GEORGE NEWS - He is a century old today and frail, but yesterday Chappie Flemington could still experience the thrill of sitting behind the controls of a Cessna 172 for a flight along the Garden Route coast, albeit in the trainee seat.

The pilot in command was Herman Augustine of Flight Training College at the George Airport, who allowed Chappie to take over the controls once they were airborne. Chappie’s special friend from Wilderness, Paul Fick, who was also an SAAF pilot with the rank of captain/flight commander of 101 Squadron, initiated the unusual ‘outing’. ER24 transported Chappie to the airport and back and Anton Conradie of ER24 also accompanied Chappie on the flight.

The birthday celebrations are continuing today when the SAAF, the Moths and the SA Legion are giving Chappie a light finger-lunch party.

According to Abie de Kock, a bomber pilot from the Second World War who also lives in George, Chappie (Johann) is the oldest living pilot from WWII. Chappie still remembers that he logged 23 000 hours before his flying career was abruptly halted by a car accident in 1971 in which he broke his back.

He took flying lessons as a young man while working as a mine shaft timber man in Benoni. In 1941 after the war broke out he joined the SA Air Force as a full-time volunteer and was stationed at Youngsfield. He was later transferred to Port Alfred 43 Air School where helped train air gunners before taking over as flight commander.
In 1943 he was posted to 28 Squadron and two years later joined 5 Wing where part of his duties was to fly South African soldiers back to South Africa from Cairo, using Dakotas.

‘Missing, believed killed’
It was during one of these flights that he had to carry out an emergency landing in the Sahara desert in Algiers and was taken prisoner of war to the Canary islands. His daughter Maureen remembers the dreadful telegram that the family received during that time with the report, ‘Missing, believed killed’.
Chappie was honoured with a number of rewards for his service during the war, including the Italy Star Medal, the War Medal (1939-45) and Africa Service Medal.

Namibair
It was partly through Chappie’s efforts that Namibair was founded. He left the SAAF after the war and for a time went crop spraying and farming. Later, with a partner, he started Oryx Aviation in Namibia which amalgamated with South West Air Transport to form South West Airways. In 1963 Chappie joined Anton Lombard and started Nabibair, a charter company, which eventually became Air Namibia of today.
It was during a charter flight for South West Airways in 1957 that Chappie executed the second emergency landing of his career and made headlines after having been missing for almost a week.

Furniture restoration
After the setback of the car accident, Chappie restored antique furniture for a living. He retired to Wilderness with his second wife Elsabe whom he married in l964. In January 2002 the couple moved to George. Chappie fathered two daughters and a son with his first wife Hendrina (97) and has seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.


Waiting for his 100th birthday flight is Chappie together with Flight Training College pilot Herman Augustine, Chappie’s wife Elsabe and Paul Fick, who was one of the passengers.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS: ALIDA DE BEER, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST