SA Flyer Magazine August 2022 by Flyer & Aviation Publications

FlightCm African Commercial Aviation

Edition 318 August 2022 Cover: CONTINENTAL

JET A1 -DIESEL!

FLIGHT REPORT: CESSNA DIESEL

172!

 Guy: Is the RV-15 too little, too late?  3 High Wing Slings to Osh – all the details!  Jim Davis: Thunderstorms and 210s don’t mix  John Bassi: Hunting goats on Table Mountain  Peter Garrison: Piston planes Mach limits  SA AF: Gripen problems cont inue 1

CAPE TOWN AVIATION COMPANIES GUIDE AERO EXPO WRAP-UP

August 2022

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POSITION REPORT NOWHERE IN INDUSTRY is the age-old problem of getting experience harder than in aviation. In almost every industry, the conundrum is: How do you get a job if you don’t have experience? Yet how do you gain experience if you don’t have a job? For new pilots the problem may be almost impossible. No one wants to employ a fresh 200 hour CPL. So you need more qualifications – and that means getting conversions onto bigger aircraft. A conversion onto a King Air can cost as much as a higher university degree. And once you have that, it will still cost R3 million for a conversion onto a business jet. Employers are naturally reluctant to invest that much in new pilots.

And you would be earning a salary too. You will also be building up skills that will set you apart from the rest, when applying for your first real flying job.” Pilots who have worked hard to build up a few thousand hours and become genuinely employable claim that flying for free as a qualified CPL cheapens the licence, and makes it infinitely more difficult for those fresh CPLs who cannot afford to not earn an income.

WAIT UNTIL YOU FIND A JOB THAT VALUES YOU

The only hope is that the young pilot can impress a potential employer enough for the employer to pay for their upgrades and ratings. This gave rise to a fascinating discussion on internet forum avcom.co.za when a new commercial pilot asked if it would be a good idea to fly for free, for the sake of gaining experience.

An experienced pilot strongly disagreed, saying that all it does is drive already low post-Covid salaries down even further. He argued, “It is far better to get involved with a reputable company in a non-flying role initially, and help out with things like flight plans, dispatching, logistics etc.

August 2022

The point is that pilots are not a product but an employee, and employees must get paid. The salary of a junior pilot is a very small number in the grand scheme of a company that is in aviation, so the company will not actually benefit much by not paying that salary.

It was also argued that; “If you pay peanuts, you will get monkeys.” All junior positions, in all careers, are paid positions, whether it is an apprentice electrician, a lawyer doing articles or a doctor doing their internship. So let’s say you do take on a job, unpaid, for a fixed period of two years. At the end of two years you are released, and they now take on some other pilot who will do the same as you, so now you are unemployed again.” My advice to young pilots desperately looking for that first job – don’t cheapen yourself and your expensive and hard-earned CPL by getting suckered into working for free. Value yourself, and wait until you find a job that values you.

Guy Leitch

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August 2022

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Cayenne Platinum Edition V6: Combined fuel consumption: 9.4 l/100 km; Power: 250 kW (340 hp); Torque: 450 Nm; 0-100 km/h: 5.9 seconds

Edition 318

CONTENTS FLIGHTCOM

SA FLYER

20 28 32 36 60 80

Guy Leitch - ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE Peter Garrison - QUESTIONS

Bush Pilot - HUGH PRYOR Pilots - LAURA MCDERMID

SAF 109

COLUMNISTS

06 18

George Tonking - HELI OPS Jim Davis - PLANE TALK Jim Davis - ACCIDENT REPORT Ray Watts - REGISTER REVIEW

FLIGHT REVIEW:

August 2022

CONTINENTAL CD-100 JET-A DIESEL CESSNA 172

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August 2022

Edition 318

CONTENTS FEATURES SA FLYER

16 GADGET OF THE MONTH - VNAV BAGS 35 QUOTE OF THE MONTH 78 FLIGHT REVIEW: JET-A DIESEL CESSNA 172 66 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 66 SLING HIGH WINGS - EPIC OSHKOSH 91 CAPE TOWN – AVIATION COMPANIES GUIDE 109 AERO EXPO WRAP-UP FLIGHTCOM

12 Defence - Darren Olivier 24 Lockdown Freedom - John Bassi 30 Industry Recovery - Roy Ezze 34 The Regulatory Round Out

REGULARS 14

Opening Shot

84 M & N Acoustic Register Review 86 SV Aviation Fuel Table 88 Aviation Direct Events Calender

FLIGHTCOM

08 AME Directory 38 ALPI Flight School Listing 39 Atlas Oils Charter Directory 40 AVES Technics AMO Listing 42 Aviation Directory 10

August 2022

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Exhilaration at first sight. Bentayga S.

Discover seductive style and addictive performance at BentleyMotors.com/BentaygaS. Contact Bentley Johannesburg on 010 020 4000 or Bentley Cape Town on 021 419 0595.

August 2022

BENTLEY JOHANNESBURG • BENTLEY CAPE TOWN Power: 404 kW (550 hp); Torque: 770 Nm; 0-100 km/h: 4.5 seconds; Maximum speed: 290 km/h. Priced from R4 875 000 including a 3 year/100,000 km Driveplan Model shown: Bentayga S

THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE A HEAD ON SHOT of a classic plane coming straight at the photog. It needs a good pilot and a clear understanding with the photog – who needless to say, must have cool nerves. This head on shot of Robbie Beaumont’s ex-SAAF Harvard 7012 was taken by aviation consultant Paul Ludick, with Jason Beamish flying the Harvard. What makes the image particularly poignant is that Jason is flying the same Harvard that his grandfather Ron Beamish – who was a SAAF 2 Squadron Korean War veteran – flew in 1951 (see logbook insert) and which has also been regularly flown by Jason’s dad, Larry Beamish. Paul used his Canon 7D Mk2 fitted with a Canon 100-400 lens. Impressively, the lens is at its full 400mm, yet Paul is rock steady at just a 100th second shutter speed to give a full prop disc. Exposure was f13 at 100 ISO. Paul shoots in the RAW format and overexposed by 1/3 of a stop to separate the aircraft from the background. Paul converted the image to monochrome to give a sense of the history.

August 2022

August 2022 Send your submissions to guy@saflyermag.co.za

GADGET OF THE MONTH

VNAV

LEATHER

FLIGHT BAGS Finding the right flight bag has always been a tricky undertaking – and has deterred my wife from trying to buy me one. ONE OF THE REASONS IT IS TRICKY is that over time the requirement for my flight bag has changed – and the bag went from being a fat briefcase to a squashable tog bag and finally shrank to a small across-the-body sling bag just large enough to take my headset, iPad and fuel tester and – oh yes – my license. In the end the bag I used was a cheap canvas satchel – that may have been effective – but was seriously uncool.

a leather duffel bag. When I saw the bag I was intrigued by the work of a seemingly unknown local craftsman, Patrick Sibanda. “My old pilot case was really an overkill in this

It is therefore great news that a proper pilot, who had time on his hands during the Covid lockdown, sat down and applied his mind and flying experience to what a modern flight bag should be. And yes, he has come up with what I consider the perfect flight bag. But not everyone shares my minimalist tastes and so there is still a selection of much larger bags for those who don’t travel light. The pilot who re-invented flight bags – and himself – is Hein de Waal. He explains, “When lockdown started in March 2020, I suspected that this was not going to pass quickly. My busy mind helped prevent me from falling into a deep hole. For a friend’s birthday, we contributed to

August 2022

For pilots who like to travel light this headset bag is all you need for essential items such as your licence and headset.

VNAV flight bags come in a wide range of sizes, shapes and styles to suit any pilot's need for a practical, durable and good looking flight bag.

day of iPads and very little paperwork. I’ve long thought how nice it would be to have something practical but much smaller so I contacted Patrick. From the moment we met we realised we had a shared vision for beautiful quality, yet practical, genuine leather bags and together we designed and made the first VNAV flight bag. That first bag sold within two days of advertising via the online shop software I had taught myself to write. Small tweaks on the bags and refining work on the shop software continued and later included the ability to quote for international shipping on checkout.”

“The bags have been exceptionally well received by the pilot community. International orders started coming in and VNAV flight bags are now flying around the world, based in Dubai, Hong Kong, Australia, the UK, France, USA, Japan and of course in South Africa and Namibia.” Nothing beats the feel and smell of a fresh leather bag, and a well-made bag will just get better with age. From student pilots to international airline captains, they are all happily using their leather flight bags on a daily basis.

August 2022

Genuine leather baggage tags make a great small gift.

Aeronautical Aviation’s Michelle Carroll likes the bags so much she is helping Hein promote them. Hein says, “Apart from flight bags we also started making duffel bags, cross body bags, laptop bags and a lady’s backpack/handbag, all around the aviation theme. The duffel bags are particularly useful as they are soft and so can be moulded into odd shaped spaces such as behind the front seats or in the nose baggage compartment. Across-the-body headset bags often fit between the seats, or behind the pilot’s knees. Being top opening, it is easy to get to key items such as an iPad or handheld radio. “We are also happy to custom-make bags, and we will personalise our bags with your name or company’s logo,” Hein says.

August 2022

VNAV also does a range of mixed leather and canvas bags.

Flight bag prices start from a very reasonable R2,400 for the GF headset bag and go up to R3700 for the larger duffel bags. For those not wishing to buy a whole bag, a great gift is simply a VNAV leather bag tag – costing just R80.00. When Aeronautical Aviation’s Michelle Carroll saw the bags, she knew it would make the perfect gift for her husband Clinton and she had a custom logo made for the bags. Aeronautical have some samples to view at their offices, or you can view the wide range of bags on their online store – visit - https://www.aeronautical. co.za/product-category/flight-bags.

LEARN TO

Dale de Klerk Cell: +27825563592 Fax: 0866058948 Skype: dale_de_klerk Email: dale@alpiaviation.co.za

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ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE: GUY LEITCH

– too little, too late? There is a lifecycle in owner-run businesses. The dynamic founder gets old and steps back, and the business becomes professionally managed – which means cumbersome, with slow decision making. Such a fate may have befallen the iconic Vans Aircraft. OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS the recreational aviation fraternity has been moving away from fast tricky composite pocket rockets to good old-fashioned aluminium high wing STOL taildraggers, for ‘backcountry’ flying. Yet Vans soldiered on, making fast low wing planes with evolutionary rather than revolutionary designs coming at an ever-slower rate. Thus, the RV-14 was not much more than a 120% version of the RV-7. Vans’ fans were clamouring for a high wing bush plane – and it just was not coming.

The years went by – and still nothing from Vans. Finally, in early 2021, Vans admitted to having a taildragger in design. And that was it. Then, a month before Oshkosh this year, pictures were leaked of the RV-15 flying. The long wait was over.

We a r e n o t out there to win Va l d e z

The other manufactures were rubbing their hands together in glee – most notably Rans – whose S-21 was the plane Van’s fliers had hoped the next RV would be. At the bottom of the African continent, the Sling boys finally got on with the job of designing and building their much-awaited High Wing – and as can be seen from our feature on their epic Oshkosh adventure – they have come up with yet another winner.

August 2022

The question is – has it been worth it – will the legions of Vans fans be happy?

In a revealing interview with the UK Flyer magazine at Oshkosh this year, Van’s President and CTO Rian Johnson admitted Richard Van Grunsven had been talking about a high wing since 2002. However, the growth of the RV business had taken up so much engineering capacity that it left none for new product development. Johnson said that over the past two years he had assembled a great engineering team. “They finally had the opportunity to design and build the airplane that we have been thinking about

The first takeoff of the RV-15, in June 2022.

for quite some time. Over the past 10 years the design has now fully come together.” Johnson and Richard Van had examined 60 different planes in great detail. “I found that there was a small grouping of planes that we really drilled down to - one of those is the Helio Courier.” “We have seen a hole in the market. There are a lot of airplanes that start out powered by small engines and then they try to expand them. We decided we wanted a STOL airplane – but not too far off the STOL end of the spectrum. We are not out there to win the Valdez slow landing competition. We are looking for that happy medium – where we hit a home run in the end.” The aircraft is large for a two place RV. Even on relatively small 6.00 by 6 tires, the leading edge of the wings is tall enough for most adults to step under without ducking. The fuselage is as wide as a Cessna 182, and its constant-chord wings have a roughly 35-foot span, also the same as a Skylane.

Johnson said they needed to keep the RV qualities that have made the design so successful – and which created the famous RV-grin. This is the responsive handling and in particular, the roll response, so they have retained the complexity of pushrod operated ailerons on a high wing. For a low and slow plane they needed far larger flaps than usual, so they built an all-new wing with the largest chord flaps they have ever used; at 34 percent of chord, instead of the normal 25 percent. It is an old truism that successful aircraft design requires many compromises. One of the controls that needed much attention was the elevator – as it would be blanked by the high wing and the fully deployed flaps at high angles of attack. Johnson says that instead of an elevator, they selected a stabilator; “because we looked at the STOL aircraft and found that they were running out of maximum up elevator on full stall landings. When you are pulling back on the stick but there is nothing left, you keep August 2022

gunning the engine to get air flow over the top of the elevator. We knew from our experience with the RV-12 that a stabilator has a lot of authority, even at low speeds and high angles of attack. So, we realised that using a stabilator, we could get more authority out of a smaller control surface with a lighter weight and wouldn't have to put it quite so far back, yet still have the controllability even at slow speeds.” New for an RV is that Fowler flaps cover about two-thirds of the wingspan and deploy to a high drag 50 degrees on the prototype. (A C182 has a maximum 30 degrees.) This is the first Van’s design with Fowler flaps, and they’re manually actuated via a long ‘armstrong’ lever on the cockpit roof. Johnson admitted; “We may have too much flap on the RV-15. Right now, we wanted to try some extremes. If you start with the largest flaps you can fit in, you can always go backwards and make them smaller. We started with the aggressive option to learn what we could. For this airplane you'll see that the fuselage is possibly a bit short, so I can always lengthen it. There's nothing like trying to have the stabilator as close to a large flap as possible. If that works, then that's great.”

coefficient, but I also wanted a more docile stall. With this plane we've combined those aerofoil profiles together.”

Landing Gear The RV-15’s landing gear is also unique to the range. They decided to put the gear suspension system inside the fuselage to minimise drag, as they wanted the plane to have a good cruise speed. A consideration was a flat floor from the firewall to the rear of the baggage compartment. That gave them about five inches of space under the front floor. Inside that they packaged four oil/nitrogen shock absorbers. Johnson says, “That means that on the outside of the aircraft we no longer need huge 31-inch Tundra tires with their drag and weight penalty or to have external suspension components that cross with a bungee setup. It's very reliable – and it's also tuneable. The gas struts are nitrogen filled, but if you're in the bush you can use a hand air pump to pump them stiffer or softer. So we have gone with 26-inch wheels which are big enough to get you over the topography and yet we don't have to dodge a drag and weight penalty.”

We s t a r t e d with the aggressive option to learn what we could

The Wing

Similar to other tailwheel RVs, the RV–15 has a fairly flat deck angle of about 10 degrees. That’s for good over-the-nose visibility in the landing attitude and for taxiing. A nosewheel version is planned for later.

The RV-15’s wing profile is unique in that it hasn't been used in any other RV. It also has a larger wingspan than any of the other RVs. It was designed as a 34' wingspan, but with the drooped Hoerner wingtips, it has come out at 35 ft. Johnson says; “We'll bring this span back to 34 ft so it will fit into a standard hangar. I didn't want to have something that would have an aggressive wing drop, especially if you stall it in for a three-point landing. So I wanted a high lift

The tailwheel is different, with a parallelogram to maintain its geometry. “The other thing we have done with the RV-15 is to design a new unique tailwheel, based on a racing car suspension. It's the only tailwheel that has a constant caster angle through its whole range of movement. When most tail wheels drop down, they start to shimmy. By keeping the caster angle constant, we have managed to eliminate the shimmy. And it's designed to be strong enough for us to be

August 2022

Standard engine is the Lycoming 0-390 with a 2-blade constant speed prop.

able to plant the whole plane on the tail wheel – and it will stay planted,” Johnson says. A disappointment for many is that it is just a two-seat cabin, unlike the Sling High Wing’s four place. Johnson says, “We could have 2 + 2 in which case, like an RV-10, the rear cushion would have to be on the floor. We are anticipating the expansion of the Light Sport Aircraft category, which is happening worldwide. When that comes along, I fully expect the RV-15 to become a trainer with a third seat for an observer. We designed the fuselage big enough to handle the real gear that you may want to take to your destination without incurring the weight and drag penalty of putting it in a pod.”

the wheel, so the bike can stand upright. Johnson says, “Van and I spent a lot of time getting in-and-out of aircraft and we realised that this could be a problem. We gave the control stick a curve so it can be pushed forward and you can just slide your legs in behind the stick, rather than having to put them over the top. The seats will also have a slot in them so you can slide the seat all the way forward to make it easy to put a full-sized mountain bike in. We are also designing a baggage door large enough for big guys to be able to get in-and-out.”

with a third seat for an obser ver

The doors are large enough to get in and out of easily – and to be able to get a full-sized bicycle in. They will put a slot in the rear bulkhead for

The Engine There are two different engine options. “We designed the plane around the Lycoming 0-390 as we found that when you offer a plane with a range of engines, people go for the bigger August 2022

option. I like a lightweight airplane so I wanted to allow for a lightweight 180 horsepower option. We'll move the engine further forward enough to run the same baggage as with the 390. “Firewall forward, the 0-390 has the same engine package as the -14. We think we get a little bit more than 210 horsepower from it by using cold induction and having somewhat tuned the exhaust. And we are using a larger throttle body.”

Performance Numbers Johnson says, “We are talking about a 900 pound useful load, and cruise of perhaps a 140 knots with a 400 ft takeoff roll. We know from our flight to Oshkosh that even with quite big tyres we've been able to meet a 140 knot plus cruise. And we can still get more speed as we don't have intersection fairings for this plane yet.”

The tailwheel has a neat parallelogram design for constant caster.

Conclusion When will it be available? Johnson says that they expect 12 to 18 months before the kits become available. They are hoping to have the wing and empennage kits ready by Oshkosh next year. Tellingly, while it is still in development, Vans is not taking deposits or reservations on RV–15 kits.

Vans may have been slow out the starting blocks – but it looks like the RV-15 will keep the much-prized RV handling qualities – and, given the long development time, the design should be well sorted. The design complexities and trade-offs are complex. Vans’ are going for a blend of reasonable short field performance and cross country speed. Whether it will be enough to catch the Rans S-21, or the lower power, but slicker, Sling High Wing, time will tell. Regardless, the hugely loyal RV fan club will ensure that the -15 is a success.

guy@saflyermag.co.za 24

August 2022

SA Flyer 2022|08

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August 2022

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August 2022

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August 2022

PETER GARRISON

A dozen or so years ago, after the trend toward very powerful and fast turbocharged singles had begun, competition between the Lancair Columbia and the Mooney Bravo shed a fleeting light upon some odd quirks in the rules under which such aeroplanes were certificated. THE COLUMBIA, YOU WILL RECALL, was a descendant of the kit-built Lancair 4 homebuilt; Lancair later changed its name to Columbia, and then sold the design to Cessna, which produced it until 2018 as the Cessna Columbia 400 and, later, TTx. The Mooney M20 Bravo became, with various evolutionary changes, the Acclaim and Ovation, and remains in production. Both aeroplanes were powered by big twin-turbo Continentals, and boasted maximum cruising speeds around 220 knots at 25,000 feet.

unfair to such a fast aeroplane; and yet it is precisely the Columbia’s high speed that causes it to be penalised. Except in whatever is meant by “smooth air” – we’ll get to that later – some aeroplanes that have lower normal operating speeds than the Columbia end up being able to cruise faster.

Ma c h . 4 is the arbitrar y cutoff p o i nt

In a 2006 review of the Lancair Columbia in Flying Magazine, the late Richard Collins touched on an odd-seeming speed limitation, to wit, the requirement that its maximum cruising speed – the top of the green arc – diminish by 3.5 knots per thousand feet above 12,000 feet. As a result, some 45 knots have been peeled off its green arc by the time it reaches its maximum cruising altitude of 25,000 feet. This seems

August 2022

The puzzling situation arises from a peculiarity in FAR Part 23, the set of rules – generally excellent – under which the Columbia was certified. Part 23 defines a number of speeds, called "V speeds" because V stands for velocity, as a framework for setting manoeuvring, gust, and other structural and performance requirements. Some of these speeds are quite familiar to pilots – Vne, the never-exceed or redline speed; Vno, the normal operating speed and top of the green arc; Vs, the stall speed; Va, the manoeuvring speed; and so on. One that is less familiar is Vd, the dive speed. It is the speed to which

the aeroplane is flown during certification to demonstrate freedom from flutter. The dive speed serves as a basis for many of the other fundamental speeds; the redline speed, for example, must be at least 90 percent of the dive speed. Other speeds, like Vno, arise from a combination of various criteria including the wing loading, the certification category, and the speed actually attainable at sea level in level flight. Columbia Aircraft selected a high Vd at which to demonstrate freedom from flutter, in order not to have to revisit the costly and dangerous flight test process during later development of the aeroplane. I'm not sure whether they thought about it at the time, but the speed they selected, 262 kias, was above Mach 0.4. That's where the trouble began. It happens that Mach .4 is the arbitrary cutoff point above which compressibility effects need to be taken into account. Why Mach .4? No particular reason, except that Part 23 certifications take place these days under the spiritual guidance of an erstwhile Beech engineer named Hal McMaster, who wrote a computer program – originally in BASIC, if that gives the geeks out there some idea of how far back this stuff goes – that does all of the calculations for you. The

Mach .4 threshold has become customary and accepted by the FAA, and to use a different one a manufacturer would have to demonstrate “equivalent safety,” which would be expensive and time-consuming to do. The term compressibility refers to the way air, an elastic material, behaves when a solid object passes through it. At low speed, the air receives ample advance warning of the impending intruder in the form of rising pressure in the air ahead of it, and easily moves aside. But pressure propagates through air at a fixed speed: the speed of sound. That's why the speed of sound is what it is: Pressure fluctuations, which is what sounds are, naturally move through air at that speed. As an object moves faster and faster, the pressure wave ahead of it outruns the object by less and less, and the air has less and less time to get out of the way. The resulting crowding – compression – of air molecules ahead of the object has various aerodynamic effects. They are rather slight at such low Mach numbers, and don’t really kick in until around .7 Mach, when flow over some parts of the aeroplane may become briefly supersonic. At this point, the aeroplane is said to be in the "transonic" regime. In what must have been a well-intentioned effort to err on the side of caution, the FAA requires that the

The Lancair Columbia - who would have thought that a piston single could be limited by compressibility effects?

August 2022

speed correction for compressibility be applied as if the full panoply of transonic Mach effects were always in play. The absurdity of the end result can be seen by comparing the Columbia and another fast high-altitude cruiser, the Mooney Bravo. The Mooney's redline speed (Vne) is 195 kias, well below Mach .4, and so no correction is applied and its yellow-arc speed (Vno) of 174 kias remains the same up to 25,000 feet. Applying the obligatory Mach correction to the Columbia's 185-knot Vno brings it down to 140 kias at 25,000 feet, even though the Columbia is a utility category aeroplane (4.4 G limit load) while the Mooney is normal category (3.8 G). Stranger still, because Vno is a gust-based speed while Va, the manoeuvring speed, is not, Va is unaffected by the Mach decrement, and so it remains at 152 kias up to 25,000 feet. Thus, the Columbia, which is the nominally stronger and objectively faster aeroplane, must fly more slowly than the Bravo at high altitude in choppy air, but the Columbia's pilot is allowed to make extreme and abrupt control deflections at a much higher speed.

The speed limitation, in addition to being artificial and illogical, is unenforceable, and it does not require much acquaintance with human nature to surmise that it has deterred few Columbia pilots from flying their aeroplanes at any speed they like. While they're at it, they can pass their time meditating upon the meaning of the yellow arc. The yellow arc represents a range of speeds at which an encounter with a very powerful and abrupt gust – a gust in the "extreme turbulence" category – could break or damage the airframe. As a concession to practicality, the force of this hypothetical gust is allowed to be lower at Vne than at Vno, presumably in recognition of the fact that most pilots have brains. The assumed vertical velocity of the gust is 50 fps at Vno and 25 fps at Vne, and the gust is assumed to have an extremely rapid onset – a fraction of a second from nothing to full force. This kind of encounter is very rare and, as pilots know, seldom if ever occurs without advance warning from an increasingly turbulent environment.

Co l u m b i a air craft ar e s o f a s t t h a t Ma c h effects ..

The Cessna TTX does not suffer the same legal speed limitation.

August 2022

The connection between gusts and Mach number is that compressibility increases the so-called "lift curve slope" of the wing, that is, the rate at which lift increases with increasing angle of attack. In other words, compressibility makes the effects of a gust more severe. At Mach .4, however this effect is very slight – not nearly enough to warrant the speed restrictions that Part 23 puts on the Columbia. In 2007, Columbia was working with the FAA to explore ways to apply a Mach restriction more progressively. In the meantime, wrote engineering VP Tom Bowen, it would remain "somewhat of a boasting point that Columbia aircraft are so fast that Mach effects had to be compensated in order to certify the aircraft." While we're on this topic, a point worth noting, though it has no particular relevance to the Columbia speed restriction question, is that manoeuvring speed and gust penetration

Landline: 011 614 2471 Mr. Gomes: 082 412 6669 Carla: 083 602 5658

speed are unrelated. The manoeuvring speed, Va, is the speed at which sudden large control deflections – the rudder may be the exception – supposedly cannot break the aeroplane. It is the speed at which the maximum load factor the wing can produce without stalling is equal to the design load factor, 3.8G in the case of normal category aeroplanes. The gust speed, the top of the green arc, is the speed at which an encounter with the FAA's arbitrarily defined monster gust will produce the design limit load factor. The hole in the reasoning here is that while at the top of the green arc the aeroplane can withstand the maximum gust, at the bottom of the yellow – a knot faster – it is restricted to flying in "smooth air." It is left to pilots to define "smooth" in such a way as to smooth out this logical bump. j

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August 2022

HELICOPTER OPS: GEORGE TONKING

“Money lost - nothing lost; health lost - little lost; spirit lost - everything lost.” - Igor Sikorsky The key to a long career in any chosen profession is to never fall out of love with the work you do. Because, as the quote attributed to the father of the helicopter, Igor Sikorsky, intimates, if you lose your spirit, you lose everything. Evangelist Billy Graham took the quote a step further, saying he believed the loss of character was the greatest loss a person could experience. IN MY CAREER AS A HELICOPTER PILOT, being in a high-pressure industry, I have had a few key moments where I’ve had to deal with both potential losses. To succeed, I had to fail. A lot. And those failures could quite easily have pushed me towards a different vocation, or simply into the foetal position, sobbing under my winter duvet.

The early days of flying security at Protea Coin in South Africa come to mind. Not only was I severely under-experienced, but so was the industry.

Both fraternities were in their developmental adolescence and required constant adaption. Having purchased a helicopter, Protea Coin had virtually 24-hour access to an aerial vehicle. Which meant the newly-minted security pilot, aka George Tonking, also needed to be available 24 hours a day. Both my employer and I soon learned, however, that humans and machines have limitations. I was away from home a lot, which is fine for a bachelor, but was not helpful for me, with a young family. Instead of becoming just another burned-out pilot, I sought other options.

“Buy a helicopter, get a pilot and voila, we have an airwing,” thought my boss, Waal. “I quickly learned, though, that the security industry and flight safety were the proverbial “oil and water.”

At the time, I was also flying only the Robinson R44 and it took what felt like an eternity to transition onto larger types, like the Airbus Squirrel. Partly, the reason was because of my

August 2022

The joys of security flying OR Tambo.

predecessor who, after graciously being given the time and opportunity to earn his expensive Squirrel rating, had promptly found other employment in the lucrative contract market. Waal was more than upset and was obviously loath to help me up-rate. My dreams hence took a little longer to realise. So, one thing I learned was not to take offence, but also the value of honouring your employers when they invest in you as a pilot. In hindsight, the timing of my development as a pilot all worked out pretty well anyway, as do most things in hindsight.

On one day recently, my little Robbie was tasked with what she does best: aerial observation. I found myself over the resort town (as I always jokingly call it) of Rayton, a small farming community to the NE of Pretoria, when a call came through about a cell tower base station under attack by thieves, who target these structures to steal UPS batteries. It’s a fairly normal situation in South Africa these days.

a low l o w -l e v e l approach to surpris e the bandits

Another spirit-killer is tedium. And as I have mentioned several times before, flying can become pretty monotonous. I’ve learned to look forward to the spectacular yet irregular brief moments to breathe fresh life into my routine flying days.

I punched the coordinates into the mapping software on board my fire-engine red racer, R44. Cell tower burglaries take around four minutes to execute. And what would you know? I was four minutes away. Realising I had a chance to apprehend the gang, I pushed the pedal to the metal and quickly lined the nose up onto the batwings, indicating the target. In no time, I approached the tower – one of those fairly large base stations with the huge red and white antennae characteristic of the rural Pyramid area. August 2022

Developing air support tactics in the vast mining sector in SA.

Bidvest Protea Coin Airwing operations.

August 2022

“Easy one,” I sniggered while keeping the approach low-level to surprise the would-be bandits. Apparently, we were dealing with an expert crew – the base station door was ajar and there was no sign of them. I gained some altitude and scanned the surrounding area in disappointment, the only movement a Toyota bakkie, meandering innocently down the road. “Hmmm,” I thought, my Spidey senses tingling.

Like most of us at the start of new careers, I didn’t know where helicopter flying would take me. I just thought it was an answer to prayer, being offered a position as a helicopter pilot in my home town of Centurion. But the above-mentioned events became a watershed moment for me, personally, as I managed to log my 5,000th hour on the Robinson R44 Type while searching for stolen UPS batteries. That’s a fair amount of time on the old Briggs & Stratton. And the way I got to celebrate was with a spiritbuilding win! I remain ever grateful to those employers who created opportunities for me. And when I failed, they never gave up on me, further helping develop more all-important character.

m y 5, 0 0 0 t h hour on the Ro b i n s o n R4 4

With little hesitation, I banked into a hard-left descending turn to take a closer gander. No sooner was I overhead, than the vehicle sped up and veered onto a rural dust road. “Game on, baby!” After a fairly short attempt to flee, the looters gave up, as ground teams closed in. On inspection, six UPS batteries were found in the back of the (stolen, it turns out) bakkie.

Thus far, I think it’s paid off for both of us.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH Mark Visser - SAA

QOM

Mark Visser is a former long-time employee of SAA. He writes:

“The other day I delivered a machine to Global Airways. I saw a lot of ex-SAA engineers and pilots there. It seemed like an SAA old age home.”

August 2022

PLANE TALK - JIM DAVIS

SOME PUPES ARE JUST DIFFERENT In the olden days, before Pontius was a pupil Pilate, if you wanted to fly, you either joined the Air Force or you went to your flying club at weekends. There wasn’t a school in South Africa where you could book in for a fulltime livein course. SO WHEN I STARTED OFFERING these courses in George in September 1977, I had no idea what I was doing. I also had no idea what it would be like to have demanding strangers invading every waking moment of every day. It wasn’t just a matter of being crammed up next to these people in an uncomfortable, noisy and potentially lethal cockpit. I had to give the impression that I liked them while trying to teach them not to kill us both.

It sounds pretty horrific doesn’t it? But strangely it was mostly fun. They were generally young, enthusiastic, fun people to have around. And the ones that weren’t – well it wasn’t for ever, August 2022

The thing was that I never knew who I was getting until they arrived. This was before the days of the internet. No cell phones, emails, SMSs or WhatsApps. We relied on the post office who were ploddingly reliable, if not speedy. I seldom even spoke to potential pupes before they arrived. A trunk-call was an expensive and irksome business. So I often had no idea what sort of human creature was going to infest my life until they pitched on our doorstep and started making demands.

‘ What ’s wr ong w it h t his bloody air craft ?’

And there was no respite on the ground. While I was not lecturing or briefing I would be arranging meals, laundry, transport, entertainment and accommodation for them, and their sometimes whingeing, families.

and at least they were helping to pay off my aeroplanes.

Darius Guppy To give you an example, a guy named Darius Guppy arrived one day to start his PPL training. You can Google him now and find out who his

August 2022

The Oudtshoorn pub was across the Swartberg Range from Marnie’s home in the Prince Albert church.

grandmother was, and discover whether he was named after a fish, or was the fish given his family name? He moved in Lady Di circles and was an Oxford buddy of Boris’s. But at the time we knew none of that and had no idea what to expect. Now, there was a long straight road leading up to my little flying school, so we could observe visitors from afar. The first indication I had of the arrival of the guy with the fishy name was when

August 2022

Vincent Glen, a red-headed purveyor of ice cream from the back of his VW Combi, told me he had spotted an approaching tramp. We all went out to view this distant figure. It was on foot and it had a slightly stumbling or wandering gait as if it was having trouble maintaining heading. As it swayed towards us we were gradually able to make out more detail. It was wearing a top

hat and tails, but no shoes. It’s garb was such that one might imagine it had spent the night repairing the gearbox on a Leyland diesel truck. I later learned that this was unlikely – his grip on mechanical matters was so tenuous that his chances of ever becoming a safe pilot were slightly less than zero. A couple of days later he drove my Veedub Beetle into a ditch because ‘the engine was broken.’ No, it didn’t make sense to me either. Vince, the red-headed ice-cream man, was pretty sharp, and he had a good understanding of machinery. He suggested the vehicle might have run out of petrol. But Darius explained that this was not possible because it had been running fine until the engine stopped.

According to locals, he now takes a gun to church when he attends weekly comunion near his R30 million home in the Cape Town suburb of Constantia. So I think, all things considered, his personality was perhaps not well suited to flying.

Mick Mills Mick was another Pommie, but from the other end of the social scale to Lord Elpus. He was a grubby little Cockney with a wonderful sense of humour and a gift for telling a story – every inch a salesman down to his toenails. He was an extremely likeable human being.

Did I r eall y want Lor d Elpus?

Did I really want Lord Elpus, which is what we called him, to progress to the stage where he might fly one of my aeroplanes solo? Hmmmm perhaps not. It didn’t take us long to realize that his talents might be put to better use elsewhere and I had to advise him to toddle along.

He also fell into the category of being ‘a bit different’, and, like Lord Elpus, made this clear within minutes of his arrival. He asked if he could pay for his course in advance and I naturally agreed. He then opened a small suitcase full of folding money – like in the gangster movies – and started dumping piles of the stuff on my desk.

Toddle indeed he did to pursue an interesting life. Mr Google tells us that in 1993, he was bunged in chookie for staging a faked jewel robbery and claiming £1.8 million from Lloyds. In the same year he also pleaded guilty to illegal VAT claims on gold bullion which was later smuggled into India.

It would be rude to blurt out that I was thinking; ‘Where the fark did you get that?’ So I left it an hour or so before tactfully asking what he did for a living. He claimed to be a solar heating salesman, but that got me no closer to understanding how it added up to a suitcase full of money.

It also seems he is no stranger to violence – it’s alleged he tried to drag Boris Johnson into a plot to administer a bit of GBH to an ’impertinent journalist’ and give him ‘a couple of black eyes and a cracked rib’. And that he once beat up Princess Di’s brother – Earl Spencer.

Mick was a bit of a wild bugger. He got hopelessly drunk one night, bashed the pupe-car, my Audi, into a tree, and somehow managed to stagger home to the pupe-house. However getting into the house proved more than he could handle so he settled down for the night in a ditch while cuddling, for warmth, a August 2022

stray pooch who happened to be patrolling the area. “I love that dawg, like a bruvver,” was Mick’s summary of the event. Perhaps strangely, he turned out to be a pretty decent pilot and we all liked the guy. But there was another side to Mick that we didn’t notice until he left. He spent the last week of his course living not in the pupe-house with the loving dawg, but in a pretty posh hotel on the other side of town – I don’t remember why he moved, but no matter. On his last night he invited us all – perhaps a dozen staff and pupes – to a grand farewell dinner, at which bonhomie and bubbly flowed in equal quantities. It was not until the wee hours that we all wished him au revoir, and bon voyage, before staggering home. No one felt bad about Mick paying for everything – those who hadn’t actually seen his suitcase full of money, had at least heard about it.

One evening, after dinner about a year later, I got a mysterious phone call – I say mysterious because the voice, although vaguely familiar, had a strange muffled quality, and the caller was reluctant to give his name ‘in case anyone was listening.’ I gathered that it was Mick and that he was in dire, maybe even life threatening trouble. I think he was in Rhodesia. He desperately needed somewhere to ‘lie low for a while’. Like our attic bedroom, for instance. I consulted my wife Penny, and she felt that, all things being considered she and I and our two kids would generally lead a more harmonious and trouble free life without a smelly cockney criminal concealed in the roof, for an indefinite period of time.

a gr ubby litt le Cock ney

And we thought that was the end of Mick, but it wasn’t quite. About a month later I received a bill in the post for a staggering amount of money. It was from Mick’s hotel, and it hoped I would like to pay for a week’s accom, plus the party. I declined on the grounds their agreement with young Mick Mills was really their agreement. Incidentally for any readers short of cash I should point out that bilking is a not a good idea. It’s a criminal offense – not a civil one. A fact that may have contributed to our next contact with him.

August 2022

I was unable to gather why the authorities were after him, but he confirmed that he had been held, against his will, in John Vorster Square, a notorious police establishment where political prisoners, in particular, had a reputation for defenestrating themselves rather than facing their accusers. Unbelievably Mick had escaped from this establishment by using the classic method – a hacksaw blade in a choccy cake followed by knotted sheets to lower himself to the ground. And that really was the end of Mick. Well so far.

Dr Marnie Coetzee Marnie was my next candidate for the ‘just different’ award. Strictly speaking he wasn’t really my pupe in the usual sense, he just came to me for a conversion on my Tiger Moth, and maybe one or two license renewal tests.

He was another lovable guy, but different enough that I would hesitate to recommend him as the sort of pilot you would call upon were you in need of aerial transportation – even if your need was fairly great. I will explain shortly. Marnie was one of these characters with a misty sort of past. His exploits are related by people with turned up collars who keep glancing over their shoulders. He was a hell of a likeable guy, but definitely off-centre. He lived in a church he had bought in the quaint little Karoo town of Prince Albert. This is about 60 nm inland and you have to cross two pretty imposing mountain ranges to get there – the Outeniqua and the Swartburg. In between these ranges is Oudtshoorn – a farming centre with a flying club known for its hearty support of the pub.

The Tiger Moth's turn and slip indicator has no ball.

Sorry about the geography lesson but it’s relevant to Marnie’s subsequent aviation activities. Anyhow he phoned to say he wanted me to give him a conversion on my Tiger. It seemed he had just bought one and while he was waiting for delivery he felt he should learn how to fly one. This was not your normal weekend pilot. I gathered Marnie had been bunged out of the SAAF for crashing one of their Harvards, and losing a leg in the process. Some say two legs – making him a Douglas Bader of sorts. And he had that limping, leg-swinging swagger which lent credence to the DB image.

He assured me that he was no stranger to tailwheels, and adding the Tiger to his license was more of a formality than a training exercise. Oh, and he naturally wanted to brush up his aerobatics, while he was about it. Now, we instructors are a good natured, but sensitive, bunch. Our biggest tail-wagging treat is for someone to say ‘Thank you – I have really learned something today.’ That’s not a big ask is it? What we really don’t like is to have our efforts demeaned – particularly before we even climb into the aeroplane. So telling me how good he was, before flying, didn’t really sit comfortably with me.

August 2022

A little questioning revealed that the only aerobatics and tailwheel flying he had ever done had been in a Harvard. His missing limb didn’t really point to great expertise in these areas. Now a Harvard has a constant-speed prop, which makes aerobatics a lot simpler – you don’t need to keep watching the revs to make sure they remain within limits while stuffing the nose down to gain speed – or pulling out of a vertical dive. I told Marnie that if we got to the stage of doing aerobatics there were two rules – you don’t over-rev my engine, and you don’t tail slide the aircraft. Oh, and there was one more thing that I didn’t tell him because I was sulking. He seemed all-together too cocky, and in need of a little humbling. The Tiger is a rudder aeroplane. If you don’t master the rudder immediately, you will crash immediately. Of course there’s a secret to dealing with the unruly pedals, which I didn’t tell him. I simply mentioned that he might have trouble flying straight and level, which he laughed off with a back slapping, ‘Don’t worry about that old chap.’

I must give it to Marnie – once I had explained all this he very quickly got the hang of things. Next, I had to screech at him through the Gosport for letting the revs run away before entering a loop. And again for running out of speed and tail-sliding during a stall turn. After that I didn’t see Marnie for a while, but the guys at the Oudtshoorn Flying Club, where I did some instructing, told me that he was in the habit of pitching up there on a Friday night, getting, Brahms and Liszt and then flying back over the mountains to Prince Albert in the dead of night. On one occasion, so the story goes, he loaded one of his patients, who needed urgent professional help, into the front seat of his Tiger to bring him to the hospital in George. He phoned ahead and had an ambulance waiting.

This was not your nor mal we e k e nd pilot

I insisted on doing the initial takeoff and getting some altitude before handing over to him. Within 30 seconds he was saying, ‘What’s wrong with this bloody aircraft? The wings won’t stay level.’ I was delighted. ‘Are you battling, Marnie? I’ve got her,’ and with a twitch of aileron and rudder we were back to straight and level. The secret is very simple – whichever side of your face the wind blows on – you need that rudder. It’s no use looking for a ball – there isn’t one. The turn and slip has two needles. The bottom one is the turn needle and the top one replaces the ball.

August 2022

As so often happens the weather was fine in the Karoo, and indeed in the Little Karoo as he flew over Oudtshoorn, but a layer of low cloud covered George. Marnie circled above it and eventually spotted a hole leading directly down to the runway. How he managed to stuff up the landing is not recorded, but when the ambulance crew pulled the two of them out of the wreckage, they found Marnie’s leg twisted round behind him at an impossible angle. So they dumped him in the vehicle and would have left the genuine patient had Marnie not kicked up a fuss. Pupes are like women – they can be bloody painful, but you can’t help loving them. j

August 2022

– NOW A MATURE TECHNOLOGY

DIESELS

FLIGHT REVIEW: CONTINENTAL CD-100 JET-A DIESEL CESSNA 172

August 2022

JET-A

As Avgas prices head for R40/ litre the need for an alternative to Avgas powered planes becomes ever more pressing. The good news is that, for the past 16 years, Jet-A diesel piston engine technology has been quietly maturing. It has now become a well-developed aero engine that is a serious contender to compete in the piston market.

Continental's CD-100 Jet-A diesel has matured into a reliable and cost-effective alternative for the Cessna 172.

August 2022

MOST C172S ARE POWERED by the clunky and antiquated Avgas burning Lycoming 0-320, or the even older six-cylinder Continental 0-300. The question this flight test asks is whether the Jet-A burning 155hp Continental CD-100 powered Cessna 172 is a real alternative.

Mogas Power?

Despite a much hoped for revolution in training aircraft and a reduction in costs as schools embraced Mogas-burning trainers such as the Sling 2, (which will run on car petrol; so-called Mogas), there has also been a huge shift back to legacy Cessna C172s. The demand has been so great that nowadays you can hardly find a clapped-out 60-year-old C172 for less than R1 million.

a s e r ious conte nde r in t he pis ton mar k et

The threat to Avgas supplies has been around for twenty years. A major step towards freeing the General Aviation industry from Avgas happened in 2006 when an enlightened SACAA allowed South African flight schools to train on nontype certified aircraft. However, Mogas is prone to vaporisation and many piston singles, particularly low winged types, proved unsuitable for a Mogas STC.

At the time SA Flyer noted that; “Non-ACSA airfields, managed by property speculators rather than intrinsic service providers, have shown little enthusiasm in encouraging aviation by installing Mogas pumping facilities. However, the provision for supplying Jet A1, the motive fuel upon which our entire global transport infrastructure exists is an entirely different matter. Big jets mean big hangars and big maintenance facilities and big volumes of fuel = big profits.

The Continental Jet-A diesel fits into the Cessna's standard cowl with minimum modification.

August 2022

The STC modification includes a composite MT 3-blade constant speed propellor.

August 2022

With problems with both the availability and quality of Mogas, running a piston engine on Jet A1 is a logical alternative, but it was a solution which was surprisingly slow to develop.

A large silencer makes the Jet-A C172 a very welcome neighbour.

In the early 2000s, German engine builder Thielert emerged as a major force in the production of Jet-A diesels when they developed their Thielert 135 for the C172 and smaller Piper Cherokees. The first Thielert-engined 172 arrived in South Africa as far back as 2006. That 172, ZS-PRZ, was a 1979 172N model which was eventually acquired by local aircraft owner Milenko Krsmanovic. Fast forward 16 years and Milenko was proudly displaying not one but two Jet-A diesel powered C172s at the Aero Expo at Wonderboom. He was keen to show us what the improved 155hp Continental CD-100 Jet-A diesel C172 could do.

The STC Conversion The first C172s converted in South Africa had the 135hp Centurion 1.7 Thielert firewall-forward modification. This includes changes to the fuel tanks, a new MT three-blade composite propeller and modifications to the instrument panel, throttle quadrant and fuel selector. Unfortunately the small Thielert 1.7 hit early growth pains. Most notably, the prop speed reduction gearbox proved an expensive weak point and was mandated for a change every 300 hours. There were also problems with cooling – particularly in the hot and high highveld flight school operational environment.

August 2022

The Thielert aircraft Engines GmbH company collapsed in 2008 and AVIC International eventually acquired the assets of Thielert in July 2013. AVIC International had acquired Continental in 2011 and so both companies became sister companies. But happily, the development of the Jet-A diesels continued in the background and the CD (for Continental Diesel) range of engines are now well-proven, reliable – and finally, as we shall see, a compelling financial proposition – especially for high utilisation applications such as flight schools. Compared to the traditional ‘classic’ engines, there are some idiosyncrasies in the operation of FADEC Jet-A diesel aircraft engines. Notably,

One of the few external differences is this duct for engine induction air.

a problem that causes the FADEC to record an exceedance disables the engine after shutdown. These may be slight, as Milenko discovered after one flight. A heavy sideslip led to a momentary break in fuel flow to the engine management system – caused by yawing unporting the fuel-feed pipe and a small air bubble entering the fuel system. The FADEC denied an engine start on the following flight. Fixing it required connecting a laptop to the unit’s data port and emailing the data file back to the factory. The company’s engineers diagnosed the exceedance and by return email sent back a re-set code.

many improvements have been introduced to the engines The CD-135 and 155 engines’ life limit has been extended to 2,100 Hours. Once the engine’s life limit has been reached, it is not overhauled but replaced with a new engine.

r unning a pis ton e ngine on Jet A1 is a logical alte r native

The key cost of operating the CD-100 JetA1 diesel is maintenance and in particular, the engine overhaul. Since Continental took over

A Life Extension Program (LEP) has set key components such as the gearbox to a 1,200 hour overhaul or replacement. A key development has been the introduction of a dual mass clutch to the new gearbox. To reduce strain of engine start, a start monitoring loom has been added.

Continental now have more than 2,000 Jet-A diesel engines in operation, reporting upwards of 9 million hours of operations. Their website says that all Continental Jet-A diesels are certified by FAA,

August 2022

A C172 which takes JetA runs a risk of mis-fueling so stickers and a modified fuel port are important safeguards.

EASA and a further 78 countries. The engines are particularly favoured by flight schools and specified by major OEMs, including Tecnam, Cessna, Diamond and Piper. Both the CD-135 and the CD-155 engines are available as a complete retrofit kit. These kits include the engine, the engine mount, the propeller, dual redundant FADECs, all wiring harnesses, electronics, instrument panel gauges, accessories and parts required to install a Jet-A engine.

The Modern CD-155

August 2022

The Jet-A diesel has three clear advantages – it has a constant speed prop, is turbocharged and has the bulldozer torque of a diesel engine further increased by having been geared. Yet the only evident external difference to a standard C172 is the three-bladed MT propellor. A closer look reveals a large silencer – which keeps flight school neighbours happy, and an additional small duct on the right side of the cowl for engine induction air.

This may dis may t radit ionalis t f light ins t r uc tor s

To find out just how far the CD range of Jet-A diesels has come, we checked out a Cessna C172, ZS-SFT, fitted with a 155hp version of the Continental CD Jet-A diesel. Although most Avgas burning C172s now use either a 160hp or 180 hp Lycoming four pot banger, I expected

the performance of the low powered Jet-A diesel version to knock the avgas burner out the ring.

Flying the CD-155 Cessna 172 There are almost no external clues to the serious engineering work beneath the cowl. Unlike other attempts to drop in a Jet-A diesel engine such as the SMA engine into the

Cessna 182, the CD-100 series Continental has managed to retain the 172’s nose profile without substantial re-shaping, bulges and air ducts. The cockpit is little changed except for one obvious difference - a single throttle lever that replaces the traditional carb heat, mixture and throttle verniers – and for the few ‘classic’ constant speed C172s, the prop pitch control. A closer look shows important additions to the lower panel, including new switches for ignition, battery and fuel pump. Above these are a pair of LED gauges providing engine speed data, temperature and pressure information and a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) master panel. The Continental CD’s single FADEC with dual circuit boards is the heart of the engine’s control system. Like common rail diesel cars, this makes the plane entirely dependent on electrical power to keep the engine running. A failure of

the alternator therefore leads to a standstill of the engine if the battery is discharged. The main battery is the first redundancy in case of alternator failure and ensures the continued operation of the engine for up to 2 hours, depending on other electrical consumers. As an additional redundancy, a FADEC back-up battery is installed to ensure engine operation for a further 30 minutes - time wisely spent looking for somewhere to land. There is a separate master switch which allows the pilot to quickly shed load in the event of an electrical problem in the air. A great FADEC advantage is its ability to control fuel flow and rpm, the unit taking care of propeller pitch. Being an ignition-compression engine (ICE), fuel needs to be fed into the system under pressure rather than via the Cessna usual high wing gravity-feed – hence the auxiliary fuel pump, which is used for takeoff and landing.

Panel will be familiar to C172 drivers - yet with a few key differences.

August 2022

For the engine start; with the master, battery and alternator switches on, a button is pressed on the master control panel to switch on the preheaters. As soon as the orange pre-heat light goes out, the starter key can be turned. The engine fires up smoothly, without the gearbox clatter of a Rotax. Like a modern car, there is remarkably little fuss with the start process and the engine quickly settles down to a smooth hum at idle. Pressing the ‘CED’ button tests the two engine gauges, sending a ripple of lights across the right-hand gauge to establish the health of the various temperature and pressure probes. Special attention is given to the ammeter to check for a positive charge. Then it’s back to normal Cessna 172 SOPs flight controls, flaps, instruments, avionics and other pre-taxi items. Thanks to its liquid cooling it only takes a

The Jet-A 172 has a full FADEC system that automates many pilot actions.

August 2022

couple of minutes for the engine to warm up prior to completing the unique pre-takeoff vital actions. With the oil temperature at +50C and the coolant at +60C, the throttle is set at idle and the FADEC test button is depressed and held. The engine runs through its run-up checks automatically. It takes a while to get used to the uncommanded engine power increase and then decrease twice and the propeller being cycled twice as the FADEC tests both systems. This may dismay traditionalist flight instructors, but others will find it a happy glimpse into the future of powerplant convenience and a welcome move away from ancient engine technology. Cessna 172 pilots don’t expect head snapping acceleration and in the Continental 172’s case, 155 horsepower might be interpreted as a step backwards in performance expectations. However, the Continental CD-100 engine is

turbocharged has great torque and a constant speed prop, so even the 135hp version produces more static thrust at 2300rpm than a 160hp Lycoming from a standing start. Once airborne, thanks to its constant speed prop, even at sea level the 155hp Continental 172 has a vastly improved climb rate over a normally aspirated 160hp 172. By 6000 feet classic 172’s Lycoming O-320 is already gasping and producing just 128hp, whilst the Jet-A diesel produces its 155hp all the way to 9000 ft. This means far better runway and climb performance at Highveld circuit altitudes.

Standard fuel tanks provide a wonderful 7-hour plus endurance.

Climbing at 75 KIAS two-up with half fuel you can expect a healthy 700 fpm, which is great for a humble C172. And the turbo and constant speed prop benefits cruise speed as well, with the Jet-A diesel 172 pulling away in the cruise at the 8,000 – 10,000 feet most inland cross-country flights are flown at. In cruise, the Jet-A diesel 172 is surprisingly quiet and smooth. Being a turbocharged aircraft, speed improves significantly with height. Milenko reports that 110 -115 knot cruise speeds are realistic at FL75 and above.

hassle of having to refuel at every stop on a long cross country is always a pleasure. In all other respects this is a standard Cessna C172 with all the stability, good manners and viceless handling that has made the C172 the world’s best-selling aircraft.

2, 000 Jet -A dies e l e ngines w it h mor e t han 9 million hour s

Range is a big plus ZS-SFT has 52 US gallon tanks. Burning just 5.5 gallons an hour gives a bladder busting 8.5 hours endurance at 100 KTAS – for a 900 nm range. Not having the

C172s are great teachers. They are easy to land with a classic flare and nose-high holdoff attitude. There is perceptible nose heaviness with the Jet-A diesel version which seems to require somewhat more aftstick during the holdoff – but the aircraft feels otherwise identical to a standard model during all phases of flight. As an aside, for flight schools, this nose heaviness is good preparation for an upgrade to the notoriously nose heavy C182 and C206. August 2022

Costs

Single lever power quadrant controls power and pitch - and there is no carb heat.

The full firewall-forward conversion costs U$70,000. It may seem a lot, and risks over capitalising an old C172 but, in a flight school it soon pays off. Milenko is always happy to show with some quick mental arithmetic The TBO on the Continental Jet-A diesel is 2,100 hours. If it burns 20 litres/hour of Jet-A which costs R25 / litre it will have used R1.05m worth of fuel in that 2,100 hours. In comparison, a classic C172 with an 0-320 with a 2,000 hour TBO burns around 30 litres/hour of Avgas. At an average cost of R35/ litre = R2.1m which is exactly double the fuel cost of the Jet-A diesel – and is more than enough to pay for a brandnew Jet-A diesel engine at TBO. So you get a brand-new engine, and not some questionably overhauled and reassembled 2000 hour parts At today’s exchange rate, the fuel saving alone will probably pay for the conversion over the 2,100 hour TBO – less than three years’ flying for a busy flight school 172. For private owners looking for a cross country machine, at a high 80-percent cruise power, the 155hp Continental burns around 24 litres, or seven US gallons, an hour, which is some 25-percent less than a standard 172. With the cost of jet fuel typically 33-percent less than avgas, the Continental 172 effectively slashes two thirds off the fuel cost. The key return on investment comes from the lower fuel burn and the cheaper fuel – and of course Jet-A is far more readily available, especially in remote parts of Africa, than Avgas. All in all, there is a lot to recommend the Continental CD-100 diesel powered Cessna 172. j SkyTime Contact: Safair Campus, Northern Perimeter Rd, Bonaero Park, Kempton Park 1619, Johannesburg, South Africa. Phone +27 10 003 3747 Email info@sky-time.co.za

August 2022

Unusual for a C172, the Jet-A 172 has rudder trim.

ABOVE: The engine is inclined more than 45 degrees to fit the horizontally-opposed Lycoming's cowl. Image - Bruce Perkins. BELOW: The neat engine installation with cooling ducts installed. Image - Bruce Perkins.

August 2022

ABOVE: The 155-hp engine has simplified cooling ducts. Image - Bruce Perkins. BELOW: The 155-hp engine maintains full power all the way to 9000 ft. Image - Bruce Perkins.

August 2022

Specifications and Performance Continental CD-100 Cessna C172 SPECIFICATIONS Seats Length Wingspan Height Wing area Aspect ratio Airfoil Empty weight Gross weight Fuel capacity Powerplant Propeller Cruise speed Stall speed Vne Range Service ceiling Rate of climb Wing loading

4 27 ft 2 in (8.28 m) 36 ft 1 in (11.00 m) 8 ft 11 in 174 sq ft 7.32 Modified NACA 2412 1,691 lb 2,450 lb 52 US gallons 1 × Continental CD-100, 155 hp 3-blade composite constant speed

PERFORMANCE

115 KTAS 47 KIAS (power off, flaps down) 163 KIAS] 750 nm @75% @ FL100 19,500 ft 750 ft/min 14.1 lb/sq ft

August 2022

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August 2022

JIM DAVIS

VA L HUM P HR E Y ’ S

P 2 10 CR A S H

•

This discussion is to promote safety and not to establish liability.

•

The CAA’s report contains padding and repetition, so in the interest of clarity, I have paraphrased extensively.

CAA REPORT: SYNOPSIS On 7 February 2002 at 0526Z the aircraft departed from Lanseria Airport for a flight to Vereenging in order to uplift two passengers (one of whom was a prospective buyer). After collecting the two passengers, the aircraft departed for Pietersburg and landed there at 1042Z. About four hours later, at 1438Z, the aircraft departed from Pietersburg (now Polokwane) for the return flight to Vereeniging. About 23 minutes after take-off, while 26nm outbound,

August 2022

Aircraft registration: ZS-MXR Date and time of accident: 7 Feb 2002. 1615Z Type of aircraft: Cessna P210N Type of operation: Demonstration flight PIC license type: ATP License valid: Yes PIC age: 64 PIC total hours: 22 680 PIC hours on type 1 793 Last point of departure: Pietersburg (now Polokwane) Next point of intended landing: Vereeniging Location of accident site: 9.4 nm north of Vereeniging Meteorological information: Thunderstorms, strong winds and heavy rain POB: 1+2 People injured: Nil People killed: 1+2

the pilot requested to return to Pietersburg due to poor weather, which prevented continuing on a VFR flight to Vereeniging. While routing back to Pietersburg and while in discussion with Pietersburg ATC and Lowveld Information, the pilot filed an IFR flight plan for the return flight to Vereeniging with Lanseria as the alternate. The aircraft was given a squawk code of 7417 and was cleared for FL140. At 1553Z the aircraft was approximately 5nm from the Johannesburg TMA at FL120 and was given descent clearance for FL100. The pilot continued with her descent but reported strong up-draughts. The aircraft continued towards Vereeniging and while approximately 10nm

North of Vereeniging aerodrome, the pilot requested to divert to Lanseria due to being in a tremendous storm. The aircraft turned out to the right and the last radar return showed the aircraft heading in a westerly direction at FL083 at a ground speed of 160 Knots. The wreckage of the aircraft was later found in the same area where radar contact was lost. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants on board were fatally injured.

Probable cause: The instrument rated Airline Transport Pilot inadvertently entered a severe storm and in an attempt to turn out of the storm and divert to Lanseria, lost control of the aircraft and collided with the ground. The fact that the weather radar on board the aircraft had been intermittent and the fact that the aircraft might have sustained a lightning strike were regarded as contributory factors to this accident.

The pressurised P210 is a complex high maintenance plane. Image: Sandro Rota - Ecuador Aviation Photography.

JIM’S COMMENTS This was a very sad accident. Everyone knew and admired Val Humphrey. Hell you don’t put in more than twenty two thousand hand-flown hours without becoming well known. She had an ATP, a current instrument rating and nearly 1800 hours on 210s alone. She could hardly have been better qualified. So what went wrong? Let’s look the stuff that was stacked against her. The weather was vile. Summer thunderstorms are notorious for their

violent nature and their tendency to hold hands. There are not many gaps between them. They are worst in the late afternoons, which makes them a single crew charter pilot’s nightmare. You have a lot of traffic to contend with – all the business flights are returning to their bases around Johannesburg and Pretoria. Not only do you have to dodge the worst of the thunderstorms, you have to navigate, operate the radio, plan your descent, and act as hostess to nervous, and sometimes vomiting, passengers. So this is the environment into which Val was August 2022

Vacuum pumps have vanes which are likely to break if turned the wrong way.

The direction of rotation clearly marked.

August 2022

venturing. To make matters worse, her weather radar was intermittent. This may be worse than no radar – it can lead you into trouble and then stop working. With no radar, Val would probably not have ventured into that weather in the first place. Val didn’t plan the flight properly. She set off on the homeward leg flying VFR. She must have done a bit of weather dodging and changing her mind almost immediately because she had only done 26nm after 23 minutes. When she realised the weather was against her she started heading back to Pietersburg. It was an excellent decision, but I believe this is where the trouble started. Like many flying school owners, who don’t make much out of training, Val would occasionally earn commission on aircraft sales – they are the jam. But sales need work – you have to show the customer that the aeroplane is fast and comfortable and safe and carries a decent load and, in this case, has ‘all weather’ ability. Now the pressurised 210 is a bit of an orphan – they were never popular, and never easy to sell – specially in warmer climates like ours. They have no air conditioning and the cabin can become unbearably hot. The pressurisation could take you to over 20 000’, but the aircraft was plagued by reliability problems. Here’s what one owner had to say: Unfortunately, the P210 engine and systems are not up to the task. Even with a Riley intercooler, the engine needs constant attention to avoid

Highveld thunderstorms eat planes and can extend over a huge area.

overheating. The one time I went to FL230, I had the mixture full rich, the cowl flaps open, cabin heat on full and I still had to reduce power. I endured multiple exhaust cracks, alternator failures, starter failures, landing gear problems, spalled lifters causing a major overhaul at 1200 engine hours, a broken door mechanism and multiple vacuum pump failures. The latter is a double blow because losing the primary vacuum pump also takes out the deice boots. Whenever I activated the boots to remove ice, I wondered if the result would be either wings clear of ice or a blown vacuum pump. My conclusion is that the objective flight profile is simply too much to ask of an IO-520 and associated systems of the size and weight that will fit into the 210. August 2022

Val had to keep the customer both happy and impressed with the aeroplane. When you tell a customer that he is going to spend the night in Pietersburg, rather than at home, he will not be happy. And he won’t be impressed with it’s all-weather ability. So while Val was heading back to Pietersburg, the buyer put pressure on her to change her mind again, file an instrument plan and climb over the weather. She knew she would lose the sale if she didn’t do it. So she filed the plan in the air and once more headed for the weather that she had sensibly shied away from a few minutes earlier. She fell into the trap that has killed so many competent pilots – PEOPLE PLEASING PRESSURES.

When people push their luck in bad weather, as Val did, the first thing I ask is why. Why did they deliberately fly into deteriorating weather? It’s nearly always to please, or placate someone. To get them to the rugby, or to a wedding, or to a funeral. Or your family expects you back for your kid’s birthday. Or your boss expects you get the job done. I found a cure for pax pressures some years ago. I was flying my boss, Bert Potgieter, to an important meeting in Bloemfontein, in his brand new ‘all weather’ (in his mind) Twin Comanche. When we got there a weather factory – the grandmother of all thunderstorms was sitting on top of Bloomies like a hen on eggs. I circled it and probed it but there was no way in. Bert was red faced and furious he shouted and threatened and pleaded and begged me to get him there, and eventually fired me on the way home to Kimberley. August 2022

Of course the pressures may not be in the aeroplane – they may be in your head. How about pleasing, or impressing those on the ground with a wonderfully low fly by? Would you really have done it had there been no one else around? And now another hobby horse of mine. Val’s life, and those of her passengers depended on a fragile little vacuum pump to work the gyro instruments and the de-icing boots. A pump which was a known problem on the P210s.

t he buye r put pr es s ur e on he r

This is a hobby-horse of mine. I believe it’s the reason behind the reason in so many accidents – perhaps even the majority of accidents that are not caused by mechanical problems.

While he ranted I mentally turned him into a gigantic tape-recorder in a wooden box strapped to the seat. After that his tirade didn’t worry me in the least. I have dealt with demanding pax that way ever since. It works extremely well.

I don’t believe Val would have lost control if her gyros were all working properly. Just my opinion.

If the vacuum pump has too much work to do, it is likely to break. And the other thing which is likely to break, or weaken it, is turning it backwards. They are designed to be turned in one direction only. Just turning the prop a bit to fit the tow-bar can do it. As can turning the prop backwards for any other reason.

Take home stuff: • • • • •

Pax are just tape-recorders in wooden boxes – don’t listen to them. Don’t mix indecision with crappy weather. Don’t let people pleasing pressures influence safety decisions. Intermittent equipment can be worse than no equipment. Please don’t turn props backwards.

LETTERS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Comair 1

Comair 2

Hi Guy - A well done and well balanced TV interview [on Comair’s grounding] I thought.

It's with both sadness and huge anger that we bid Comair farewell.

You hit the nail on the head when you said one of their big issues was too much vertical expansion, unlike Airlink and FlySafair. I hope Glenn [Orsmond] can turn it around. I have worked with him since 1time days.

Ironically, not only did the local aviation landscape via Public Enterprises over many years deliberately put Comair and other local private airlines at a distinct disadvantage to ensure SAA takes-off, and seemingly with no further safety issues similar to its preCovid grounding, than lo and behold, another potentially lethal safety incident occurs abroad the "NEW" SAA after take-off from Accra airport on 15 April!

This country needs knowledgeable people like you around, and congrats on your Doctorate! Mike Wright

BUMPPPFFF:

But the reason it took a while for it to hit the news is that at that time the media was inundated with a string of potentially dangerous close encounters at Comair. The media focus regarding safety of passengers was squarely on Comair, one of SAA's main competitors. The difference is that no SA taxpayers ever bankrolled Comair, of course, and despite Minister Gordhan's promises about SAA no longer needing our taxes to operate safely, we're not in a position to know that for certain until SAA tables updated financial statements based on its minority shareholding with its new partner, in parliament! Louise Cook

August 2022

Heading north to Luanda.

SLING HIGH WINGS

- Epic Adventure to Oshkosh Text: Guy Leitch • Images: Sling Aircraft

The intrepid entrepreneurs of the Sling Aircraft Factory have done it again. 66

August 2022

THE WORLD HAS BEEN CLAMOURING to see the Sling High Wings, and the obvious place to show them off is at the annual EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh. However, Covid got in the way. Plans to fly the prototype ‘nosedragger’ to Oshkosh in 2021 had to be abandoned at the last minute due to the Covid Delta Variant, which broke out just weeks before departure.

The three aircraft on the epic journey were:

In the intervening year, the factory was busy with a build assist programme to complete two High Wings for the American market – and one is a taildragger. So the perfect opportunity arose to complete and fly – not just one, but three Sling High Wings to Osh.

N915HW – the first Sling High Wing delivered to a customer (in kit form) and assembled by its American owner, Linda Sollars, at the Sling factory in Johannesburg. N915HW was piloted by Linda and Mike Blyth;

ZU-SHW – the factory ‘Development Prototype’ Sling High Wing, piloted by James Pitman and his friend, Matt Cohen. The aircraft was modified to allow for hands-only flying as Matt had lost the use of his legs in a motorcycle accident some years ago;

The race agains t time was now on

The two American aircraft featured N-Registrations and proved the principle that from the FAA perspective, you can build an N-Reg experimental plane in Johannesburg and fly it back to the USA upon completion. The aircraft had to meet all of the US requirements - which included having a US Designated Airworthiness Representative inspect the plane prior to first flight.

N669JP – the first Sling High Wing Taildragger kit delivered to a customer, assembled by its owner, JP “The Candourist” Schulze, also at the Sling factory in Johannesburg, and piloted by JP and his Australian cameraman mate, William. Matt Cohen is a recent PPL; Linda Sollars is an ATP who flies Airbus A320s for Jet Blue, and JP Schulze is a veteran of many long, hard flying and camping journeys, including a global circumnavigation in a Cessna 210 (see “Beyond Borders” on Discovery Plus or Amazon Prime.

Last minute goodbyes at Tedderfield.

August 2022

The Planning The hoped-for departure date had been Sunday 10 July 2022. This would have given the three intrepid crews plenty of time to enjoy the journey. But the inevitable hassles and delays pushed the eventual start date out by a week – to Sunday 17 July. The race against time was now on for them to get to AirVenture before the show ended on Sunday 30 July. Although James Pitman and Mike Blyth are old hands at these ultra-long flights – including a number of Around-the-World (ATW) expeditions – they decided that they wanted to minimise risk and fly shorter legs – and only in daylight.

The route choice and timing considered: weather, distance, speed, convenience – and of course, pilot pleasure. After much debate, the final route chosen was: Johannesburg – Luanda (Angola) – Accra (Ghana) – Praia (Cape Verde) – Seawell (Barbados) – Nassau (Bahamas) – Fort Lauderdale (Florida, USA) – Oshkosh (Wisconsin, USA) (see table). It was agreed that the three planes would fly the journey in a loose formation of three. Speaking from experience, retired airline pilot Chalkie Stobbart, advised, “On our 2003 flight to KOSH, we all agreed that if one pilot said he was unhappy to depart, then nobody departed. No pressure, no loss of face, no repercussions.” The route - as it was planned!

The route plan - as at 25 July.

August 2022

Reflecting the large cabin size of the High Wings. For safety, and for the vicarious pleasure of those watching with bated breath back home, each plane was equipped with an IndigoDUO Hybrid Satellite Tracking and Messaging Device. This enabled live tracking. Also, each pilot carried a Garmin InReach ELT just in case a rescue at sea became necessary!

The Massive Overload

end up with ferry tanks, emergency gear and so on, and just exactly how that affects aircraft performance. The Sling High Wing cruises at 145 KTAS at FL100 burning 28 Lt/ hr. “For conservative planning, I proceed on the assumption that we'll cruise at 135 KTAS burning 33lph. And ideally we'd like to fly between FL085 and FL125. In the early, heavier stages it generally makes sense to fly lower, where the air is thicker, but these turbo engined aircraft do better at altitude.”

in cas e a r es cue at s ea be came ne ces s ar y

The earlier Sling 2 and 4s used on the Aroundthe-World (ATW) trips had shown themselves to be phenomenally capable load haulers, but the Sling TSi has a newer faster wing with a slightly lower lift profile. How it would cope with the massive overload required for this epic adventure was an open question. In the planning for the flight, James said, “It remains to be seen just how heavy we

Asked how the Sling High Wings would cope with having to ditch in the sea, James explained, “As far as ditching’s concerned – it seems each man has a different view. Mine is that I’d only use the whole aeroplane parachute as a last measure – for example if it were a very dark night, or perhaps in the event of a mid-air collision. But in a controlled glide, I’d choose to land as gently as possible on the water. And in a high wing aeroplane, it feels to me as if it’d be first prize

Typical cruise - 85% throttle, 31lph, 130 KTAS, 13 knots from behind. August 2022

to nose over and have the plane end up on her back – easier to exit with the fuselage out of the water, and she should float for hours, if not days, with a comfortable deck on the underside of the wings to bask in the sunshine.”

Last Minute Frenzy A week before the scheduled departure, there was an air of controlled haste at the factory. Systems were checked and rechecked, flight permissions applied for, emergency equipment stowed, bags packed and goodbyes started. James wrote, “But of course, nothing ever happens quite as quickly as the planning of it provides for - we're still waiting for overflight and landing from Angola and Ghana, we're dotting I's and crossing T's, completing required flight hours and using a few extra days to fine tune every last detail. It does feel a little like the calm before the storm!” With the planning done and the 40-hour test flying of the two N-reg planes proceeding apace, JP Schulze said, “We are pulling a lot of late nights but there's a spirit amongst everyone here at Sling right now, a tremendous sense of unity. I cannot express how impossibly hard it

has been to build these three airplanes in such a short time in the wake of the pandemic. The parts and components shortage has made this an unreal challenge and the team here at Sling have demonstrated a logistics masterclass. I am in awe of the talent here.” Time flew by and the pressure to depart increased. James wrote, “We're now 5 days behind our initial planned departure date. Preparing three planes is of course thrice the work of one. It’s been an emotional roller coaster – every time we take stock and realise we need another day; my heart sinks. Then, an hour later, I’m bathed in relief that we’ll leave more prepared and ready to face what comes. Obviously full preparedness and safety are the non-negotiables, arriving on the first day of Osh is only a nice to have.”

The Epic Adventure Finally – almost a week behind schedule they were as ready as they could hope to be and they took off from Tedderfield for the short hop across Johannesburg to Lanseria International Airport where they fuelled to the brim and cleared customs in preparation for an early start on the Sunday.

All dressed-up for the first overwater flight - to Accra.

August 2022

Day 1: Lanseria to Luanda

Still dark takeoff from Cape Verde.

On Sunday morning, 17 July, James noted, “The aircraft are fully de-snagged and ready to go, we pilots are emotionally settled, and the trade winds look fair.” They had agreed to compress the flying schedule: To fly JHBLuanda-Accra-Cape Verde in three days (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday). Then rest Wednesday, fly Thursday to Barbados, rest Friday, fly Saturday to Bahamas, rest Sunday and fly Monday to North Carolina. Tuesday, 26 July, we fly into Oshkosh. But of course, we’ll take things as they come, and review as we go.” The 1321nm flight from Lanseria to Luanda was happily uneventful. They had a tailwind, conversations over the radio, laughed and listened to lots of music. They had to fix a broken brake line on landing in Luanda and paid a LOT of money to refuel. But then they hit the first immovable wall of bureaucracy.

Day 3: Luanda to Accra The clearances came through in time for them to leave for Accra at 0630Z Tuesday morning. Stuck on the ground in Luanda, they had made the most of the day. James reported; “We walked more than 15km, swam, had steak and chips on the beach washed down with beer, worked out a bit at the outdoor gym and saw the sights. Vibrant, dirty, lots of building, open sewers, brand new Landcruisers, abandoned cars, volleyball on the beach, artisanal fishermen, home-made wheelbarrows, very expensive restaurants, hustlers, markets, stray dogs, wine shops, shiny glass, shirtless kids and shanty-towns.”

t hey wante d to minimis e r is k

Day 2: Luanda James reported, “We are very unlikely to get out of Luanda tomorrow morning, unless the permits come through very first thing. More likely we'll leave for Accra early Tuesday, then we hop on to Cape Verde Wednesday, Barbados Thursday or Friday. It does all feel like quite a long way!”

Tuesday’s 1179nm leg to Accra was entirely over water. Mike Blyth writes; “It’s an exhilarating yet daunting experience to fly long distances, particularly on the ocean crossing legs. The takeoff is always the most stressful because we are a bit nervous and hyped-up for the flight, but also because the aircraft is at its heaviest being August 2022

full of fuel. To add to the stress, the takeoff is sometimes in the dark and usually directly over built-up areas where there is little chance for an emergency landing.”

Day 4: Accra In Ghana, they once again had to confront obdurate bureaucracy. James reported; “Ghana must be one of the friendliest countries on earth. Just about everybody is nice – even the person telling you you’re not allowed to do whatever it is you want to be doing. But it is quite structured – and you can’t get away with doing what you’re not allowed to. One of those things is to take car fuel onto the Kotoki International Accra airport, despite the fact that there’s no Avgas. So in our case, we lost a day, but found someone who had some avgas (at US$8.50 a litre) – very old, but properly sealed and actually 100% perfect, water and corrosion free and serviceable. We got two of the aircraft filled, siphoning from 44 gallon drums on the back of a bakkie. That was until the Ghana Airports Company had a cadenza because there was no fire-engine present. So US$250 and an hour later, we could resume. Then it was discovered that the supplier (a reputable flight handling business) had relinquished its license to supply fuel on the airport 18 months previously. The fuel was being illegally supplied, plus there was no certificate of origin. So we were stopped midstride.

Day 5: Accra to Praia The bureaucracy of flight clearances over Africa added to the risks inherent in this epic adventure. Instead of flying over the ‘bulge of Africa’ to Cape Verde they headed out over the sea and added substantially to their distance. The 1663nm from takeoff in Accra to touchdown in Praia took 13 hours, but the real effort had been in getting it all set up. One of the considerations was that they needed to leave Accra at 06h00 if they were to get to Praia before dark. The bureaucratic battle had continued long into the night. At 23h00, they were informed that one formation flight plan was not good enough. So they prepared another three plans and emailed them through. Despite confirmations and promises, they weren’t filed, which they only discovered when they tried to leave at 06.00Z. Luckily, in Ghana, you can file an international flight plan and depart immediately, so 20 minutes and lots of swearing later, they were on their way.

So we returned to the hotel for a swim and food. Later in the evening we were told that the lawyers had decided that, if we provided written confirmation, on letterhead paper, an indemnity and confirmation that the person signing the indemnity letter had the required authority to bind the operator, we would be allowed to complete the process and leave. Being a lawyer I whipped that up, we returned to the airport and were done fuelling by 21h00 or so, exhausted and stressed out. Praia - Loading Mogas for the planes.

August 2022

Across the pond - short final into Barbados.

The flight to Praia provided the three planes with a lot of fun flying through, around, under and over some clouds. They made it into Praia 40 minutes before sunset. Again the locals were super friendly, but sticklers for the rules and slow. And again - no Avgas.

Day 6: Praia, Cape Verde They took a day off in Praia to rest, wash clothes, eat, drink and relax. They found Cape Verde lovely, though stark and isolated. “People are super friendly, strange mixture of Island, Africa and Europe. Really quite sophisticated in many ways, but not in others. Great music, great vibe, great people, great restaurants." The timetable had now slipped by three days. They were now headed for Barbados on the Saturday.

Day 7: Praia to Barbados Saturday was the BIG day. They faced a massive 2101nm over the vast empty Atlantic, from Africa to Barbados.

Discussing the fuel requirements for this, the longest sector, James wrote, “The high wings are flying incredibly well. Standard (A) tanks are 99 litres per wing. “Standard” long range (B) tanks are another 25 litres per wing. A transfer pump pumps from B’s to A’s in flight. For the trip we’ve put another two inter-connected 160 litre “C” tanks into the rear of each of the planes. So that’s 568 litres overall." “With two pilots, clothes, emergency equipment, food and drink, documentation, Matt’s wheelchair and the like, you can imagine that the planes are pretty heavy. But they fly fine, and the Garmin autopilots are incredible. Heavy like this, they initially fly at 126 to 128 KTAS, burning 33 lph. Later in the leg, they are using 30 lph at more than 140 KTAS. Flight endurance, flying cautiously, is therefore just about 18 hours, which gives a no-wind range of conservatively, 2 250 nm. It’s 2 100 nm from Praia to Barbados. And the wind reliably howls from east to west, so it’s not an unreasonable proposition.” Mike Blyth writes; “Although we were airborne an hour before sunrise, it wasn’t without the last-minute running around to pay extra fees and make changes to the flight plan. Once we were up and away, we could enjoy the pre-dawn August 2022

Fuel was much easier in Barbados.

sights with the lights of the town and the shiny sea below us. One advantage of flying at night is it’s much easier to see each other in the dark because of the nav and strobe lights flashing away in the black sky. As the sun rose, we flew past a huge volcano which was the last sight of land for the next 13 hours.” With favourable tailwinds, the flight took 14.5 hours, enabling them to land with still an hour’s daylight left. They enjoyed an average tailwind of 30 knots and the weather was mostly excellent. For those who wondered about ships – and their body needs, Mike noted in his journal, “The flight across the Atlantic was long and tiring but uneventful. Inside the cockpit, we generally sit still, but move to relieve aches from sitting and to get things out the back like food or bottles to pee into. Linda had more of a challenge than I did when it came to peeing. In the end, she turned around and did it travelling backward at 150 knots while I looked away to give her a sense of privacy.” “On some of the legs over the sea, we have seen a ship or two far below and for a moment, the thought goes through your head that you could actually get rescued out in the middle of

August 2022

the Atlantic. But on this sector there were none, just the dark blue big wave sea with a prominent white horse to remind us of the strong winds below." The Sling High Wings' turbocharged engine likes flying high but in reply to a question about whether they use oxygen, James said “We don't use oxygen as its too heavy and too much of a mission, though Linda's plane is set up for it, and we let the incredible Garmin autopilots help with flying. Mostly time flying is actually easier and more restful than time in country, because that time is mostly locating and negotiating fuel and permissions.” This was the first time more than one Sling had done an ultra-long haul journey together. “There is always some banter on the chat frequency, we tell jokes and sometimes James and Matt play music over to us. With the new Garmins having TCAS, we know exactly where the other aircraft are so there is never a risk of a collision if you’re keeping an eye on things. In the beginning, we often chatted to compare speeds, fuel burn, and range, but now we know all that and so the conversations are mostly fun or deciding which way to turn away from the weather ahead. Out in the middle of the Atlantic, we gave position

reports on the HF radio and sometimes relayed via overflying airliners. When chatting to the airliners high above us, the airline pilots often ask us where we are going, how long the flights are and the kind of aircraft we are flying and it brings a smile to all of us when they express their amazement at our whole mission.” The relentless pace had exhausted them. However, with the clock ticking and a favourable weather report they decided that they would push on. Except, instead of heading for Fort Lauderdale Florida, they would route to the Bahamas; a 9 hour flight. By that stage, they had flown about 50 hours and done over 7,000 nm and the planes had been performing magnificently. Very sadly, despite their very best efforts to move heaven and earth, Mike Blyth had not been able to obtain a US visa in time, so he said emotional goodbyes in Barbados.

Day 8: Barbados to Bahamas The flight from Barbados to the Bahamas was a highlight in an already unforgettable trip. Huge

skies, given perspective by puffy cumulous clouds and an endless string of islands flowing past beneath their high wings – which, thanks to the High Wing, they could now look directly down on. “We must have flown over 15 countries, each more dramatic than the last. What an amazing world.” The 1245nm sector to the Bahamas took an easy 9 hours. Jet lag, or at least the rapidly changing time zones, were taking their toll. James wrote, “It's now 1am in the Bahamas and I should be sleeping. It quite honestly feels like a month, not a week, since we left Johannesburg, I can hardly believe we're come this far and that, failing catastrophe, we should be in Oshkosh by next Wednesday mid-morning latest.”

Day 9: Bahamas In the Bahamas, they took a day off from flying to prepare for the USA. James wrote; “What a weird day! It turned out that JP and his flying partner, William, are both entitled to enter the USA only on “ESTA” arrangements – their having German and New Zealand passports

The taildragger lost in the huge sky passing the Turks and Caicos.

August 2022

Forced crew shuffle at Fort Lauderdale - Garrett with his family.

respectively. The effect of that is that they cannot fly in their own aircraft, but must travel into the USA on an ESTA registered and approved mode of transport, essentially being a jet airliner. “So I had to fly JP’s plane into the USA. But I’m not licenced to fly a US registered aeroplane, so Linda arranged for her Jet Blue mate, Gabriel, to fly with me, which left Matt alone. Matt’s 100% capable, but he’s a PPL with only about 30 post license flying hours, and a slightly iffy “hands only” flying set up on ZU-SHW. So Linda also organised for a 19 year old member of the EAA Naples, Florida, Chapter who participated in the Naples Sling Youth build, and who has a PPL, to come fly with Matt. Then two siblings, Matt and Jessie, kids of one of Sling USA’s shareholders, Wayne Toddun, joined Linda for the Nassau to Osh segment.

conspired against us a little, but we all got safely to Fort Lauderdale, where we were treated like kings by customs and immigration, the local FBO and all and sundry. Gabriel and Garrett must have had their hearts in their mouths though, thinking they’d landed themselves amongst a band of outlaws. It did all feel a bit like African refugees arriving uninvited in southern Europe! “Following heartfelt goodbyes to our new friends and team members in Fort Lauderdale, and freshly reunited with JP and William, we set off to make as much progress towards Oshkosh as we could, to place ourselves in the best position possible to get in there tomorrow morning.

Day 10: Bahamas to Bowman Field Kentucky

“We put down in Decatur, Georgia, for lunch and cheap Avgas. It was absolutely wonderful to be in aviation friendly USA. Then we set out towards an intense storm system spanning mid-America, which many Oshkoshers were apparently struggling to fly through.

“ATC made the departure from Nassau difficult, insisting upon breaking up the formation, giving separate instructions to each aircraft. And to make matters worse, Florida was covered in storms and has extremely busy airspace. Things

“Everything seemed to go our way, though, and we were able to fly in close formation for hours on end, under, over and around cloud systems, until we eventually made Bowman Field, Louisville, Kentucky.

August 2022

The scenery between Georgia and Kentucky is simply magnificent – there is just so much space (and so much money) in America, it is quite incredible. Bowman Field has a special place in my heart, because it was my and Mike’s last stop, before Oshkosh in our 2009 Around-theWorld (ATW) flight in our production prototype Sling 2. We were met on the tarmac by Sling High Wing customer number 98 and his son, who saw us fly past his front garden. He said to his wife, “Hey man – there’s the aeroplane I’m buying – they’re obviously going to land at the Bowman Field – I’m off to have a look.” What a small world!"

overhead Chicago before joining the Osh arrival. So they expected some diversions, especially around Chicago. However, the weather – which had been great the whole trip so far, suddenly conspired to rain on their parade. As they cleaned the three Slings for their Osh arrival there were large clouds on the horizon north of Bowman Field – and the met reports did not look promising. Many of the aircraft heading to Osh were turning back.

2,101nm ove r t he vas t e mpt y At lant ic

They landed at Bowman Field as the sun was setting at 8.30 pm and happily retired for the last night of Phase 1 of their big adventure – excited – but also all a bit heart sore.

Day 11: Into Oshkosh The last day was supposed to be just an easy 2.5 hours flying for 400 nm. The direct route would take them over Indiana and then

However, the Slingers were not to be easily deterred from their appointment with the reception committee at Boeing Plaza at 10.30. But soon after takeoff, it became evident that there was no safe way through the huge squall line that covered the Mid-west. So before Indianapolis, they returned to Bowman Field and planned to try again the next day – Thursday. Rather safe than sorry – especially after having come so far. But as the day wore on, it appeared that they may have a chance to get through

The ferry tanks were removed at Fort Lauderdale.

August 2022

ABOVE: The High Wing Taildragger arrives at Oshkosk. BELOW: The two nosewheel Sling High Wings safely on the ground at Oshkosh.

August 2022

after all. So shortly after midday, they launched again – and this time they made it. Once past the challenge of the squall line, the huge excitement of the famous Oshkosh arrival awaited them. With Linda leading, the three intrepid Slings headed down the FISK arrival. One of the incredible Osh controllers called them three Cessnas. A fan listening on the ground said, “Love the way you got on the radio and corrected the "Three inbound Cessnas"! And it was awesome to hear the controller so excited with your “little hop” from JHB to KOSH!” Just from the Neil Bowden tour, there were over 100 South Africans at Osh– and they formed a huge welcoming party.

After Osh Getting there was one thing. Many wonder what will happen to the planes once they had been shown off at AirVenture? Linda Sollar's plane, N915HW, will remain in the USA - for her and her partner Gordon's use recreationally and to commute between their homes in Naples, Florida, and Mountain Air, North Carolina. JP Schulze's plane, N669JP, will be used for his adventures in the USA, before continuing in a hopefully slower and more measured arc, around the world over the months (or years?) to come.

The Slingers’ victory was complete. After having lost a week before they even took off from Joburg and then another 3 days en-route, they had arrived with still plenty of time for the world to see and admire the three high wing Slings. Mission accomplished!

August 2022

DHC Dash 8 Q400, C-GUBU is now ZS-DHB with Cemair. Photo Ray Watts.

JUNE 2022

This month’s figures are almost back to normal after a very low number of Type Certified registrations last month. THIS TIME AROUND we see eleven new registrations issued (nine fixed wing, one helicopter and a hot air balloon). There is a brand-new Pilatus PC-24 and another PC-12 as well. The PC-12 is a used one and comes from the Isle of Man. Great to see that Cemair continues to expand their fleet with another DHC-8-400 being added. I saw this one at their hangars still in her Passion Air colours.

I thought the Cessna 152 that was exported some time ago had returned to our shores; however I was wrong. This one is a Cessna 172RG that was registered in the USA but has been based at Lanseria for quite a few years.

It ’s not often we see a hot air balloon

It’s not often we see a hot air balloon coming into the country, so this one is a welcome addition.

Airlink’s fleet also continues to grow with another ERJ190 added this month.

The Non Type Certified numbers are very low this month with only two being added. I know, at one stage, the CAA were very slow in issuing build numbers etc and I’m wondering if this is still the case. I hope not.

When I noticed ZS-KUI coming onto the register

The drone market continues to grow with

August 2022

ABOVE: Ex Chinese Embraer 190 B-3158 now ZS-YAU for Airlink. BELOW MIDDLE: Cessna C206H 7Q-CAS has become ZS-TLB. Photo Omer Mees. BELOW BOTTOM: Long time N-Registered Lanseria resident C172RG is now ZS-KUI.

August 2022

ABOVE: Grumman Tiger ZS-NJC exported to the USA. Photo Dave Becker. BELOW: ZS-HXB is exported to the USA as N31NS. Photo Ray Watts.

another thirty-nine added this month and five deleted. There was a person, near to where I live, apprehended by the SAPS for flying a drone within a radius of 10km from OR Tambo airport. It appears that traffic into and out of OR Tambo wasn’t affected by this but if people are ignorant of the rules regarding drones, or are simply choosing to ignore them, then it’s only a matter of time before air traffic is affected. The number of aircraft deleted from the register has dropped substantially with only six TCA aircraft being deleted (four fixed wing and two helicopters). Three aircraft have been placed on the American register this month and I wonder if they’re physically going to the USA or are

August 2022

staying here. The other deletions have gone to Botswana and Namibia. Only one NTCA was deleted and this one went to Zambia. Tail piece The weather, so far this winter, has, in general, been good but just beware, it can change rapidly. Don’t get caught out. The Brakpan Flying Club have introduced monthly flying safety lectures and they’re open to all. j

ABOVE: Another piston single export - ZS-INB was exported to Namibia. BELOW: ZT-RAE is one of two R44s exported to Botswana. Photo Brian Spurr.

August 2022

c i t s u co y) Ltd A N M & ices (Pt Serv REG

MANUFACTURER

TYPE NAME

REVIEW

JUNE 2022

SERIAL NUMBER

PREVIOUS IDENTITY / EXPORT COUNTRY

New Registrations ZSZS-AHA

PILATUS AIRCRAFT LTD

PC-24

284

ZS-AJJ

CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION

SR22

8581

N581AW

ZS-CJT

PILATUS AIRCRAFT LTD

PC-12

1422

M-DRIL, G-DRIL, HB-FSV

ZS-DHB

BOMBADIER INC

DCH-8-402

4095

C-GUBU, 9G-PIA, C-FXIG, G-JECF, C-FDLN

ZS-HJK

CAMERON BALLOONS LTD

Z-105

12513

ZS-KUI

CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

172RG

C172RG0477

N701RV

ZS-TLB

CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

T206H

T20608351

7Q-CAS

ZS-XAV

AIR TRACTOR INC

AT-502B

502B-3359

ZS-XNG

CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION

SR22

8613

N861FG

ZS-YAU

EMBRAER-EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE AERONAUTICA ERJ 190-100 IGW

19000313

B-3158, PT-TXB

EC 255 LP

2972

G-CIWR

LS4

4013

F-CEIC

New Registrations ZT-R ZT-RYK

AIRBUS HELICOPTER

New Registrations ZT-G ZT-GAH

ROLLADEN-SCHNEIDER FLUGZEUGBAU GMBH

New Registrations ZUZU-IWU

JEREMY WILLIAM ABBOTT WOODS

SW-18 TEDDY

ZU-PAT

RAINBOW SKYREACH (PTY) LTD

CHEETAH XLS (BUSHCAT)

CH228

Aircraft Deleted ZSZS-CTD

CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

172R

17281252

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ZS-HXB

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS

AS 350 B3

7971

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as N31NS

ZS-INB

CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION

SR22

0506

NAMIBIA

ZS-NJC

GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVIATION CORP

AG-5B

10172

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ZS-RYN

ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY

R44 II

10796

BOTSWANA

R44 II

13268

BOTSWANA

A-22LS

381

ZAMBIA

Aircraft Deleted ZTZT-RAE

ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY

Aircraft Deleted ZUZU-ITM

AEROPRAKT LTD

SANAS Ac credite 1302 & 1d4Laboratory 8 We perform SANAS certiﬁcations on all your: Acoustics ( eg. CEL 350 ) Vibration ( eg. Rion VA -11) Human Vibration ( eg. Quest Hav Pro) Electrical DC/LF Equipment – inhouse or on site (eg. Fluke Multimeters, Insulation Testers)

August 2022

Contact: Marianka Naude Tel: 012 689 2007 I Cell: 076 920 3070 Email: admin@mnacoustics.co.za

c i t s u o c d A t L N ) M & ices (Pty Serv SANAS Accredited La boratory 1302 & 148 We perform SANAS certifications on all your: Acoustics ( eg. CEL 350 ) Vibration ( eg. Rion VA -11) Human Vibration ( eg. Quest Hav Pro) Electrical DC/LF Equipment – inhouse or on site (eg. Fluke Multimeters, Insulation Testers)

S Q U OTATI O N T ON REQUES Contact: Marianka Naude Tel: 012 689 2007 I Cell: 076 920 3070 Email: admin@mnacoustics.co.za

August 2022

FUEL TABLE

SA Flyer 2022|08

www.sv1.co.za Prices at 27/06/2022 Fuel Fuel Prices as atas 27/06/2022

Prices at 27/07/2022 Fuel Fuel Prices as atas 27/07/2022

Prii ces i nclude but exclude any servi ce fees Pri ces nclude VAT VAT but exclude any servi ce fees AvgasJet A1 Jet A1 Ai rfi Ai eldrfi eld Avgas Beaufort R33,8023.45 23.45 Beaufort WestWest R33,80 Bethlehem R36,57 R 24,81 Bethlehem R36,57 R 24,81 Bloemfontei R31,58 R23,58 Bloemfontei n n R31,58 R23,58 Brakpan R35,20 Brakpan R35,20 R32,00 BritsBrits R32,00 Town R36,97 R22,89 CapeCape Town R36,97 R22,89 Winelands R33,50 CapeCape Winelands R33,50 Eagles Creek R33,50 Eagles Creek R33,50 London R33,27 R23,40 East East London R33,27 R23,40 Ermelo R25,76 Ermelo R25,76 ep Dam R34,00 R24,00 Gari Gari ep Dam R34,00 R24,00 George R33,6623.69 23.69 George R33,66 Grand Central R34,44 R24,21 Grand Central R34,44 R24,21 Hei delberg R33,50 Hei delberg R33,50 Hoedspruit Hoedspruit POAPOA POAPOA Ki mberley R31,95 R23,58 Ki mberley R31,95 R23,58 Hawk R36,70 KittyKitty Hawk R36,70 Klerksdorp R34,38 R22,42 Klerksdorp R34,38 R22,42 Kroonstad R33,49 Kroonstad R33,49 Kruger Intl Nelspruit R34,10 R25,29 Kruger Intl Nelspruit R34,10 R25,29 Krugersdorp R32,50 Krugersdorp R32,50 Lanseri R32,20 R24,27 Lanseri a a R32,20 R24,27 Margate Margate No No Fuel Fuel Middelburg R39,10 R24,96 Middelburg R39,10 R24,96 Morningstar R33,90 Morningstar R33,90 Mosselbay R32,60 R21,50 Mosselbay R32,60 R21,50 Nelspruit R32,88 R25,88 Nelspruit R32,88 R25,88 Oudtshoorn R34,73 R23,10 Oudtshoorn R34,73 R23,10 ParysParys POAPOA POAPOA Pietermaritzburg R34,30 R25,70 Pietermaritzburg R34,30 R25,70 Pi etersburg R32,65 R21,95 Pi etersburg Ci vi lCi vi l R32,65 R21,95 Plettenberg R34,00 R24,00 Plettenberg Bay Bay R34,00 R24,00 Alfred R38,90 PortPort Alfred R38,90 Elizabeth R34,50 R23,66 PortPort Elizabeth R34,50 R23,66 Potchefstroom Potchefstroom POAPOA POAPOA R33,86 R21,60 RandRand R33,86 R21,60 Robertson R27,25 Robertson R27,25 Rustenberg R31,95 R23,65 Rustenberg R31,95 R23,65 Secunda R34,50 R22,43 Secunda R34,50 R22,43 Skeerpoort *** Customer to collect Skeerpoort *** Customer to collect POAPOA POAPOA Springbok Springbok POAPOA POAPOA Springs R32,50 Springs R32,50 Stellenbosch R35,50 Stellenbosch R35,50 Swellendam R31,60 R21,50 Swellendam R31,60 R21,50 Tempe R33,49 R21,43 Tempe R33,49 R21,43 Thabazimbe Thabazimbe POAPOA POAPOA Upington R32,66 R24,30 Upington R32,66 R24,30 R37,89 R25,30 Vi rgiVi nirgi a ni a R37,89 R25,30 Vryburg Vryburg POAPOA POAPOA Warmbaths R36,00 Warmbaths R36,00 Welkom R33,49 R21,43 Welkom R33,49 R21,43 WiPark ngs Park R30,50 Wi ngs EL EL R30,50 Witbank R32,20 Witbank R32,20 POAPOA POAPOA Wonderboom Wonderboom Worcester R32,84 Worcester R32,84

Prii ces i nclude but exclude any servi ce fees Pri ces nclude VAT VAT but exclude any servi ce fees AvgasJet A1 Jet A1 Ai rfi Ai eldrfi eld Avgas Beaufort R35,50 R23,45 Beaufort WestWest R35,50 R23,45 Bethlehem R38,00 R 24,81 Bethlehem R38,00 R 24,81 Bloemfontei R31,72 R23,36 Bloemfontei n n R31,72 R23,36 Brakpan R35,20 Brakpan R35,20 R32,00 BritsBrits R32,00 Town R36,97 R21,79 CapeCape Town R36,97 R21,79 Winelands Contact CapeCape Winelands No No Contact Eagles Creek R33,50 Eagles Creek R33,50 London R34,42 R23,45 East East London R34,42 R23,45 Ermelo R32,66 R25,76 Ermelo R32,66 R25,76 ep Dam R35,50 R25,00 Gari Gari ep Dam R35,50 R25,00 George R35,00 R24,21 George R35,00 R24,21 Grand Central R36,23 R29,38 Grand Central R36,23 R29,38 Hei delberg R35,00 Hei delberg R35,00 Hoedspruit Hoedspruit POAPOA Ki mberley R31,95 R23,58 Ki mberley R31,95 R23,58 Hawk R37,80 KittyKitty Hawk R37,80 Klerksdorp R34,38 R22,42 Klerksdorp R34,38 R22,42 Kroonstad R33,49 Kroonstad R33,49 Kruger Intl Nelspruit R34,10 R27,60 Kruger Intl Nelspruit R34,10 R27,60 Krugersdorp R33,00 Krugersdorp R33,00 Lanseri R35,54 R25,88 Lanseri a a R35,54 R25,88 Margate Margate No No Fuel Fuel Middelburg R35,27 R27,14 Middelburg R35,27 R27,14 Morningstar R34,25 Morningstar R34,25 Mosselbay R33,60 R22,00 Mosselbay R33,60 R22,00 Nelspruit R32,88 R25,88 Nelspruit R32,88 R25,88 Oudtshoorn R33,16 R23,10 Oudtshoorn R33,16 R23,10 ParysParys POAPOA POAPOA Pietermaritzburg R37,80 R27,90 Pietermaritzburg R37,80 R27,90 Pi etersburg R34,35 R26,78 Pi etersburg Ci vi lCi vi l R34,35 R26,78 Plettenberg R38,00 R25,00 Plettenberg Bay Bay R38,00 R25,00 Alfred R38,90 PortPort Alfred R38,90 Elizabeth R38,50 R24,91 PortPort Elizabeth R38,50 R24,91 Potchefstroom Potchefstroom POAPOA POAPOA R36,29 R26,26 RandRand R36,29 R26,26 Robertson R33,50 Robertson R33,50 Rustenberg R31,95 R23,65 Rustenberg R31,95 R23,65 Secunda R34,50 R27,92 Secunda R34,50 R27,92 Skeerpoort *** Customer to collect Skeerpoort *** Customer to collect POAPOA POAPOA Springbok Springbok POAPOA POAPOA Springs R35,20 Springs R35,20 Stellenbosch R38,70 Stellenbosch R38,70 Swellendam R33,90 R21,50 Swellendam R33,90 R21,50 Tempe R33,49 R24,93 Tempe R33,49 R24,93 Thabazimbe Thabazimbe POAPOA POAPOA Upington R32,66 R24,30 Upington R32,66 R24,30 R35,99 R24,55 Vi rgiVi nirgi a ni a R35,99 R24,55 Vryburg Vryburg POAPOA POAPOA Warmbaths R35,00 Warmbaths R35,00 Welkom R33,49 R24,93 Welkom R33,49 R24,93 WiPark ngs Park R35,20 Wi ngs EL EL R35,20 Witbank R32,20 Witbank R32,20 POAPOA POAPOA Wonderboom Wonderboom Worcester R39,65 Worcester R39,65

Tel: +27 10 446 9666 Danielle: +27 82 553 9611 Email: aviation@sv1.co.za Marina: +27 82 924 3015 Co-ordinates: S25°50’37 E27°41’28 86 GPS August 2022 Import/Export no. 21343829

SA Flyer 2016|11

• BRITS • HOEDSPRUIT • PARYS AIRFIELD • POTCHEFSTROOM AIRPORT • SKEERPOORT • THABAZIMBI • WONDERBOOM

Tel: +27 10 446 9666 Danielle: +27 82 553 9611 Email: aviation@sv1.co.za Marina: +27 82 924 3015

WE ALSO HAVE AN ON-SITE HELI-PAD FOR CONVENIENT REFUELING. CALL US FOR A QUOTE OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

SEALED 200L AVGAS DRUMS • SEALED 200L JET A1 DRUMS • AVGAS 100LL • JET A1 • PETROL • ILLUMINATING PARAFFIN • DIESEL • LUBRICANTS

August 2022

Events by AIRNAV RALLY – PIETERMARITZBURG ORIBI

SAC LIMPOPO REGIONALS – PHALABORWA AIRFIELD

AIRSHOW – FAGG GEORGE

13-14 Aug 2022 FAPM Pietermaritzburg Oribi

13-14 Aug 2022 Phalaborwa Airﬁeld

https://gardenrouteairshow.co.za/

Telani Lithgow on whatsapp 082 490 1654 Email telani@pmbaeroclub.co.za

Annie: 082 902 8614 E-mail: chunge@mweb.co.za

Ctc Brett Scheuble Tel. 084 418 3836 or email: brett@gardenrouteairshow.co.za

SAPFA SPEED RALLY AT GROBLERSDAL AIRFIELD

PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY DRONES CONFERENCE

BETHLEHEM AIRSHOW

20 Aug 2022 Groblersdal Airﬁeld Contact David: 073 338 5200 E-mail: david@pilotinsure.co.za

25-26 Aug 2022 Emperors Palace Convention Centre,JHB

E-mail: maria@africaptraining.co.za

KUZUKO LODGE RV FLY-IN SAFARI IN THE KAROO 26-28 Aug 2022 Kuzuko Loge, Addo, Eastern Cape Clive Gibson: cagibson@global.co.za www.kuzuko.com

Flying in Africa – that’s what we love August 2022

THE GARDEN ROUTE 20 Aug 2022

26–27 Aug 2022 Bethlehem Airﬁeld Contact Stephan Fourie : 072 344 9678 E-mail: fouriesj1491@gmail.com

Flying in Africa that’s what we love!

Comprehensive airfield information, up-to-date aeronautical data, friendly and efficient customer support, easy Flight Planning, electronic logbook, Inflight Navigation with EasyCockpit, real-time Weather overlays, Weather cams, Events notification, location link to Maps ... you have it all. www.aviationdirect.co.za • info@aviationdirect.co.za • +27 11 465 2669 • 072 340 994389 August 2022

BOOK S

by Pete r Gar r is on

August 2022

CAPE TOWN – AVIATION

COMPANIES GUIDE August 2022

Introduction

CAPE TOWN SUPPLEMENT

Aviation in and around Cape Town is bouncing back strongly after the Covid lockdown and associated restrictions of travel.

Cape Town International Airport - bouncing back strongly.

August 2022

Airline Travel

Covid period for developing and implementing new procedures and protocols to minimise the risk to passengers in anticipation of the return of international tourists. The groundwork was laid by Maclean’s predecessor Deon Cloete, who had developed “new end-to-end procedures” in close collaboration with key industry players i.e., non-ACSA airports such as Lanseria, local and international airlines, government and regulatory bodies. Suffice to say there has been a lot of learning with regular updates and tweaking happening along the way. We also leaned heavily on best practices recommended by the likes of IATA, ICAO and ACI.

Introduction

SHORTLY BEFORE COVID HIT, Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) was finally ready to start its huge R7 billion runway re-alignment and expansion. This included upgrades to the International and Domestic terminal buildings. Under the Covid-19 pandemic the project was suspended, as was the R3.8 Billion construction of a new 3200-metre runway. Then the Covid-19 pandemic stopped all travel and the plans had to once again be put on hold.

Cape Town has t wo t hr iv ing f l y ing clubs

In pre-Covid operations Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) was the third largest airport in Africa, with almost eleven million passengers a year. The full recovery in passenger numbers is expected to take until, at the earliest, mid-2023, so the pressing need for the planned CTIA expansion has waned – for now.

However, taking advantage of the slowdown, Mr Mark Maclean, Cape Town International Airport’s General Manager, says CTIA has used the

“We are confident that the new procedures and systems have created the right spaces for safe passenger processing and facilitation. We will keep a beady eye on innovation and new technologies that will further improve the effectiveness of passenger health screening, and we will remain current with similar systems being implemented in many airports around the world. These enable

Morningstar Airfield's well managed growth shows that GA is alive and well in the Western Cape.

August 2022

Introduction Fisantekraal Airport is being redeveloped as the Cape Winelands Airport.

us to build our own best practice solutions that will maintain safety standards whilst gradually rebuilding passenger volumes,” Cloete said. Information technology (IT) will play a key role. “We have upgraded our current CCTV systems and technology. This will be in addition to the current cameras and temperature screening equipment already deployed at all access point into the terminal,” he says.

Tourism Cape Town is rated as one of the best tourist destinations in the world, and so CTIA’s role has had to grow to match the demand. The airport was planning for a 90/10 split between international travellers and 90% local travellers. Due to the Cape’s success as a tourist destination, and in attracting new airlines, this mix is now nearer 25% international and 75% domestic. This is largely due to the airport’s ability to attract new airlines and expand the routes it serves.

August 2022

Cape Air Access Initiative The world-renowned Cape Air Access Initiative has been instrumental in this success. The 2021 appointment of Ms Wrenelle Stander as CEO of Wesgro should further aid CTIA’s recovery. Significant wins are being steadily achieved in terms of enticing airlines to operate directly to Cape Town. From the USA, both United Airlines and Delta are now competing to fly direct to CTIA from New York’s Newark and Atlanta respectively. Another recent win is Air Mauritius, which will be using its flagship Airbus A350900 to service Cape Town directly from midNovember 2022.

General Aviation Cape Town International has a dedicated General Aviation area on the airport’s southwestern border. This section is home to the airport's commercial non-scheduled operators, flight schools and the Cape Town Flying Club, as well as various GA maintenance facilities. It has its own refuelling facilities as well as hangarage for light aircraft and flight training schools, but lacks a dedicated GA customs and immigration facility.

A number of helicopter charter companies, such as Cape Town Helicopters and NAC, use the V&A Waterfront, near the city centre, as a base for tourist sightseeing flips around the peninsula and to wine estates and surrounds.

General Aviation Airfields Since the heydays of general aviation some forty years ago, flying clubs have seen a general decline. It’s great to be able to report that Cape Town has not one but two thriving flying clubs – and the possibility of a third at the new Cape Winelands Airport. The best-known flying club in the Cape has to be the venerable Stellenbosch club in its sylvan setting below the Hottentots Holland mountains. Despite the encroachment of housing developments and golf course estates, this club is thriving.

But the big action is now to the north, at Morningstar Airfield, about 25 km north of the city on the N7 to Malmsbury. Morningstar Flying Club was founded over 30 years ago by a bunch of microlight flying enthusiasts and has grown to over 250 members. There are over 100 aircraft based at Morningstar.

Introduction

Cape Town has become a centre of excellence for helicopters operations across Africa. One such is Ultimax Helicopters, which is featured in this supplement.

The club is showing the fruits of dynamic management in that it has, after lengthy negotiations, finalised a long term lease with the Cape Town City Council. This gives much need stability until 2030, and then has a further ten years notice, effectively giving the members twenty years further title. This security of tenure and solid management has enabled the club to sell off hangar stands and so raise funds for the key infrastructure. They have a tarred 700m runway and taxiways and pride of place is a large clubhouse with modern kitchens and two flying schools. This club has done much to spread the love of flying and the option of choosing aviation as a career to many disadvantaged children in the Western Cape. j

Stellenbosh Airfield is consistently rated the most beautiful in South Africa

August 2022

Companies

ULTI MAX AVI ATI ON

– EVERYTHING ABOUT HELICOPTERS ULTIMAX AVIATION is a Cape Town based Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO), renowned for its top-level experience in helicopter maintenance.

addition to his specialised skill set, Aris and Caren Kok are well known for their friendly and approachable personality and are always available to solve customer problems.

Founded and led by Aristide (Aris) Loumouamo in 2016, the company specialises in the maintenance of Airbus medium and heavy helicopters. These range from the AS350/H125 Squirrel to the recently imported H155 (which SA Flyer featured in June) and larger.

The company is particularly proud of its staff’s experience and skill levels which enables it to consistently deliver reliable results.

Aris has a solid grounding in Airbus Helicopters, having more than 20 years’ experience as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer with Approved Maintenance Organisations in Cape Town, including eight years with Eurocopter. In

Aris has grown his company’s footprint across Africa. Ultimax is an Approved Aircraft Maintenance Organisation in: South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, the DRC and Angola and has SACAA approval for satellite operations as far afield as Kenya and Liberia as well as in Wonderboom and Durban.

Ultimax engineers are specialists in Airbus Helicopters.

August 2022

Ultimax Aviation specialises in the following core competencies: • • • • •

Light maintenance, troubleshooting and periodical inspections, up to major inspections Post incident inspections External aircraft painting and interior refurbishment Safran Engine Arriel Level 1 and Level 2 Approval. (Engine Module Replacement) Modifications, customisations, aircraft retrofit, upgrades, and refurbishment.

Companies

Ultimax handled the importation of the Airbus H155 featured in SA Flyer.

The company’s Cape Town base offers a complete turnkey aircraft maintenance service. Capabilities include: avionics repairs, complete system upgrades, sheet metal repair, composite part manufacturing and repair, pitot static system certification, transponder integration / correlation checks, modifications and the ability to perform inspections for the Airbus AS350/H125, AS355, AS365, H120, H130, H135, BO105, BK117, EC145. Bell and Robinson helicopters are also supported.

Ultimax has more than 20 years’ experience as an Aircraft Maintenance Organisation.

August 2022

Companies

Ultimax Cape Town is based at Hangar 5, Convair Road, Cape Town International Airport.

The company is able to lease a wide variety of helicopters. It also provides: helicopter tours, pilots, and helicopter sales and spares. A key strength of Ultimax is its large inventory of parts, meaning that maintenance can often be done without having to wait for parts to be imported. This minimises expensive ‘aircraft on ground’ downtime. As a result of Ultimax Helicopters’ extensive pan-African experience and widespread operations they are experts at “Getting things done’ in what may be a difficult bureaucratic environment – often with language barriers to contend with.

August 2022

As a centre for excellence, the company is growing steadily. Its latest development is the helicopters support of remote mining operations across Africa which have been very active. Ultimax Cape Town is based at Hangar 5, Convair Road, Cape Town International Airport. For more information contact Aris direct on +27 72 878 8786 or land line +27 21 207 1205. Email info@ultimax-aviation.com j

SA Flyer 2022|08

Ultimax Avition (Pty) Ltd is located at Cape Town International Airport. We are an approved South African Civil Aviation Authority Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO 1426). We offer repair services, specialising in Airbus Helicopter Products.

OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE... ULTIMAX AVIATION’S STAFF HAVE THE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DELIVER RELIABLE RESULTS.

Our team of certified mechanics and engineers, service and repair helicopters. • We offer repairs to engines, structural repairs and refurbishing of helicopters. • We lease all types of helicopters. • We also provide pilots, helicopter tours, helicopters sales and spares.

Mobile: +27 72 878 8786 Email: info@ultimax-aviation.com www.ultimax-aviation.com

August 2022

Companies

TRAINING

4 AVIATORS 4 AVIATORS ARE BASED at Cape Town International airport in the general aviation area. It is our mission to provide each client with the best flight instruction possible. Through a comprehensive orientation and professional flight training program 4 Aviators is designed to exceed expectations for any student. Every member of our team maintains the keystones of aviation: safety, quality, integrity and community. Whether on the ground or in-flight, safety is our main priority. We will ensure that you not only feel safe but learn to fly safe. An instructor’s education is never over; neither is safety training. Our strictly maintained airplanes and adherence to standard protocol elevate safety above financial gain.

We Offer: • • • • • • • • • • •

PPL Night Rating Hour Building Opportunities Multi Engine Ratings Instrument Rating CPL ATPL Instructors Rating Foreign License Conversion and Validations English Language Proficiency Restricted and general Radio License

The quality of your training experience is paramount. We hold our flight instructors and the planes they fly to the highest standards. Flight training should be an enjoyable experience as well as an educational one. Our instructors combine patience and positivity with expert transparency. Our clients are very important to us. 4 Aviators is a family and we pride ourselves in this. Contact Us: info@4aviators.com Tel: +27 (0) 82 768 1754

Training provided on the following aircraft: 2 Cessna 150 3 Cessna 172 1 Cessna 175 2 Cessna 177 1 Cessna 177 RG 1 Piper Arrow 2 Piper Tomahawk 1 Piper Cherokee 140 1 Piper Seneca 2 1 V tail Bonanza

+27 (0) 82 768 1754 info@4aviators.com www.4aviators.com

We utilise the ALSIM stationed on the airport in the general aviation area. We provide accommodation transport for our students. We have a diverse group of students from around the world. ATO: CAA0410 100 andAugust 2022

DEAL ALLIANCE DEAL ALLIANCE STARTED out as an Alliance between two aviators in 1999. The name DEAL is a unique combination of the first names of founders: Deborah and Alyson: DEAL ALLiance Aviation Training. Although Deborah and Alyson have followed different career paths, DEAL ALLIance, now run solely by Deborah Mann has continued to serve the Aviation Industry with high quality and innovative training in all aviation subjects and certification. Deal Alliance’s facilitators are highly qualified and passionate about training. We have even captured many French pilots who are training for higher licences and appreciate our knowledge

Companies

TRAINING

and commitment. The next phase of the journey will be to take some of our courses online. We can assure you that our online courses will capture your imagination providing you with that important option of maintaining your currency from the comfort of your own home. See what we do and join us. Contact: Mobile: +27 (0) 82 495 8179 Email: info@dealalliance.co.za www.dealalliance.co.za www.facebook.com/dealalliance Location: Beechcraft Road, Cape Town International Airport j

SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 5 DAY INITIAL COURSE

SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 1 DAY REFRESHER COURSE

CRM INITIAL / REFRESHER MONTHLY COURSES

SAFETY & EMERGENCY PROCEDURE TRAINING

TRAIN THE TRAINER COURSE

PERFORMANCE BA SED NAVIGATION/RNP/GNSS THEORY COURSE

COMMERCIAL & AIRLINE TRANSPORT LICENCE THEORY COURSES

AVIATION ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY (LPR) TEST CENTRE

Cell: +27(0) 82 495 8179 info@dealalliance.co.za w w w. d e a l a l l i a n c e . c o . z a

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Companies

MAINTENANCE

DIEPKLOOF AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ORGANISATION

DIEPKLOOF AMO is situated at the newly revamped Cape Winelands Airport (formerly Fisantekraal Airfield) which is an ex-South African Airforce airfield now operating privately as a general flying airfield. Nick Kleinhans, Pieter van Aswegen and their professional team offer general maintenance on the entire Piper, Beech and Cessna single engine series, they have built up a reputation for excellence, especially amongst the agricultural aircraft operators for their meticulous work on all Air Tractor, Thrush, Dromader, Ag Cat, Piper Brave and Pawnee crop spraying aircraft. All Diepkloof AMO engineers are SACAA licensed aircraft maintenance engineers as well as NTCA approved persons ensuring that their client's aircraft will always receive top-level attention. Diepkloof AMO takes pride in being

ING OVID R P NOW

approved to carry out work on all Lycoming, Telydyne Continental, Lycoming and Pezetel Radial engines, as well as both Pratt & Whitney Turbine and Radial engines. Diepkloof AMO also specialise in maintenance and overhaul of all Hartzell and Mc Cauley propellers. Nick and Pieter boast a combined 60 years of experience and are fully licensed to do rebuilds, sheet-metal work, Fabric recovering and weighing of aircraft. They have recently added an Aircraft Interior service to their list of offerings. Diepkloof Aircraft Maintenance CC Cape Winelands Airport Hanger E1 Lichtenburg Rd, Durbanville. j

ors Interi t f a r - Airc

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE Approved SACAA AMO 1398

We offer General Aircraft Maintenance on all single Piper, Beech & Cessna series Aircraft. All Air Tractor, Thrush, Dromader, Ag Cat, Piper Brave & Piper Pawnee crop spraying aircraft. All NTCA Aircraft [Homebuilts, Ultralights etc.] All Lycoming, Telydyne Continental, Pratt & Whitney Turbine & Radial engines, Pezetel Radial engines. All Hartzell & Mc Cauley Propellers. We also are licenced to do rebuilds, sheetmetal work, fabric recovering, weighing of aircraft and aircraft interiors. All Engineers are SACAA Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineers as well as AP approved [NTCA Aircraft] [Combined experience of 70 years]. Please contact: Nick 083 454 6366 or Pieter 082 784 7133 or e-mail: diepkloofamo@gmail.com

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STELLENBOSCH

FLIGHT ACADEMY SIMULATOR FACILITY to the rescue of airline pilots in the Western Cape during COVID… Many Airline Transport Pilots (ATP’s) were either retrenched or put on a dormant status during COVID. With no access to the Level D Simulator training offered by their employer airlines these professional pilots were in danger of losing their licences and becoming unemployable. The Stellenbosch Flight Academy rose to their plight. Shortly after the start of the pandemic, it commissioned the upgrade of its simulator to meet the technical standards required by the SA CAA that allowed accreditation for the renewal of ATP licences in a multi-crew test environment. Since the upgrade the Stellenbosch Flight Academy has done refresher training and

Companies

TRAINING

licence renewals for many airline pilots, both locally and internationally employed. The academy only makes use of highly experienced ex-airline training captains to provide proper line orientated instruction in a structured MCC environment. To any new aspirant airline pilot, it is worth noting that the simulator also have accreditation to do the entire ATP Skills Test for the initial issue of an ATP licence by the CAA Designated Examiners. In these very expensive times with fuel prices and aircraft rental becoming exorbitantly high, having access to such an accredited simulator can dramatically reduce the costs during the final stages of training and testing. j

Advanced Simulator Training Train with our Grade 1 ex-airline training captains (Partner schools can use their own instructors)

• • • • • • • •

ATP/CPL/IR Annual Revalidations Full Initial ATP Skills Tests Initial Multi-Engine Class Training GNSS RNAV Endorsements Multi Crew Training (MCC) GRD II Instructor Renewals Maintenance of IFR Recency Pre-Test Refresher Training

FNPT II MCC FSTD

• • • •

PA 161 Warrior (SEL Piston) PA 28 Arrow (SEL Piston VP) PA 34 Seneca (MEL Piston) C425 Conquest (MCC Turbine)

Stellenbosch Stellenbosch Flight Flight Academy Academy Tel Tel :: 021 021 880-0227 880-0227

Hanger Hanger 33 –– Stellenbosch Stellenbosch Airfield Airfield Email : info@simflight.co.za Email : info@simflight.co.za Website Website :: simflight.co.za simflight.co.za

(Click (Click anywhere anywhere in in the the advert advert for for video video link) link)

ATO ATO SACAA/1154 SACAA/1154 August 2022

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Companies

LITSON & ASSOCIATES LITSON & ASSOCIATES CLASSROOM TRAINING: With many in the aviation industry looking for opportunities in this sector, now is the perfect time to take advantage of the virtual training courses available with L&A to obtain an added qualification to assist with finding that new job. L&A’s SA CAA approved ATO offers training courses from the mandatory 5-day Safety Management System and a 5-day Quality Management System & Auditing course to a one-day ERP and several recurrence training courses. NB: RPAS company Safety Managers require a current SMS certificate, which will form a part of the SA CAA application procedure for an operating certificate (ROC). All L&A open courses (apart from SEPT) are currently presented in a ‘virtual’ classroom with a facilitator on-line at all times. These on-line training

classes require a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 16 delegates, enabling everyone to receive the best individual instruction. On-line training course delegates are emailed their manuals prior to the commencement of training and certificates are emailed directly to successful delegates on the completion of their course. In-house training course delegates receive printed hard copy manuals and successful delegates receive their hard copy certificates at the end of the course. Virtual training allows easy global access to courses at beneficial rates, without any added travel and accommodation costs. Corporate courses remain L&A’s specialty and we have now resumed in-class corporate training within South Africa and around the world. Contact L&A on: enquiries@litson.co.za Phone: +27 21 8517187 Web: www.litson.co.za

A SA CAA APPROVED TRAINING PROVIDER

Aviation Training Courses * SA CAA ATO 1119 approved courses

• * Safety Management Systems • * Crew Resource Management • * Safety Emergency Procedures Training (SEPT) • Aviation Lead Auditor • Occurrence Investigation • Emergency Response Planning (ERP) • Quality Management Systems and Auditing • Co-ordinator Occupational Health & Safety (COHS) ALL COURSES AVAILABLE ON-LINE (excl SEPT) (live learning in a virtual classroom)

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FROM PLANNING TO LANDING www.litson.co.za

info@litson.co.za call us on: +27 (0) 21 851 7187

Litson Ad - Half Page.pdf

2019/03/04

15:35

The electronic Aviation Safety Management System for small to medium sized operators Covers the four Pillars and twelve elements of Safety Red and Yellow Tagged Messages for important and critical information with automatic acknowledgement register File Accident / Incident / Hazard / Bird Strike reports to "File Hazard Reports" Apps for Android + iOS - for easy reporting when out of the ofﬁce / in remote situations Technical Support and Help Desk Manage major changes in your company (Management of Change)

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APPS FOR ANDROID AND iOS

SIMPLE TO USE

Store all Master Documentation to "Documentation Management” Basic Audit Tool to assist you in compiling internal Audit Reports

USED WORLDWIDE

RISK MANAGEMENT SERVICES

www.esms-s.co.za | +27 (0) 21 851 7187 | esms@litson.co.za

PLEASE CLICK BELOW FOR AN INTERACTIVE MAP DIEPKLOOF AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE

DEAL ALLIANCE AVIATION TRAINING

ULTIMAX AVIATION

STELLENBOSCH FLIGHT ACADEMY

4 AVIATORS LITSON AND ASSOCIATES

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Awards

CAPE TOWN

– AGAIN

VOTED BEST IN AFRICA

Cape Town International Airport is still ranked as the best in Africa, according to the latest Skytrax World Airport Awards. However, its position globally slipped from 33 in 2021 to 49 in 2022. WE SENT A CAMERA CREW to Cape Town International Airport to find out what they are doing right. Our interview with Regional GM Mark Maclean can be accessed at www.saflyer. com. The Skytrax World Airport Awards conducts customer satisfaction surveys among travellers. This survey evaluates traveller experiences across different airport services, including checkin, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration through to departure at the gate. The results of the latest survey, conducted between September 2021 and May 2022, showed Doha's Hamad International Airport is still ranked as the best airport in the world, followed by Tokyo and Singapore, with little change among the top five. Australia's Brisbane Airport, which in 2021 was ranked just one spot ahead of Cape Town, has improved its position to 22.

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Cape Town International airport is still regarded as being the cleanest and having the best staff in Africa. "This award is what brings global attention and gives airlines confidence in flying to the Mother City," said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, James Vos, in reaction to the latest rankings. It is also a show of economic readiness as a city, because connecting Cape Town to more cities and countries means that we can welcome more visitors and create more jobs through tourism and provide trade opportunities to increase export of proudly Cape products to the rest of the world." Of the regional airports, Bloemfontein's Bram Fischer maintained its tenth spot among Africa's top-10 airports but couldn't crack the worldwide top 100. Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport in Gqeberha, previously Port Elizabeth, was previously ranked as the ninth-best airport in Africa. Now it's nowhere to be found in the continental or global rankings in the 2022 Skytrax World Airport Awards. j

Where romance meets nature

Located in South Africa’s Safari hub of Hoedspruit, Safari Moon is a boutique base from which to discover the wonders of South Africa’s Lowveld region. Explore a range of nearby attractions from the famed Kruger National park to the scenic Panorama Route, or simply chose to relax and unwind in nature, making the most of your private piece of Wildlife Estate wilderness.

CONTACT: bookings@safarimoon.co.za 083 449 5868

August 2022 FlightCom Magazine

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A d i n r s a h R o e w hT is around the corner

DATE: SUNDAY, 04 SEPTEMBER 2022

See you there! Contact Details: Rand Airport Road, Terminal Building, Germiston, Gauteng Tel. No. 011 827-8884 Email: airshow@randairport.co.za 108www.randairport.co.za August 2022

SA Flyer 2022|08

EVERYONE'S FAVOURITE AIRSHOW TO GO TO

AERO EXPO WRAP-UP

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AERO EXPO 2022 - TEXT AND PICTURES BY GUY LEITCH

THE SECOND AERO SOUTH AFRICA EXPO The second edition of AERO South Africa took from 7 – 9 July 2022 at Wonderboom Airport in Tshwane (Pretoria). THE THREE-DAY EVENT was generally reckoned to be a success by exhibitors, with the consensus being that the expense of the expo was paid for many times over during the event.

services with almost all the major suppliers taking advantage of the concentration of members of the South African aviation community.

The Aero Expo covered the full spectrum of General Aviation products, technology and

After the novelty of the first edition, the 2022 Aero had slightly fewer exhibitors than the

The Tshwane Mayor and cohort visit the Cirrus Vision Jet.

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inaugural event held before the Covid pandemic. In 2019 there were over 100 exhibitors, while this year the number dropped to 72. However many exhibitors felt that the quality of the expo was not compromised. Notably, exhibition space increased from 4200m² in 2019 to 5106m² at this year's show. Ray Watts reports that, “Exhibitors ranged from an air ambulance company through to avionics, engine components, tracking devices and insurance brokers and underwriters. Most of them were in the big, tented hall and some were outside on the apron, but all were well displayed and easily accessible.

t he qualit y of t he ex po was not compr omis e d

The CAA had a well manned (and womend) stand.

Absolute Aviation had a large presence.

Execujet exhibited this Challenger 300.

“Every time I went for a walk about, there were people at every stand, and I can only hope that business was being conducted. I was surprised at the number of young people who were enquiring about flying training. These were not just people making polite conversation, but also people who were genuinely interested and I hope that all the flight schools that August 2022

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were exhibiting received really worthwhile enquiries. Cirrus Aircraft had both a Cirrus Jet and a Carbon SR22 on display. 43 Air School had two of their Pipistrel Virus SW121 aircraft on display, one of which was the electric powered one (ZS-TKB). It certainly sounds unusual when it's running, as it is very quiet. The electric powered Pipistrel came with a Virtual Reality headset.

An unusual exhibitor was Cesare Nieddu of Colombo Air who brought his Groppo by road from Welkom.

Airbus helicopters were welcome exhibitors.

Inf or mative wor k s hops we r e he ld t hr oughout t he eve nt Despite the biennial AAD trade show happening in September, the larger general aviation companies supported Aero well. Absolute Aviation in particular had a large stand – as did NAC and Execujet. NAC’s Agnes Phillips stated that she was very happy with their attendance as she was able to finalise the sale of a brand new Robinson 44. Airbus helicopters was also a welcome exhibitor with a large stand inside the main marquee.

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Husband and wife team of Michelle and Clinton Carroll of Aeronautical Aviation.

There were some visitors who were disappointed that there were no flying displays, however, this was not an air show but rather a trade show, and as with the recent Parys Air show, it proves that there is a big market for air shows amongst the general public.

Pooleys is a welcome new presence.

Visitor numbers were down on the previous edition but this could be expected with the current economic climate. Informative workshops were held throughout the event with subjects covering all aspects of general aviation. Admission to the workshop area was free and the talks were usually very well attended. Aero SA introduced a Business to Business (B2B) Matchmaking programme which proved highly successful with well over 100 B2B meetings confirmed during the three days of the expo.

43 Airschool's Pipistrels were popular.

The electric Pipistrel came with a VR Headset.

B2B matchmaking is a method to identify and connect (match) companies and people with common business interests, complementary services, expertise, technologies or business strengths. The goal was to create cooperative connections and realise business opportunities that mutually benefit both parties.

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One of the few disappointments was the Saturday Fly-in with just over 25 aircraft arriving for the day. This may have been due to the everincreasing fuel prices over the past few months. Overall, the 2022 edition of Aero SA was rated a great success and should continue to grow in the future.

Sling Aircraft supported the show despite the pressures of the next week's 3-plane Oshkosh departure.

Most talks were well attended.

The City of Tshwane along with Messe Frankfurt South Africa has concluded a threeyear partnership to host Aero South Africa at Wonderboom up to and including 2024, so Aero SA will take place on 6-8 July 2023. j The park and sell feature was arguably one of the few disappointments.

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SIMPLIFY ENGINE MANAGEMENT. MONITOR AND PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT. With GI 275 EIS, you’ll add a single, primary solution that can replace the analog engine, fuel and electrical gauges in your light piston aircraft — with easy installation by the qualified installer of your choice. GARMIN.COM/GI275EIS

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Hour Building in Southern Africa! We Offer: • Hour Building

• Student Services

• Prepare you for your life as a pilot under real conditions.

• Enter introductory content for Student Services.

• Flying in Southern Africa

• Hire and Fly

• To understand the secrets of Africa, you need to experiences its wilderness.

• Aircraft Lease • Aero Safaris

For the Joy of Flying!

Contact email: info@sky-time.co.za • Tel: 010 00 33 747 • www.sky-time.co.za

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Asset Finance | Treasury | Working Capital | Asset Management | Wealth

Dreams fulfilled. www.merchantwest.co.za Companies in the Group are licensed and authorised FSP's

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BOOK REVIEW

POOLEY’S AIR PILOT’S MANUALS

The Pooley's Air Pilot Manual series is a world-renowned reference for both the student pilot and instructor. They have now brought out a Southern Africa series. POOLEY’S AIM IS TO STANDARDISE the quality of flying training, teaching and learning equipment through schools and their instructors. Pooley's says that all the aviation training publications they produce have been closely scrutinised by the UK CAA and the leading schools and instructors. Over 35 years more than 200,000 copies of Pooleys manuals have been sold. There are five SA volumes covering all the key aspects of the Private Pilots syllabus – excluding South African licence radio patter. Their text books are constantly updated edited and revised. The key volumes published for Southern Africa so far are: • Volume 1: Flying Training • Volume 2: Human Performance and Meteorology • Volume 3: Navigation • Volume 4: The Aeroplane: Principles of Flight and Aircraft General • Volume 5: Air Law and Flight Planning. Pooleys does not only produce books – they also have a strong online digital product range. Students will soon be able to download the new SA manuals through the free Pooleys eBooks App and then in-app purchase the manuals.

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August 2022

Pooley's well respected reference works are now available for Southern Africa.

Available through the App Store and Google Play. Volume 1 Flying Training includes: • F lying Training Manoeuvres through to Instrument Flying • Pre-flight Briefings & How to Fly the Manoeuvres • Airwork Summaries • The PPL (A) Skill Test Users comments strongly endorse Pooley's with consistent 5 star ratings: “This book is essential for all new trainee pilots. I highly recommend buying it before starting your PPL flying lessons so that you know what to expect in your flying lessons. It'll save you money on your training if you know what's going to happen before each lesson, so read up and be prepared! You can use it in conjunction with a simulator (e.g. X Plane, P3D, FSX) and together they'll prepare you well for the real world.” The books will be available from 1st September in all good pilots’ supply stores – or order online from: https://www.pooleys.com.

T: +44 (0)20 8953 4870 email: trade@pooleys.com

www.pooleys.com

Pooleys launches a new series of PPL Training Manuals for Southern Africa

Based on the hugely successful UK and EASA series of Air Pilots Manuals that have helped over 250,000 pilots complete their PPL, they have been created specifically for the Southern African market. Available soon from:

www.pilotsnplanes.co.za

– Established 1957 –

Celebrating 65 Years Service to Aviation August 2022

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BOOK REVIEW: BY GUY LEITCH

POOLEYS AIR PILOT MANUAL. VOLUME 4 British based Pooleys have become the industry standard for ab-initio flight training books in the UK and Europe. I was therefore thrilled when I saw that they have brought out a Southern African version. SOUTH AFRICAN FLIGHT SCHOOLS are increasingly becoming the preferred training ground for students from across the whole of Africa, the Middle East and India. When I saw the Pooley’s books on their stand at the AERO Expo at Wonderboom, I was immediately intrigued by how Pooleys has tackled the daunting challenge of becoming the standard reference work for this large and diverse market. Apart from the obvious requirement of excellent text, the key requirement for a modern reference book is great diagrams and layout. A quick flip through the Pooley’s books satisfied me that the layout and diagrams have elevated this niche publishing art to a new level. The diagrams, in particular, are models of simplicity and clarity. Importantly too, the text is organised into clear topics with headings and introductions that take the student seamlessly from one subject to the next. Pooley’s has been publishing these books for more than thirty years. The content has thus had the benefit of decades worth of refinement – and it shows in the clarity of writing. The Southern African edition includes reference material specifically for the SACAA PPL

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August 2022

syllabus. And for those who primary concern is to just pass the exams – without necessarily gaining a clear understanding of the principles of flight, the books include practice questions. This is important because the SACAA exams come in for steady criticism for their sometime obtuse or confusing questions. In the bad old days this may have been because the exams were first written in Afrikaans and then translated into English. Now thankfully, the exams are set in English, but there is still plenty of room for confusion. So the inclusion of typical questions is an essential for a reference text. Pooleys also includes an EASA edition for those wanting an European licence.

I was given a copy of Volume 4 in the series: The Aeroplane – General Knowledge. This broadly covers: •

Principles of Flight

•

Aircraft General

One of the reasons I was particularly interested in Pooley’s Volume 4 is because it deals with the basic but very vexed question of how wings produce lift. Pooleys has stuck to the tried and tested mainstream school of thought that uses the Bernoulli Theorem, which posits that the wing produces a ‘low pressure vacuum’ above the wing as an explanation for how wings produce lift. The other school of thought argues in favour of what is loosely termed the Newtonian explanation. Newton’s Third Law holds that: If two bodies exert forces on each other, these forces have the same magnitude, but opposite directions. Proponents of this school then conclude that wings produce lift by directing air downwards – and according to Newton, this produces an upwards reaction from the wing. This dialectic has been hotly debated by many writers of aerodynamic texts – and especially those who seek to explain the principles of flight to new pilots. My referee in this debate is Peter Garrison who, in an article that went viral, said, “You will never understand lift. Forget it. You haven’t got a chance.” Essentially though, he also comes out in defence of the Bernoulli explanation - arguing like Spike Milligan, that “rumours of Bernoulli’s demise have been much exaggerated.” With this admonition still intriguing me ten years after he wrote it – I was relieved to find

The complete Air Pilots Manual series for Southern Africa.

that Pooley’s have stuck to the tried and tested Bernoulli explanation – which is after all, what the examiners are looking for. So, the bottom line is – if you are studying to pass the PPL exams – this is the reference that you need. The books are available online, or from any good pilot supplies shop. j

August 2022

121

AERO EXPO 2022

Photo credit - William Stiles williamstilescreative.com @william_stiles

Just when other airplanes thought the worst was over... The Sling High Wing - Now also in the USA. +27 (0) 11 948 9898 | www.slingaircraft.com | sales@slingaircraft.com | AMO 1264 | Manufacturing Organisation M677

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August 2022

FlightCm African Commercial Aviation

Edition 164 | August 2022

BNT INTERNATIONAL - Bridging the gap in private sectors

Compliance – Postholders

responsibility

SAAF Gripen: Problems continue 1

FlightCom: August 2022

Flying Khat

in East Africa

IATA AGM

– Africa roundup

AMO 227

FLIGHT SAFETY THROUGH MAINTENANCE

Overhaul / Shockload / Repair of Continental and Lycoming Aircraft engines

Hangar no 4, Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria PO Box 17699, Pretoria North, 0116 Tel: (012) 543 0948/51, Fax: (012) 543 9447, email: aeroeng@iafrica.com

SA Flyer 2022|08

Overhaul Engine Components Overhaul and supply of Hartzell / McCauley and Fix pitch Propellers

300 accredited journalists from across the world which included 35 international journalists

7 hangars of indoor hi-tech exhibitions enabling some 12 960m2 of stands built

62 official delegations from 33 countries 68 aircraft (civil & military) on static display 1200 pieces of media coverage about the exhibition & air show (local & international)

17 169m2 of outdoor exhibits

AAD AT A GLANCE

486 exhibitors from 40 countries 32 538 trade visitors from 112 countries 55 063 public visitors

A youth pavilion as part of the Youth Development Programme, which hosted & created awareness to 10 000 youths to careers in the aviation industry & SANDF.

Armaments Corporation of South Africa SOC Ltd

ANNIVERSARY

CONTENTS

TABLE OF 06 08 09 12 18 24 30 34 38 39 40 42

Publisher Flyer and Aviation Publications cc Managing Editor Guy Leitch guy@flightcommag.com Advertising Sales Wayne Wilson wayne@saflyermag.co.za

AUGUST 2022 EDITION 164

Bush Pilot - Hugh Pryor

Layout & Design Patrick Tillman: Imagenuity cc

ADMIN: +27 (0)83 607 2335 TRAFFIC: +27 (0)81 039 0595 ACCOUNTS: +27 (0)15 793 0708

AME Directory BNT International – Maintenance Excellence Defence - Darren Olivier Pilots - Laura McDermid Lockdown Freedom - John Bassi Industry Recovery - Roy Ezze The Regulatory Round Out - Kim Gorringe Alpi Aviation SA: Flight School Directory Atlas Oil Charter Directory AVES Technics AMO Listing Backpage Directory © FlightCom 2021. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without the express permission of the copyright holders.

A NOTE FROM

THE EDITOR:

I arguably write an inordinate amount about SAA. The reason is because this once worldclass airline provides the spectacle of a Technicolor slow-motion train smash that has cost taxpayers billions. This train smash carries the hopes and dreams of so many of today’s youth, who have the sky in their eyes and dream of being pilots. THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW is that SAA Version 2.0 continues to shoot itself in the foot; this despite a low level of flight operations. The latest controversy to befall the airline relates to flight SA9053 from Accra to Johannesburg. Let me take this opportunity to clear up some of the deliberate mis-information (lies) and distortions plus claims and counter-claims that swirled around after the story broke.

this flight was none other than Vusi Khumalo, who had also been the captain of the notorious Brussels vaccine flight. This was grist to the mill for all those who hate SAA and all that it represents in the public enterprises’ apocalypse. Gradually however, the most experienced airline captains quietly acknowledged that if they had been in Khumalo’s position they would not have done anything differently. The flight carried an engineer (a ‘flying spanner’) as SAA does not have engineering staff stationed at Accra. Whether the flying spanner was under pressure to sign-off the aircraft, we will probably never know. However, presumably the aircraft was actually signed-off as fit for flight. The experienced senior captains acknowledged that on that basis they would have accepted the plane – and its load of passengers.

Was there a cover up?

Was there a cover up? It took about five weeks before the media became aware of this drama - after it was exposed on social media. This led to accusations that there had been a cover up, both by SAA and the CAA. The CAA is however adamant that SAA had reported it as an incident and CAA Director Poppy Khoza claims to have logs that confirm this.

Were there passengers on board? The CAA incident report said that there was an improbable 1+1 crew and passenger on board. I checked with SAA, who confirmed that the aircraft had 184 passengers and 25 crew for a total of 209 people. Was the Captain at fault? The story was given added impetus by the admission by SAA that the captain of

This has been an enormous mess which has further sullied SAA's already compromised safety reputation. And a reputation for compromised safety is the one thing that the struggling airline just cannot afford, as passengers who have any reason to doubt an airline’s safety will simply book on another airline. And thus will SAA fail again. 

BUSH PILOT HUGH PRYOR

LOOK AT ME

M U M MY

Look at me Mummy, I'm up here. That's where it all started...up there with my head stuck out of the top of a Beech tree. High enough to be beyond reach and low enough to be seen by Mummy and other jealous members of the congregation.

HINT OF DANGER...a sniff of adventure...not too much, but just enough to elicit a barely suppressed sigh of admiration from that delightful little Annie down there. Once I was back down on the ground, I would be able to look up at the top of 'My' tree and say to myself, "I was up there!" with a barely veiled grin spreading across my face...the growing branches of a living thing having given me access to views not available to my more faint-hearted siblings.

simulator screen. It is much more interesting if you can still see the people on the ground...particularly if one of them is that delightful little Annie! There is another feature of aircraft which fascinates me in the same way that ships hold me in a state of disbelief...that is the sheer size of the big ones...to watch an enormous airliner brush its sixteen main wheels smoothly onto a runway and lower its immense nose wheel tyres gently on to the ground speaks of an intricate sensitivity to balance.

helicopters shouldn't really fly at all

The same feeling applies to aeroplanes for me. After more than 18,000 hours I am still definitely happier when I am within shouting distance of the ground.

How a tiny little ant-like creature can sit way up there in the front and have control over everything from those mighty engines to the tiniest servo tab away down the far end at the back, while supported, like a feather, by a vacuous invisible wraith of wind, defies a layman's belief.

I am used to flying over my house and shouting to my wife out of the cockpit window to ask her to come and pick me up from the airport. Once I get much above Flight level 120 I lose the sense of Flight and the view out of the window might as well be on a

A ship needs a collection of little ants to drive it, of course, but when confronted by the whole massive bulk of steel, sitting, supported solely by water...How is it possible for something with seventeen stories above the waterline and only nine below to float the

FlightCom: August 2022

LOCATION

TEL NO

E-MAIL

✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

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

FlightCom: August 2022

Other countries

FIRST NAME

EASA registered

SURNAME

FAA registered

AME Doctors Listing

Off-site Specialist tests

And helicopters?...Now they shouldn't really fly at all! In fact, I don't really understand why the whole thing doesn't just fall to pieces immediately you start the engines 

On site Specialist tests

It just doesn't seem to make sense...until you look into it a bit closer and then everything suddenly seems to be so logical...If a Piper Cub can fly, then

That does not in any way reduce my fascination with ships and aircraft. In fact, if anything it increases the feeling that there is something mysteriously miraculous about them, as though they should not really work at all.

Senior Class 1, 2, 3, 4

By the same token, how is it possible for one person, weighing less than a sack of potatoes, to lift four hundred tons into the air simply by pulling back on a stick?

an A380 can too...they are both operating in the same air, so they both need engines, they both need wings and ailerons and flaps and elevators and rudders...in fact, they are really much the same, except that one is a bit bigger and the other is more difficult to fly.

Regular Class 2, 3, 4

right way up? I remember watching one of those monsters as it passed beneath me when I stood on the Forth Road Bridge in Scotland. Suddenly I saw a tiny figure standing on the forward observation platform, by the graceful sweep of the bow. I raised a hand to greet the great ship and was duly amazed when a tiny hand was raised in acknowledgement. It was as though the minute waving arm was just confirming that this gargantuan piece of metal was built and controlled by a tiny waving hand.

✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

✗ ✗

BNT

INTERNATIONAL

– A CENTRE OF MAINTENANCE

EXCELLENCE

HE AVIATION INDUSTRY, and the airline industry in particular, has been under a huge amount of pressure over the past three years. The Covid pandemic has created an environment where only the strongest businesses can survive. Consequently, many of the weaker businesses have failed or are struggling. One of the consequences of this pressure has been a loss of institutional capacity in the industry. One of the largest single casualties of this was SAA Technical, which lost many of its most senior engineers. Bridging the gap, the private sector is

coming to the rescue of airline operators. BNT international is a leading light amongst private sector providers of key engineering services. The company was founded by CEO Paulo Mateus in 2013 and has steadily developed into an approved maintenance organization (AMO) that provides high level engineering skills essential to the ongoing operations of the African airline industry. BNT International provides seven key competencies: A wheel shop, a brake shop, a composite shop and a machine shop and safety equipment supply and

BNT has made a massive investment in equipment - such as its machine shop. FlightCom: August 2022

maintenance. The company has a complete non-destructive testing (NDT) capability. In addition, it also specialises in emergency equipment maintenance and provides a machine shop for ground equipment maintenance. BNT's NDT capabilities are particularly noteworthy. CEO Paulo Mateus points out that it is not just old aircraft which need NDT testing. South Africa’s Boeing 737-800 fleet is already 20 years old and even Boeing 737 Maxes need regular NDT testing. The company has made the substantial investment in capital and skills to provide all five types of NDT. These are: Ultra sonic testing, eddy current, dye penetration, magnetic particle inspection and X-rays. The company has made a matching investment in skills development and has NDT Technicians qualified in Level 1 and 2 as well as Level 3 Certification under African NDT, being the standards and quality supervisors for the entire process. A further competency of BNT is the maintenance and provision of emergency equipment. The company specialises in the provision and refurbishment of life vests and rafts as well as escape slides.

10 FlightCom: August 2022

BNT has specialist skills - such as this wheel shop.

BNT services emergency equipment.

Yet another core competency is the maintenance of oxygen cylinders, fire extinguishers as well as regulator overhauls. This requires an ability to provide hydrostatic testing of the bottles and the regulators. BNT’s comprehensive range of high level skills and its investment in capital-intensive testing equipment gives the South African aviation industry a solid grounding in terms of its capacity to maintain aircraft as the fleet ages, particularly across Africa with its challenges in raising both capital and finance for aircraft replacement. j

SA Flyer 2022|08

Your one-stop-shop for repairs and overhauls of aviation rotables and special processes. ü ü ü ü

Quality Safety Service Excellence Honest pricing

Aviation Services § Wheel overhaul and Repair Services § Brake Overhaul and Repair Services § Non-Destructive Testing on Aircraft § Hydro Static Testing on Pressure Vessels § Oxygen Cylinders and Fire Extinguishers § Safety Equipment § Ground Support Equipment § Composite Repairs § Aircraft Weighing - Aircrafts up to 60 000kg

Contact us: Tel: +27 11 395 1677 / +27 10 110 7230 Website: www.bnt-int.co.za Physical Address: Denel North Entrance, Building D3, 131 Atlas Road, Bonaero Park, 1619 Satellite Facility: Hangar 3, Safair Precinct, 1 Northern Perimeter Road, Bonaero Park, 1619 Postal Address: PO Box 7300, Bonaero Park, 1622

AMO 1288 11

FlightCom: August 2022

DEFENCE DARREN OLIVIER

SAAF GRIPENS

– KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD By the time this issue is published the South African Air Force (SAAF) will have been without an air combat capability for more than a year.

TS FLEET OF GRIPENS, the sole fighter aircraft in operation with the service, have been grounded since mid-August 2021 when budget cuts and disagreements over contract terms resulted in the support contracts with Saab and GKN being allowed to lapse. Without support contracts in place, or adequately certified workarounds, the SAAF’s Military Airworthiness Board cannot issue or renew approvals for flight.

There’s no way to put a positive spin or brave face on this situation. It’s disastrous. For a year the country has been without any air defence capability whatsoever. And yet its leadership have complacently stood by with no apparent sense of urgency while a critical strategic capability acquired at great cost has fallen apart. One would have thought that those in positions of power would have been moving heaven and earth to resolve the situation. Delaying Gripen maintenance will result in even greater costs - and sooner obsolesence .

12 FlightCom: August 2022

Of course, the SAAF and Armscor (as the procurement agency) haven’t been entirely idle, and have been engaged in back and forth negotiations with both Saab and GKN to try find a workable solution that fits within the SAAF’s pitiful budget allocation, yet still provides the necessary level of support to keep these highly complex aircraft flying. But progress has been slow, suffocated by red tape and indecision at the highest levels, and characterised by stop-start spurts of activity and waiting that have wasted crucial time. Worse, those negotiations have been taking place since early 2021, long before the contract was due to lapse and providing plenty of time to avoid the situation. At the most basic level, the cause is simple: The SAAF’s Combat Systems directorate has an annual budget of just over R300 million, which is ludicrously inadequate to maintain even a single modern fighter squadron, let alone a squadron of Hawk Mk120 fighter-trainers alongside it. Benchmarking that against similar fighter squadrons around the world shows that an annual budget of R1 billion is needed just to maintain a basic capability level, with R3 billion or so a year needed for full operational capability and utilisation.

procurement regulations, even though there aren’t any local companies that could perform any of the work required. At best, it would mean some local company acting entirely as a rent seeker, placing orders with Saab and GKN for spare parts and adding its own mark up on top while adding no value and harming what’s already a low margin contract. This type of requirement is a problem that has increasingly crept into service and support contracts for key SANDF systems, even when the OEM is the only possible supplier, making maintenance costs much higher than they need to be and contributing to low availability of these critical systems. There are now questions being raised inside SANDF HQ about whether Armscor continues to be an enabler of the SANDF, or has become a harmful hindrance. That distrust played its part in delaying these negotiations too.

the realm of fantasy and magical thinking

Expecting things to work with just R300-400 million a year falls in the realm of fantasy and magical thinking, not sound governance. Add to that the chronic indecision plaguing the SANDF and indeed South Africa as a whole of late, increasing red tape around procurement, and the misapplication of preferential procurement regulations to strategic defence contracts that clearly can’t support them, and it’s no surprise things have reached this point. Absurdly, according to people familiar with the negotiations, much of the time was wasted by Armscor’s insistence on applying the 30% local content requirement from the preferential

Despite these constraints earlier this month, all sides finally reached a breakthrough and agreed, in principle and after a number of proposals and revisions, to a new three year support contract that almost fits within the pre-defined budget and provides a limited return to service. It’s not perfect, for either side, but it’s at least a way forward and buys a bit more time. At the time of going to press, however, it seems that neither the airframe contract with Saab nor the engine contract with GKN have yet been finalised, signed, and paid for. This was despite an assurance provided by military leadership to the news programme Carte Blanche in June that the situation had been resolved. Worse, even if all outstanding contracts are signed today, it will take many months for the first aircraft to return to the air after all the necessary maintenance and checks have been completed. It will take just as long for air and ground crews to regain their currencies and qualifications, as none have been able to preserve them over a grounding this extensive. It hasn’t even been possible for pilots to continue training on the two simulators in

FlightCom: August 2022

SAAF Gripens have unique and expensive to maintain features such as these gravity refuelling points.

the Squadron Level Mission Trainer (SqLMT) at AFB Makhado, because those fall under the same contract and have not been operational either. They need relatively substantial upgrades in any case.

key obsolescence issues been addressed, so the SAAF is going to be faced with another budget crisis on the Gripens when it next needs to renew the contract. That time it may be impossible to resolve.

While an attempt was made to keep 2 Squadron’s aircrews actively flying by re-allocating most of them to fly Hawks Mk120s at 85 Combat Flying School, that’s been only partially successful owing to inadequate funding and the resulting low availability of the Hawk fleet too, with only four aircraft available on most days. It’s also not possible to use Hawks to preserve Gripen proficiency, only to preserve some fast jet and combat tactics skills.

To understand why these contracts are so crucial, it’s necessary to know what they cover and how they work. Formally speaking, Saab, Armscor, and the SAAF refer to these as steady state support contracts, meaning that they’re intended to maintain an existing capability rather than establish new capabilities or perform substantial upgrades. There are two main contracts, the steady state support contract with Saab, which is commonly referred to as the ‘airframe’ contract, and a similar one with GKN (the OEM of the RM12 engine in the Gripen) to maintain engines.

only a token force can be restored

Realistically, the SAAF won’t have any real fighter capability before 2023 at the earliest, and only for a handful of aircraft at first. There is also now no hope of returning to the capability levels and numbers that 2 Squadron had before the grounding, and at best only a token force can be restored by 2024/2025 under current funding levels. Nor have

14 FlightCom: August 2022

As with most similar traditional support contracts, these contain two types of support: Activities, products, and services covered in part or in full as

part of the annual contract cost and those that need to be purchased and paid for on an on demand basis through separate Work Authorisation requests, with the contract defining the terms and process under which those orders will be made. As an example, air forces will usually include most baseline items, like configuration management, technical maintenance publications, and map updates, as part of the annual contract cost so as to ensure predictability and security of supply. Items that might be needed on an unscheduled basis or not needed as often, such as certain types of spare parts or repairs, might then be excluded from the main contract to save on annual costs. It’s always a complex exercise to get the balance right, as leaving too many items out of the main contract and into the on-demand portion can end up costing you far more over the life of the contract. It’s also risky from an availability point of view as those on-demand repairs and spare part orders have long lead times and little guarantee on delivery dates, meaning you could have aircraft grounded for months if you can’t carry enough spare parts inventory to cover for those delays.

To be clear, integrated support contracts are expensive, trading cost for predictable availability and consistent upgrades. The Swedish Air Force’s support contract with Saab for its two remaining Gripen C/D squadrons comes to over R1 billion a year. In contrast, the annual portion of the airframe support contract for the SAAF is expected to be around R200-250 million a year. Even that may yet turn out to be unaffordable. But in order to fit the annual cost within that limited budget, the revised SAAF Gripen contract apparently covers only the most crucial items, leaving almost everything else including training, upgrades, most spares, and certain types of maintenance as services to be procured and paid for separately as needed. It’s a high-risk gamble by the SAAF, betting that enough things will go right and it might be able to shift budgets around as needed for the most critical items, but it’s a shortterm strategy that will prevent 2 Squadron from reaching proper operating capacity and will cause severe maintenance delays.

the two simulators are not operational either

For this reason many countries have been moving toward integrated support contracts that guarantee a certain minimum level of availability and cover all aircraft management, spares, spiral upgrades, etc in a single annual payment. That’s the model nearly all of its other Gripen C/D customers use, which is why it was so much easier for them to upgrade from the MS19 baseline to MS20, and it’s a model the SAAF initially requested as part of its RFP for Project Ukhozi but subsequently abandoned in favour of a traditional support model with upgrades bought separately. Yet it has never had sufficient funding to implement most of those upgrades, including MS20, which has increased maintenance costs over time.

Worse, the SAAF’s Gripen C/D fleet is on a unique baseline from all other Gripens around the world. Not only are its aircraft still on MS19, but the SAAF has fitted unique electronic warfare, refuelling, and other components to its aircraft. It also has a custom logistics system, including integration with other systems like OSIS and its own technical publications format. Even the ejection seats are no longer at the same baseline as other Gripens, having been modified under Project Mothusi. There was a significant extra cost in the support contract that was dedicated to just maintaining the separate SAAF baseline, and included things like keeping people staffed at Saab just because they were skilled at maintaining some or other component or subsystem that other Gripen operators no longer used.

FlightCom: August 2022

The SAAF Gripens have custom mods on their ejection seats.

In 2018 I spoke to Mats Lundberg, then Saab’s programme manager for South Africa, to discuss this issue and Saab’s ongoing campaign to get the SAAF to purchase the MS20 upgrade in order to reduce the baseline difference and save on maintenance and support costs. He predicted that it would not be too long before the cost of the support contract became too costly for the SAAF to afford, even if Saab took virtually no margin on it. That turned out to be prophetic; that upgrade never happened, and according to those same people familiar with the negotiations, the SAAF has even had to exclude a number of those custom systems from the new contract while hoping it could somehow fix that later. It’s just more kicking the can down the road. Hope is not a strategy, and the budget crisis facing the SANDF is no longer something that we can pretend is a temporary state that will soon end. It’s time to wake up to that fact and start making serious proposals and plans on how to still preserve the most crucial capabilities while disbanding and dismantling anything and everything else. It will leave us weaker as a country, but at this point that’s inevitable anyway.

BUMPPPFFF:

16 FlightCom: August 2022



A321neo vs B737-10 in a nutshell.

NEWS

WORK FROM HOME

AFFECTS AIRLINES Qatar Airways' CEO says a work-from-home "epidemic" is contributing to the travel chaos. PEOPLE ARE MAKING EASY MONEY working from home and don't want to return to their jobs, Akbar Al Baker, the CEO of Qatar Airways said. "We face the same problem in France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany," Al Baker said at the Farnborough Airshow. "So it is actually an epidemic in our industry. This all happened because people learned to get easy money from working out of their homes, and fewer people now want to come and do the jobs that they were doing," he said. Al Baker's comments came amid a summer travel season with flight delays and chaos across the industry — and particularly in Europe — as demand has returned to pre-pandemic levels. Issues faced by airlines include staff shortages and bad weather. To contain the chaos, London Heathrow Airport started limiting passengers flying out from the facility to 100,000 a day. A global aviation hub, Heathrow was the busiest airport in Europe before the pandemic. Al Baker, who is a Heathrow board member, declined to comment on the situation at the airport directly. But he told Bloomberg in an earlier interview at the airshow that Heathrow should have anticipated the situation. 



Akbar Al Baker blames work from home for airport chaos.

FlightCom: August 2022

PILOTS LAURA MCDERMID

MY LIFE AS A

DRUG RUNNER

Laura McDermid continues her series on the remarkable exploits of Iris McCallum UNICEF finally came to the realization that STOL aircraft such as the Twin Otter were better suited than the Cessna 402s when flying remote missions in East Africa, and as a result, they terminated their contract with SafariAir in 1989.

HIS MEANT THAT MY best friend Heather Stewart and I were back at Wilson Airport in Nairobi doing scheduled flights into the Serengeti. Initially, this was a welcome reprieve from the stress of flying assignments that we often risked our lives for, but it soon lost its allure. Kenya had become a soughtafter destination following the movies Out of Africa and White Mischief, the latter glorifying the hedonistic exploits of British expatriates living in Kenya in the 1940s. We were the romantic gateway to crystal decanters set on crisp white linen against a backdrop of misty emerald valleys teeming with game.

By that stage in my life, flying had become something of a routine. The wonder of my first exhilarating hours of flight had become lost in the many thousands of hours I had spent earning a living at the controls of a plane. I suppose I could have walked away and not had to worry about the weather, the night flights, the difficult landings on bush strips, and the demanding passengers. I could go somewhere far from Africa and never look at an airport again. So why didn’t I?

Smoke was coming out of the left wing

When we weren’t managing the ridiculous expectations of starry-eyed clients, we were flying great white hunters on missions to track down enormous ivory tusks that only existed in the realms of their fevered imaginations.

18 FlightCom: August 2022

The reality is that aviation ran in my veins as sure as my life blood did. I was addicted as much to the art of flying as I was to the soul of Africa. However, the time had come to move on to the next adventure. CMC Aviation was the Piper aircraft agent in East Africa and they had an aircraft engineer called Himat Vaghela. He was one of those rare, easy-going people, who despite their extensive knowledge,

Trusty Piper Chieftain 5Y-ROH.

remained friendly and humble. He treated me as an equal and his advice always proved invaluable. He was my ‘favourite engineer’ and I was his ‘favourite pilot’ and it wasn’t long before he acquired his PPL. This gave him an edge over his competitors as he had more insight and empathy into pilots’ woes! Himat struck out and formed his own company, Capital Air Lines. He started off by leasing a Piper Navajo 5Y-KDO, and two Piper Chieftain’s 5Y-ROH and 5Y-SMR. Once up and running he approached me to freelance for him and I accepted without a moment’s hesitation. One of the biggest and most lucrative businesses in Kenya at the time was the transportation of miraa khat, a plant that flourishes on hills at high altitudes.

In the Horn of Africa, khat is a regular part of life, often consumed at social gatherings or in the morning before work and by those wishing to stay awake, such as students and long-haul truck drivers. The leaves and buds are chewed like tobacco or are brewed as tea. It produces feelings of euphoria and alertness that can verge on mania and hyperactivity, depending on the variety and freshness of the plant. Dozens of planes full of khat were flown to the north easternmost region of Kenya bordering Somalia each day, where the leaves were promptly sold before they lost their potency. When khat leaves dry, the more potent chemical decomposes within 48 hours. Thus, the fresh leaves and stems are packed in plastic bags or wrapped in banana leaves to preserve their moisture.

Northern Kenya near Garba Tula.

FlightCom: August 2022

PILOTS We all had our ‘own’ Somali trader. Ibrahim Sheik would meet me every day before dawn at Wilson Airport with a truck loaded with khat. The passenger seats from the Pipers were removed and every inch of the plane’s cavity would be stuffed with the herbaceous plant. Once full we would fly the three hours to Mandera, where Ibrahim would begin haggling with the prospective buyers. The first loads to arrive always got the best prices and as a result, we made sure to be there early. “As-Salam Alaykum! Very fresh, very special leaves. You taste? You like?…how many dollar you pay”? Ibrahim would start the process until every last leaf was sold.

20 FlightCom: August 2022

On the return trip the trucks were filled with bags of counterfeit blue jeans and T-shirts, which in turn were stuffed into the plane, and Ibrahim and I would fly back to Nairobi where the process was repeated. Himat and I flew these trips on a rotational basis. I had just completed my stint and was at home when Maggie the PA phoned.

“What took you so long Cuddles?”

The khat was loaded back onto trucks; some were distributed locally to stallholders at the markets in Mandera, whereas others made the journey across

Himat Vaghela.

the border into Somalia.

“Iris, we just got word from a pilot who saw Himat go down somewhere in the bush near Garba Tula. He gave a rough description of the location but we need you to find him as the local authorities are unable to assist”.

Himat had been scheduled to fly to Mandera that morning but both our Chieftain’s were at CMC Aviation for various reasons. They offered us another Chieftain, 5Y-BGO, which was also in the

Khat vendors in Mandera.

process of being serviced, but they promised to have it ready for his flight.

spot on my map, I descended as low as was practical and began to fly a grid.

I raced to Wilson where I found the Navajo 5Y-KDO, ready at the refuelling bay. It had been at least three hours since he had taken off. I packed the first aid kit as well as a flask of water and his favourite sweet, milky chai tea.

My hungry eyes soon picked out wisps of oily black smoke. A flash of reflected sunlight revealed the wreck of the Chieftain partially hidden by a thicket of trees and I recognized the luminous orange of Himat’s bomber jacket.

“What is the exact time you received the emergency call from Himat?” I asked Maggie.

Good man had the sense to turn his jacket inside out! I waggled my wings and flew low over the wreck, indicating that I’d seen him. I circled the area, making mental notes of the features, and the shapes of the hills and trees, and headed to the Garba Tula airstrip.

Good man had the sense to turn his jacket inside out!

I laid my 1/2,000,000 map on the table and based on his takeoff time and the time he made the radio call, as well as the info from the other pilot, I circled an area.

The semi-desert in northern Kenya is a vast and featureless grassland interspersed with shrubs and thickets of dry forest. Once I reached the designated

Maggie had organised ground support, and three armed policemen and three Samburu trackers were waiting for me in a 7-ton truck. Admittedly not the ideal bush vehicle, but it would have to do!

FlightCom: August 2022

PILOTS Evergreen khat bushes in East Africa.

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I sat up front next to Sergeant Maclear Ngombo, the others in the back clutching the first aid kit, the refreshments, and the rifles. We headed off in the direction of the wreck, bumping along goat paths and dry river beds. Every now and then a shifta (bandit) would break from his hiding place and run like hell in the opposite direction to our travel; convinced that the police had come for him!

Fearing being burnt alive, Himat scrambled out of the plane, an excruciating exercise due to a damaged right ankle and severe whiplash. He narrowly managed to escape before the first blast.

We drove until the bush became impenetrable after which we proceeded on foot.

I examined his leg. He had the sense to keep his boots on, the area above the shoe on his right leg was badly swollen, the skin stretched taut and shiny like that of an over-ripe plum. I gave him something for the pain and with a person on either side of him, Himat was man-handled back to the truck.

“Himat; Himaaat; Himaaaat”. we shouted, punctuating our shouts with occasional gunfire.

It took us twice as long to get back, stopping often to swop men and to catch our breath.

The midday heat was so stifling that even the incessant buzzing of cicadas had stopped. We had been walking for an hour when we heard the faint cries.

During a break, Sergeant Maclear appeared in front of me clutching a small bunch of wildflowers he had picked to show his gratitude for finding Himat. A big black man holding a delicate bunch of flowers in one hand and a rifle in the other was so incongruous that it would have been comical had the situation not been so dire.

“Help me……hellllpppp”. We followed the sound and found an exhausted but relieved Himat slumped in the shade of a tree.

convinced that the police had come

“What took you so long Cuddles?” He tried to smile but the ashy tone of his skin betrayed the pain he was in. He accepted the proffered flask gratefully and gulped down the sweet chai tea. Bolstered by the shot of sugar, the story slowly unfolded. The Chieftain’s left engine began running rough above no-man’s land before it finally quit. Despite full power, the right engine couldn’t maintain the plane’s altitude. Himat knew he’d have to land but there was approximately 1000L of fuel on board and the Piper would likely explode if it came down hard. He chose the only open area and deliberately stalled the aircraft in an attempt to prevent flying into the surrounding trees.

We finally took off for Wilson Airport at 17h30, a full 12 hours after Himat’s departure earlier on that day. Back in Nairobi, an ambulance was waiting to take him to the hospital. He had suffered extensive damage to the ankle and was wheeled into theatre that evening to have it operated on. Himat credits me for saving his life, but I don’t see it that way. We all needed each other in different ways. Himat saved me from a life of tedium and provided me with a different opportunity. In Africa, people learn to serve each other. They live on credit balances of little favours that they give and may, someday, ask to have returned. 

Despite the gentle landing, smoke was coming out of the left wing.

FlightCom: August 2022

BY JOHN BASSI

When visiting Cape Town the first thing anybody notices is the mountain. A concave, sheer wall of rock 1085 metres high, usually shrouded in a table cloth or orographic cloud.

TRONG WINDS UPLIFT moist air from the Atlantic which condenses as it cools. Deep vertical ravines over 1000 feet high cut into the cliffs, narrow rock ledges run in bands parallel to each other covering the mountains, and caves lurk in impossibly remote areas. Vicious turbulence with wind gusts exceeding 100kmph are not uncommon, and even a light breeze accelerates into downdraughts and turbulence that only the falcons can manage to fly in. This is definitely not helicopter friendly terrain.

“Well, from most observations they prefer the higher cliff faces. They use the narrow ledges to move around and when disturbed they literally run vertically down the cliff face into the forest.”

This is not helicopter friendly terrain

You can imagine what went through my mind when I got the request: “Okay, so, John, we need to capture and fit satellite and GPS tracking collars onto 12 or more Tahrs on Table Mountain. We are wondering if you have any ideas on how we can do this?”

24 FlightCom: August 2022

“Where do these goats like to live and hide?” I asked, feeling half excited but mostly incredulous.

“And you want to capture, and somehow recover not one but twelve?” I replied with wide eyes.

Initially I thought that this was an impossible idea. It had never been done on Table Mountain, because it was such a dangerous, hostile environment. But the country and world was in lockdown, this was a ticket to ultimate adventure and freedom and a real challenge. I was most definitely up for the task. All I had to do was study these animals, study the weather, think out the box and put together a very small, professional and crazy team.

Initial recce flight along the front face of Table Mountain.

FlightCom: August 2022

On the north western corner of Table Mountain’s flat top is a little knob. It looks like a pimple from far, but once you get closer you will see that it is the Upper Cable Way Station. Monster invisible cables and a series of power lines are suspended down the mountains face. On the back face, or eastern, Newlands side, massive forests carpet the lower slopes which then rise vertically 2500 feet. And this is the home of the Tahr, a bit like a mountain goat with a lion's mane.

few. Also in this mix are other animals which are not South African but actually south east Asian such as the Samba deer and the Himalayan mountain goat, or Tahr as it is called here.

Table Mountain is famous for its views, and for the many species of plant and animals that live on it. In all, there are 1470 species of plants growing just on these mountains, more or less the same number as can be found in the whole of the United Kingdom.

Tahrs live on the upper reaches of Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles. They are territorial and do not cohabit with the other local antelope found on the mountain. Fascinating as these shaggy mammals may be, however, their exotic nature poses serious challenges for the natural biodiversity and fragile ecosystem of the mountain. They contribute to the loss of endemic plant life and soil erosion through heavy foraging and over-grazing, and their aggressive species presence threatens that of the klipspringer.

The mountain is not only home to plants, but also a number of wild animals such as the hyrax, rock rabbit, Cape grysbok, klipspringer, caracal, grey mongoose, porcupines and baboons to mention a

A strange thought: a Himalayan mountain goat on Table Mountain? The tahrs came to South Africa at the turn of the last century (1900s) and were introduced by Cecil John Rhodes. The story goes Typical Tahr habitat. The satellite collar and identification ear tags can be seen.

26 FlightCom: August 2022

An adult male tahr hiding inside a crack on a cliff face. The dart can be seen near his hip. The biggest challenge would be to offload the vet safely on the cliffs.

that two tahrs lived in the now-defunct Groote Schuur Zoo close to the Rhodes memorial until 1936 when they “escaped” and found their way on to the mountain. The surrounding terrain was so similar to that of their native Himalayas that they thrived, and have been up there for more than 86 years now. It is not just alien invasive animals that threaten the natural biodiversity of this world heritage site, but there is also alien vegetation that outperforms the fynbos. This too is being targeted to “clean up” the mountain.

Cape Nature Conservation officials have decreed that the tahrs endanger the local plant life on the mountain, causing erosion as well as endangering the antelope that are endemic to Cape Town and so have to be removed. In the process of eradication of the tahr which started in May 2000, approximately half of the population has been removed. Like many introduced species, the tahr's impact on native plants was never considered: its hardy constitution means it can live off just about any vegetation, and - given it has no natural predators here - its spread is only really limited by its breeding cycle.

FlightCom: August 2022

This has caused a furore as the nature lovers in SA believe that as the animals have been here for so long, they should be allowed to stay. The good thing is that the killing has stopped for the present. Ironic when you consider that the tahr has nearly become extinct in the Himalayas, although there is a small population of them in New Zealand where they have also been culled extensively. There have been a number of plans discussed to try and rescue the last of the Cape Town population. One of the suggestions is to catch all the remaining tahrs and relocate them back to the Himalayas. The big problem with this idea is of course, FINANCE, followed by a second but just as difficult one, the practical capture of the tahrs. They are also so genetically inbred that no one wants them. If anyone knows Table Mountain and what the sandstone cliffs look like, then you will appreciate the difficulty capturing wild goats on the cliffs of the mountain.

28 FlightCom: August 2022

It had been proposed that a helicopter and netgun be used in the capture of these hardy animals. Not only would the idea be extremely dangerous, but the chances are that the net shot from a helicopter would knock the tahr off the cliffs and to its death far below. Not to mention how would a person be able to recover a netted, angry goat on a sheer cliff face. Netguns have already been used to catch and relocate numerous tahrs in New Zealand, where a similar issue exists. But this method is by no means without its challenges. As the animals move incredibly quickly across steep rock banks and cliff faces, tracking them is a dangerous undertaking for helicopter pilots – and the tahrs. The time had come, that huge flat mountain and I were about to get to know each other, but I was under no illusion that I would need to tread carefully. Our crew was ready, the unknown lay waiting. 

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FlightCom: August 2022

BY ROY EZZE

WHAT DOES AFRICA REQUIRE TO DRIVE

AVIATION INDUSTRY

RECOVERY?

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) 78th AGM in Doha stirred confidence over industry recovery from COVID-19, while also raising hopes that current industry challenges are surmountable.

OWEVER IN AFRICA, according to IATA, lower vaccination rates have slowed the air travel recovery. Africa’s net losses for 2022 are forecast by IATA to be $0.7 billion, while “demand (RPKs) is expected to reach 72.0% of pre-crisis (2019) levels, and capacity 75.2%.” For most other world regions, however, demand and capacity are forecast to rise above 8090% in 2022 overall.

Ethiopia $75million. A manager of Asky said the airline has to; “find creative ways of making the blocked funds in Nigeria useful” for the airline. For the global recovery, IATA Director General and CEO Willie Walsh spoke confidently about the industry recovery, projecting that the industry would achieve profitability in 2023, and Africa could be looking at recovery in 2024.

Airlines outside Africa are already experiencing recovery

Africa’s slow recovery is further compounded by high costs of operation including rising jet fuel prices, the effect of the Russia-Ukraine war, high taxes, charges and fees as well as other challenges in Africa’s difficult operating environment. Notably, twelve African States have been identified by IATA to be blocking about $1billion airline funds. Nigeria is blocking $450million, Zimbabwe $100million and Algeria $96million, Eritrea $79 million and

30 FlightCom: August 2022

Airlines outside Africa are already experiencing recovery. Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker, said his airline has made 1.5 USD billion profit, and is looking to increased profitability. Robin Hayes, CEO of JetBlue and Chair of IATA Board of Governors, says there is a lot of pent-up demand which will fuel recovery of airlines going forward. For Mehmet Tevfik, Chairperson of the Board and Managing Director of Pegasus

The IATA AGM in Doha produced a very impressive line-up of top speakers, here moderated by CNN's Richard Quest.

Airlines, recovery started faster than expected, as Pegasus Airlines looks forward to hosting the 79th IATA AGM in Ankara, Turkey June 4-6, 2022. As the COVID-19 restrictions ease, airlines are returning to their long-haul routes to Africa, which explains the surge in Africa’s long-haul market. Qatar Airways, for instance, now operates into four airports in Nigeria, including Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Kano. It operates two daily flights from Lagos, Nigeria’s and West Africa’s most populous and largest economic hub. The airline and several other foreign airlines including Emirates, Air France/KLM, Turkish Airlines, among others, fly multiple frequencies to numerous African cities. IATA says Africa has re-established connectivity with the rest of the world better than within the continent itself.

However, just a few African carriers, including Ethiopian, EgyptAir and Royal Air Maroc are leading African airlines’ reciprocity and interconnectivity with other continents. Others without long-haul capacity are focusing on domestic and regional flights within Africa facing various forms of restrictions, while several other African airlines have been forced to cease operations. African airlines now, as always, face a disadvantage competing with their foreign counterparts. With this situation, foreign airlines are increasingly establishing partnerships with especially cashstrapped or otherwise weak African airlines that have good potential to strengthen the foothold of these foreign airlines in Africa.

FlightCom: August 2022

SAATM – Single African Air Transport Market Mr. Rodger Foster, CEO of Airlink, like his Air Peace counterpart, Allen Onyema, lamented the challenges of poor market access still perpetrated in Africa despite the signing of the SAATM by 35 States. He expressed confidence that his airline, which recently celebrated 30 years of operation, will drive connectivity beginning with the Southern Africa region.

Kamil Al-Awadhi, IATA's Regional VP, Africa & Middle East, believes the liberalisation of air transport in Africa would bring huge benefits to Africa and its airlines, a conviction shared by most African airline CEOs. It appears the major hurdle to SAATM is the prohibitive operating conditions including high charges on African airlines that fly into various African States. Foster further said these challenges are well known, emphasising that regional bodies including the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA), and IATA among others must continue advocacy to ensure States grant traffic rights with favourable operating conditions to African airlines under the SAATM framework.

IATA reported that; “The cargo business is doing well already..

Already covering 45 destinations, Foster said Airlink’s cautious expansion strives to enhance interconnectivity in the region, and further reach over to other African regions. Airlink and South African Airways are looked upon to fill the gaps left by the fall of Comair, Mango Airlines and South African Express Airways, among other regional carriers in Southern Africa.

Ms Güliz Öztürk, CEO of Pegasus Airlines, was awarded the “Inspirational Role Model Award” at the IATA AGM.

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Cargo IATA reported that; “The cargo business is doing well already, operating 9% above pre-crisis levels in Africa, and in the Middle East 18%,” adding that “despite economic challenges, cargo volumes are expected to set a record high of 68.4 million tonnes in 2022.” However, Africa faces challenges in terms of low volumes of cargo exports, which the region must address through the full operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which would boost production, and the implementation of the SAATM which would grant air access for African airlines to move cargo easily around the continent.

Lithium Batteries

Mr. Walsh said SAF provides a remarkable investment opportunity for Africa. Discussions in Doha also called for incentives from governments for investors to develop SAF as well as acceptable standards and data collection to ensure the integrity of SAFs to be produced.

Back To The Future Elijah Chingosho, DG of Zimbabwe Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Abderahmane Berthe, Secretary General of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), and Aaron Munetsi, President of Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) who joined the global airlines in Doha, strongly charged African States to tear down non-physical barriers and allow the SAATM take effect for Africa’s benefit.

being pressured to reduce emissions

The challenge of transporting lithium batteries also drew concern at the AGM in Doha. Such batteries could cause disaster for airlines, according to Akbar Al Baker, Group CEO of Qatar Airways. Though he said lithium batteries are being carried safely on airlines, he warned that undeclared and illegal carriage of lithium batteries on-board aircraft could cause safety challenges. Willie Walsh called on governments to step up efforts to improve regulation on lithium batteries.

Africa’s recovery would be achieved through innovative business leadership, industry collaboration, and more importantly government action to remove barriers to industry recovery including travel restrictions.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel – SAF

As global airlines head towards the 79th IATA AGM in Ankara in June 2022, the question would be how much of the impediments within Africa have been resolved, and how much of recovery will Africa have made. 

The aviation industry, which produces just 2.5% of global emissions, is being pressured to reduce emissions; and early development of sustainable and affordable SAFs could quicken this process. Africa is said to have the potential to develop and become a global supplier of SAF. Already, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is working with a number of African States for possible development of feed stock and the requisite technology for SAF production in the continent.

One good take-away from the Doha AGM is that, as Willie Walsh emphasised, the global response to health and other challenges should have input from the aviation industry. And, with the benefit of past experiences, the industry now knows what to do in future crises, and only needs to respond quicker.

FlightCom: August 2022

ACCOUNTABILITY

RESPONSIBILITY OF POST HOLDERS

AND

On 18 April 2022, the Director of Civil Aviation (DCA) circulated a letter to all Accountable Managers and Approval Holders, expressing concern over the number of recent incidents involving the airline and general aviation sectors. The letter especially reminded the aforementioned post holders “…of their responsibilities as dictated by the Civil Aviation Regulations.”

HE DCA, MS POPPY KHOZA, also mentioned that various safety audits conducted on operators indicated “…a common denominator of recent staff reductions, cost cutting measures and reduced operations, all of which had impacted on the implementation of the safety management and quality assurance systems.” She sent out a clear message that any compromise in aviation safety was nonnegotiable and that a commitment to safety had to show in the way air service operations were managed.

For many years, ICAO had no requirements regarding management responsibilities within air service operators. In the 1990s, South Africa, by way of the air service licensing legislation, enacted its own requirements for four management positions, namely CEO, Responsible Person Flight Operations, Responsible Person Aircraft and Air Safety Officer.

overall account abilit y cannot be delegated

In light of this letter, it seems apt to review how management responsibility and accountability for

34 FlightCom: August 2022

post holders has evolved over the past 30 years and how the current prescribed safety and compliance management structures are supposed to look and operate.

License holders were required to submit a

A simple yet key question that should not need a CAA audit to answer.

“Management Plan” to the Councils providing the names, qualifications and experience of these post holders as well as a signed statement of responsibility and accountability for each incumbent. Whenever a responsible person was replaced by a licensee, the Councils needed to be notified of the change and theoretically approve the new appointee. However, as there were no prescribed character, qualification or experience requirements, the councils had limited ability to reject unsuitable personnel.

121. 06.2(5) in 2011 which prescribes that an AOC holder must appoint eight post holders who meet the experience and qualification requirements set out in the CATS. The eight prescribed positions are the CEO/Accountable Manager, Person Responsible Flight Operations, Person Responsible Aircraft and the Chief Pilot, Cabin Crew Manager Air Safety Officer, Quality Manager and Security Manager.

management need to fulfil their safet y res pons ibilities

Around 2010, ICAO introduced standards for Air Operator Certification requiring operators to demonstrate they had an adequate organisation, method of control and supervision of flight operations, training, ground operations and maintenance, control consistent with the nature and extent of the operations. This resulted in the SACAA introducing regulation

The same regulation requires that the SACAA approve the appointment of any person into these prescribed positions based on their experience and qualifications. The experience requirements for the Air Safety Officer and Quality Manager positions are quite onerous. The practice for such approval is that an operator applies to the SACAA in the prescribed manner via its Principal Operations Inspector (POI). Such application needs to take place well in advance of any post holder change being made. Where it is necessary to make an emergency replacement, the

FlightCom: August 2022

A hierarchy of accountability.

operator can temporarily “assign” a replacement post holder for 30 days whilst approval from the SACAA is being sought for the permanent appointment. If the change relates to one of the four positions regulated by the licensing councils, once the SACAA has approved the appointment, a further application must be lodged with the Councils for approval. The responsibilities of post holders were given added prominence with the implementation by ICAO of the Safety Management System methodology in 2013 (Annex 19) and Quality Management System requirements in 2017. Management accountability and responsibilities are key to both systems.

responsible for ensuring appropriate actions are taken to address safety issues, safety risks, accidents and incidents. The accountable manager bears overall accountability for the safe operation of the organization and responsibility for establishing and promoting the safety and quality policies and objectives of the organization as set out in the SMS and Quality manuals. In terms of both SMS and QMS, the accountable manager must maintain a suitable management structure and appoint adequate human resources to manage the system. Although the accountable manager can delegate responsibility for functions and activities to subordinate managers, the overall accountability cannot be delegated.

remedial action must be taken quick ly

The Safety Management System (SMS) requirements are set out in CAR Part 140 and the Quality Management System (QMS) prescripts for commercial operations, training and maintenance are situated in Parts 121, 141 and 145, respectively. The management structure and processes for SMS and QMS are very similar. There must be an accountable executive/manager (typically the chief executive officer), sitting at the apex of the management pyramid. As set out in the CATS, the accountable manger must make the decisions on behalf of the organization, have control of resources, both financial and human, and be

36 FlightCom: August 2022

For SMS, the accountable manager must appoint and rely on a suitably qualified and experienced Air Safety Officer or Safety Manager and for QMS, the key post holder is the Quality Manager. In less complex operations, the CATS allow for these positions and titles to be combined. Those managers responsible for safety and/or quality should have formal job descriptions or delegations which define their responsibilities, specify their independence from the operation and their right of unhindered access to the accountable manager to raise matters of concern. Key to both SMS and QMS is the management evaluation/review process. As the accountable manager in most larger operations is not involved

in the day to day activities of the organization, the accountable manager should lead the management review process. The review should be done by a committee which meets at regular intervals, comprising the most senior managers in the organization as well as the Safety and Quality Managers. Safety and Quality reviews should be dealt with at the same meeting by the committee. This committee must amongst others, evaluate the effectiveness of the Safety and Quality Systems, evaluate and correct trends, establish whether safety performance indicators have been triggered and monitor that scheduled quality audits are being performed and safety reports are being closed off timeously. Where the organization has been recently downsized, the committee must ensure that a management of change and risk assessments have been properly performed by the Safety Department.

occurrences are signs that things are amiss and remedial action must be taken quickly. Indications of safety reports remaining open for extended periods, risk assessments not being done and audits being deferred could mean either a lack of resources or that the skills and experience base in the Safety and/or Quality Departments is lacking. If there is any doubt that these departments are not functioning optimally, the accountable manager must take action to correct the situation. Where issues are not addressed by an operator’s management, it can be expected that the SACAA will perform a Continuous Safety Oversight Inspection and if any of the deficiencies mentioned above are found in the SMS or QMS , enforcement action could be taken against the post holders and/or the operation. Even in these difficult times, it should not be necessary for the SACAA to remind industry that safety is obligatory and that management need to fulfil their safety responsibilities. 

sk ills and ex perience base in the Safet y and/ o r Qu a l i t y De p a r t m e n t s i s lack ing

If done correctly, this process gives the accountable manager and senior management vital insight into how the safety and quality systems are performing. A sudden increase in incidents and repetitive

A complex chain of accountability must be established before an airline can takeoff.



FlightCom: August 2022

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701-3873 701-2623

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(044)

692-0006

www.starliteaviation.com

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Johannesburg Flying Academy

(064)

756 6356

Algoa Flying Club

(041)

581-3274

086-461-7067

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Johannesburg School of Flying (011) U Fly Training Academy (011)

827 9827 824-0680

info@jsf.co.za 390-1738

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Richards Bay Air Carriers

(035)

786-0146/7 786-0145

Rustenburg Flying Club

(082)

821 1690

082 619 8633

Bird Aviation

(016)

556-1007

info@birdaviation.co.za

Desert Air (PTY) LTD

+264

61 228101

+264 61 254 345

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Blue Chip Flight School Loutzavia Legend Sky Powered Flight Training Vortx Aviation Training

(012) (012) (083) (078) (072)

543-3050 567-6775 860-5225 460-1231 480-0359

543-1826 543-1519 086-600-7285 086-666-2077 086-524-0949

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PANORAMA

PORT ELIZABETH RAND AIRPORT

RICHARDS BAY RUSTENBURG

VEREENIGING AIRPORT

WINDHOEK - EROS AIRPORT

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WONDERBOOM AIRPORT / AEROPARK / RHINO PARK - PRETORIA

38 FlightCom: August 2022

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w w w. a l p i a v i a t i o n . c o . z a

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Dangerous Goods

Hangarage

Export Docs & Clearing

Lodge Transfers

(armed)

Line Inspections

Security Based

Aircraft Leasing

Aerial Photography

Maintenance

Surveys

Aircraft Sales

Contracts

Safari Charters

Special Events

Helicopter

Freight

FAX NO

V.I.P

TEL NO

Biz-Jets

CODE

> 20 pax

NAME OF CHARTER

< 20 pax

CHARTER DIRECTORY

Long-Range

+27 (0) 11 917 4220 www.atlasaviation.co.za

BRAKPAN FABB Titanium Air

(011)

914 5810

083 292 0978

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ExecuJet South Africa

(021)

934 5764

934 2087

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Streamline Air Charter

(011)

395 1195/8

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(031)

564 6215

564 6222

(011)

805-0652/82

805-0649

Batair Cargo

(011)

659 2000

701 2253

ExecuJet South Africa

(011)

516 2300

659 2520

Majestic Air Charters

(018)

632 6477

Out of the Blue Air Safaris

(011)

701 2653

CAPE TOWN jjj

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DURBAN KZN Aviation

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GRAND CENTRAL Pambele Aviation

LANSERIA AIRPORT j jjjjj j 082 905 5760

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OR TAMBO INTERNATIONAL Fair Aviation (Pty) Ltd

(011)

395 4552

395 4244

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Federal Airlines

(011)

395 9000

086 667 1789

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Streamline Air Charter

(011)

395 1195/8

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(012)

566 3019

RAND AIRPORT FlyFofa Airways

www.flyfofa.co.za

WINDHOEK - SWAKOPMUND Scenic Air (Pty) Ltd

(+264)

6440 3575

info@scenic-air.com.na

WONDERBOOM AIRPORT - PRETORIA Alpha One Aviation

(082)

301 9977

Flyjetstream Aviation

(012)

543 0060

(083) 279 7853

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Maverick Air Charters

(012)

940 0320

086 648 2690

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Powered Flight Charters

(078)

460 1231

086 666 2077

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FlightCom: August 2022

AMO LISTING

FAX NO

Sheet Metal Rebuilds Overhauls Electrics NDT Testing Refurbishments Structural Repairs Inspections NTCA Aircraft Seat Belts Instruments

CODE TEL NO

CAPE TOWN

Interior

NAME OF AMO

Fixed Wing Helicopter Avionics Piston Engines Turbine Engines Propellers Weight / Balance Paint

SPONSORED BY Aves Technics - Qualified in Aircraft Maintenance, Airworthiness Management, Project Management, Quality and Safety Management.

Cape Aircraft Interiors

(021)

934 9499

934 2022

ExecuJet South Africa

(021)

934 5764

934 2087

Placo

(079)

674 8351

076 901 6780

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BAC Aviation Greystones Aviation Components

(035) (031)

797 3610 569 2614

797 5341 569 2630

Astwood Aircraft Electrical

(011)

315 9605

315 0094

Superior Rotorworx

(076)

595 2120

(082)

346 0150

086 697 9096

ExecuJet South Africa

(011)

516 2300

011 659 1071

Gem Air

(082)

905 5760

011 701 2653

Integrated Avionic Solutions

(082)

831 5032

012 567 7320

Lanseria Aircraft Interiors

(011)

659 1962

Plane Maintenance Facility

(011)

659 2204

SkySource International SA

(011)

900 4300

The Propeller Shop

(011)

701 3114

086 543 7988

Tynay Aviation

(082)

088 6663

011 659 1157/8 j

Diepkloof Aircraft Maintenance

(083)

454 6366

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Aircraft Maintenance International Leading Edge Helicopters cc

(013) (013)

741 8221 j082 787 0415 741 5582 741 8188

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Ferreira Aviation Flightdeck Instrument Systems Westline Aircraft Maintenance

(051) (073) (051)

451 1682 513 3205 451 1717

Aves Technics Nevergreen Aircraft Industries Star Air Maintenance

(011) (010) (011)

568 7677 003 3747 395 2201

43 Air School

(046)

604 3686

(084) (011) (011) (011) (082)

710 0864 827 7535 827 2491 383 2024 445 4496

DURBAN

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GRAND CENTRAL AIRPORT j jjjj

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KRUGERSDORP Skyworx Aviation

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LANSERIA AIRPORT

CAPE WINELANDS AIRPORT NELSPRUIT

NEW TEMPE BLOEMFONTEIN

OR TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

PORT ALFRED

RAND AIRPORT

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451 1683

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451 1641

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973 4761

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AMKA Aviation Pty (Ltd) Aerospace Electroplating Aviation Rebuilders CC Clifton Electronics Dynamic Propellers

40 FlightCom: August 2022

827 9896

lyn@aviationrebuilders.com

086 689 5645 086 548 2651

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Composite Manufacturing

Structural Repairs Inspections NTCA Aircraft Seat Belts Instruments

FAX NO

Sheet Metal Rebuilds Overhauls Electrics NDT Testing Refurbishments

CODE TEL NO

Interior

NAME OF AMO

Fixed Wing Helicopter Avionics Piston Engines Turbine Engines Propellers Weight / Balance Paint