Dear SWAT PILOTS

[flying4rhino]

Dear SWAT PILOTS

It has been an interesting and amazing year! (sorry last few months)
Now we have some sought of game plan in action with new developments possibly happening in the new year its time to bring together all the pilots.

I would like to personally thank you all for your patience and support and ask you to help me with raising awareness by forwarding some of these links below to whom it may concern.

Frank

http://swatpatrol.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/SwatPatrolUk
https://twitter.com/SWATPATROL1

[WOBBLY]

Any Pilots who are able to support SWAT can email the SWAT Pilot Coordinator at : swat.pilots@gmail.com

We are looking for Pilots to assist in SWAT and ideally we need to get a SA Flying Instructor to 'oversee' validation of our EU licenced Pilots. We have a UK based SA Flying Examiner who can validate our UK Volunteer Pilots.

swat.pilots@gmail.com
http://www.gofundme.com/1lhng8

[WOBBLY]

SWAT AERIAL SUPPORT is currently in the midst of a bag of 'mixed emotions' which is sometimes very rewarding and sometimes very disconcerting, I think it is fair to say that we as a Volunteer Group are meeting with some hurdles and some 'open gates'
Thankfully the 'Open Gates' are more rewarding than the Hurdles are disconcerting.
We now have a SWAT base in the Gauteng Region with fantastic facilities so we can serve Game Parks & National Parks nearby. We are also ready to set up in Zimbabwe once the Microlights are confirmed there.

As the Zimbabwe Aerial Support Unit is a pre-existing Unit that was made Dormant by Mismanagement by the previous Aircrew I am being 'seconded' to them as a 'Stand Alone' Unit of SWAT and will fly for them until such times as I feel that the Unit will not be mismanaged by my successors.
For the Zimbabwe Unit I am ideally looking for my successor to be with me from the outset so I can be 100% certain that it will continue to operate the way I set it up. The Zim Support will cover the "Big 5" as opposed to just Rhino and today a pledge of €750,000 (350,000,000.00 ZWD ) was made for a 5yr plan. ( €150,000 p.a. ) by a Large Corporation in the EU.

Now all this sounds all great & dandy but without Game Parks in SA we are struggling to get financial support for our SA Operations.

[WOBBLY]

I have been asked by the EU Corporation that has offered Financial Support for the Zimbabwe Aerial Support Unit to make it 100% clear that the €750,000 ( 350,000,000.00 ZWD ) is for the sole use of protecting the "Big 5" in Zimbabwe, it does not extend to the South Africa Aerial Support Unit....... so I am working on achieving Financial Support to offset the costs incurred by any SA Unit we set up.

To be blunt all the 'tittle tattle' about SA Aerial Support Units expressed on here and on other internet sites / media is making it virtually impossible to convince anyone to financially support anything related to SA Aerial Support Units which is why the Zimbabwe Aerial Support Unit has 'distanced itself' from the SA Aerial Support Unit at the express request of the Zimbabwe Aerial Support Unit backers.

[Tumbleweed]

Wobbly,

Your mixed up cut/ copy/ paste badly structured posts adds no credibility to your cause and some might agree with me that the whole thing seems to be a motive for sponsorship revenue.

[D2O]

Wobbly,

Your mixed up cut/ copy/ paste badly structured posts adds no credibility to your cause and some might agree with me that the whole thing seems to be a motive for sponsorship revenue.

Agreed. Getting irritated by the posts now
Shorten the posts, and only keep us updated, otherwise the mods just might pick up your posts as being spam.
Frankly I'm tired of everyone getting on the "anti rhino poaching" bandwagon, yet more rhino are being killed.
The ONLY way you'll stop the poaching, is when government and border control gets serious. Yeah right .

[WOBBLY]

D20 & Tumbleweed
You will hear no more about SA Aerial Support from me.
I will stick to Zimbabwe only, again this is my decision and not the SWAT standpoint

[flying4rhino]

We are struggling to get financial support for our SA Operations. To qualify for funding, SWAT’ Ethical Criteria is, 1. Game reserves must not be involved in rhino trophy hunting or any legal hunting. 2 Must not be a private rhino owner and breeder pro trade advocate in rhino horn. If you are neither of theses please contact us as soon as possible!

[KFA]

To qualify for funding, SWAT’ Ethical Criteria is, 1. Game reserves must not be involved in rhino trophy hunting or any legal hunting. 2 Must not be a private rhino owner and breeder pro trade advocate in rhino horn. If you are neither of theses please contact us as soon as possible!

This is probably why you are not getting support. Most game farms are hunting farms and it is in their best interst to save and preserve the Rhino. There are a couple of rogue operators out there but they are being caught one by one.

[flying4rhino]

Thanks KFA

Let's face it most people "NOT INVOLVED" with rhinos are in the fog what's really going on and that was including me. Since i was compelled to act september 2012 upon hearing about SA rhino poaching and then sett up SWAT to rally awareness and support, my perception of the rhino has change immensely. Alarm bells starting ring when hardly anyone came forward with interests or support for my new start up initiative. Its not that its a bad idea! actually I am very surprised how much aerial surveillance is used in anti poaching. I am now aware of a lot of factors. Including the ones you have highlighted.

Frank

[KFA]

I am glad you saw the light. It is ironic that to save a species you need kill a couple of them but farmers put a lot of effort in looking after their "crop" if it makes economic sense, more so than most government agencies.

[flying4rhino]

I am glad you saw the light. It is ironic that to save a species you need kill a couple of them but farmers put a lot of effort in looking after their "crop" if it makes economic sense, more so than most government agencies.

Now I just have to convince the rest of the world about the truth or shall i leave that to Leonardo DiCaprio launches fight against wildlife crime http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-cultu ... life-crime

[WOBBLY]

This is probably why you are not getting support. Most game farms are hunting farms and it is in their best interst to save and preserve the Rhino. There are a couple of rogue operators out there but they are being caught one by one.

With the above statement being the most concise edit so far it just reinforces my reasoning on why I will personally be at the back of the SWAT queue of helpers for SA, I wish to play no part in Rhino hunting nor would I waste my time trying to save Rhino whilst some are being shot for recreation

[Wildtreks]

We need to look at the oceans rather than f#%kn around with the Rhinos... without tuna, sharks, plankton etc we wont survive as a spieces!!!

[nicow]

We need to look at the oceans rather than f#%kn around with the Rhinos... without tuna, sharks, plankton etc we wont survive as a spieces!!!