MOSSEL BAY NEWS - A number of pilot students graduated from flying school at a gala evening held at the Mossel Bay airstrip last month.
The ceremony took place on 19 April at Starlite Aviation Training Academy and was attended by high-raking government, army and airforce officials from Kenya and Malawi and Starlite senior management.
The opening included a flypast of helicopters and fixed-wing craft, in which Starlite's first group of fixed-wing airforce contract students displayed their newly-acquired formation flying skills.
A week-long process after the flying courses entailed each student being appraised by a panel consisting of Starlite's global training director Kate Odendaal, director of the training academy Klara Fouché, chief instructor JP Bothma and senior advisors from Kenya and Malawi.
The graduation also included a number of aeroplane and helicopter civilian student awards being presented.
The Malawian graduates with dignitaries, as well as Starlite chief flying instructors Riaan Rudolph (left) and JP Bothma (right).
The students who graduated included:
- Two Kenya army helicopter Ab-Initio students each achieving 150 hours over 10 months.
- Five Kenya airforce aeroplane students (200 hours each, including aerobatics and formation), completed in 11 months.
- Three Malawi Defence Force air wing helicopter students each achieving 30 hours, including the completion of Commercial Ground School, IF and Night rating in only three months. The students were awarded an additional 90 hours of training Cabri G2 conversion, Night and Sling Rating which will be concluded on 18 May.
The Kenyan graduates with the dignitaries from that country.
The VIPs who attended included the former Malawi high commissioner to Kenya, Brigadier-General MRD Chirwa (Ret.); deputy commander of the Kenya Airforce Brigadier Francis Ogolla; Defence advisor: Kenya High Commission Col Thomas Nga'nga; and defence advisor: Malawi High Commission Col Lawrence Mambo.
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