African Pilot magazine - July 2019 Preview by African Pilot Magazine

™ July 2019

Volume 18 No.7

R35.00 incl. VAT N$35.00 incl. VAT

CAASA’s 75th birthday www.africanpilot.co.za

Cover photograph by Athol Franz

M ou nt an ain , d G Te Can en ac er hi yon al ng & Pi Fl Ba lo igh ck tS t c up boo oun pl ks try ie

DH Venom & Sea Venom

Contents Airline Pilot

Sport Pilot

Lufthansa Technik opens in SA

Will Boeing ever ‘dig’ itself out of

WesBank Botswana International

Airshow - Matsieng 2019

the 737 MAX mess?

Newcastle Airshow 2019

Comair purchases Star Air Cargo

SA teen to fly from Cape to Cairo

Mango - Lanseria to Zanibar

Regulars Commercial Pilot

Competitions

Pegasus ‘VTOL’ concept

Letters

FAA approves Alsim AL172

Names to Remember

CAASA’s 75th Birthday

Events Calendar

AVDEX AMS

Fact File

Picture of the Month

Drone Pilot

Accident Report

SA UAV blood delivery

The Best of the Best

Drone collision - never happened

100 Medical

DJI Manifold Supercomputer

102 Register Update 104 Flying High

Flying Cars 28

Lilium electric air taxi maiden

Alaka’i hydrogen-powered

105 Shop Window

108 Aircraft Sales

Special Features

Helicopter Pilot 49

Airbus delivers ACH145

NAC Helicopters Cape Town

Military Pilot 50

SAAF Oryx pilot nominated

Sikorsky HH-60W first flight

Sikorsky to build 12 CH-53K

Brazillian Navy orders H135s

Aviation Careers’ Guide 2019

Other 39

I fly every day

De Havilland Venom

Undoing an upset

Deadly efficient planning

EBACE2019 report

D-Day squadron commemoration

distributed by

Contributors Athol Franz Charlie Hugo Armand Vilches

Divan Muller Fiona Hugo

Charlie Marais Dr Nick Lee

Aidan Owen David Jack Kenny

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 pages, up to and including picture of the month, of African Pilot may be downloaded free of charge by visiting www.africanpilot.co.za

July 2019

African Pilot

July 2019

Editorial July editorial It is hard to believe that towards the end of this month I will be off to AirVenture, Oshkosh again; my 19th trip in a row. Over the years I have witnessed the considerable growth of Neil Bowden’s Air Adventure Tours’ camping group to what has become known as ‘The Greatest Aviation Show on Earth.’ However, before we leave, we will be producing African Pilot’s very popular ‘Light Sport Aircraft’ feature within the August edition. Details about this feature are to be found on the back page of this edition and also within the forthcoming editions of APAnews that arrives on your ‘device’ every Monday FREE of charge. This edition contains our annual Aviation Careers’ Guide, which is the correct time in the year to produce this annual feature. There is no point in publishing an aviation careers’ guide later in the year, due to the fact that young matric students will be studying for their end of year exams. The July school holidays present the prefect time to present this information to the minds of youngsters who will become the future of South African and African aviation in years to come. This feature is to be found at the rear of the magazine.

The 2019 airshow season Unfortunately, due to ever increasing oversight requirements by Air Show South Africa (ASSA) on behalf of the regulator the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), many airshows have simply become far too expensive to stage and they have been cancelled this year. One of

these casualties has been the annual Rand Airport airshow. However, we are very grateful to those airshow organisers who have found a way through the ‘rules’, but still kept their events safe for the spectators, members of the media and display pilots. After all there is a saying: ‘where there is a will there is a way,’ or as the paraprosdokian states: ‘Where there is a will I want to be in it!” However, our neighbouring Botswana aviators in the form of the Matsieng Flying Club have shown that it is still possible to attract an incredible crowd as well as one of the largest groups of South African aviators that I have witnessed in recent years. The figures presented to me were that 157 South African registered aircraft flew to Matsieng over the weekend of 24 to 26 May where more than 500 people camped under the stars within the vast campsite that had been prepared for them. The full report with pictures is to be found on page 58 of this edition. The upside of this situation is that more aviators are working on the planning for aviation fly-aways and visits to bush lodges. With the scheduled AERO South Africa event taking place at Wonderboom National Airport (FAWB) between 4 and 6 July, the organisers are hoping to set an all-time record for the most aircraft which will attend this event, whilst FAWB has waived all landing and parking fees for the duration of the show. As the principal media partner, African Pilot will be exhibiting over the three days and we welcome your to visit our show stand. Until we meet at AERO South Africa or at Oshkosh please fly safely. 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

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website: www.africanpilot.co.za July 2019

African Pilot

Competitions Total value of the competition in this edition is R1 000

Cover Antonov An-2

July Cover Competition

This month General Pilot Supplies have sponsored two books: 1) Teaching Flight and 2) Mountain, Canyon and Backcountry Flying Questions 1) On which flight was the Antonov An-2 ZU SAL photographed? 2) What sector of aviation does CAASA represent? 3) In which southern African country is the Matsieng Flying Club based?

May 2019 Cover Competition Winners Congratulations to the following winner, Arnold Henning who has won AviMap Map Book and Airfields Guide.

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.

African Pilot

July 2019

This month’s cover picture of Antonov An-2 ZU-SAL was taken by Athol Franz from Just Love Mission’s Antonov An-2 ‘Little Annie’ en route to the Botswana Matsieng airshow. ZU-SAL has been beautifully restored by her owner Sasha van Heerden complete with six leather lounge seats and an interior to match any business jet. The exterior has been completely restored to resemble the old South African Airways’ colour scheme whilst the registration SAL (Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens) says it all. At the Matsieng airshow the two Antonov An-2s flew in formation for the first time ever at a southern African airshow.

NEW AERONAUTICAL AVIATION Fifteen years young …… this dynamic aviation company is growing in leaps and bounds. Started by its current Managing Director and owner, Clinton Carroll, with just one staff member all those years ago, Aeronautical Aviation now employs seventeen staff members……… all highly trained and qualiﬁed ………….. all sharing the passion Clinton has for service

excellence.

The New Aeronautical Aviation premises at Lanseria Airport boast a spacious professional environment that encourages aircraft owners to visit.

Alternatively, please visit their website to view their amazing range of New leading edge products.

Aircraft owners throughout South Africa as well as from our neighbours, all conﬁrm Aeronautical Aviation to be a trusted partner with impeccable work standards.

Please visit the new Aeronautical Aviation premises at Hanger 202, Gate 7, Lanseria International Airport

Clinton Carroll Tel: + 27 11 659 1033 / Cell: 0834596279 E-mail: clinton@aeronautical.co.za Website: www.aeronautical.co.za July 2019 African Pilot

Good day Athol, After reading through the whole Cemair appeals’ judgement, as well as your letter to the DCA, I can only shake my head in disbelief. The utter lack of knowledge and judgement at SACAA is astounding, and the arrogance some of these employees is just astounding. I would like to bring two things to your attention which would again highlight this fact: I initially did my commercial test in February 2018. As I was an Air Force navigator, I had exemption for the theory subjects, apart from air law. I flew a VFR ME test as I did not yet have credit for the new IR Ops. exam. The SACAA misplaced my licence application for five weeks; thereafter a certain Nkosi Mdladlose from enforcement contacted me. They were disputing my flight test and accusing me of fraud, as I flew a one hour test as per the Hobbs meter, but they phoned the tower and from take-off to touchdown it was only 42min. I showed them in the law the definition of flight time and thereafter they contended that it wasn’t enough time to do a test and that the DFE and I committed fraud. They wanted to pull his DFE status, prevent me from getting my CPL, as well as barring me from renewing my PPL or gaining access to the theory exam. All without following the law stating how they should go about starting an investigation etc. In the end, I took the chance to write all of the theory exams, as my exemptions had lapsed and redo my flight test. As you can imagine, getting current again for a ME test after not having flown it for a year, took quite a bit of money.In the end, I achieved my CPL, in part only due to the CAA’s flagging system not working and my application landing on some other person’s desk. Secondly, my gripe is this new IR Ops examination. I speak from a perspective of having passed that exam and I have an instrument rating, so I do not want to appear to be moaning without good reason. However, that exam is borderline idiotic. It would seem that they just selected random questions from all six ATP subjects and threw them together. In my preparation, I used IR Ops book from a well-known flight school that in the olden days contained all you have to know in order to be proficient in IF. Sadly, I would say less that 40% of the exams contains any reasonable IF questions.

Dear Athol, I would be very surprised if you will get many responses to your appeal for feedback on the SACAA performance. The opportunity for victimisation and further delays when doing business is too great. It is already very difficult to get a response to an e-mail, have a telephone call answered and to arrange a booking for a mandatory inspection. It was very interesting reading the full findings relating to the CemAir matter. Last year I lodged a Part 185/Sect 118 appeal, which was successful. Here too, the DCA disregarded its legal obligation of responding within three days. It took a month to resolve the matter and the final DCA letter indicating that the appeal was successful was backdated several weeks, giving the impression that the matter received some degree of urgency. When an organisation is rotten it is necessary to start the redress from the top. Despite the positive outcome there is also no indication that the officials involved have changed and the unsafe practices continue. The aviation community deserves better treatment from our regulator. Best regards, Hugh Paine Dear Hugh, Thank you for your e-mail and this worthy insight. You are correct in your assessment of the overall performance of the regulator, because these sorts of complaints are what I hear on a daily basis, especially when I am walking the ramps at various airports where nearly ALL operators express their frustrations when engaging the officials of the SACAA.

I honestly believe no pilot is safer having passed that exam. Instead, I think you can manage to pass the exam without knowing anything at all about IF and this be a bigger danger. At least the oral examination for your IF rating is still a good filter. In order to make a practical exam, they can work in a lot more questions regarding AWOPS etc. Not just generic questions like what is the difference between FG and BR and trying to catch you out with METARS, but honest scenario based planning. For instance, give the candidate a set TAFs and METARS and ask him if he can take-off, what alternates are needed etc. I am sure the industry will have a lot more input into a proper exam. I really want to make it my mission to change that exam, but I am not sure how to go about it.Your suggestion about compiling a book about the SACAA’s shortcomings and present this to ICAO would be wonderful. I believe it would take a massive class action suit against the SACAA in order to force it to do its job as per its mandate. Any suggestions about how to go about the IR Ops exam would be appreciated. Kind regards, Erich Schutte Dear Erich, Your e-mail is one of many that reach my desk every month about the fundamental failings of the SACAA, especially when examining the serious lack of actual qualifications, either technical or academic that the regulator faces on a daily basis. The real problem is that the SACAA has made conditions within its environment so difficult that any person that shows realistic ability and enthusiasm is victimised and that person soon leaves the SACAA. This in turn means that the staff turnover is extraordinary, especially within the inspectorate where only the most incompetent people remain behind. I have written to the SACAA about your complaints and I will revert to you when or if I should receive a reply. Kind regards, Athol

Dear Athol, I have been following the CemAir case all the way and I was beginning to wonder if we as aviators should consider the very drastic step of compiling a ‘Shadow’ SACAA, as they would call it in politics! This situation is such a shame on all pilots and administrators in SA Aviation that cannot take it lying down anymore. If we could bring about such an organisation with known and proven administrators (ex SACAA members et alles) and we give the president of this country the option of appointing such management or be confronted with the option of such SACAA Shadow calling upon the International organisations of accepting ‘SACCA-S’ as the future official body to represent Civil Aviation in South Africa. Would that wake up this government to do something drastically CORRECT for once? The current situation is an extremely HIGH RISK in terms of our country’s aviation world. Clearly, politics and Aviation do NOT mix. Regards, Johan Nel Dear Johan, Much as many aviation professionals may agree with your sentiments, as we all know the SACAA is the regulator under the Minister of Transport. However, like so many other SOEs and state controlled government departments, they are ALL broken, whilst the past 25 years have seen the sheer destruction of what was handed to the government on a plate. I am not a politician and we try to keep African Pilot as far away from politics as possible, but under the prevailing conditions this is a difficult task. All I can advise any aviation professional to do is to become most vigilant and always ready to record the SACAA inspector who visits your business, so that you will have recourse in the event of a ‘finding’ that is not justified, because the particular inspector has no idea of what he or she is doing with just a slither of aviation knowledge.

Sincerely, Athol Franz Regards, Athol.

African Pilott

July 2019

Dear Athol,

Dear Roland,

Thanks for a great magazine! Your May editorial tells of the small number of airshows still being organised and they are very expensive to put on. I have lived in Durban since 1957, long before there was a Virginia airport and it is one of the oldest airshow venues in the country. However, after years of safe airshows, suddenly no more Durban airshow because of safety issues, so the story goes! However, this year’s airshow at Newcastle provided FREE entry.

Thanks for your e-mail. You are partly correct about the Virginia Airport airshow being stopped due to safety reasons, because the runway is too close to the crowd line. However, Nelspruit got this right by installing a series of yellow bollards filled with water and tired together with a long steel cable. This is so that if an aircraft went off the runway the idea is that it should not run into the spectators. Like Virginia, Nelspruit has a one way runway so that the aircraft take-off away from the spectators and land back towards the crowd. This means that the real energy of the aircraft has dissipated by the time it comes closer to the spectators. However, in my opinion the Durban Wings’ Club that managed the Virginia airshow in the past no longer has the will to stage an airshow with the ‘new rules.’ Therefore this is not altogether an Air Show South Africa problem, but also the lack of any real will from the Durban based aviators at Virginia airport.

My mind boggles as to how the major displays can appear and how they are funded. At the same time the authorities who want aviation taken to the people, are hell bent on making the rules such that aviation is slowly being strangled! Keep up the good work. Regards, Roland Fisher P.S. I am a private pilot.

Regards, Athol

Cyril Mancer

n Monday 10 June Cyril Mancer succumbed to the dreaded cancer and passed on to that great hangar in the sky. My personal experience of Cyril was that as an instructor he was always in good spirits assisting pilots, especially the younger generation with their flight testing. Over the past few years I got to know Cyril when he flew two aircraft to undertake air-to-air photography for African Pilot. EAA member Richard Nicholson always speaks very highly of Cyril when he would drive all the way from Kitty Hawk to Nylstroom to undertake flight tests on student for their final PPL exams. Cyril had a dry sense of humour and was always willing to assist anyone in aviation. Rest in peace Cyril and enjoy your further flying wherever this may be in the universe.

Lt. Gen Dennis Earp

t is with great sadness that the South African Air Force (SAAF) has to announce the passing on of retired Lieutenant General Dennis J. Earp SSA, SD, SOE, SM on midnight on Sunday 19 May 2019. Ironically he passes on just after attending both Air Force memorial services at Bays Hill and the Smuts memorial at Smuts House. General Earp joined the South African Defence Force Military College on 1 April 1948 after completing his schooling and started his training in May 1950. The Korean War broke out on 25 June 1950 and he left for Korea on 24 May 1951. He was shot down on 27 September 1851 and was taken Prisoner of War and was released when hostilities ceased and retuned to South Africa on 11 September 1953. Lt General Earp played a key role as a fighter pilot and later a helicopter pilot. He served in different roles both as a commander of several flying Squadrons, notably 2 Squadron, which took part in the Korean War and the Canberra Bomber Squadron including Air Force Base Pietersburg as well numerous roles as Senior Staff Officer responsible for Air Operations at the SAAF HQ where after he was promoted to the rank of Lt General and appointed Chief of the SA Air Force, a position he held from 1984 to 1988.

Lt General Earp remained a keen aviator throughout his retirement and kept attending all SAAF corporate events such as the Air Force Day Parade and the annual Memorials. Lt Gen Earp was last with the Air Force Family on 19 May 2019, to once more, pay homage to the fallen airmen of our country and passed on the morning of the 20 May 2019. A well-attended memorial service was held at AFB Swartkop on Monday 27 May 2019.

LT. Gen. Dennis Earp with his wife and Menno Parsons on the occassion of his last flight in a P51 Mustang July 2019

African Pilot

LUFTHANSA TECHNIK OPENS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Erik Venter

Markus Berberich, Ulrich Hollerbach and Erik Venter

South African owned carrier Comair Limited has entered into a comprehensive agreement with Lufthansa Technik to provide technical services and integrated fleet management. On Wednesday 22 May the new Maintenance Organisation based within the Denel campus at OR Tambo International Airport was officially opened, but operations at the first two local line maintenance stations of the MRO company had already begun.

will see for our fleet and flight operations are more efficient maintenance processes, with our aircraft spending less time on ground,” comments Erik Venter, the out-going Chief Executive Officer of Comair. “This partnership is an important component of Comair’s ongoing fleet upgrade strategy. Comair already operates South Africa’s most modern and efficient fleet and our partnership with Lufthansa Technik will enhance that position to the benefit of our customers, investors and other stakeholders.”

Comair has contracted Lufthansa Technik to provide Total Technical Support (TTS®) for its Boeing 737 fleet. The agreement includes integrated fleet management, known as Technical Operations’ Management (TOM), engineering services, the provision of consumables and expendables, integrated component delivery as part of Total Component Support (TCS®) and the establishment of local line maintenance stations. The first two such stations providing comprehensive line maintenance services have been set up in Johannesburg (up to A-checks in its own maintenance hangar) and Cape Town (up to weekly checks). Full technical support for the first Boeing 737-800 of Comair started in the middle of May 2019. “We have worked with Lufthansa Technik before and had very good experiences with the work it does. The benefits we

African Pilot

July 2019

When the first two local facilities of Lufthansa Technik Maintenance International in South Africa were officially opened, Ulrich Hollerbach, CEO of Lufthansa Technik Maintenance International commented: “We have a lot of experience in setting up maintenance stations in different regions of the world, but South Africa is something special for us. It is a much bigger project than most, as we had to construct the entire organisation literally from the ground up.” Presently 45 local mechanics, avionic technicians and managers are already working at the new stations, with more to follow this year. By the end of 2020, Lufthansa Technik will be servicing the entire Comair fleet and will have set up various line maintenance stations with up to 120 local employees.

July 2019

African Pilot

Will Boeing ever ‘dig’ itself out of the 737 MAX mess

This article has been compiled from several professional observers about the Boeing 737 MAX

hen Boeing finally ‘digs’ itself out of the self-inflicted public relations’ disaster of the 737 MAX story if it ever does, I wonder how it will be graded on handling the crisis. This situation has become a textbook case of how not to behave in the searing glare of catastrophic bad publicity. What must the customers of Boeing such as Southwest, Delta, United and a host of foreign airlines have thought when CEO Dennis Muilenburg insisted that the MAX line was designed properly and met certification requirements. This, of course, ignores that 387-plus MAX airplanes remain grounded, awaiting a software upgrade to the MCAS stability system. Muilenburg said Boeing’s review found no ‘technical gap or slip’ in the MCAS software design. In a factual sense, Muilenburg may be correct. However, until all the investigations are concluded, including congressional inquiries, the question of certification fidelity remains open. Boeing will face a tsunami of lawsuits and not just from the families of the 346 victims of two MAX crashes, but from airlines losing revenue on their now-parked expensive assets. What must have grated is Muilenburg’s implication that Boeing certified the airplane assuming that pilots could handle any anomalies with standard accepted procedures. He said pilots flying the crashed airplanes didn’t ‘completely’ follow procedures in place for runaway trim events, including amplified procedures following the Lion Air crash. Again, from what is known at this juncture, that appears factually true. Yet, according to a CNN report, Boeing never flight tested a failure scenario in which the single angle-of-attack indicator fed erroneous data to an MCAS subsystem capable of rolling in full nose-down stabiliser trim, a powerful potential control input of which pilots were not aware. “Apparently, we missed the ramifications of the failure of that AoA probe,” a former Boeing

African Pilot

July 2019

test pilot told CNN. Before the first crash of Lion Air 610 last year, pilots had not been specifically informed of MCAS’s existence, although Boeing didn’t try to hide it. The aircraft manufacturer said that MCAS was not a significant enough addition to the 737 to merit mention in the flight crew operating manual, much less specific training. Along with new software that incorporates data from both AoA sensors, pilots will now get ground training on MCAS operation and potential failure modes. Boeing did some fast back pedalling on another sticky point. Southwest Airlines revealed that Boeing misinformed the airline about the functionality of AoA disagree lights that warn the pilots of anomalous AoA data. Southwest said Boeing’s documentation indicated the disagree lights were functional on the airline’s MAX airplanes, but it learned only after Lion Air that this was true only if the pilots’ PFDs were equipped with direct angle readouts. Southwest installed these only after the Lion Air crash. Whether this was an innocent omission on Boeing’s part or wilful obfuscation is a question that may be answered in court or in the ongoing inquiries. Either way, in the Part 25/121 world where every ‘t’ is crossed and ‘i’ dotted with logged revisions, it strikes me as sloppy attention to detail. Speaking of detail, Muilenburg reset the clock on why MCAS; Manoeuvring Characteristics’ Augmentation System, was there in the first place. Early press reports, including quotes from Boeing, described it as a stall-protection system that automatically added nose-down trim at high angles of attack and load factors when the airplane was being hand flown with flaps and slats stowed. However, Muilenburg said MCAS was never this. It was added to the airplane as stability augmentation at the extreme corners of the CG envelope, at light weights and aft CG. It was intended to improve control feel in circumstances where light pitch forces would normally

be encountered. In a serial story like this, journalists quite naturally resort to repetitive shorthand to describe a technical element. In this case, it was: MCAS, a stall-protection subsystem, or words to that effect. This makes journalists ask the question: “Even if Boeing had a good grasp of what MCAS was supposed to do and/or how the system would react, perhaps this is just another item on a long list of queries the company will have to explain to its customers and the flying public if it is to restore lustre to the Boeing brand.” The first line of this story asks if Boeing will ever recover from its PR disaster. Losing two brand new 737MAX aircraft and killing hundreds of passengers because of a problem with the design, certification and training provided for the 737 MAX 8 is far worse than a PR disaster. The disaster was Boeing’s decision to deliver a plane that requires

Joe Phillips (retired Boeing engineer) said: “Have to admit my interest in all the MAX articles, but I have some criticism too. The way the media has piled in to viciously attack Boeing is reprehensible. The way journalists act is like chickens in a coop; if one bird has an injury or a sore, the others peck the injury until they eventually kill the injured bird. It is the same bird-brain mentality that I now see in the media.

heroic actions from the flight crew to preclude killing everyone on board. Its PR missteps following the two accidents complicated the issue, but Boeing’s failure to handle the media effectively is the least of its problems. MCAS is an example of computer control being able to override a pilot’s control. When we enable the computers to have the final decision have we verified that the data that they are using is accurate? In these cases the pilots were the ones with the right data, but the computers overrode them. How many other systems aboard our new planes from all manufacturers have the final decision?

One last thought, how secure is the data against deliberate intrusion

and flew the plane normally. Were they superhuman? Doesn’t that successful outcome kind of prove what Boeing has said all along? Why is it that US and European crews haven’t had this same disaster befall their airlines, despite flying far more flights for years?

In any other country, Boeing would be a source of national pride. Take Ethiopian Airlines for example. The Ethiopians are justifiably proud of a successful business at home. Not so in America where we tend to jealousy attack anyone who is successful. I am at a loss to explain this thinking that is common in America.

I suspect that when the final report(s) come out, the problem will not be as entirely one-sided as much of the press (and comments) seem to believe. These accidents will likely shed some light on the fact that not everyone who sits in the pointy end is equally competent and/or well-trained (Asiana Flight 214, for example). Provided, the local governments release all the data. Just remember, these accident investigations are not being driving by an independent body like the NTSB. Witness the differing conclusions as the investigation progressed on Egypt Air Flight 990.

What is heroic about turning off two switches to stop a runaway trim? A computer can override a pilot only if the pilot doesn’t turn off the computer. Now, there are definitely problems with the initial implementation of MCAS and Boeing should bear the brunt of the blame. This failure shouldn’t put the plane into an abnormal situation. However, the prior crew to the Lion Air crash flipped the switches

Alas, I suspect my comments will be dismissed as racist or jingoistic. Or, at best, heartless. That may be the case, despite my best intentions. However, if the only focus is on the hardware and not the wetware, the problem will occur again, just with a different failure as the trigger. Finally, until the final report(s) come out, all of these comments (my own included) are just opinion and speculation. July 2019

African Pilot

Brian Behrend (retired engineer and technical pilot with Boeing) said: “CEO Dennis Muilenburg insisted that the MAX line was designed properly and met certification requirements. I find that unbelievable. He should listen to the screams of terror which undoubtedly came from the passengers and crew of the crashed aeroplanes before he is allowed anywhere near another aircraft. Will never happen though, too close to the White House to ever let a simple thing like crashed airliners from keeping his nose in the trough.

John Patson (Independent Newspapers Professional) said: “I hope that somewhere along the way, some parties look into the root causes of how the 737MAX came to evolve. I agree with Ralph Nader when he said: “Congress bears some very serious responsibility.” The FAA has been struggling for funding since before 2000 and not getting it has caused the loss of real engineering depth in the intervening years. Then there is the stretching of the 53-yearold 737 Type Certificate to avoid certification expense of a new airplane. Later, probably with Boeing lobbying pressure and urgency to quickly certify new models, Organisational delegated authority came into existence. This ability to self-certify was touted by Boeing management as a ‘competitive advantage’ as far back as 2010. I think that led to allowing failure modes to slip through (e.g. battery fires) which grounded the 787, whilst the 737MAX is another example. Greater than either was the philosophical shift to be ‘more like Airbus,’ giving the computer control over the pilot with envelope protection using MCAS in a surreptitious way. Possibly related, there was a minority stockholder proposal to stop stock buybacks. This was voted down and apparently Boeing will spend $20B this year. I wish they would spend it on Research and Development (R&D).

African Pilot

July 2019

They may also need the money for the lawsuits, which Boeing apparently intends to get moved to foreign courts where the awards are lower. I hope the planned congressional hearings will encourage use of the US legal system as this would provide better transparency.

John Hodges (airline pilot) said: “The bad PR was inevitable, given the scenario of two crashes with near-identical causes, both attributable to engineering management. Using FAA’s establishment of Organisational Delegated Authority (ODA) as a cause of weak oversight is really tangential. If the Certification Engineering Group at Boeing was transformed into FAA employees, would the outcome have been any different? Delegating low longitudinal stability, nose-up pitch with power and clean stall avoidance to a computer programmer is just a really bad idea. Besides the current fatal results, the mindset which enables automation at all levels ‘because you can’ is allowing the foolishness of inserting a 200 hour copilot into the airplane on the basis that he is good at computer games, whilst the value of selling a better specific range by substituting software for a larger horizontal stab really worth it?

Phil DeRosier (aviation safety inspector at the FAA) said: “The MCAS story may be the most public and by far most consequential, representation of larger and wider spread issues at Boeing. Add in the recent action by the US Air Force in twice halting deliveries of the KC-46 because of factory FOD issues and similar complaints for 787 FOD issues in the South Carolina plant.

Had to imagine that coming from an AS9100 quality organisation, especially happening again after corrective actions. The WSJ had an interesting article about the Boeing factory test pilots not being in the engineering loop for the MCAS and were barely aware of its existence during development. I am still trying to understand how any safety review of an automated system (MCAS) with a single point of failure (single AOA configuration) would allow it to exert any authority on a flight control surface. There is certainly enough other data available from other sources to cross check the AOA value for reasonableness. I once admired Boeing’s CMMI Level five development process, but I am now wondering if the process has become an end to itself where common sense and experience no longer need apply. Perhaps it is time for Boeing to start looking at why these internal breakdowns are occurring and fix them along with the MCAS software.

John Salak (Airbus pilot) said:

“Paul Bertorelli wrote: “In a serial story like this, journalists quite naturally resort to repetitive shorthand to describe a technical element. In this case, it was: MCAS, a stall-protection subsystem, or words to that effect. We used it in stories and so did every other media outlet. We did this for five months following the Lion Air crash, but Boeing never bothered to issue a statement clarifying it.” I am nothing more than a Airbus pilot and I immediately understood from reading the original media coverage that MCAS was in fact just what the acronym MCAS said it was - Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation! I find it disingenuous for Mr. Bertorelli to justify calling MCAS a stall protection system just because Boeing failed to correct the media’s incorrect reporting.

July 2019

African Pilot

purchases Star Air Cargo On Friday 31 May Comair Limited announced via a Stock Exchange News’ Service release at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, that it was acquiring the ‘shares and claims’ of Star Air Maintenance and Star Air Cargo. The deal involves paying the sellers R75-million, plus profit share payments. Comair operates both the British Airways brand in South Africa and the Kulula low cost airline. Its fleet is composed entirely of different versions of the Boeing 737 airliner. Star Air Cargo’s much smaller fleet is also made up of 737s. Star Air Maintenance Pty (Ltd) provides all the AOC’s maintenance requirements up to C-Check for its fleet and for third party aircraft. Comair has acquired the assets to extend its diversification strategy into the leasing of aircraft, whilst also providing Comair with the expertise and systems to establish a base for heavy maintenance checks on its fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Star Air Maintenance provides maintenance for Star Air Cargo’s own fleet as well as for

third party operators. Star Air Cargo is an aircraft leasing company, specialising in short and medium term leasing of both passenger and cargo aircraft to operators in Africa. It possesses a Part 121 domestic and international aircraft operating certificate. The profit share payments, which form part of the deal, are capped at R250-million. As for the R75-million, this will be paid in three transactions. The first will be paid five business days after the fulfilment of all the conditions precedent for the transaction amounting to R30-million. The second of R22.5-million, will be paid on the first anniversary of the completion date. The third, also of R22.5-million, will be payable on the second anniversary of the completion date (subject to certain conditions relating to the financial performance of the acquisitions).The net assets of the two entities being purchased by Comair totalled R52.6-million on 28 February 2018 (that being the date of the last audited financial statements). Comair’s audited profits after tax for the year ending 28 February 2018 was R23-million.

adds Lanseria to Zanzibar flight In addition to its regular OR Tambo International Airport flight to Zanzibar, in June 2019 Mango Airlines announced its Lanseria to Zanzibar flight. The Lanseria departure will allow for internal connections from Durban and Cape Town, giving passengers from these destinations a connecting flight to Zanzibar. As the only airline that flies directly into Zanzibar from South Africa, the short flight of three and a half hours adds to the appeal of the destination. Benediction Zubane, Marketing Head of Mango Airlines, says the idyllic island of Zanzibar has become increasingly popular with South Africans, far and wide: “Zanzibar offers an affordable island holiday to South Africans and sub-Saharan travellers. There is so much to do in Zanzibar and as a holiday destination it will tick all the boxes besides the obvious beach beauty, including cuisine, music festivals, street markets, eco-tourism and an array of water-sports”.

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July 2019

The estimated departure time from Lanseria International Airport is 09h50 which allows for Durban and Cape Town connections and gets passengers to Zanzibar at 14h15 to enjoy the afternoon. The return flight departs at 15h05 and arrives into Lanseria at 18h05. The aircraft on this route will be a Boeing Next Generation 737-800 from the Mango fleet that is currently being fitted with the Split Scimitar® Winglet technology. The Winglets will save approximately 2.5% fuel and reduce the airlines carbon dioxide emissions by 390 tonnes per aircraft per year. “This new route started operating in June and will more than likely be scheduled according to seasonality depending on the uptake by South African travellers. It is always an exciting day when we get to add more flights, because it means that more South Africans are keen to discover more with Mango!” concluded Zubane.

July 2019

African Pilot

PEGASUS UNIVERSAL DEBUTS ITS NEW ÂVTOLÊ BUSINESS JET CONCEPT AT EBACE (THE EUROPEAN BUSINESS AVIATION CONVENTION & EXHIBITION) Pegasus Universal Aerospace from South Africa made its debut at EBACE 2019 last month to showcase the pioneering work it has achieved with Pegasus One, its revolutionary Vertical-BusinessJet VBJ. Founding Chairman and visionary Dr. Reza Mia will be showing a scale model of the ground-breaking design, which combines the convenience of helicopters with the benefits of jet travel. The all-composite airframe Pegasus One is targeted for certification and deliveries in five to seven years’ time from its Pretoria, SA facility, where it has engaged engineering partner who will provide the engineers and designers. In offering Pegasus One, Pegasus Universal Aerospace is pledging to bring speed, comfort and style to travellers looking for transportation between busy urban airports, small and unpaved landing areas, yachts and regular helipads, amongst others. Its jet design has the possibility of landing and taking off vertically in the same locations as a helicopter, but it can travel further propelled like a jet and is quicker, presenting a unique offering for owners and operators. Pegasus is targeting a 2,375 nautical mile range from runway take-off or 1,150 nautical miles in VTOL with a planned cruise speed of 430 knots. The aircraft will have six to eight seats with power provided by two 2,300 shp (shaft horsepower) turboshaft engines.

We are working hard to build a full-scale cabin mock-up of Pegasus One which we plan to bring to London to start a demonstration tour of Europe in 2020 to drum up interest. We look forward to meeting forward thinking investors and of course potential operators during the tour

Dr. Reza 16

African Pilot

July 2019

Pegasus has identified a customer base that spans the civil and executive aerospace sectors, offering operational benefits unlike any other aircraft. Along with Europe, India and China are key markets, Dr. Reza believes. The company is close to identifying key suppliers for avionics, retractable landing gear and the engines that will be the best fit for its highly evolved control systems and automation sub-systems. Depending on the take-off option; VTOL or runway, Pegasus One will be able to fly for three and a half to six hours, supporting direct, point to point travel. The operational costs are competitive when compared with jets of similar range, but with lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions. The noise levels are lower than comparative rotary machines and passenger and pilot comfort, security and safety, are all integral in the design, the company says. To date, the business has been predominantly self-funded, together with angel investment. Pegasus is now seeking new investment and looking for interest from industry influencers and leaders. Pegasus estimates it needs around $400 million to bring the aircraft to market. “We are delighted to be attending EBACE as it is the premier event for business aviation and there is a firm emphasis on future travel this year,” said Dr. Reza. The doctor has been a guest futurologist speaker in London recently, at Corporate Jet Investors’ Revolution Aero Conference and at the end of April at the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Business iness Aviation 2030 evening.

FAA APPROVES ALSIM AL172 AATD

“Having an exact replica of a brand-new Cessna 172 Skyhawk with real Garmin avionics, high fidelity visuals and authentic force feedback makes the AL172 a ‘must have business and training item’ for Cessna 172 operators,” said Dr. Scott Firsing of the Alsim North America office in Texas. “Not only does it help with a range of the most basic PPL training to instruments and more advanced emergency procedures, it also cuts the down time and costs required in the actual aircraft. In the end, it means better training and both the student and airplane owner saving money.”

The AL172 is an exact replica of a Cessna 172SP Skyhawk NAV III aircraft equipped with the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics’ suite. Since its launch in late 2017, the AL172 has been delivered and certified to Universities and FTOs around the world. In the United States, Alsim’s AL172 is operated by Cirrus Aviation and Paragon Flight Training: both Liberty University flight training affiliates. Amongst others, Kent State University ordered two AL172s to be installed in August 2019 at its new FedEx sponsored Aeronautics’ Academic Centre. “Having the AATD approval for the AL172 now means student pilots in America can log respectively up to 20 hours and 50 towards their instrument rating and CPL certificate,” said Mickael Herard, product manager and Head of the Alsim certification team. “The AL172 is built to FTD Level 5 specifications which allow for more tasks to be completed in the simulator such as certain proficiency checks.” July 2019

African Pilot

THE COMMERCIAL AVIATION ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN AFRICAÊS (CAASA)

75TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION By Athol Franz What a wonderful and well-attended birthday ‘bash’ CAASA held on Friday 7 June when several industry presentations were delivered.

Jeff Earle flying his 75 year old Tiger Moth CEO Leon Dillman However, the most impressive presentation was that by CAASA’s chairperson Lynette Loosen who touched on the wonderful history of CAASA and unveiled the original minute book. In addition, Mayday SA’s presentation by Marc Swarts where he used poetry in his highly charged emotional talk about the plight of an aviation professional who may be affected by personal challenges beyond his or her control. This factor is so important for ALL of us to understand and support.

Lynette Loosen addressed the gathering as follows: As you well know CAASA is one of the most powerful, influential and active commercial aviation organisations in Africa today. So where did it all begin? On the 6 June 1944, incidentally the same day as President The Normandy Landings D-Day, Lynette Loosen a select group of passionate aviators, mainly comprising of former air force members who participated in the North African Desert Campaign during World War II met at the Langham Hotel, Church Street, Johannesburg. Their aim was to establish an Association we all now know as the Commercial Aviation Association of Southern Africa. The very first Executive meeting was held on 5 October 1944, the original minutes of which are kept on site at CAASA House. Agenda items 1 & 2, namely, increasing CAASA’s membership and the registration of CAASA as a Public Benefit Organisation still form part of today’s agenda items. In the early 1950s CAASA’s first offices were shared with the Aero Club of South Africa in Loveday Street, Johannesburg. From the inception of CAASA, the body was closely engaged with the South African Government and Civil Aviation Authority as it is today, serving our members and fighting to protect their interests and

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July 2019

Veteran member Jeff Earle that of the commercial aviation industry as a whole. Unification has always been the aim of CAASA and it has been a logical umbrella organisation for the current eight affiliate associations. The Helicopter Association of Southern Africa was the first of these associations founded in 1972 by the first CAASA CEO Cor Beek with its 50th Anniversary coming up in 2022. CAASA was also the founder of the Aviation Trade Exhibition in 1974 and successfully hosted the event until 1999. Reorganisation and the new naming as Africa Aerospace and Defence saw the exhibition come under the joint responsibility of CAASA, Armscor and the Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries’ Association of South Africa (AMD.) As with any association, CAASA has been through its trials and tribulations, but we have come out bigger, better and stronger and can boast this strength by looking at our current board of directors and the highest number of members in our history of existence, growing from strength to strength. I am sure our CEO Leon Dillman will pride himself on highlighting some these strengths, that is, if he made allowance to speak today! Before I wrap up, I would like to thank and honour our longest standing board members, with whom, this organisation would not be where it is today: Cor Beek, Jeff Earl, Brian Frankel, Bob Garbett, Martin Moritz, John Morrison and two of our recently departed aviators who are no doubt watching over us today - Graeme Conlyn and Tom Chambers. Last, but by no means least, great thanks to our members, because without you our existence for 75 years would not have been possible. Thank you all for joining us in our celebrations and I hope you all enjoy this commemorative day. Later in the afternoon, veteran CAASA member and past chairman Jeff Earle provided a delightful aerial ballet in his 75 year old Tiger Moth. This was yet again a wonderful opportunity to meet and engage with the many important stakeholders of South Africa’s aviation industry and I must thank CAASA for its ongoing support of African Pilot which is the only aviation magazine that genuinely supports this most important industry organisation.

July 2019

African Pilot

AVDEX AMS CAN SAVE MONEY AND IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY A

MO management is complex function due to all the SACAA and quality requirements. Add to this the volume of documents produced and the retention requirements and the task is truly daunting. AMO management must keep track of inventory, labour, due tasks and maintenance requirements that are continually subject to revision. AMS from AVDEX is a system that caters to all the requirements of a modern AMO. Inventory control of parts fitted to aircraft is essential to the safety and cost effectiveness of the work carried out. It is necessary to trace parts procurement to the final fitting onto an aircraft. AMS provides purchase order system that allows full trace of parts origins. Full trace is enhanced by allowing links to scanned Certificates of Release (8130 or EASA Form1) in digital format to each batch. Job card control work packs are created by entry of owner / operator, pilot or scheduled maintenance requirements which in turn are tracked until completion. Task cards may be imported from the AVDEX AMP maintenance tracking system. Compliance detail of task cards is used to generate CRMA or Certificate of Release to Service documents. Outwork (services) is a programme that produces purchase orders for services to be complied with by other providers. Costing: Ongoing cost analysis of a work pack is available at any time to allow AMO personal to determine if the work pack complies with the values as authorised by the client. Real-time WIP calculations allow management to readily assess the impact of timely invoicing. Document links: Various digitised documents may be linked to functions within the programme. Supplier approval certificates Work pack scans Work pack invoice Release documents for parts Outwork (services) invoice PO invoices Personnel licence

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July 2019

Access control and security Full access control allows access to only those functions to which users have the right to view, add, edit or change. Contact Telephone (011) 954-1536 e-mail: info@avdex.co.za Website: www.avdex.co.za

July 2019

African Pilot

July 2019

African Pilot

SOUTH AFRICA HOPES TO START DELIVERING BLOOD WITH UAVS SA National Blood Service bio-technologist Lebo Lebogo is the Service’s first drone pilot.

nmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones could soon regularly deliver urgently needed blood supplies to South African rural clinics. The South African National Blood Service (SANBS), the non-profit responsible for vein-to-vein blood distribution, wants to make a big investment in a UAV network to transport blood products. It is waiting for the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) approval to begin a test service. At a launch of the initiative at North Eastern Radio Flyers near Sandton on 29 May, the Service demonstrated an unusual fixed wing tilt rotor vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone. It has a refrigeration facility to keep blood products within required temperatures. Ghana and Rwanda have recently started to transport blood to clinics with the use of drones. The SA blood drone service could soon be a step ahead of these countries. The service wants to provide patients with their specific blood types as it is regarded as medical best practice to do so. Ghana and Rwanda only transport O negative blood, the type that is suitable for all recipients. The SA blood service also plans to transport the blood in a refrigerated environment and does not want the unit being flown, to be subject to potential stresses from catapulting at take-off and retrieval of the UAV by net, as is done in Ghana and Rwanda.

The project would be the first use of a drone in the public health sector in SA. A proposal ten years ago by the SA National Health Laboratory Service to transport blood and sputum (a mixture of saliva and mucus coughed up from the respiratory tract, typically as a result of infection or other disease and often examined microscopically to aid medical diagnosis) samples from rural clinics to laboratories by UAVs was abandoned even though trials were successful. The suggestion for the Blood Service to use drones came from the KwaZulu Natal health department in talks a year ago, by women who had recently given birth at rural clinics, about South Africa’s high rate of deaths from bleeding. After dropping for a couple of years, maternal deaths in South Africa rose in 2015 and although it has since fallen, the rate still remains high. In the latest year for which comparative international statistics are available, 138 mothers, per 100,000 live births, died in SA soon after delivery. This gave SA a ranking of 121 out of 183 country positions, with Finland, Iceland, Greece and Poland in joint top position with three maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Excessive blood loss is a significant cause of maternal deaths in the weeks following live births. As part of its proof of concept, the SA National Blood Service’s first drone project will connect two semi-rural hospitals - Sebokeng and Kopanong in Gauteng, which are about nine kilometres apart. The hospital locations were chosen because of the large number of patients at these sites and the need to meet SACAA safety concerns about flight paths and location.

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July 2019

The UAV to be used has a range of about 90kms giving it the ability to reach many rural clinics. It is not envisaged that drone transport will replace ground distribution, but it will give the Service an ability to respond quickly to requests for blood required in the ‘golden hour’ in which a patient can be saved with a transfusion. With the UAV having the ability to take-off and land vertically, the SANBS will be able to pick up a blood sample, transport it back for cross matching at a blood bank and then deliver the specific blood type required by the patient. The drone chosen by the blood service, made by a German UAV startup Quantum-Systems, was initially designed to carry laser equipment for use in aerial surveys. Quantum-Systems calls the UAV the TronF9, but the Blood Service will give it another name. Quantum’s competitive advantage is in technology designed to transition from a vertical take off into forward flight with a tilting rotor system. The SANBS wanted a VTOL solution as it allows landing and take-offs in fairly confined areas and does not place the blood payload under excessive g-forces. The UAV takes off and lands using four engines, but the rear motors are turned off and their rotors folded inwards for efficient forward flight. Quantum and SANBS have jointly developed modifications for the aircraft to be used in a blood products’ transport role. A refrigerated payload bay, critical in maintaining the cold chain in the transport of blood products, has been built into the nose of the UAV. For the moment, the project’s take-off awaits the go ahead by the SACAA and for the results of an internal blood service competition to find a name for the UAV.

In December 2018, the pilots of an Aeromexico 737 heard a loud bang whilst preparing to land in Tijuana, Mexico. The radome at the front of the jet was badly damaged, but there was no evidence of a bird strike. Many observers quickly concluded it had struck a drone, but that wasn’t true. The DJI blog reports that Bloomberg News recently published the results of a Boeing investigation on behalf of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which concluded the radome most likely suffered an internal collapse because it was installed improperly. Boeing’s engineers ruled out any collision with an object. For good measure, the Feather Identification Lab of the Smithsonian Institution found no evidence of bird DNA or feathers on the radome. (SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. is a Chinese technology company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China with manufacturing facilities throughout the world. It is known as a manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, for aerial photography and videography)

much less estimate how far away they are or whether they pose a risk. “We know the overwhelming majority of drone pilots want to fly safely and responsibly and we have spent years developing smart technology like geofencing, altitude limits and automatic return-to-home systems to help drones maintain their admirable safety record.

This wasn’t the first time that the world’s media has reported a drone collision with an airplane that was later disproved. Instead, it is at least the seventh time and it is at least the second time that a radome’s structural collapse was incorrectly blamed on a drone. For all the good that drones are doing around the world, from taking amazing pictures to saving lives, some people persist in thinking drones are a hazard in the skies. DJI has collected dozens of examples from around the world of alleged drone sightings, near-misses and collisions that are probably and in some cases definitely not true. You can read about them in ‘Elevating Safety,’ DJI’s report on how to safely integrate drones into the airspace. On page 15 of the report are details about how drones have been blamed for near-misses and mid-air collisions that were really caused by birds, bats, balloons, a plastic bag and structural failure. ‘Elevating Safety’ documents show how aviation regulators in the United States, United Kingdom and continental Europe maintain lists of complaints about drones that they know are inaccurate. It investigates years of media reports about incidents that were blamed on drones, but caused by something else and it explains why even well-intentioned pilots of airplanes and helicopters find it almost impossible to correctly identify other objects in the sky,

We are even going to install professional-grade airplane and helicopter detection systems in new consumer drones starting next year, to warn drone pilots of potential collisions so they can get out of the way in time. These tools and others have helped ensure that despite the negative headlines about bogus stories, drones have remained a remarkably safe technology,” DJI writes on its blog. “However, bad impressions matter. As we say in our report: ‘For regulators, elected officials and drone companies trying to make drones safer, inaccurate news stories like those are not just misleading. They harm the process of improving safety, because they focus attention on outrageous events that didn’t happen, instead of on aviation risks that may be less sensational, but much more prevalent.’ This is why we are pleased to see the truth finally come out about the Aeromexico incident. It would be nice if every news outlet that ran a scary story speculating about a drone collision would correct its coverage, but we know that probably won’t happen. Instead, we hope this will spur the media, the drone industry, government officials and the general public to be sceptical the next time they hear an unverified allegation that a drone had a close call with an airplane thousands of feet in the air.

Chinese drone manufacturer DJI, has unveiled Manifold 2, an ultra-compact onboard supercomputer for DJI drones that enables the next-generation of autonomous aerial robotics solutions. With the additional compute capability of Manifold 2, users can process complex image data onboard the drone and get results immediately and can programme drones to fly autonomously whilst identifying objects and avoiding obstacles.Manifold 2 provides powerful intelligence for a variety of applications with the ability to choose between an Intel Core i7-8550U CPU or NVIDIA Jetson TX2 supercomputer on a module for AI at the edge. Both versions are compatible with DJI’s leading enterprise drones including the Matrice 210 series and Matrice 600 series and can be integrated into the drone’s internal systems and sensors using DJI’s powerful software development kit, allowing for open customisation and seamless integration into the DJI ecosystem of software and hardware solution providers. Each Manifold 2 includes USB, UART, CAN ports and more, allowing developers to link multiple Manifold 2 processors and build on top of them to transform DJI drones into specialised aerial robots for specific applications and industries. “DJI Manifold 2 not only enables the advanced computer vision, perception and navigation featured in Automodality’s patented AMROS and Perceptive Navigation platform

suite, it also enables next-generation artificial intelligence out on the edge, a hallmark of Automodality’s software and service offering for industrial inspections,” said Ed Koch, Chief Technology Officer at Automodality, a leading company developing autonomous drone solutions.“By empowering the drone to perceive and analyse in real-time, Manifold 2 opens new areas and capabilities and allows Automodality-equipped DJI Matrice 210s to autonomously fly where no one else has flown before, in GPS and radio frequency-denied environments where the most valuable and actionable data resides.”DJI Manifold 2 is available for purchase through authorised DJI Enterprise resellers worldwide.

July 2019

African Pilot

By Divan Muller

Luigi Stipa was a truly innovative aircraft designer, but is unfortunately almost exclusively remembered for designing one of the worst-looking aircraft of all time. He was born on 30 November 1900 in central Italy. As a teenager, he served with the Italian Army in the First World War. He then studied civil, hydraulic and aeronautical engineering and was employed by Italy’s Air Ministry. Given his experience in fluid dynamics, Stipa understood that a fluid’s velocity increased as it passed through a tube with decreasing diameter. Therefore, he believed that an aircraft’s engines could be made more efficient if its propellers were placed inside large Venturi tubes. After years of research, Stipa convinced the Air Ministry to build an experimental aircraft which could prove his theory. The resulting aircraft was called the Stipa-Caproni. It had a barrel-shaped fuselage, which enclosed its 120-hp de Havilland Gypsy III engine and propeller. The fuselage served as a large venturi tube, which had the same diameter as the propeller. The Stipa-Caproni first flew on 7 October 1932. Despite its ungainly appearance, the aircraft handled surprisingly well and had a low stall speed, improved climb rate and was remarkably quiet. Testing revealed that Stipa’s theories were correct and the propeller configuration did 266 2

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indeed improve the engine’s efficiency, but it created so much drag that any benefits were effectively nullified. Stipa believed his concept would be more effective when used with larger ‘flying wing’ airliners, but the Air Ministry lost interest. To some extent, it could be argued that Stipa was the inventor of the turbofan engine, albeit in rather primitive form. He died on 9 January 1992 at the age of 91.

July 2019

African Pilot

FIRST FLIGHT

for Lilium electric air taxi

Start-up company, Lilium which is developing a revolutionary on-demand air taxi service, has taken the ‘wraps off’ its new five-seater air taxi prototype. The unveiling of the new Lilium Jet came as the all-electric aircraft completed its maiden flight in the skies over Germany earlier last month. The full-scale, full-weight prototype is powered by 36 all-electric jet engines that allow it to take-off and land vertically, whilst achieving remarkably efficient horizontal or cruise, flight. The simplicity of the aircraft design, without a tail, or rudder, or propellers, or gearbox and only one moving part in the engine not only contributes to the safety and affordability of the aircraft, but it has also allowed the design team to focus its efforts on creating a magical customer experience in the cabin, from panoramic windows to gull-wing doors. “Today we have taken another huge step towards making urban air mobility a reality. In less than two years we have been able to design, build and successfully fly an aircraft that will serve as our template for mass production,” said Daniel Wiegand, Lilium co-founder and CEO. “Moving from two to five seats was always our ambition as it enables us to open up the skies to many more travellers. Whether it is friends or families flying together or business travellers ride-sharing into the city, having five seats delivers an economy of scale one just cannot achieve with two seats. The Lilium Jet herself is beautiful

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July 2019

and we were thrilled to see her take to the skies for the first time. With the perfect balance of range and speed, our aircraft has the potential to positively impact where people choose to live and how they travel, all over the world.” With a top speed of 160 knots and a range of 160 nautical miles, the Lilium Jet is capable of completing much longer journeys than the majority of its competitors. This is, in part, thanks to the fixed wing design of the aircraft. Whilst drone-based aircraft consume much of their energy keeping the aircraft in the air, the Lilium Jet can rely on the lift generated by the fixed wings to do this, meaning it will require less than ten percent of its maximum 2000 horsepower during cruise flight. This efficiency, which is comparable with the energy usage of an electric car over the same distance, means the aircraft would not just be capable of connecting suburbs to city centres, airports and main train stations, but would also deliver affordable high-speed connections across entire regions. The Lilium Jet first took to the air on the morning of 4 May 2019, having completed extensive ground testing at Lilium’s HQ in Munich, Germany. The prototype aircraft, which is controlled remotely from the ground, has since begun a rigorous flight test campaign that will prove its capability and lay the foundations for certification of the aircraft to safety standards comparable with those of large commercial aircraft. Lilium plans to manufacture and operate the Lilium Jet as part of a revolutionary on-demand air taxi service. At the push of a button, passengers will be able to use the Lilium app to locate their nearest landing pad and plan their journey with ease. Choosing from a network of pads across cities and regions, passengers will enjoy journeys that are comparable in price with a taxi, yet four times faster. Lilium expects to be fullyoperational in various cities around the world by 2025, although trial services will start earlier than this in several locations. The latest five-seater Lilium Jet builds on the successful flight testing of a two-seater prototype in 2017. The two-seater prototype provided proof of concept for Lilium’s signature transition flight manoeuvre, where the aircraft moved from vertical to horizontal flight and laid the groundwork for the present prototype. The five-seater prototype will now enter a rigorous flight test campaign that will see it demonstrate its full range of capabilities.

Alaka’i Technologies has unveiled Skai, which the company says is the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell powered air mobility solution. The aircraft has been designed with a simple and safe electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle and a fuel system that runs entirely on hydrogen fuel cells.

from relieving traffic congestion to delivering supplies during natural disasters. Skai is set to offer affordable, realistic applications in the commercial, private, freight and personal air mobility markets.”

Skai’s core team members are nationally-recognised aerospace experts, engineers and veteran pilots who have served in top-level positions at NASA, Raytheon, Beechcraft, Cirrus, DayJet and the Department of Defence who collaborated on the vision of solving some of the world’s most-pressing global challenges across transportation, energy and the environment. Skai is co-designed by Designworks, the design innovation studio for the BMW Group, to leverage its creative expertise to help shape a world-class vehicle. The result is Skai, stripped away of all unnecessary complexity, waste and possible points of failure, leaving the most essential elements for the craft and optimising them for the most intuitive experience.

The heart of Skai and one of its most revolutionary features, is the use of hydrogen fuel cells, a clean environmental solution from end to end. With the advantage of being 95% reusable and the remaining (99%) recyclable, Skai’s hydrogen fuel cells offer reliable emission comprised solely of heat and water. This is a stark alternative to traditional fuel and battery sources. Hydrogen fuel cells allow Skai to travel further distances and carry a greater payload. “Air mobility is a very exciting and fascinating topic,” said Holger Hampf, President of Designworks. “Our focus for this project was to help build a new consumer facing brand from scratch, considering and designing all touchpoints; digital, physical and service, therefore delivering an all-encompassing user-centric experience which is purposeful and highly desirable in all aspects.”

“This remarkably impressive team has come together to build on its collective experience to finally realise its singular, critical vision to launch Skai and transform transportation,” said Brian Morrison, Co-Founder, President and Chief Technology officer of Alaka’i Technologies. “Skai offers practical, real-life solutions to everything

Alaka’i Technologies has initiated its test programme with the FAA. Pending certification, Skai will create new possibilities in personal mobility for everyone, efficient emergency responses, economical freight distribution and the utilisation of hydrogen fuel cells as a highly reliable, zero-emission power source. July 2019

African Pilot

2019

Event

Venue

Contact

4 - 6 July

AERO South Africa

Wonderboom National Airport

Konstantin.vonVieregge@za.messafrankfurt.com

12 July

CAASA AGM

Lanseria International Airport

12 - 14 July

Taildraggers Fly-In

Nylstroom

13 July

SAPFA Hoedspruit Fun Rally

Hoedspruit Civil Airfield

22 - 28 July

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

Wisconsin, USA

25 - 27 July

SAPFA Air Navigation Race (ANR) Nationals

Brits Airfield

3 - 4 August

SAC KZN Regionals

Ladysmith Airfield

Annie Boon chunge@mweb.co.za

21 - 31 August

SAC Unlimited World Championships

France

Annie Boon chunge@mweb.co.za

24 August

Bethlehem Airshow

Bethlehem

Stephan Fourie fouriesj1491@gmail.com

7 September

SAPFA Grand Central Fun Rally

Grand Central Airport

Rob Jonkers 082 804 7032 rob@aerosud.co.za

14 September

Vans RV Fly-in to Kitty Hawk

Kitty Hawk

25 - 26 September

MEBAA show Morocco

Marrakech Menara Airport, Morocco

26 - 28 September

Commercial Aviation Symposium Africa

Spier Wine Estate, Stellenbosch

5 October

SAPFA Secunda Speed Rally

Secunda Airfield

5 - 6 October

SAC Western Cape Regionals

Swellendam Airfield

+27 120 599 6151

011 659 2345 office@caasa.co.za Richard Nicholson 082 490 6227 flybenchmark@gmail.com Frank Eckard 083 269 1516 frank.eckard@mweb.co.za Neil Bowden neil1@telkomsa.net Calvin Fabig calvin@designer.co.za Frank Eckard 083 269 1516 frank.eckard@mweb.co.za

Frank van Heerden frankvh@sandown.co.za www.fakt.co.za Mathew Cunliffe +971 4 603 3323 matthew.cunliffe@dubai.aero 011 659 2345 office@caasa.co.za Jonty Esser 082 855 9435 jonty@promptroofing.co.za Annie Boon chunge@mweb.co.za

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 SACAA Website: www.caa.co.za

African Pilot

July 2019

African Pilot

By Divan Muller The Vickers Vimy was an early heavy bomber which was designed specifically for the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). The first example completed its maiden flight on 30 November 1917. It was intended to serve during the First World War, but it was still undergoing development when the war ended on 11 November 1918. After the war, the Vimy entered service with the newly formed Royal Air Force (RAF) and soon made international news headlines by breaking several world records with long-distance flights. More than 230 Vimys were built, with the aircraft type

remaining in service with the RAF until well into the 1930s. Aircraft types developed from the Vimy included the Virginia, Victoria and Valentia. The Vimy Commercial, which first flew in 1919, had a larger fuselage and was the civilian version of the Vimy. Many of these aircraft were converted to bombers and saw combat in Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First and Second Zhiliâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Fengtian Wars of 1922 and 1924 respectively. The Commercial proved to be quite capable, to the extent that more than fifty examples were built as transport aircraft for the RAF. These entered service as Vernons.

Did you know? The Vickers Vimy was named after the Battle of Vimy Ridge, a significant World War I battle which took place in April 1917. 100 years ago, in June 1919, the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean was successfully completed with a Vickers Vimy. Later that year, another Vimy was used to complete the first flight from England to Australia. In 1920, South African pilots Pierre van Ryneveld and Quentin Brand flew from London to Cape Town. Their aircraft, a Vickers Vimy, experienced mechanical problems over Sudan, so a second Vimy was used to continue the flight. This aircraft crashed in Southern Rhodesia, so the two pilots switched to an Airco DH.9 to complete the journey. The Vimy could carry more than 1 100 kg of bombs and was armed with two Lewis machine guns. It could fly at a speed of about 90 knots and stay airborne for 11 hours. 322 3

African A Afr ica ic c n Pilot Pilo il t

JJuly Ju ly 2019

July 2019

African Pilot

By Athol Franz

Helicopter, bike and a stunning looking lady Athol took this picture late on Friday afternoon 7 June as the CAASA birthday celebrations were winding down. Several aviation companies exhibited their planes and helicopters just outside the fence at CAASA House, Lanseria and the opportunity presented itself to capture this special moment when Jackie Nieuwoudt from DJA Aviation mounted her unique motorbike complete with aviation instruments. Athol used his Canon EOS 7D fitted with an 18 to 200 mm Canon lens, ISO 200, shutter speed 60 sec at f9. 34

African Pilot

July 2019