Well i started flying in 2008. I was still in high school when a gliding club opened in Vryheid, my home town.
After 53 glider launches, 3.7 hours, i flew my first solo flight as Pilot in Command. After i wrote Matric, i moved to Pietermaritzburg and started my PPL with Avstar Aviation at Oribi Airport in January of 2009.
I qualified in June of that year and went on to complete my CPL at Phoebus Apollo at Rand Airport and tested in Nelspruit in July 2011.
After that I sat without work for a few months… My parents, who are always supportive of me and my dream, managed to purchase an aircraft in partnership with a well to do businessman in Vryheid and I flew charter out of Vryheid for 2 years.
Eventually moving on to a position in Richards Bay where I started instructing and fly Netstar Vehicle recovery in a Baron 58. I got the opportunity to do a Cessna Citation 500 rating during this time as well and did 1 tour through Zambia for a week with a very experienced ex-airforce pilot.
I upgraded to Grade 2 with a Multi Engine instructor Rating and after 2 years moved onto JHB where I am now instructing at SkyHawk Aviation at Lanseria.
I have accrued 1200 hours of flying in the past 7 years and it’s starting to gain exponentially.
I want to be a part of this because I have been shown extreme kindness by so many people during my short career and without them I would be nowhere. I want to give back. Even if it’s just one flight.