Flight 825 was piloted by 36 @-@ year @-@ old Captain John Hood , a native of Bulawayo who had gained his commercial pilot licence in 1966 . He had flown Viscounts for Air Rhodesia since 1968 , and had also served in the Rhodesian Air Force on a voluntary basis . His first officer , Garth Beaumont , was 31 years old , and had lived in Rhodesia for most of his life , having immigrated as a child from South Africa . The two air stewardesses were Dulcie Esterhuizen , 21 years old and from Bulawayo , and 23 @-@ year @-@ old Louise Pearson , from Salisbury .