The South African Air Force (SAAF) is the air warfare branch of South African National Defence Force, with its headquarters in Pretoria. The South African Air Force was established on 1 February 1920. The Air Force saw service in World War II and the Korean War. From 1966, the SAAF was involved in providing infantry support in the low-intensity Border War in Angola, South-West Africa and Rhodesia. As the war progressed, the intensity of air operations increased, until in the late 1980s when the SAAF were compelled to fly fighter missions against Angolan aircraft in order to maintain tactical air superiority. On conclusion of the Border War in 1990, aircraft numbers were severely reduced due to economic pressures as well as the cessation of hostilities with neighbouring states.
The Atlas Oryx is a medium-sized utility helicopter ostensibly developed and manufactured by the Atlas Aircraft Corporation of South Africa. Its largest operator is the South African Air Force (SAAF), having been originally developed to fulfil their needs.
21 Squadron SAAF is a squadron of the South African Air Force. It was formed as a bomber squadron in Kenya during World War II and became a VIP transport squadron in the 1960s, a role which it performs to this day. The squadron currently flies two Dassault Falcon 50s, two Cessna Citation Is, a Dassault Falcon 900 and a Boeing BBJ aircraft. 21 Squadron is one of the most active squadrons in the air force with 606 VIP transport flights being made between 2009 and 2012. The Boeing BBJ is used as the presidential aircraft when the President of South Africa travels.
85 Combat Flying School is a unit of the South African Air Force (SAAF). It is a jet flight-training and combat operations school, it was first formed in 1982 at AFB Pietersburg. It relocated to AFB Hoedspruit on 1 January 1993 due to the closure of AFB Pietersburg. The school also has a wartime reserve role, although it has publicly been stated that the school will not be used operationally unless a very urgent need arises.
87 Helicopter Flying School is a unit of the South African Air Force. It is a helicopter flight training school.
Flight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure. It is equivalent to a staff sergeant or colour sergeant in the British Army, a colour sergeant in the Royal Marines, and a chief petty officer in the Royal Navy, and has a NATO rank code of OR-7. In the RAF, flight sergeant ranks above chief technician and below warrant officer.
The Sri Lanka Air Force is the air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) with the assistance of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The SLAF played a major role throughout the Sri Lankan Civil War. The SLAF operates more than 160 aircraft and has a projected trained strength of 30,000 airmen and 2000 officers, who are from both regular and reserve service.
Phetogo Molawa is South Africa's first black female helicopter pilot in the South African Air Force and the South African National Defence Force. She is currently a captain in the South African Air Force. In 2018 she became the first woman and the first black person to take command of a South African Air Force installation; specifically, she became the new commanding officer of the South African Air Force base in Port Elizabeth.
Lohatla is a training area of the South African National Defence Force. It is located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa and is home to the SA Army Combat Training Centre, which is part of the South African Army Training Formation.
Air Force Base Swartkop is South Africa's oldest air force base and houses the South African Air Force Museum. It is managed as part of AFB Waterkloof and houses one of the three branches of the South African Air Force Museum. The name of the air force base, Swartkop means Black hill in Afrikaans.
Air Force Base Overberg is an airbase of the South African Air Force at Bredasdorp on the Overberg district of the Western Cape province and is the host of the 525 squadron and the Test Flight and Development Centre. It is placed under command of the Air Office in Pretoria, Gauteng.
AFB Durban is an airbase of the South African Air Force, located in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The runway is shared with the Durban International Airport. The airbase is at the northern end of the runway.
35 Squadron SAAF is a squadron of the South African Air Force. It is a maritime patrol and transport squadron.
Air Force Station Port Elizabeth is a South African Air Force facility situated on the north-eastern side of the Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport main runway. It was downgraded from an Air Force Base in the early 1990s.
Fabian Zimpande "Zakes" Msimang is a retired South African Air Force officer who served as the Chief of the South African Air Force.
89 Combat Flying School is a disbanded unit of the South African Air Force, active from 1986-1992. The unit was formed on 1 July 1986 from the Mirage Flight of 85 Combat Flying School at AFB Pietersburg and its main role was to train aircrew to fly the Dassault Mirage aircraft.
42 Squadron SAAF is a disbanded squadron of the South African Air Force, active from 1945 to 2000. The squadron's main role was to spot enemy artillery. The unit was formed in 1945 as 42 AOP Flight, flying Austers under command of an officer of the SA Artillery and was the only army aviation unit flying for South African forces during World War II.
