PAST AND PRESENT PILOTS
Pilots in red have passed away
This page is dedicated to the late Don Ussher who died in an aircraft accident during a fire fighting operation on the 30th August 2008 in the Inland Area.
1995
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Bobby Tasker(finest fire fighting machine in the world) and Mike Dewar(Rocky)
Spotter - Trevor Wilson(Nyosi - Bee)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - James Hopwood(Hoppie) and Brian Masters(Thebe - Beard)
Spotter - Terry Lincoln(Flange magnet)
Maputaland
Bomber - Leon Leufenink(Live and drink)
Spotter - Brian Larkin(Lover boy)
1996
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Bobby Tasker(finest fire fighting machine in the world) and Kelvin Cameron(Kelvie)
Spotter - Trevor Wilson(Nyosi - Bee)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - James Hopwood(Hoppie) and Brian Masters(Thebe - Beard)
Spotter - Terry Lincoln(Flange magnet)
Maputaland
Bomber - Leon Leufenink(Live and drink)
Spotter - Brian Plumpton(I want to fly big planes!)
1997
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Ivan Rautenbach(69) and Kelvin Cameron(Kelvie)
Spotter - Trevor Wilson(Nyosi - Bee)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - James Hopwood(Hoppie) and Nick de la Rouviere(up the river)
Spotter - Doug Gous -Tragically died in a non fire related aircraft crash on the last day of fire season
Maputaland
Bomber - Leon Leufenink(Live and drink)
Spotter -(Spikes)
1998
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Bobby Tasker (finest fire fighting machine in the world) and Jan Human(John Peoples)
Spotter - Telo Steyn(put the wind to your back...)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - James Hopwood(Hoppie) and Nick de la Rouviere(up the river)
Spotter - Warren Waldeck(gloves)
Maputaland
Bomber - Leon Leufenink(Live and drink)
Spotter - Vaun Todd(squatter 1)
1999
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Bobby Tasker, Deon Verwey, and Francois Olivier ( Francois tragically died in a non fire related aircraft accident the following year)
Spotter - Vaun Todd(Spud Muffin)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - James Hopwood(Hoppie) and Nick de la Rouviere(up the river)
Spotter - Trevor Wilson(ndlebe ndlovo - ears of an elephant)
Maputaland
Bomber - Leon Leufenink(Live and drink)
Spotter - Mark Rothwell(can I go home now?)
2000
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Bobby Tasker(finest fire fighting machine in the world) and Ben Kruger(Boots)
Spotter - Vaun Todd(Spud Muffin)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - James Hopwood(Hoppie) and Nick de la Rouviere(up the river)
Spotter - Trevor Wilson(ndlebe ndlovo - ears of an elephant)
Maputaland
Bomber - Ivan Rautenbach(69 - Tubby)
Spotter - Greg Howard(Sir Howard)
2001
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Fanie Van Loggerenburg(Fok Fanie) and Ben Kruger(Boots)
Spotter - Vaun Todd(Spud Muffin)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - James Hopwood(Hoppie) and Peter Crouch(Captain Crouch)
Spotter - Trevor Wilson(ndlebe ndlovo - ears of an elephant)
Maputaland
Bomber - Ivan Rautenbach(69)
Spotter - Justin Rautenbach(96)(Evil Father and Son team!)
2002
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Bobby Tasker(finest fire fighting machine in the world)and Peter Crouch(Captain Grouch)
Spotter - Stefan Veldman(oh shit)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - James Hopwood(Hoppie) and Mitch Spall(Mitchly)
Spotter - Trevor Wilson(ndlebe ndlovo - ears of an elephant)
Maputaland
Bomber - Toby Dunn(baby face)
Spotter - Greg Sutton(have you got internet?)
2003
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Rob Taylor(Dad)and Hylton Taylor(Lighty)Father and son team
Spotter - Etienne Gerber(Obi Gonobi)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - Martin du Plooy(Boere seun) and Nick de la Rouviere(up the river)
Spotter - Trevor Wilson(ndlebe ndlovo - ears of an elephant)
Maputaland
Spotter - Stephanus Bouwer(spotter only)
2004
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Jan Human, Ashley Robertson, Ivan Rautenbach, Brent Hanson, Nick de la Rouviere, Kyle Forrester (Phew!!!)
Spotter - Liam Durham, Shaun Richardson, Etienne Gerber, Ludi Heystek(Spotter Sputnik)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - Martin du Plooy,Nick de la Rouviere, Kelvin Cameron (Kelvin sadly died after a long battle with cancer in 2006)
Spotter - Etienne Gerber(Obi Gonobi)
Maputaland
Spotter - Stephanus Bouwer(spotter only)
2005
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Martin du Plooy (Boere seun), Ivan Rautenbach (69) and Kyle Forester (give me that chicken and i will show you what to do with it!)
Spotter - Stephanus Bouwer(spotter only)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - Brian Masters (Gandalf the Grey)
Spotter - Tony Froneman (Where did that STOP sign come from?) and Trevor Wilson(Where did that bloody tie down go?)
Maputaland
Spotter - Wikus Strydon (Been there - done that)
2006
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Brian Masters(Gandolf the Grey), Kyle Forester(Lets go diving instead)
Spotter - Etienne Gerber(Obi Gonobi on honeymoon)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - Christo van Den Berg(stille water)
Chopper - Grant Morrison(Blue Boy)
Spotter - Trevor Wilson(Pooh Boy)
2007
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Brian Masters(Gandolf the Grey), Kyle Forester(Lets go diving instead), Tony Pratt(This is a load of@#$@$%)
Spotter -Dale Grove (Gobbie)
Zululand Coastal
Chopper - Derek Pratt(lie - deny - demand proof!)
Spotter - Trevor Wilson(Hey Girl)
2008
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Don Ussher(No problems mate) - Don tragically died in an aircraft accident on the way back to a fire on 30th August2008, Ashley Robertson(Ash...hope the tyre marks come off the floor!)
Spotter - Quinton Waddell(where did that gust of wind come from?)
Zululand Coastal
Bomber - James Hopwood(Sir James on holiday)
Spotter - Trevor Wilson(who needs a helicopter?)
2009
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Jan Human(John Peoples on holiday), Telo Steyn(Wine, Woman, Song and Machines)
Spotter - Alexander Hammerschmidt(are you sure this is a flying job?)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers -Brian Masters(Gandolf the Grey on honeymoon), Mark Zank(Gobbie in a hot ship...playing chicken with the giraffe)
Spotter - Trevor Wilson(seriously...turn left at the giraffes and aim for the green roof...!)
2010
Zululand Inland
Bombers - Jan Human (John Peoples on recovery), Telo Steyn (toys rule)
Spotter - Justine Minne (arrivederci), Ivan Rautenbach (Ivan the Terrible Tamed)
Zululand Coastal
Bombers - Ashley Robertson(sheep farmer on tour / eating machine), Patrick Clough(Gobbie with toys), Juan Van Ginkel (Zulu in Zululand)
2011
Spotter - Rowan Hannoway
Bombers - Ashley Robertson, Hennie Viviers and Pattrick Clough
2012
Spotter - Simon Gower
Bombers - Ashley Robertson, Martin du Plooy and Pattrick Clough
2013
Spotter - Simon Gower
Bombers - Ashley Robertson and Pattrick Clough
2015 - April 2015 to October 2015
Spotter Pilot - Louis Hoffmann
Bomber 1 Pilot - Louis Hoffmann
Bomber 2 Pilots - Kyle Forrester(2 weeks) / Herman Bosman(2 months) / Vivian Sheaby(2 months) Ashley Robertson, Bobby Tasker, Jannie Greef, Patrick Clough and Russell Marratt
2015 - Extended Season November 2015
Spotter Pilot - Peter Lang / Louis Hoffmann
Bomber Pilots - Ashley Robertson, Bobby Tasker, Jannie Greef, Patrick Clough and Russell Marratt
2016 - April 2015 to October 2015
Spotter Pilot - Louis Hoffmann
Bomber 1 Pilot - Ashley Robertson
Bomber 2 Pilots - Vivian Sheaby(2 months) / Ralph Barratt(2 months)
