Airnews, June 2010

HELICOPTER ODYSSEY

FRANK PETERS-HOLLENBERG is one of those rare individuals who can be described as a pioneer – in his particular case, a pioneer in helicopter flying in Africa, as well, to a certain extent at least, in the world of publishing.

Hollenberg has been flying helicopters all his working life and at present he is an instructor with Base 4 Aviation, at Cape Town International Airport. Such is his experience in flying rotor-winged aircraft that the motto of his company, “You think it, we fly it!” aptly describes his flying abilities. In a life-long career of helicopter flying, he has had many experiences, some amusing, some hair-rising, some downright dangerous, yet he has survived to tell the tale.

And this is where his other pioneering spirit comes to the fore. He has recorded most of these anecdotes in a book entitled Helicopter Odyssey. The book cannot be classed as a “normal sized” publication, but there is something unique, nay pioneering, in the way it is written. It is set in a serif face with plenty of spacing between the lines so it makes exceptionally easy reading as does, in fact, the story itself.

And to top it all, it is well illustrated, albeit with black and white photographs. There is something about this book which “grabbed” me for, despite the fact that it runs to just over 130 pages, it is packed full of so much information that it aptly mirrors the life of this man who is now approaching his 70th birthday and is still flying. Born in Mariental, a small town about midway between Keetmanshoop and Windhoek in what was then South West Africa, his boyhood centred on farm life in the semi-desert and his education in South Africa. Although he was exposed to aviation from a small child (his father owned a Piper Cub which he operated from a strip on the family farm), Hollenberg still did not know what to do with his life by the time he turned 19.

About that time he was called up for military service, was accepted into the SA Air Force and, as he says in his book, “So began my lifelong love of flying. Some 48 years later, I still cannot think of anything else I would rather have done…” He was sent to the SAAF Gymnasium in Pretoria and of the 800 candidates who had applied for flying training, he was one of only 75 who made the grade. Of these 12 were lost to flying accidents and two more were killed in road accidents during training.

Hollenberg’s description of his basic flying training up to the time he gained his “Wings” makes exceptional easy and interesting reading, even down to “bungalow life”. Of the entire intake of pilots, he was the only one selected to fly helicopters, which he describes as being “an assembly of forty thousand loose pieces, flying more or less in formation.”

I will not go into detail about his flying career, suffice to say that it was “interesting”, at times awe-inspiring and with its fair share of crashes and accidents. Although I did not know who one of the pilots was at the time, I must have flown over Hollenberg’s helicopter during the SA Seafarer sea rescue drama off Green Point, Cape Town, in July 1966. He and a number of other SAAF helicopter crews were involved in the daring rescue of seamen from the stricken vessel. The company I flew for at the time had a huge amount of brand new machinery in the ship’s holds and I had to fly members of the company’s board high over the ship to assess the situation. Needless to say, all the machinery was lost to the sea.

But I can still remember looking down on the helicopters as they flew backwards and forward between the foreshore and the ship on their rescue missions and admiring the courage of their crews. I can strongly recommend Helicopter Odyssey as a flying book out of the ordinary and which clearly gives an insight into the life of a man dedicated to flying helicopters.

GOT THE TRAVEL BUG?

Experienced and infrequent travellers alike will be familiar with the disturbing doubts regarding the safety and security of their luggage. Despite numerous recent initiatives such as high-tech surveillance equipment, tags, locks and plastic wrap; baggage theft, tampering and pilferage remain a serious problem in the travel industry. In addition to the financial cost and inconvenience of stolen personal effects, travellers face a far more serious risk of drugs or contraband being added to their luggage, which can leave innocent travellers caught up in a nightmare.

However, with Bbagzz, as your constant travel companion and talisman for protection, you can bid adieu to the worries about the safety of your possessions. Bbagzz is a truly innovative South African company that has crafted a holistic and cost-effective solution to baggage pilferage and tampering, which encompasses both hassle-free additional baggage insurance and a durable plastic enclosure that will seal the luggage entirely.

All you have to do is, just before your bags and baggage are weighed at check in counter, insert them and seal your Bbagzz and then simply SMS your unique identification number before your flight and insurance cover is confirmed instantly via SMS reply anywhere in the world!

The bags are not only numbered, but branded so that, unlike clear plastic wrap, they cannot be replaced after tampering. The bags are also easy to identify on the carousel so any evidence of pilfering will be apparent instantly, allowing travellers to report it immediately, before moving to customs or leaving the airport.