The Bophuthatswana Defence Force established a small air wing at Mmabatho in 1981. The air wing became the Bophuthatswana Air Force in 1987 and remained as such until integration into the SAAF after the bantustans were reintegrated into the RSA. T400 was returned to Pilatus and eventually ended up with the Chadian Air Force. Photo: Phillipe Colin

Hidden in a hangar, this Pilatus PC-7, one of two in the Chadian Air Force inventory. In 2008, the aircraft was not airworthy as spare parts were needed to bring it back in the air. The aircraft was once US registered as N976DM but sold to Chad as TT-AAX by April 2008. Later in 2008, it was reregistered to TT-QAJ. Notable are the hardpoints underneath the wings. These can be used for fueltanks, but also for rocketpods or iron bombs. As Chad used weapons with the PC-7s, Pilatus stopped all support.