WATCH | Handre Pollard swaps rugby pitch for cockpit in surprise Airlink flight simulator experience

Pilot

Johannesburg – Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard briefly swapped the rugby field for the cockpit after being given the opportunity to pilot a simulated Airlink aircraft alongside fellow Springboks and All Blacks players.

Pollard was among a group of players invited to Airlink’s headquarters for an aviation training experience, where they got behind the controls of an Embraer E145 flight simulator.

According to The South African, Springboks including Pollard, Aphelele Fassi and Ruan Nortje took part in the session, with the veteran flyhalf appearing to handle the cockpit experience with ease.

“We had the pleasure of hosting the Springboks & All Blacks at our world-class aviation training facility in Johannesburg before the start of Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour to get a sense of what it takes to Connect Africa every day. A different kind of training day, for the world’s top rugby stars,” Airlink said.

The aviation experience comes as Airlink’s aircraft have become a major talking point during the ongoing Springboks-All Blacks rivalry, following spectacular flyovers at Ellis Park in Johannesburg and DHL Stadium in Cape Town.

But behind those displays was a former rugby player who had already made the transition from the pitch to the flight deck.

From Junior Bok to pilot

Captain Jaco Henning, a former Junior Springbok, was identified as one of the Airlink pilots behind the recent stadium flyovers, The Citizen reported.

Henning was at the controls of the black Airlink Embraer ZS-YDA during the DHL Stadium flyover in Cape Town, after piloting the green aircraft ZS-YEA over Ellis Park the previous week.

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