Fears allayed over helicopter pilot training

The fears amongst shipping lines that raw recruits would soon be flying ships’ pilots to and from vessels offshore in Durban have been allayed. This after shipping line executives and other port users told FTW about their serious concerns that the helicopters at the Port of Durban might soon be handled by chopper commanders with no experience of this high-risk task. This was due to the decision by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to train up its own helicopter pilots and engineers to take over from the private company that had been supplying the crews for the TNPA-owned helicopters since the inception of the service in 1998. The problem was that the end of this public/private contract was confirmed by Vaughan Peacock, MD of Acher Aviation, as being from January 31. And, despite his company also having an agreement to assist with training up the TNPA pilots while actually working the job, Peacock admitted that he had heard nothing more from TNPA on this matter. Also, the port authorities remained publicly tightlipped about what was happening, apart from insisting that ships’ pilots would meantime be transferred to and from vessels by pilot boat until the helicopter service could be restarted – probably by April. Nothing was said about how the trainee pilots would gain the necessary experience flying as co-pilots until they could qualify as commanders. And that, according to international best practice, was a five-year course. And, indeed, according to the SA Civil Aviation Act, trainee pilots can’t fly as commanders in such a highrisk role. But, at a meeting last week, FTW was told, the port authorities announced that – while their trainees would be ready to take to the air in April – tender bids had been called for, looking for companies to supply fully qualified helicopter commanders to supply the necessary five-year training. INSERT Tender bids have been called for looking for companies to supply fully qualified helicopter commanders to supply the necessary five-year training. CAPTION Acher Aviation has been supplying the crews for the TNPAowned helicopters since the inception of the service in 1998.