Statements | TFASA | Test Flying Academy of South Africa

Statement on the Saldanha Airshow Incident - 23 March 2025.

It is with profound sadness that TFASA confirms the tragic loss of our esteemed colleague and friend, James O’Connell, who was involved in a fatal accident on Saturday, 22 March 2025, while piloting one of our display aircraft at the West Coast Airshow in Saldanha, South Africa.

James was a true aviation legend - an accomplished test pilot with over 36 years of flying experience, including more than 25 years dedicated to experimental flight testing. He served as both Chief Flying Instructor and Head of the Test Pilot School at TFASA, playing an instrumental role in shaping and advancing the next generation of test pilots and flight test engineers. For over 10 years James remained at the heart of TFASA's mission and help shaped our vision.

As an internationally respected provider of advanced aviation solutions, TFASA’s mission is to deliver flight test and specialist flying training expertise across both military and civilian aviation sectors. James was central to fulfilling this mission - through his technical and professional excellence, he embodied the values that define our organisation. His legacy will continue to inspire those who follow in his footsteps.

The details surrounding the cause of the unfortunate accident remain unclear at this time. A formal investigation is currently underway, and TFASA is working in full cooperation with the relevant authorities, including the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and Air Show South Africa (ASSA).

We extend our deepest condolences to James’s family, friends, and colleagues, and we also express our sincere appreciation to the emergency responders and airshow organisers for their swift and professional actions.

“James’s passing is an immeasurable loss to the aviation community and to all of us at TFASA,” Jean Rossouw, President of TFASA. “James was not only a remarkable aviator, but a mentor and a friend whose impact will be felt for years to come.”

Further updates may be shared as official information becomes available.

Statement Concerning the FVEY joint bulletin, issued on 5 June 2024.

The United States’ efforts to impair TFASA’s business operations have been ongoing since TFASA’s refusal to share information on its clients with the US Department of State, and other US government agencies, when approached and offered inducements to do so in 2013.

TFASA is one of many providers of aviation training services to China, including companies based in the US, Canada, and Europe. These companies provide training to exactly the same standard to similar customers as TFASA, without facing the same unfair harassment from US government agencies.

TFASA notes that over the past ten years almost 70% of Chinese pilot cadets who received training internationally do so via the United States (over the period 2010-2021 the US trained and qualified over 14,000 Chinese pilots); all Chinese pilot cadets trained by TFASA are drawn from, and return to, exactly the same talent pool as those trained by the United States. The targeting of TFASA with punitive measures, but not larger US peers, risks creating the perception that commercial bias might play a greater role in elements of decision making than national security.

TFASA has never deliberately sought to headhunt serving military personnel from NATO countries. The majority of its employees join the company from other civilian contractors.

Following legal changes in the UK in 2023, TFASA decided to end the employment of all UK nationals.

TFASA has always obeyed the law in any and all jurisdictions in which it operates, and extensive consultations with legal advisers in those jurisdictions confirm that.

Comments regarding the imposition of US export administration regulations

The United States Department of Commerce has added TFASA to a list of entities subject to export administration regulations. These regulations only apply to items procured from the US that are subject to US export control. The imposition of the restrictions is an arbitrary determination and does not imply that any crime has been committed. As such TFASA does not employ any US nationals, and none of its activities involve any American nationals, businesses, goods, transhipments, or services whatsoever.

As a South African company, registered with the South African National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), and not reliant on US exports, this restriction does not affect TFASA’s day to day operations in any way. Nevertheless, TFASA is disappointed that the United States Department of Commerce took this step without consultation.

TFASA has operated with the full knowledge of NATO defence and security agencies for over a decade. Recent communications between the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Air Force Office of Special Investigation and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) indicate that TFASA has broken no laws.

It should be noted that TFASA is also a corporate member of SETP, which is based in California, USA

If journalists have any questions regarding TFASA or any of its current or former employees they should contact TFASA’s communications agency, for whom contact details are provided below.

Media enquiries
Edward Lee
elee@sfassociates.ltd
+44 7736 220 565

Neil Cameron
ncameron@sfassociates.ltd
+44 7786 384 017

Statement in response to media reports – US-South Africa relations.

The Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) notes that the Company has been mentioned in media reports concerning a proposed bill introduced to the Congress of the United States, regarding relations between the United States of America and the Republic of South Africa. – 11 February 2024

The proposed bill, introduced by US Congressmen John James and Jared Moskowitz, suggests that TFASA plays a role in undermining democracy in South Africa, which is absurd; and in weakening the diplomatic relationship between the United States and South Africa, which TFASA rejects.

This appears to be the latest step in the United States’ efforts to impair TFASA’s business operations, which have been ongoing since TFASA’s refusal to share information on its clients with the US Department of State, and other US government agencies, when approached and offered inducements to do so in 2013.

TFASA highlights:

TFASA is one of many providers of aviation training services internationally, including companies based in the US, Canada, and Europe. These companies provide training to exactly the same standard to similar customers as TFASA, without facing the same unfair harassment from US government agencies.
TFASA does not provide any classified military training, nor train frontline pilots, and all training is based on open-source material or material provided by clients.
TFASA operates under the strict rules and approvals of South African Regulatory bodies such as the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) and the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), to provide all its services within the confines of the law, and in line with South Africa’s longstanding foreign policy of non-alignment.
TFASA does not employ any US nationals, and none of TFASA’s activities involve any US nationals, businesses, goods, transhipments, or services whatsoever.
Following legal changes in the UK in 2023, TFASA decided to end the employment of all UK nationals.
TFASA has always obeyed the law in any and all jurisdictions in which it operates, and extensive consultations with legal advisers in those jurisdictions confirm that.
TFASA maintains a strict Code of Conduct and Ethics Protocol to which all personnel must officially subscribe. Its employees are also governed by national and international obligations concerning secrecy. All TFASA staff are well aware of the obligations they owe to their countries of origin in respect of classified and secret information.
TFASA has never deliberately sought to headhunt serving military personnel from NATO countries. The majority of its employees join the Company from other civilian contractors.
TFASA remains a proud member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, an impartial international organisation, headquartered in Lancaster, California, USA.

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Statement regarding United States Department of Commerce.

The Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) notes that the United States Department of Commerce has added TFASA to a list of entities subject to export administration regulations. – 13 June 2023

As a South African company, registered with the South African National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), and not reliant on US exports, this change does not affect TFASA’s day to day operations.

Nevertheless, TFASA is disappointed that the United States Department of Commerce has taken this step without consultation.

TFASA has operated with the full knowledge of NATO defence and security agencies for over a decade. Recent communications between the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Air Force Office of Special Investigation and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots indicate that TFASA has broken no laws. In addition, following our UK lawyers correspondence with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) the MoD confirmed that ‘they do not believe that TFASA is engaged in activities which breach current UK law.’

TFASA notes that over the past ten years almost 70% of Chinese pilot cadets who received training internationally do so in the United States; all Chinese pilot cadets trained by TFASA are drawn from, and return to, exactly the same talent pool as those trained in the United States. The targeting of TFASA with punitive measures, but not larger US peers, risks creating the perception that commercial bias might play a greater role in elements of decision making than national security.

TFASA will be contacting the United States Department of Commerce to clarify its position.

TFASA has strict protocols and a Code of Conduct in place that are designed to prevent any TFASA employee sharing any information or training that is, or might be considered to be, legally or operationally sensitive, or security classified.

All of TFASA’s training materials are either open source documents, or provided directly by TFASA’s clients.

TFASA is, and always has been, in full compliance with the laws of South Africa, and every other jurisdiction in which it operates.

TFASA highlights that the training it provides is also available from other civilian contractors including organisations based in the United States of America, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and European jurisdictions.

If journalists have any questions regarding TFASA or any of its current or former employees they should contact TFASA’s communications agency, for whom contact details are provided below.

Media enquiries
Edward Lee
elee@sfassociates.ltd
+44 7736 220 565

Neil Cameron
ncameron@sfassociates.ltd
‪+44 7786 384 017‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Statement regarding media reports.

The Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) is aware of recent media reports that include reference to the Company and its activities. Many of the accusations and allegations are factually incorrect and misleading. - 22 October 2022

To avoid the further spread of inaccurate information TFASA would like to put the following statements on record:

TFASA is a test pilot and flight test engineer training school based in South Africa, providing training services to a variety of clients in the aviation sector, across the MEA and APAC regions.
TFASA is registered with the South African National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), and as such adheres to its regulation.
TFASA provides training to test pilots, flight test engineers, and basic operational instructor pilots under closely controlled security conditions. All training aspects and material are strictly unclassified, and provided either from open source or the clients themselves. No training involves classified tactics or other information, nor any frontline activities.
TFASA tutors are all experienced in the aviation sector, and many of the employees formerly served in the Armed Forces of their respective home countries.
TFASA has never actively recruited tutors directly from individuals serving in the Armed Forces of any NATO country.
The majority of TFASA’s employees join the Company from other civilian contractors, such as BAE Systems in the Middle East, as well as several from the airlines.
TFASA is, and always has been, in full compliance with the laws of South Africa, and every other jurisdiction in which it operates.
Further, having consulted UK lawyers, TFASA strongly believes that its actions, and those of its employees, do not contravene any UK laws.
TFASA highlights that the training it provides is also available from other civilian contractors including organisations based in the United States, Canada, and European jurisdictions.
TFASA has a strict Code of Conduct and is confident that the Company and its employees have, and continue to abide by its regulations.
TFASA highlights that none of its trainers are in possession of legally or operationally sensitive information relating to the national security interests of any country, whether those from where its employees are drawn or in which it provides training.
On 19 October 2022 a UK Ministry of Defence (“UK MoD”) spokesman told the BBC that: “the training and the recruiting of pilots does not breach any current UK law.” (BBC News).
TFASA also wishes to highlight that it has been in contact with the UK MoD for many years and they are fully aware of the nature of the company’s business.
Additionally, since 2013 TFASA’s British tutors have been in direct contact on an individual basis with the UK MoD and other UK Government agencies prior to undertaking training contracts with the Company’s clients, including its Chinese clients.
Neither the UK MoD nor any other UK Government agency has raised any objections to TFASA, or its employees with whom the agencies have been in direct contact, regarding the Company’s fulfilment of any training contracts.
TFASA is engaged in a dialogue with the UK MoD, to ensure that there are no misunderstandings between the organisations.
TFASA stands by its employees and will continue supporting them, all their work is and has been carried out in full accordance with the laws of every country where the company operates.