Page 14 - World Airnews Magazine February Edition 2021

OPINION INTERVIEW

INDY JOINS THE TEAM

supposed to be born in Africa,
but things did not happen
CAO airport consultant and that way. Instead I was born
Ian interna� onal avia� on at sea, in the ship, two days
development advisor Inderjit before somewhere near the

Singh has his roots firmly in the Gulf region. So, you see, I was
con�nent of his birth Africa. made in the UK, delivered in a

ship in high-seas - not part of
World Airnews is pleased to any territorial land - and arrived
announce his contribu�on to two days old in Africa.

the magazine.
(HG) HELLO INDERJIT, I (HG) WHAT AN INTER-
ESTING BEGINNING! HAS
HOPE YOU DON’T MIND THIS EXPERIENCE HAD AN
Lewellyn Jones Hansie De Lange Johann Kotze ME CALLING YOU ‘INDY’. IMPACT ON YOUR PSYCHE,
THANK YOU FOR ACCEPT- YOUR VERY BEING OR ON
ING MY REQUEST FOR A YOUR LEADERSHIP QUAL-
helicopter pilots, whose negligence was wants to live by its brand promise: ‘keep- “We are not specialists but there was a BRIEF INTERVIEW WITH ITIES?
found to be the only probable cause of the ing you safe in the sky’. key recommendation regarding stan- WORLD AIRNEWS MAGA-
accident, have never been held to account. “Three young pilots died senselessly. dardisation of VHF radio frequencies as ZINE. (IS) Yes, it has helped both, in
Hansie De Lange’s family would like to Several witnesses lied under oath, com- a likely key contributor to this accident. (IS) Heidi, I am delighted to my personal and professional
ensure that he did not die in vain and that mitting perjury - a crime punishable by Have the CAA acted upon these recom- speak with you. By all means, life. I have a sense of freedom

the safety recommenda�ons of the second law. Family members and friends of the mendations? please call me ‘Indy’ - my from any reserva�ons, ambi-

inves�ga�on are acted upon for the future deceased pilots have lived in the most “As far as the helicopter pilots are con- nickname, coined when I was gui�es and any preconceived

safety of all passengers and flight crews agonising pain for 20 years, “ said Liezl. cerned, while they have never admitted a student in the University no�ons. Like the famous
alike in the South African and African The family of Hansie de Lange believes to causing the accident; their version of of California, Berkeley, a�er philosopher, aviator and author

Airspace. that the CAA have kept the second inves- events has been totally discredited by the "Indiana" Jones's nickname Richard Bach I feel like a bird

They also want to ensure that the whole �ga�on report secret leaving many more second investigation, as has that of the - shortened to "Indy" - a and I am not confined by any

truth of what happened on that fateful day unanswered ques�ons. witnesses who were found to have lied character in several landmark territorial boundaries. In my

is fully in the public domain. It is not clear whether any of the safety and committed perjury. Hollywood movies. professional career un�l date, I
have served in several countries
“Two decades of silence and subterfuge recommenda�ons made in the second “They will only have their own consciences I am impressed to note World

must come to an end if the CAA truly inves�ga�on were acted upon by the CAA. to answer to,” said Liezl.  Airnews’s content on topical of Africa, Asia, Middle East and

South America. Adaptability
avia�on related ma�ers, its to new work places, people,

universal appeal and its wide cultures have never been a
readership among airport, problem.

airlines and aircra� manufac-
MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS turing professionals; the three (HG) HAVING HELD MANY
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

prime segments of the avia�on
industry. IN YOUR CAREER HOW
tence of the second report and indeed furnished his copy to this (HG) INDY I HAVE SEEN WOULD YOU DESCRIBE

organisa�on and it is his that was finally placed on the CAA website YOUR STYLE?

o why did it take so long for the second accident inves�- last year. YOUR ARTICLES PUB- (IS) As I see it, a leader is basical-
Sga� on report concluded in 2009 to be placed on the CAA In response to ques�ons raised by World Airnews rela�ng to this Inderjit Singh – A Biography LISHED IN SOME RE- ly an influencer. I tend to lead by

website? Was it sheer negligence or deliberate? aspect, CAA spokesperson Kabelo Ledwaba said, “ To date we have NOWNED AVIATION example and believe that I have

Why were the family members never officially informed about not been successful in establishing whether the report was sent JOURNALS. YOU AND I the following characteris�cs

the second report or its publica�on despite legisla�on requiring to the SACAA, and if so, who received the report on behalf of the Inderjit has served as and the busiest airport (70 HAVE EXCHANGED MES- and values - integrity, prudence,

SAGE AND SPOKEN MANY
this? SACAA. an airport consultant in MPPA) in the country and TIMES. PLEASE TELL OUR humanity, contemporary
several countries of Asia,

And what about the safety recommenda�ons contained within “We wish to re-iterate that there was no inten�on on the part South-East Asia, Mid- categorized ‘hypersensi- READERS A BIT ABOUT thinking, open-mindedness, an

the second report - have any of these been implemented? of the AIID or the SACAA not to replace the new report with the dle-East, Africa and South �ve” from threat percep- YOUR SELF – WHERE DO unending quest for learning,

These are just some of the ques�ons put to the CAA by World revised one. On the contrary, this ma�er was given the necessary America in the planning, �on, he has hands-on-ex- YOU BELONG? confidence and courage. I am a

Airnews in an a�empt to bring clarity to the whole issue. a�en�on and resolved as soon as was prac�cally possible.” design, development and perience of all func�onal performer but I am also a team

But the response from the CAA did not make for more clarity or As to why the families of de Lange and Kotze were never officially management of airports aspects of administra�on (IS) Well Heidi, I belong to the player with a posi�ve outlook

world!

understanding of the facts. informed about the existence of the second report will remain a with leading airport au- and opera�ons of a major and a never-say-die a�tude.

In response to the first ques�on, the CAA said that it was indeed mystery as a�empts to clear up this issue was answered with this thori�es, global organiza- interna�onal airport. He (HG) THAT IS A VERY PRO- These traits that I have place me
“a family representa�ve” that raised the issue of the second report bland response. �ons and under the aegis is a graduate in engineer- FOUND STATEMENT. WHAT well in the highly visible and sen-

si�ve industry of air-transport

with the CAA and in response to this - the first outdated report was “The legislated process of inves�ga�on entails that once the of ICAO. He is thus abreast ing, an MBA, followed by MAKES YOU STATE THIS? which is more o�en than not

advanced management at

finally replaced on the CAA website on 12 August 2020. inves�gators have concluded an inves�ga�on, such report must of the world’s best prac- “Henley-the Management (IS) My parents were prone to incidents and accidents

Further inves�ga�on has revealed that it was once again, father be distributed to the aircra� owner, the operator, the State of �ces in the industry. As School”, Oxford shire, UK heading from the UK to Bri�sh and where teamwork only can

of the of the deceased pilot (Lewelllyn Jones) Bill Jones who was registry, and the families of the deceased, if there were any. former CEO and chairman and avia�on management Somaliland, East Africa by a save a crisis from turning into a

informed by the Minister of Transport in 2011 of the second report Furthermore, the regula�ons also require that the report be made of the airport security from University of Califor- ship. My dear dad, who was disaster.

and its findings. public to fulfill the purpose of inves�ga�ons, i.e. to ensure that commi�ee of IGI Airport, nia, Berkeley. qualified with bar-at-law from

Leaving the de Lange and Kotze families completely in the dark . other aviators learn from that occurrence so that they avoid similar New Delhi – the largest Lincoln’s Inn, was going to take (HG) CAN YOU RECALL ONE

It turns out that it was Jones who informed the CAA of the exis- errors in the future”.  up a post as a legal officer. I was INCIDENT THAT YOU HAVE
World Airnews | February 2021 W orld Airne w s | F ebruar y 2021
World Airnews | February 2021
— 12 — — 13 —
— 13 —