OPS Room: 010 590 5989 | firehawk.kwambo@alsia.co.za

Fire Protection Officer: 081 570 7325 | 082 821 7779 | zfpa@kwn.co.za

ZFPA

Zululand Fire Protection Association

Pilots

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 August 2008, 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)

 

2017

  • Spotter Pilot – Louis Hoffmann
  • Bomber 1 – Martie du Plooy
  • Bomber 2 – Ashley Robertson

 

2018

  • Spotter Pilot – Etienne Gerber
  • Bomber 1 – Martie du Plooy
  • Bomber 2 – Ralph Barratt (2 months) Pattrick Clough (2 months)

 

2019

  • Spotter Pilot – Etienne Gerber
  • Bomber 1 – Ashley Robertson
  • Bomber 2 – Ernie Marais (2 months – Passed on in January 2024) Ralph Barratt (2 months)

 

2020

  • Spotter Pilot – Hendrick Derksen
  • Bomber 1 – Francois Marais
  • Bomber 2 – Jan Jacobs

 

2021

  • Spotter Pilot – Pieter du Toit
  • Bomber 1 – Walter Holder
  • Bomber 2 – Hendrick Derksen

 

2022

  • Spotter Pilot – Pieter du Toit
  • Bomber 1 – Walter Holder
  • Bomber 2 – Francois Marais

 

2023

  • Spotter Pilot – Wilhelm Rosenstrauch
  • Bomber 1 – Walter Holder
  • Bomber 2 – Pieter du Toit

 

2024

  • Spotter Pilot – Mike Sadowski (Temp) Lawrence Radebe (KISHUGU Aviation)
  • Bomber 1 – Walter Holder
  • Bomber 2 – Francois Marais

 

2025

  • Spotter Pilot – TBC (KISHUGU Aviation
  • Bomber 1 – Walter Holder
  • Bomber 2 – TBC
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