pilots of any color, if they were only qualified enough. However, with low hours (200-250h), insurance becomes an issue in a single crew environment and might even outweigh the non-AA-compliance penalties.
One of those private companies, has managed to train the first female Namibian non-white jet F/O about 2 years back. Only after that Nampower (parastatel) employed their first non-white female Capt. for their Lear. Nampower held onto their very dark junior pilot, (also one of those, who didn't manage to get his ATP done in Namibia or RSA) for many years, despite the fact that everyone in the company (regardless of color!) was **** scared to fly with him and despite the fact, that their training organisation in the US recommended them year after year, to ground the guy. Only after cooking the helicopter's turbine twice, he got asked to leave the company.
Immediately Air Nam picked up on that and offered him a job as direct entry Captain on the domestic fleet. Where he got the necessary ATP from, nobody knows, except for that guy himself. Apparently his sim training was so shocking, that he has been downgraded to F/O for now. Even after spending several hundred hours in the Lear, he was unable to fly a semi-acceptable hold, since "on the Lear the FMS does all those things..."
Even though, the article from the first post makes it sound like Namibia is full of unemployed black commercial pilots and the bad white guys are doing everything to kick them down the career ladder, it is not like that. The door to the 737 and 340 is wide open to everyone, who manages to pass the ATP exams. After all, most of the key positions at Air Nam are held by non-white employees anyway, so why would they prefer white pilots?
Referring to the B737 & A340 fleet, which is obviously Air Namibia's, the only pilots who have not made it up there are those, who have not passed their ATPL subjects, in some cases for 10+ years. If you only have the slightest drop of non-white blood in your body, you got a job with Air Nam. The company is in full Affirmative Action swing for many years now. In order to meet the required AA standards and avoid paying penalties, Air Nam rather employs non-white foreigners from India & South Africa, who do not even meet the minimum requirements, than white Namibian nationals, who would. In one case an Indian national was sponsored through his ME & IF rating, while already being on the payroll as F/O for months.
Most charter companies take a similar position and would employ pilots of any color, if they were only qualified enough. However, with low hours (200-250h), insurance becomes an issue in a single crew environment and might even outweigh the non-AA-compliance penalties.
One of those private companies, has managed to train the first female Namibian non-white jet F/O about 2 years back. Only after that Nampower (parastatel) employed their first non-white female Capt. for their Lear. Nampower held onto their very dark junior pilot, (also one of those, who didn't manage to get his ATP done in Namibia or RSA) for many years, despite the fact that everyone in the company (regardless of color!) was **** scared to fly with him and despite the fact, that their training organisation in the US recommended them year after year, to ground the guy. Only after cooking the helicopter's turbine twice, he got asked to leave the company.
Immediately Air Nam picked up on that and offered him a job as direct entry Captain on the domestic fleet. Where he got the necessary ATP from, nobody knows, except for that guy himself. Apparently his sim training was so shocking, that he has been downgraded to F/O for now. Even after spending several hundred hours in the Lear, he was unable to fly a semi-acceptable hold, since "on the Lear the FMS does all those things..."
Even though, the article from the first post makes it sound like Namibia is full of unemployed black commercial pilots and the bad white guys are doing everything to kick them down the career ladder, it is not like that. The door to the 737 and 340 is wide open to everyone, who manages to pass the ATP exams. After all, most of the key positions at Air Nam are held by non-white employees anyway, so why would they prefer white pilots?
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This is getting old isn't it??
After a time of flying in the dark continent I can count on one hand the blacks that I would trust with my own aircraft or for that matter my own life. I have been witness to many who had chance after chance handed to them to get ahead only to 
it up with some in excusable BS.... the ones that I can count on my hand I respect very much because they worked hard and took advantage of the chance they were given and made the best out of it. Hard work gets you ahead regardless of colour. The one case that imprinted itself in my memory the most was the dark Ugandan chap who failed the upgrade under the supervision of British Airways 9 times and was finally given a life long contract to sit right seat only after the English insurance company wrote the airline and stated in no explicit terms that the hull insurance of the fleet would be invalidated if this particular chap was ever promoted to Captain. One month later he destroyed a Challenger business jet on a rejected take off. I don't know what it is, but certain people just don't fit in the industry no matter how much you push and help them... and that covers ever colour of skin under the rainbow.
With that being said, after being mugged and robbed in JoBurg several times I have given up on the notion that black Africa can be saved and made to mimic or pararell the norms of white society and civilization... some cultures are just meant to rot and self implode... the casting out of the white farmers in Rhodesia is a classic example... that should date my heritage and age for those of you who can remember back that far... I can still remember loading the FN and shooting first before asking questions...
6to8
it up with some in excusable BS.... the ones that I can count on my hand I respect very much because they worked hard and took advantage of the chance they were given and made the best out of it. Hard work gets you ahead regardless of colour. The one case that imprinted itself in my memory the most was the dark Ugandan chap who failed the upgrade under the supervision of British Airways 9 times and was finally given a life long contract to sit right seat only after the English insurance company wrote the airline and stated in no explicit terms that the hull insurance of the fleet would be invalidated if this particular chap was ever promoted to Captain. One month later he destroyed a Challenger business jet on a rejected take off. I don't know what it is, but certain people just don't fit in the industry no matter how much you push and help them... and that covers ever colour of skin under the rainbow. With that being said, after being mugged and robbed in JoBurg several times I have given up on the notion that black Africa can be saved and made to mimic or pararell the norms of white society and civilization... some cultures are just meant to rot and self implode... the casting out of the white farmers in Rhodesia is a classic example... that should date my heritage and age for those of you who can remember back that far... I can still remember loading the FN and shooting first before asking questions...
6to8
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Yaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnn
Whereas of course in England we have it so easy compared to Namibia!
We don't really bother with the colour thing we just do not employ pilots who are British regardless of whether they hold ATPLs or not.
Hence why my European and US colleagues and I are here on the dark continent. I suggest we warmly welcome the author of that original article to the place we call planet earth.
Come on! Come on please please let's get past this subject it's so old now.
VT
We don't really bother with the colour thing we just do not employ pilots who are British regardless of whether they hold ATPLs or not.
Hence why my European and US colleagues and I are here on the dark continent. I suggest we warmly welcome the author of that original article to the place we call planet earth.
Come on! Come on please please let's get past this subject it's so old now.
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I agree 100% with VortexThing that this affirmative action BS is getting too old. Why I posted the initial thread is to show that "they" STILL play the race card if "they" cant get what the others worked for so hard. It is ridiculous! And by referring to "them", I am referring to the lazy dumb ones that are too lazy to study. ...Unfortunately they make no secret of it that they are black. ...going to the newspapers and all. Yes, there are amazing black pilot(s) - some of whom I did training with - and they are well set in their career. Strange that they didnt mention the race-issue once. Instead they spend the energy waisted on complaining about being "disadvantaged", behind the books. White pilots arent the best pilots, though. The best pilot is a PROFESSIONAL and SAFE pilot with the passion to fly and with all the tests, requierments and exams passed with honesty.
Where does this thread leave brown pilots!?
I am just keeping my fingers x-ed that governments doesnt fall for this. This isnt sport teams. When we lose, people die.
ridiculous! And by referring to "them", I am referring to the lazy dumb ones that are too lazy to study. ...Unfortunately they make no secret of it that they are black. ...going to the newspapers and all. Yes, there are amazing black pilot(s) - some of whom I did training with - and they are well set in their career. Strange that they didnt mention the race-issue once. Instead they spend the energy waisted on complaining about being "disadvantaged", behind the books. White pilots arent the best pilots, though. The best pilot is a PROFESSIONAL and SAFE pilot with the passion to fly and with all the tests, requierments and exams passed with honesty. Where does this thread leave brown pilots!?
I am just keeping my fingers x-ed that governments doesnt fall for this
. This isnt sport teams. When we lose, people die.
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I have had the privilege of flying with one of the most skilled helicopter pilots I have ever met and he is non white. In his 70's by now and still poling along, putting out fires in BC.
Funnily eneough, if you bring the race card up with him, you will get short change.
Funnily eneough, if you bring the race card up with him, you will get short change.
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I have given up on the notion that black Africa can be saved and made to mimic or pararell the norms of white society and civilization... some cultures are just meant to rot and self implode... the casting out of the white farmers in Rhodesia is a classic example... that should date my heritage and age for those of you who can remember back that far...
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I have had the privilege of flying with one of the most skilled helicopter pilots I have ever met and he is non white. In his 70's by now and still poling along, putting out fires in BC.
Funnily eneough, if you bring the race card up with him, you will get short change.
Funnily eneough, if you bring the race card up with him, you will get short change.
But lets be honest here: the only reason, why 'white' pilots don't pull the race card is, that it simply wouldn't work. There are several threads on this forum as proof, that there are enough 'white' pilots, who would do exactly that, if they could. Instead they are blaming other circumstances for their own shortcomings.
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“You will find that out of for example eight people qualifying for the bursaries, only two are black Namibians. It (the initiative) has failed horrendously,” one pilot commented.
But you are right if you say that out of eight people attending the training, only two black Namibians are making it to the end. And it is not only training at NATA. Many students, escpecially those doing CPL were send to South Africa. One even attended a course in Australia, but he did not manage either.
Just a matter of interest. Why are so many Affirmative Action companies not employing black Namibians? Sure the black CEO have the right to employ them?
So sad that there are still people out there who classify us Namibians as white, black and coloured after 20 years of independence.
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So sad that there are still people out there who classify us Namibians as white, black and coloured after 20 years of independence.
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US Americans in the same way