The Bateleurs flying lions and tigers (yes, both in Africa), counting Pelicans, flying Eastern Cape Parks Board Chairman and Vice Chairman over the Wild Coast, and looking for the Giant Sable is what we have for your in this, the last newsletter of the year, and with it comes the new year's resolution to provide smaller but more frequent newsletters next year.

But what a year this has been for The Bateleurs! We now have more than 90 pilot members and we have flown more than 90 varied, exciting and meaningful missions since our inception.  During 2004 we have flown twenty missions and have five in the pipeline.  Our relationship this year with Mike Fay and Peter Ragg involved the launch of Megaflyover and their logistics in Southern Africa.  It was hugely energizing, exciting, and also exhausting but by delivering more than they ever dreamed we could, we stretched ourselves and grew in the learning curve, gaining many new friends on the way.

We have had some wonderful sponsorship and have now just gained some new corporate members who add to our standing by their endorsement of our work and promise of help.

And to cap it all the Aero Club of South Africa has awarded us special acknowledgement "For the promotion of the Use of Microlight Aircraft in Nature Conservation."

We have reached the "next level", one which would need the services of a general manager, with passion, so please keep this in mind when talking with environmentalists and aviators.

Please also keep in mind that we are looking for a part-time secretary as Chantelle is, sadly, leaving to go full-time with a job she could not refuse.  I take this opportunity to thank her for her loyalty and hard work over the past two years.  We shall miss her.  The Bateleurs wish her happiness.  Please email info@bateleurs.org.

Let me start then with Joe Holmes, our microlight squadron leader who gave a Bateleur presentation at the Aero Club awards dinner on Saturday, 6 November, while I did the easy part of accepting the award.  Joe wrote to his contingent next day saying:

Hi Guys,
It gives me the greatest of pleasure to write this to you all; to tell you that we, The Bateleurs, have just been awarded a rare honour by The Aero Club Of South Africa for the contribution made by you - the pilots, members and driving force of The Bateleurs Microlight Squadron, to "raising the awareness of microlight aviation in Nature Conservation."

At the Awards Gala Evening we were asked to do a presentation on The Bateleurs and the work we do, which I think had a significant impact on raising the level of awareness by the "rest" of the aviation community gathered there as to who we are, and to the massive achievements made by our dedicated group of pilots flying both fixed and weight-shift-wing planes to all the segments of the South African environment.

So thank you one and all for making this achievement possible, whether you have been able to fly a mission for us, or are still waiting patiently for the opportunity to do so. Simply by joining The Bateleurs you have demonstrated your commitment to making a contribution to the preservation of our environment, and for those guys yet to fly, in time I hope that you will find the right mission which fits your availability schedule!

As a group of volunteers our strength lies in that spirit of selfless commitment you have all clearly indicated just by signing up as members.

Microlight aviation in South Africa took another important step forward on Saturday night, and you can all be proud to have had a hand in it doing so!

In the weekly newsletter published yesterday by African Pilot, Athol Franz made some hard-hitting comments as a result of what was presented,
Well done guys, and thank you once again!
Cheers time being
Joe

As you probably know (if you read our earlier story on the Save China's Tigers Trust mission) the progeny of the China Tigers brought out here to learn to hunt for themselves, will eventually be taken back to China to be placed in Parks/Reserves currently being set up with the help of South African conservation consultants, Jeremy Anderson, Petri Viljoen and Gus Van Dyk.

To be in any way involved with the formation and protection of new conservation areas anywhere on this earth is important and we thank Bateleur pilot, Eddie Keizan for giving us this opportunity.

This is the second "tiger mission" Eddie, "boss man" of Tiger Wheel & Tyre, would you believe, has flown for us, this time involving the transfer of cubs, Madonna and Tiger Woods, off a generously sponsored flight from Shanghai to Johannesburg International by CATHAY PACIFIC into ZS-TSW for their last leg to Philippolis.  Li Xuan joined Eddie and the two crated cubs and they were all enthusiastically greeted by a large crowd including ten members of the media who had earlier flown out from China!  Besides flying the tigers Eddie did a great job of promoting The Bateleurs to the media.  I look forward to seeing what The Bateleurs look like in Mandarin print (hope they use our logo) and getting copies of the TV footage.

Nora