Page 35 - World Airnews Magazine May 2020 Edition

PERSONALITY

AN AVIATOR OF NOTE

Academy for an officer’s course and then on to Langebaanweg

to finish our pupe’s course on Impalas. I received my wings in

viator Martin Louw has retired. He has flown a wide variety December 1974 together with about half of the original number

Aof aircraft military and civil, holds a B Mil degree and has who started at Dunnottar, with 231 hours in my logbook.

spent many years with Comair as head of flight operations. World THEREAFTER YOU JOINED THE SAAF. TELL US A BIT
Airnews correspondent Mike Wright had a chat to him about his ABOUT YOUR TIME THERE?

career and his plans for retirement.
I then went to study a B Mil degree at the Military Academy
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD AND UPBRINGING before joining 4 Sqn on Impala Mk2’s, first at Waterkloof and later

I was born in Bloemfontein in 1955 but grew up in Johannesburg, at Lanseria. During my two- year stint at 4 Sqn, I completed the

matriculating from Helpmekaar Boys High school in 1972. I have one Impala Operational Training Course (OTC), Sabre OTC (unfortunately

older brother, a medical doctor. My dad worked for Shell as an engi- suspended just before we started flying) and Flight Leaders Course
neer specialising in lubricants while my mother, although a commerce on Impalas, all at Pietersburg (Polokwane). I also took part in the

graduate, was the ultimate home executive. We travelled a lot during first Impala deployment for operations on the border late in 1978. In

my childhood, mostly internally in South Africa, but we also spent six January 1979 I started the Mirage OTC at Pietersburg on the Mirage
months in London and toured the whole of Europe for a month. 111DZ,D2Z,EZ and then joined 3 Sqn on the Mirage F1CZ at Waterkloof

later that year. My happiest time in the SAAF was at 3 Sqn, being a
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY very professional outfit at the sharp end of the Air Force.

I am married to Adele and have two sons, a 31 year old who studied All my operational sorties were with this squadron and I learnt a

music at UTC but is now in IT and a 16 year old at Pretoria Boys High. lot about leadership and management from the excellent Officers
Commanding I had the pleasure to serve with during this tour, as well
AND WHEN DID YOUR DESIRE TO BECOME A PILOT START? as my subsequent tour later. These skills served me well in my later
My father introduced me to air shows from about five years old, of airline career and I am very thankful to the SAAF for this. The SAAF

which I particularly remember a 16-ship Sabre formation aerobatic taught you how to lead and manage different people, equipment and

show at Baragwaneth and a Mirage 111CZ show at Waterkloof in situations like no other institution, all at a relatively young age.

1963. From then on I was sold on flying and although my father After my first tour at 3 Sqn ended, I went to Dunnottar for

wanted me to study engineering, I was adamant about flying for instructor’s course, the on to Langebaanweg for a three-year tour

the SAAF, which I joined straight out of school at the age of 17. instructing on Impalas. Here I became Chief Flying Instructor and

also had a stint with the Silver Falcons formation aerobatic team. I

TELL US BRIEFLY ABOUT YOUR EARLY AVIATION CAREER then re-joined 3 Sqn for another tour there as Operations Officer

I completed three months of basics at the SAAF Gymnasium where (2IC), before moving to Air Force Headquarters as Staff

the selection for pilot’s course took place. We were 77 who were Officer Airborne Weapons, but still flying part-time at

selected out of a total of about 5000 to go straight to Dunnottar 3 Sqn. During this time I had the privilege to fly the

where we flew Harvards for 6 months before going to the Military Mig 29 in Russia, shooting down two Mig 21 drones To page 34
World Airnews | May 2020
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