Held bi-annually each year, pre-season training camps are essential for firefighting pilots to prepare for the Winter and Summer fire seasons. 55 Pilots attended the training camp held in Nelspruit from 23 to 27 May 2016 to introduce new pilots to the Kishugu Aviation family.

The agenda focused on reinforcing aviation safety rules and dispatch protocols, to be better prepared for firefighting operations in the Winter fire season.

Special attention is paid at these camps to maintaining and enhancing aviation safety. Kishugu CEO, Johan Heine, briefed the pilots on new developments in the company and future strategies.

Malcolm Russell, a media relations expert, trained the pilots to be better prepared to engage with the press. Malcolm has a long standing history in the broadcasting industry, and is a consultant to Carte Blanche, SABC 2’s Morning Live and SuperSport. The pilots enjoyed the interactive session and gained confidence for when they are approached by the press.

All pilots underwent proficiency flight tests to ensure compliance with firefighting standards. Training camps serve as an opportunity to complete these tests and Crew Resource Management (CRM) and Dangerous Goods (DG) courses, which are all license requirements of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The participants also partook in team building activities, including a Masterchef Cook Off and a night of festivities in the Spotter 1 Lounge.

“I think this year’s training camp was lifted to a higher professional level with special focus on aviation safety and practical improvements,” said Mike Assad, National Flight Operations Manager for Kishugu Aviation. “We now look forward to a successful and incident free Winter fire season.”

The next pilot’s training camp is scheduled for the last week in November – just in time for the Summer fire season.