Durban - Captain Klyde Ross Naidoo’s love for the sky began at the age of 2, when his parents hosted an aeroplane-themed birthday party for him.
Twenty years later, in December 2014, his childhood dream came true when he graduated as a pilot in the SA Air Force (SAAF).
And last Tuesday, he completed his first solo flight in a Gripen fighter aircraft, making him South Africa’s first fighter pilot of Indian origin.
Naidoo, 27, is based at the Air
Force Base Makhado in Limpopo. It is also known as Fighter Town RSA and is home to South Africa’s front-line fighter, the Gripen.
He grew up in Reservoir Hills, Durban, but the family moved to Gauteng in 2000. After six years they returned to Reservoir Hills and Naidoo matriculated in 2009 from Reservoir Hills Secondary.
His mother, Ron Naidoo, a retired hairdresser, said during his matric year her son applied for the pilot training programme in the air force. He received bursaries to study mechanical engineering or medicine, but opted to join the SAAF when they offered him a place.
“Becoming a pilot was his dream from a little boy,” said Ron.
“Klyde had many helicopters and drones and he played a lot of combat games on his Playstation. He also enjoyed going to video game arcades to play warfare games.”
After a tough four-tier selection process, Naidoo was one of only nine candidates selected to train as a pilot.
According to his mother, he started six months of basic military training during January 2011 at the SAAF gym in Hoedspruit. In June that year, he started a six-month course at the SAAF College in Pretoria. In 2012, Naidoo enrolled at the SA Military Academy in Saldanha where he spent a year studying technology and defence management. He then underwent further survival training at Air Force Base Langebaanweg in the Western Cape.
A year later, he started ground school at Air Force Base Langebaanweg and began flying the SAAF PC7 MK2. It is the aircraft flown by the SAAF Aerobatic Display Team, The Silver Falcons.
Naidoo graduated as a pilot in December 2014 and was selected to fly jets.
AT HIS aeroplane-themed second birthday party.
Between 2015 and early 2016, while still at Langebaanweg, he studied for his technology and defence management degree at the military academy.
In April 2016, he was transferred to the 85 Combat Flying School at Air Force Base Makhado where he began his training as a fighter pilot. A year later he was selected as one of two candidates to do the flight leaders course, which he completed in November 2019.
As a flight leader, Naidoo was transferred to 2 Squadron (a fighter jet squadron) and began an operational conversion course on the SAAB JAS39C/D Gripen. He completed his first solo flight last Tuesday.
Another candidate, Major Jabulani Jerry Mabona, also completed his first solo flight last Monday.
It was the perfect Mother’s Day gift for Ron. “Nobody can come close to how I am feeling as his mom,” she said.
She added that her husband, Kuban, their two daughters, Kelly and Robyn, and daughter-in-law Marcia were proud of Klyde’s achievements.
“The feeling cannot be fully described but we are proud, especially of his perseverance in reaching his goals and fulfilling his dream of being a fighter pilot.
“He also has a strong support structure. His wife Marcia, has been a keystone in his life.”
Ron said at one stage, earlier in his training, she had wanted her son to return home.
“He looked completely different and as a typical Indian mother, I told him to come back home. But he told me he would complete what he went there to do and that I should not worry.”
His dad, a project manager in the telecoms industry, said: “Many years ago, he made it known that he did not want to do what dad does, which was work with a lot of small wires. He settled on the idea that he wanted to be a fighter pilot, not just any pilot, but a fighter pilot It was not an easy road, but he stuck to his guns. I am extremely proud that he made a decision and followed through with it.”
Kuban said Naidoo hoped to complete his pilot instructor course and train future pilots.
Guy Martin, the editor of defenceWeb.co.za, an aerospace, defence,
security and maritime news and information website, said it was a significant mark in the history for both fighter pilots and the SAAF, which is more than 100 years old.
“It is quite a significant achievement as the SAAF has a small number of active or qualified Gripen pilots. There are about 26 Gripens but only a dozen pilots. The fact that we have two new pilots is quite a boost,” he said.
Martin added that despite dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and budget cuts within the SAAF, it was good to see new pilots qualifying.
“This is a step in the right direction as the SAAF continues to keep
flying and taking positive strides
despite the current situation.”
Martin said the Gripen was a capable machine and was able to move quickly and easily.
“It is quite agile, which is a great thing during a dog fight. It also has a top speed of 2 000km an hour.
“The Gripen, which is about 14-metres long, was designed and built-in Sweden, but is custom-made to meet South Africa’s requirements.
“It can also carry a significant weapon load,” he said.