Who is the Real Force behind Westair?

Who is the Real Force behind Westair?

In the next few months those who make FlyWestair possible will be introduced to you, one by one. You will meet our pilots, our ground-crew, those who work behind the scenes in finance and operations, in maintenance, as trainees and strategists, deal-makers and groundbreakers.

Meet the first of many faces behind Westair.

Theo Naude – Chief Pilot Part 135

Like most of the employees at Westair, Theo Naude fills more than one position. Not only is he Chief Pilot 135 (turbo props) but also the security manager. “It’s fun to have many hats, Westair gives you many opportunities to do more than one thing, to build knowledge and improve yourself in aviation.” As the chief pilot he has to know all the manuals, to have a good understanding of the aircraft. “The end goal is to be safe.” The best thing about his job, though, is to be a part of the next generation. “To say to a guy you can go to the next level of your career (by qualifying to fly a plane) is the best feeling. You put in time, did everything you can do, and now I get to give you your licence. It’s teamwork. The whole company comes together to get that person there. The whole company applauds a person to achieve and grow.”

Jacky Horn – Accountant

Driving past the airport after dropping off her son, Jacky Horn loves looking out of the car window and seeing the Westair Embraer V5-WIN flying overhead. “That red tail… It symbolises success. It’s being proud of yourself.” Jacky has come a long way with Westair, starting out in 2005 as a fresh-faced girl from Aranos straight out of high school. She began her career as a scheduler, which in those days meant dealing with just a few charters here and there. In time, more and more was added to her plate. She was learning all she could while on the job, gaining insight and an understanding of all the departments. No matter what challenges come up, her motto is to “make it work.” And she does. Now, almost fifteen years later, she is an accountant at Westair and continues to grow together with the company. “We help each other to progress.”

Edward Ngurungunda - Refueller

When he came for his job interview he was put to work cleaning one of the aircraft. One of the maintenance engineers who happened to be busy with the plane encouraged and coached him while John was polishing the plane, telling him to give it his all because Mr Grellman was watching from his office window. “My father died a poor man. I wanted to surprise them at Westair,” says Edward, reflecting on that pinnacle moment in his life. After he had gone on to become a refueller, Managing Director Gustav Holz one day called him and his colleague Petrus Barlow and offered them positions at Westair’s new refuelling company, as well as shares. “The day after, we came back and told him we are so proud of him.” Today Edward is involved not only in refuelling, but also ramp control and supervising the cleaning crew. “I didn’t learn to be a hard worker, I learnt skills from Westair.”

Tangi Olavi - AME

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) Tangi Olavi feels his success is due to the encouragement he received from the team he works with everyday. “Hendrik du Bruyn (Workshop Manager) believed in me and had a lot of faith in me, he gave me that push. He saw a lot of potential for me. Deslon Kandjara (AME) and Lloyd Nyaguze (AME), too. They were my wings when I couldn’t fly.” As an AME you never stop learning and training, Tangi says. From studying maintenance manuals to doing courses and obtaining new licences. “I don’t want to be a guy who just has qualifications but can’t do the work. I want to be an engineer they can brag with.” The best part of his job? “When you know you worked on an aircraft and it can fly safely.”

Derek du Toit – Supply Chain Manager

When he was three years old, Derek du Toit was disassembling radios and remote-control cars. These days he is passionately interested in what is going on at the airport. When the day’s work is done he likes to walk over to see what the maintenance engineers are doing, ask questions and lend a hand. “The best part is the team spirit. When I don’t know something, I ask Mike Meyers (the Technical Director) and he will go out of his way to explain it. The team will always help where they can.” It’s clear he enjoys a challenge, which prompted him to complete several courses at the company. Subsequently he gained some additional roles: health and safety officer, aircraft investigation officer and first aider. “I never sit still,” he says.

John Mbako – AME Apprentice

School was never easy for John Mbako, who moved around a lot, never getting the chance to settle. His father walked out on the family early in John’s life, and when he was five his mother sent him away to live with his aunt in an effort to keep him away from his abusive stepfather. His older brother, only fifteen, stayed behind with the mother to look after her. The only father he ever had was his brother. In 2013 John applied for a scholarship to study AME in Russia. In his first year there he took Russian classes, the first time he ever learnt another language. He started work at Westair last year and says it feels like it was meant to be. “It’s not an opportunity I thought I would get. Here they make me feel at home.” John was curious to know who the bosses were, and one day Managing Director Gustav Holz invited the young man to sit down with him and have a coffee. After five months he was promoted to work on the ERJ, which he says “stole his heart.”