44
GA
/ Vol. 5 / No.4 / APRIL 2013
From L/R: Rory Simpson - Business Consultant, Karl Kebert Executive Director of
Starlite Aviation Group, Kate Odendaal Managing Director and Chief Flying Instructor
of the Starlite International Training Academy and Peter Todd Chairman of Starlite
Holding (from Starlite's Dublin office in Ireland) who officially opened the new hangar.
Helicopter News
The 22nd of February 2013, marked
the official opening of the Starlite
Aviation International Helicopter
Training Academy in Mossel Bay,
an extremely impressive structure
and a wonderful addition to this
beautiful area of the country.
The construction of such a hangar
proved to be mammoth undertaking. A
special tribute was paid to the Executive
Director of the Starlite Aviation Group,
Karl Kebert and the Managing Director
of Training and Chief Flying Instructor,
Kate Odendaal who drove this project.
Mossel Bay is home to a number
of extremely highly skilled engineers
and builders who undertook to
construct this magnificent building.
Starlite's Training Academy
operated out of its base at Virginia
Airport in Durban since 2003. It
was decided to seek a new home
for the academy, when King Shaka
International Airport was built resulting
in the air space for pilot training being
diminished. Another reason for the
move, was the phenomenal growth of
the training academy and in addition
to allow for a dedicated contract and
foreign helicopter training base.
Starlite was welcomed by
Mossel Bay Aero Club and with
their assistance, the site for the new
hangar was identified, allocated and
construction began, project managed by
Cor Beijer on the Club's behalf. The
fuel storage capacity was increased to
accommodate Starlite's needs. Local
contractors, Master Steel Structures
completed the project in a record,
14 weeks using 8000 bricks and 16
tons of steel to complete the job.
Situated within the general flying
area at the Mossel Bay Air Field, this
facility offers perfect terrain and was
identified according to the Guinness
Book of Records, as having the 2nd
most temperate climate in the world
to Hawaii with the most ideal weather
conditions for flying. 20 months after
relocation to Mossel Bay, less than 15
days flying time was lost due to bad
weather. The site was also selected to
increase the value-ad for future pilots
and is an extension of the nationwide
reach further into the Western Cape.
Mossel Bay Airfield is situated
inside the general flying area which
means no ferry time is wasted
and continuous, constructive and
uninterrupted training can be undertaken.
This is cost effective to Starlite's clients
and affords instructors to provide
intensive training to the highest possible
standard, in an uncongested airspace.
George Airport, is conveniently
situated 12 minutes away and
provides the perfect location for
instrument approaches and training.
Starlite's Training Academy is an
extremely impressive structure with
plenty of room for expansion. The
total hanger area is currently 540sqm;
it can be expanded by another 360sqm
which is expected to be utilised soon.
The current landing area is 5,600sqm
and has 7 heli pads, with an option to
add another 4. The total office space,
including service area is 360 sqm, again
with room for expansion. It contains
7 Briefing rooms which can also be
used as study rooms for students, 2
Lecture Rooms fully equipped with
the latest technology interactive
boards, as well as bathrooms with full
shower facilities. The recreation area
is 64 sqm and includes a beautiful
Lapa area with built in braai.
The opening of the new training
academy marks another major milestone
in the history of the Starlite Group.
What Starlite achieved in only 14
years, is what most companies would
be proud to achieve in many decades.
Founded in South Africa in 1999
by Slade Thomas Group CEO, Starlite
Aviation Group is a multi-faceted
aviation company offering a range of
helicopter services on a worldwide
basis. Starlite specialises in supplying
helicopters in relief contract work,
oil and gas and passenger and cargo
transport on a long-term contractual
basis to a number of international
clients. Starlite now operates on
four continents and employs over
175 people on a worldwide basis.
Starlite's operations to date have
been varied; operating in a number
of different countries in Europe,
Africa and the Middle East. The
cargo, at times, has been precious and
the conditions sometimes tested the
strength of character of Starlite's crew.
Operations are ably supported by
Starlite Maintenance, Johannesburg and
Durban, dedicated Aircraft Maintenance
Organisations providing maintenance
and logistic requirements for all the
aircraft operated by the group.
Starlite Aviation Group has
a dedicated sales branch, Starlite
Aero Sales, dealing in all makes of
helicopters and fixed wing aircraft but
specialising in Robinson helicopters
for which it is an approved Dealer
and Service Centre in South Africa.
Starlite Aviation's aircrew are
made up of a select group of pilots
with a wide range of flying experience
ranging from, general utility flying,
HEMS, high altitude cargo sling
work, offshore and ship service
Starlite's new
International
Training Academy
in Mossel Bay
flying, rescue and disaster relief, as
well as night and NVG operations.
Starlite acknowledges the
exceptional contribution made by all
of the pilots, engineers and instructors
working through-out the Starlite
Aviation Group, many of whom began
their careers in the South African
Air force. It is also for this reason,
that the Starlite Group is particularly
proud to continue the tradition of
training helicopter pilots from the
South African and other air forces.
The Starlite Interternational Training
Helicopter Academy was established in
1999 and has an extremely proud history
of 14 years of training excellence. It is
considered to be the leader in helicopter
training by the South African CAA
and other international end users.
Highly experienced instructors
with over 70,000 combined operational
flying hours and more than 130 years
flying experience, form the basis of
the expertise at the Starlite Training
Academy. Starlite has trained over:
1,500 Ab Initio helicopter pilots, 200
Commercial helicopter pilots, 50
Instructor helicopter pilots, totalling over
100,000 hours of instruction. Starlite
training averages in excess of 7,000
helicopter flying hours per annum.
Starlite has become renowned
throughout Africa and the Middle
East for its ability to train new
pilots. Currently in its sixth period of
contractual training for the South African
Air Force (2006-2012), Starlite has
also trained the South African Police
Service Air Wing since 2005. Starlite
is currently contracted to train students
from Ab Initio to Commercial Pilot
level and Instructors from the Botswana
Police Air Wing and Defence Force, the
Namibian Police Air Wing, the Kenyan
Air Force, Army and Police Air Wing
and Transnet National Ports Authority.
Hundreds of civilians have
been trained at the Starlite academy
and are today employed as pilots in
the local and international markets
in diverse fields of operation.
Since the move to Mossel Bay
the Starlite International Training
Academy has trained over 40 South
African, Botswanan, Namibian and
Kenyan commercial pilots. This
year promises to be an exceptionally
busy year for the academy. There
are currently 31 contract students
in residence for the 2013 year.
From humble beginnings, the
Starlite International Training Academy
now employs 11 hand-picked instructors
led by CFI Matt Hayes. 2013 has also
seen the acquisition of the state of
the art Elite twin Squirrel helicopter
simulator by the Starlite Group, the
only one of its kind in Africa.
2013 promises to be an extremely
exciting and prosperous year for
the Starlite International Helicopter
Training Academy who hold true to
the DNA which binds management
and staff of being, Committed,
Experienced and Passionate. ·
The new Starlite International Training Academy in Mossel Bay.