Johannesburg - Corporal Magriet Muller has a passion for helicopters and that passion paid off on Thursday, when she graduated as a flight engineer from the South African Air Force’s (SAAF) Central Flying School in Langebaanweg Air Force Base, in the Western Cape.
Chief of the Air Force Lieutenant-General Zimpande Msimang took the salute at the passing out parade - the wings parade - and 16 Pilatus aircraft flew overhead.
The 25 graduates were five new pilots, 11 flight engineers, six aerial photographers and three loadmasters. Muller was the only woman.
“It’s not a course that women like to do,” said Muller, explaining that flight engineers start off as aircraft engineers. Flight engineers don’t fly the aircraft, but work as the systems operators.
“You are the eyes and ears of the pilot,” said Muller, who is from Bloemfontein Soutpan, Free State.
Muller, who’s “quite fond of mechanical engineering” wants to qualify on all the small helicopters in the SAAF and also to study further.
“Most women think they can’t do it and that’s what holds them back,” said Muller, adding that there were possibilities for more women in the field and that her fellow students had been very supportive.
“If you can motivate yourself, you can do it.”
Msimang wants more women in such positions.
“We’d like to see a greater proportion of women joining the SAAF, women who want to join it for the right reasons, who want to follow their passion and who want to serve,” he said.
Learning to fly is not so tough, “but to really fly the aircraft is one hell of a challenge”, said Second Lieutenant Nikolas Petrohilis, who was the top student pilot, taking three trophies with an overall score of 82.82…percent.
Petrohilis was born in Greece and grew up in Joburg and Pietermaritzburg. He started studying civil engineering, but gave it up to join the Air Force to follow his passion for flying. “I haven’t looked back since.”
Now he’s moving on to 41 Squadron to learn to fly transport, starting with the Caravan. “I’m going to hopefully fly the C130, that’s the big goal,” he said.
“I didn’t just work hard to stand on parade and receive an award. I worked hard to be noticed so I can make a difference in the Defence Force and hopefully in the whole of South Africa. I really do hope that I achieve something and it’s not the last you hear of me,” said Petrohilis.
The other graduating pilots were second lieutenants Mmeli Biyela, Heathcliffe Jacobs, Jade Jacobs and Ruud Ratseke.
“I wanted to fly. When I heard of this opportunity I grabbed it with both hands,” said Biyela, for whom the course had needed total focus, passion and commitment.
“It’s something special when you qualify for something you’ve always wanted.”
Biyela plans to finish his degree at the military academy and then expects to go to the flying school at Bloemspruit to learn to fly helicopters.
Sergeant Tankiso Khubone won the trophy for the best flight engineering student, his wife Nosipho and son Sandiso, 8, were there to cheer him.
“It’s been difficult having our husbands away most of the time, but when you attend ceremonies like this you become proud,” said Nosipho, who watched the parade with Ncomisile Msibi, whose husband Corporal Bheki Msibi is now also a flight engineer.
“I’m so proud of my man,” said Ncomisile.
Budgets are a problem, meaning it’s a struggle to fund enough flying hours for the students and the qualified pilots.
“The flying hours are only so much,” said Msimang. “I’d like to see everyone combat ready and I’d like to take a lot more students into the system.”
The SAAF takes up to 24 pilots on the course twice a year.
Msimang expressed pride in the group. “That’s our future.”
The Star
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