â„¢ February 2019
Volume 18 No.2
R35.00 incl. VAT N$35.00 incl. VAT
Beechcraft 1900D
Grand Central Airport Feature
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www.africanpilot.co.za
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Cover photograph by Bruce Perkins
irW to e th a r e R va pr 5 1 lu od 0 0 e o uct
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Piston Engine Aircraft Types
Contents Airline Pilot 8 8 10 12 14
Boeing - BBJ 777X Business Jet Airline fatalities in 2018 Emirates receives its 190th Boeing 777 2018 - Year of aviation strikes SACAA’s grounding of CemAir in December 2018 and in January 2019
Commercial Pilot 20 20 21 22 23 24 25
First international G500 deliveries Tecnam certifies 11-seat P2012 Traveller A first for South Africa Aviation insurance claims Diamond Aircraft and the Saudi National Company of Aviation the purchase of 60 aircraft Garmin announces certification of the G500H TXi flight displays Lithium starter batteries for non-type certified aircraft
Drone Pilot 26 28 28 29
Gatwick Airport, England drones’ chaos just before Christmas Surfing contest organisers down a drone with a helicopter Zipline medical deliveries for Ghana meet resistance Pegasus Aerospace develops ‘ShockWave tactical UAS’
Leonardo TH-119 helicopter Ultimate and NAC
Flying car prototype crashes Bell Nexus Urban air mobility Tesla of aviation
Military Pilot 62 63 64
Hungary orders 16 H225M New Czech L-39NG AF GD Indonesian Air Force orders H225Ms
Sport Pilot 98 Largest ever hot air balloon 100 XP-82 flies again
Regulars 4 6 30 32 34 52 65 102 104 106 108 109 109 110
Competitions Letters Events Calendar Fact File Picture of the Month The Best of the Best Names to Remember Accident Report Medical Register Update Flying High Subscription Form Aircraft Sales Shop Window
48 66 82
Beechcraft 1900D Piston engines 2019 Grand Central Airport 2019
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OR Tambo International Airport Feather Awards Legally grey Westland Wartime Aircraft restoration Company ICAD 2018
Helicopter Pilot 56 57
distributed by
Contributors Athol Franz Pete van der Spek Charlie Hugo
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Special Features
36 44 50 60
Electric Helicopter First serial H160
48
Other
Flying Cars 40 41 42 43
58 59
Franceua Nell Honiball Aviation Auditing Gary Renault
Divan Muller Gediminas Žiemelis Charlie Marais
Aidan Owen Bruce Perkins Dr Nick Lee
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copyright The views expressed in African Pilot are not necessary those of the editor, publisher, or staff writers. The editors and publishers cannot be held responsible for differences of opinion or statements published in good faith. No part of this magazine may be reproduced including advertisements produced by Wavelengths 10 (Pty) Ltd in any form without permission from the publisher. – South African copyright laws apply. distribution African Pilot is distributed by On the Dot throughout southern African countries to approximately 1 000 retail stores: CNA, Exclusive Books, Pick ‘n Pay, PNA, selected Spar stores, garage convenience shops, Checkers Hypermarkets, 7/11 stores, selected bookshops, Fascination and Incredible Books as well as to neighbourhood convenience shops. Own distribution to specialist pilot shops at airports as well as to key decision makers within the aviation industry. Back editions are distributed free of charge to African countries, airport lounges, charter companies, the South African Air Force and selected flight schools. Altogether 5 500 copies of African Pilot are printed each month. The magazine also has online readers from all over the world. The first ten pages of African Pilot may be downloaded free of charge by visiting www.africanpilot.co.za
February 2019
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Editorial Grounding of CemAir by the SACAA
February editorial The importance of the customer has always been seen as a significant factor in the success of a business, but never has the customer experience been as crucial as it is now in what is being called the ‘Age of the Empowered Customer.’ Due to the digital connectedness of the world today, sometimes all it takes for a brand to lose customers is for a person to have a really bad experience and share this experience online. Nowhere is this more evident than within the aviation industry where the violent forced removal of a passenger due to overbooking on a United Airlines flight in 2018 was video recorded, shared on the internet and the video went viral costing that airline an estimated US$1.4 billion in value. There can be no doubt that the future of ALL methods of communication will require multiple digital platforms and for this reason throughout 2018, African Pilot increased its digital footprint substantially. In addition to the paper magazine, African Pilot was the first aviation magazine in the world to publish a digital version 12 years ago. APAnews is produced every Monday or 50 times per year, filling those gaps between monthly magazines. Late in 2018, we introduced APAcom which is an aviation blog that anyone can visit, register and discuss aviation matters. Simply visit our website: www.africanpilot.co.za to register. In 2018, we also introduced African Pilot’s video production capacity, which will allow my team to produce at least two aviation videos per month, whilst we intend to grow this to four per month by the end of this year. Through this multi-platform process, African Pilot has not only become the most relevant aviation publication on the African continent, but was also voted the seventh best aviation magazine in the entire world in November 2018. What an honour!
The regulator grounded CemAir in mid-December 2018, an action which was later overturned by a High Court judge who ruled that CemAir could take to the skies immediately. Then on Friday 11 January, the regulator issued a grounding order yet again, issuing an emotionally charged press release to the media. From what I can see and what I have been told, this is simply a paperwork exercise. The fact is that any business anywhere in the world will have paper work issues if the audit team dig deep enough. What has become abundantly clear is that the SACAA appears to be determined to shut down a privately owned South African airline, probably because it is not sufficiently BEE rated. Unfortunately, this is a common problem that ALL of South African aviation has had with the regulator over many years. Whenever I walk the ramps of South Africa’s airports the most common complaint is the attitude of the SACAA inspectors, many of whom don’t even know what the aviation business is all about. Many businesses have already closed, whilst others have re-located to countries where their business is appreciated. What will the SACAA have left to do when it has finally killed the ‘goose that lays golden eggs?’ Finally, please be very careful when you upload AVGAS, because several operators have discovered contaminated AVGAS that had been dispensed from registered airport tanks. The SACAA has issued a NOTAM to this effect. Wishing those amongst you who fly a terrific flying month in February, traditionally the rainy month in central South Africa and to those readers who don’t fly may I wish you an equally great month. Thank you all for your great support. Athol Franz
Editor Athol Franz 082 552 2940 editor@africanpilot.co.za
Publisher / Production Wavelengths 10 (Pty) Ltd
Marketing Lara Bayliss 079 880 4359 marketing@africanpilot.co.za
Durban correspondent Pete van der Spek
Copy reader Gordon Dyne
gdyne@global.co.za
Designers Maria Leader maria@africanpilot.co.za Creshenda Maraba-Haffejee creshenda@africanpilot.co.za Website and digital Johan Botes
johan@africanpilot.co.za
Accounts Manager Helena Kurland
admin@africanpilot.co.za
Admin / Subscriptions Paulinah Motlhabi
subscribe@africanpilot.co.za
Transport Ephraim Ndlovu
Cape Town correspondent Irene McCullagh Printing Business Print
012 843 7600 / 0861 42 42 59
Distribution On the Dot
011 401 5938
African Pilot Local International Fax
0861 00 11 30 +27 11 466 8524 / 6 086 767 4333
P.O. Box 30620, Kyalami, 1684, South Africa
African Pilot House No. 6 Barbeque Heights, Dytchley Road, Barbeque Downs, Kyalami, South Africa
website: www.africanpilot.co.za February 2019
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Competitions Total value of the competition in this edition is R5100
Cover Beechcraft turboprops in formation by Bruce Perkins
February Cover Competition
This month’s cover prize has been generously donated by AirWear and consists of the following: 1) Fire resistant flying suit with three embroideries (R3000) 2) One pair of black leather pilot boots (R1450) 3) One pair of leather flying gloves (R650) Questions 1) In which part of the Gauteng province is Grand Central Airport to be found? 2) How many passengers does the Beechcraft 1900 seat? 3) On what date is AERO South Africa scheduled to start? December Cover Competition Winners Congratulations to the following winner Robert Hardy, who won a flight for two on a Dakota DC-4 valued at R2000. This Month’s Cover Competition Entries to be submitted to the following e-mail only: info@africanpilot.co.za One entry per person please. Entries sent to other African Pilot e-mails will automatically be disqualified.
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This picture was taken at the Zebula airshow in April 2014. The formation had been placed together by Absolute Aviation with the support of some of their key customers. The plan was to prepare a quick photo shoot, after which the formation would undertake a display at the then annual Zebula Fly In. The Beechcraft 1900 was flown by Pierre Gouws, the B350 by Nigel Hopkins, the B250 by Larry Beamish and the B200 by John Wright. The photo aircraft in which flew was a Bonanza 36 flown by Jason Beamish. The camera I used was a Canon 40D fitted with a Canon 24-105mm L lens.
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NOTAM issued by the SACAA (A0129/19 NOTAMR A0128/19 Q)FAXX/QFUXX/IV/NBO/E/000/999/2956S02344E609 A)FAJA FACA B)1901091242 C)1902041200 EST E) AVGAS FUEL SUPPLY AT VARIOUS AP SUSPECTED TO BE CONTAMINATED WITH PUMP-GAS OR ANOTHER SUBSTANCE. PILOTS ARE ADZ TO BE VIGILANT AND IF FUEL SUPPLY IS SUSPECT (LOOK AND SMELL), PILOTS ARE TO DRAIN SUCH FUEL FM ACFT AND INFORM THE SACAA. USE OF PUMP-GAS IN AVGAS ENGINE IS HAZARDOUS. IF POSSIBLE PILOTS TO SUPPLY A SAMPLE TO THE SACAA TO ASSIST IN THE INVESTIGATION.) Comments on the NOTAM regarding contaminated AVGAS by Charlie Marais: 1) The term ‘Pump-Gas’ is not a known trade mark or user name, but we can only suspect the intention was to specify Mogas, which is a slang word for gasoline or as we better know it in South Africa as motor vehicle petrol. 2) Certain aircraft engines may use Mogas and in the modern times we take it that there is no lead involved. 3) Continental and Lycoming engines may only use 100LL, which refers to low lead (TEL – tetraethyllead, - 0,3179 to 0,528 grams per litre) to boost octane value to 100, remember earlier years it was 100/130 octane value, but replaced by 100LL, which is blue in colour 4) The NOTAM probably relates to the mixing of Petrol and AVGAS, normally due to both fuels being used from the same small site tank, which is not under procedures as to the testing and checking of fuel as required. 5) The ‘another substance’ as per NOTAM is very general and probably of no use to the industry. 6) The fuel supply through registered distributers is not suspect and the impression may be that it is. Unfortunately we do not have better information and the panic due to this NOTAM is now spreading throughout the industry, is uncalled for. If major supply of unsuitable fuels is suspected, I suggest a more precise information piece so as to direct our attention. 7) To warn people of taking up fuel from secondary sources, is probably what is meant. This is where fuels are mixed and the consistency does not satisfy AVGAS composition. 8) The specific instance which led to this NOTAM could have been
fuel found in an aircraft and the exact details of how the mixing took place are hardly enough to shake the entire industry. 9) The investigation referred to in the NOTAM leaves every pilot to make decisions on smell, colour and hopefully not taste, since TEL is human unfriendly and could have serious mixed results that may or may not pinpoint the source. I am of the opinion that shooting into the crowd does not help finding the specific culprits. 10) The specific airports should be mentioned as that can have a better control of the suspicion. 11) The suppliers to such facilities and the processes should be followed up immediately and probably not through a general scare tactic. Undoubtedly the NOTAM intention was good, but not well thought through as it leads to speculation and possible rumouring about possible suspect places, which could be quite innocent in this regard. Regards, Charlie Marais Dear Charlie, Thank you for your valuable consideration of the SACAA NOTAMR (sic) sent out by the regulator. In addition, the complete communication has been sent out using uppercase and ridiculous abbreviations. I question why normal English has not been used in this important communication to aviators? I was personally involved with this issue when I was working on the Grand Central feature for this edition. The pilots of a customer at the airport had uploaded AVGAS (so called) at a licenced airport in the Northern Cape and when the aircraft came into the AMO for major work, the fuel tanks were drained. What came out of the tanks was a sample that the AMO placed into a clear glass container so that he could report what he suspected as contaminated fuel to the SACAA. I just happened to be in the hangar with the SACAA inspector when the clearly contaminated fuel was handed over for further testing. My observations were as follows: • Whilst the fuel had its distinctive blue look it also was slightly cloudy and has a yellowish tinge as the edges • The normal blue ‘brilliance’ of AVGAS was not present • On sampling the fuel with my fingers it had an oily feel • The smell of the fuel was certainly not what I have always known as AVGAS My immediate suspicion was that this sample contained contaminated AVGAS and therefore the alert that I placed within African Pilot’s Monday 14 January APAnews to warn pilots that there may be consignments of AVGAS aircraft fuel that had been seriously contaminated. In addition, the SACAA inspector told me that there have been increasing reports of aircraft piston engines having burnt exhaust valves, which is typical of using the incorrect grade of fuel. Sincerely, Athol
The Editor, African Pilot.
Dear Mark,
Sir. I have been a loyal reader of your magazine since moving to South Africa about 16 years ago. My aircraft is an N registered Cessna 210, based in Cape Town. The reason for my writing to you is that I am searching for a new mechanic to undertake my annual inspections. After looking through a number of your back issues, I was unable to find any reference to AMOs who have amongst their staff a FAA A&P or IA. Could you perchance publish a list of those who hold these certificates in South Africa and if not, perhaps you would know of where I could find one?
Compliments of the season to you. Thank you very much for your support of African Pilot.
Best, Mark Semonian Oxford, United Kingdom Cape Town, South Africa E-mail: mark@semonian.com
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I am not aware of a FAA licenced AMO in the Cape Town region, but after the collapse of PLACO at Cape Town International Airport, I know that RAW Aviation has opened in the same hangar and will go into full operation this year. Please contact Mark Miller 082 894 7531 e-mail: rawaviation@gmail.com. I believe that RAW Aviation does have the required licences because it also operates a N registered Cessna 172. Yours sincerely, Athol
After
Before
* 7;L¬ - EIS TXi - GMA 35c - GTN 750
- GTN 650 - GWX 70 - GTX 335R - GTS 800
- Flightstream 510 - MD 93 (Midcontinent) - 406 ELT (Kannad)
After
Before Before
- Dual GTN 750 - Dual GTX 3000 - GWX 75
- GAD 42 - GMA 35c - Flightstream 510
+27 11 701 3244 salesadmin1@centuryavionics.co.za www.centuryavionics.co.za | Hangar M1, Lanseria Int Airport SA CAA AMO:0003 KCAA AMO: F|144
SADO D688 DCA AMO: MI|414|2016
NCAA AMO:FSS|AMO|C3610 CAAB AMO: B|1A|F30 February 2019 CAAZ AfricanAMO: Pilot 176|128 7
Boeing launches the BBJ 777X, longest-range business jet ever
With more than 70% of the world’s wide-body business jets in the Middle East, the Dubai Business Aviation Show (MEBAA) was the perfect place for Boeing to present its BBJ777X, the business version of its upcoming 777X. Boeing can offer an aircraft that can fly more than half way round the planet non-stop. Indeed, its new BBJ777-8 should possess an impressive range of 21,570 km (20,370 for the BBJ777-9). It is the longest range ever proposed by a business jet. However, long flights require comfort, which is why the BBJ 777X offers 302.5 m2 (3,256 square feet) and 342.7 m2 (3,689 square feet) of cabin, enough room to fit the most extravagant commodities. Boeing Business Jets unveiled the interior design concepts of three companies: Greenpoint Technologies, Jet Aviation and Unique Aircraft Design. “Every concept demonstrates that the BBJ 777X can be transformed, tailored to the tastes of each customer,” said Greg Laxton, head of Boeing Business Jets.
Airline fatalities
grow tenfold in
Assuming a safe New Year’s Eve, Monday ends what can best be described as an average year for airline-related fatalities. According to one measure (fatalities involving airliners in flight, not necessarily in revenue service) there were 16 accidents that killed 555 people in 2018. This compares with the safest year on record when in 2017 only 59 deaths were recorded. Aviation Safety Net opined that the tenfold increase “is not acceptable. The airlines, regulators and crews must work together to ensure this troubling trend does not continue,” the publication said in its annual review. For perspective, there were 45 million airline flights in 2018 carrying 4.5 billion passengers. The most serious crash was the loss of an Indonesian Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX in October, which killed all 189 on board. The cause has not yet been determined, but the investigation is focused on sensors
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related to an automatic system designed to prevent the aircraft from being inadvertently stalled. The crash of a Cubana Boeing 737-200 in Havana in May killed 112 of 113 people on board. The only US passenger fatality was a woman who was partly sucked out of the window of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 that experienced an uncontained engine failure over Pennsylvania in April. However, Aviation Safety Net counted the death of a suicidal Horizon Air ramp attendant who stole a company Q400 and intentionally crashed the aircraft near Seattle in August.
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Emirates receives its 190th Boeing 777, teases ‘ ’ airliner
‘Bling’ is defined as denoting expensive, ostentatious clothing or jewellery, or the style or materialistic attitudes associated with them. “The bling lifestyle of diamond rings, flashy cars, and champagne” On 13 December 2018, Emirates announced it has taken delivery of the final long-range Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on its order book with Boeing, marking the 190th B777 to be delivered to the airline. The announcement comes just over a week after Emirates posted an image of a ‘blinged out’ 777 on social media, sparking a media frenzy. Seems the Dubai-based carrier is keen on showing off its Boeing fleet, with or without ‘bling.’ The new 777-300ER (registered A6-EQP) as stated above, is the 190th Boeing 777 family aircraft to be delivered to Emirates, as well as the 146th delivery of the 777-300ER for the carrier. In fact, Emirates is the world’s largest operator of the model: it has operated one out of every five -300ERs produced to date, the carrier says.
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Emirates love story with the Boeing 777 According to Boeing, Emirates placed its first order for a 777300ER (Extended Range) back in 2004 and received first delivery of the jetliner in 2006. As of 30 November 2018 the airline received 133 total 777 family aircraft in 2018; out of these, 114 were the -300ERs. Boeing orders and deliveries’ book shows that orders for six of this airliner are unfilled. Over the years, as the company states, the 777-300ER has become ‘The backbone of the Emirates’ fleet.’ There are 140 of the -300ERs currently in its fleet, which also includes Airbus aircraft. The 777-300ER flies to over 119 destinations across the airline’s global network. So why is this most recent -300ER possibly the ‘last’ one for Emirates? Perhaps it has something to do with Emirates placing orders for the new 777X family of aircraft with Boeing. The carrier says it will fly both of the next generation models, the 777-8 and the 777-9. Let us compare the two aircraft. The -300ER is capable of flying up to 7,370 nautical miles (13,649 km) with 396 in typical seating; meanwhile, the new -8 has a longer range, that of 8,700 nautical miles (16,110 km), but only up to 375 seats. The -9, on the other hand covers only 7,600 nautical miles (14,075 km), but has 425 seats maximum. Although the ‘final’ -300ER is to join the fleet, Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates, said the plane: “will continue to play an integral role” in the airline’s operations. We have worked closely with Boeing on the 777 programme over the last three decades and we will build on this partnership as we start taking delivery of the 777-8 and 777-9 aircraft from 2020.”
So what is actually going on with Emirates’ 777 fleet? Emirates boasts it is “the only airline in the world” to have operated all of the six variants of the Boeing 777 family (777-200, 777-200ER, 777-200LR, 777-300, 777-300ER, 777F). Perhaps it has, assuming conversions, but Boeing’s orders’ and deliveries’ log indicates that the airline has ordered and received deliveries of only four of the family members: the 777-200, the 777-200ER, 777-200LR and the 777-300ER. Then when it comes to the 190th Boeing 777 ever delivered, as the airline highlights, that is surely not to say that Emirates operates them all. The number consists of 27 ‘historic’ (stored or leased) aircraft, with the 163 777s it currently operates (140 of 777-300 variant and 23 of the 777-200 version. Interestingly, looking back at Boeing’s books, only ten of the aforementioned -200LR model have been ordered by Emirates in comparison with orders for 120 of the -300ER. Only six of the -200ER have been ordered. The -200LR, for example, has a maximum range close to the Emirates desired next-gen 777-8 (8,555 nautical miles, or 15,843 km), which is way less than the -300ER. However, the -200LR’s main flaw is that it only has only 317 seats in typical cabin configuration.
The tendency to boast: here comes the ‘bling’ for the 777
TWO
HUGE
DEALS mark the end of 2018
for Boeing
Now the fun part: Emirates’ pride and joy recently caught headlines when on 4 December 2018, the airline posted on its official Twitter account an image of a gem-encrusted 777: “Presenting the Emirates ‘bling’ 777,” the post read and even though it indicated the image was ‘created’ and therefore an artwork, produced by Sara Shakeel, it soon went viral. A large amount of viewers assumed the plane had indeed been entirely embellished with jewels, whilst others were left in doubt, considering the soundness of the post.
In late December 2018, Boeing managed to boost its order book with two big deals of up to 150 aircraft, finishing the year well ahead of Airbus. On 21 December 2018, Boeing and Saudi low-cost carrier flyadeal announced an order for 30 737 MAX jets, a deal worth $3.5 billion at list-prices. The airline is also considering 20 more aircraft, according to its press-release.The carrier, which has been in operation for just one year, currently has an all-Airbus A320-200 fleet of aircraft. It makes an order for 30 Boeing jets quite an unexpected turn for the Saudi’s low-cost carrier. The year-end Boeing lucky streak didn’t finish at this point and on the same day Boeing announced another successful deal: Nigerian carrier Green Africa Airways placed a firm order for 50 and an option for additional 50 100 737 MAX 8 aircraft, valued at $11.5 billion at list prices, which essentially made it the biggest aircraft deal in Africa, according to Boeing. Two orders on the threshold of 2019 gave Boeing even a larger lead over Airbus in the orders’ race of 2018. As of January-November 2018 timeframe, the American manufacturer had orders for 690 aircraft in comparison with Airbus’ 380. February 2019
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2018 - Year of
aviation strikes This has been a significant year for European air travellers. 2018 has already seen as many strikes as the past five years together, affecting more than a million passengers, disrupting their vacation or travel plans. When you find yourself in such situation, the first thought is that someone has to be responsible.
So who is to blame?
C
rew members and pilots for a number of airlines, united by their trade unions, went on strike, claiming that airlines were maltreating their employees and that the working conditions were demeaning. The financial crisis of 2008 had a huge impact on air travel with decreasing numbers of passengers, flights and as a consequence, profits. As an answer to the crisis, airlines opted to cut crew pay and at that time, it seemed like a reasonable solution.
However, there has been a rapid increase in passenger numbers in recent years and with growing numbers, the workload for pilots and crew members rose as well. Unfortunately, that did not reflect in the crew members’ salaries. When their issues were not met with solutions, strikes began. One can say that walkouts should be the last resort in the conversation between unions and airlines. However, it is not known whether the parties had expended their options or the strikes were chosen as the easiest way to get what the unions want.
Only one question is left what is the impact of strikes? In general, strikes can have different effects depending on the time window between the announcement and the strike itself. Pilots in Ireland have to announce strikes at least seven days in advance, whilst German pilots do it in as little as 24 hours before the strike. The most lax rules are in the Netherlands, where pilots can go on strikes with a 12-hour notice, leaving affected passengers with no time to rearrange their plans. Recent strikes were well-coordinated: busy days were chosen in order to cause as much disruption and dissatisfaction as possible, crews went on strike for longer periods and strikes themselves were international, with pilots walking out in multiple countries at once. Such coordination is the key to significant media attention. It can shine light on the unfair conditions that caused the strikes and show the magnitude of impact that strike actions can have on airlines’ profits. More than 1.8 million passengers were affected by strikes in 2018. Lufthansa had 90,000 passengers affected, TAP Air Portugal 55,000 and Vueling 37, 000. However, the main culprits were Air France with 1.2 million and Ryanair 287,000 passengers’ travel
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plans disrupted respectively. The primary demand of Air France crew members was a 6% salary increase. The demand was changed to 5.1% immediate increase in the recent months. However, the demands have not been met and unions are threatening even more strikes. Ryanair was presented with a more detailed list of 34 demands that included a salary increase, better pay for sickness and parenting leave as well as a more stable work schedule for pilots and crew members. Ryanair did not agree with the demands, claiming that the salary is competitive and would not to be increased. In response to the latest strike in late September, Ryanair decided to close two bases, one in Germany and one in the Netherlands, letting pilots and crew members leave the airline. Union strikes have a huge financial impact on airlines. At the beginning of August, it was revealed that the 15 days of strikes by Air France employees from February to May cut the profits of the whole Air France-KLM group by €335 million. IATA expects European airlines to post a profit for 2018 of €7.4 billion, cutting its forecast from €9.8 billion previously, although that is still up from €6.9 billion in 2017. Meanwhile, the Unite Union in Gatwick has just announced three 48 hour strikes on 20 November, 26 November and 21 December, the latter of which is bound to negatively affect the plans of Christmas travellers.
Strikes mean losses not only for the airlines, but also for the passengers. Most airlines refund the tickets or help the passengers with travel plans rearrangements, but what about compensation for disrupted flights? The article 5(3) of the directive EU261/2004 sets out a clear rule: an operating air carrier is not obliged to pay compensation if it can be proved that the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Strikes are noted as one example of such circumstances. However, in 2008 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) clarified the Recital 14 where it provided an indicative list of what could be considered extraordinary circumstances, depending on the facts of the relevant case (Wallenstein-Hermann case, C 549/07). The ruling was once again validated in April 2018, when the Court presented a test for evaluating whether a strike is to be considered an extraordinary circumstance in the Thinly case (Helga Krüsemann and Others v. TUIfly GmbH, joined cases C-195/17, C-197/17 to C-203/17, etc.). ECJ provided that for such to be established, the strike must not be, by its nature or origin, inherent in the normal exercise of the activity of the airline and beyond the actual control of the airlines. In July 2018, The UK Civil Aviation Authority released a statement in regard to Ryanair passenger questions about the disrupted flights, encouraging travellers to claim compensations when company’s
employees go on strike. “We note that the recent industrial action is not by Ryanair’s UK employees, but it is the view of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, taking account of previous Court rulings that when a flight cancellation is caused by strike action by the airline’s employees, the airline is required to pay compensation to passengers in respect of the cancellation of the flight, if it has not warned passengers of the cancellation at least two weeks prior to the scheduled time of departure,” the CAA wrote. In the meantime, Ryanair’s chief marketing officer Kenny Jobs stays set on the idea that pilot walkout was an “unnecessary strike action” and the airline insists the stoppages are beyond its control and says any such claims will be rejected. Days after the latest strike in September, the low cost airline has announced it would close two bases in November; one in Eindhoven in the Netherlands and the other in Bremen, Germany, whilst reducing its fleet at Niederrhein, Germany. Arthur van de Hudding, president of the Dutch pilots’ union VNV called this move
“a declaration of war.” If the Ryanair management thinks closing bases is a quick and cheap solution to labour unrest – and the court in the Netherlands sees it differently – they are naive at best and antagonistic at worst,” he said. Ryanair claims that these actions “are a small, but necessary response to these adverse circumstances that involve strikes as well as increasing oil prices.”
for effortless access to civil aviation, airlines have to focus on making sure this process is as smooth and efficient as possible. The focus could be directed to personnel management and cooperation with airports. Should one part of the equation stumble, the whole process is in jeopardy. It seems that airports have the most difficulty adapting to increasing passenger flows because of the limited capacity. Efficient and disturbance-free airlines’ processes can help airports adjust to the growing passenger volumes, whilst this reflects the importance of satisfied staff. A study from the University of Warwick found that happiness results in a 12% increase in employee productivity and this may be an additional goal of the employer.
The airline aviation industry is now at a crossroads. The direction that airlines will choose to follow in the next months will determine the future of civilian air travel. With the rapid growth in the need
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SACAA’s grounding of CemAir in December 2018 and again in January 2019 By Athol Franz
O
n Wednesday 12 December 2018, the media received communication from the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) that it had grounded CemAir for a 24-hour period. The airline was required to submit proof of compliance in order to avoid having its Air Operator’s Certificates revoked. According to the SACAA the reason for the grounding is ‘severe non-compliance or non-conformance that poses a very serious safety risk to the public.’ In addition to this, non-compliance by CemAir included ‘not being able to produce nor demonstrate the appointment of an approved and qualified person for a critical position as required by the Civil Aviation Regulations, related to Flight Operations.’ Whilst an employee was appointed by CemAir, the SACAA says the person was not suitably qualified and gave the airline 30 days to appoint a new person. 14
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February 2019
On 14 December, CemAir posted this Press Release on its Facebook page: ‘CemAir deeply regrets that the SACAA has issued an indefinite suspension of our Air Operating Certificates. This means that we cannot conduct commercial flights until further notice. We adamantly reject the reasons offered by the SACAA for its decision. We are an airline deeply committed to safety and excellence and have offered multiple reasonable solutions to the SACAA’s stated concerns, all of which have been rejected, an indication of a malicious intent by the SACAA to bring CemAir to its knees by grounding it unnecessarily at peak season.’
Turn of events CemAir was forced to take the matter to the High Court where it won its case against the SACAA, allowing the airline to resume its normal flight operations with immediate effect. I am amazed that our judicial system is still intact and impartial – it’s the only thing that keeps South Africa from descending into utter mayhem and anarchy. Why did the SACAA attempt to tarnish CemAir and Miles van der Moulin for trying to make a business work? Obviously this time an urgent interdict was brought before the high court and the evidence given was sufficient to reverse the SACAA’s decision - I say, not for the first time, that all parties need to find an impartial aviation expert to play an ‘aviation ombudsman’ role, to keep the regulator from overstepping its powers, whilst keeping the flying public safe. The SACAA needs to remember the word ‘Kama’ for the wheel turns, because many, many individuals and aviation companies have been hampered by poor workmanship and blatant disregard for honesty and integrity at the regulator. Aviation is a very small industry and we certainly do not need a regulator which is a blatant ‘bully’ where its own shortcomings are very apparent in so many situations. I don’t know the finer details of the SACAA / CemAir situation, but would rather see the regulator try harder and make a success of its mandate. Many times the arrogant inspectors of the regulator clearly overstep the mark and more often than not the interpretations of the ‘regulations’ are found to be wanting.
Official statement from the SACAA The SACAA is pleased to state that CemAir (Pty) Ltd will finally comply with its operating certificates’ conditions, paving the way for the airline to operate within approved safety requirements. This may come as good news for the airline’s clients who were left stranded for several days, when the SACAA, as a last resort to get the airline to comply with its certification conditions, took a decision to suspend CemAir’s Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) pertaining to Part 121 (large aircraft) and Part 135 (small aircraft) operations. Consistent with its mandate, the SACAA will always make its decisions in the interest of the safety and security of the passengers and crew.
Contrary to the announcement by the airline declaring a court victory; the SACAA is of the view that aviation safety is the true winner in this regard. This is because the court did not exonerate the airline from complying with its licence conditions. The parties reached a settlement, which was made an order of the court. The court granted an interim order pending final determination of an appeal to be lodged by CemAir to the Director of Civil Aviation. Suspension of CemAir’s Part 121 and 135 Air Operating Certificates was temporarily lifted with conditions. Even though the court order temporarily lifted the SACAA’s decision, it compels the airline to comply with the regulations. The SACAA believes that the time spent going to court could have been used gainfully by the airline to ensure compliance with civil aviation regulations.
In summary, and in order to address SACAA’s safety concerns, CemAir was called upon: a) To develop a procedure for monitoring and accounting for undeclared hand luggage and submit it to the SACAA for approval on 19 December 2018. b) To immediately comply with the weight and balance requirements. c) Furthermore, the airline has been ordered to stop deducting kilogram allowances from passengers until a weight plan is approved by the SACAA. Most crucially, the court order paves the way for the SACAA to continue and finalise its annual renewal audit without unnecessary hindrances. As part of finalising the audit, the SACAA will review and consider all compliance matters including the status of postholders such as the Responsible Person: Flight Operations.
Editor’s comments If this is the official statement from the SACAA, why did the regulator force CemAir to turn to the Courts to resolve the issues that could have been managed within a boardroom setting? Secondly I am aware that CemAir did try to resolve the issues before the airline was forced to turn to the High Court, but apparently no one at the regulator was prepared to listen to the logic of the B1900D luggage issue. Clearly in this instance the regulator does not understand the operation of the Beechcraft 1900D. It is also worth noting that CemAir meets IATA’s stringent international IOSA standards of safety.Why does all of the aviation industry in South Africa have to put up with the sheer incompetence of the regulator mainly due to a distinct lack of academic qualifications?
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What is the SACAA’s mandate? The SACAA has acknowledged that its function is to develop the aviation industry. The previous Civil Aviation Act (40 of 1998) made specific reference to the SACAA’s responsibility to develop aviation and that one of the CAA’s objectives was to ‘oversee the functioning and development of the civil aviation industry.’ With so many examples of the blatant inefficiencies in most departments at the regulator it is hard to believe that the SACAA achieved the ICAO audit status it did in 2017. It is the view of many professionals within the South African aviation industry that the SACAA is determined to be listed within the ‘top 10’ regulators in the world at its 2019 ICAO audit and this is the reason why the body continues to ‘flex its muscles,’ usually to the detriment of the aviation industry. One questions how the ‘regulator’ can carry out its mandate, when there is unquestionable evidence that there is a serious lack of skilled qualified people who fail to understand the difference between safety management and deskwork. A High Court judge accused the SACAA of launching ill-advised ‘legal frolics’ which in many cases it has lost, with punitive cost orders against it. If the regulator cannot achieve its mandate due to its own inability to interpret the rules and regulations, the result that we are all witnessing is the slow death of civil aviation in South Africa. When this happens there will be no longer be a need for an overstaffed, bloated regulator any longer.
CemAir grounded again in January 2019 Late in the afternoon of Friday 11 January the SACAA issued another grounding of CemAir’s Part 121 and Part 135 Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) citing a further audit revealed eleven findings of which five were classified as Level 1. In an emotional press release to the media the SACAA used language that is inconsistent with its mandate. In my opinion there can be no doubt that the SACAA has an agenda and hopefully this latest grounding will also be tested in the High Court within the next few days. The SACAA’s emotional media releases are deliberately timed to produce as much damage to an honest business as possible. Over the past few years, I have tried very hard to engage with and work with the SACAA, but it appears that the regulator’s agenda is to destroy South African Civil Aviation. Why am I becoming
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involved in this fight? Simple, if the regulator is allowed to continue on its path of destruction, many aviation companies will either close down, as many have already, or choose to move their businesses away from South Africa. I am one of the very few people who walks the airport ramps and works with numerous aviation professionals throughout South Africa and wherever I travel the complaints about the ‘bullying tactics’ of SACAA inspectors is often discussed. It appears that the South African aviation industry is afraid to stand up to the sheer incompetence of SACAA inspectors for fear of having their operations suspended in the same way that the regulator has dealt with a privately owned airline – CemAir over the past year. If one digs deep enough into paperwork, there is probably not a single company that has all its paperwork 100% in order. In reality for many years almost every business in South African civil aviation has suffered at the hands of SACAA inspectors, many of whom do not have adequate qualifications, whilst they interpret the regulations in any manner that they see fit often contradicting themselves. I am sure we all remember the inspector lady who grounded a Cessna 208 Caravan, because the crew was refuelling with Jet A at Lanseria? Then there are the significant delays in getting modification approvals from the regulator, the simple fact that e-mails are not answered and telephone calls go unanswered. I have several personal examples of SACAA incompetence, but I have been waiting for an opportunity to address these matters in the correct forum.
The BIG question is:
?
What are we going to do about this horrendous situation, where the SACAA appears to be a law unto itself with very few checks and balances
February 2019
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OR Tambo International Airport
Feather Awards
OAG, the world’s leading provider of digital flight information, which accredits The annual Feather Awards for airports owned by Airports airports around the world for Company South Africa (ACSA) are based on independent superior punctuality performance. OAG surveys of passengers and other airport users. is an air travel intelligence company based in United Kingdom. It provides digital information and applications to the world’s airlines, airports, government agencies and travel-related service companies. OAG is best known for its airline schedules’ database which holds future and historical flight details for more than 900 airlines and over 4,000 airports. OAG maintains a flight status and day-of-travel database in the aviation market and provides analytical tools to assess air travel trends. Headquartered in the UK, OAG also has offices in At OR Tambo the United States, Singapore, Japan and China. International Airport’s 2018 Feather Awards on Friday Ensuring that flights consistently leave on schedule from OR Tambo 7 December, the ACSA Board of International Airport requires an enormous amount of planning, Directors, led by the recently appointed coordination and cooperation behind the scenes from all ground Chairman Adv. Sandile Nogxina, captains of the staff and service providers working within the airport ecosystem. aviation industry and ACSA’s economic regulating “Without the commitment and dedication of our stakeholder and committee were present to congratulate the 25 service service providers, we cannot operate OR Tambo International Airport, providers and individuals for their outstanding performance let alone achieve global excellence. Without dedicated individuals during the year. The award categories covered the full spectrum of committed to passenger service excellence, these results cannot be airport service providers including airlines, cargo operators, retail, car achieved because they require the personal touch and on-going hire, security, law enforcement agencies, hotels, ground handlers and improvement in service quality,” said Bongiwe Pityi-Vokwana. community-based non-profit organisations. Bongiwe completed her Bachelor of Law degree in 1996 and practised
By Athol Franz
Speaking at the Feather Awards’ gala dinner hosted at the Sandton Convention Centre, Bongiwe Pityi-Vokwana, General Manager of OR Tambo International Airport said: “In a complex airport such as ours we manage volumes, variability, variety and visibility. Delivering the best service and performance is always a challenge in a live environment where precision and predictability of service is the basis of existence, whether you are a global firm or one of our many small to medium enterprises. What they all have in common though, is a determination to do their utmost for customers in a collaborative manner, even when circumstances are challenging. Most importantly, their well-coordinated efforts are seen and felt by passengers and other airport users, which is why we are so pleased to be able to recognise publicly the achievements of our stakeholders and business partners,” she said. As chairman of the board, advocate Nogxina congratulated Airports Company South Africa and its stakeholders for flying the South African flag and shared his anticipation for achieving great things during his tenure. “The airports and aviation space promise to unlock the massive potential of our continent as we become more closely interconnected. I consider it a privilege to be able to guide the board of Airports Company South Africa as it emerges from challenging times and circumstances, but I have no illusions about the immense responsibility we now have on our shoulders as a collective. I look forward to developing good working relationships with all of our major stakeholders,” said Nogxina. OR Tambo International Airport received a four-star ranking for on-time performance globally in 2018. This ranking is awarded by
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as an attorney for two years before joining the aviation industry. The keynote speaker was Gordon Institute of Business Science’s Dr. Thabo Mosala, who challenged the guests on the need to collaborate and partner within an ecosystem. “Passengers are not just clients of an airline. They are clients of ACSA, clients of the retailers they visit when they come to the airport. They are clients of the security services which protect the airport and are clients of the many other partners in the value chain. When one is a multi-stakeholder partner in an economy, working with other partners with an ecosystem mindset leads to greater collaboration, greater stability and economic benefits for all players in the ecosystem,” Dr. Mosala explained. Pityi-Vokwana reminded guests that they are part of a community of about 38 000 people working within the airport environment. She also thanked the winners for their continuing commitment to building the airport’s business and reputation, thus maintaining South Africa’s status as a leader in the African aviation industry. She added; “In any airport, only a small fraction of the people working there are actually employed by the airport company. Because of the governance, efficiency and service levels of all the people working at our airport, the world sees us differently; a true leader in Africa’s aviation industry.” The process of determining the winners of the Feather Awards gala requires months of data capturing and analysis of performance in each category.
At the end of the process the winners in each category were determined.This year’s lifetime achievement award was awarded to Danny Swarts, former station manager of British Airways mainline. Danny worked tirelessly since 1975, devoting his working life to the aviation industry until he reached the age of retirement. He was instrumental in ACSA receiving approval of its permission application and will always be remembered for challenging the organisation’s thinking on many fronts. British Airways connected the City of Gold with London’s square mile in 1952. At the time
of Mr. Swarts’ retirement, he left the airline operating no less than 17 flights per week, 14 of which are operated on the A380 and three on the B787 Dreamliner. Ms. Pityi-Vokwana thanked Mr. Swarts for his great foresight which culminated in the A380 making the airport a home for many carriers. “I have enjoyed many thought-provoking conversations with him and he has earned the respect of industry captains. Over many years he led an airline operation that was proud to be considered a formidable carrier in the international market and has been operating at our airport for decades,” she concluded.
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The 2018 Feather Award winners for OR Tambo
International Airport
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Best performing international airline: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Best performing domestic full service airline: South African Airways 3) Best performing domestic low cost airline: FlySafair 4) Best performing regional airline: South African Airways 5) Best cargo airline: Singapore Airlines 6) Best cargo handler: Airlink 7) Best cargo forwarder: Sky Services 8) Best performing ground handling service provider: Swissport South Africa 9) Best safety service provider: Menzies Aviation 10) Best performing retail service provider (landside): Sunglass Hut 11) Best performing retail service provider (domestic airside): Exclusive Books 12) Best performing retail service provider (international airside): Mont Blanc
13) Best performing financial services: Bidvest Bank 14) Best performing food & beverage service provider (domestic airside): Airport Craft Brewers 15) Best performing food & beverage service provider (international airside): Illy Go 16) Best performing food & beverage service provider (landside): Nandos 17) Best performing car hire service provider category A: Europcar 18) Best performing car hire service provider category B: Woodford Car Hire 19) Best government service provider: Department of Home Affairs (immigration services) and South African Revenue Service (customs & excise) 20) Best security provider: Blackrox Security Services 21) Top Gun award: Bradley Stalls 22) QuadPara Association South Africa (QASA) award: Menzies Aviation, Swissport and BidAir Services 23) Leadership award: Bob Gurr 24) Lifetime award: Danny Swarts 25) General Manager’s award: Big Five Duty Free February 2019
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“Gulfstream and Qatar Executive have been good partners since we announced the G500 and Qatar’s intention is to be Gulfstream’s international launch customer” said Gulfstream President Mark Burns.
First international G500 deliveries
We are proud to deliver these aircraft just four years later and after the most rigorous flight-test programme Gulfstream has conducted.
In an announcement made on Monday 31 December 2018, Gulfstream has made the first international delivery of its G500 business jet. Two G500s were recently handed over to international launch customer Qatar Airways, which already has five Gulfstream G650ERs in service as part of its executive charter business. The new G500s are part of a 2014 agreement between Gulfstream and Qatar Airways for up to 30 Gulfstream aircraft. The agreement includes a mix of firm orders and options for G650ER, G500 and G600 models.
The Gulfstream G500 earned its FAA type and production certificates in July 2018 and entered service in September. The US type certificate was validated by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority in October. The 19-passenger G500 has a long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85, 5,200-NM range and maximum take-off weight of 79,600 pounds. Features include a third-generation Enhanced Vision System, active-control sidesticks, 10 touchscreens and a head-up display. Gulfstream says the longer-range G600 is expected to enter service in 2019.
TECNAM CERTIFIES 11-SEAT P2012 TRAVELLER Renowned airplane designer Luigi Pascale’s final vision has become a reality with the certification of Tecnam’s P2012 Traveller. Italian airplane maker Tecnam achieved the Christmas present it likely wished for as the company achieved certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency for the commuter-style airplane in the company’s 70-year history – the P2012 Traveller. The Traveller was designed as a solution for low-cost regional air travel, with two turbocharged 375 hp Lycoming piston engines powering the 11-seat high-wing airplane. The engines are managed electronically, eliminating the need for manual mixture controls. The instrument panel is dominated by Garmin’s G1000 NXi avionics’ suite, with two 10-inch PFDs and a 12-inch MFD screen in the centre. The system includes full ADS-B In and Out capability, Garmin’s 3D audio system, angle of attack capabilities, a fully integrated autopilot and much more. Cav Ice’s TKS system makes the airplane FIKI capable. Tecnam met all of its development goals for the P2012, including the certification target and the company’s experimental test pilot Lorenzo De Stefano conducted 600 hours
of flight testing in conditions representing extreme heat and cold, flutter, speeds and altitudes. “The EASA certification of the P2012 Traveller marks a significant milestone for my Tecnam team, our very first commuter airline aircraft,” said Tecnam’s CEO, Paolo Pascale. “We have embraced new challenges and developed new skills. I am very proud to lead one of the most innovative and growing global aviation companies and I dedicate this important achievement to Luigi and Giovanni Pascale, the brothers who started the company in 1948.” Cape Air, a regional airline based in Hyannis, Massachusetts, signed a contract for 100 P2012s and it will be the launch customer. However, the first delivery to Cape Air cannot be made until the FAA certification is complete, another milestone that Tecnam expects very soon. Tecnam plans to deliver 20 Travellers to Cape Air in 2019.
Cockpit P2012 Traveller
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A first for South Africa Well-known aviation database specialist, Avdex is marketing its ground-breaking Avdex Maintenance Planning (AMP) programme. Aimed at aircraft owners and operators, the AMP concept is the first South African-developed solution to the timeless problem of tracking scheduled airframe, engine and component maintenance tasks. Whilst the AMP programme is not a new idea, it is the first to be structured around the South African CAA maintenance regulations. A common problem amongst operators of all levels of aircraft is anticipating approaching airframe calendar, hourly and cycle limits. Current Excel based solutions are not robust enough and do not lend themselves to forecasting. Good examples are regular airframe inspections, service bulletins, airworthiness directives, engine, propeller and component overhauls. The AMP process will track and forewarn owners as well as their maintenance service providers of approaching maintenance requirements. The aircraft owner has to merely tap in a computer code and access the aircraft’s status and future maintenance needs. Using a web-based server, accessed by the AOC, owner or Maintenance Company, AMP is customised to individual aircraft by a thorough inspection and appraisal of the aircraft or helicopter’s logbooks, type-relevant bulletins and ADs. This is carried out by experienced Avdex staff and is transferred in detailed form to a computer database and updated by owner or operator inputs as the aircraft is flown.
At any time, the aircraft’s status can be checked and owners or AOC can call up approaching maintenance items requiring attention. AMP generates upcoming maintenance requirements with expected due dates and hours remaining that will enable an owner or AOC to forecast down times. Maintenance Scheduling is therefore much easier and more accurate. AOCs are able to generate certificates to confirm that no maintenance is due prior to aircraft release on a flight.
Please contact AVDEX Maintenance Planning Tel: 011 954 1536 or Cell: 073 454 7809 E-mail: tania@avdex.co.za
February 2019
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AVIATION INSURANCE
CLAIMS By Franceua Nell, Franceua Nell Attorneys At some point in an Aviation career, an individual is likely to be directly or indirectly involved in an insurance claim. I believe most will come away from the experience with a positive view of the Aviation Insurance Industry, but some will not. The nature of the claim experience is dependent on many variables. The first and foremost being policy coverage, very dependent on the wording and intention of the policy in place at the time of the claim event. On the one side is the policy holder’s understanding of what he or she has cover for and on the other side the Insurer, the drafter of the policy, with his or her unique understanding of what they have covered. The next big factor having a bearing on the claim experience, is what information has been presented to the Insurer to make his or her decision on coverage. This is the domain of the Assessor, an independent individual appointed by the Insurer to look into the matter and provide the Insurer with the relevant information about the circumstances of the event. On most occasions, a dispute on coverage can be resolved with dialogue between your Broker and the Insurer. However, there are times when the dispute is technically complicated and there will be a need to incorporate contract law and principles of Insurance to reach a resolution. Aviation Insurers are reasonable and approachable individuals but they are legally bound to not pay a claim that is in breach of the law. If you are unfortunate enough to find yourself in a situation of dispute, then you will be well advised to make sure that your attorney is a seasoned litigator specialising in contract law, is actively involved in aviation with a sound technical knowledge and above all else orientated towards swift dispute resolution.
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MOST RELIABLE PROPELLER FOR CESSNA AIRCRAFT Operating in Africa requires aircraft and products that are reliable and durable. Whether it’s an Air Safari to the remotest game preserve, or delivering critical medical supplies to an isolated village, you want a propeller that you can count on, one that’s Built on Honor. Our Top Prop program offers proven 2-, 3-, and 4-blade propeller conversions featuring the latest in blended airfoil scimitar technology for all single engine Cessnas. Check out our entire selection of Top Prop conversions including Cessna 206, 208, and 210.
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DIAMOND AIRCRAFT and the SAUDI NATIONAL COMPANY OF AVIATION (SNCA)
announce agreement for the purchase of 60 aircraft The Saudi National Company of Aviation (SNCA), a CAE Authorised Training Centre, has selected the Diamond Aircraft twin DA42-VI and single DA40 NG for its training centre. The agreement will comprise 60 airplanes over a five-year period. Delivery of the first 12 aircraft will start February 2019.The DA40 NG and the DA42VI represent the newest versions of Diamond’s technology leading piston aircraft fleet, the first certified general aviation piston aircraft to combine modern technology airframes, avionics and power plants. The aircraft are equipped with efficient, clean and reliable jet-fuel piston Austro engines and Garmin G1000 NXi avionics’ systems, representing the very best of modern piston aircraft technology. This purchase agreement is one of the largest in the history of aviation academies in Saudi Arabia and perhaps the Middle East region. It also marks a new era of aviation training in the Kingdom which is well aligned with the Kingdom’s 2030 vision. SNCA is determined to provide the aviation industry with highly qualified male and female pilots who will be part of the development of its aviation industry and serve as an integral tool for development in the region. February 2019
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announces certification of the G500H TXi flight displays Last month Garmin announced the certification and availability of the G500H TXi touchscreen flight display for normal category VFR helicopters. The G500H TXi features a vastly expanded feature set that offers an array of panel possibilities and a streamlined upgrade path for helicopters already equipped with the original G500H flight display. In addition, a new software version for the GTN™ 650/750 series has been approved for helicopters. Together, the G500H TXi and GTN offer seamless touchscreen continuity in the cockpit, bringing a new level of reliability, adaptability and affordability to helicopter operations. Designed specifically for normal category VFR helicopters, the G500H TXi is available in several sizes and formats, including a large 10.6-inch touch-controlled display and two versions of seven-inch touch-controlled displays in either portrait or landscape orientations. Both displays offer concentric knobs for added versatility and convenience. The 10.6-inch G500H TXi is available in a horizontal format that can accommodate PFD information and an MFD simultaneously. The seven-inch portrait display can be individually dedicated to a PFD or MFD. For space-limited panels, the seveninch landscape display can serve as a dedicated PFD with instrument tapes and an arc-view horizontal situation indicator (HSI). The G500H TXi also features multiple video input options, night vision goggle (NVG) compatibility and a graphical map overlay within the HSI for most display formats.
altitude information on the moving map and provides both aural and visual alerting when operating near powerlines. Connext® cockpit connectivity with Flight Stream 510 and added Database Concierge is also available as an option with the G500H TXi. Using a compatible tablet or smart phone, pilots can easily upload and sync database information using the Garmin Pilot™ app. Additional features include the streaming of traffic, weather, GPS information, back-up attitude information and more, from the G500H TXi to the Garmin Pilot, FltPlan Go or ForeFlight Mobile applications.
The G500H TXi incorporates a clean-sheet touchscreen design with modern processors that support improved map and chart rendering, faster panning and contemporary single-finger zoom and pinch-tozoom gestures. For helicopters already equipped with the original G500H series flight display, full G500H TXi compatibility with existing system sensors makes for an easy, cost-effective upgrade path. Offering an impressive array of features and hazard avoidance solutions, the G500H TXi is equipped with five-colour Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System1 (HTAWS), WireAware™ wirestrike avoidance technology, as well as optional Garmin HSVT™ 3D synthetic vision. HTAWS offers forward-looking avoidance capability and predicts where potential hazards may exist to help pilots maintain safe separation from nearby terrain, towers or obstacles.
The latest software upgrade for the GTN 650/750 incorporates optional hardware compatibilities, new operational features and capabilities, including:
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A helicopter-specific obstacle database contains over 200,000 additional low-altitude obstacles. For added protection, an expanded version is also available and offers over 700,000 miles of power line data. Garmin WireAware wire-strike avoidance technology uses this database to overlay powerline locations and relative
The G500H TXi comes with a two-year warranty and d is available immediately. The GTN 650/750 software upgradee is also als available immediately from Garmin authorised dealers.
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Seamless integration between the G500H TXi and the GTN 650/750 touchscreen navigators provides helicopter operators with complete touchscreen continuity between the navigation, communication and flight display interface in the panel.
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Pilots can now set a user-defined waypoint as an airport so terrain alerts are minimised whilst landing at an airport that is not in the aviation database. The addition of a QWERTY keyboard within the GTN 650/750 gives pilots a more familiar way to input information Pilots can configure comm sidetone settings within the GTN series The GMA™ 35c remote audio panel is now approved for use in helicopters with the GTN 750, so operators can take advantage of the convenience and utility associated with a Bluetooth® audio panel To aid in descent planning and energy management, pilots can take advantage of descent vertical navigation (VNAV) profiles within the GTN.
Lithium starter batteries
for non-type certified aircraft The use of Lithium batteries for aircraft offers considerable weight and size savings, improved cranking power and longer service life. There are several types of Lithium batteries using different chemistries. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) types are the safest and of course the best choice for aircraft use. The stability of the LiFePO4 battery comes from the fact that there is no free oxygen produced in the chemical reaction.
your installation to protect the battery from over charging. LiFePO4batteries are particularly sensitive to over-charging. Use the correct charger and do not use conventional chargers made for lead acid batteries.
There is no thermal runaway, even at temperatures of 160 degrees C. Other chemistries offer higher outputs for lower weight and sizes, but with lower safety margins. It is unfortunate that the authorities don’t differentiate between the various Lithium chemistries and regulations are implemented to control the most unstable types. They are all ‘lumped together’ as ‘Lithium’ batteries. This has in particular affected the transporting and handling of all Lithium type batteries by carriers. LiFePO4 cell fires are virtually unheard of, but it is still very important to correctly install, charge and operate these batteries.
One must carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions! Don’t connect batteries in parallel and don’t jump start!
So why use a lithium starter battery in the first place? •
Weight and space saving: a LiFePO4 battery weighing 1.3Kg will comfortably start an O-360 aircraft engine and take up the same space as a house alarm battery.
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Superior cranking performance: Once you have seen how fast a lithium battery cranks an engine, you will never go back. Repeated cranking never seems to slow down and on a cold day it even gets better as the battery warms up a little.
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Long life: A correctly sized and deployed lithium starter battery will last five years and provide five times more charge/discharge cycles than a lead-acid battery.
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Availability: Self discharge is extremely low. A fully discharged 360A battery could be charged sufficiently for an engine start within 10 minutes.
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Low maintenance: No regular top up charging is required. Infrequent battery changes means less labour costs.
So if you have decided to fit a Lithium Iron Phosphate starter battery, get expert advice to choose the correct Lithium battery for your application. Use an over voltage protection unit in
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Gatwick Airport, England drones’ chaos just before Christmas
The scene; it is late in the evening on a freezing cold, dark and windy December night in southern England. Suddenly an airport worker at Gatwick (London’s second international airport) sees something fly past in the gloom above the floodlights. The weather and darkness makes it difficult to see what the object was, but the report is phoned into security. What was it? A flock of birds? A piece of plastic litter caught by the wind and blown through the night? In this case, the call is recorded as a drone. Because the magic D-word has been uttered, a security plan swings into action and the airport is placed into a high state of readiness, whilst flights are suspended.
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housands of people across the airport site are placed on alert, watching for the drone and of course, the drone reports roll in, therefore the story takes on a life of its own. People who have no idea what a drone looks like in the air are now expecting to see one, so of course when a flock of birds or a plastic bag caught by the wind crosses their peripheral vision they too are convinced that it is the drone.
Airport. At the time of writing there remains the possibility that there could have been a drone over Gatwick, but given the current dearth of evidence it is one that seems tenuous. There are reports of drone wreckage, but since readers with long memories will recall UK police once identified RepRap parts as a 3D printed gun we will have to wait until we see the evidence. If there was indeed a drone then of course we would like to see its operators brought to justice forthwith.
Night turns into day, there is a lull in the reports so the airport re-opens, only to be closed again following a fresh spate of sightings. Flights are diverted all across the country and tens of thousands of passengers are stranded in the terminals.
So if we are to glean anything from this sorry mess, we must examine it from several angles. Why is there a lack of drone detection technology in place? How should drone reports initially be treated and investigated on the ground? How should they be dealt with in official inquiries and how then should lawmakers see them? This will inevitably have a British flavour to it because of the incident in question, but the points are just as valid worldwide.
Three days of airport closure drama follow. No photos emerge despite almost every one of the many thousands of people on the site having a camera phone from which they are Tweeting about the queues in the terminal. There is a grainy video, but it is indistinct and crucially it doesn’t have anything in it that is identifiable as Gatwick. Meanwhile the police are frustrated in their search for the drone operators, who like their drones, prove difficult to pinpoint. During the third night a pair of arrests are announced, a local couple. The police have saved the day, the culprits are under lock and key. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief, the airport re-opens and that is the end of that. Except of course it isn’t, because inconveniently the pair are found to be blameless and released. When pressed during an interview, a police spokesman makes the embarrassing admission that there is a possibility that there may never have been a drone whatsoever. You might imagine that this was the fictional plot of a thriller novel, but sadly it was not. All of the above is a tale, in the British media, of the last few days of December at Gatwick
WHEN A DRONE REPORT COMES IN, WE NEED A RELIABLE WAY TO EVALUATE IT.
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contest organisers down a drone with a helicopter A surfing event in Hawaii recently took an unusual approach to protecting its intellectual property when an unauthorised drone was spotted capturing images of the event. Petapixel reports that the incident occurred at the World Surfing League (WSL) big wave event at Jaws in Peahi, Hawaii and of course a video of the incident has been posted on YouTube. Once the drone was sighted, several safety water patrol staffers were despatched to knock the drone out of the sky. They started by throwing objects such as swim fins at the drone, but were unable to knock it from the air. So they called in some big iron in the form of a helicopter.The helicopter swooped in over the drone and the rotor-wash knocked the offending DJI Mavic into the Pacific ocean. The person who tipped off Petapixel to the incident, Andrew Grose, said that the World Surfing League has been known to be quite protective in terms of its intellectual property rights. This is especially true with regard to its copyright laws, making professional filming or photographing within contest areas almost impossible unless directly contracted by the WSL.”
Zipline medical deliveries for Ghana meet resistance In December 2018, the Ghanaian government approved a $12.5 million deal with Zipline to roll out its medical delivery service in the country. The company will build four nodes all staffed by Ghanaians. The first will be at Suhum in Eastern Ghana. Operating 24/7 the nodes will cost the Government $88,000 a month and the current contract is to run for four years. Zipline guarantees 150 drone flights per day making 600 flights a day from the four centres However, there has been resistance with the Ghana Medical Association calling for the suspension of the deal. “The government should suspend the planned implementation of this system immediately. Broader stakeholder consultations on the use of this autonomous remotely piloted aircraft system in the healthcare delivery in the country should be conducted to decide the way forward. Health should not be politicised and that the health of Ghanaians is critical. The GMA is not against the use of technology to improve healthcare in the country. However, every single intervention proposed
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in this direction should not be seen as a panacea to solving our healthcare problems, but rather as an augmentation to existing efforts. The proposed services to be provided by the drones do not conform to the existing primary healthcare policy in Ghana, where different levels of care have different capacities to perform specific functions.”
PEGASUS AEROSPACE develops ‘ShockWave tactical UAS’
Because lives matter and a lack of a true Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems exist in the UAS marketplace today, Pegasus Aerospace has developed a Tactical UAS for use by Government, Law Enforcement, School Resource Officers and Private Security Firms, to enable them to safely and accurately achieve their missions without risking and endangering first responder lives, in case of a life-threatening situation.
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quipped with multiple non-lethal capabilities, including capabilities for surveillance, intelligence collection and the ability to incapacitate a target from a distance, ShockWave Tactical UAS is designed from the ground up to be used outdoors and indoors. It is easy to set-up and operate and can provide real-time intelligence and surveillance as a force multiplier to government, law enforcement or civil security firms.
The compact solution can be used in a fully autonomous mode or in a manual mode, controlled by a custom state of the art flight computer system designed by Pegasus Aerospace, which features the following key components: iLEDD, is a technology designed by Pegasus Aerospace for the ShockWave Tactical UAS which stands for Incapacitating Light Emitting Diode Device. This device emits different coloured light flashes and patterns, which act on the target’s brain, inducing disorientation, confusion, nausea and in some extreme cases, vomiting.
as well as a DVR capable of recording the entire mission. A fixed front camera provides a pilot’s eye view, with a superimposed HUD system and on a stabilised mount, there is a FLIR Duo Pro R, HD dual-sensor thermal camera. Together these cameras provide the operator with an unprecedented first person view and situational awareness for any operation and in any environment. With its small transport footprint, agile and readily deployable flight performance compared to other compact non tactical UAV systems, ShockWave gets closer to the action, staying one step ahead, whilst meeting complex challenges. A modular and cost effective design enables the operator to deliver multiple capabilities and applications, whilst meeting national aviation regulations and operational requirements.
“ShockWave will neutralise a subject’s ability to inflict further harm,” said Eugen Toma, Chief Technical Officer of Pegasus Aerospace and Shockwave’s Inventor.
The DTM System is a custom digital taser module designed and developed by Pegasus Aerospace for use with ShockWave. It features cartridges capable of accurately reaching a target 20 feet away. The system features an IR targeting laser, visible on its camera system. The NLLS system is a custom designed 12GA launcher module, designed to fire 12 gauge non-lethal ammunition, such as FlashBangs, Pepper or Rubber rounds. The system can be deployed to confuse, disorient and incapacitate a target.
said Joseph Erik Mattern, Chief Operating Officer of Pegasus Aerospace and Co-Creator of ShockWave.
ShockWave possesses a camera system which provides crystal clear 1080p HD transmissions to the pilot and mission commander,
ShockWave is IP-64, STANAG 4586, FAA compliant and is ready for use in controlled national airspace across all classifications.
“This is going to be a game changer,”
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Event
Venue
Contact
2 February
SAPFA Cape Speed Rally
Morningstar Airfield
Hans Potgieter hcom@mweb.co.za
Aviation Africa Summit
Kigali Convention Centre, Rwanda
27 -28 February
Mark Brown mark.brown@africanaerospace.aero www.aviationafrica.aero Phushaza Sibiya 072 870 7085
28 February
BARSA Aviation Summit
Venue TBA
4 - 7 March
HAI Heli-Expo
Georgia World Congress Centre, Atlanta, Georgia
rotor@rotor.org www.rotor.org
9 - 10 March
Swellendam Flying Club host Sport Aerobatic Club Regional Championships
Swellendam
Pieter Venter pventer@vgv.co.za
9 March
SAPFA Speed Rally
Middelburg Aero Club
Rob Jonkers 082 804 7032 rob@aerosud.co.za
12 - 14 March
Saudi Airshow
Thumah Airport, Riyadh
www.saudiairshow.aero
13 - 15 March
Ageing Aircraft & Aircraft Corrosion seminar
OR Tambo International Airport
lmjaviationbookings@gmail.com
23 March
FASHKOSK
Stellenbosch Airfield
Anton Theart 079 873 4567 gm@stelfly.co.za
23 March
SAPFA Virginia Fun Rally
Virginia Airport
4 - 6 April
SAPFA Rally Nationals & Fun Rally
Stellenbosch Airfield
6 April
Robertson Annual Breakfast fly in
Robertson Airfield
11 April
Pilot Career Show
Venue TBA
phushaza@vumareputation.com
Mary de Klerk 084 880 9000 maryd@expandingbranding.co.za Frank Eckard 083 269 1516 frank.eckard@mweb.co.za Alwyn du Plessis 083 270 5888 boeredata@breede.co.za
Greta Senkevie greta@aviationcv.com
Airshow organisers: African Pilot annual airshow award details on our website: www.africanpilot.co.za Local 0861 001130 International +27 11 466 8524 Pre & post publicity: E-mail: editor@africanpilot.co.za Website: www.africanpilot.co.za Details are published in the magazine, the African Pilot weekly Newsletter and the African Pilot Website. They serve to remind aviation enthusiasts of forthcoming events during the week running up to the event. Capital Sounds for sound and broadcast: Brian Emmenis 057 388 2351 E-mail: capital@icon.co.za ASSA - Air Show South Africa Website: www.airshowsa.org.za. To reserve an airshow or fly-in please book on-line: www.airshowsa.org.za Louise Hofmeyer 083 454 1104 E-mail: louise@airshowsa.org.za Management & Airshow Authorisation: Tania van den Berg RAASA 011 082 1000 E-mail: tania@raasa.co.za Website: www.raasa.co.za
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By Divan Muller The first example of a Boeing 747, quite possibly the most easily recognisable aircraft in the world, completed its maiden flight fifty years ago on 9 February 1969. When the first aircraft was rolled out during the previous year, Boeing already had orders for more than 200 of the 747 from 26 airlines. At the time, it appeared that supersonic airliners would dominate the future of air travel. Therefore, the widebody 747 was seen as little more than an interim solution to the world’s air transport needs, with most people believing that it would primarily be used to transport cargo. The 747’s most destinctive feature, its ‘hump’ was a result of this belief. Pan Am decision makers wanted the aircraft
to have a nose which could tilt up, allowing the transport of bulky cargo. To make that possible, the cockpit had to be placed higher than the rest of the fuselage. It was then decided to make space for first class seating in the ‘bump’ for passenger variants of the aircraft. As it turned out, supersonic aircraft did not dominate the airline industry and the 747 became tremendously successful as a passenger and cargo aircraft. Almost 1 600 examples have been built over the past 50 years and the type remains in production today as the Boeing 747-8. Although its future as a passenger aircraft appears bleak, it could well be that there will be a market for cargo variants for many years to come.
Picture by Athol Franz
Did you know? The Boeing 747 is also known as the ‘Jumbo Jet’ or ‘Queen of the Skies’. The building originally built to construct 747s, at Boeing’s Everett factory in Washington, still holds the record as the largest building in the world by volume. Boeing’s investment into the 747 programme was considerable, to the extent that if the project had failed, the company would have gone bankrupt. In 1991, an Israeli Airlines’ El Al 747 set a world record by carrying 1 088 passengers. This number included two babies born during the flight. The 747-8 is the largest variant of the aircraft type and first flew in 2010. With a length of 73 metres, it is the longest passenger aircraft in the world. In terms of cruise speed, 747s are amongst the fastest civil aircraft in the world. Apparently, a common job interview question with major tech companies such as Google is, “How many table tennis balls would fit into a 747?” In case you are wondering, the answer is that almost 23 million would fit into a 747-400. 322 3
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By Athol Franz
This picture of the only Sirkosky Black Hawk helicopter in South Africa was taken at the Lowveld airshow on Saturday 12 May 2018. This unique helicopter is owned and operated by Leading Edge Aviation based at Nelspruit Airfield and is primary used for aerial fire fighting. Athol used his Canon EOS 1D Mk IV fitted with a 100 to 400 mm Canon image stabilised lens. ISO 200 and shutter speed at 80sec in an effort to obtain spin on the four blades 34
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