TALI FEINBERG
Interestingly, he is probably most famous for being the pilot that flew over the World Cup final at Ellis Park in 1995 – something he didn’t do. He was part of the team behind it, and the person who gave the pilot, the late Laurie Kay, his first flying lessons, but he was not on board the plane.
Levin chuckled when he told the SA Jewish Report that he has become tired of having to correct people about this over the past 24 years. This week, when the Springboks once again took the Rugby World Cup, was no different.
But Levin is deeply moved by winning the Honourable Company of Air Pilots award, which holds much weight in his industry. “I feel special and humbled by it. I’m only the second South African ever to receive it,” he told the SA Jewish Report.
“I’m one of those fortunate guys to be able to say that my entire career of about 56 years has been one highlight after another. The types of planes I have flown, the places I’ve been to, the special events and air shows I have flown at, ‘my cup runneth over’. It’s been a fantastic ride.”
Levin was born to fly. His grand uncle and father both flew in the Royal Air Force in World War I and II. “When they were getting rid of aeroplanes after the war, my father bought one and put it in our garden! So I didn’t have a sandpit to play in, I had an aeroplane,” he recalls with delight. As a child, he would look in wonder at his father’s wartime photos and uniform, which “left an indelible mark on my psyche. It was a foregone conclusion that I would become pilot.”
He went on to qualify as a pilot in the South African Air Force in 1964, and has since amassed more than 29 600 hours of flying time in more than 180 different types of aircraft, a feat met by few in the aviation industry globally. This is equivalent to almost three years of continuous flight in the air.
He was a pilot on South African Airways’ (SAA’s) local, regional, and international routes for more than 38 years, and since his retirement from SAA, has continued to make a valuable contribution to the South African airline industry as consultant and display pilot. “I flew for SAA for 38 years and another nine years with Mango, so that is about 47 years in the airline industry,” says Levin.
He says flying always came easily to him, and he never tired of the studying and mental fitness required by the job. Although it was difficult being away from home for long stretches of time, “My incredibly capable wife, Sandra, raised our three kids, and when I was home, we did so much together as a family, and I appreciated them so much more.”
Levin has had only one harrowing moment in the skies. On flying a small 40-seater plane in Botswana, an engine caught fire. “It was a massive fire, but we managed to put it out and land safely with the use of the other engine. That has been my only major emergency, but it was enough for me!”
He says all pilots face malfunctions but are trained to deal with them, “unless it’s something seriously out of the ordinary”.
To young people thinking of going into the aviation industry, Levin says, “The sky’s the limit. The aviation industry is growing and growing if you think of the number of people flying these days compared to 30 years ago. It’s a great opportunity for youngsters, and it’s a disciplined life. You need to be physically and mentally fit and stay on the ball so your brain is being put to good use. It’s a great career.”
Levin has played an active role in the selection, mentorship, and development of trainee cadets from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. Part of this responsibility included the selection of flight-training facilities for the SAA Cadet Pilot’s Programme, which involved an exhaustive international search.
Although he has retired from airline flying to spend more time with his wife and six grandchildren, Captain Levin is still very active as a display pilot. “It’s my passion – the most exciting flying you will ever do! I’ve been doing it for 35 years, and have no intention of stopping!”
During the 1970s, Levin was a three-time winner of the South African National Aerobatic Champion title. He has pioneered displays which have been emulated by only a handful of pilots worldwide, one of which is his famous feat of landing a Piper Cub aeroplane on top of a moving truck. First accomplished in 1982, he has done this act more than 120 times.
He feels great pride in being a Jewish pilot. “I’ve not only done this for myself, I’ve done it for my people!” he says.
Levin’s nomination as Master Air Pilot was unanimously accepted by the board of trophies and awards committee as meeting the standards of excellence required for this most deserved accolade.
In congratulating Levin and awarding him his certificate, Malcolm White, Master of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots, said that it was recognition for his splendid record as a pilot, reflecting an aviation career of achievement and distinction.
Levin’s achievements in aviation have long been recognised in South Africa and in 2012, he was awarded The Order of the Baobab in Bronze by the presidency for his immense contribution to and achievement in aviation, as a pilot and trainer, in South Africa and internationally. He is also the sole winner thus far of SA Flyer Magazine’s Lifetime Aviation Achievement Award, which he received in 2009.
