Microlighters

NEWS/UPDATE

The focus for Microlight Aerial Support has now shifted towards operating in Zimbabwe due to receiving very little support or co operation from South African wildlife parks. The request to supply Microlight Aerial Support to a couple of Zimbabwe Rhino Parks/Reserves is looking very encouraging and opens up doors for us to expand our operations into Zimbabwe. We will be hopefully commencing Operations March 2013. (We are looking at operating a leased Fulcrum microlight for the benefit of a Zimbabwe Conservancy with a view to either purchasing another microlight or just operating the purchased microlight as a replacement to the leased Fulcrum (if operational needs show we can operate 2 microlights effectively) we are also currently in discussions to supply volunteer pilots to game reserves for South Africa. We are providing volunteer pilots to Zimbabwe. More info please visit:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/SwatPatrolUk

I have now come to the conclusion that this is a farce.

I have sent two emails to Peter Kelsey - ferryair.worldwide@gmail.com and Frank Spiniello -frankspiniello@hotmail.co.uk, both of whom promised to get back to me - guess what - NOTHING (this goes back to the first week in Jan)

Me thinks they have their own agenda, and it does not necessarily mean that it is for the benefit of our wildlife conservation

I also smell a cane rat...
Come on Swat Patrol, show us your true colours and tell us who you are going to save in Zimbabwe. Which conservancy? Who are your volunteer pilots? Are they all going to fly your fleet of 1 +1 maybe Airies?
Remember Soutie, we are all related this end of Africa...

My concerns were expressed here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=20117
Personally, I see this as a way for people to make money out of the rhino poaching problem
It's funny how there's so many jumping on the bandwagon, and yet the numbers of rhino being killed has increased
Why bring volunteer pilots to SA anyway? We have more than enough over here already doing this work, and not spattering spam everywhere!
Maybe they just want to justify asking for more money from the unsuspecting public to sponsor their extended flying holiday in Africa with the excuse of doing anti-rhino poaching flying.

D2O, my thoughts exactly.

I have just seen theses posting!!!!! believe me guys I have more important things in my life, jumping on any bandwagons...
We have had very little support or interests particularly from South Africa. I wonder why??????????????????????????????????????????

Dobbs, I did reply back and contact the person regarding the info you sent me, I will copy and paste watch this space.....
Frank

Dobbs wrote:I have now come to the conclusion that this is a farce.

I have sent two emails to Peter Kelsey - ferryair.worldwide@gmail.com and Frank Spiniello -frankspiniello@hotmail.co.uk, both of whom promised to get back to me - guess what - NOTHING (this goes back to the first week in Jan)

Me thinks they have their own agenda, and it does not necessarily mean that it is for the benefit of our wildlife conservation

Dear Dobbs I contacted the person below Bret.... NOTHING FROM THEM! what other info do you require from me!

I have nothing to hide feel free to send Interpol before you start to accuse SWAT of a farce, HOW DARE YOU!!

Here I am trying to raise awareness and support and get nothing but negative comments from Afrikaans on this site.


Let's face it most people "NOT INVOLVED" with rhinos are in the fog what's really going on and that was including me. Since i was compelled to act september 2012 upon hearing about SA rhino poaching and then sett up SWAT to rally awareness and support, my perception of the rhino has change immensely. Alarm bells starting ring when hardly anyone came forward with interests or support for my new start up initiative. Its not that its a bad idea! actually I am very surprised how much aerial surveillance is used in anti poaching including you Dobbs. I am now aware of a lot of factors. Now I just have to convince the rest of the world about the truth or shall i leave that to Leonardo DiCaprio, launches fight against wildlife crime http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-cultu ... life-crime

Frank


From: hobbsfam@mweb.co.za
To: ferryair.worldwide@gmail.com; frankspiniello@hotmail.co.uk
Subject: RE: Introducing The Pilot Coordinator for SWAT
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2013 09:20:42 +0200



Dear Both, as promised, please see below for the contact name and email address of Brett who works for Nyathi which is a company responsible for security for a large number of local game reserves.



I had a chat with him this morning, so he is expecting an email from you. He did mention that at this time of the year, they are particularly busy, so he may take a few days to respond, but he is certainly interested in hearing from you guys.



Brett's email address - brett@nyathiapu.co.za



Regards



Donovan Barton-Hobbs

Cell - 082 895 2009

Fax - 0866201517

Dobbs,
Any emails received by me have all been answered, that isn't to say that your email didn't go into the spam filter, but if you are to be believed I find it highly unlikely that your email was unfortunate enough to go into two independent email spam filters. Please advise me of the sending email address so I can check my correspondence

It is very easy for you to say that you think SWAT has it's own agenda, your wildlife conservation issues are in the main much of your locals own making and if push comes to shove it seems that 'in-house' dealings are the main problem.

We as a EU based group of volunteer pilots are set up to help you eradicate your Rhino poaching issues, with so much corruption rife in South Africa I have personally decided I will focus on Zimbabwe only, due to my distrust in what really goes on in South African Rhino areas I have taken the opinion that I would be wasting my time spending my backers funding on an unresolvable problem and Zimbabwe is now my sole focus point with regards to Microlight Aerial Support.

SWAT will hopefully fit in somewhere in the UAV Support being used in South Africa, but having been given strict guidelines on where the backers funding is to be spent, none of this funding is for UAV funding, we did have access to £7,500 (102,000 ZAR) for UAV funding but that was retracted in the last few days.

The Rhino poaching figures in SA will continue to escalate whilst you locals allow or at the very least turn a blind eye to the poaching, sorry to point the finger of doubt but I would not be able to sleep at night if I allowed our backers funding to be used for what I now see as a self perpetuated issue that you either have no control over or maybe play a small role in?

To this end I am removing myself from UAV operations & UAV discussions about SA to solely focus on Zimbabwe Microlight Aerial Support. SWAT has enough people to continue with UAV operations & UAV discussions that I am not needed in that sector.

Dobbs wrote:I have now come to the conclusion that this is a farce.

I have sent two emails to Peter Kelsey - ferryair.worldwide@gmail.com and Frank Spiniello -frankspiniello@hotmail.co.uk, both of whom promised to get back to me - guess what - NOTHING (this goes back to the first week in Jan)

Me thinks they have their own agenda, and it does not necessarily mean that it is for the benefit of our wildlife conservation

BY BY Wobbly
hay Dobbs you and I know what we South Africans are doing thru Bateleurs
www.bateleurs.org

Brett

I don't deny your importance work , but you missing the point and that is you either stop pleading to the world for donations to help you with your poaching crisis and get on with it...and the other point of SWAT was to provide you guys with support and you obviously don't need us so get lost!!

and you obviously don't need us so get lost!!

Let's keep it civil please....

We as a EU based group of volunteer pilots are set up to help you eradicate your Rhino poaching issues

This is the core of the problem. You completely ignored my concern, and display complete arrogance by assuming that you are the self proclaimed experts, and want to "help" us poor illiterate 3rd world useless microlight pilots by sending your own EU based team to sort out the rhino poaching problem! . This does not wash well with us locals. If you want to help, then offer assistance to what the locals are already trying to achieve. Do some research, and you'll find many local anti rhino poaching initiatives who are making a difference. Help them!
We're not helping you because you came in with completely the wrong attitude! You want to force your pilots and your ideas on a country you know little about, to solve a rhino poaching problem that you probably first became aware of through your foreign media, and only know 1 side of the story!

Yes our government is apathetic towards the problem, and yes, the problem is escalating, but we locals are dealing with it internally, as we know where the problems lie, so maybe the foreigners should either stand with us and assist, or butt out!

I don't deny your importance work , but you missing the point and that is you either stop pleading to the world for donations to help you with your poaching crisis and get on with it...and the other point of SWAT was to provide you guys with support and you obviously don't need us so get lost!!

I'm sure your campaign started off with legitimate idealistic intentions but you seem to have not done a few fundimental basics.

Have you climbed off your high horse armed with EU funding and mingled with the parks board, put on your shorts and hat and joined a few foot and aerial chopper patrols, mingled with the locals, consulted with private game owners and met with government departments? How have your meetings with the Bateleurs gone?

Have you gone to neighbouring countries and tried to find the source of the demand? (Wack them and half the problem is gone) Have you considered an education programme or put in place a reward incentive leading to arrests? You might even save a few sharks whilst you're at it.

You would surely have found out by now that game parks and owners view any unauthorised activity with suspicion,simply because game spotting offers a quick sourse of income to many, including police and game parks personal a chance to earn in one kill what they would make in a year.

So from my view, if you want to share your activities then show some credentails and progress on the planning front which you might now have gathered is a little more than inviting your mates to cruise the skies viewing game and having a thrill.

It maybe the ideal Camel adventure, but you will encounter hostility, maybe even attract weapon fire, you will be flying in extreme thermals which over tree top height at mid day with nowhere to land with an engine out can be a bit daunting.

With over 1000 licensed microlight pilots here, do you not think that any of us would have not made ourselves available to any request for help?

I'll go with the Bateleurs....

October 2013 I wrote to Frank/SWAT:

"Hi Frank,

..... the best concerted effort at the moment is being run by RAGE (Rhino Action Group Effort). They are credible and have shown accountability.
I am sure a group of you, as you mentioned, could make a difference by contacting them. www.rhinorage.org

Give it a go and let us know what they say."

Keen to hear what RAGE said ?