I am looking for detailed images of the Alouette III pilots from round about the 1980s. Need them to make an accurate model and textures of the pilots.

Obmar

The Pilots that you have at the minute are good and only need to be slightly altered, they dont have the vest. but the flight suit. I will send you a pic

Thanks mate, also seen pics where they wear black helmets.

Hi Obmar + Team

The helmets where either an olive drab green or white (but i think that this was also personal choice regarding flight helmets.) On the topic of pilots if i may suggest that you and the team make a variation of pilots for example

I stand to correction but i think that recruit pilots wore white helmets and operational wore the olive drab green ones / black

1. pilot in flightsuit - no helemet - Reason: good for cutscene briefings and background extras [ Snr pilot addressing flight crew on plans]

2. pilot in flightsuit with peak cap

3. piliot in dress blues [ dont know if you could make the ranks changeable by script]

4. pilots in orange flightsuit

Slighty just moving off topic - what are the chances of making some static kit for show purposes [ Tool box , trolleys, spare rotor blades, engine motor]

a bonus would be to have a static alouette with the covers opened up for servicing - would really add a touch of class -[ particulary for cutscene / photography making]

another nice to have would be a few ground crew members - basic uniform would be two piece overall - Airforce blue (i think its a magenta blue) i will see if i cant get a pic of this for you

At the moment the pilot is only a place holder for testing the beta releases of our helicopters. When I start on the soldier models I will be making the proper model. I am going to make the basic units to get the mod up and running also to release a mini mod teaser for christmas. Later when we have more time can make all the variations. Hopefully some more model makers with interest in this field will join and make content for the MOD.

My aim is to make the basic units, vehicles, aircraft, helicopters etc and add as we go along later. We will be taking the Bush Wars Mod to ArmA II.

Hi Guys.

It's a pleasure to meet you. I've been lurking around the forums for a while now and I decided to finally join in the fun and help out a little... I'm an avid SAAF and SADF collector of Helmets, Wings, Uniforms, Webbing / Gear, Flags, Books, Pictures, and a scale modeler busy building up a collection of SAAF aircraft and choppers. I'm a member of the SAAFOPS forum but since things are going a little slow over there I figured you guys can use all the help you can get... or am I wrong?

Firstly let me congratulate all involved on how FANTASTIC the mod looks so far! And actually having Beta addons released speaks volumes compared to other similiar mods in the past... But I'm sure you all agree > This mod has been a long time coming.

Now to help out with some info regarding SAAF equipment and flightsuits for the relevant period from the early 60's through to the 90's:

In the 60's / early 70's SAAF pilots wore the RAF Mk.1 Type helmet after purchasing their first fighter planes from Great Britain and Canada: The De Haviland Vampire & the Canadair Sabre Mk.6 (which was also supplied with the RAF helmets.) This became the common helmet in use along with the RAF style flightsuit, changed to Olive green and locally manufactured. (The flightsuit is still in use today but will likely be phased out by the new SAAB Gripen gear from Sweden.) Ps. The RAF Mk.1 Helmet was used in ALL SAAF planes and choppers including the early Mirage III's, Sabres, Impalas, Canberras, Pumas and Allouettes. (All EXCEPT the BlackBurn Buccaneers, which was supplied with it's own type of helmet)


The RAF Mk. 1 helmet, as used by 1sqdn, who flew Mirage III's and then Mirage F1CZ's in the Border War


Front view


Picture taken during the early Border War showing an Allouette III crew wearing the Mk.1 helmet and olive green flightsuit / browns.


Impala Mk.II pilot wearing a Mk.1 type helmet before takeoff.


Famous SAAF pilot Arthur Piercy wearing the material Mk.1 skullcap & oxygen mask after flying a Mirage. Note: The Mk.1 has a detached seperate material inner lining that houses the headphones and connects to the oxygen mask. The helmet can be seen on the Mirage's wing.

Some examples of SAAF type olive green flight suits and survival vests:


SAAF mirage pilot flightsuit showing wings and Mirage III / Mach 2 patch. also note rank pips on shoulders.


Plain olive green pilot / aircrew flightsuit w/out wings / patches


Bright orange flightsuit worn during training or sea-rescue operations


Picture showing SAAF chopper pilots with the "enemy" in front of a soviet manufactured helicopter, during one of the many negotiation meetings in the latter stages of the Border War conflict.

Later in the war, after the South African government purchased several more Mirage type aircraft, including the Mirage III EZ's, R2Z's and D2Z's, as well as the newer Mirage F1CZ's and F1AZ's, and because of Brittish sanctions, the SAAF switched over to the French manufactured Gueneau 316 type helmet. The type 316 was adopted for use in all SAAF aircraft types excluding the Buccaneers, and has been the most widely used type helmet within the SAAF till today. After international sanctions were drawn up against South Africa, and especially a ban against the purchase of military equipment... The South Africans began to produce the Gueneau 316 locally by a company called ELNO. Even the oxygen masks differed from the french and a SAAF mask can be identified by the wording: LEEP on the front of the mask. The Gueneau helmets came into service in the late 70's and was used through the 80's up untill now. Later these helmets incorporated night vision goggle attachments for after-dark operations.


Picture of a Gueneau / Elno 316 type helmet as used by chopper pilots and aircrew, shown with dark visor down


Picture of helmet with secondary amber colored lens down (So far I've only seen SAAF helmets with special amber lenses)


Right side showing visor control knobs


Left side


Rear showing a sticker of the airman's squadron & his favourite Rugby team.

Today, after the removal of International sanctions, and with the need for modernized avionics equipment for the SAAF's Rooivalk (Red Hawk) and Qryx helicopters, The SAAF has adopted yet another british type flight helmet exclusively for it's chopper crews: The Alpha 550. This helmet can be fitted with night vision avionics as well, and in the case of the Rooivalk, is equiped with the same type motion sensing equipment as found in the Apache attack helicopter... that enables the main machinegun to follow the gunner's line-of-sight.


Front view of the SAAF's current helicopter type helmet, The Alpha 550. Note the NVG attachment on the visor cover.


Alpha 550 with primary dark visor down


Helmet with secondary amber coloured lens down


Left view of Alpha 550


Right view


Rear


Picture to display the diversified use of aforementioned helmets and flightsuits by modern SAAF aircrews. Here they are seen operating a BK-117 helicopter incorporated into the SAAF after the South African homeland of Bophutatswana was integrated back into the New South Africa after 1994. The last Allouette III's in service with the SAAF was only retired from service earlier this year. a Fine testimony to what great reliable machines they were...


Last image showing a couple of Allouette III's at a refeuling depot during the Border War. Note: No national markings or roundels found on aircraft during border operations.

thanks for that FALCON1, I was looking for this type of info as I am making the pilot model properly and needed actual photos of kit. I am also looking for pic of the Nutria coloured survival vests used by the helicopter crews during operations.

Wow nice pictures and infos.
Thanks for that.

Awesome pics! Really good stuff!

Sure thing...

As you can see from the pictures, I never thought they actually wore the survival vests... The way I know these Cowboys they probably stashed them in the back of the chopper somewhere...lol. I have pictures of two types of pilot survival vests... And then another nutria coloured one for infantry. Here's a pic of the vest pilots used in the earlier years:



And here's a modern survival vest worn by mostly Cheetah pilots:



I'll be posting the right info for say: Puma and Mirage pilots and their gear ie. Speedjeans (G-suits) in their respective folders as I get time to upload. In the meantime I hope all this helps. Enjoy! :D

@FALCON1

Thanks mate, hell do you know how long I've been looking for a pic of these survival jackets? Now I can complete the pilots properly. They will be released with the PUMAs...

You're most welcome ;)

I have to give credit to the various sources of the inflight photographs... as I cannot take all the credit for myself... :ph43r:

Forgot to post this pic of a modern Allouette pilot and his view inside the cockpit (Donning an Alpha 550 of course):

Flight Leader / Vlugleier patch (old):


3000+ Flight hours patch:


Allouette III type crew patch: