When BDF planes are lost and found

| Thursday August 29, 2013 00:00

When we were children the best day, the best hour of the whole year, was when BDF Day came around and the army showed off their weapons and gave young boys and girls a proper day out. I and my mates would make the pilgrimage from Old Naledi to the National Stadium without permission from our parents. You had to be in and out before the parents discovered you were not in the neighbourhood.

Every now and then someone would have to be caught and he would get a beating but it was worth the risk. The giant CN235M transport aircraft would fly low just above the National Stadium stands. It was mesmerising. The boys who had escaped Old Naledi to come to BDF Day would make the long trek to Old Naledi after the flying spectacle was over to face the wrath of their parents if their truancy was found out. Those planes caused a lot of young boys to dream of becoming soldiers, a dream I secretly harbour to this day, because for many a night I would picture myself in those green full body suits that pilots wear. 

But for me it was not the Strikemasters, despite their spectacular supersonic growl that sounded like they were leaving behind them a trail of painful drawls from a sky torn by the piercing flight. For me it was the slow, low-hanging carriers in their leisurely, almost majestic stroll across the skies. But what happens when military planes are retired?  The Strikemasters were in the news recently because of their chequered history and future. We know those Strikemasters spent most of their time grounded, were not battle-ready and had to be disposed of.  But what happened to the royals of the BDF air wing, the aircraft carriers.Last year Mmegi reported that the BDF Air Wing sold two of its CASA CN235M transport aircraft to Fayard Enterprises of Wake Forest, North Carolina at US$ 1.8 million per unit.

The Air Wing retired the two planes after replacing them with new production CN235M-300s in December 2009. The 2009 procurement was one of the biggest in recent times. The BDF last year confirmed to Mmegi that the aircraft were sold in 2011 after they began giving them challenges due to their flight hours and a need for constant maintenance.Reports from international military websites are that one of two aircraft that were retired by BDF was cancelled from the US register on July 11 last year, and was last seen landing at Lanseria Airport, north of Johannesburg, on July 17 spotting Togolese Air Force markings.But this week it was in the news again. It seems the Togolese Air Force eventually did not receive the plane as previously indicated.

Military procurement website defenceweb.co.za quotes various sources indicating the plane may have eventually gone to the United States after spending time at Lanseria without a claimant. It is reported that on August 5, it was registered in the United States as N124CL to Avcorp US Registrations LLC Trustee of Wilmington, Delaware.The other aircraft sold to Fayard Enterprises of Wake Forest, North Carolina has had a fair journey as well. 'The aircraft was then sold through Skywest International LLC to Paramount Logistics Corporation under a contract announced on June 5, 2012.  It was removed from the US register on May 25, 2012, as it was sold in South Africa' reports defenceweb.

Air Forces Daily reports that in January this year it was marked as TN-228 for the Congolese Air Force. It has presumably been delivered to Brazzaville.'The CN235 is able to carry up to six tonnes of payload. Its two General Electric GE CT7-9C3 turboprop engines, each delivering 1 870 shp, give it a maximum cruise speed of 240 kt (450 km/h). CN235s have accumulated more than a million flight hours' states defenceweb.Late last year when quizzed about the planes, BDF spokesperson Major Fana Maswabi said when the army sold the two airplanes it was the last time they followed their whereabouts.

Perhaps they are flying some soldiers into some war zone somewhere in this continent. Or perhaps they are carrying some skydivers somewhere in the States but for us, the BDF's giants of the skies, made us dream of perfect fantasies and for that they have earned a very special place in our hearts.