View Full Version : Acl/safair C130
TheHumberBridge
30th Jan 2010, 12:42
Hi Chaps,
Is it possible for anyone to shed a little light on how the ACL/SAFAIR Herc is crewed. Am I right in saying it's a South African owned aircraft on the EI reg or is SAFAIR now fully Irish owned? Is this is the same Herc that's used for the OSRL contract or am I thinking of another? Having read the other SAFAIR threads it seems they were loosing contracts for the Herc, any pick up in business or future recruitment plans?
BTW......Superb aircraft :ok:
Duff Man SA
31st Jan 2010, 15:24
With regards to Safair and the aeroplane, you are right.
It is a Safair owned a/c on the EI reg, and is the one that is used for the OSRL flying. Safair is now fully owned by Aergo.
I don't know the details of the crewing situation, but I think they are Irish / UK guys working for ACL, not sure if they are looking for crew or not, but recruitment should happen in small amounts for the ZS- fleet.
The ZS- Herc's are all flying full time, there have been a few changes in the marketing dept. and the business has picked up a lot in the last year or so.
BTW....... Thanks! We love it!
TheHumberBridge
1st Feb 2010, 12:32
Duff Man,
Thanks, check your PMs sir :ok:
Notice a Safair C130 performing regular military support flights flying soldiers weapons and ammunition into Mogadishu.
Anybody know how a private South African civillian airline can fly in a theatre of intense conflict and war in Somalia and who they are flying for/supporting, and who the paymaster is.
Whomever the paymaster is surely Safair are clearly taking sides in this conflict which can not be advantageous to the company's commercial image in the industry.
Does Safair not still belong to the Imperial Group?
Notice a Safair C130 performing regular military support flights flying soldiers weapons and ammunition into Mogadishu.
You have personally noticed, been on board, opened boxes etc?
Saint Jack
2nd Feb 2010, 11:33
Wait a moment, "Safair C130 Hercules"? I've always thought that Safair operated Lockheed L-100's. Now, who's going to be the first to say "they're the same".
Duff Man SA
2nd Feb 2010, 12:28
"they're the same"
No, they're not, but I just wanted to be the first to say it...
AAL - Safair does not belong to Imperial any more, and as for your other comments, I can't be bothered to point out the mistakes in your post, just listen to CR2.
16blader
2nd Feb 2010, 16:14
flying soldiers weapons and ammunition
What is the difference between flying the above mentioned for the UN in the DRC, ISAF in Afghanistan or in support of the AU in Somalia? If you follow the newsreports in your own country(if you are in Kampala I take it that you are Ugandan) you would know that it is a peacekeeping mission sponsored by the AU and the Ugandan and Burundian involvement is purely to bring some sort of stabilization to a lawless country by putting boots on the ground. The Safair involvement is only a financial one. They are operating 4 Hercs from Entebbe at this time,one is on loan to the UN in Chad and one is currently in Haiti in support of the humanitarian situation in that country. They therefore have the advantageof having everything in place to run a contract from Uganda to anywhere in Africa. My point is this: if your company has a plane that can carry 20tonnes into a short unprepared strip then feel free to put in a nice pricy quote when the next AU tender comes out.
skysahara
2nd Feb 2010, 20:55
The Arms Are Not For War But De-mining.
There Is A South African De-mining Team In Mog...
All Related To Humanitarian Assistance.
Have A Friend Working For The De-mining Company.
Also Africa Union Troops Guard The Airport.
I Too Fly There Alot For U.n. Charters.
Been waiting for AAL to come back on his thread.
Do you want to change it?
Shall I delete it?
:rolleyes:
A few weeks after having delivered a new currency and new armored Merc Benz to a French speaking nation.... UN flight numbers etc.... they started an ethnic cleansing operation. My ex outfit.
Must have been the Benz.... :hmm:
Hi CR2, no please dont delete it.
Afraid you lost me, as does some of the above posts.
Firstly - Yes have seen some of the cargo's, troops, and weapons loaded at EBB.
Secondly, this so-called peace keeping mission is to impose and maintain a situation keeping a self appointed or enforced Junta in power that controls about 2 or 3 street blocks, the airport and the harbour of Mogadishu, in the whole entire country of Somalia.
Fourthly, Is the African Union-, or someone else paying for this farce, and if someone else, who, and why?
Lastly, it is against the South African governments arm's and military prolification policy and laws for private South African companies to operate in recognised conflict zones.
16blader
4th Feb 2010, 01:24
Lastly, it is against the South African governments arm's and military prolification policy and laws for private South African companies to operate in recognised conflict zones.
Someone better inform all the SA companies that flies for the UN and RC in these countries. I am sure that SAX is also going to have problems with their operation in the DRC(also a recognised conflict zone).
AAL- You obviously have something against the AU for their ops in Somalia. Do you feel the same about their involvement in Darfur?
Your biggest problem seems to be with Safair, as I have noticed from some of your previous posts. Why don't you go to the hotel where they stay and ask them what they load on their flights. You can normally find about 20 of the guys in the bar having a few over the weekends.
16blader,
Someone better inform all the SA companies that flies for the UN and RC in these countries. I am sure that SAX is also going to have problems with their operation in the DRC (also a recognised conflict zone).
Yes, thats how the law stands. No bussiness in a conflict zone.
In DRC there have at least been "supposed free and fair internationally observed elections", so could be viewed different situation.
As for Darfur, if secession takes place by the South soon after the forthcoming farcicle election, it will indeed be a wholesale full-scale war situation between the North and South, and nobody will want to be there or fly there.
But once again, who is driving, and arming these tensions, better still, paying for the "assistance" to the South. (Same people financing the fiasco in Somalia?). Is the interest and motivation to help perhaps driven by a common denominator; the oil discovered in Southern Sudan and its neighbour Somalia's Souther provinces?
Yes - I feel the same about involvement and interference in Darfur.
AAL- You obviously have something against the AU for their ops in Somalia. Do you feel the same about their involvement in Darfur?
Yes. Whose financing their involvement in Darfur (and Somalia)?
Your biggest problem seems to be with Safair, as I have noticed from some of your previous posts. Why don't you go to the hotel where they stay and ask them what they load on their flights. You can normally find about 20 of the guys in the bar having a few over the weekends.
I dont have to speak to and ask Safair crew what they load and fly, see with my own eyes and they wouldnt tell anyway or even necessarily know themselves what's loaded in the crates they fly.
Beta Light
4th Feb 2010, 04:06
AAL, you obviously know very little about SAFAIR's history. Flying soldiers and ammo was the reason for SAFAIR being "invented", thanks to sanctions. It was nothing more than "The Flying Wing of 28 Squadron" in the 1980's. Everyone who did national service in the 80's would have ended up in the back of a SAFAIR Flossie ( Herck ) going to the "border", or returning to the "states".
Difference between the C130 and L100 is Ventura emergency escape hatches for civilian certification, needed to show that we could get 104 troops out of the aircraft in 90 seconds, with a load on the ramp.
SAFAIR experienced a huge commercial and culture transformation since the independence of Namibia. It was surprising to see that they actually kept the SAFAIR name in the 1990's, as they were not very popular with the new S.A.government in 1994 due to a lot of "cloak and dagger" work in the past.
A lot of previously confidential S.A. military documentation are being made available after the 20 year mark.
SAFAIR history will make for interesting reading,
BTW Amazing machine , amazing crews.
wonderdog
4th Feb 2010, 09:59
I worked with Safair and we all lived in the same house in Kabul a few years back.
Yep...top blokes and top operators in my book.....and I believe I still owe a Harlequins shirt.....
Great earrie and even greater crew , EVEN HOTEL STAFF CONFIRM they work hard during the week and allowed to break down hotel on weakends. People should not comment on other companies they know nothing about. Safair Operations operate legally and above board.:ok:
ARENDIII
19th Mar 2010, 18:33
Hi there,
Instead of spouting off-why dont you get in touch-you know how, so do it.
Best regards,
Arend III.