SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS (SAA) has embarked on a public relations charm offensive. Huge billboard advertisements are popping up – and I received a questionnaire asking how it was doing.
The timing of this latest campaign may be related to the search for a permanent full time CEO. In an interview with me a few months ago, Prof John Lamola, the current Interim CEO, remarked that he did not want the role of permanent CEO as it was ‘a terrible job’.
I now suspect that the professor was not being entirely honest – perhaps not even with himself. He has held down the job of either Chairman or Interim CEO since 2021 and I daresay he has got used to the responsibility and sleepless nights inherent in running an all but bankrupt and undercapitalised airline.
and 2010. The airline remains financially delinquent because, until December 2023, it had last presented audited financial statements in 2018. And these were a disaster. Under the Dudu Myeni culture of malfeasance, the airline’s annual losses swelled from an arguably sustainable loss of around R1 billion per year to a definitely unsustainable R6 billion a year. Since 2018, SAA has cost the taxpayer an unconscionable R48billion in bailout funds.
the shortlist of SAA CEOs
It needs to be noted that Lamola did not say he would not apply for the job. He said, “There is an automatic assumption that the incumbent will [apply for the job]. But it’s a terrible job, so I’ll be happy to go back to academia.”
Let me place on record that I believe Prof Lemola has been hardworking and competent (and honest) and thus done a respectable job of getting the disgraced and moribund airline back in the sky. But he is hamstrung by the colossal baggage of its past which continues to manifest in damming failures such as questions about safety and the airline’s inability to produce timeous audited annual financial results.
How disgraced is the airline? SAA last turned a profit 13 years ago – and that was on the back of Project Bambanani’s slash and burn cost cutting in 2009
It is no wonder that the travelling public and taxpayers love to hate the airline, with many refusing outright to ever fly SAA again. No wonder SAA has had to embark on a public relations charm offensive. In a letter crowing about the airline’s recovery, Lamola wrote that in three years the airline has more than doubled its route network and tripled its fleet size. But then it was off a very small base.
Another positive move is that the airline has a last been returned to the correct government ministry, the Department of Transport under Minister Barbara Creecy.
I’m told that the shortlist of SAA CEOs is down to three – and it would not be a bad thing if Lamola is on that list – and gets the permanent job.
DAN’S FAN
DanjoinedusinAngola.Hewastall,athletically built, with a boyish hair style which sported what we suspected were carefully applied sun tints. His hair also disguised quite successfully his age which was nudging fifty.
THE RED CROSS GIRLS fell for Dan in a big way and this hero-worship aroused a certain amount of antagonism among the more heavily married crew members and even some of the unmarrieds who saw Dan as a trespasser on their territory.
Pure jealousy of course, but then there’s nothing quite like a bit good old-fashioned spite to add spice to the social pantomime. Dan could not, of course, lavish his attentions on all the girls, so there were quite a number of the neglected ones who joined the “Green Party” as we were known.....not green, as in “Green Peace”, you understand. In fact almost the opposite, really, as in “Green with Envy”.
Quite unnecessarily, Dan felt that he had to boost his reputation still further with the crews by dwelling at enormous length upon his long years of experience in the Royal Navy. He never actually claimed to have been a Pilot in the Royal Navy, but he always used to wear the white kid gloves, suitably soiled and grubby, which are the exclusive preserve of front line military pilots.
His conversation was always laced with words of avuncular advice to those who had not yet entered
the arena of “Active Duty”.....”Always carry a spare set of boot laces,” he would suddenly insert, half way through a discussion on Bar-B-Q’s, “Because if you get taken alive, you’re going to have a lot of walking to do.”
These instructions actually came from the Red Cross Standard Operating Procedures, which Dan knew hardly anybody had read. But it all proved that Dan was one step ahead of the game, which implied that he was several steps ahead of us plodders.
In actual fact, Dan was quite a low-time pilot who, we discovered, had never left Terra Firma during his time in the Navy, as he was always much too busy cleaning lavatories and Senior Officers’ cars.....No, that’s a bit unfair. I believe he did occasionally get to clean the odd helicopter as well.....well Somebody’s got do it, haven’t they?
One of Dan’s more peculiarly quirky pieces of advice concerned the use of head-sets in the cockpit and purported to come from his long experience in the line of fire. “You should never ever wear your head-set during take-off or landing!”
“Why not, Dan?”
“Trust me. If the little bastards are going to get you, that’s when they’ll do it. And if you have to disembark in a hurry, believe me, you don’t want to have all those wires wrapped around your neck as you bail out!”
All sounds pretty authentic stuff, but if the truth be known, the only time you really need a head-set in a Twin Otter is during Take-off and Landing. So I suppose it really comes down to this: do you want to die because of the remote possibility that you survive the crash after “The Little Bastards got you”, only to be garrotted by you headset cables as you exited. Or alternatively, would you prefer to die because the headset-less pilot never heard the copilot’s call for the control locks to be removed before takeoff. (I know of at least three disasters caused by this very problem.)
Whatever the pro’s and con’s of these procedures, Our Dan continued to go through the ritual, every flight. Just before take-off he would laboriously remove his head-set and, without looking, he would hang it on the hook on the cockpit wall behind his head. After take-off, before requesting the climb checks, he would ceremoniously reach back with practised ease, to retrieve his head-set.
We could normally fit in ten or eleven rotations a day to Kwima because, with the loading and unloading, the average time for a round trip was about an hour, sometimes a bit less. On the sixth rotation, Dan got airborne, nude-headed as usual, and when he reached up to get his head-set for the climb checks, the familiar “FFRRRRRRRRRP!!” added itself to the roar of the engines, as the co-pilot knew very well it would. He couldn’t contain it this time. A gale of laughter escaped from his lips as he turned, red-faced to study the passing countryside outside the cockpit window.
Dan pretended not to notice the co-pilot’s amusement, but inside he was a burning cauldron of humiliation. The fan had caused him to look like a complete fool in front his subordinate.....the fan would have to go!
infuriating as
I’m
sure you will appreciate
So, reaching up, while the co-pilot was studiously examining the landscape, he grabbed the offending fan and tore it out of the roof, wires and all. The co-pilot’s eyes still appeared to be glued to the outside world, almost as if he did not want to witness the goings on inside the cockpit.
The only problem with this manoeuvre was that the little cockpit fan was right in the path of Dan’s searching fingers and every time a coconut! The loud FFRRRRRRRRRP!! as the little plastic blades chewed at Dan’s finger would inevitably be followed by the soft sniggering of the co-pilot.
Absolutely infuriating as I’m sure you will appreciate.
One day it happened once too often. We were doing rotations into Kwima, a small town about twenty minutes flying time from our base in Huambo in the central highlands of Angola. Kwima had been isolated for weeks. surrounded by rebel bandits.
The gardens had been extensively mined and, after the first few deaths, the locals had given up trying to cultivate them. Food ran out and we were called in.
Dan, seizing the opportunity, opened the cockpit window and heaved the dead fan out into the passing slipstream, slamming the window back into place as he did so. The co-pilot’s attention was instantly attracted by the opening of the window and he turned round just in time to catch the departure of the fan.
“Bloody stupid things these fans! Bloody dangerous too! Should be bloody banned!” said Dan as he saw the look of disbelief on the co-pilot’s face.
Unknown to either resident of the flight deck the fan flew straight back to be caught deftly by one blade of the number one propeller. It was then whirled violently round and hurled at close to the speed of sound, back through the ice shield and the skin of the fuselage, into the cabin. The sound of its re-entry was deadened by the sacks of maize-meal stacked in the back.
They off-loaded at Kwima and flew back to Huambo. There they closed down the engines in order to refuel
and reload with more maize-meal. A passing engineer immediately spotted that there was an enormous piece missing out of one blade of the number one propeller. He ran up to the loaders and shouted “Stop loading. Stop loading! this plane is grounded!” Then he noticed the gaping hole in the side of the fuselage.
“Must have picked up a rock in Kwima.” said Dan nonchalantly, as another engineer mounted the airstair door into the cabin.
“Do you always carry rocks bolted to your cockpit roof?” asked the second engineer, “’Cos that’s where this one came from.” he said, holding up the remains of the fan which had been presented to him by one of the loaders who had found it on the cabin floor.
thought that maybe it would be better if he took a job in the Seychelles while tempers cooled off a bit.
means sweet revenge in Swahili
A year later he was re-employed by the company, but he was a changed man. No more stories about “Fast-Jets” on the front line, no more white kid gloves, and now he puts his head-set on the moment he takes his seat on the flight deck and they are inseparable until he leaves the cockpit at the end of the flight. I’ve watched him. Funny how people change as the years pass by.
It’s probably just a coincidence, but I noticed that the aircraft he was given to fly after his return to the company, was not fitted with a ventilating fan on the captain’s side! *Kisasi Tamu!
The new propeller cost twenty-three thousand dollars and the repairs to the cabin wall, the ice-shield and the cockpit ceiling cost another five thousand so Dan
*Kisasi Tamu means sweet revenge in Swahili
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Toerien Hendrik White River, Nelspruit 013 751 3848 hctoerien@viamediswitch.co.za
AVIATION AFRICA SETS NEW STANDARDS
The
Aviation AFRICA Summit and Exhibition for 2024 was themed “Bridging Skies and Leveraging Growth.” Held in Johannesburg’s Sandton Convention Centre in September, it “exceeded expectations and set new milestones in aviation collaborations and innovation.”
WITH PARTICIPATION from 34 African countries, 1,200 delegates, 92 airlines and operators, and more than 100 exhibitors and sponsors, this year’s event was co-sponsored by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) who, together with Times Aerospace Events, united industry leaders for focused discussions on the future of aviation.
This event also marked the first co-location partnership with AfBAA (African Business Aviation Association), and this three-way partnership ensured industry leaders, airlines, regulators, airports, OEM’s and business aviation companies would come together and engage in aviation specific conversation for the future.
with air passenger numbers, post the COVID-19 pandemic. “A strong aviation network is essential for boosting tourism in Africa. With its diverse landscapes, rich cultures, and vibrant cities, Africa has immense potential to attract international tourists,” Minister Creecy said.
an open spirit of honest debate
The summit was officially inaugurated by the SA Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy. In her keynote address Creecy highlighted the global aviation recovery
Ms. Poppy Khoza, the Director of Civil Aviation at the SACAA, said: “Despite past social and humanitarian challenges, we are now a continent with great potential for growth on condition that we make use of the networks and collaborative opportunities in this and similar events.”
Summit Chairperson, Alan Peaford, opened the proceedings by honouring the late Nick Fadugba, former Chairperson of the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) and SecretaryGeneral of the African Airlines Association, where Peaford acknowledged his contributions to aviation development across Africa.
Peaford said ”SACAA and AfBAA involvement helped us attract leaders from across the African industry and delegates from more than 70 countries. There was an open spirit of honest debate about the issues that are holding back Africa’s aviation industry from realising its true potential.”
The event included a range of panel discussions and deliberations on key topics, such as:
• How Africa can ensure that it develops a skilled workforce to match its growth potential in the air and on the ground.
A notable addition to this year’s instalment was the Insight Theatre, which operated concurrently in the Exhibition Hall, and where it facilitated robust debates on key aviation topics where two South African airlines, SAA and Airlink, presented their organisational strategic plans.
networks and collaborative opportunities
• Why challenges still exist to finance Africa’s aviation ambitions.
• Human Capital for sustainable Airport Projects.
• Adaptation to challenges on climate change, and many more.
The event also highlighted significant industry announcements that included a strategic agreement between Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) and Global Air Navigation Services (GANS) to collaborate on various aspects of Air Traffic Management.
In closing, the official flag was passed on to the Republic of Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure, the Honourable Olivier Kabera, to designate the East African country as the next hosts for Aviation Africa 2025.
Times Media's Alan Peaford leads SA Transport Minister Barbera Creecy into the packed Convention Centre.
AIR KENYA AND DAVE LEONARD
Laura McDermid continues her stories about Iris McCallum’s early years in East Africa.
ORIGINALLY FOUNDED in 1970 from the merger of Wilkenair and other smaller operators, Air Kenya underwent several significant changes in the 1980s.
Through his extensive entrepreneurial knowledge and vast experience in various business ventures, owner Nicholas Biwott played a crucial role in shaping the airline’s direction, while Chris Kenny brought invaluable expertise to his role as managing director of Air Kenya.
Sid Dirks, who had relocated to East Africa from Canada where he served as Vice President of the Pacific Division at Canadian Airlines, was appointed general manager at Air Kenya shortly before I joined in October 1980.
In the short time I had been with Air Kenya, I was the happiest I’d been in a long while. The company was run by some truly fascinating people, and I was fortunate enough to be flying some excellent aircraft.
Our fleet consisted of four Navajo Chieftains, a Cessna 401 (N65175, which would soon catch fire), two Cessna 402s, and one Cessna 310R (5Y-EAR), which was my favourite.
She was a real minx to land
Every time I fired up her engines, a surge of excitement would run through me as the twin Continental IO-520s roared to life. As I taxied down the runway, knowing I had real power beneath the cowlings, I felt confident that I could handle anything the sky threw at me.
Rumour had it he took early retirement from Canadian Airlines, though I suspect his fondness for the odd tipple may have contributed to his early departure.
She was, however a real minx to land as her weight and balance had to match her speed perfectly. Too fast, and we’d float endlessly; too slow, and we’d drop like a stone. When I nailed the balance, she would reward me with a smooth, controlled greaser that was truly satisfying!
The notorious Top Office.
In the tight-knit aviation community, I had known Air Kenya’s Chief Pilot, Dave Leonard, long before I joined the company. He had renewed my licence several times over the years as one of the Designated Flight Examiners (DFEs). Beyond our professional relationship, I got to know him socially, as most of the pilots at the time frequented the Aero Club, fondly known as the ‘Top Office’. After a hot day’s flying, it was customary to head to the Top Office for a Tusker.
Dave, a former paratrooper, kept himself in great shape. His handlebar moustache earned him the nickname ‘Pink Panther’ for his resemblance to Inspector Clouseau from Blake Edwards’ famous series. Despite his phenomenal flying skills and wealth of knowledge, Dave was down-to-earth and lacked the inflated ego often associated with such expertise.
He smiled knowingly. ‘Iris, it’s not a stupid question. Because you have to turn so sharply right after takeoff, set your OBS to zero-seven-zero, and then, as you fly towards the VOR, adjust the heading on the CDI. That’ll help you intercept the correct radial.’
Instead of belittling me for asking what I thought was a stupid question, Dave made me feel validated—a critical skill for any good instructor.
transporting members of the entire cabinet
I had been wrestling with something for months, and one day after a few beers at the Top Office, I mustered the courage to ask Dave for advice. ‘Hey Dave, stupid question. When I fly out of Wilson to Jomo Kenyatta in IFR conditions, I can’t seem to get the VOR to pick up the zero-six-zero radial on the ILS.’
At the time, if you had a Cessna 411 rating on your licence, the Kenyan CAA would issue you a licence for any smaller Cessna, although you still had to be checked out on each type.
It didn’t take long before I had a formidable list of aircraft on my licence. Dave was in charge of the work rota and did his best to divide the flying fairly among the five pilots. If I flew a lot of short legs, he’d make sure to throw in a long leg to even things out. Although we earned a basic salary, we were paid extra for every additional statute mile flown. It was a unique setup, there was hardly ever any squabbling and we were a tight-knit group who genuinely liked one another.
Due to Nicholas Biwott’s roles in the governments of former President Jomo Kenyatta and then-President Daniel arap Moi, Air Kenya was heavily involved in charter flights for the Kenyan government.
In 1982, when Biwott was appointed Minister of Regional Development, Science, and Technology, the airline began expanding into the safari business to capitalise on the booming industry. At the time, tourism from safaris was estimated to contribute 11% of Kenya’s GDP, providing substantial income and employment in rural areas and becoming a major focus for many businesses.
saw an opportunity to profit by offering illegal safari flights and tours, often without the necessary permits or oversight.
To legally operate a safari or charter business, pilots needed to obtain air operator certificates (AOC) and comply with the licensing requirements for commercial aviation. This meant adhering to safety standards, insurance regulations and regular maintenance checks, as well as obtaining the necessary permissions to fly into national parks and conservancies.
his resemblance to Inspector Clouseau
In the 1970s and 1980s, Kenya saw an influx of private pilots, many of whom were expatriates or affluent individuals who owned their own planes. These pilots
Franz Lang, a German national and qualified commercial pilot, based his safari operations out of Air Kenya. Since he was qualified to fly the fleet and benefitted from the airline’s AOC, his operation was legal, unlike many of the unscrupulous private pilots.
Dave Leonard in his brief movie appearance in The Wilby Conspiracy based on the novel by Roger Armitreau.
During my first year at Air Kenya, I flew many charters for the Kenyan government, transporting members of the entire cabinet at various times. I quite enjoyed these flights as they weren’t to the typical
BUMPPPFFF:
tourist destinations but to remote areas in northern and northeastern Kenya, which, at the time, were relatively uncharted.
How not to tie down a plane!
The happy early Air Kenya team.
Text and Images: Guy Leitch
AAD 2024 THE BRICS DEFENCE SHOW?
The biennial African Aerospace and Defence Expo has evolved from being primarily an aerospace expo to being a defence show. For 2024 the shift in focus was heightened by poor weather on the Saturday that limited the airshow, as well as the absence of former key exhibitors.
THE LACKLUSTRE AVIATION
participation in AAD were most evident in the non-attendance of the United States and Russia. The USA withdrew at the last minute, citing delays in the issuing of approvals by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for their aircraft. The SANDF does however dispute this.
In previous AAD Expos the USA has always been a huge presence with C17 Globemasters, KC135R Stratotankers, C130J Super Hercules, the MQ-9 Reaper UAV and even a live band playing Dixie tunes on the flightline.
Hercules fleet with modern airlifters. In 2009 South Africa cancelled its orders for the Airbus A400M which left it with no alternative plan for a replacement for the C-130s, which were supposed to fly until 2020. Visitors arriving at AAD were greeted by the sight of four cannibalised C-130 airframes parked behind the hangars.
The SAAF did themselves proud
China and Brazil are partners with South Africa in the BRICS alliance and the absence of the Americans left the door wide open for China and Brazil to exhibit their military airlifters.
The South African Air Force (SAAF) has a longfrustrated need to replace their 60 year old C-130BZ
The need for the SAAF to replace the C-130s is therefore evident and so the Brazilians brought a C-390 Millenium which arrived in plenty of time before the Expo for the SAAF to test fly, and the Chinese brought a Xi’an Y-20 Kunpeng, which was parked next to the C-390 and showed up the Brazilian’s smaller size.
This was the second appearance of the C-390 in South Africa in less than a year. “We believe the C-390 is a perfect fit for the diverse needs of the South African Air Force. The C-390 Millenium was designed from
The Chinese were a dominant presence at AAD 2024 - here with the Y-20.
the start to be versatile – it is not only excellent for military missions, but it can also perform tasks of national interest such as disaster management, medical evacuation, maritime surveillance and firefighting,” said Bosco da Costa Jnr, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security.
While the C-390 was only on static display, China’s Y-20 was a notable airshow performer on the trade
and public days, particularly on the Saturday with its marginal weather, when it disappeared into the cloud base and had to break away for a return on the ILS.
China had by far the biggest presence at the Expo, exhibiting a large range of weapons, missiles, drones, aircraft models and small arms. Another notable exhibit was the Changhe Z-10ME attack helicopter. This was transported in the hold of the Y-20, emphasising
the heavy transporters much desired capability to transport attack helicopters with the rotor masthead intact. Notably though the Z-10ME is a significantly smaller helicopter than the South African Rooivalk. The Z-10ME's height of 3.85m is 1.34m shorter than the Rooivalk, which makes a key difference when specifying an air lifter for attack helicopters.
Overall the show appeared to reflect a steady decline in support by both exhibitors and potential buyers. While there was plenty of evidence of senior military officers and consulate employees on the trade days, there was a sense of ‘tyre-kicker’ visitors wanting to see how technology was evolving, rather than being actual buyers. This was emphasised by comments by both South Africa’s President Ramaphosa and Minister of Defence Motshekga.
A SAAB Gripen takes off for the closing show. Image Trevor Cohen.
The mini war on the trade days blew dust and debris into the chalets.
Mwari provided an impressive flying display. Image Trevor Cohen.
Milkor 390 UAV impressed with its size and capability.
ABOVE: The Chinese PLAAF brought a Z-10 helicopter in the Y-20's hold. Image Ricardo Teixeira. BELOW: Russia was not there, but Rosoboronexport was big.
ABOVE: Updated African favourite - the latest genration Let 410NG on display. BELOW: Plenty of visting senior military officers from across Africa in evidence.
The decline in the show was evident in the failure of the organisers to sell out the show exhibition space. They reported 80% of the stands sold, however that number may be on the inflated side as the Expo seemed smaller than previous years, when all the hangars had been filled with exhibitors. This year there were some eerily empty hangars and show stands where exhibitors just failed to arrive. Apart from the non-appearance of the USA, the were also notable absences from Russia and the Ukraine.
Despite the AAD organiser’s best efforts, the bifurcation between the military side of the show and general aviation has grown even bigger. This year general aviation occupied just a small picket fenced-off area on the apron – which was noteworthy for its few exhibitors, some of which were drone operators. It would seem that the annual AERO general aviation Expo that takes place at nearby Wonderboom Airport is proving a viable alternative to the defence heavy AAD.
The SAAF had just one (non-airworthy) C-130 on static display.
This year the expo was most marked by the absence of key players – most notably Boeing. Airbus had a chalet but were focussed mainly on their helicopters – perhaps indicative of how low the two major manufacturers consider the possibility to be of a new airliner order from SAA – or any of the other regional airlines.
There were just ten country exhibitors, of which notable ones were China, India and Turkey. While the Russian government was conspicuous by its absence, Rosoboron, the Russian defence export and import agency had a strong presence. Despite their continued financial troubles, South African state owned arms manufacturer Denel featured strongly. The other large presence was private arms manufacturers Paramount and Milkor, which featured its very well received Milko 380 UAV.
The Exhibition
The tired looking Zimbabwe K-8.
Turkey had a large national stand.
Missiles and rockets were prominent, particularly from the Turkish manufacturer Rocketsan – but the dominant presence was UAV technology. Denel used the Expo to publicly launch their RW-UASD rotary wing UAV. In support of the launch, a fun exhibit was a full-sized replica of the UAV intricately handcrafted from beads. This single rotor UAV impressed with its capabilities: it is day and night and BVLOS operable and equipped with optical sensors and an optional radar sensor. The standard observation sensors include
a thermal imaging camera, high definition colour TV camera, auto tracker, laser rangefinder and designator. The optional radar sensor offers synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imagery as well as ground moving object indicator imagery.
As a VTOL, the RW-UAS can operate and navigate autonomously, with 10 hours of endurance with the standard payload. With an additional 80 kg payload,
Youth development is a pervasive effort.
the system has a four hour endurance. Maximum takeoff weight is 560 kg. With a fully articulated five-blade main and tail rotor system, Denel says the UAV has a low noise profile and can operate from a variety of landing zones, even from the back of a vehicle.
Paramount again featured the Mwari single engine reconnaissance surveillance and precision strike aircraft which it controversially took over from the original developer Aerosud. This year the Mwari put on an impressive flying display that showed off its speed, power and agility. Sales however remain elusive with some of the few Mwaris in operation seeing action in Northern Mozambique.
The Air Show
The Expo covers three days followed by an airshow for the public. Unfortunately the weather for the two public days, was poor and this probably deterred many spectators. On Saturday a low cloud base prevented all but the most determined Waterkloof based helicopter displays, and the teams that had to come in from other airports were stood down early.
There were two welcome new displays at the airshow: the former US Navy North American T-2 Buckeye trainer which was returned to airworthiness at its base at the Chinese AVIC flight school in Oudtshoorn, and a former SAAF Impala trainer, now privately owned. A regular at AAD is the Zimbabwean Hongdu JL-8 (Nanchang JL-8) trainer which looked somewhat tatty on static display.
The SA Space Agency showed ambitious projects.
After the negotiation of a last minute compromise for the maintenance contracts for its SAAB Gripen fighters in 2022, the SAAF managed to get three Gripens flying. The SAAF’s 85 Combat Flying School in Makhado brought a very impressive six-ship BAE Hawk display team including the Hawk painted in the colours of the South African flag. The SAAF fielded a limited 2 + 1 Silver Falcons team.
The SAAF did themselves proud with show-stopping
pyro-technical anti-missile flare displays from the Rooivalk. These dramatic flares are a great favourite with the photographers and commentator Brian Emmenis was able to give them excellent forewarning.
Helicopter action was provided by a BK117 which was flown with verve, showing what this rigid rotor design is capable of. The SAAF Museum also came to the party with helicopters performing an aerial ballet which enthralled the cognoscenti.
The Indian national stand.
The 3-day conference was well attended.
The big crowd pleaser is the ‘mini-war’ with many explosions, smoke and simulated machine gun fire. A tactical operation using several multi-disciplinary teams was put through their paces. Unfortunately the prevailing wind is from the west and this means that the dust and ash from the mini war blows into the exhibitors’ chalets.
Another crowd pleaser is the old trick of hoisting an ‘illegally parked’ car with a SAAF Oryx and then
‘accidentally’ dropping it midfield. This was carefully rehearsed with an actor who claimed the car was his and was deemed one of the best ever of these stunts. Stooges in the crowd reinforced the drama and there was much sympathy for the supposed victim, whose car was also in noticeably good condition, having been confiscated by the police earlier.
The Hawker Hunter owned and flown by Ron Wheeldon was a rare treat. A highlight for the crowd
Stalwart aviation enthusiasts and historians.
The long walk in from the trade visitors car park.
was a finale flown by a FlySafair Boeing 737-800 in formation with four 85 CFS Hawks.
The airshow ended with not one but three climaxes: First the four Harvards of the Flying Lions flew a beautiful sunset display, this was followed by a Rooivalk dropping flares into the gloaming and finally the SAAF pulled out all the stops to field a 9-ship jet fly-past featuring three Gripens and six Hawks flying the Red Arrows diamond-9 formation.
General Aviation was very poorly represented at AAD 2024.
AAD ALBUM
Images - Trevor Cohen
ABOVE: C-390 did not fly much - as it was demonstrated before the Expo. BELOW: FlySafair Boeing turns in for the flypast.
Images - Trevor Cohen
ABOVE: Novelty full-sized beaded replica of Denel's RW-UASD UAV. BELOW: One of just three flying SAAF Gripens.
ALBUM
Images - Trevor Cohen
ABOVE: Rooivalk inbound against the golden evening sky. BELOW: Spectacular show finale.
ALBUM
Images - Trevor Cohen
ABOVE: The 9-ship jet finale of 3 Gripens and 6 Hawks.
BELOW: The FlySafair Boeing 737-800 does a low flypast over three Gripens.
Images - Trevor Cohen
ABOVE: The weather and thus the crowd improved for the Sunday public day. BELOW: The Y-20 gets airborne.
JEFFERY KEMPSON
SNEAKING THREE DAKS ACROSS AFRICA
Roy and I arrived back in Munich to ferry the third Dak to South Africa. Sadly, we ran into
DURING STATIC ENGINE RUN-
UPS we found the right engine propeller would not feather. This necessitated a delay of several days while a serviceable feathering pump was sourced from the aircraft owner, Bob Korinski’s partner in Miami.
The pump arrived after we’d spent a few nights sampling the excellent beer in Schwabing’s piano bars. The feathering pump was fitted, but still didn’t feather the prop.
In desperation I visited a downtown hardware store and bought several metres of ordinary household
insulated double flex wire. This we threaded through the wing and fuselage and connected it to the feathering pump and selector. I pressed the switch, and the prop feathered.
We flew a test flight that afternoon. Roy rotated and called for the gear up. Alas, the undercarriage remained down and locked. The retract cables had stretched during the several months the aircraft had been standing idle.
We continued with our climb and some miles out we were vectored back towards the airfield and had started a slow descent when the right engine backfired.
The three Daks that were clandestinely sold and then flown to South Africa to become 'Dakeltons'.
I enriched the mixture, but it happened again. So I leaned the mixture – and the left engine backfired. I moved both mixture controls to full rich, to no avail.
We turned onto final with the aircraft swinging left and right. Apparently we were also spewing black smoke from the exhausts, and the tower asked us if we wanted to declare an emergency. I answered in the negative, Roy kept the aircraft high on the approach, and we touched down halfway down the runway. Once taxying, the engines worked normally. We parked and shut down. We were both shaken.
Our Dak emitting black smoke and yawing from side to side as the engines backfired on our final approach gained us unwanted publicity in the local newspaper.
Recalling a light bulb moment that I’d been too busy to think through I said to Roy, “I think I know what our problem may be.”
My father had been a highly licenced engineer with a couple of SA airlines, and as I had been aircraft crazy as a child, he’d given me bits of aircraft memorabilia to play with. One was a small corrugated bellows from a Dak carburettor. This expanded and contracted with altitude to provide a semi-automatic mixture adjustment.
Against instructions, I contacted Sakkie Henning, the CO of the SAAF Transport Squadron. Sakkie listened to my story and agreed that the barometric capsules had almost certainly been the problem.
With the DC-3 now serviceable we departed. The Dak seemed to be serviceable, except that despite using the same power setting on both engines, the left engine had used more fuel than the right engine. Refuelling at Corfu confirmed this.
Avgas was not available
They had probably expanded with altitude to weaken our mixture, then had both stuck in that position, and not contracted to enrich the fuel mixture as we descended.
Sakkie airfreighted two serviceable capsules, and they performed perfectly during our nervous test flight. Sakkie Henning was later killed in the Air Force HQ bomb by uMkhonto weSizwe.
The next morning we launched for the island of Rhodes. When we landed at Rhodes it was very apparent that our left engine was thirstier than the right. I dipped the four fuel tanks, and reckoned we were using about 23% more fuel in the left engine, despite attempting to run it a little leaner than the right.
After I topped up the engine oil, Roy seemed in a disagreeable mood and insisted on climbing the ladder to check the oil level in the left engine. From the cockpit I heard a loud shout and a crash. I saw Roy lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious.
Roy Matthews fell off a ladder while inspecting an engine.
The planned 5200nm route flown by the Dak from Munich to
I rushed out the aircraft just as Roy regained consciousness and one of the Greek refuelers helped him to his feet. Roy had injured his back but was able to limp. We took a taxi to our cheap hotel near the airport, where he had a hot bath. Then still in pain, he joined me in the bar and declared that this whole Dak ferry delivery operation had become too hairy and he was pulling out of it.
I said, “If you quit now, I wouldn’t pay you.”
Our argument became increasingly acrimonious, and I was very aware that I held only a Commercial licence and not an ATP, so although I had quite a few hours on Daks, and also technically owned the aircraft, I was not permitted to Captain it.
My threat not to pay him for this trip brought Roy to his senses. Mollified by liquor and Deep Heat his mood improved, and he agreed to continue the flight.
Next day I did the flying to Luxor in Egypt, where we were met by the same health official who I bribed with a German porn magazine.
The following day Roy’s aches and pains had mostly subsided, so he took the helm for the seven plus hour flight to Djibouti.
Flying down the middle of the Red Sea, I worried that with our left engine using at least 23% more fuel than the right, getting to Djibouti without refuelling was becoming impossible.
JEFFERY KEMPSON
Lanseria.
I asked a passing local airliner to request a relay for us to divert to Asmara for fuel, and was told to stand by. After a long wait Asmara denied us permission to land, and also said that Avgas was not available.
Roy nodded. I had much respect for his quiet professionalism that I felt this vastly experienced pilot must have a plan B up his sleeve. That day, the only thing he had up his sleeve was his arm. It had become apparent that we would probably end up 40 miles short of Djibouti.
Roy reluctantly complied and we landed into the very strong wind. After parking, an ATC came to the plane, saying he could hear our calls, but his radio was unable to transmit.
I heard a loud shout and a crash
I slapped a protractor onto the 1:1,000,000 chart and gave Roy a heading to Assab in Eritrea.
He turned almost 30 degrees left, and a few miles later we entered a narrow but unavoidable line squall.
By this stage we were cross feeding both engines from the only tank indicating any fuel and I reckoned we had about twenty minutes left.
Then we entered the line squall and all hell broke loose. The turbulence was brief but violent. A large and very heavy DC3 carburettor broke its straps and flew into the cockpit, hitting the floor below the power console. Moments later it flew back down the cabin, broke the toilet door, and crashed into the empty toilet bowl, where it remained until we reached SA.
We emerged from the storm into bright sunlight and saw the long Assab dirt runway. I said, “Turn left ,to join right downwind.”
Roy replied, “No I’ll turn left overhead the runway then do a procedure turn onto final”.
“No, we don’t have enough fuel for that airline stuff! Just put this plane on the ground!”
Then a fuel bowser arrived, and we filled it up. We had around 15 minutes of fuel left and Djibouti was still 90 miles, or 40 minutes, away.
Then the police arrived told us that special security would be arriving from Addis Ababa to interrogate us the next morning. Meanwhile we would be escorted to a hotel in town to spend the night.
Roy Matthews (R) heads out to the aircraft.
Two guards were placed on the aircraft, and we were driven to the hotel without completing any border formalities. In our hotel rooms Roy and I flushed the South African documentation down our toilets.
Late the next morning a pair of security men arrived and interrogated Roy and I separately. We called them Sweet and Sour and told them our destination was Madagascar. Just before lunch we were cleared to proceed.
throttles but I shouted, “It’s just the gauge Roy, there’s no swing,” I pushed the throttles forward again and the RPM needle returned to max revs. A few seconds later we were airborne. I said; “Wow! That could have gone badly!”
“That’s the trouble.”
They drove us to the airport, and as I turned one of the props to prevent hydraulic lock, the Sweet fellow started turning the other prop. It would have made a great picture for the SAAF Squadron mess, but didn’t have a camera with me.
Completing the pre-flight checks, I noticed Mr Sour was still holding our aircraft document folder. He showed me a dirty magazine he had found and said he would have to confiscate it.
I nodded happily, but then he said; “Your aircraft documentation is too good. In Africa we use photostat forms.”
Our Dak carried an African registration from the opposite side of the continent. I tried to look unconcerned. Then Mr Sweet said something in Arabic, and Mr Sour reluctantly handed me the folder.
I smiled as Mr Sweet apologised for the inconvenience caused. He wished me a good trip. I quickly closed the door.
I said; “Start the engines Roy, and let’s get out of here as fast as possible. Mr Sour is questioning the plane’s documentation.”
Roy said, “Why? It’s all correctly stamped. Perfect in fact.”
“That’s the trouble.”
A few minutes later, tail up and roaring down the runway, the right engine RPM needle dropped to zero. Roy closed the
Forty minutes later we arrived in humid Djibouti without further incident.
Here I located an aircraft engineer of unknown provenance, and after some discussion he claimed he’d be able to fix our thirsty carb. By late afternoon the engineer declared that the problem was beyond his capability, but charged me $200 for fiddling.
Roy started haggling about the distance to Mombasa, and the fuel flows, so I told him we were going to buy a 44-gallon drum of Avgas and a manual wobble
JEFFERY KEMPSON
They nearly ended up in jail for a girlie magazine.
pump to transfer the fuel into the tanks because we were going to land at Hargeisa, where there was no Avgas. A friendly ATC arranged clearance to land at Hargeisa. That night we counted our lucky stars at having remained free.
The next morning we replenished the left fuel tanks from the drum. Being driven into town to find a bank for our landing fee payment, the taxi driver explained why so many of the houses had bright blue roofs. A lorry containing drums of blue paint had broken down and the blue paint was used to colour their previously drab tin roofs.
Taxing out at Hargeisha we were amused to notice a large radar dish rotating slowly above a camouflaged anthill. The dish then stopped, and began rotating in the opposite direction. Obviously not connected to anything, just blowing in the wind. After taxiing past an engineless Vickers Viscount lying on its belly, we lined up and took off.
the wings. Go have a look.” I later learned these lights were for formation flying at night, and could not be seen from the ground. I switched the lights off, then a while later I shouted to Roy, who was still in the cabin, “The left engine oil pressure is dropping.”
Roy shone his powerful torch onto the left wing, and pronounced oil was streaming across it.
I called Lanseria Tower and told them to advise the relevant SAAF authorities not to send a crew to collect the aircraft that night.
Fifteen minutes later we were on the ground and were marshalled to a remote part of the apron. We put in the control locks and made our way into the terminal building.
in the line squall all hell broke loose
This sector, and subsequent Mombasa night stop, was uneventful, except that Roy insisted on us staying in a cheap hotel where many years before he had first met his wife; Mercedes.
The next day we landed at Blantyre and were dismayed to find an oil leak on the left engine. A mechanic could not be found.
A Safair L100 Hercules was parked on the ramp ready to return to Joburg. I knew the co-pilot, a former aircraft salesman called Wessels and asked him to please inform Lanseria that we would be landing there this evening.
We replenished the oil on the leaking engine, and decided that the usage was not excessive.
Crossing the Limpopo a little after dark Roy rushed into the cockpit from the cabin where he had been donning jacket and tie for a celebratory dinner at Lanseria. He shouted; “What have you done?”
“I’m just fiddling with the light switches. Why, what’s wrong?”
“There are lights shining straight up from the top of
Over dinner I expressed my relief that the three DC-3 ferry deliveries had been completed.
I had heard on the grapevine that five other DC-3s had been clandestinely ferried in from New Zealand, but that one had been lost on the way. I was not able to verify this.
The next morning I went to Lanseria, and learnt a loose rocker cover had been venting oil. This was tightened, the oil replenished and the engine satisfactorily run.
I moved to a quiet vantage point and watched the Dak taxi out and take off. At that moment I felt an inexplicable emptiness. Those three ferry flights had become a way of life.
A few days later my King Nav/Comm set was returned to me. Then I asked Armscor for an additional R10,000 to compensate for the time-consuming difficulties and costs that I’d had to bear. A week later the pleasant Armscor man I’d met in Munich handed me R10,000 in a plain brown envelope. If I had been able to deal with him originally, I would not have needed to fly to Paris for lunch while the embassy staff typed up my delivery contract.
I didn’t make as much money out of those DC-3 deliveries as I had hoped, but the memory of the warm gleam in my girlfriend’s eyes endures.
SAFAIR AND AIR BOTSWANA EXPAND TO WINDHOEK
South African low cost carrier FlySafair is continuing to expand beyond South Africa’s borders. In so doing it is addressing the much needed challenge of intraAfrican air connectivity.
FLYSAFAIR SAYS it will be operating two additional flights per week between Cape Town and Windhoek, starting 22 October 2024.
This announcement comes after the airline was awarded rights by the International Air Services Council last year to operate routes between Johannesburg, Windhoek, Harare, and Zanzibar. In addition to these new routes, FlySafair was awarded five additional frequencies on their Mauritius route, enabling the airline to offer daily flights.
Also expanding into Windhoek in October is Air Botswana which has announced that it will commence flights between Maun, Gaborone, and Kasane to Windhoek in October 2024.
Air Botswana Chief Executive Officer Lulu Rasebotsa says the new Windhoek routes will operate three times weekly from each destination, connecting Botswana and Namibia and providing convenient travel options for both business and leisure travellers.
“The new additions are popular destinations for business and tourism, and we are excited to offer convenient air travel between the cities to advance economic activities in all countries, particularly Botswana,” she said.
In addition to the Windhoek route, Air Botswana has also revealed plans for new connections to Cape Town, Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA), and Durban, as well as the reinstatement of their Johannesburg to Maun, Gaborone, and Kasane route.
FlySafair continues to aggresively expand its regional route network.
H125. Safeguarding Our Biodiversity
EVOLUTION
It’s been almost 15 years since my articles appeared in SA Flyer. While I’m astonished at how time flies, it does feel like change has been constant and relentless in my life. In both good and bad ways.
The current chapter of my career started when I joined Bristow as an offshore helicopter line pilot in Nigeria. Shortly thereafter I served as chief pilot in Nigeria, and finally landed a promotion to Bristow Head Office in Houston as part of the flight operations management team. Although I was no longer in the cockpit, I loved this role as I frequently travelled to Bristow’s operations all over the world with the overall mandate to influence and improve flight operations in a meaningful way.
Sadly, all good things come to an end, and a global crash in the oil price in 2016 started a domino effect, leading to massive restructuring which saw most of the global helicopter operators filing for bankruptcy. Many smaller operators simply disappeared in the chaos and never returned.
My experience in the US oil & gas industry positioned me to become an aviation consultant as banks, investors, leasing companies and opportunists all scrambled to make sense of the global downturn. It was fun being an independent consultant until Covid put the brakes on my new career as aviation activity declined to almost zero.
Seeking more job security than I had previously experienced in the helicopter business, I turned my passion and sidehustle into a more formal business and opened a small car dealership. While it was fun, I always felt like a fish out of water. I missed my “tribe” in aviation, and our family dearly missed relatives and all things comfortable and familiar back home in South Africa. My family and I became Americans along the way, but the US always presented an uncomfortable fit for us.
Now, in my latest role with PHI, I’m back on the front lines flying a Sikorsky S-92 in the Gulf of Mexico. This position allows me to spend 50% of my time with my happy family back in SA while still working in the USA.
Jannie Matthysen is back flying helicopters - here in a huge S-92. Image Jack
Danza.
TWO ICONIC AIRCRAFT have always been on my aviation bucket list: the Boeing 747, and on the helicopter side, the Sikorsky S-92.
The size and old-school character of both these lumbering giants have consistently appealed to me, and I would fantasize about getting my sweaty palms on the controls of these two beasts.
The semi-permanent grin on my face is a result of receiving a start date for S-92 simulator training at Flight Safety in Louisiana. I could not be happier!
My employment offer had arrived from PHI, arguably one of the premier operators in the helicopter offshore industry.
The S-92 is no longer a beast
When the initial euphoria had subsided, I started planning in earnest, but soon cold reality set in… I had not flown a helicopter in almost 10 years, I had never flown commercially in the USA and had not worked directly in the aviation industry for a long time.
The challenge before me seemed simple: spend an uninterrupted 52 days in S-92 initial training, pass a whole gambit of tests, exams, and check rides during technical ground school, simulator training, indoctrination training, and then finally company line training. How difficult could it be? It’s just another helicopter, and I’ve done all of this before in one way or another.
The first challenge was being away from friends and family. Nothing new in the life of a pilot, but 52 days is a long time if this type of duty cycle has not been part of your routine for a few years.
PHI is one of the premier operators in the helicopter offshore industry.
Then the physical realities. Suddenly I started thinking about medical issues that had never been on my radar before. Maintaining a Class 1 medical in what can grudgingly only be described as “middle age” presented its own challenges. Since my last flight a decade ago, I had started wearing glasses, and not the cool Top Gun “look at me I’m a pilot” sunglasses. I’m talking about full-blown varifocals in a frame that reminds one of angry Grandpa on a bad day without coffee. I would worry about looking cool later. Tinnitus had evolved from an occasional irritation to a constant whine, and then for some reason unbeknown to me, I was now buying pants a couple of sizes larger than before. It’s a good thing I was going to be flying an S-92 as it should be able to accommodate a “little bit” more heft in the cockpit.
From the very start of ground school, the scope and scale of my little adventure became overwhelmingly apparent. This was going to require a little more effort than just some light reading or casually paging through a few manuals. The volume of work was incredible and came in numerous formats from all directions. There were the usual Flight Safety printed training manuals, but somehow there were now more of them, and they were all much bulkier than I’d ever seen. I also received a shiny new i-Pad. Cool, I thought, but I soon learnt that this thing was filled to the brim with more manuals, operations guidelines, rules, more rules, additional rules, supplementary rules, regulations and hyperlinks to every aviation website known to mankind. How was I going to learn all this stuff, and more importantly, would I remember any of it a few months down the line?
and action. A decade ago, I was very comfortable in the cockpit, knew the aircraft I was flying, and felt very much at home in any helicopter operation. Now, this was different. The passage of time had not been kind to my physical being, my skillset, nor my confidence.
Not surprisingly, simulator training now exposed weaknesses that I never knew I had, and the sheer volume of studying required me to work harder than ever before. Every test and exam presented a major challenge, and then I still had to remind myself to eat healthy and get some exercise! What did I let myself in for? Suddenly, I did not feel the capable pilot I had always considered myself to be.
“It’s not WHAT you say, but HOW you say it”
As I pondered my dire situation, a silver lining appeared. In contrast to the last time, I found myself challenged on so many levels, I realized that I am now much more patient than before – with myself and others. My fellow training victims had no idea how good they had it sharing a simulator with me, compared to a few years ago.
The other change I saw in myself was the evolution of communication skills. Somehow, it was now easier to get a message across without offending someone. My long-suffering wife’s corrective prodding undoubtedly had something to do with it: “It’s not WHAT you say, but HOW you say it” was one of her favourite admonishments. Without realising it during this period of distress, I started applying a few personal rules that I never really knew about. These only became apparent to me during a deeply personal post-mortem over a few single-malts…
Soon, I was reminded of the very regimented and structured nature of the industry I found myself in once more. How I had missed it, but I was also reminded of the fact that there were many ways in which to screw this up. Virtually everything is rule-based and there is a process, procedure, or checklist for almost each task
1. Don’t take yourself too seriously
2. Work harder than you think you should
3. Take time to rest and recuperate – whatever form that might take
4. Know the people who love and care for you. Acknowledge them
HELICOPTERS
5. Own your mistakes, learn from them. Evolve. Find a reason if you must, but no excuses.
6. Slow down - breathe
7. Be humble, be grateful
8. Strive to be a positive role model
9. Celebrate success
10. Cultivate a good attitude
I started applying this little set of personal rules without realising it at the time. I could only attribute it to some deep-rooted survival instinct that comes with age – it was really a matter of survival. Either try something different or fail entirely.
The results were surprising. I completed the initial training without any issues. Flying the line as a relatively inexperienced pilot in a “new” helicopter, in a complex and hostile environment such as the Gulf of Mexico, did inevitably produce some “newguy” mistakes. Every flight is IFR, with many flights extending more than 200NM into the blue yonder of the Gulf. Apart from weather and other operational challenges, we’re also required to meet very stringent and diverse customer requirements. Once again, a very fertile environment to mess things up. Simply piloting the S-92 now proved to be the easy part!
The size and old-school character of these lumbering giants appeals to me.
The initial period as the new guy on the line is flown under supervision. This is where new challenges presented themselves in the form of stereotypical, crusty old captains – some of whom had been in the same helicopter, with the same employer, flying the same contract for 25 years or more. To say that they do not suffer fools, nor do they have the patience to deal with an inexperienced pilot’s mistakes, would be an understatement. Note to self: refer rules 2, 5, 6, and 10. Repeat.
Now, after a few months into my new adventure, and the luxury of hindsight, a new perspective emerges. As with most things in life, human beings evolve and somehow rise to the challenge. What seemed insurmountable at the start, now appears to be routine in its simplicity. Things that kept me awake at night, are now second nature. The S-92 is no longer a beast to be tamed, but is proving to be a kind, gentle giant. Cranky, crusty captains have become good friends and loyal, supportive colleagues.
How I’ve missed this! Refer Rule 7.
PILATUS LEGENDS AWARD
Markus Bucher, the CEO of Pilatus, has accepted an award for notable achievement in aviation at the ‟Living Legends of Aviation Europe Awards”.
The awards honour companies and personalities who have made a significant contribution to aviation and aerospace. For the fourth time, the "Oscars of Aviation” were presented as part of the "Living Legends of Aviation Europe Awards” at the spectacular Scalaria Event Resort on Lake Wolfgang, Austria.
In this special setting, Markus Bucher and the Pilatus Team accepted the "Sam B. Williams Technology Award” for the company’s untiring efforts to produce unique, world-class aircraft.
The award was presented by Gregg Williams – the owner and Chairman of Williams International: a manufacturer of gas turbine engines.
Markus Bucher, CEO of Pilatus, said: "The award is an important recognition for our years of commitment, and for the work we do as a team every day – it also spurs us on to achieve further heights of success!”
The "Living Legends of Aviation” organization was created in 2003 – with the aim of celebrating
the second century of aviation and honouring the outstanding achievements of pilots, industry representatives, astronauts and record holders. While the American edition takes place in Los Angeles every spring, the European event is held at the spectacular "Scalaria” Event Resort on Lake Wolfgang in Austria. The "European Legends” include famous names such as Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, and Felix Baumgartner, who is widely known for his space jump.
Pilatus receives the Living Legends of Aviation Award.
STARLINER RETURNS EMPTY
IN EARLY SEPTEMBER
Boeing’s Starliner returned to Earth without astronauts.
The success of this mission was critical to Boeing’s tattered reputation as it was Starliner’s first astronaut flight. Hover, after much prevarication, and despite pressure from Boeing, NASA decided that the capsule must return uncrewed due to issues with its reaction control system (RCS) thrusters shortly after its 5 June launch.
NASA opted not to risk the lives of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore by having them onboard for the return journey.
This concluded the craft’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission. Notwithstanding the Starliner’s safe return, the decision to leave the two astronauts on board the international Space Station(ISS) to return with competitor SpaceX is an ignominious defeat for Boeing.
The capsule undocked from the International Space Station on 6 September and landed successfully in New Mexico early on Saturday 7 September. Adding to Boeings embarrassment, the mission was meant to last eight days, ending on 14 June with a landing in the American Southwest. However, the capsule’s thrusters malfunctioned as Starliner approached the ISS.
After more than two months of investigation, NASA decided it was too risky to return Wilmore and Williams to Earth aboard Starliner. Instead, the Boeing spacecraft returned uncrewed on 7 September 2024, and the astronauts will return on arch-competitor SpaceX Crew-9 spacecraft in February 2025.
This means their intended eight day space mission had to be extended to eight months aboard the International Space Station.
The two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who have been stranded in space by Starliner problems.
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BACKPAGE DIR ECT ORY
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