He started his career in the South African Air Force with pilot training in 1981 and received wings at the end of 1983.
He was selected for fighter training and served as an operational fighter pilot on Impala, Cheetah D/E/C and Mirage F1 AZ over the next six years.
He was selected for test pilot training and graduated from the International Test Pilot’s School (Cranfield) in the United Kingdom in 1991 and then completed a six year tour at the SAAF Test Flight and Development Centre. He continued his studies on a part-time basis and subsequently obtained a MSc (flight dynamics) from Cranfield University (UK) and is currently completing his PhD (flight dynamics) at the University of the Witwatersrand. Johannes left the full-time employment of the SAAF in 1997 to join industry, but was appointed in the Reserve Force as an operational pilot at 2 Squadron, a position that he holds to date.
He was appointed as the industry test pilot on the Gripen programme and lived and worked in Sweden where he obtained extensive international exposure at the technological sharp-end of modern fighter aircraft development.
The combination of his extensive operational experience in fighter aircraft and his sound academic foundation provided the opportunity to be extensively involved in flight test programmes both in South Africa and internationally in many countries, including the UK, Sweden, Russia, the Middle East and Africa. He received many local and international awards for the accomplishments in his field.
He has been and still is a display pilot on various fighter types, including Gripen and has been giving flying displays on international level, including Russia.
He is a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society, the Aeronautical Society of South Africa and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (US based).
He has been guest lecturer, guest speaker and presenter at many international conferences and academic institutions.
He is a founder member of the Incomar Group of companies and is a director of Incomar Aerospace and Defence Systems where he helped develop the group into a significant player in the defence industry.
His love for and interest in nature and agriculture remained strong and he owns and runs game and cattle farms in the Louis Trichardt area.
Johannes will now join other achievers on Merensky’s ever growing hall of fame.
