Wiseman Mbambo –struggling on
Smuggling DC-3 down Africa to SA!
Iris – The end of 5Y-ARN
Patrick Tillman: Imagenuity
Contributors
John Bassi
Laura McDermid
Darren Olivier
Jeffery Kempson
John Bassi - When Things Work in Harmony
- C-130J’s 3 Million Hours SAAF - Lt Gen Mbambo – Soldiering On Laura McDermid - Iris Farewell to Arn Pt2
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Hugh Pryor - Achmed Superior Pilot Services: Flight School Directory News - Farnborough Order Round-up
Africanairlinesarechampionsatpayinglipservice to the two forces that dominate the global airline industry. The first force is liberalisation – which despite the best efforts of the Yamoussoukro Declarations and now SAATM, most African airlines just ignore. The second is climate change and the whole ‘Net Zero’ farce.
I, AND A MYRIAD OTHER COMMENTATORS, have written ad nauseum about liberalisation. So let me focus on Net Zero. The simple truth is that even with anticipated technology it is impossible for the airline industry to fly hundreds of people thousands of miles without using fossil fuel. As I point out in this month’s column in SA Flyer – nothing comes close to the energy density and low cost of JetA.
Aviation is responsible for only 2-3% of global emissions. However, aviation emissions (modelled by Boeing) are expected to double to 5% by 2030. On this trajectory, by 2050, aviation will account for a quarter of all CO2 emissions.
But it’s all smoke and mirrors. By end 2024 a mere 0.45 Mt of SAF is expected to be available for the entire aviation industry. When compared to the 300 Mt jet fuel demand in 2023, this represents a miniscule 0.15% of the total.
it’s all smoke and mirrors
One of the key counterarguments to these numbers is that new aircraft and a plethora of operational efficiency enhancements will improve aviation’s carbon efficiency by around 25% per seat. However, Boeing’s projections show that all these measures combined account for only about 30% of 2050’s predicted emissions.
Even looking as far out as 2050, it’s safe to say that electric and hydrogen propulsion are improbable, especially for long-haul flights. So the industry is pinning its hope on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The OEMs and airlines have been staging SAFpowered demonstration flights and have announced many purchasing agreements with fuel providers.
The fundamental issue is twofold: there’s a glaring shortage of SAF, and the efforts by the aviation (and energy) sector to ramp up SAF production are a joke. Current projections reveal that even if we include all the new SAF plants in the pipeline, only around 8.4 million tonnes of SAF will be produced by 2030. That’s around 5% of demand.
Why smoke and mirrors? Because airlines claim to have signed contracts for SAF that will be impossible to produce. (Again see my SA Flyer column). For example, United Airlines has said it has contracts to buy up to 1 billion gallons of SAF. But that’s over twenty years.
The airline industry is counting the chickens of SAF supplies from eggs that will have not been laid, let alone hatched, by 2030.
For once I do not blame the African airline industry’s dragging their feet on this whole Net Zero boondoggle.
Somalia has come in for its fair share of media attention over the years and, having spent some time there, I can see why.
THE SOMALIS are variously portrayed as devious, arrogant, dishonest, murderous, thieving scum floating on the sewage of humanity. Or alternatively, as stunningly beautiful, proud, intelligent, misunderstood and abused remnants of some noble warrior race from the distant past.
I have seen both sides of the coin and have to say that I sympathise with both viewpoints although I have also to admit that I started off, in the late eighties, as an evangelical believer in the “scum” theory. The person who opened my eyes to the other side of the coin was Achmed Abdi Hussein.
Achmed was a shrivelled hunchback with wise humorous eyes and a face lined surprisingly by laughter. The fact that he escaped being fed to the hyenas at birth must be attributable to his extraordinarily enlightened parents. Unfortunately I never had the chance to meet them, so I can only speak from assumption. Apparently they suffered brutal deaths at the hands of one of the original “war lords”, Mohammed Farrah Aideed, who has since also been permanently departed.
were one of the more fun things to shoot at if you wanted to get a bit of practice in.
Also, aeroplanes had recently been instrumental in reducing the population of Hargeisa, the capital of the old British colony of Somaliland, from four hundred and fifty thousand to five thousand in two days. So they were a prime target for anybody who had survived that slaughter. Hargeisa is only about sixty miles from Berbera. Just surviving was a full-time job in Berbera.
Dominic, having recently been the Food and Beverages Manager of the Nogga Hilton near Geneva, was now THE Red Cross in Northern Somalia and he and I lived in a solid stone-built house near the old power-station. We built another three feet onto the top of the wall around the compound in a vain attempt to keep the bullets out and flew an enormous Red Cross flag from the roof. We were not ourselves targets, but we definitely got in the way.
At the time, I was on contract to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Berbera, Northern Somalia, flying a Pilatus PC-6. When I say ‘flying’, we weren’t actually doing very much of that, because there was so much fighting going on and aeroplanes
During the hours of day light, the fighters seemed to go to bed in preparation for the night’s entertainment, so, while the guns were relatively silent, we spent our time getting water from the old abandoned United Nations compound which still had one pipe with water in it, although none of the buildings remained standing. The extraordinary satisfaction of getting our header-tank topped up with fresh water was one of the high points of the day.
Once a week I used to go out to the airport to check the plane. Built by the Americans as an Alternate for the Space Shuttle, Berbera Airport was technically a US Naval Base. The US Navy consisted of Jesse and Karl, who lived in an air-conditioned, fairly-bullet-proof box in the base Admin Block. The runway was five kilometres long.
When I visited them, I used to invite the US Navy for a short check flight within the perimeter of the base. All two of them would invariably and enthusiastically agree. A continuous, steady, gustless forty five knot wind blew straight down the runway. Jesse and Karl would climb into the back of the plane and strap themselves in, leaving the sliding door open because of the intense heat and humidity.
I would then fire up the engine and taxi right down to the far end of the runway. There I would check the motor, making sure that everything was doing what it ought to and, after getting a thumbs-up from the US Navy, I would advance the power lever, holding the brakes locked. As the power rose, so did the tail and before we had full power, the aircraft would levitate into the air. By judicious use of the power lever, I could keep our indicated air speed around forty knots and the aeroplane would float backwards past the beginning of the runway. Then I would lower the nose and fly back for a completely stationary touchdown on the point where we had left the ground. The US Navy just loved doing that and the rest of the afternoon would be spent drinking beer, which was a considerable luxury for me, since the only alcoholic beverage which we had over at the Red Cross was a disgusting Italian sticky called Amaretto di Saronno.
This situation obviously could not be allowed to continue indefinitely. I mean, what are those two DOING all day up in that holiday camp in Berbera? Mmm? Damned waste of money, that’s what I say!
We could feel the pressure mounting, and finally it was announced that a formal visit would be made by Peter, the Head of the Red Cross Delegation in Mogadishu, and the Head of the Somali Red Crescent, who turned out to be none other than Achmed Abdi Hussein.
I hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting Achmed before and with my hackles pre-programmed in the fully prejudiced position, I was frankly not over-keen at the prospect. However, when I set eyes on his wizened figure and the humorous twinkle with which he bore his deformities, I was instantly infected by his inner strength and his obvious interest in how Dominic and I were coping with the more challenging aspects of life at the wrong end of a rifle barrel in Berbera. This guy was obviously on our side!
Each flight from Mogadishu to Berbera cost the Red Cross $10,000 in an eight-passenger Swearingen Merlin, so great were the risks involved. Ten thousand bucks was a year’s salary for a lot of first-world people, so they filled the plane to the gunwales. When Murray, the Kiwi Captain, as he was known, opened the doors after landing at Berbera, I couldn’t initially see any passengers at all and it was only after removing about half the cargo that we discovered our two visitors.
The only contact we had with the outside world was a twice daily, “Operations Normal” call on the Paktor, which was a kind of HF radio telex system, to the Red Cross delegation in Mogadishu; one at midday, before lunch, and one at six in the evening before Amarettos and supper. Apart from these two “Scheds”, for the rest of the world we effectively ceased to exist and carried on our precarious lives without outside interference.
They gradually and painfully popped back into shape, having spent the previous three hours jammed between various sharp-edged boxes and heavy packing cases. As Peter slowly stretched himself and shook out his limbs, Achmed looked at him and then looked at me and smiled. “Don’t worry about me,” he said, “I always look like this!”
I couldn’t restrain myself and grasping the little hunchback’s hand, I said, “A real pleasure to meet you. You must be Achmed. I’m the pilot up here and this is Dominic, who is the Red Cross here in Berbera”.
Dominic shook Achmed’s hand warmly and then Peter joined us. “Sorry about that,” he said. “I should have
introduced you, but I was just trying to get myself back to the right size! So, now that you all know each other, shall we get settled in? Then we can discuss the programme I would like to try and work through”.
We loaded the cargo into the cars and drove back to the house. All was quiet and a mouth-watering smell issued from the kitchen where Abdullah was turning out yet another masterpiece from the limited supplies available to him.
Abdullah had served with the British Army as a cook in the Far East during World War Two, which was where he had learnt to make do with limited resources. He was a refugee from Hargeisa where his house had been destroyed by the government aircraft. Abdullah had regained consciousness after two days, with his left arm and leg trapped under one of the roof joists which had fallen after rockets hit the house. There was no sign of his wife, son or granddaughter, but the remains of the house had been looted and two large dark blood-stains boded ill for any good news.
We had passed on details to the Red Cross Tracing Agency, an organization well-known for miracles, and meanwhile we were only too pleased to offer Abdullah a job. He was our general factotum, covering everything from laundry to cuisine. As he said, it kept him from dwelling upon the ghastly possibilities which haunted his mind.
Achmed went on to describe a meeting of the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies which he had attended some years before in Northern Norway. It was held during the month of June and, as it happened, it coincided that year with the Holy Month of Ramadan, when devout Muslims fast during the hours of daylight, taking food only after the sun has set. Achmed suddenly realized that he was going to be extremely hungry because, at that time of the year, the sun never sank below the horizon in northern Norway!
The hotel saved the day by providing him with a room with black paint covering the windows. He told us with a smile that they even put pin pricks through the paint to give the impression of starlight.
Britz Rudi Wonderboom Airport 083 422 9882 rudiavmed@gmail.com
Church Belinda Valhalla 079 636 9860 churchbs@live.com
Du Plessis Alexander Athlone Park 031 904 7460 dex.duplessis@intercare.co.za
Erasmus Philip Benoni 011 849 6512 pdceras-ass@mweb.co.za
Govender Deena Umhlanga Rocks 031 566 2066/7 deena@drdg.co.za
Ingham Kenneth Midrand 011 315 5817 kaingham@hotmail.com
Marais Eugene Mossel Bay 044 693 1470 eugene.marais@medicross.co.za
Opperman Chris Pretoria Lynnwood 012 368 8800 chris.opperman@intercare.co.za
Tenzer Stan Rand Airport & JHB CBD 083 679 0777 stant@global.co.za
Toerien Hendrik White River, Nelspruit 013 751 3848 hctoerien@viamediswitch.co.za
Van Der Merwe Johann Stellenbosch 021 887 0305 johann.vdmerwe@medicross.co.za
The two big manufacturers always save up new a plane orders so they can announce them with fanfare at the Farnborough or Paris air shows.
This year’s Farnborough was no exception.
BOEING GOT IN FIRST by announcing orders from Korean Air, Japan Airlines, Luxair, and National Airlines. Airbus was more measured as at the end of Day 1, Drukair signed an MOU with Airbus for three A320neo and two A321XLRs.
Korean Air placed a firm order for 40 Boeing widebodies, including 20 B777-9s and 20 B787-10 Dreamliners, with options for an additional 10 B78710s. With this order, Korean Air has become the newest member of the Boeing 777X family, with the first aircraft scheduled to be delivered in 2028.
Korean Air’s CEO, Walter Cho, stated that the addition of these new aircraft marks a significant milestone in their fleet expansion and upgrade strategy. Cho said that the new additions will not only enhance passenger comfort and operational efficiency but also significantly reduce carbon emissions, aligning with their long-term commitment to sustainable aviation practices.
“We are honoured Korean Air has selected our largest, most efficient widebody airplanes to add capacity to its global network. Boeing planes have played an integral role with Korean Air over the past 50 years, and the 777X and 787 Dreamliner will continue to support the airline’s long-term goals for sustainability and continued growth,” said Stephanie Pope, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Korean Air had been in talks with Boeing for months regarding a potential widebody order, after placing a surprise order for 33 Airbus A350s jets earlier in March.
the latest airplane technology that will support Luxair’s growth plans and the decarbonization of our fleet. There is high commonality between the 737 MAX models, and this allows for significant operational savings for the airline.”
Currently, Luxair operates a fleet of 21 aircraft, including two leased Boeing 737 MAX 8s and eight 737 NGs. Over the past two years, Luxair has expanded its route network by 30%, now serving 94 destinations.
Japan Airlines announced an order for up to 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliners at the Farnborough Airshow. The agreement includes firm orders for 10 B787-9s, with an option for an additional 10 aircraft. The Japanese flag carrier currently operates 45 Dreamliners, including 23 B787-8s and 22 B787-9s.
National Airlines ordered four Boeing 777 freighters, marking the carrier’s first direct purchase of Boeing aircraft. Two of these B777Fs will be delivered in late 2025, with the remaining two arriving in 2026. These new freighters will join National Airlines’ existing fleet of nine Boeing 747-400 freighters. National Airlines’ Chairman, Christopher Alf confirmed that the B777X freighter will replace its Boeing 747 freighters in the future.
Luxair placed an order for two Boeing 737 MAX 10s, with options for an additional two. The Luxembourgbased charter airline intends to offer a minimum seat pitch of 30 inches on its MAX 10s. This configuration will allow the airline to carry up to 213 passengers on routes up to 5,740 km (3,100 nautical miles), enhancing both capacity and range to benefit from the growing demand for leisure travel.
“The purchase of the 737-10 is another step towards Luxair positioning for its future with the investment in
Drukair – Royal Bhutan Airlines, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for three A320neo and two A321XLR aircraft to expand its international network. Deliveries for these new aircraft are expected to start in 2030.
The Bhutanese flag carrier plans to fly these aircraft out of Paro International Airport and the new airport at Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC). Drukair plans to expand its connectivity to Europe, South East Asia, and Australia. Drukair already operates four Airbus A320 family aircraft including three A319s and one A320.
Laura McDermid continues her stories about Iris McCallum’s early years in East Africa and the Sudan.
The forlorn wreckage of 5Y-ARN.
(JKA) is always a nuisance for us Wilson pilots, as we had to catch a taxi to get to back to Wilson, and then get a lift back to JKA the following day to collect the aircraft.
This placed the pilot under a lot of pressure if that specific aircraft was scheduled to depart early from Wilson that morning.
Flying our trusty Aztec, 5Y-ARN, I am cleared for final approach and settle comfortably on the ILS to JKA. But, as I get abeam Wilson, JKA ATC calls.
‘Alpha-Romeo-November, Wilson has advised that you are cleared to land there. Please advise?’
‘Affirm. Please tell Wilson that I will alter course to land there.’
‘Copy Alpha-Romeo-November, please change your frequency to oneone-eight decimal one.’
‘Changing frequency to one-one-eight decimal one, thank you and good night.’
My watch shows twenty minutes to seven which is ten minutes past sunset.
The Wilson Airport Nairobi chart and NOTAMS had no warnings of the piles of murram on the runway.
Undercarriage…. down and locked; mixture…. set; flaps…two notches; landing lights…on.
I look across to Wilson and can just make out the dark slash of the airstrip. The first 700m of the runway up to the control tower is murram after which it becomes asphalt. Murram is a highly weathered residual soil found in tropical regions which is used throughout East Africa for surfacing roads as it has a higher density than gravel, thus providing a better finish.
I contact Wilson on 118.10 and turn left away from the ILS approach and call long finals for runway 32 instead.
‘Alpha-Romeo-November you are cleared to land runway three-two.’
The approach to runway 32 was over the Nairobi National Park. Squinting into the darkness, I line up with the dark shape of the runway and as I fly over the game fence that borders the park, I ease off on the power knowing that I can slow the Aztec right down.
I sail past the threshold and gently ease back on the yoke, preparing to flare at 54 KIAS when there is an almighty bang that pushes me deep into the seat, followed by the screech of wrenching metal the likes of which I’d never heard.
Imagine the sound of a million nails being scraped down a blackboard and multiply that by a thousand.
‘Oh shit… I’ve hit a buffalo’ is my immediate thought.
We begin to slide like a giant toboggan and pumping the brakes has no effect. Realizing there isn’t anything I can do, I surrender to my fate.
As ARN comes to a juddering halt, I switch everything off and unlatch the door before turning to my passengers.
I open the cockpit door and literally slide onto the ground.
I roll onto all fours, taking in the scene before me, fully expecting to be surrounded by bits and pieces of dead animal.
Surprisingly everyone is unharmed and I brief them to unbuckle and to get as far away from the aircraft as possible.
I straighten up but as the realization of what actually happened dawns on me, I sink down onto my haunches again.
Straight down the centre-line of the runway spaced approximately 30 metres apart are stacks of murram that were piled about six feet high, which from up high, in the dark were indistinguishable from their surroundings.
Nicholas-Biwotts was Minister of Home Affairs - and helpfully also Chairman of Air Kenya.
Sometime after I took off that morning, a truck offloaded the orange rock-soil in neat piles with the intention of resurfacing the runway.
No NOTAM had been issued and the ATC in the tower had not advised me to use the alternative runway or to land deep in line with the control tower where the asphalt began.
The back of my eyes prickle with unshed tears at the sight of ARN lying impotently on his belly. The initial bang must have been when the undercarriage was ripped off. Thank god I was in the Aztec as not many planes would’ve been able to survive this.
With that in mind I turn to look for my passengers, who instead of running away as they’d been told, were happily filming and taking pictures, oblivious to the rain or to the possible danger of an aircraft about to explode.
Damned TV people, always looking for sensationalism.
As a pilot, what I learnt from this incident is what you can’t see, you can’t avoid.
No one at Wilson took accountability for the accident and poor ARN was deemed beyond repair and was written off by the insurance company.
My work permit was about to expire in October and Sunbird Aviation had made no effort to renew it, which made me anxious.
Following the crash I did a few more flights during the remainder of September to Kisumu, Entebbe, Nanyuki and the Maasai Mara but things just weren’t the same after the accident.
Just when I was at my lowest ebb, I received a call from Air Kenya in Nairobi, asking me if I would like to come and fly for them. The chairman of Air Kenya, Nicholas Biwott, happened to be the Minister of Home Affairs in Kenya, and within no time had organised a work permit for me.
I was thrilled to be part of the Air Kenya group. It was a wonderful charter company where lasting friendships were forged. Some of the happiest times of my life were waiting for me.
Sometimes you just have to go out with a bang!
IATA CALLED ON SOUTH AFRICA to mobilise its experience, resources, and infrastructure to accelerate the development of SAF production.
“South Africa has vast potential to become a leading SAF producer in the region. And there is a waiting market for SAF as airlines work to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. More than a strategy in support of aviation’s decarbonisation, it is a strategy for economic development and should be a top priority for the new South African government. Across agriculture, energy, and transportation, new jobs and industries are waiting to be created that would not only help fight poverty but also contribute to greater energy independence,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Chief Economist.
South Africa chaired the 2022 ICAO Assembly at which governments agreed to a longterm goal aligned with the aviation industry’s net-zero carbon emissions by 2050
commitment. The role of SAF in achieving this goal was emphasized by the ICAO CAAF/3 objective of a 5% average global reduction in aviation’s carbon emissions by 2030. As decarbonizing aviation will require global collaboration, it is critical that global or regional stakeholders like States, development banks, industry, academia and other relevant parties bring forces together to help countries with SAF potential to develop their industry.
“Airlines are ready and waiting to purchase SAF as evidenced by the fact that every drop of SAF produced
has been purchased and used. But the production volumes are a minute fraction of what aviation needs. That’s why it is essential for governments of countries with production potential, such as South Africa, to embrace what is a unique win-win-win opportunity for economic development, energy transition, and decarbonized air transportation,” said Thomsen.
IATAhighlighted several advantages for South Africa in developing SAF production, which have also been noted by a study undertaken by World Wildlife Fund (WWF):
Feedstock Potential: South Africa has an abundance of feedstocks from which SAF can be derived including sugarcane and biomass from cleared invasive alien plants (IAPs). With respect to IAPs, harvesting them will come with other environmental benefits such as improved biodiversity and water security. In all cases, no feedstocks would compete with food production for land or water use in line with the ICAO sustainability framework.
Strategic Geographic Location: South Africa’s airports, particularly OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and Cape Town International Airport, serve as important hubs for connecting flights within Africa and to other parts of the world.
Significant Production Capacity: The WWF estimates that South Africa has the potential to produce between 3.2 and 4.5 billion litres of SAF annually. This will more than meet domestic fuel demand (1.8 billion litres) and present an export opportunity, where policies will be central for realization. Achieving production at the higher range of potential would require the co-development of a green hydrogen capability.
Existing Refinery Infrastructure: South Africa has existing refinery infrastructure which should be explored for brownfield investments—plant conversions or co-processing.
Experience: South Africa has long experience in synthetic fuel production, particularly the FischerTropsch method. Moreover, the country’s robust academic and research institutions also have a history of supporting innovations and technology for fuel production.
To capitalise on South Africa’s SAF potential, IATA urges the government to adopt a strategic plan that should include four critical areas:
• Industrial Infrastructure: Accelerate the development of production capabilities by using existing industrial infrastructure (brownfield investment) as a competitive advantage in the development and scaling of SAF production.
• Pooling Resources: Identify opportunities to develop SAF by encouraging collaboration between the government, private sector, and international partners to pool resources and expertise.
• Incentives for Research and Development (R&D): Spur innovation to drive down costs, increase production volumes, and diversify source crops/ production methodologies with tax incentives, grants, and subsidies for R&D in SAF technologies.
• Investment in Infrastructure: Support the development of necessary infrastructure (greenfield), such as biorefineries and green hydrogen production facilities with tax and other incentives.
is the current model and this excludes the far higher number of hours flown by the many previous versions.
MORE THAN 545 C-130Js have been delivered to more than 21 nations. Countries with C-130Js contributing to these flight hours include (in order of delivery) the United Kingdom, United States (the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard; Pallas Aviation), Australia, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Canada, India, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Tunisia, Israel, Kuwait, South Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, France, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Germany.
Roles include combat, transport, aerial refuelling, special operations, medevac, humanitarian relief, search and rescue, weather reconnaissance, firefighting, and commercial freight delivery.
“From the highest landing strip in the world to the snow-packed runways of Antarctica and all the many mission locations in between, these 3 million hours represent the proven power and wide-reaching presence of the C-130J’s global fleet,” said Rod McLean, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Air Mobility & Maritime Missions line of business. “In celebrating this achievement, we also honour the many crew members, maintainers and airlift partners who truly keep the global Super Hercules fleet ready for any and every mission requirement.”
These hours were logged beginning with the C-130J’s first flight on April 5, 1996, to the beginning of July 2024.
The C130J Super Hercules fleet has accumulated more than 3 million hours.
The number of flight hours is also boosted by the efforts of the Lockheed Martin Flight Operations team. Their crews are the first to fly every C-130J produced. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Defense Contract Management Agency crews support C-130J test flights at Lockheed Martin’s Aeronautics site in Marietta, Georgia, which is the home of the Super Hercules production line.
The Super Hercules variants used to log these hours include C-130J and C-130J-30 (tactical airlifter), KC-130J (tanker), WC-130J (weather reconnaissance), EC-130J (information operations), MC-130J (Special Operations), HC-130J (search and rescue, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard variants), AC-130J (gunship) and LM-100J (commercial freighter).
Lockheed Martin claims that the C-130J has proven operational readiness that allows for an easy transition, increased reliability, superior tactical airlift and combat airdrop capabilities, certification by more than 20 airworthiness authorities, and excellent engine-out performance with extended range.
It also provides unmatched interoperability with NATO and global air forces, robust industrial partnerships, and verified low life-cycle costs with significant fuel savings, resulting in a reduced carbon footprint compared to other mediumsized jet airlifters.
I stepped out of the Affretair sanctions busting cargo DC-8 at Schipol airport in Amsterdam. It had been a good night flight on the jump seat from Salisbury, with cargo stops at Nairobi, Cairo, and a mid-morning stop at Zurich.
IHAD SENT SOME CARGO business
Affretair’s way, and they had rewarded me with a free ride to Amsterdam.
Dutch customs opened my suitcase and asked why there was a King Nav Com radio unit in it, along with a roll of high speed duct tape packed amongst my clothing. I told them I was a ferry pilot arriving to pick up an aircraft to deliver to Africa. No problem.
I heard the tired DC-8 crew discussing taking an afternoon nap, to be followed by a party night in Amsterdam. Getting some good advice from them, I decided a 39 year old, red-blooded bachelor also deserved some recreation in this permissive city. So, I spent two enjoyable nights pursuing commercial legal erotic options. Then I took an airline to Munich and was met by Bob Koroskinsy, the multiple DC-3 owner and aviation spares dealer.
for Dakotas by the South African Armscor offices on the top floor of the SA French Embassy. I had flown to Paris for lunch with them, and carried the document back to Jhb, leaving the same evening.
The next day I met the other pilot, an elderly fellow I’d replaced on a contract in Khartoum a year earlier. Flight Lieutenant Monty Burton had the distinction of having flown a RAF Canberra from the UK to Christchurch New Zealand in a record time of less than 24 hours. As he modestly mentioned; “Anyone could have done it.”
That afternoon we visited the three Dakotas standing on the far side of the airfield with large oil drums placed under the engines. The batteries had been freshly charged, some fuel loaded, the engines run the day before, and a mag drop rectified.
En route to his Schwabing office we had a good chuckle about how I was awarded the delivery contract
Then we went to Bob’s office for lunch, and I handed over US$20K in travellers checks and received various related paperwork. In 1981 $20K was equivalent
to R13,605 which I paid for the DC-3 with a total airframe time of less than 3,500 hours. Once in SA the airframes would be converted to Turbine Daks, to replace the aged SAAF Shackelton coastal patrol aircraft.
The deal was that I had to purchase the preselected Dakotas. Then the SA Government would provide the ferry fees and pay me for the aircraft on arrival in SA.
That evening we spent a happy couple of hours in the ever-festive café and piano bar Schwabing area. The beer was good, the populace friendly and mostly English speaking. However, a fellow drinker encouraged me to clear my throat and follow his example in venting a tuneful yodel or two. This was not very successful, and Monty (a previous associate of “Captain Fantastic”) cautioned me to moderate my tone, in keeping with an operative embarking on a clandestine mission.
This gent was a total contrast to the dour Armscor bunch I’d originally met in their Pretoria headquarters.
Through immigration, we went out to the DC-3 and after a thorough pre-flight, started up and taxied out to the active runway. En-route a couple of airline pilots and a mechanic with a camera kept pace with us, initially taking pictures of the Dak. We’d been warned that the novelty of the vintage aircraft grumbling past modern jet airliners would attract attention. So, without even a test flight, we tried to minimise attention by getting airborne before the airport press representatives immortalised us on film.
After careful run-ups, Monty entered the runway and applied full power; the tail came up and then the old aeroplane lifted off into the morning sunlight. I raised the undercarriage and was gratified to see it fully retracted after having stood outside through several freezing German winters.
The next morning a friendly Armscor employee stationed in Europe met us in the airport concourse. He had left a message at Bob’s office to tell me that I would recognise him as he would be carrying a Scope magazine. I identified him firstly by his veldskoen shoes, and the Scope magazine confirmed his identity. Over coffee he handed me a sealed brown envelope containing $22,000 in cash for our ferry flight expenses.
At a suitable height we turned toward the Alps gleaming with snow. I said to Monty, “We don’t have a transponder, so if we need IFR they’ll refuse us. So, if we can get over the Alps, it’s downhill all the way home.”
The mountains were spectacular, and so was a B727 descending towards us who, notified of our position, dipped a wing for a better view. We were certainly getting a lot of unwanted attention.
The old aircraft behaved itself, and a few hours later we entered Greek airspace, and landed at Corfu. After parking we gave the Dak a good looking over, but there were no significant oil leaks visible, nor signs of anything coming loose.
We had decided to ferry the best Dak first –and so far so good. After opening the ferry money envelope, we refuelled, then spent the night in a pleasant beach hotel enjoying gourmet Greek lamb.
Next morning I took the left seat, put a couple of lifejackets in easy reach, then flew over the Mediterranean to overnight at a resort hotel at Heraklion in Crete.
The 5200nm route flown by the Dak from Munich to Lanseria.
The third day saw us crossing the African coast west of Cairo, flying over the Sahara before descending into Luxor in Egypt. It took us ages to get Avgas there, until I bribed the Jet fuel bowser driver to neglect an Egypt Air B737 parked next to us, and return with the Avgas bowser. The Egyptian Boeing Captain scowled from his window and repeatedly pointed at his watch.
An unpleasant medical official came aboard and demanded to see our yellow fever vaccination forms. He pretended to find fault with mine, but could not as it had recently been updated with a cholera shot stamp. Meanwhile Monty was stage whispering to me that “My cholera shot expired last month.”
I said, “Well, pretend you’ve left it in your suitcase at the back, and buy time.” Monty moved aft, and I winked at the medical official. Then reaching up to the green ceiling upholstery I undid the zip and extracted a very vulgar picture book which I showed him. His eyes lit up, as I said, “I give you book, you go away, he show you cholera shot stamp next time.”
I had been to Luxor before, so was acquainted with the desires of the medical officer. A year before I had flown a Piper Aztec out of Khartoum to a road building project 400 nm out into the Western desert – with no GPS available back then.
When the wind raised the sand it became a challenge. One day at Wadi Mara I’d approached the German camp doctor with my yellow vaccination book and told him my cholera shot was about to expire. He sat me down, and while I rolled up my sleeve, he stamped my book, and said “That will be good for 6 months.” Then he said, “Roll your sleeve down and keep quiet about it. The injection is more likely to give you cholera than protect you from it.”
I thanked him and walked out of the door with a pain free arm.
The pervy official deliberated and said, “You give me two picture books.” I pretended to consider, then extracted a second lewd book, also recently acquired from a liberal sex shop in Munich. The man took it and said, “Thankee, I see you next time.”
The Luxor Winter Palace Hotel was a grand establishment, and while Monty phoned his UK home, I took myself off to see and hear the memorable sound and light show at Karnak, which filled my mind with wonderful ancient Egyptian vistas.
I returned to the hotel in meditative mood, clutching my new LP record of the sound track of the enchanting event.
A curious habit existed amongst the young river boat employees on the banks of the Nile. On seeing a tourist strolling about, they often asked if you would please send them a letter once you got home. The receipt of a letter from a foreign dwelling tourist bestowed a degree of prestige when they later showed it to their friends. I mailed a couple but doubted if a letter from Apartheid South Africa would ever actually reach them in Egypt.
We took off in the clear desert air next morning for the longest leg on the ferry, to seaside Djibouti a little over a thousand miles away. We stayed clear of the Sudan, and flew uneventfully down the middle of the Red Sea at a genteel 135 knots, to arrive in good weather after nearly seven and a half hand-flown hours.
Djibouti was hot, expensive and bustling, and as we taxied in, we saw a contingent of foreign Legionnaires boarding a Boeing 737 for parts unknown. The scene was reminiscent of a swashbuckling Beau Geste desert movie.
A few drinks and a meal later we retired to a single room, as no doubles were available. Monty snored and I didn’t, so his recital kept me awake.
Airborne next morning, I turned right to follow the coastline over troublesome Somaliland en-route to my favourite destination: exotic Mombasa. There to overnight at the charming Mombasa Beach hotel.
Flying over Hargeisa we noticed that many of the suburban tin roofs were painted bright blue. A few weeks later, while delivering the third and troublesome Dakota, I was obliged to land there to transfer the fuel from a drum of Avgas we had on board, as our left engine was inexplicably using 23% more fuel than the right one, significantly reducing our range.
My spirits lifted turning final for Runway 21 at Mombasa. I had gone to junior school in Kenya and remembered great times on this coast. At one stage in my early flying career I felt I’d be happy to base myself there, and fly any serviceable aircraft that I was offered, just to be able to enjoy this exotic coast, and the company of the often larger than life personalities who lived there. But the urge to fly turboprop and jet aircraft which increasingly appeared on the SA register won out, so I stayed in Joburg.
At the lovely palm-fringed Mombasa Beach Hotel we enjoyed excellent cuisine amongst mostly English speaking guests.
We then learnt that the houses had newly painted blue roofs because months earlier a truck carrying a cargo of blue paint had broken down in there and was beyond economic repair. The blue paint did not go to waste.
The next morning we took off early for a double leg. First to Blantyre to refuel, thereafter as I had been instructed, to arrive after dark at Lanseria Airport Johannesburg. Our course took us overhead Dar es Salaam to avoid a restricted area, then direct to Blantyre.
When shutting down on the Blantyre apron we were disconcerted to be surrounded by uniformed police. They boarded and searched the aircraft, then escorted us to a terminal lounge and began to question us. Monty sat down, lit his pipe and said, “Look here, I’m just a pilot on this aircraft, employed by this man,” he said, pointing at me. “He owns the aircraft and we’re going to Johannesburg.”
A few moments later a senior police officer walked into the lounge and said, “Everything is in order, you may proceed.”
Which we did after refuelling, paying landing fees and so on. Once back on board I said to Monty, “That was hardly the behaviour I expected from an English officer and a gentleman!”
He shrugged and said; “In Africa it’s everyman for himself, old boy.”
“Good thing I wasn’t worried,” I replied. I’m told the South African government has powerful friends in Malawi.” Presumably a phone call had been made to a senior SA diplomatic official who had cleared the way for us.
Thereafter the flight to Lanseria was rather frosty, but uneventful. We duly landed after dark and were marshalled to a parking area some distance from the terminal.
Nobody approached the aircraft while we chocked it, put the control locks in and carried our bags to the terminal. At the door the airport manager took our passports away to be stamped and my girlfriend met us at the entrance to the restaurant.
The manager said, “No one’s allowed near that Dak, and a SAAF crew is on the way to pick it up and fly it to Swartkop Air Force Base.”
About an hour later the unmistakable sound of a DC-3 taking off reached our ears, I stood up from the dining table and walked to the window. I’m told I waved as it flew past. Returning to the table, I said, “One down, two to go.”
I felt smugly satisfied but little did I know that Dak had given us the only hassle free trip of the three I had agreed to deliver. The next two ferry flights would be fraught with incident and danger.
A couple of weeks later I was taxiing out in a Beech Baron at Rand when the Avex Air survey DC-3 took off. In the left seat was the famous, recently retired ex-chief SAA pilot Capt. Bert Rademan, in the seat next to him sat Monty Burton with his pipe clenched firmly between his teeth. I never saw, nor heard from him again.
JOHN BASSI
In the previous article, I drove home the chaos and
stress that one faces during
routine bush operations.
Fortunately, not the norm, but every so often a Light Sport Aircraft goes down into the bush, into unsuitable landing sites. The fact that the crews walk away is testimony to the safe construction as well as the skill of the pilots.
“ ROMEO KILO PAPA do you copy?”
Lying under the sparse shade of a Shepherd tree on the top of a hill, the sudden radio call jolted us back to reality. The three of us leapt back into action.
Riaan had taken off from the small dirt strip over an hour ago, into the post-sunrise Karoo air, making the most of the calm conditions. The luxury of effortlessly flying in windless skies would not last.
My crew, made up of a veterinarian, an ecologist and a reserve bio technician, had given Riaan and his trusty observer a head start, allowing them to fly into the general work area and begin their search. We followed thirty minutes later wanting to be closer and in a position with good radio communication for a fast reaction time, should he find the desired rhino.
to keep the species from extinction. This is an extremely costly exercise and is reliant nowadays on public and corporate donations, since our leaders are too busy lining their pockets to give a hoot about conservation.
African conservation is firmly in the hands of donors and there is never enough money to satisfy the demands.
Rhino monitoring, management, dehorning and DNA profiling is a crucial component in our human attempt
Enter the invaluable Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) and skilled pilots who operate them in unforgiving conditions. This type of flying is not for the weekend pilot.
The technology available in modern LSAs has made them perfect, and yet economical observation platforms, which have become irreplaceable in wildlife monitoring. Every day somewhere in remote and usually inhospitable game reserves scattered around Africa, there will be any number of pilots flying accurate transects, or orbiting over terrain with no safe landing sites. All for the love of conservation.
The attractive cost of new aircraft, the availability of back-up and service and most importantly the safety record narrows down the most popular among the observation platforms.
All have one thing in common. Great visibility, a high wing and short field takeoff and landing capability. In Zimbabwe and many parks in Africa, the Savannah is popular, the Bantam/Bathawk, the A22 Foxbat and the Bushcat/Cheetah seem to dominate these operations.
In response to the call to my JetRanger, Romeo Kilo Papa, I ran to the helicopter, turned on the Master switch and avionics and responded to Riaan’s call knowing I would have strength five communication from the aircraft quality Garmin radios.
“Standing by Riaan”
“We have Angela and her calf visual, moving slowly south. We are two kilometres west of the north eastern corner”
“Copied Riaan, we on our way, will call you inbound.”
My crew, who were well versed in these operations were already climbing into the helicopter and strapping in. The vet was busy making up his dart with the exact dose of etorphine for the two-yearold calf. Our objective was to annually, or in many cases, six monthly, find specific cow/ calf combinations.
In order to maintain an exact data base with every rhino, knowing each animal’s genetic history, parentage and DNA, we had to find and immobilise calves before they broke away from their mothers. This usually occurs around two years of age.
Meanwhile, Riaan and his observer were maintaining a tight orbit at 500 feet, not daring to take their eyes off the exact spot where they had seen the rhino. This
type of flying may sound glorious, but I assure you it is not. Try sitting in a little two seat aircraft for five to six hours a day, eyes outside all the time with only an occasional, quick instrument scan. Quick because if you take your eyes away from the bush for only a moment, your focus is disturbed. For all the hard hours searching, in that one moment, you may miss the bum of a rhino as it vanishes into a bush.
After hours of flying transects, the Bathawk crew see a rhino.
Now the pilot must maintain an unbroken visual on the animal from his blind side, since he must position the animal into the perfect spot for the observer. The observer needs to be a tough flyer, withstanding hours of orbiting in heat, wind and turbulence, eyes always on the ground and very often through the lens of a camera. Orbiting, often in turbulent air, while looking
through a camera viewfinder, can make even the toughest stomachs heave.
The observers we work with are amazing. They know every single animal by name, even remembering their history. This knowledge comes from many, many hours of sitting cramped up and circling over rhino. Each animal has a unique ear notch number, also, many are predictable as to their location in the bush since they are fairly territorial.
Riaan maintains the orbit, positioning the rhino at the ideal angle for the observer to take multiple photographs with a digital camera. Once done, it’s up to the pilot to fly and not lose sight of the animal while the observer scrolls through the photographs to identify the adult by looking at the ear notches.
These are tiny (2.5 to 3 cm) V shaped notches cut in a very specific order out of both ears. The position of the notch on the ear and the particular ear notched, provides a code number, identifying the exact animal from her profile sheet. You can imagine the fun, tension and banter between the pilot and observer, both trying to do the near impossible in turbulent conditions, hour after hour.
We have the pleasure of relaxing while the LSA pilot does all the hard work..
Inbound to the approximate location of the LSA, we are all scanning the sky. The vet sees the aircraft first, at our 2 o’clock, circling a couple of hundred feet above our level.
“Riaan, do you copy, I have you visual, we are 1 minute out” I call.
“Copied, they were relaxed but have heard you coming and the cow is starting to move slowly east, under my right wing, QNH 1020, I’m maintaining three five” he replies.
“I have a visual, thanks Riaan. We going down to check them. Please keep visual in case they split up” I reply.
I slow-down in anticipation for finding the animal and maintain a two hundred foot separation.
“Got you visual John, they are under my right wing tip, moving east”
I descend to 250 feet and we are all scanning frantically for the rhino, not wanting to make them run longer than necessary.
The LSA pilot’s job is far from over. He has to stay above us while we work, while I descend to within 15 metres of the now galloping cow, to verify she is the correct animal and to ensure the calf is not already notched. This procedure will often spook the panicking rhino and the two animals will split away from each other. It is therefore vital that the LSA maintains an orbit above us, keeping a visual on the break away rhino. On occasion we need to shoot a biopsy dart into the mother, which is a drop out dart that will capture a rod of flesh inside its needle. The dart often bounces out immediately, tumbling through the air from the impact and momentum. I need to focus on the dart and where it ends up, usually between bushes, log a GPS co-ordinate and then find a place to land as close as
possible to retrieve the dart. Obviously while all this is happening, we are completely reliant on the LSA, to not lose the rhino and be able to talk me in again for the darting.
As soon as I am comfortable with the operation, have the calf visual and am happy that we can proceed with the darting without any risk to the rhino, I let the LSA pilot know that he can continue searching for the next candidate.
back in a quiet spot, drinking coffee in the shade of a tree, while the LSA crew, fly and search, circle and transect, on and on, until they spot another candidate.
observer needs to be a tough flyer
We have the luxury to land, shut down and spend twenty minutes on the ground while the LSA continues his search.
Once we have completed the notching and profiling, woken the calf and made certain it has fully recovered from the immobilisation, we have the luxury of landing
As if this is not stressful enough, often the LSA crew find multiple cow/calf combinations that require capture. This requires that they just keep circling and not taking their eyes off all the animals at the same time until we have completed the operation. The weather is never ideal which is okay for me in the JetRanger, but I certainly don’t envy the crew in the LSA.
Success is teamwork.
The South African Air Force (SAAF) has been subject to increasingly heavy budget cuts. It is therefore having to do a lot with a little, particularly in terms of its efforts towards its broader African peacekeeping responsibilities.
LT GENERAL MBAMBO DISCUSSES the challenges the SAAF is facing in meeting these responsibilities with extremely limited resources. Speaking at a recent medal parade, he said, “The SAAF is in the midst of a storm, with the world punctuated by conflicts and instability. The eagerness to
move towards the negotiating table is no longer there, with international bodies proving weak in resolving conflicts and a growing appetite to resolve conflicts through the barrel of a gun. The Israel/Palestine and Ukraine conflicts are stark examples.”
South African Defence Minister Thandi Modise has stated that approximately 85% of the SAAF’s aircraft are currently “out of action”, with most airframes awaiting servicing, spare parts and/or repairs. For Mbambo, this means that his primary concern revolves around the SAAF’s ability to fulfil its obligations effectively. These obligations include participating in peacekeeping operations, safeguarding national borders and combating illegal activities.
Mbambo stresses that the significant responsibilities of the SANDF extended beyond traditional military roles. He highlights their involvement in societal duties like responding to natural disasters and fires.
Mbambo says that defence funding should not be at the bottom of the priority list. He explained the SAAF is working diligently with what it has and is “sweating assets.”
“Closer to home, the embers of Cabo Delgado and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have not died down yet and are flaring up, while humanitarian disasters are increasing, including wildfires and floods, meaning SAAF assets are in high demand. With lack of strategic lift capability our people around the world are sitting ducks,” he said.
Drawing a parallel between a household budget and the Defence Force’s financial situation, Mbambo pointed out that when funds are scarce, difficult decisions must be made to manage within those constraints and unpopular choices become a necessity.
Mbambo has emphasized the far-reaching consequences and risks of insufficient financial support for the Air Force, and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) as a whole. The findings of a recent SAAF strategic work session identified key under-resourcing problem areas as including: unavailability of aircraft, lack of spares, procurement issues and the unserviceable air conditioning at the SAAF Headquarters “that rendered the building [un] inhabitable”, shortage of uniform and more. Mbambo says, “If we can resolve all these issues, starting with command and control, we will be able to hold each other and ourselves accountable.”
“The military is adopting innovative approaches to address the financial limitations. Just as a household must cut back on expenses during tough times, the SAAF is implementing cost-saving measures and striving to stay within its budget. Aviation safety must be maintained during this process,” he said.
In terms of its African peacekeeping responsibilities, SAAF assets are currently committed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique. In May 2024 there was a large airlift of SAAF assets from Upington, significantly using chartered Ilyushin Il-76 transports instead of the SAAF’s few remaining airworthy Lockheed C-130s, to support the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC).
Reporting on the SAAF Command Council strategic work session, Mbambo said, “The SANDF plays a pivotal role in maintaining the nation’s security and assisting in various domestic and international situations and a lack of adequate funding poses significant challenges.”
He emphasised the importance of investing in in-house capabilities, investing in personnel training and fostering a culture of innovation and seeking efficiencies to ensure essential tasks are managed effectively within constrained budgets. This approach allows the SAAF to make the most of limited resources and maintain its readiness.
In a recent Defenceweb interview, Mbambo acknowledged the difficulties and complexities of the current situation but emphasised the commitment to maintaining the readiness and serviceability of the SAAF for the country. He also highlighted the need for other relevant departments, like Armscor, to fulfil their mandates, particularly in successfully placing essential contracts for the benefit of the Defence Force.
Aside from its funding constraints, the SAAF has come under criticism for lowering its fitness standards for commissioned officers. More than half of the candidates for the SAAF’s officers’ forming course (OFC) failed to pass the fitness test that formed part of the entrance requirements. Controversially, Mbambo ordered that the course proceed as planned. “The SAAF should consider affording these aspirant officers an opportunity to be officers’ course qualified. It would be in the best interest of both the organisation and indeed its members, particularly those who passed the fitness test, to be allowed to proceed with the OFC. A once-off waiver should be granted to the nine learners who failed the fitness test," he said.
In his directive, Mbambo stated that those who failed the fitness test should “gradually and progressively” prepare themselves to pass the fitness test two months into the OFC.
Commenting about the “total wellness” of the SAAF, Mbambo said: “The South African Air Force vision of projecting effective air and space power through innovation in the theatre of our operations will remain
a pipe-dream unless we address the matter of total wellness of our people. Unless our people are totally well in all these areas, they cannot perform to their maximum capacity. At the moment, the members of the air force are incapable of delivering to their full potential due to these hindrances,” he said.
The SAAF has also been active in developing the South African Space Command (SASCS) which is expected to manage and coordinate all defencerelated space activities, collaborating with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and other government agencies.
Mbambo says that establishing the SASCS represents a notable advancement for South Africa, reflecting the country’s renewed focus on space exploration and technology. Similarly, this development holds great potential for defence and beneficial impacts across multiple sectors, such as telecommunications, agriculture, and environmental monitoring.
Thus, to facilitate the smooth implementation of South Africa’s National Space Strategy, the Space Command
Integrated Planning Team (SCIPT) was formed to lead the establishment of a dedicated SASCS within the South African Air Force (SAAF). Mbambo notes that SCIPT consists of “highly skilled military practitioners and has achieved significant advancements within a short period since its establishment in 2022.”
He notes that the SCIPT team has collaborated with public and private entities at both local and international levels. “This collaboration has fostered a unified effort in implementing the national space strategy. It has nearly completed the groundwork, including mapping local capabilities and incorporating future planning mechanisms from industry experts and the federal government.”
Furthermore, SCIPT has undertaken several international engagements to ensure the SAAF aligns with the best global practices. This includes a partnership with the Italian Air Force to gain insights and experiences from implementing the Italian Defence Force Space Operations Command. In addition,
arrangements with other allied nations are underway, cementing South Africa’s commitment to embracing international standards and knowledge. “By leveraging these collaborations, the SAAF is positioning itself at the forefront of space capabilities, actively contributing to national development.” Mbambo explained.
Both Mbambo and General Rudzani Maphwanya, the Chief of the National Defence Force, have publicly remarked on the challenges of harsh budget constraints. Mbambo expressed the hope that ongoing discussions and appeals to government bodies, led by the Minister of Defence, will prompt a positive response in terms of increased funding for the defence sector.
“The price tag to maintain SAAF assets is very high,” Mbambo concludes, with the reality being a lack of adequate funding for defence. “Parliament’s comments on defence and the ministers of defence have presented the funding case but we are optimistic and hopeful this storm shall pass away.” j
THE $2 BILLION airport is slated for completion in 2026.
Located in Bugesera District of the East African State of Rwanda, the new airport is expected to start operation in 2028.
Qatar Airways will have a 60% ownership of the new airport. The Middle Eastern airline will also acquire
49% of shares in the African country’s flag carrier airline, Rwandair, offering access to over 65 locations around the world.
The airport will feature a 30,000sqm passenger terminal with 22 check in counters, 10 gates, six aerobridges and capacity for 1.7 million passengers .
Rwanda's under construction new airport.
THE 12TH AAD trade exhibition and air show adopts the theme ‘Exploring New Paths, Sharing Solutions, Showcasing Innovation and Capability.’
The expo takes place at Waterkloof Air Force Base from 18 to 22 September 2024 and is considered to be one of the top six events of its kind in the world. It is the only aerospace and defence exhibition and air show on the African continent.
The AAD expo is a partnership between South Africa’s Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Association (AMD), the Armaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor), and the Commercial Aviation Association of Southern Africa (CAASA), in collaboration with the South African Department of Defence and Military Veterans (DOD).
what visitors and
Belgium, and China. The exhibitors include Sweden’s SAAB, Airbus, Turkish Aerospace Industries, and L3Harris Technologies.
The event has been designed to provide the perfect platform to strengthen existing and establish new partnerships within the defence and related industries.
AAD 2024 will introduce several ‘hubs’ that showcase the latest innovations. For instance, there are Energy and General Aviation hubs, as well as a third hub that features drone and anti-drone technologies.
AAD organisers report that as at May 2024, more than half of the exhibition space has been booked and confirmed. The event will see exhibitors coming from several countries, including the United States,
“As organisers, we want to position South Africa as the global pinnacle of innovation, excellence, and a preferred investment destination. We anticipate that more than 30,000 trade visitors will engage with over 300 exhibitors. Visitors can also attend our maiden conference edition to hear thought leaders in the industry, academia, and the defence sector provide insights into topical issues that directly impact the industry. Furthermore, we project at least 60,000
visitors will attend the public air show days to witness the exhilarating aerobatics spectacle,” says Ms Nakedi Phasha.
A unique initiative of the AAD is its youth development programme (YDP). This sees youth from disadvantaged and marginalised communities being exposed to science and technology disciplines and related career opportunities. In 2022, AAD hosted over 9,000 learners through its YDP initiative. For this year’s event, 12,000 learners from across all nine provinces are expected to descend on the base to benefit from this impactful programme.
sectors and regions, with the aerospace and defence industry being no exception. She points out that they observed a slight decline in attendance during AAD 2022. “However, recognising the importance of AAD 2024 as a catalyst for growth and collaboration, our primary objective is to reverse this trend and make the upcoming expo the biggest and best yet.”
Being a biennial expo, the show was hard hit by the Covid pandemic. Ms Phasha said that the recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic has varied across
“Central to achieving this goal is our focus on increasing attendance from African countries. Africa represents a significant market with immense potential for growth and collaboration within the aerospace and defence sectors. By actively engaging with stakeholders across the continent and implementing targeted strategies to attract attendees, we aim to foster a vibrant environment for knowledge exchange, networking, and partnership development.”
Ms Nakedi Phasha.
The big question is which of the big original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will be participating this year. Ms Phasha said “We are pleased to confirm the participation of several prominent OEMs. Amongst them are Airbus, Embraer, Leonardo and Russian Helicopters.”
When asked which of the major countries will be exhibiting, she replied, “We have secured extensive global participation for the event, with attendees from countries such as Turkey, India, Russia, China, Italy, UAE and the United States. This diverse representation underscores the international significance of AAD and promises an enriching and globally connected experience for all participants.”
As this is the African Aerospace and Defence Expo, African participation is key. When asked who the key African participants are, Ms Phasha said, “We are currently in discussions with major African countries, including Nigeria, Namibia, and Zambia.”
Hub upon its introduction, and it’s now operating at full capacity. As a result, there are ongoing discussions about extending the Hub due to the significant interest it has generated.”
AAD combines and expo and an airshow for the public. When asked who the key air show participants are for 2024, she said, “At this point, we are unable to disclose the confirmed key participants. Announcements will be made in collaboration with the Air Force as our planning progresses.”
The Ukrainian and Israel-Hamas conflicts have had a large impact on the global defence industry. When asked if this has boosted or reduced interest in AAD 2024, she replied, “The conflict between Israel and Hamas has presented both new risks and opportunities for many countries. However, in the context of AAD 2024, we haven’t observed any direct negative impact on the interest in the expo. On the contrary, we have witnessed a notable increase in interest from various countries indicating a strong momentum towards making AAD 2024 the biggest and best Aerospace and Defence Expo yet.”
Feedback from the general aviation community is that it has long felt like a poor relation to defence at the AAD expo. When asked what the level of general aviation support is compared to previous years, Ms Phasha said, “We have a significant increase in General Aviation support compared to previous years. We have introduced several new hubs designed to showcase the latest innovations. The GA community embraced the
A long standing complaint is that exhibition stand costs are expensive. Ms Phasha observed that “Stand costs are influenced by various factors, and we carefully consider each aspect for every show. It’s worth noting that there was no increase in stand costs for AAD 2022. the last increase was in 2018. This year, we have implemented a slight increase in stand costs, taking into account the rising prices of essential inputs. Our goal is to ensure that AAD 2024 is the biggest and best, and this adjustment allows us to maintain the quality and scale of the event.”
Ms Phasha points out that the economic impact that the AAD has on South Africa’s economy is significant. International visitors to AAD 2022 contributed over R135 million to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while public and trade visitors generated a R150 million in revenue. R65 million of taxation revenue was raised and more than 1,350 jobs created, which bodes well for the importance of this notable showing on the Southern African landscape.”
“Looking to the future, our focus will be on further increasing international participation, fostering collaborations, and exploring new sponsorship and partnership opportunities to grow the event’s footprint into Africa. We want to provide our partners with a premier event that contributes to the global aerospace and defence market,” concludes Ms Phasha.
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Ed Knibbs 083 251 4601 ed@alclad.co.za www.alclad.co.za
Algoa Flying Club
Sharon Mugridge 041 581 3274 info@algoafc.co.za www.algoafc.co.za
Alpi Aviation SA Dale De Klerk 082 556 3592 dale@alpiaviation.co.za www.alpiaviation.co.za
Apco (Ptyd) Ltd Tony/Henk + 27 12 543 0775 apcosupport@mweb.co.za www.apcosa.co.za
Ardent Aviation Consultants
Yolanda Vermeulen 082 784 0510 yolanda@ardentaviation.co.za www.ardentaviation.co.za
Ascend Aviation Marlo Kruyswijk 079 511 0080 marlo@ascendaviation.co.za www.ascendaviation.co.za
Atlas Aviation Lubricants
Steve Cloete 011 917 4220 Fax: 011 917 2100 sales.aviation@atlasoil.co.za www.atlasaviation.co.za
AVDEX (Pty) Ltd
Tania Botes 011 954 15364 info@avdex.co.za www.avdex.co.za
Aviatech Flight Academy Nico Smith 082 303 1124 viatechfakr@gmail.com www.aviatech.co.za
Aviation Direct Andrea Antel 011 465 2669 info@aviationdirect.co.za www.aviationdirect.co.za
Avtech
Riekert Stroh 082 749 9256 avtech1208@gmail.com
BAC Aviation AMO 115
Micky Joss 035 797 3610 monicad@bacmaintenance.co.za
Blackhawk Africa Cisca de Lange 083 514 8532 cisca@blackhawk.aero www.blackhawk.aero
Blue Chip Flight School Henk Kraaij 012 543 3050 bluechip@bluechip-avia.co.za www.bluechipflightschool.co.za
Border Aviation Club & Flight School
Liz Gous 043 736 6181 admin@borderaviation.co.za www.borderaviation.co.za
Bona Bona Game Lodge
MJ Ernst 082 075 3541 mj@bonabona.co.za www.bonabona.co.za
Breytech Aviation cc 012 567 3139 Willie Breytenbach admin@breytech.co.za
Celeste Sani Pak & Inflight Products Steve Harris 011 452 2456 admin@chemline.co.za www.chemline.co.za
Cape Town Flying Club
Beverley Combrink 021 934 0257 / 082 821 9013 info@capetownflyingclub.co.za www.@capetownflyingclub.co.za
Century Avionics cc Carin van Zyl 011 701 3244 sales@centuryavionics.co.za www.centuryavionics.co.za
Chemetall
Wayne Claassens 011 914 2500 wayne.claassens@basf.com www.chemetall.com
Chem-Line Aviation & Celeste Products
Steve Harris 011 452 2456 sales@chemline.co.za www.chemline.co.za
Clifton Electronics cc CJ Clifton / Irene Clifton 079 568 7205 / 082 926 8482 clive.iclifton@gmail.com
Comair Flight Services (Pty) Ltd Reception +27 11 540 7640/FAX: +27 11 252 9334 hello@flycfs.com www.flycfs.com
Corporate-Aviators/Affordable Jet Sales
Mike Helm 082 442 6239 corporate-aviators@iafrica.com www.corporate-aviators.com
CSA Aviation – Cirrus South Africa Alex Smith 011 701 3835 alexs@cirrussa.co.za www.cirrussa.co.za
C. W. Price & Co Kelvin L. Price 011 805 4720 cwp@cwprice.co.za www.cwprice.co.za
Dart Aeronautical Pieter Viljoen 011 827 8204 pieterviljoen@dartaero.co.za www.dartaero.co.za
Dart Aircraft Electrical Mathew Joubert 011 827 0371 Dartaircraftelectrical@gmail.com www.dartaero.co.za
Diepkloof Aircraft Maintenance cc Nick Kleinhans 083 454 6366 diepkloofamo@gmail.com
DJA Aviation Insurance 011 463 5550 0800Flying mail@dja-aviation.co.za www.dja-aviation.co.za
Dynamic Propellers
Andries Visser 011 824 5057 082 445 4496 andries@dynamicpropeller.co.za www.dynamicpropellers.co.za
Eagle Flight Academy Mr D. J. Lubbe 082 557 6429 training@eagleflight.co.za www.eagleflight.co.za
Execujet Africa 011 516 2300 enquiries@execujet.co.za www.execujet.com
Federal Air Rachel Muir 011 395 9000 shuttle@fedair.com www.fedair.com
Ferry Flights int.inc. Michael (Mick) Schittenhelm 082 442 6239 ferryflights@ferry-flights.com www.ferry-flights.com
F Gomes Upholsters
Carla de Lima 083 602 5658 delimaCarla92@gmail.com
Fireblade Aviation 010 595 3920 info@firebladeaviation.com www.firebladeaviation.com
Flight Training College Cornell Morton 044 876 9055 ftc@flighttrainning.co.za www.flighttraining.co.za
Flight Training Services Amanda Pearce 011 805 9015/6 amanda@fts.co.za www.fts.co.za
Fly Jetstream Aviation Henk Kraaij 083 279 7853 charter@flyjetstream.co.za www.flyjetstream.co.za
Flying Unlimited Flight School (Pty) Ltd Riaan Struwig 082 653 7504 / 086 770 8376 riaan@ppg.co.za www.ppg.co.za
Flyonics (Pty) Ltd Michael Karaolis 010 109 9405 michael@flyonics.co.za www.flyonics.co.za
Gemair
Andries Venter 011 701 2653 / 082 905 5760 andries@gemair.co.za
GIB Aviation Insurance Brokers Richard Turner 011 483 1212 aviation@gib.co.za www.gib.co.za
Guardian Air 011 701 3011 082 521 2394 ops@guardianair.co.za www.guardianair.co.za
Heli-Afrique cc Tino Conceicao 083 458 2172 tino.conceicao@heli-afrique.co.za
Henley Air Andre Coetzee 011 827 5503 andre@henleyair.co.za www.henleyair.co.za
Hover Dynamics Phillip Cope 074 231 2964 info@hover.co.za www.hover.co.za
Indigo Helicopters Gerhard Kleynhans 082 927 4031 / 086 528 4234 veroeschka@indigohelicopters.co.za www.indigohelicopters.co.za
IndigoSat South Africa - Aircraft Tracking Gareth Willers 08600 22 121 sales@indigosat.co.za www.indigosat.co.za
International Flight Clearances Steve Wright 076 983 1089 (24 Hrs) flightops@flyifc.co.za www.flyifc.co.za
Investment Aircraft
Quinton Warne 082 806 5193 aviation@lantic.net www.investmentaircraft.com
Jabiru Aircraft
Len Alford 044 876 9991 / 044 876 9993 info@jabiru.co.za www.jabiru.co.za
Jim Davis Books
Jim Davis 072 188 6484 jim@border.co.za www.jimdavis.co.za
Joc Air T/A The Propeller Shop
Aiden O’Mahony 011 701 3114 jocprop@iafrica.com
Johannesburg Flying Academy
Alan Stewart 083 702 3680 info@jhbflying.co.za www.jhbflying.co.za
Kishugu Aviation +27 13 741 6400 comms@kishugu.com www.kishugu.com/kishugu-aviation
Khubenker Energy (Pty) Ltd T/A Benveroy
Vernon Bartlett 086 484 4296 vernon@khubenker.co.za www.khubenker.co.za
Kit Planes for Africa
Stefan Coetzee 013 793 7013 info@saplanes.co.za www.saplanes.co.za
Kzn Aviation (Pty) Ltd
Melanie Jordaan 031 564 6215 mel@kznaviation.co.za www.kznaviation.co.za
Lanseria Aircraft Interiors
Francois Denton 011 659 1962 / 076 810 9751 francois@aircraftcompletions.co.za
Lanseria Flight Centre
Ian Dyson
Tel: +27 11 312 5166, F: +27 11 312 5166 ian@flylfc.com www.flylfc.com
Lanseria International Airport
Mike Christoph 011 367 0300 mikec@lanseria.co.za www.lanseria.co.za
Leading Edge Aviation cc
Peter Jackson Tel 013 741 3654 Fax 013 741 1303 office@leaviation.co.za www.leadingedgeaviation.co.za
Legend Sky 083 860 5225 / 086 600 7285 info@legendssky.co.za www.legendsky.co.za
Litson & Associates (Pty) Ltd
OGP/BARS Auditing & Advisory Services & Aviation Safety Training
Email: Phone:enquiries@litson.co.za 27 (0) 8517187 www.litson.co.za
Litson & Associates Risk Management
Services (Pty) Ltd
eSMS-S™/ eTENDER/ e-REPORT / Aviation Software Systems
Email: Phone:enquiries@litson.co.za 27 (0) 8517187 www.litson.co.za
Loutzavia Aircraft Sales
Henry Miles 082 966 0911 henry@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za
Loutzavia Flight Training
Gerhardt Botha 012 567 6775 ops@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za
Loutzavia-Pilots and Planes
Maria Loutzis 012 567 6775 maria@loutzavia.co.za www.pilotsnplanes.co.za
Loutzavia Rand Frans Pretorius 011 824 3804 rand@loutzavia.co.za www@loutzavia.co.za
Lowveld Aero Club
Pugs Steyn 013 741 3636 Flynow@lac.co.za
Maverick Air Charters
Lourens Human 082 570 2743 ops@maverickair.co.za www.maverickair.co.za
MCC Aviation Pty Ltd
Claude Oberholzer 011 701 2332 info@flymcc.co.za www.flymcc.co.za
Mistral Aviation Services
Peter de Beer 083 208 7249 peter@mistral.co.za
MH Aviation Services (Pty) Ltd
Marc Pienaar 011 609 0123 / 082 940 5437 customerrelations@mhaviation.co.za www.mhaviation.co.za
M and N Acoustic Services cc Martin de Beer 012 689 2007/8 calservice@mweb.co.za
Metropolitan Aviation (Pty) Ltd
Gert Mouton 082 458 3736 herenbus@gmail.com
Money Aviation Angus Money 083 263 2934 angus@moneyaviation.co.za www.moneyaviation.co.za
North East Avionics
Keith Robertson +27 13 741 2986 keith@northeastavionics.co.za deborah@northeastavionics.co.za www.northeastavionics.co.za
Orsmond Aviation 058 303 5261 info@orsmondaviation.co.za www.orsmondaviation.co.za
Owenair (Pty) Ltd
Clive Skinner 082 923 9580 clive.skinner@owenair.co.za www.owenwair.co.za
Par-Avion Exclusive Catering
Jakkie Vorster 011 701 2600 accounts@par-avion.co.za www.par-avion.co.za
PFERD-South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Hannes Nortman 011 230 4000 hannes.nortman@pferd.co.za www.pferd.com
Plane Maintenance Facility
Johan 083 300 3619 pmf@myconnection.co.za
Powered Flight Charters
Johanita Jacobs Tel 012 007 0244/Fax 0866 66 2077 info@poweredflight.co.za www.poweredflight.co.za
Powered Flight Training Centre
Johanita Jacobs Tel 012 007 0244/Fax 0866 66 2077 info@poweredflight.co.za www.poweredflight.co.za
Precision Aviation Services
Marnix Hulleman 012 543 0371 marnix@pasaviation.co.za www.pasaviation.co.za
Propeller Centre
Theuns du Toit +27 12 567 1689 / +27 71 362 5152 theuns@propcentre.co.za www.propcentre.com
Rainbow SkyReach (Pty) Ltd
Mike Gill 011 817 2298 Mike@fly-skyreach.com www.fly-skyreach.com
Rand Airport
Kevin van Zyl Kevin@horizonrisk.co.za +27 76 801 5639 www.randairport.co.za
Dr Rudi Britz Aviation Medical Clinic
Megan 066 177 7194 rudiavmed@gmail.com Wonderboom Airport
SAA Technical (SOC) Ltd
SAAT Marketing 011 978 9993 satmarketing@flysaa.com www.flysaa.com/technical
SABRE Aircraft
Richard Stubbs 083 655 0355 richardstubbs@mweb.co.za www.aircraftafrica.co.za
Savannah Helicopters De 082Jager 444 1138 / 044 873 3288 dejager@savannahhelicopters.co.za www.savannahhelicopters.co.za
Scenic Air
Christa van Wyk +264 612 492 68 windhoek@scenic-air.com www.scenic-air.com
Sheltam Aviation Durban
Susan Ryan 083 505 4882 susanryan@sheltam.com www.sheltamaviation.com
Sheltam Aviation PE Brendan Booker 082 497 6565 brendanb@sheltam.com www.sheltamaviation.com
Signature Flight Support Cape Town
Alan Olivier 021 934 0350 cpt@signatureflight.co.za www.signatureaviation.com/locations/CPT
Signco (Pty Ltd)
Archie Kemp Tel 011 452 6857 Fax 086 504 5239 info@signco.zo.za www.signco.co.za
Skytrim Rico Kruger +27 11 827 6638 rico@skytrim.co.za www.skytrim.co.za
SleepOver Michael Richardson 010 110 9900 michael.richardson@sleepover-za.com www.sleepover-za.com
Sling Aircraft Kim Bell-Cross 011 948 9898 sales@airplanefactory.co.za www.airplanefactory.co.za
Solenta Aviation (Pty Ltd) Paul Hurst 011 707 4000 info@solenta.com www.solenta.com
Southern Energy Company (Pty) Ltd
Elke Bertram +264 8114 29958 johnnym@sec.com.na www.sec.com.na
Southern Rotorcraft cc Mr Reg Denysschen Tel no: 0219350980 sasales@rotors-r-us.com www.rotors-r-us.com
Starlite Aero Sales
Klara Fouché +27 83 324 8530 / +27 31 571 6600 klaraf@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com
Starlite Aviation Operations
Trisha Andhee +27 82 660 3018/ +27 31 571 6600 trishaa@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com
Starlite Aviation Training Academy Durban: +27 31 571 6600 Mossel Bay: +27 44 692 0006 train@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com
Status Aviation (Pty) Ltd
Richard Donian 074 587 5978 / 086 673 5266 info@statusaviation.co.za www.statusaviation.co.za
Superior Pilot Services
Liana Jansen van 0118050605/2247Rensburg info@superiorair.co.za www.superiorair.co.za
Swift Flite
Linda Naidoo Tel 011 701 3298 Fax 011 701 3297 info@swiftflite.com / linda@swiftflite.com www.swiftflite.co.za
The Aviation Shop Karel Zaayman 010 020 1618 info@aviationshop.co.za www.aviationshop.co.za
The Copter Shop
Bill Olmsted 082 454 8555 execheli@iafrica.com www.execheli.wixsite.com/the-copter-shop-sa
The Pilot Shop Helen Bosland 082 556 3729 helen@pilotshop.co.za www.pilotshop.co.za
Titan Helicopter Group 044 878 0453 info@titanhelicopters.com www.titanhelicopters.com
Top Flight Academy Nico Smith 082 303 1124 topflightklerksdorp@gmail.com
Turbo Prop Service Centre 011 701 3210 info@tpscsa.co.za www.tpscsa.co.za
Ultimax Aviation (Pty) Ltd Aristide Loumouamou +27 72 878 8786 aristide@ultimax-aviation.com www.ultimax-aviation.com
United Charter cc Jonathan Wolpe 083 270 8886 jonathan.wolpe@unitedcharter.co.za www.unitedcharter.co.za
United Flight Support Clinton Moodley/Jonathan Wolpe 076 813 7754 / 011 788 0813 ops@unitedflightsupported.com www.unitedflightsupport.com
Velocity Aviation Collin Pearson 011 659 2306 / 011 659 2334 collin@velocityaviation.co.za www.velocityaviation.co.za
Villa San Giovanni Luca Maiorana 012 111 8888 info@vsg.co.za www.vsg.co.za
Vortx Aviation Bredell Roux 072 480 0359 info@vortx.co.za www.vortxaviation.com
Wanafly
Adrian Barry 082 493 9101 adrian@wanafly.net www.wanafly.co.za
Windhoek Flight Training Centre Thinus Dreyer 0026 40 811284 180 pilots@flywftc.com www.flywftc.com
Wings n Things
Colin Blanchard 011 701 3209 wendy@wingsnthings.co.za www.wingsnthings.co.za
Witbank Flight School Andre De Villiers 083 604 1718 andredv@lantic.net www.waaflyingclub.co.za
Wonderboom Airport
Peet van Rensburg 012 567 1188/9 peet@wonderboomairport.co.za www.wonderboomairport.co.za
Zandspruit Bush & Aero Estate Martin Den Dunnen 082 449 8895 martin@zandspruit.co.za www.zandspruit.co.za
Zebula Golf Estate & SPA Reservations 014 734 7700 reception@zebula.co.za www.zebula.co.za