SAX operation to Eastgate (Hoedspruit)

[BAKELA]

The post by Guns on Waterkloof had me thinking. As stated by me in that post, as far as I know no SAAF base is licenced for civilian commercial ops.

How did SA Express manage to get into AFB Hoedspruit aka Eastgate Airport (well one part of it at least)? Maybe somebody at the SA CAA (or SAX) can shed some light on this.

I better get of the airport issue now, and no, I'm not involved with ACSA.

[slapfaan]

AFB Hoedpruit,like many others,faced certain closure 'couple of years ago already..

SAX came to the rescue,as it were, and bought a BIG share in Eastgate,bringing business and pleasure to the Lowveld,and ensuring survival of the AFB!!;)

[Gunship]

Glad to hear my old base are being used at least .... eischh 7 GREAT years ... and that with a VLAMGAT neigbour .. uhmm ORCA come in ORCA ...

Slapfaan welkom terug swaer. Howz your druggy co-pilot @ Spoories going ? Wannner kom sy saak voor of is dit al teruggetrek ? Cheers en lekker veilige landings vir die jaar !

[hendrik3ma]

didn't saaf say that they will make Ysterplaat available for private use because of the fact they will be closing it ?
:D

[Gunship]

Hendrikma3semase ... ;-))

Welkom by PPRUNE bru,

Now THAT makes sence ... pisskrieke in the circiut at Ysters - much better idea ! Will ask my friend the opsco at Ysters .. Harry kom in .. Harry !

[Strikenav]

SAX has been granted an exemption by the CAA and the SAAF to operate from FAHS. The exemtion lapsed in Nov 02 but a new agreement has been put in place to allow operations to continue for now at least. The exemtion, by the way, is only applicable to SAX.

[BAKELA]

Strikenav,

Interesting post of yours. Exemptions like this should surely be published in the AIC's - a la Nationwide with the O2 / 25000ft on the BAC 111's? Any more details on the current agreement? Seems like you have the hot gen on this one. Another question, despite applications being lodged, other carriers could not get approval/exemption to use Langebaanweg and Overberg for diversionary purposes only, how come SAX got it for regular scheduled operations.

Slapfaan,

The info I have, is that a certain crowd involved with Kapama had the bucs and got involved. Maybe it insured the survival of the AFB and some tourists for Kapama but I'm not sure if it did SAX any good.

Hendrik3ma,

Ysters as a piskriek airport does make a lot of sense but I reckon the same criteria applies as for Kloof (see my post on the Waterkloof thread).

Guns,

Any news from your Opsco friend at Ysters?

[Gunship]

NO Sorry BAKELA - no word of uncle Harry - maybe he is already too busy marshalling the piskrieke in :p

[flutter by]

From: www.saiarforce.co.za ( saaf unofficial website)

5 August 2002:

SA Air Force may lease bases for civilian use
IN THE face of increasing budgetary pressure, the SA Air Force is considering extensive plans to partly lease some of its bases for civilian use. Under the plans, prompted by the rising cost of spares and fuel, the Air Force base at Hoedspruit, would become the port of entry for foreign tourists visiting the game parks in the lowveld. Should Hoedspruit obtain a license, this would dash the hopes of Polokwane, previously known as Pietersburg, and Nelspruit, which have been vying to become the gateway to the lowveld.

The chief of the Air Force, Lt. Gen Roelf Beukes gave indications of the plans at a briefing in Louis Trichardt on Friday. He said a "mindset" change was required in the organisation on the "couse" of facilities. The Air Force will ask for proposals from the private sector for the use of its Ysterplaat base, near Cape Town International Airport, within a month. With traffic at the airport expected to triple over the next five to ten years, it could become the city's airport for domestic flights, while larger planes on longer distance flights would use the international airport.

Talks are underway with SA Airways on the use of air bases at Langebaanweg and Bredasdorp in the event of flights having to be diverted from Cape Town International, and the use of Waterkloof in the case of the temporary closure of Johannesburg International Airport. Due to opposition from the local community, the use of Waterkloof as a civilian airport has been ruled out. The Air Force is also considering the joint-training of traffic controllers and mechanics with those from the private sector.

Brig- Gen Themba Ntsimande, the Air Force's director of logistics, who has headed the planning effort, says private sector partnerships could partially cover maintenance costs. The Air Force currently shares facilities with civilian airports in Durban and Bloemfontein, and use of Hoedspruit for selected charter flights.

Business Day

:confused:

[BAKELA]

Thanks Flutter by,

That sheds some light on Bredasdorp, Langebaanweg, Ysters, Kloof and Trichardt.

The question still remains - Hoedspruit and "selected charter flights" - how does SAX operate schedules then?

[BAKELA]

:eek: Strikenav says that the 'agreement' for the use of Hoekoes is applicable only to SAX.

:confused: Now I hear that Airlink is taking over the Hoekoes flights from SAX (in April?).

Now what?

[Petes Dragon]

Guns,

I don't think that Harry will be marshalling piskrieke in the forseable future, as the SAAF decided to move all the operations back to Ysters from DF.

By the way, there were some issues surrounding the fact that the real estate on which Ysters is situated, was a gift from the De villiers Graaff Family Trust, and if not used by the SAAF for aviation related purposes, would have to be handed back to the trust.

Thats my useless info for today....

See you soon in sunny WA.

Keep the blades the right way up...

[BAKELA]

:cool: I have it very reliably that SAX is off the route and that Airlink has authority in writing from the Commissioner to operate into Hoedspruit (Eastgate). Apparently if he/she and the Chief of the Air Force agree on the use of a SAAF base it may be authorised.

Case closed.

4HP, as you say, may this thread now quickly disappear from the bottom of this page.

Cheers thread :D