This page provides a detailed explanation of how the SAVAF ranking criteria works and how you can progress through the ranks.
Once your application has been approved, you will hold the rank of Candidate Officer (Co) and once you have
filed your 1st PIREP, you will be signed up into the South African Virtual Air Force with the Rank of Second Lieutenant (2Lt).
It is important to note that you have to hold the IVAO qualification of at least First Flight Officer (FFO) in order to be promoted from Candidate Officer to Second Lieutenant. These criteria and other issues around that are available on our Recruitment page.
In order for you to progress to a higher Rank the following criteria are needed:
1. Online flying hours*.
2. Missions**.
Rank
Abbreviation
Insignia
Hours Needed*
Missions Needed**
Candidate Officer
Co
None
None
Second Lieutenant
2Lt
As required
First Evaluation
Lieutenant
Lt
25 hours
5 missions
Captain
Capt
50 hours
10 missions
Major
Maj
150 hours
20 missions
Lt Colonel
LtCol
300 hours
50 missions
Colonel
Col
600 hours
100 missions
Appling for promotion:
It is the pilot's own responsibility to request a new rank from the Air Command Office when they have reached the Hour/Mission limit required to qualify for the next Rank. Pilots need to keep their own record of Missions flown (as defined above). Note that; the allocation of promotions and (if necessary) demotion is at the sole discretion of the Air Office and Air Command. Their decision is final and no debates in terms of this will be entered into.
*) Note on Hours
Only time filed in PIREPS count towards your accumulated Hours.
You need to fly a minimum of 2 hours per calendar month to stay active on Savaf; these are the IVAO VA-system requirements for registered VA's. If you are not able to comply, you need to apply for leave of absence (LOA) from the Air Command Office in order to make you status Inactive, so as not so penalise
Savaf's VA requirements
**) Notes on Missions
Flights performed as part of a squadron on a Tuesday online-evening (or any other designated night) counts as one mission.
Flights performed in your own time, even officiial flight plans, do not count as a mission.
All Special Operations flights, on specific instruction from Air Command, being Taskforce and Reaction Force Missions, count as a Mission
All legs of Savaf-tours (e.g. the Lisbon fly-in tour) count as a mission, flown on online-evenings or otherwise
