The training hub for aviation schools in the Eastern Cape is in a bad state, and is costing the city dearly.
The training hub for aviation schools in the Eastern Cape is in a bad state, and is costing the city dearly.
The runway lights at the Grahamstown airfield have been out of order for over 9 months and the turning circle at the end of the runway has decayed, posing a safety hazard to pilots who want to land in Grahamstown.
Chairperson of the Grahamstown Flying Club Ron Weisenberg said that flying schools in Port Elizabeth, Port Alfred and East London favour the airport for training of their student pilots for long distance exercises.
"These faulty lights mean that no planes land at night so now we can't offer the full service to the schools," said Weisenberg. "That means we lose revenue, because every time a plane lands the airport gets paid landing fees."
Weisenberg said night-time flying is one of the most critical training exercises a pilot needs to do.
"We can't offer them the full service so the schools are now taking their business elsewhere," he explained.
Colonel Roger Keaton from the 6 SAI Battalion said they stopped using the airport for training exercises three years ago due to its deteriorated state. "It is no longer suitable and we now hold our air exercises in Port Elizabeth, Bulembu airport and Bisho," he said. "There need to be serious renovations before we could use it again."
Weisenberg said the current state of the airport is due to poor maintenance and a lack of action on the part of the Makana Municipality Electricity Department.
He believes that the airport is missing out on good business opportunities that could stimulate the city's economy.
"I've approached Airlink and submitted a business proposal to ask them for a service to fly passengers from Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg and they said 'Yes, but fix your airport first'," he said.
The airport is the property of Makana Municipality and falls under the Department of Parks and Recreation.
Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation Kevin Bates said a new system of lights was ordered and the lights would be up in three weeks time. He went on to say that his department has engaged with the SANDF to assist them with upgrading the tarred runway.
Bates said the problems occurred because they were using a lighting system that was old and very expensive to maintain.
He also pinpointed the power supply as a problem area. "The old transformer blew, but our technicians are working on it," said Bates.
Grocott's Mail has learned that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will visit the airport in mid-November to perform safety inspections. The airfield was built in the early 1930s to serve the Royal Air Force and was until recently hailed as one of the best aerodrome airports in the country due to its top class facilities.
