80 Air Navigation School
At the end of the Second World War the then Chief of General Staff, Sir Pierre van Ryneveld, with support from the Director General of the Air Force, Brigadier Durran, decided that pilots would be trained to do all the tasks of the other aircrew members, i.e. the tasks of the navigator, gunner and bomb-aimer. This decision resulted in the first "Pilot Observer Course" which commenced on 1 June 1946 at Air Force Station (AFS) Waterkloof. In December 1946 the students were transferred to AFS Langebaanweg at the formation of the Bomber, Gunnery, and Air Navigation School. A total of five of the courses and two Navigator courses were completed before a change in policy occurred.
Although the standard of navigation by the pilots was fairly high, the policy of training them as both pilot and navigator never really found favour with them. Of the pilots trained in this dual role, only a few ever attained the same proficiency in both roles. Even these pilots viewed navigation as a secondary task. It also became clear that the rapid technological developments and requirements necessitated specialists in the navigation role. As a result the policy was changed and Air Navigation School was born on 1 July 1952 with the first of the non-pilot navigation courses commencing on 28 July 1952.
Unit Development
After the completion of the first purely navigation course, Gymnasium Navigtor Course 1, at AFS Langebaanweg, it was decided to move the unit to AFS Ysterplaat. This move was completed by 20 April 1953 where the unit remained (in the same building) for 28 years.
A policy change once again resulted in a move for the unit. To ensure the better utilisation of AFS Langebaanweg it was decided that Air Navigation School (ANS) should move back to its original home. Authority was obtained on 27 November 1981 and the move commenced on 5 January 1982.
In January 1990, 80 ANS was relocated to its present home at AFB Ysterplaat (detached) at Cape Town International Airport. Extensive use is made of the C47 Turbine Propellor Aircraft (C47 Turbo Prop or C47-TP) aircraft of 35 Squadron, stationed at Cape Town International Airport, for training purposes.
The name of the unit was officially changed from Air Navigation School to 80 Air Navigation School (80 ANS) during 1983.
Adoption of New Equipment and Aircraft
Up until the move back to AFB Langebaanweg in 1981, 80 ANS made use of the aircraft of 25 Squadron stationed at AFB Ysterplaat, for the training of navigators. With the move back to AFB Langebaanweg four Dakotas, extensively modified and re-equipped with modern navigation equipment, were transferred to AFB Langebaanweg from AFB Ysterplaat to be used primarily for the training of navigators. The first of these aircraft arrived at the unit on 27 April 1982 with the remaining three following later in the same year.
Unfortunately these aircraft were withdrawn from 80 ANS and transferred to 35 Squadron for use as Maritime Patrol Aircraft after the withdrawal of the Avro Shackleton from active service in 1984. The ageing C47 aircraft which had been in use as navigator training aircraft were converted and refitted with turbo-prop engines (now termed the C47-TP) and in January 1994 a small number of these aircraft from 35 Squadron were fitted with removable consoles and used in the maritime and navigator training roles.
During August 1982 a Spitz Planetarium, which had been donated to the unit by the Naval College in Gordon's Bay, was finally installed and taken into service by the unit. This planetarium greatly enhanced the ability of the unit to train navigators in star recognition and the use of astro-navigation techniques.
By 27 September 1982, when Project Scalaway came to fruition, 36 basic navigation courses had been completed. Throughout the period of these courses the students had been trained with the aid of mechanical navigational trainers obtained from Canada in 1954. Scalaway provided 80 ANS with a then modern computer controlled navigation simulator which ushered in a new era when the then Chief of the Air Force, Lt Gen A.M. Muller, officially unveiled a plaque and switched the computers on.
Unit Heraldry
During 1960 the unit badge was authorised and handed over to ANS. The badge depicted an owl perched on a marine sextant all on a blue background and with the motto "Peritia Per Scientiam". The members serving at the unit at the time felt that the badge was unsuitable and designed a new badge which was later submitted for authorisation. The reasons that they felt the badge was unacceptable were:
1. The owl had no bearing or connection whatsoever to the task or training of a navigator.
2. The marine sextant was not used during the training of navigators and implied that the unit trained maritime and not air navigators.
The new badge that the unit suggested was submitted for authority on 15 September 1960. The badge was accepted and authority for it to be used as the unit badge was obtained on 9 February 1960. The badge, with minor changes, is still in use today as illustrated
The following is an explanation of the motto and symbology used in the unit badge:
1. Central Motif: Dividers, which are the tool of the navigator.
2. The Southern Cross: This is symbolical of the fact that our training is conducted in the southern skies.
3. Motto: "Peritita Per Scientiam" - Knowledge Through Science.
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