SAWIA S O U T H E R N A F R I C A N W O M E N I N AV I AT I O N & A E R O S PA C E I N D U S T RY
I N F O R M . C O N N E C T . M O T I VAT E . I N S P I R E
AVIATRIX PROFILES 13 AUGUST 2012
COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOTS CAPTAIN MARGARET PARR VILJOEN
LOOKING THROUGH THE ‘HEAD UP DISPLAY’ (HUD) OF THE BOEING 737-800 PHOTOGRAPH: S.Ruttley
SOURCE: www.owenzupp.com/_blog/Owen_Zupp/tag/ Boeing_737-800/
COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOTS CAPTAIN MARGARET PARR VILJOEN CAPTAIN MARGARET PARR VILJOEN matriculated from Sandringham High School in 1984, and in 1987 started work as a charter co-ordinator for National Airways Corporation. It was during this time that she decided that she would rather be flying, and in January 1988 she started her PPL at the East Rand Flying Club in Springs. She passed her PPL test in June 1989, and passed the Commercial Licence theory exams in October 1989. In December 1989 South African Airways advertised for candidates for their very first Cadet Pilot Training scheme. Margaret applied, and was one of 10 successful candidates. She completed her CPL training with SAA in September 1990, and was then offered her first job flying King Air 200s for National Airlines on their scheduled services, eventually moving over to the charter section of National Airways to fly Barons and King Air 200s. In March 1996 Margaret joined Comair as a First Officer on ATR42s, moving over to the right hand seat of the Boeing 727-200 in September 1997. In March 2000, Margaret was offered her Command on Boeing 727s. The B727s were retired from service in 2003, and she moved over to the Boeing 737 fleet. At much the same time, Margaret was appointed as a Check Captain for Comair. During this time Margaret served on the Committee of the Comair Pilots’ Association (CPA), becoming Chairman of the association in August 2004. Margaret was also awarded the first FEDUSA Woman of the Year award in 2003. In early 2006, a seat on the National Executive Committee of Airline Pilots’ Association South Africa (ALPA-SA) became vacant, and Margaret was elected to the position, ending her term as Chairman of the CPA. Margaret has been involved with the Critical Incident Response Programme with ALPA for some years, and recently represented ALPA during the Civil Aviation Authority’s publicity programme, to raise awareness amongst the general public about the use and misuse of laser pointers. Margaret has worked closely with the Civil Aviation Authority on other projects, namely assisting on the sub-committee tasked with rewriting the regulations, and serving as a panel member of the Aeromedical Committee from 2010 to 2012.
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A DEADLY LASER BEAM
PHOTOGRAPH SOURCE: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xImEGDxn22o/ Tns5m60KX6I/AAAAAAAAAMo/hnGCySUsH7g/s1600/walking+poster2.jpg
CAPTAIN VILJOEN: SERVING THE SOUTH AFRICAN AVIATION INDUSTRY WITH DISTINCTION SACAA LAUNCHING LASER POINTER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN IN THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS, the South African Civil Aviation Authority has recorded 102 incidents of lasers being shone at aircraft, prompting the Authority to launch an awareness campaign on the dangers of dazzling pilots. Yesterday the SACAA, the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) company, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Airline Pilots’ Association of South Africa (ALPA) held a press conference on the matter. Zakhele Thwala, Director of the SACAA, warned of the potential disasters if laser beams continue to be directed at aircraft by civilians on the ground. Thwala said that the aviation industry has great concern about the illegal use of laser beams – ATNS reported 102 incidents to the SACAA between December 2011 and the end of June this year. ATNS noted that from January 1, 2010, until February 29, 2012, there have been 181 reported laser attacks at some of South Africa’s major airports. ATNS said that Cape Town International Airport has had the highest number of reported events, with 106 (or 58.56%) incidents between January 2010 and February 2012, followed by Lanseria Airport at 21 (or 11.06%) of incidents. OR Tambo International and East London Airports are joint third with 14 (or 7.73%) reported incidents each. ATNS said that while most laser attacks were directed at aircraft on final approach, other low-flying aircraft such as police and ambulance or rescue helicopters are also targeted at times. There have also been incidents where lasers were directed at air traffic control towers. Thwala warned that flashing a light beam or other energy source, whether visible or not, towards any aircraft, air traffic control tower or any person therein is prohibited by the Civil Aviation Regulations and contravention could result in a fine or imprisonment of ten years, or both. To date there have been no prosecutions for shining lasers at aircraft in South Africa. However, there have been three arrests. One occurred during the Soccer World Cup in 2010 at
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a Fan Park in Durban, KwaZulu Natal. Currently, there is a pending case in the Bloemfontein Courts. Two people were arrested during the ANC Centenary celebrations for shining lasers at aircraft. Hennie Marais, an Executive from Air Traffic Management, said that when a flight deck is illuminated, the bright light inside is a distraction to both pilots and air traffic controllers and these incidents could result in catastrophic events taking place.
Captain Margaret Viljoen, who represented ALPA, has experienced this herself, and added that pilots could lose their configuration while being blinded by the light, and that this usually happens during the critical phases of takeoff and landing. A few years ago, ALPA already embarked on a project to prepare pilots for such situations. Pilots also have to inform air traffic control and the police of such incidents. ALPA emphasised the need for the public to have a greater understanding of the significance of laser beam flashing at aircraft. Aletta Karsten, a laser physicist from the CSIR, condemned the irresponsible use of laser pointers on behalf of the CSIR, and called upon the public to report anyone engaging on such activities. Providers and users of laser pointers are legally obligated to be registered at the Department of Health. She explained that strong laser pointers directed on the retina of the eye cause permanent damage and therefore lasers should not be used as toys. Although a direct hit into the eyes of a pilot is unlikely, she agreed that the distraction is problematic. Thwala emphasised that the Police and the judiciary system see these incidents in a serious light; however the difficulty lies in apprehending the perpetrators. The CAA’s awareness campaign will promote public awareness, which in turn could lead to the arrest of those involved in irresponsible laser-beaming incidents.
ATNS urged people not to buy powerful laser devices and to report the selling of them to the police. Written by defenceWeb. Thursday, 02 August 2012 11:27 SOURCE: www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=27073&catid=74&Itemid=30
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AIR LINE PILOTS’ ASSOCIATION SOUTH AFRICA (ALPA-SA) ABOUT ALPA-SA ALPA-SA is an association for pilots by pilots. Association activities are extramural, yet directly related, to your career as a professional pilot. You have a role to play at every level within the Association, and through the Association you also have a role to play at every level within the industry. Service providers structure facilities to meet the requirements of aviators. Forums exist within ALPA-SA and IFALPA for you to communicate with service providers to ensure the safety and efficiency of your operation. When you join ALPA you are endorsing an international code of ethics and professionalism that is an asset to your company and your passengers.
THE NATIONAL VOICE OF PILOTS ALPA-SA is committed to its role of maintaining a safe and orderly system of air transportation. By utilising its links with local and international bodies, ALPA-SA endeavours to promote safety in the environment in which its members are applying their skills. In so doing, ALPA is actively involved in the two-way exchange of pertinent technical, industrial and professional information, which is disseminated to members, operators, regulatory authorities and to any other parties who may be able to make positive use of such info. As a professional pilot you require certain facilities, support and information. In your hands are the lives of your crew and passengers and the equipment of your employer. You are accountable, but who out there is looking after YOUR needs? ALPA-SA is the only organisation that caters solely for the needs of flight deck crew. It has no vested commercial interest in aviation, and is a non-profit organisation, funded solely from membership subscriptions. No matter where your aviation career takes you, ALPA-SA and IFALPA are right there with you! Whether you fly locally in South Africa or internationally, assistance is a phone call away.
THE GLOBAL VOICE OF PILOTS
Through its affiliation to IFALPA (International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations), ALPA-SA is one of 101 Member Association’s around the world, making up a global voice of 100 000 pilots. The Federation develops and constantly updates an international pilots’ viewpoint on all matters impacting upon the profession and affecting generally the safety of air transport operations. It achieves this through the work of a number of specialist committees comprised of active airline pilots. IFALPA interacts with other major aviation bodies such as ICAO, the Airports Council International (ACI), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations (IFATCA). SOURCE: www.alpa.co.za
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KULULA.COM Don’t panic if your Kulula pilot announces that your flight has just landed in Harare they love joking. Kulula Airlines is one of 3 low cost carriers operating in South Africa (Mango and 1time are the others), and is known for its humorous in-flight commentary and advertisements. The Kulula brand is owned by Comair (who also operate British Airways flights in South Africa), a company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and its steadily-increasing offering includes travel, credit cards and cellphone connections. Kulula operates flights to all major local destinations, and has recently started servicing routes to Mauritius and the UK. The airline also operates flights to Livingstone, Zambia; Vilanculos, Mozambique; Harare, Zimbabwe and Windhoek, Namibia. PHOTOGRAPH & SOURCE: http://southafrica.to/transport/Airlines/Kulula-flights/Kulula-flights.php5
PHOTOGRAPH & SOURCE: www.cntraveller.ru
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