What does the strange word SAREX mean? What is all this about? Why does a helicopter land in our school premises?
To clarify those questions I want to give a short lesson in international aviation:
In 1944 the Convention on International Aviation (known as the Chicago Convention) was signed by 52 states (nowadays 190 states signed). The states obliged themselves to provide assistance to any aircraft in distress and to its occupants.
Therefore training is necessary and thus the Search And Rescue EXercise (SAREX) was introduced "to achieve and maintain maximum efficiency in search and rescue" (Annex 12, Chicago Convention)
Dinoto Technical Secondary School, the Daveyton Association of the Physically Disabled and AVM productions are members of the SAREX 2010 project. This is a search and rescue training in South Africa organized by the department of transport. For Dinoto the aim of the project is not to have any financial benefit from it but purely for exposure and community involvement. Our school's task in this project was to build a model of an aeroplane. Around 20 pupils helped to paint the construct of the plane to make it look as real as possible.
At Monday 26th October the plane will be transported to the uKhahlamba/Drakensberg region (declared a World Heritage site in 2000), where the SAR exercise will take place. The minister of transport will open the exercise on the 28th October.
For the preparation for this event the school got visitors arriving "from above" with a helicopter at 20th October. The school was nearly blown away, and turned upside down by their arrival. Learners as well as teachers were excited to get so near to a "real chopper". The pilot even gave some information about his job and the experience of flying to the learners. After some time the visitors left again dispersing the Dinoto dust.
See below the movie about the visit. The movie is at the same time the first part and launch of Dinoto TV. Enjoy it!
Best greetings
Nthando
and
Sibusiso
Nthando
and
Sibusiso
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