The Hawk has landed at AFB Makhado

Another page in the history of the South African Air Force is how it can be described. The entry into Service of a new aircraft type is always a significant event and Friday 9 September 2005 was just such an occasion. After a wait of nearly two years, Hawk #252; the first Hawk Mk 120 Lead-In-Fighter-Trainer (LIFT), touched down at AFB Makhado at 09h46.

Flown by the BAe Systems test pilot Gordon McClymont, the aircraft was enthusiastically welcomed by the Officer Commanding 85 Combat Flying School, Lt Col Daan van der Linde and the initial cadre of pilots and technicians undergoing ground school at the Hawk Centralised Training Centre at AFB Makhado. Utilising some of the most modern technologies currently available to military training aircraft, the Hawk brings with it exciting challenges as the successful introduction of a new aircraft poses significant effort, not only to the squadron, but also the base as it builds up as the SAAF’s Fighter Centre of Excellence.

Learning new technologies and establishing the standard operating procedures is an exciting iterative process that will be formalised during the Operational Test and Evaluation phase that will be conducted during 2006. In the mean time, 85 Combat FS air and groundcrew will be intensively occupied with gaining currencies on the aircraft to enable the first Operational Conversion Course to commence in March 2006.