A rich and storied aviation career has led Freek de Villiers from selling short term insurance to flying international routes for South Africa’s national airline.
His career began immediately after school as he used his job selling short-term insurance to pay for his PPL. Freek’s passion and drive paid off and he managed to convince his father to help him out financially once he had passed all his COMM subjects. That moment came sooner than expected and now the task of finding employment began.
To gain exposure in the industry, Freek took a job as a “ramp rat” with Aviation Business Centre. There he spent his days parking aircraft and getting acquainted with the variety of machines that visited. After two years of hard work, no material aviation job had surfaced, and he turned his attention to becoming a junior financial advisor.
A year after working in this position with Sanlam, a gap opened in the clouds and he was asked to do a charter flight to Lüderitz. “One flight became two and before I knew it, I was a West Coast low-level Cessna 210 expert!” he exclaims. He progressed through flying various aeroplanes for Civair and eventually operated a Beechcraft King Air 90. “I was in flying heaven,” says Freek.
“Don‘t ever ever give up! You will succeed. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.”
A visit to his old employer meant he crossed paths with National Airways Corporation (NAC) and, after handing them his CV, he landed an interview. Success in this regard meant Freek was now flying daily between Cape Town, Springbok and Alexander Bay.
A few years of various jobs and aircraft meant that, by the age of 28, Freek was offered a position as a Boeing 737-200 captain. His journey to this point had involved Citations, a King Air 200, Hawker 700, Gulfstream 200, Learjet 45 and many others. Such a wealth of experience on various aircraft meant it was not long before his dream job came calling.
A successful offer from South African Airways allowed Freek to experience aviation and travel the way he had always dreamed. He remembers his time on the international routes fondly, saying, “My flying life was just perfect. Seeing New York in Christmas snow, Munich for a beer festival, Sao Paulo to buy more Haviana flip-flops, Perth for some beach time, Hong Kong for gadgets and the list goes on.”
“Be nice. All the time. Be nice to all the people you meet on the way up.”
Of course, no dream lasts forever, and the COVID-19 pandemic meant that, like so many pilots around the world, Freek found himself without work. He has now returned to Cape Town to work as a freelance pilot and continues with other passions and endeavors.
As an avid motorcycle enthusiast, Freek set up a restoration business and has so far restored 28 classic BMW motorcycles. He advises aspiring pilots to chase their aviation dream if it is indeed a passion. “If you simply like aeroplanes,” he says, “consider buying your own small plane and have fun. But if you love aeroplanes and your Google history is filled with flying stuff, go for it!”
Furthermore, he speaks to the necessary character of a pilot. “Be nice. All the time. Be nice to all the people you meet on the way up. Today I’m freelancing in Cape Town, totally relying on my old contacts and we always left on good terms.”
Freek is a father to two children, and with his 1941 Piper Cub, they take regular flights to breakfast spots or one night camping trips in the Karoo. He plays in a band in his free time and once built a home-build aircraft with his father that flew for over 200 hours and taught him plenty along the way.
Such a storied aviation career should serve as an inspiration to those starting out. Continue in your pursuit of your dream, take every opportunity, and never step on people to get to the top. Freek is a rare breed of aviator that seems to have mastered the perfect balance of hard work, success, and humility.