Last Thursday (7th) not only saw the birthday of Lt Col Frans Jacob Labuschagne, but was also the day he was welcomed as the new officer commanding of 85 Combat Flying School (CFS) at AFB Makhado.

Boasting 3 370 military flying hours, Labuschagne was born on 7 November 1975 at AFB Langebaanweg and took over command from Lt Col Daan van der Linde. Labuschagne joined the South African Air Force (SAAF) in 1994 after he had matriculated from the Vredenburg High School. He received his SAAF’s air wings at CFS Langebaanweg during December 1997, after first qualifying as an air load master on C 130s at 28 Squadron AFB Waterkloof.

After completing a tour at AFB Swartkops’s 42 Squadron, flying the Cessna 185, Labuschagne was transferred back to Langebaanweg in 1999, where he completed his instructor’s course. A few years followed where he tutored on the Cessna 185.

During 2002, the new officer commanding received his fighter pilot training at 85 CFS Hoedspruit, after which he also completed the Cheetah operational conversion course at 2 Squadron at AFB Makhado, and served as the surface warfare and survival officer.

Labuschagne also spent some time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, when he was deployed there as the aviation element commander in 2012, supporting the United Nations' peace-keeping mission. Apart from flying the Gripen, Labuschagne has also performed low-level aerobatic displays in the PC 7 MKII Astra and the Impala. He is also an A1 category pilot attack instructor on Hawk aircraft.