Cemair's Repat Flight Mission to IraqBy Leftie Wright  In the months of Covid 19 lockdown, one airline has endeavoured to be part of the solution to stranded South Africans at a number of unfrequented African ports. Cemair, South Africa's most personal airline, has launched missions throughout Africa and last week they went further than our own continent, to the most northern corner of Iraq in the Kurdistan territories.  Felix Gosher, one of the organisers of the Repat Flight with Captain Tino Booysen in late June, the planning phase of the Mission. The Repat Flight was a community alliance with Cemair to alleviate the suffering of passengers stranded at three main cities including Amman, Jordan, Erbil and Basra in Iraq. Over 250 sponsors chipped in, led by Felix Gosher to raise a total in excess of eighty thousand rand, which although in-terms of a three-million-rand mission was but raindrops in the ocean towards the expense of the mission... the community spirit and effort itself raised awareness and connected the Repatriation plight to the 'Leave No One Behind' initiative run by Stephne Churchill and Raive Bird, who were stranded themselves in Iraq.  The Jordanian passengers  The Palestinian passengers  Miles and son Parker pushing aircraft out of hangar before the mission  On route In a combined effort, the interests of 80 South Africans and 53 Middle Easterners were merged to assemble a routing from Johannesburg to Entebbe to Khartoum where eleven Sudanese passengers were repatriated, then to Amman where Palestinians and Jordanians disembarked and South Africans boarded.  The crew arriving for duty in Erbil to an applause Onwards to Erbil, Iraq for the overnight. Collecting more passengers, the following day to fly to Basra for more and then to Djibouti for fuel. From there it was onwards to Entebbe for the crew change and fuel and finally to Johannesburg. They collected South Africans from Amman, Erbil, Basra and Entebbe in the round trip.  A huge congratulation to Miles van der Molen and the Cemair Team for an expert extraction of our nationals from extremely dire circumstances in a faraway land, flying a regional Jet way beyond its optimal range, in a 'lollipop' track 'around the houses', covering a distance of more than one third of the earth's circumstance, to repatriate 133 people from six nations.  Safely back in SA   The crews Congratulations to the Crew including: Captain Schalk van der Merwe First Officer Chris Botha Cabin Attendant Natasha Benson Cabin Attendant Roxanne Louisa Booysen and Engineer Jan Taljaard, who flew first Sector Jhb to Entebbe, where they then strategically remained in Entebbe, in a phase of crew rest to renew their duty hours for the last stretch, while: Captain Tino Booysen, First Officer Leonard Oberholzer, Cabin Attendant Andre de Beer, Cabin Attendant James Beukes and Engineer Jan Taljaard who was later also joined by Cabin Attendant Mellissa Ellis, who was stuck in Khartoum in another contract, flew: Entebbe- Khartoum- Amman - Erbil Overnight for crew and passenger transit rest. The next afternoon, after sufficient rest they flew Erbil - Basra - Djibouti - Entebbe from where the first crew took over and completed the mission back to Johannesburg. There's definitely something special about that chap down at hangar six and it seems to be the size of his heart.  |
         |
 |
 |
Copyright © Pilot's Post PTY Ltd
The information, views and opinions by the authors contributing to Pilot's Post are not necessarily those of the editor or other writers at Pilot's Post.