Carlo Gagiano Lieutenant - General Carlo Gagiano SM MMM ( born 26 March 1951 , Bonnievale , Western Cape ) was a South African military commander and former Chief of the South African Air Force . He joined the South African Air Force in 1968 , and served in the Border War in South West Africa in the 1970s . Air Force career . Lieutenant General Gagiano joined the South African Air Force in 1968 and qualified as a pilot on the Air Macchi 326M in December 1969 In 1985 he completed the South African Air Force ' s Senior Command and Staff Course and was subsequently appointed as the OC 3 Squadron , operating Mirage F1CZ aircraft . In 1989 he was appointed as the Officer Commanding 89 Combat Flying School , flying Cheetah D aircraft . From 1991 to 1994 he was the South African military attaché to Israel . On his return from Israel , Gagiano attended the South African National Defence Force ' s Joint Staff Course . He served as Inspector - General of the Air Force from 1998 to 2000 , as Chief Director : Operations Development from 2000 to 2005 , and was promoted to Chief of the Air Force in 2005 . State of the Air Force . In October 2006 he gave an interview to Business Day about the state of the SA Air Force , saying : ' . . the decline in the ability of the air force to conduct conventional operations was " exacerbated by a massive loss of specialised technical expertise ” during 2005 and early 2006 . More than 240 highly skilled aircraft technicians had resigned between April 2005 and March 2006 , limiting the ability of the air systems to conduct and sustain extended air operations . “ Gagiano warned that the situation in the air force could affect SA ’ s ability to provide support for the country ' s peacekeeping missions on behalf of the African Union in various trouble spots on the continent , ” Business Day reported . “ He stressed also that operations in support of peacekeeping were ‘ funded at the cost of other , longer - term needs , such as air base maintenance , aircraft spares purchases , vehicle renewal and infrastructure maintenance ’ . ” The paper further quoted Gagiano as saying : “ All operating risks experienced during the year are associated in one way or another with the considerable levels of underfunding of the operating budget . In some cases , such as the loss of technical expertise , underfunding was not the sole source of the problem . Factors such as the enormous disparities between salaries paid in the air force and those paid in the private sector , a lack of career prospects and inadequate career management contributed significantly to the high resignation rate . ” Gagiano said the solution to the deterioration of the main air systems was " almost entirely dependent on the availability of funds and , without at least minimum levels of funding , few , if any , options are available to arrest the continuing decline . ' In 2012 Sisulu cancelled a parliamentary committee appearance by Gagiano after it appeared that he would make public detrimental information about the state of the service . 2011 Resignation . In 2011 Lt . General Gagiano tendered his resignation , following problems with the aircraft that was used to take Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe on an official visit to Finland . The aircraft suffered mechanical problems and the trip had to be cancelled . Lt . General Gagiano accepted responsibility for the situation and tendered his resignation , however Minister Lindiwe Sisulu refused to accept his resignation He was later hospitalised for stress Retirement . Lieutenant General Gagiano handed over commanded to Lieutenant General Fabian Msimang in a ceremony on 28 September 2012 Awards and Decorations . Lieutenant General Gagiano has been awarded the following medals and decorations :