36
GA
/ Vol. 5 / No. 3 / MARCH 2013
Around & About
43 air school student wins
Airborne Insurance
Consultants and
Aircraft Finance
Corporation student
of the year
While on a family holiday, 17 years
ago, a 3-year-old James Busse
and his brothers spotted a Boeing
Stearman flying nearby. Their
father quickly gathered the three
brothers into the car and followed
the Stearman to its landing.
The aircraft landed at 43 Air
School in Port Alfred, and so
dreams of becoming a pilot started
to grow amongst the Busse boys.
James was born and raised in Cape
Town and attended CBC St John's
School. From the age of 16, his mind
was made up. The sky was where he
wanted to be. He says that flying has
always been of utmost importance in
his family. When it came to choosing
a flying school to pursue his career,
James was certain that it had to be 43
Air School. James started his Integrated
ATPL course in March 2012.
On the 25th January 2013, he
was awarded the Airborne Insurance
Consultants and Aircraft Finance
Corporation, Student of the Year
Award. This annual award is highly
sort after by the Students at 43 Air
The second photograph left to right is
brothers James, Mark and Matthew
Busse taken at the centenary of the Great
Fish Lighthouse on 1st July 1998. It
was taken at 43 Air School. These young
aspiring pilots are now 19, 21 and 18 years
old. James is at 43 Air School training to
be a pilot. Mark is a Grade 2 instructor at
Lanseria Flight Centre in Johannesburg
and Matthew starts training at 43 Flying
school on the 2nd April 2013. When they
all have their wings (hopefully before the
end of the year) they hope to have another
photograph taken of the three of them in
front of the Boeing Stearman - having
accomplished their childhood dreams of
becoming pilots. ·
James Busse with his R20 000 prize.
School. The prize is R20 000.00 that
can be used as a credit towards further
training at 43 Air School. James is
currently deciding whether he will
use the prize toward his Instructors
Rating or a Turbine Rating at 43 Air
School's Advanced facility at Lanseria.
Airborne Insurance Corporation
and Aircraft Finance Corporation offers
this prize to the student that excels
consistently throughout the ground
school and elementary flying phases.
The winning student must have also
displayed exceptional Airmanship.
James looks forward to a long and
colourful career in aviation. His goal is
to be a Captain with SAA one day, and
in the meantime he hopes to explore
avenues, such as charter flying and any
other field that will help him achieve
the necessary flying experience.·
Kenya Airways has joined the
war against wildlife poaching in
a new partnership with Born Free
Foundation-an international charity.
The airline unveiled the deal on 11
February at the Nairobi National
Park, whereby, the two organisations
will not only contribute towards
anti-poaching campaigns and
conservation of wildlife conservation
in Africa, but also partner to raise
funds for such initiatives.
Kenya Airways Group CEO,
Titus Naikuni, said that the airline
had entered the partnership to make
a contribution towards conservation
of African wildlife. "With the threat
facing wildlife, which is our heritage
in Africa, it is important for the
private sector to get more involved in
stopping the vice," Dr Naikuni added.
The partnership comes in the
wake of a surge in wildlife poaching
across Africa with elephants and
rhinos among the worst hit. Concern
is growing amongst conservationists
that the endangered African
Elephant is currently grappling
with what could be the worst
crisis to ever hit them since 1989
when international commercial
trade in ivory was prohibited.
A report released by the
Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) indicated that
elephant poaching levels were the
worst in a decade and recorded ivory
seizures are at their highest levels
since 1989. In Kenya, which experts
consider a key gateway for ivory
smuggling rings leaving Africa, there
have been several incidents of ivory
seizures and recovery of wildlife
carcasses in recent days. Rhinos have
also been hard hit by poaching and
only five species remain, out of the
original dozens. In South Africa, rhino
poaching has been at an all-time high.
In 2012, 668 rhinos were killed and
a further 57 in January 2013 alone.
The founder of Born Free
Foundation, Virginia McKenna
said that it requires joint efforts
from different players to mount
a successful war against wildlife
poaching and other such vices.
"The private sector in Africa
should take a more critical role
in preventing animal suffering
and protecting the endangered
species," McKenna added. ·
Kenya Airways joins war against wildlife poaching
Virginia McKenna and Kenya Airways CEO Dr Titus Naikuni clinching the deal.