By Lwazi Raul-Shongwe and Kopano Dibakwane
SANParks(South African National Parks) Air Services Chief Pilot, David “Black Hawks” Simelane received the 2024 Airbus Customer Focus Group award, on behalf of his unit, during a gala dinner and awards ceremony held at Muscat in the Middle East’s Oman, recently.
According to SANParks Head of Communication, JP Louw, the unit was the only African representative in the African/Middle Eastern conference and it was recognised for being the most unique operator.
He said the conference featured aviation practitioners who held a dialogue on industry issues such as strategies, safety and compliance management.
“ Simelane used the occasion to highlight the critical role of SANParks Air Wing unit as part of reaction teams on the ground operating in vast areas within national parks,” Louw said.
He stated that the unit performs other vital conservation activities by working closely with specialists such as veterinarians and scientist on projects including census and dehorning operations.
“ The SANParks Air Wing forms part of the Area Integrity Management unit, whose main objective is to establish and better coordinate safety and security within SANParks. They are part of anti-poaching teams whose duties include working hand-in-hand with rangers as well as the dog units(K9),” said Louw.
