Alex MacPhail Podcast

Charl Schwartzel is the 2011 US Masters Champion. He is also a fixed wing and helicopter pilot, licensed both in South Africa and in the United States.

Our conversation will be about the discipline and preparation required to maintain focus, not only on the golf course, but in the cockpit.

Are there commonalities with handling a Bell 407 or Cessna 206, and handling big crowds on day 4 of the Majors?

Watch the YouTube interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rybZKzgvRNc

Get in touch with Alex  to improve the performance of your team: 

• Email:  [email protected]
• Instagram:  @alexmacphail99
• Twitter:  @AlexMacPhail1
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/flyingmogul
• Website:  www.alexmacphail.co.za

In this episode, I have the privilege of chatting with the most famous and accomplished pilot in South Africa, Captain Scully Levin.

Scully has been the Leader of his aerobatic team for more than 3 decades, he has had an airline career of more than 4 decades and has been flying for more than 5 decades!

He was recently awarded Master Air Pilot, only the second South African to have achieved this prestigious title.

Watch the YouTube interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOu9qnAt5Xk

Get in touch with Alex  to improve the performance of your team: 

• Email:  [email protected]
• Instagram:  @alexmacphail99
• Twitter:  @AlexMacPhail1
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/flyingmogul
• Website:  www.alexmacphail.co.za

On this episode I am joined by Springbok number 636, the formidable Centre - André Snyman. André played 38 tests for the Springboks and scored 10 tries. He has a very high win percentage throughout his Bok career, averaging 68%. He was a Springbok during that record equally run of 17 unbeaten tests in a row.

During his first three years with the Boks, if André scored, the Springboks won!

He has played in South Africa, England and France. He has coached a winning side in the United States, with back to back victories in the Pacific Rugby Premiership 2015 & 2016. André was named Premiership Coach of the Year 2015.

He is now Head of Rugby at Hill House in Doncaster, UK.

We will discuss High Performance Teams, Coaching High Performance Teams and staying focussed as a player and coach during lockdown.

Get in touch with Alex  to improve the performance of your team: 

• Email:  [email protected]
• Instagram:  @alexmacphail99
• Twitter:  @AlexMacPhail1
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/flyingmogul
• Website:  www.alexmacphail.co.za

Annabel Vundla was President Nelson Mandela’s pilot. She was also the first black female pilot and flying instructor in the Air Force. But more than that, she is a good friend of mine.

We learned to fly together, she earned her wings before she could drive a car. After a distinguished career flying for the 21 Squadron, the VIP Transport squadron of the SA Air Force, Annabel is now flying Airbus A320 for South African Airways.

There is an interesting story in her family. She is married to a helicopter pilot. Join in the conversation to find out more.

Get in touch with Alex  to improve the performance of your team: 

• Email:  [email protected]
• Instagram:  @alexmacphail99
• Twitter:  @AlexMacPhail1
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/flyingmogul
• Website:  www.alexmacphail.co.za

John Vlismas is one of South Africa’s most prolific international comics. He recently retired as a professional comedian after a successful 25 year career. He now uses his creativity at Henley Business School in marketing designing course work and lecturing to innovative leaders.

John won SA Stand Up comedian of the year in 2007 and
was a finalist in the Canadian Laugh Off award in 2008.

John has toured internationally throughout his career and is celebrated in many cities including:  London, Dubai, Montreal, Dublin, Melbourne, Edinburgh.

He has also spent a lot of energy writing for Independent Newspapers syndicate, the Business Report and In London magazine.

Get in touch with Alex  to improve the performance of your team: 

• Email:  [email protected]
• Instagram:  @alexmacphail99
• Twitter:  @AlexMacPhail1
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/flyingmogul
• Website:  www.alexmacphail.co.za

My guest grew up on an Air Force Base, his father was the Officer Commanding of a Supersonic Jet Squadron.

He started his flying training in the Royal Air Force, transitioned to the University Air Squadron then left to pursue other interests. He settled down again in his late twenties and qualified as a flying instructor. His love for aerobatics coincided with his love for learning.

He became an aerobatic champion, an MBA alumni and set up an Aviation University in Toulouse. He ran this University in collaboration with Airbus and Dassault Aviation for many years.

Jon later became an academic at the Graduate School of Business, at the University of Cape Town. This paved the way for his current position. He set up and is now the Dean of the Henley Business School in Johannesburg.

From a small team of 5, Henley Business School now offers a variety of Executive programs and has twice won, Best MBA program in South Africa.

Get in touch with Alex  to improve the performance of your team: 

• Email:  [email protected]
• Instagram:  @alexmacphail99
• Twitter:  @AlexMacPhail1
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/flyingmogul
• Website:  www.alexmacphail.co.za

I’m joined by Kevin Ellis, a current freelance helicopter pilot flying Medevac operations in Kenya. In August 2014 while on a Medevac contract in Somalia, he went swimming at the beach in Mogadishu.

After body surfing he made his way in and was bashed around by the incoming wave. He felt his leg bump a rock with a sharp pain on his right calf.  Kevin put his hand down to feel. He felt something rough and was convinced it was a rock. Then the rock bit his left leg!

He was assisted by locals and received medical care, but his left leg was gone. Kevin had always been a very active guy. The next phase of his recovery was a matter of getting through and adapting to a prosthetic leg.

He was determined to not only walk, but swim in the ocean again, continue mountain biking and of course, get back into the cockpit.

Get in touch with Alex  to improve the performance of your team: 

• Email:  [email protected]
• Instagram:  @alexmacphail99
• Twitter:  @AlexMacPhail1
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/flyingmogul
• Website:  www.alexmacphail.co.za

Captain Brad Bennetts is a specialist instructor at South African Airways. With his aerobatics and airshow experience, Brad was selected to head up the Upset Prevention and Recovery Training program nearly a decade ago.

He attended Advanced training in Arizona, with Aviation Performance Solutions, together with 2 other South African Airways pilots.

The Upset Prevention and Recovery Training initially didn’t have an Airbus program. Brad set off and over the course of one year, together with APS, they created the Airbus Strategy for UPRT.

Get in touch with Alex  to improve the performance of your team: 

• Email:  [email protected]
• Instagram:  @alexmacphail99
• Twitter:  @AlexMacPhail1
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/flyingmogul
• Website:  www.alexmacphail.co.za

Have you ever wondered how Air Traffic Control works in a busy European airspace? My conversation with Tobias Arndt, an approach controller with Deutsche Flugsicherung, based in Munich, covered flying, sky diving, airspace control and mandatory stress leave. Upper airspace control feeds into the approach sector where he is positioned, to line the aircraft up with the runway.

Germany has more than 3.3 million movements each year, making it one of the busiest airspaces in Europe. The record number of movements in one day last year was 11012! That is 11000 flights through German Airspace!

Thank you to Frankie Flyer, for the great photos that were used today in the conversation. Have a look here for more GREAT photos:  http://frankieflyeraviationblog.blogspot.com/

Watch this conversation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEf51SXF9_I&t=50s

Get in touch with Alex  to improve the performance of your team: 

• Email:  [email protected]
• Instagram:  @alexmacphail99
• Twitter:  @AlexMacPhail1
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/flyingmogul
• Website:  www.alexmacphail.co.za

My guest has achieved great success in aviation. He is a hard working, well respected individual that has managed to reach the top position in a few different organisations. Captain Colin Jordaan (FRAeS), a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, currently sits on the Board of Comair Pty (Ltd).

Previously he was the Director of the SA Civil Aviation Authority. Prior to that post, he was the General Manager of Flight Operations and a member of the Executive Committee as South African Airways, the first and only pilot to hold this position.

High Performance Teams are lined all through Colin’s CV and I am looking forward to this meaty conversation.

Watch this conversation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjhHnKZfPiU&t=343s

Get in touch with Alex  to improve the performance of your team: 

• Email:  [email protected]
• Instagram:  @alexmacphail99
• Twitter:  @AlexMacPhail1
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/flyingmogul
• Website:  www.alexmacphail.co.za