Ad Astra Decoration

The Ad Astra Decoration, post-nominal letters AAD, was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1991 to reward South African Air Force aircrew members on board aircraft for excellent airmanship or outstanding ingenuity or skill during emergencies or critically unusual situations in the air. It was discontinued in 2003, but backdated awards can still be made for acts performed during this period.

The South African military
The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994 it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

Orders, decorations and medals
In April 1952 a series of military decorations and medals was instituted, consisting of substitutes for many of the British and Commonwealth awards which had earlier been used. More decorations and medals, as well as an emblem for being mentioned in dispatches, were added between 1953 and 1970. In July 1975 the military decorations and medals of the Republic were revised. Some decorations and medals were carried over from the earlier series of 1952-1975 and new awards were instituted, followed by more between 1987 and 1991. Finally, all but one of these earlier awards were discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003, when a new set of nine decorations and medals was instituted to replace them.

Fount of Honour
Until 1958 the top three awards were reserved for conferment by the Queen while the rest were awarded by the Governor-General, but in 1958 the Governor-General was authorised to also award the top three. In 1961 the State President became the Fount of Honour, and in 1994 the President.

Motivation
In 1952 South African equivalents of the British Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Air Force Cross (AFC) were omitted. This omission was only belatedly addressed near the end of the 1966-1989 Border War in 1987 when the institution of the South African Air Force Cross was proposed.

As proposed, the Air Force Cross (CA) was intended for award only to aircrew who displayed exceptional courage and leadership during dangerous or critical situations while airborne and where an award for bravery was not suitable, based on the premise that bravery involves knowingly entering mortal danger from a position of relative safety, as opposed to skillfully reacting to an unforeseen situation of mortal danger. The proposed criteria were described in the draft warrant as excellent airmanship or outstanding ingenuity or skill during emergencies or unusual situations in the air.

When the other three Arms of the Service subsequently proposed that an Army Cross (CM), a Navy Cross (CN) and a Medical Service Cross (CC) should be instituted simultaneously, the proposed award criteria of all four crosses were amended to outstanding ingenuity or skill in the utilisation and control of personnel, weaponry or other equipment in dangerous situations and, in the case of the Air Force Cross, not necessarily restricted to flying.

The Ad Astra Decoration
Since the requirement for a decoration equivalent to the British Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) still existed, the institution of the Ad Astra Decoration, post-nominal letters AAD, was then proposed in 1991. As was originally intended with the Air Force Cross (CA), the criteria were again described in the draft warrant as excellent airmanship or outstanding ingenuity or skill during emergencies or critically unusual situations in the air. Both of the examples that came to mind would without doubt have qualified the respective pilots for the award of the equivalent of a DFC, had such a decoration existed in South Africa at the time.
 * One such incident was an in-flight malfunction in a Canberra B(1) Mk. 12 that disabled the aircraft's control column. In spite of advice from the ground to ditch the aircraft since the pilot would be unlikely to be able to land it safely, he managed to land it at Air Force Base Waterkloof with minimal damage while having only trim, rudder and engine power adjustments as controls.
 * Another example was a Dakota C-47 that lost its rudder and elevators when struck by a surface-to-air missile, whose commander managed to land safely at Air Force Base Grootfontein by having his passengers, most of them serving Generals, move forward and backward in the cabin as required to alter the aircraft's centre of gravity.

Award criteria
The Ad Astra Decoration (AAD) was instituted in 1991 and was awarded for excellent airmanship or outstanding ingenuity or skill during emergencies or unusual situations on board aircraft in flight. It was first awarded in 1995 to Major L.R. Heemstra.

Order of precedence
The position of the Ad Astra Decoration in the official order of precedence was revised twice to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first with the integration into the South African National Defence Force in 1994 and again with the institution of a new set of awards in 2003.


 * South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994:
 * Official SADF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Pro Virtute Medal (PVM).
 * Succeeded by the Army Cross (CM).


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Louw Wepener Medal (LWM).
 * Succeeded by the Army Cross (CM).


 * South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
 * Official SANDF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Distinguished Gallantry Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
 * Succeeded by the Army Cross (CM) of the Republic of South Africa.


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Medal for Valour in the Prisons Service of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
 * Succeeded by the Army Cross (CM) of the Republic of South Africa.


 * South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003:
 * Official SANDF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Nkwe ya Boronse (NB) of the Republic of South Africa.
 * Succeeded by the Army Cross (CM) of the Republic of South Africa.


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Mendi Decoration for Bravery, Bronze (MDB) of the Republic of South Africa.
 * Succeeded by the Army Cross (CM) of the Republic of South Africa.

Description
The Ad Astra Decoration is a five-pointed star struck in silver and gilted, to fit in a circle 45 millimetres in diameter, with the South African Air Force castle roundel raised in the centre, all struck in one piece, 5 millimetres thick at the centre of the castle with the star points tapering down to 2 millimetres at the edges. The star is suspended on a ribbon hanger depicting an eagle in flight.
 * Obverse

The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms with the words "AD ASTRA" underneath, with a stamped or engraved decoration number.
 * Reverse

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide with diagonal 4 millimetres wide light blue and white lines, slanted upwards from left to right toward the left shoulder of the recipient. The direction of the slant of the lines was purposely the opposite of that of the British DFC and AFC.
 * Ribbon

Discontinuation
The conferment of the decoration was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003. No suitable new honour was instituted to replace it.