AIFA is reeds sedert 2012 op die Oudtshoorn vliegveld met die opleiding van Sjinese kliënte bedrywig. Die aanvanklike groep studente onder opleiding het van 29 gegroei tot 85 vandag, op Oudtshoorn alleen. (Regoor ons 3 basisse het AIFA tans 214 studente onder opleiding).
Die vliegtuiggetalle om uitvoering te gee aan die opleidingsvoorskrifte het vermeerder van 4 in 2012 tot 17 vandag.
AIFA-studente word geborg en opgelei vir Sjinese binnelandse rederye. Ná ’n tydperk van 60 weke se opleiding in Suid-Afrika keer alle studente terug na Sjina waar hulle hul tersiëre opleiding voltooi voordat hulle hul vliegloopbane voortsit met hul borg-rederye.
AIFA het tans op Oudtshoorn alleen 75 voltydse personeel in diens wat 35 gesinne onderhou. Die jaarlikse bydrae tot die dorp se ekonomie beloop R40,7 miljoen wat onder meer die volgende insluit:
• Die huur van 11 eiendomme plaaslik om huisvesting te bied aan sy arbeidsmag en studente;
• Die salarisse van die werksmag sowel as studente se sakgeld;
• AIFA lewer ook bydraes deur borgskappe aan skole, welsynsorganisasies, kerke en sosiaal-maatskaplike projekte;
• Kontrakte met spysenieringsdienste, sekuriteitsfirmas, internetdiensverskaffers en konsultante verskaf ’n gewaarborgde inkomste aan die betrokke instansies; en
• AIFA is tans besig met kapitaalprojek- kosteberekening en onderhandeling met die munisipaliteit wat werkskepping en waarde-toevoeging tot die dorp kan meebring.
Daar is egter uitdagings wat AIFA in die gesig staar wat die bereiking van opleidings- doelwitte teen geweldige koste teweegbring. Kortliks is dit die volgende:
• Die voorgestelde vliegveldverordening (by-law) wat op Vrydag, 6 Julie 2018, vir publieke deelname in die koerante gepubli-seer is, verwoord die beperkings wat reeds op vliegopleiding van AIFA van toepassing is. Hierdie beperkings veroorsaak dat AIFA sekere van sy vliegopleidingsaspekte op ander vliegvelde moet uitvoer teen verhoogde onkoste; en
• Om kapitaalinvestering op Oudtshoorn te regverdig, moet die koste daarvan verre-ken kan word teen ’n verslapping in die voorgestelde verordening wat die geëskaleerde kostes van opleiding kan teenwerk.
AIFA is in die proses om ’n alternatiewe skedule aan die munisipaliteit voor te lê om die bogenoemde beperkings te verslap.
Para 5.1.1 bepaal dat vliegopleiding kan geskied van Maandag tot Vrydag vanaf 07:00 tot 18:00 en Saterdae vanaf 08:00 tot 13:00. AIFA versoek vliegopleiding gedurende dagligure van Maandag tot Saterdag.
AIFA versoek nagvliegkringvlug-opleiding gedurende heldermaan vir 4 dae per siklus gedurende die week, maksimum 12 maal per jaar (soos en wanneer benodig).
AIFA versoek weekliks nagopleiding met opstygings weg van die dorp en landings uit die suide (soos en wanneer benodig).
AIFA doen ’n beroep op inwoners en besighede van Oudtshoorn, wat AIFA se teenwoordigheid en ekonomiese bydrae in die dorp steun, om geskrewe ondersteuning vir AIFA se voorstelle aan die munisipaliteit te rig.
Vir enige navrae kan u mev Silvia van der Merwe by AIFA skakel by tel 0442725547 of per e-pos kontak by silvia@aifa.co.za.
AIFA wil graag u aandag daarop vestig dat u skrywes voor 3 Augustus 2018 skriftelik ingedien moet word by St Johnstraat 96, Oudtshoorn, 6620 vir die aandag van mnr Jaco Eastes.
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AIFA has been engaged in the flight-training of Chinese students at the Oudtshoorn Airfield since 2012. The number of student-pilots undergoing training has grown from the initial group of 29 to the current 85 students located in Oudtshoorn alone! (AIFA is training a total of 214 students currently spread over our three training bases.)
At the same time, the number of training aircraft required to achieve our objectives has grown from 4 in 2012, to 17 aircraft located at the airfield today.
AIFA students are sponsored by and trained specifically for Chinese domestic airlines. Following a 60-week training period in South Africa, all students return to China to complete their tertiary education before resuming their flying careers with these sponsor-airlines.
AIFA currently employs 75 full-time staff in Oudtshoorn, including ‘breadwinners’ for 35 local families. The AIFA annual financial injection into the local economy is in the order of R40,7 million including, inter-alia, the following:
• Rental of 11 local properties for the accommodation of students and unaccompanied staff;
• Remuneration of staff as well as student allowances;
• Contributions and sponsorships to various school, welfare, church and community social-development projects & beneficiaries;
• Expenditure on catering, security, internet and consulting ensures a guaranteed income to the relevant service providers; and
• AIFA is currently undertaking cost- and feasibility-studies as well as negotiations with the local municipality, concerning intensive capital-development projects which will lead to job-creation with associated, value-adding benefit to the town.
There are, however, restrictive conditions which result in severe financial consequences if AIFA is unable to achieve vital training-targets. Briefly, these include:
• The proposed Airfield By-Law which was published in the local newspapers, on Friday, 6th July 2018, for public participation, presents the restrictions which are already imposed on AIFA flight-training conducted at Oudtshoorn Airfield. These restrictions compel AIFA to conduct many aspects of flight-training at other airfields with enormous, associated cost-implications; and
• The envisaged capital-investment in Oudtshoorn can only be justified if there is considerable relaxation in the current, as well as any proposed, future, by-law restrictions which would mitigate this potential training-cost escalation.
Para 5.1.1 stipulates that flying training may take place from Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 08:00 to 13:00. AIFA requests flying training during daylight hours from Monday to Saturday.
AIFA requests night circuit training during full moon periods for 4 days per cycle during the week, a maximum of 12 occurrences per year (as and when required).
AIFA requests unlimited weekly night training with take-off away from town and landing from the South (as and when required).
We are appealing to each and every individual and business concern which is in support of AIFA’s continued presence in Oudtshoorn, to take the time to present written submissions to the local municipality in support of the changes proposed by AIFA, which will make current and potential, future expansion and enhancement feasible.
Please contact Mrs Silvia van der Merwe at AIFA, 044 272 5547/silvia@aifa.co.za, for any further information.
We would like to remind you that comments need to be made in writing and should be submitted at 96 St. John’s Street, Oudtshoorn, 6620, marked for the attention of Mr Jaco Eastes, before 3 August 2018.
