SA Flyer Magazine July 2023

GO WHERE NO BUSINESS JET HAS GONE BEFORE

T he world’s first Super Versatile Jet takes off! Stop compromising and reach for the unexpected. Enhance your flight department’s efficiency by operating a jet more versatile than anything on the market. See what short runway performance, a standard cargo door and a large modular cabin can do for you. Get more from your jet when you fly a PC-24 – contact us now!

pilatus-aircraft.com

Contact Pilatus PC-12 Centre Southern Africa, your nearest Authorised Pilatus PC-24 Sales Centre for further information on Tel: +27 11 383 0800, Cell +27 82 511 7312 or Email: aircraftsales@pilatuscentre.co.za

UNLEASH THE FULL POWER OF

YOUR CARAVAN 208/208B

Transform your flights with a brand new PT6A-140 engine and take your revenue to new heights. Designed by pilots for pilots, this upgrade offers enhanced performance and power, so you can take advantage of 867 SHP in takeoff, climb, and cruise like never before.

POSITION REPORT

I DON’T SEE THE SAME CONFLICT between British, American and Aussie flying magazines and their industry regulator – so I suppose it’s a uniquely South African problem.

And this month it boiled over again.

Much to my surprise I stood on the tail of some slumbering bureaucrat in the inspection department with my March column about the ongoing conflict between the CAA and designated flight examiners. This is not the first time I have ventilated the industry’s frustrations with the inherent tensions between these two groups.

At the time I reckoned my column was a fair opinion piece as I reviewed the problems and also the solutions proposed by the DFEs. It was not just a pointless rant – but offered a real attempt to bridge the chasm in expectations.

Nonetheless I touched a nerve in some insecure senior manager. He instructed the CAA’s media manager to let me have a full doublebarrelled broadside. And that’s just sad.

There should not be such a high level of frustration and consequent conflict between the regulator, the industry and the commentariat (me), but in South Africa there is an ongoing crisis in expectations plus a clash of cultures – and

The problem is that, 30 years

on, the wounds of apartheid are still raw. And so, when I expressed the DFEs’ problems/ challenges/issues with the CAA, I received a tirade of criticism back.

That was okay, in fact I welcomed it – but the big mistake the CAA made was that they played the race card. This is the refuge of those with a weak or non-existent case. They just don’t get it – that not everything is about race. So no, it’s not because you are black that the country has been so badly mismanaged – just look a Carl Niehaus to see how truly idiotic whites can be.

I replied to the CAA’s tirade by appending comments to the original letter. But I have published the full letter and my written reply to it in this issue – on page 89 if you can bear to read the whole sorry little teacup storm.

I just wish grown-ups could make themselves available – on both sides – to build bridges.

Meanwhile, with the blight of bad news –from the weak Rand driving up aircraft and maintenance costs to stratospheric levels, and the stubbornly high oil price keeping the cost of fuel around R30 / litre, I am amazed that anyone call still afford to fly for fun.

Yet the market is buoyant. Used planes have proven to be a good investment with prices roughly doubling in the past 5 years. This has made owning your own plane very rewarding as, for each plane I have owned, the increase in price on selling the plane has more than paid for all my fuel, maintenance and insurance. I recommend it!

j

Guy Leitch

how truly idiotic whites can be

I often wonder why I have such an adversarial relationship with the CAA.

Quiet the noise. Amplify the experience.

Less distraction. Less noise Less pulling you away from the joys of flight With unparalleled comfort and three selectable modes of active noise cancellation, the Bose A30 Aviation Headset enables flight the way it was intended

ZAMBIAN CHILDREN’S FLIGHT

THOUGHT I KNEW HOW TO FLY

PARYS AIRSHOW

BLOCK THAT COEFFICIENT!

208 AVIATION

ESTABLISHED IN 2007, 208 Aviation is a South African privately-owned company that strives to provide a broad range of aircraft maintenance and inspection services. With more than 15 years of operation, we have become a key player in aviation operations on the African continent.

We are a very proud approved Blackhawk dealer and installation facility.

Over the years, we have earned a reputation for providing superior quality workmanship. Doing things right is how we do business. We consider it our responsibility to go above and beyond when it comes to aviation safety and customer satisfaction.

With sound growth and a proven track record, we welcome you to experience the advantage of a dedicated team that brings unprecedented commitment to our customers. Take a few minutes to discover what our expertise can do for you at www.208aviation.com

Contact:

ben@208aviation.co.za or call: +27 83 744 3412 j

Into the Sun

It takes a bold airshow photographer to point his camera directly into the sun to take photos of aircraft in flight.

SA Flyer regular airshow photog Travor Cohen did just that at the Parys Airshow when the Goodyear Eagles Pitts Specials flew formation with a Boeing 737-500 flown by the Eagles’ founder Dennis Spence. Trevor used his trusty Canon 1D Mk2 at 2000th second. The zoom lens was at 214 mm and exposure was f16 at an ISO of 200.

2-stroke Diesels – better late than never

THE MODERN CAR NOW has mature technology engine management systems that prevent knocking and detonation. They burn fuel at the optimal stochiometric ratio – so you don’t have to fool around with the all-important mixture. They are well cooled and so don’t need fussy cowl flaps or have the risk of shockcooling on the descent. I could go on ….. and on.

I used to fantasise about the ideal personal plane – an A36 Bonanza with a V8 BMW petrol engine on the front. Ever since the Rolls Royce Merlin, we have known that aero engines can be made that will turn at an efficient 5000 rpm and so have much better power to weight ratios and longevity than clunky direct-drive air-cooled ‘Lycocontasaureses’.

Water cooling works well – despite those who claim that a water cooled aero engine makes as much sense as an air cooled submarine engine. A good example is Rotax flat fours, which happily spin at 5000 plus rpm for thousands of hours.

12 years ago there was widespread panic that Avgas would be killed off, as it is the last fuel to still use super-toxic tetra-ethyl lead. And as already noted, Avgas is expensive. Why it should be so expensive remains something of a mystery. There’s very little reason for it to be more expensive than car fuel, as it does not carry road users’ tax or the huge Road Accident Fund insurance premiums. Yet it’s about 25% more expensive than petrol.

With the environmentalists hating it, and rip-off pricing, it looked like the end of Avgas was approaching fast. The obvious solution was to use engines that burned simple cheap and readily available paraffin = JetA. And the best way to do that is to use good old Rudi Diesel’s compression combustion engines. Cars and trucks have been using them successfully for more than a hundred years.

We own a 20 year old Pajero with the 165 hp 4-cylinder DiD engine. It has not given a moment’s trouble, is bullet proof and fuel efficient and not very heavy. If it was equipped with a backup for the common rail injection system to get you home in case of electrical

it’s not that easy to adapt diesel

For years I have moaned about how crappy piston aircraft engines are. They are prohibitively expensive, yet have antiquated technology and are far less efficient and reliable than modern car engines.

failure, it would be ideal for an aircraft installation.

The trouble is – it turns out that it’s not that easy to adapt diesel car engines for planes.

So engines being made specifically for aircraft use are required. In 2014 the big hope was a 300 hp diesel in an SR22 Cirrus, which was first flown in Mojave California by Dick Rutan. This SR22 was powered by the Graflight V-8 diesel engine from Engineered Propulsion Systems (EPS). The company claimed the engine burns less than 11 gallons a Jet-A per hour at an economy power setting and has a TBO of 3,000 hours.

These diesel engines are still unproven, so there’s no assumption that they will be durable enough to be repeatedly overhauled. Instead, the engine builders talk about TBR – Time Between Replacement.

EPS said it hoped to start selling the Graflight diesel engine, which it called the Vision 350, immediately after FAA certification, which it expected in late 2016. Yet, here we are, seven years later, and it’s still not certified, let alone flying anywhere I can find.

Yet another big diesel hope that spluttered to a stop was Continental’s V6 310 hp JetA1 burning engine that they reckoned they could bring to market in two years. Continental now has the backing of deep Chinese pockets, so it acquired the bankrupt Austrian Thielert engines – which had delivered more than 4,000 diesel aero engines, flying in 2,600 aircraft to date.

Continental now owns the type certificate for the 350-HP Centurion 4.0 developed for aircraft use by Thielert from the Mercedes Benz OM648. It uses the same core engine, but Continental added a prop speed reduction unit (PSRU) and clutch and redesigned the fuel system to accommodate the lower lubricity of Jet-A1.

The Cirrus SR20 with a neat Deltahawk diesel installation.

Continental produced the range of Thielert engines, called the CD 100, CD 200 and CD 300, under its own brand. (CD stands for Continental Diesel). Like other Thielert-derived engines, the 310 hp V6 is based on a Mercedes car engine – the MB OM642, a 72-degree V6, 3-litre, aluminium block 24-valve turbocharged diesel with electronic fuel injection.

Continental said it would first aim to get European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification, followed by U.S. FAA and Chinese CAAC validation. Given the problems Cessna had certifying the wellproven French SMA engine in its Cessna 182 JT-A, this turned out to be wildly optimistic.

These are all 4-stroke engines. My dream has always been a 2-stroke diesel. Imagine – no electrical system and no complex and heavy valve gear. However, this dream has always been just tantalisingly out of reach.

Back in 2015, at Sun n Fun in Florida USA, I had a lengthy conversation with an earnest African American the size of a quarterback who was marketing the much-hyped DeltaHawk engine.

Like many others, I was beguiled by the DeltaHawk 2-stroke diesel. I love the wonderful simplicity of a 2-stroke diesel as it produces power twice as often as a four-stroke, has no power-sapping valves and no ignition system.

The sad thing is, DeltaHawk was launched in 1998 and in the intervening 25 years has never quite delivered on its promise. It was dangled in front of an enthusiastic aviation community for so long that I dare say most airshow visitors, myself included, tended to write it off as just a dream. And then; hold and below! – out of the blue – the DeltaHawk got its FAA certification ticket in April this year. This is a colossal achievement, and signifies that the engine is no longer just a dream.

Technically, the DeltaHawk is a liquid-cooled, turbo-supercharged, direct-drive, V configured monoblock engine. As a diesel, it will happily burn JetA, diesel, power paraffin or even cooking oil, even used potato chip oil. Despite being a 2-stroke and mechanically injected V4, it has demonstrated basic specific fuel consumption (BSFC) of .38-.40.

It flew - the Deltahawk Cirrus.

it is already hard to find Avgas

In 2014 DeltaHawk installed their 180 hp engine in a Cirrus SR20. Doug Doers, DeltaHawk’s Chief Technical Officer, flew it all the way from Florida to Oshkosh. “The engine has proven itself to run very smoothly, with minimal vibration relative to the Continental it replaced,” Zucker said.

If Zucker’s claim of smoothness is to be believed, this is indeed remarkable, as DeltaHawk still relies on simple mechanical fuel injection. Without a modern common-rail fuel feed with Piezo injectors it would be expected to have the typical old fashioned explosive banging of diesel combustion. On modern electronic ‘common rail’ diesels, Piezo injectors squirt fuel into the cylinder as many as seven times in one stroke, thus extending and slowing the combustion. This improves smoothness and fuel consumption and reduces the stresses in the engine so it can be built out of aluminium, rather than cast-iron.

Traditionally diesels had to be heavily built to handle the loads of explosive diesel detonation. But the total weight of the V4 engine is 330 lbs, and this includes the exhaust, turbocharger, alternator, and starter.

DeltaHawk says a six-cylinder model may be developed to address a mid-range of power and weight requirements. With a projected weight of 465 lb, a 450 hp V-8 is not far from that holy grail of weight efficiency; 1.00 lb/hp.

Diesel engines run lean, with high compression ratios, making them more efficient than petrol engines. Diesel engines do not need priming to start, have no carburettor icing problems, no mixtures to fiddle with, and need less maintenance. The JetA used by new diesel engines is half the price of Avgas, and the engines are claimed to be cleaner, as diesel avoids lead emissions while cutting carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon output.

There are currently over 41 types of aircraft models worldwide being designed around

the DeltaHawk engine. With the engine now certified, hopefully we will soon see it in production aircraft as either original equipment –or as an aftermarket STC.

So is the diesel aero-engine finally going to achieve the prominence it has always promised? I believe that, particularly in Africa, the answer is now a qualified ‘Yes’.

In many parts of the world it is already very difficult to find Avgas. Conversely, JetA and diesel are both readily available. Although there will still be Avgas refined, it will be produced in such small quantities that it will be extremely expensive.

Will we all be flying JetA diesels in the future? Only time will tell, but the signs look good. j

guy@saflyermag.co.za

One of the many that that never happened - the Thielert Centurion 4.0

PILATUS SERVICE CENTRE SOUTHERN AFRICA

PILATUS PC-12 Centre Southern Africa (PCSA) is the sole Authorized Pilatus Sales and Service Centre in Africa. Operating since 2007 from the hangars 41 and 42 at Rand Airport, PCSA has provided a decade of unparalleled service and sales support for Pilatus owners in the region. With a highly proficient team comprising of skilled personnel, PCSA is dedicated to providing a Pilatus owners with comprehensive sales and maintenance support.

Maintenance support

PCSA supports an ever-growing fleet of more than 85 Pilatus PC-6, PC-12 and PC-24 aircraft in the African region. The company strives

to maintain Pilatus’ intense focus on postsale maintenance support, where customers are served locally through strong personal relationships and backed by knowledge and technical support from the Pilatus factory. It is this philosophy, which has seen operators, in an independent survey, conducted by Professional Pilot magazine, vote Pilatus number one in turboprop customer service for the past 19 consecutive years.

Tel: 011 383 0800

E-mail: aircraftsales@pilatuscentre.co.za

Website: www.pilatus-aircraft.com j

BLACKHAWK

Blackhawk Aerospace (“The Company”) is adding the PC-12 to their roster of aircraft for aftermarket engine upgrade Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs). With baseline testing complete, they have now installed and are flying the higher horsepower PT6A-67P, which is expected to receive FAA certification in Q2 of 2023 with EASA approval following shortly thereafter.

Blackhawk’s STC, branded as the XP67P Engine+ Upgrade, will include a factory-new Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PT6A-67P engine and will be approved with the existing Hartzell four-blade aluminum propeller to minimize the retail cost.

Thermodynamic horsepower produced by the -67P engine enables operators to utilize full torque to more efficient cruising altitudes. Where

the stock -67B starts losing power at 13,000 feet, the XP67P can maintain full power to 23,000 feet.

“Building upon the success of our existing Caravan engine upgrades, adding the Pilatus PC-12 platform to our growing list of STCs was a natural evolution for the aftermarket engine upgrade business that Blackhawk was built on,” said Jim Allmon, Blackhawk’s President and CEO. “Our foundation of innovation continues to carry us to new and exciting heights, and we look forward to welcoming PC-12 owners and operators into the Blackhawk family.”

Contact:

Cisca de Lange

Cisca.delange@blackhawk.aero

+27835148532 j

BLOCK THAT COEFFICIENT!

NEVERTHELESS, I think of equations as something like fibre in food: nutritionally null, but indispensable to mental digestion. So...

It may be readily seen that L = .00119V2CLS.

That thing that just shot past was the classical equation for the lift force. What it’s saying is so beautifully simple that it’s worth a close look even from hardened equation-evaders.

L stands for Lift. V stands for speed (“velocity”) in feet per second, and S for area (“surface”) in square feet. CL is the lift coefficient – I’ll get back to that later. The curious little number .00119 stands for what air is like at sea level, basically, how heavy and thick it is. The equation says that sea level air moving one foot per second exerts a pressure of .00119 pound, or about 1/50th of an ounce, on an area of one square foot. This force is called the “dynamic pressure” of the moving air.

We can conveniently measure the dynamic pressure with a pitot tube and a manometer, a fluid-filled transparent U-shaped tube, or with an airspeed indicator, which amounts to the same thing. If we take several measurements at different speeds, we discover that the pressure is proportional to the square of the speed; double the speed and the pressure quadruples. If you go 100 times the speed – 100 feet per second or about 68 mph – the pressure is 10,000 times greater than at one foot per second: 11.9 pounds per square foot. Now we are in the range of pressures that can support an aeroplane, provided that our wing has a lift coefficient of 1.0.

In pre-Wright days, what lift coefficients could be obtained from wings was an unsettled, and unsettling, question. Wilbur Wright built a very ingenious wind tunnel in which some simple levers made it possible to compare the lift

I have to admit that when I encounter equations in a book, I usually just skip over them. Often some phrase like, “It may be readily seen that...” precedes them, and so I figure that since plenty of other people must be readily seeing whatever there is to see, there’s no reason that I need to as well.

some jets are not far from the stall.

exerted by a model wing with the force exerted on a flat plate facing the wind. The beauty of this arrangement was that it found a ratio, not an absolute value, and so it was independent of the speed of the wind in the tunnel and also of the density of the air. It would have worked just as well under water. Wright could measure the actual force on the reference flat plate separately, using a spring balance, and compare it with the air pressure measured by a manometer. In this way he was able to find out how different variables, such as camber, angle of attack, and aspect ratio, affected the lift – and the drag – generated by his model wings.

What the Wrights and other early experimenters found was that only two things really mattered: aspect ratio and angle of attack. Lift increased regularly with angle of attack, but it increased less rapidly at lower aspect ratios because of spillage around the wingtips.

Later, more sophisticated measurements demonstrated that aerofoil shape, thickness and camber had marginal effects on the performance of wings, but that a wing without tip losses – simulated by running the test section from one wall of the wind tunnel to the other –gained about 0.1 unit of lift coefficient per degree in a range between minus and plus 10 degrees of angle of attack.

Every aerofoil has some angle of attack at which its lift is zero. For symmetrical aerofoils, it’s zero; for cambered ones it’s some small negative angle. The venerable NACA 23012, for example, has a zero-lift angle of about -1.5 degrees; the NACA 4415, which we would think of as an old-fashioned high-lift aerofoil, has a zero-lift angle of -4 degrees. The real angle of attack of a cambered aerofoil, therefore, is not the apparent or “geometric” angle of the chord line to the direction of flight, but rather

The USAF Thunderbirds giving a precision demonstration of inverted flight.

the angle of the chord line to the zero-lift angle. The aforementioned 4415 aerofoil, when its chord line is parallel to the direction of flight, has a lift coefficient of .4. (In inverted flight, on the other hand, it needs an apparent angle of attack of eight degrees to achieve the same lift coefficient.)

There exists a great variety of aerofoil shapes, and the maximum lift coefficients they can produce vary a good deal. Generally, the thicker the section the higher its maximum lift, and, for a given thickness, the greater the camber the greater the maximum lift as well. For a typical thickness ratio of 12 percent, the maximum lift coefficient of an unflapped aerofoil might be around 1.3 to 1.5 at an angle of attack of around 15 degrees.

The NACA 23012 – and this is one reason designers like it so much – gets up to almost 1.8. Specially designed aerofoils can achieve coefficients higher than two; with sufficiently effective flaps and leading-edge devices, values nearing four are possible before artificial means, such as blowing the flaps with engine air, must be resorted to for further improvement. As a practical matter, however, the lift coefficients of general aviation wings, even with slotted flaps, seldom get much higher than two.

In level, unaccelerated flight, the lift coefficient is the ratio of the wing loading to the dynamic pressure. At 150 knots (a.k.a. 252 feet per second), for instance, the dynamic pressure is .0019 x 252 x 252, or about 121 lb/sq ft. If

let us gratefully meditate

The lift equation has formed the basis of flight for over 100 years.

the wing loading of the aeroplane is 20 lb/sq ft, then the lift coefficient must be 20/121, or .165. Cruising lift coefficients are typically in the range of .1 to .3 for low-altitude aeroplanes with low to moderate wing loadings; they get up to the range of .5 to .7 or more for highly loaded aeroplanes flying at high altitudes. In fact, some jets, cruising at very high altitude, are not too far from the stall.

You can also work the calculation the other way. If you suppose that an aeroplane has a maximum lift coefficient of two with flaps down, and that its wing loading is 20 lb/sq ft, then its stalling speed will be 91.7 fps or 54.6 knots (because .00119 x 2.0 x 91.7 x 91.7 = 20).

Now, let us gratefully meditate for a few moments upon the happy fact that deflecting air with a wing can yield a greater force than the air itself could exert by merely pushing, say, against the broadside of a barn, and what’s more, it can do it in exchange for much less effort.

Hence the demise of the paddle steamer. To propel a boat with a paddle, you had to put into the paddlewheel the same amount of force as it exerted upon the water. To propel one with a screw – that is, a propeller – on the other hand, you had only to overcome the drag of the screw. It happens that the lift obtainable from a wing may exceed the drag by a huge factor – more than 100. In practical aeroplanes the drag of non-wing elements, like fuselages, stabilizing surfaces, engine cooling, cabin ventilation and so on, nibbles away at that value, but there are sailplanes with lift-drag ratios of 60. Even jet airliners invest only a little more than a twentieth as much effort to overcome drag as they get back in lift.

Next month – Fermat’s last theorem!

j

A propellor is far more efficient than a simple flat blade paddle.

AERONAUTICAL AVIATION

BASED AT LANSERIA International Airport, Aeronautical Aviation has been supporting and offering specialised services within the General Aviation industry with the repair, overhaul, and installation of aircraft instrumentation, avionics, electrical and pilot accessories. Our innovative laser department specialises in the refurbishment of backlighting switch and circuit breaker panels, transforming old, outdated panels to look as new as the equipment being installed.

Aeronautical Aviation was founded in 2005 by Clinton Carroll. As a Pilot and Aircraft Owner, Clinton understands the challenges in the cockpit, the regulatory requirements, certification, and costs associated with the operation of an aircraft, and can offer informed advice on upgrading equipment, repairs, and installations from a technical aspect, as well as from a pilot’s point of view without compromise to quality.

Our team of qualified technicians have extensive knowledge and training on all the products we supply, and our technicians are Garmin and Collins Aerospace factory trained.

We believe that offering hands on training to pilots on equipment installed into an aircraft is a pivotal part to ensuring our clients are armed with the knowledge to operate the equipment fully, epitomising the Aeronautical Aviation difference.

We are extremely proud to be Garmin’s Largest accredited dealer and distributor in Africa. Furthermore, we have an extensive dealership base with our numerous suppliers, including Garmin, Bose, Collins Aerospace, and Avidyne,

thus enabling us to provide our clients with a variety of options to suit their budget and operational needs. Aeronautical Aviation are proudly a Garmin Platinum dealer.

Our Services include:

• Aircraft Instrumentation Overhaul

• Aircraft Spares and Accessories

• Autopilot Repairs and Installations

• Avionics Installations and Sales

• Avionics Maintenance and Repairs

• Battery and Electrical Service Center

• Compass Swings and Calibrations

• Customized Panels for Installations and Upgrades

• Database and Software Updates

• Internal DAR for STC Approval

• Glass Panel Cockpit Installations and Upgrades

• Pilot Accessories

• Refurbishment and Backlighting of Switch and Circuit Breaker Panels

• Sheetmetal

At Aeronautical Aviation we pride ourselves on service excellence and are committed to providing our customers with outstanding and exceptional quality.

For more information on how we can assist you with your next installation, upgrade, avionic repairs, maintenance and sales contact Aeronautical Aviation.

Hangar 202, Gate 7, Lanseria International Airport

Tel: +27-11-659-1033

Email: sales@aeronautical.co.za

AMO1033

www.aeronautical.co.za

AERONAV ACADEMY

AERONAV ACADEMY is committed to providing top-level flight training utilising the most modern equipment available. This not only gives our clients an enjoyable training experience but also provides Aeronav the ability to conduct flight training in a manner that ensures that student pilots will be ready and well equipped to enter the aviation industry of the future.

Aeronav Academy is proud to offer a dynamic fleet of aircraft, including Diamond DA20s, Cessna 182s and the Diamond DA42 Twinstar Multi-engine trainer. The Academy’s latest acquisition is the impressive Alsim ALX-65 flight simulator. The amazingly realistic graphics feel of the controls and response make training in this flight simulator a truly first class experience.

The school is based at Lanseria Airport. A controlled airspace provides students with an excellent grounding in procedures and gives them the experience needed to cope with operating in a busy airline orientated environment.

Tel No: + 27 11 701 3862

Email: info@aeronav.co.za

Website: www.aeronav.co.za j

•

Tel:

E-mail: info@aeronav.co.za

Website: www.aeronav.co.za

SACAA

RIGHT SEAT RULES NO. 7

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

FIRST, A REMINDER OF WHAT you have already got, and then I will show you how to put it together in such a way that future airline captains and astronauts will brag, in hushed tones of course, that they have your name in their logbooks.

So here’s a slightly random summary of the tools you have at the moment:

• A lecture-room full of the right stuff –projectors and so on.

• A head bursting with bookknowledge, experience and enthusiasm.

• A working knowledge of the famous What Why How teaching technique.

• The habit of finding emotional glue to make things memorable – like the story of Scully’s spinning briefing from a few months ago.

Here’s the gist of the thing again: Scully was briefing half a dozen SAAF Harvard pupils before they were to do their first dual spins.

He had talked them through the HASELLL checks, throttling back the big, noisy radial, and easing the great rounded nose well above the horizon. He took his time to describe the

smell of avgas, oil and exhaust smoke, and the way the aircraft felt as if it were balancing on a pinnacle as it started to shudder and rattle.

Then wham. Your bone-dome smacks into the side of the canopy and you get a moment’s negative G as the nose swirls down and the dust rises from the floor and you feel a sickening lurch…

At this stage one of the pupes hurried from the classroom as he murmured Excuse me Sir, through fingers clamped over his mouth. He was violently sick on the grass.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is a memorable briefing.

Don’t wander off – we are still looking through that list of good stuff in the lecture room. High on the list are those magnetic models of aerofoils, aircraft, wind vectors and so on, that you should have made by now.

That dusty yellow, sectioned, Briggs and Stratton, lawnmower engine that props the door open, can do no teaching on its own. You have to brush off the dust, set it on a table and gather your flock around you to discuss every aspect and poke fingers into every crevice, while debating which part is the magneto.

So far we have been gathering the tools you’ll need to be the best damn instructor around. poke fingers into every crevice

Remember the rule of teacher’s lore.

• Tell me and I will forget.

• Show me and I will remember.

• INVOLVE me and I will understand.

And while you are involving the tribe, remember that they will remain on the edge of their seats, even after cow-cube stew, if you keep hurling questions at them. And the BIG secret is question first, pause, snake-eyes, pause again and then pounce.

And another critical rule – your model must always fly into the board (or up it) so left and right remain the same – even for the most vacuous of sheep. But you knew that didn’t you?

And finally, something I keep forgetting to tell you. If you have a list of things to tell the class, such as perhaps wind indicators when keeping an eye out for good forced landing places, you

will lose 50% of their interest if you just start jawing about the way smoke blows (but make sure it’s not a train) and have you ever noticed that cows or sheep or llamas stand with their bums into wind? And the way the water on the up-wind side of a dam or lake or pond is calm right in next to the bank?

This sounds as if the list of rather vague wind indicators might go on for pages – as it might indeed.

This is not good enough for our conscientious pupe. He has no idea how much space to leave on that page – is a couple of lines enough or not?

Put him our of his misery. Folks, there are five main ways of finding out what the surface wind is… here they are:

Involve the pupe - and she will understand the lesson.

PACKAGING

This is how to structure your lecture into neat, easily-digestible chunks.

Here’s why you need packaging:

• It makes it interesting

• It makes it memorable

• It gives clarity through structure and form.

• It makes your job, and the student’s, a lot easier.

Don’t let anyone remind you of the concept of eating an elephant – one mouthful at a time, (a) it doesn’t illustrate the point, and (b) it’s simply too disgusting to contemplate. Whether it’s a huge pile of unidentifiable meat, or crunchy bits of earlobe, I think we can cheerfully turn our helm to the south-east, and head away from the whole unsavoury, dead elephant analogy.

Look at it this way – packaging is something we all do a hundred times a day. We put things in packages, inside other packages, inside yet others.

If I ask you where you keep your socks, your mind will swing to your underpants and socks drawer (which is a package) in your bedroom (another package) in your house (yet another package) in Bloemfontein, in Africa, and so on.

So packaging puts stuff in tidy, easily findable places. It would be accurate to say you kept your socks in Africa –but sufficiently unhelpful as to attract a swift blow to the back of the head from one’s life partner.

So let’s view packaging as a way in which we might try to explain to a two-yearold the concept of moving a king’s crown in a camphor chest across the desert on a dromedary.

This is how it works: It uses exactly the same principles that text and reference books use. It

crunchy bits of earlobe

Visual aids - like this cut-away lawnmower engine are essential.

splits your lecture up into chapters, sections, paragraphs and sentences. Can you imagine reading this fascinating discussion if it were one long string of words?

Nope. It’s necessary to have sentences – each containing one idea, and then paragraphs which combine a few interconnected ideas. And these paragraphs may be packaged to fall under, minor headings, then major headings and finally chapter headings.

So let’s come back to explaining to the toddler about the king’s crown and the dromedary. You can’t just blurt out the story – there are too many unknowns for your infant audience. What’s a desert? What’s a king? What’s a camphor chest? And so on.

Only after you have defined each new item, to the extent that your dribbling devotee can picture the various components of the adventure, can he grasp the full impact of what’s going on.

Yep, I’m still banging on about bloody packaging. So, as a final illustration, allow me, dear parishioner, to clarify the whole thing by offering a brilliant example of the What Why How principle and how it leads into the packaging shed.

Finally – close the package.

Instructor Okay, ladies and gentlemen. That’s all you need to know about mixture for the moment. Are there any more questions before we have a coffee break? The next subject (package) will be carb-heat.

Nice, neat, tidy packages are like headed chapters, paragraphs, and sections in a text book.

The best way to do this is to start with the big package that contains the others. This is the subject of today’s lecture. So you introduce the package with the WHAT – Today we are going to look at steep turns. That is the label on the big package; it tells us what’s inside. Then you go through the WHY and HOW, which will take up most of the lecture. At the end, you tie up the whole thing neatly with a summary. So that was all you need to know about steep turns for the moment. Are there any more questions?

across the desert on a dromedary

Now, within this package there are others, and within them, yet more. And each one needs to be introduced with a label, discussed, and tied up with a summary. This is not difficult, and it makes the difference between a list of words, and a lecture.

Instructor: Today we are going to look at how the mixture control works. (That’s the WHAT –and it sounds pretty bloody boring.)

Pupil: yawn

Instructor: Because if you don’t understand mixture you will die amongst twisted and burned aluminium at a young age. (That’s the WHY part and your pupil suddenly becomes super interested.

Next we get into the HOW part. This is the guts of the presentation. It might take two, or 20 minutes.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LECTURE AND A BRIEFING? AND DOES IT MATTER?

Yes, it does matter because, as instructors, we pride ourselves on using the right words all the time. According to the Cambridge Dictionary – and supported by most others:

• During a briefing information is given to someone just before they do something

• During a lecture information, on a serious subject, is given to a group of people, especially students.

That’s pretty much what we all believe. You would attend a lecture on meteorology or radio procedures with a bunch of other pupes. And you would attend a one-on-one pre-flight briefing with your instructor – usually in his office. So why do so many flying schools, instructors and pupils get it wrong?

I’ll tell you why. It’s because a while ago, some clown at CAA tried to introduce the terms longbriefing and short-briefing. Since then, nobody has been able to explain what these mean.

Instructors, please lead the charge back to sanity – we have radio lectures and spinning briefings. Yes?

And to complete the way the Cambridge Dictionary sees the world, a debriefing

is a meeting that takes place in order to get information about a particular piece of work that has been finished, for example about what was done successfully and what was not.

That’s a brilliant definition – it describes exactly what is meant to happen after every training flight.

We have been discussing what, and how, a good instructor should conduct a lecture. Now things are heating up as we move away from the crowded lecture hall and into our very own office for a private briefing with our very own pupil. This calls for a totally new package entitled:

PREFLIGHT BRIEFING

I must immediately leap in to explain that this is not a briefing on how to do a preflight inspection. It’s a briefing about exactly what is going to happen during this flying lesson.

Before an instruction flight begins, the flight must have been thoroughly briefed - and then de-briefed afterwards.

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of this briefing.

If an instructor fails to do it, or skimps on it, he (or she) should find themselves sitting in a dark corner of the hangar, in a pile of dust and tears –without a flying job.

Short story – briefings are a hell of a lot more important than most pupils – and many instructors – think. Skimp at your peril.

The briefing might be as short as 20 minutes if it covers repeated or familiar exercises – or could take a couple of hours for say the first multi-engine flight. In general, an instructor who consistently spends less than 30 minutes on their preflight briefing is probably short-changing the pupil. Don’t let that instructor be you.

So that’s the WHAT – it’s a preflight briefing. And I have just told you WHY. So now we can get into the guts of it. HOW are we going to conduct the briefing?

Bang – you can run into a massive problem before you even start. Who is this mysterious pupe?

Well, there are likely to be three scenarios –

• The best is that she is your very own pupe – one you have been training so far.

• Next best is that she is someone else’s pupe whom you have agreed to help for a specific reason.

• The very worst possibility is that you are instructing for one of those schools where pupils don’t really have their own instructors. This is a money-making scheme that (a) simplifies instructor scheduling, (b) is the cause of a terrible and dangerous lack of continuity, and (c) comes at an enormous cost, in time and money, to the pupils. And occasionally their lives. It happens far more frequently than you think.

Let me quickly put this last scenario to bed, so you understand the damage it does, and hopefully you will have the moral fortitude to avoid these schools at all costs. Hold your head high as you walk away.

Basically, if the school can pretty much schedule any pupil with any instructor, it makes their life very easy, and more profitable – for obvious reasons. There are three main problems with this. First, each pupil’s history, including her strengths and weaknesses, is largely unknown to you. Certainly a few words have been scratched into her training file by another instructor who equally has no overall sense of responsibility for her progress and well-being.

Next, you cannot be sure that she has the ability to perform critical safety exercises, like EFATOs and go-arounds, unless you fly them with her. This can either be life-saving, or a waste of her time and money. Are you happy to take a chance on it?

Third, are you sure you trust, and understand, what previous instructors have written in her file? I certainly don’t.

Next time we will get into the joy of a preflight briefing. You will be amazed at how much fun it can be arousing their enthusiasm and changing their lives for the better with your words and actions.

You will enjoy it hugely. j

in a pile of dust and tears

AEROSPACE ELECTROPLATING

AEROSPACE ELECTROPLATING, SACAA

AMO 506, has been operating at Rand Airport, Germiston since 1965 and has served the aircraft industry with distinction and produce high quality surface finished products.

The company is owned by Mistral Aviation Services and managed by Oliver Trollope and a highly professional and qualified team of electroplaters.

Our highly qualified team are available to advise you on the perfect solution to all your electroplating plating needs and solutions to perfectly re-finish your aircraft components to the manufacturer’s specifications.

Our processes are approved by SACAA, Denel, Airbus Europe, Rolls Royce, Pratt & Whitney and Allison Doil.

We offer a wide range of services for aircraft owners and general industry, and through our partnership with Mistral Aviation Services, we can offer engineering and NTD services.

We look forward to the future with a range of innovative services to continue servicing the aircraft industry.

Tel: 011 827 7535

Email: petasus@mweb.co.za j

ELECTROPLATING

AMO  506

ForallyourSACAA  approved  platingrequirements

Cadmium Plate in Gold,Silver or

Clear Passivation

Hard Chrome

Cadmium Plate

Clear Passivation

Hard Silver Plate

Electroless Nickel

Hard Copper Plate

For all your SACAA approved plating requirements

Anodising in Grey, Red or Black Black Phosphating

We  are  situated  at  30B,  Building  98,  Rand  Airport.  Next  to  Fields  Airmotive. Call  Des  on  011 827  7535  or063

rPeteron081775  2434  or083

For  all yourAircraftand  Allied  Electroplatingand  queries.

Alodine

Cadmium Plate in Gold or Silver Passivation

Hard Chrome

Hard Silver Plate

Electroless Nickel

Hard Copper Plate

Hard Chrome

Hard Silver Plate

Electroless Nickel

Hard Copper Plate

Anodising in Grey, Black Phosphating

We are situated at 30B, Building 98, Rand Airport. Next to Fields Airmotive. Call Oliver on 011 827 7535 or Peter on 081 755 2534 or 083 208 7249

For all your Aircraft and Allied Electroplating requirements.

Anodising in Grey, Red or Black

Black Phosphating

Phosphating

Phosphating

NATSURE UNDERWRITING MANAGERS

WHAT WE COVER

We protect you through our innovative and leading edge range of aviation insurance products and with a passion for service that goes the extra mile.

WHO WE ARE

Since our inception in 1968, our mission has remained to offer the best solutions and services possible so that we are the smart choice, and the first choice for all our stakeholders.

We operate exclusively through registered intermediaries and we pride ourselves in long-term partnerships with a focused approach to innovation, reliable delivery of value-driven products, and client service. j

The piston twin is making a comeback. In the 1980s, under the pressures of high maintenance and high Avgas prices, the demand for piston twins collapsed in the face of Cessna Caravan and Pilatus PC-12 turbines. But now, the value proposition of a 40-year old piston twin is once again hard to beat.

The original Cessna 414 makes an excellent case for the cabin class piston twin's continued existence

CABIN-CLASS PISTON twins used to be the planes of choice. Cessna was the leading producer of big twins, with more than a dozen models on the sales floors. Arguably the best of Cessna's big twins was the 414A Chancellor.

These big 400 series twins have it all: pressurisation, wide comfortable cabins – and twin engine redundancy.

Critics snidely comment that in a piston twin, if you lose an engine, the remaining engine is only there to take you to the scene of the crash. But in the hands of a well-trained pilot, a piston twin will happily fly on one in all flight regimes – except perhaps that brief minute or two after takeoff with a max all up weight when the gear and flaps are still hanging out. For 99.9% of a flight a piston twin’s second engine

will get you home – whereas lose the engine of a single engine turboprop at any time in a flight and you’re going down.

And then there’s the price – a good used Pilatus PC-12 or TBM 700 will set you back R50 million and up. For that price you could have ten really great piston twins. Sure the performance may be 180 knots and not 260 knots –but the lower fuel burn and maintenance more than make up for the slower cruise speed. And the difference in block time on a typical 200 nm sector is surprisingly small.

The Cessna piston twins peaked with the 421 Golden Eagle – which demanded so much of its engines it needed geared Continental turbos to get 375 horses. In response to criticism

a big piston twin will happily fly on one engine

ZS-FPU is wonderfully orginal - yet still very capable.

about the Golden Eagle’s geared engines, Cessna gave the 414 the fuselage, empennage, pressurisation and fuel system of the 421, but with 310 hp Continental TSIO-520 ungeared engines.

Major changes on the 414A included an extended nose to give more baggage space and a new bonded 4.5 ft longer wing, which incorporated integral ‘wet wing’ fuel tanks in place of the riveted tip-tanked wing. Earlier 414s are easily recognisable by their ‘tuna’ tip tanks and stubbier nose.

DEVELOPMENT

The C414 appeared in 1969 as a lower cost variant of the 421. The name ‘Chancellor’ was used for models marketed from 1976. In 1978, after 513 of the original 414s had been built, Cessna combined the airframe developed for the 421 Golden Eagle with the newer TSIO-520-N engines to produce the 414A Chancellor. The result was a plane almost identical to the 421 but with less power. However, it was claimed that the lower power was compensated for in the lightness of the newer engines and lower maintenance.

incorporated integral ‘wet wing’ fuel tanks

The 414 Chancellor’s fuel capacity with the wet wings was increased to 1236 lbs usable, and the operation of the fuel system was made far simpler with an On/Off/ Crossfeed valve for each engine. Previous 414s used the tip tanks as the mains and with as many as six tanks, it made for nail biting fuel management.

The gross weight and useful load of the 414A were increased by 400 pounds, and that together with improved endurance made it a desirable plane for corporate transport. The 5 psi cabin pressurisation differential was also an

Ramp presence comes from having a real air stair door.

improvement (the original 414 had a 4.2 psi pressurisation differential) making the cruise at higher altitudes more comfortable. At 25,000 ft, the cabin altitude is still a comfortable 8,000 ft.

In 1986 the market for new piston twins entered a terminal decline, and after building 1067 414s, Cessna stopped production.

The 414 is a cabin class twin with an airstair door and a real ramp presence. Walking up the three steps on the door, you enter a wide oval cabin which measures 140 cm across, making it one of the roomiest in its class.

PRE-FLIGHT WALK AROUND

The subject of this test is ZS-FPU, a well-cared for and largely standard C414A. Around seven years ago we reviewed a much-modernised 414AW, ZS-MKJ, which had been upgraded from nose to tail. This review is based on the more original and thus more affordable C414A with minimal upgrades, so it remains pretty much factory standard.

The 414’s headroom is 130 cm; big enough to allow a crouched walk-around inside the cabin. There is plenty of shoulder and elbow room available for every seat and a rear baggage bay that is accessible from the cabin, so everyone travels in comfort. 414s are usually configured to accommodate four to six cabin seats – plus the two in the cockpit as well as a belted potty in the back.

The nose baggage and avionics bays of the long-snouted 414A can swallow golf clubs and lots of other ungainly cargo. The wing lockers in the engine nacelles are particularly useful for stowing pre-flight items such as the chocks, fuel-tester, pitot and engine covers.

bladderbusting legs are possible.

Wide oval cabin happily accomodates

Using the 421’s cabin with smaller engines makes you wonder whether all this space can be successfully utilised. In real numbers, a typically equipped 414A has a full-fuel payload of about 1,100 lbs. That’s at least a pilot, three friends and luggage. Alternatively, you could fill the cabin with six people and overnight bags and fly for close on three hours or 500 nm with IFR reserves.

To improve load-carrying ability, some operators have opted for the aftermarket RAM engine upgrades, which improve maximum all up weight, but ZS-FPU still has the standard engines.

and large central power pedestal makes it look complicated and impresses the pax.

Engine start is standard Continental TSIO-520 and is about as simple as it gets: mixture full rich, mags on, master on, prime, start.

take-off

FLYING THE 414A

The cockpit is easily accessible through the cabin and the multitude of big old round dials

With the capacity of the long nose it is tempting to load it to the hilt. But, apart from G of G limitations, the front wheel can be put under a considerable load. Therefore, when taxiing and landing, the pilot must take care not to place too strong a side load on the nose wheel, as it has been known to fail, with extremely expensive damage to the props and engines. Thanks to the nose weight, nosewheel steering is effective and so differential power is rarely necessary for directional control.

Cessna claim a take-off distance of a little less than 800 m over a 50 ft obstacle, and this

Nose baggage bay big enough for golf clubs - and much more.

distance of a little less than 800 m

Nacelle baggage bay popular for easily accessible items for preflight and chocks.

seems accurate enough. Rotating at around 100 kt, the 414 doesn’t rocket away from the ground, but at typical weights the climb is a more than acceptable 1,300 to 1,500 fpm once the airframe has been cleaned up.

At 15,000 feet, you can expect the rate of climb to settle at 1,000 fpm up to the comfortable cruising altitude of 20,000 ft. With the pressurisation system cranked up to max, there’s not much reason to level off lower than about FL180 to FL200. Single-engine rate of climb at max all up weight at sea level is listed as 290 fpm with the gear and flaps up.

Cruise performance may not be quite what the POH claims (Cessna claims 224 knots at 75-percent power), but most 414 owners are content with their plane’s cross-country speed. To utilise the 414 to its full potential, it needs to be flown high. True airspeeds down low are in some cases worse than many normally aspirated light twins, while fuel flow is higher. Once above 12,000 feet, however, the 414’s turbocharging begins to ratchet up the speed. At 18,000 ft you’re above half the Earth’s atmosphere in terms of air density, and since weather demands moisture and there’s very little of that above 18,000 ft, the 414 can happily cruise in smooth air and sunshine.

Large tyres handle rough strips - hubcaps said to add 2 knots.

Certified ceiling is 30,800ft but you won’t be able to get there without RVSM approval, which will be an uneconomic installation in a piston twin. So effective ceiling is still a very useful FL280.

Owners like to claim their 414 will manage 200 KTAS at FL240. At 65 percent power, True Air Speed (TAS) will average about 185 knots. For fuel burn you can work on 150 lbs of Avgas per engine per hour for the first hour, thereafter 105 lbs per hour per engine. With full fuel of 1236 lbs (206 usable gallons), this translates to around 4.5 hours endurance plus IFR reserves, assuming only one take-off. Range is therefore about 950 nm between fuel and food stops, giving the 414 the range to reach all major destinations from Johannesburg without stopping. So, if you’re lightly loaded, and if ATC allows you to cruise at high altitudes, bladderbusting legs are possible. That’s why there’s a potty.

The 414 won’t be considered a spirited handler by any pilot. Control forces are heavy but solid – good for an IFR aeroplane. Orbiting over Hartbeesport Dam for the air-to-air photoshoot

demonstrated that the 414 is remarkably stable – it locks into position once settled in the turn. Couple the whole package to the S-TEC autopilot, and you have a smooth and luxurious mode of travel.

In flight it’s a peaceful environment and one of the quietest cabins you’ll find in a piston twin. Conversations are easily audible, there’s little vibration transmitted through the fuselage and the chairs articulate in all the useful directions. Even in the weather, because of the high wing loading of nearly 30 pounds per square foot, the flight is smooth.

On final approach the 414 is one of the most stable piston twins. Unlike the 421’s geared powerplants, the 414’s engines aren’t unduly sensitive to power reductions.

The approach speed can be flown anywhere from 100 to 130 KIAS, making fitting into traffic an ATC pleasure.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the 414 is a flexible and very competent all-rounder. It can fly six people on a short trip in a comfortable pressurised cabin, or it can fly two passengers over 1,000 nm.

The big cabin has a speed penalty compared to the turboprops Aerostars, Dukes, and the 58P Baron, but the 414s pax and pilots enjoy better comfort and space – and lower noise.

Despite the 414’s age, it remains a really attractive personal twin for all the reasons that made sophisticated cabin class twins so popular in their heyday. It is reasonably economical to operate, simple to fly, straightforward to maintain and popular with both pilots and passengers.

It may not have the panache of a King Air 90, but the 414 is comparable in almost every respect – except that it may just be half the cost to operate and maintain.

j

Large vertical tail makes single engine ops safe.

You need a heated windshield for operations in the 200 Flight Levels.

Specifications and Performance

Cessna 414 A Specifications

Crew: One or two

Capacity: Up to 8 passengers

Length: 36 ft 4.5 in

Wingspan: 44 ft 1.5 in

Height: 11 ft 5.5 in (3.493 m)

Wing area: 225.80 sq ft (20.978 m2)

Empty weight: 4,365 lb (1,980 kg)

Gross weight: 6,750 lb (3,062 kg)

Powerplant: 2 × Continental TSIO-520-NB 310 hp

Performance

Maximum speed: 235 KTAS (435 km/h)

Range: 1,328 nm (2,459 km)

Service ceiling: 30,800 ft (9,388 m)

WITH MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE in the industry and staffed by committed aviation professionals, Avdex strives for nothing less than service excellence.

ensures accurate Date and Flight Hour recording of maintenance captured.

AMP offers a variety of helpful features:

• Generates full aircraft status reports

• Generates task cards and work packs

• SB’s, AD’s, and Manual Revisions tracked by Avdex and notified to client when the AMP Schedule is updated

AMP

AMP is an online aircraft maintenance tracking system aimed at aircraft owners and operators. The AMP concept is the first South African-developed solution to the timeless problem of tracking scheduled airframe, engine, and component maintenance tasks.

A common problem amongst operators of all levels of aircraft is anticipating approaching airframe calendar, hourly and cycle limits. Current Excel based solutions are not robust enough and do not lend themselves to forecasting.

Accurate tracking is provided, which helps the operator and AMO with the planning and tracking of aircraft maintenance.

Avdex continually monitors the factory maintenance requirements, Service Bulletins and Airworthiness Directive for revisions or changes and notifies users. AMP provides full web-based aircraft usage recording, allowing the AOC to record all flights of an aircraft. This

• Tracking of aircraft usage.

Avdex AMP will ensure accurate maintenance tracking and record keeping.

AMS

AMS aims to take care of the administrative tasks of an AMO while increasing productivity.

The general rule in Aviation is that an aircraft may not be worked on without a work trail.

All costs including Labour, Parts, and Services relating to a specific Task are allocated to a Task Card. Labour is controlled and time booked to Work Pack tasks electronically with the myTime function or from time sheets.

Customers are linked to Work Packs as well as Aircraft.  CRMA’s and all Aircraft of Release Certificates may be generated and wet or electronically signed.

All parts required by the AMO are ordered via the PO function. Parts are received, costed, traced, and labelled. Release certificates may be stored electronically per part.

A request for quote may be created and sent to suppliers and converted to a purchase order.

The supplier information is linked to all purchase orders and receipts into AMS.

The Manuals library allows users to maintain a basic database of relevant maintenance manuals.

The Avdex SES (Standard Electronic Signature) function allows for full electronic certification and complies with international aviation requirements.

Benefits

• Encourages increased productivity.

• User-friendly Layout.

• Local support.

• Is Cost effective.

AMT

The AMT tool manager functionality is an optional addin module designed to facilitate easy recording of tool movements issued from and back to the store. Tool calibration can be easily monitored.

AMQ

The AMQ quotation functionality is an optional add-in module to the main program. The purpose is to prepare a quotation in the same format as the Work Pack. This allows customers to clearly match the quotation with the final documentation.

Our products are user friendly and interlink. Detailed online help files and YouTube videos are available. An Assessment test may be taken to evaluate knowledge of the software, with certificates available.

AVIATION REBUILDERS

AVIATION REBUILDERS is a sheet metal and cable assembly facility based in The Showroom, Rand Airport, Germiston. We are a Category B SACAA approved sheet metal and flight control cable assembly facility ready and waiting to serve the needs of the GA industry.

We offer a well-equipped sheet metal facility, the expertise and equipment to repair our beloved GA aircraft to the highest of standards. We offer competitive quotations on your sheet metal repair requirements. We are generally able to offer a one-day turn-around time on standard flight control cable assemblies. We welcome

you to visit our facility, we have an absolutely open-door policy and family orientated approach to our staff and customers alike. We look forward to welcoming you and your beloved aircraft to our family.

Contact Aviation Rebuilders on:

Tel: +27 (0)11 827-2491

Cell: +27 (0)82 872-4117

Email: lyn@aviationrebuilders.com

APCO

AIRCRAFT POWERPLANT COMPANY

Aircraft Powerplant Company (APCO) was born in 2001 as a result of the management buyout of the PLACO Engines Division. Under the guidance Tony Rodrigues and Henk Joubert, both equipped with wealth of experience and knowledge, APCO has earned a reputation for excellence within the aviation community.

APCO’s Team of highly qualified factory and locally trained technicians have developed full in-house capacity to perform all required maintenance and turn key repair services, including bench testing on both Lycoming and Continental Engines. In addition APCO have an in-house component division, engine hose shop, machine shop and also have CAA approved cadmium plating and de-inbritle facility.

The NTC engine shop specialise in the repair and overhaul of many brands of NTC engines including Lycoming and Superior Kit Engines to name but a few. As an optional extra they offer a balancing and porting service as well as many types of corrosion protective applications, ranging from polyurethane base paints to the more lavish and durable ceramic coatings.

APCO are suppliers of approved engine lubricants ie: Phillips 66, Aeroshell, Mobil turbine Oil, Camguard as well as AVBlend

Contact:

Hangar 5A, Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria North

Email: tonyrodrigues@mweb.co.za

Tony Mobile: +27 82 558 9388

Email: henkjoubert@mweb.co.za

Henk Mobile +27 83 258 5272 j

ENGINE DIVISION

Complete overhaul facility with test bench

MACHINE SHOP

Machining, repair, modification

o/h of cylinders and crankcases

TESTING

NDT, MPI, Dye Pen and Zyglo

COMPONENT DIVISION

Servicing, overhaul, repair

SUPPLIERS OF AIRCRAFT APPROVED

ENGINE LUBRICANTS

• SHELL • Phillips • AVBLEND and Camguard

PLATING SHOP

Cadmium Plating

PEOPLE PRESSURES

CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL - BREAKING UP IS EASY TO DO.

Aircraft registration: ZS-FAI

Date and time of accident: 13 Oct 2016. 1010Z

Type of aircraft: PA28-235

Type of operation: Private Part 91

PIC license type: PPL

License valid: Yes

PIC age: 67

Nationality: German

PIC hours on type: 619

Total in the past 90 days: 11.6

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

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

History of Flight:

Last point of departure: Manzengwenya Airfield (KZN)

Point of intended landing: Brakpan-Benoni (FABB) Gauteng

Location of accident site: Jozini Kwa-Zulu-Natal 203’ AMSL

Meteorological information: Surface Wind: Calm; Clouds: SCT018 BKN018; Cloud base:1800ft AGL; POB: 1+1

People injured: 0

People killed: 2

On 13 October 2016 at approximately 0915Z, the private pilot accompanied by a passenger, who were German nationals, took off from Manzengwenya airfield in KwaZulu-Natal on a private flight to Brakpan-Benoni aerodrome in Gauteng.

The chef at the lodge that transported them to the aircraft stated that the pilot requested him to activate his personal “Go Pro” camera for him whilst he was busy with the pre-flight inspection and securing the baggage in the aircraft. The pilot also requested that the chef wait at the

airfield for approximately 30 minutes after they took off, in case he elected to turn back to the Manzengwenya airfield.

However, at approximately 1010Z the aircraft broke-up in IMC near the Jozini dam.

The pilot and the passenger were fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Witnesses stated that the aircraft made a loud noise and they saw debris falling from the sky.

The aircraft impacted the ground in a nose down attitude whereafter a post impact fire erupted and destroyed the main wreckage and engine.

The Weather Services indicated “Drizzle” at the accident site with the temperature 17ºC and cloud base at 1800ft AGL and it was IMC.

The pilot and the passenger were scheduled to depart back to Germany the day after the accident.

The pilot was issued with the South African Validation Licence from 16 August 2016 to 15 August 2021.

He had flown a total of 619.0 flying hours on the aircraft type. He was however, not in possession of a valid instrument rating.

According to the Aircraft Operator, the pilot had flown the Piper PA28-235 on the following dates:

• September 24. Introductory flight of 1.6 hours with South African maps and an airfield directory.

• September 25: The pilot passed his proficiency test and flew for 1.2 hours. He was issued with a South African rating.

• September 26: The pilot, a safety pilot and passenger flew from Brakpan to Petit, Zynkraal, Kitty Hawk and Brits followed by touch and go landings at FARA, Zynkraal and FAKT.

• September 27: The pilot, safety pilot and passenger, took off at 0900Z from Kunkuru on a flight to several airfields in the Waterberg region. Runway inspections were performed during the flights.

• September 28: The pilot with safety pilot and passenger took off from Kunkuru to several airfields in the Waterberg region. To date the pilot had accumulated 9.1.

• September 29: The pilot and passenger departed Kunkuru on an uneventful flight to Madikwe.

appalled how quickly you are losing height

The wings separated in flight - leaving the pax in freefall.

• October 4: The pilot and passenger had an uneventful flight from Hanaline via Polokwane international..

• October 6: The pilot and passenger flew from Hanaline Boerdery to East Gatel.

• October 9: The pilot and the passenger had an uneventful flight to Manzengwenya via Kruger International Airport.

• October 10: The pilot and the passenger had another uneventful flight from FAKN to Manzengwenya private airstrip.

• October 11 and 12: No flights were undertaken due to adverse weather conditions.

• October 13 the aircraft crashed in IMC.

The main wreckage consisted of the engine and fuselage with the right-hand wing still attached. The left wing was located 584m away and the vertical stabilizer located 412m from the main wreckage. The horizontal stabilizer and part of

JIM’S COMMENTS

Briefly, the aircraft broke up in a ‘graveyard spiral’. This is pretty much the standard way of losing control in IMC, if you are not current. Rudder bias, turbulence or asymmetric fuel will cause one wing to gradually drop. Your first indication of trouble will be an increase in wind noise and engine revs as the nose drops and the airspeed increases.

You ease back on the stick and this seems to fix the problem – but only temporarily.

Soon the airspeed and wind noise start to dominate. You glance at the VSI and altimeter and are appalled to find how quickly you are losing height.

It’s time to really pull hard to arrest this terrifying descent which now has your attention to the exclusion of all else

the tail section were located 445m from the main wreckage.

The wreckage revealed signatures consistent with the inflight break-up. No evidence of any preexisting deficiency such as fatigue fractures or corrosion was found.

When the aircraft entered IMC, it was structurally overloaded leading to an inflight breakup.

Probable cause:

The aircraft entered IMC and the pilot probably became disoriented. Disorientation occurs when there are insufficient visual cues to determine orientation. The sense of balance is extremely unreliable and may provide erroneous information to the pilot. Because of the pilot’s disorientation, his input on the controls would have put the aircraft in an unusual attitude and in an attempt to correct the attitude the aircraft was overstressed.

But pulling only tightens the unrecognised spiral. Your vision starts to go grey, but you have to keep pulling.

Suddenly there is a sickening crack, like lightening, and your body is flung away from the seat and hurled sideways.

The aircraft has lost one, or both, wings.

You had been warned, many times, of the dangers of ignoring your instruments. But somehow those warnings vaporised.

You, and JFK, and many others, all knew better.

The Germans had three days of bad weather leading into their return flight to Europe. I suspect that’s the reason-behind-the-reason for this flight, and a thousand other such flights, is Passive People Pressure (PPP).

I have long been fascinated by why pilots

press on into bad weather, or run out of fuel, or fail to do a preflight, or do a stupid beat-up. And it seems the pilot is often urged into these actions by other people’s explicit, or even silent, expectations.

Can one take this thinking too far? He crashed because he had insufficient sleep; or was mentally distressed by a domestic problem. The reason for his lack of sleep, or personal problems. would seem to be outside the scope of accident investigations.

I would tend to put the JFK Saratoga crash into a gethomeitis box.

And probably the very sad story of Albie and Marie Visser, which I’ll tell you now.

Albie was more than a pupil, he was a good friend of mine. I taught him to fly in the little Karoo town of De Aar. Soon after getting his PPL he bought an Arrow, and I did his conversion and Night Rating training.

Perhaps a year later he phoned me, sounding deeply upset. He had been flying his wife Marie and their two children and had got on top of some developing Cu. The cloud had out-climbed the aircraft and Albie found himself in the muck and in serious trouble.

He had lost the limited instrument skills that I had taught him during his night rating training.. Albie realised he was losing control of the aircraft. He was a quick-thinking guy who had been a racing driver. He engaged the wingleveller and let go of the controls.

The main body of the wreckage crashed and burned.

those horrifying last seconds

This undoubtedly saved their lives, but it left him very shaken. His phone call was to ask for some more dual instrument training, in case he ever got into that situation again.

This put me in a spot. I didn’t want him to use that training to blast off into marginal weather again. But I knew that if I didn’t do the training he would go to someone else, who might not do a good job. This is a dilemma that many instructors face.

In the end, I reluctantly gave him another ten hours of dual IF. And continually hammered into his head that this was only a backdoor – not a front door into cloud.

the wings off in flight. Can you imagine those horrifying last seconds in which they plummeted down in a bare fuselage?

Their two beautiful children were orphaned in that moment.

I know Albie would have wanted me to use his story to save the lives of others. So if these words come home to you, then some good came out of this tragedy.

not a front door into cloud

Perhaps a year after that I got a call from ATC in Port Elizabeth to say that Albie and his wife were missing in bad weather.

When they found the wreckage the next day it was obvious that he had spiralled and pulled

Take home stuff:

Next time you feel a bout of get-home-itis, or the urge to cut a corner, or to stray from the straight and narrow, take a long honest look at whether you are somehow giving in to other people’s pressures or expectations. j

The wreckage was spread over 500m - showing the inflight break-up.

BONA BONA GAME LODGE

BONA BONA LODGE is a four-star Game lodge offering a unique experience where you get to fly-in and surround yourself with nature and aviation. Bona Bona proudly offers a 1.3 km tarred airstrip, tarred Helipad and secure overnight parking. Our exciting fly-in opportunities include: week-end breakaways, destination weddings and breakfast fly-ins. No landing fees are charged for guests staying overnight or enjoying our facilities on a day visit. Parking is secured and fuel is available with prior arrangement. Fly in guests are met by our very competent staff that will then transport them to reception where they can start enjoying our vast facilities.

Contact:

+27(0)18 451 1188 071 674 9969

info@bonabona.co.za

www.bonabona.co.za j

Stand A12

F. GOMES UPHOLSTERS

AIRCRAFT UPHOLSTERY

F. Gomes Upholsters is a family based upholstery company. Established in 1979, the company specialises in aircraft, as well as motor vehicle, boat and furniture upholstery.

F. Gomes Upholsters will refurbish your aircraft interior to look like new, giving it the class it deserves. They use only the best quality materials, and their craftsmanship is outstanding. Mr Gomes, the founder of F. Gomes Upholsters, has been in the upholstery business for close on 40 years and as such brings many years of experience and professionalism to the company.

F. Gomes Upholsters provides an expert re-upholstery and upholstery service that caters to any upholstery need. No job is ever too small or too large.

F. Gomes Upholsters is based in Johannesburg. For exceptional craftsmanship at the best prices, contact F. Gomes Upholsters on:

Tel: (011) 614 2471

Fax: (011) 614 9806

Email: gomesuph@netactive.co.za j

Landline: 011 614 2471

Mr. Gomes: 082 412 6669

Carla: 083 602 5658

A Dynamic team to meet all your requirements. Refurbish your aircraft and / or helicopter. Best prices guaranteed

MAY 2023

To start this month I must mention the passing of my long-time correspondent in the UK, Ian Burnett, who succumbed to cancer in April. RIP Ian, your contribution to aviation will not be forgotten.

IN THE MAY AMENDMENTS it is evident that the scheduled airline market in Southern Africa is expanding, notice ably for for Cemair and Global Airlines. Both these carriers have registered additional aircraft this month, with Cemair registering another CRJ-700. This one is the youngest of the airline’s as she’s only thirteen years old and takes up the registration of a Cessna 210, which is now ZS-LDE.

Global Airlines registered two additional Airbus A320s to replace the two Lithuanian registered aircraft they were operating. These two have been returned to Europe for the summer season but I suspect they will be back for our summer.

Global’s first A320, ZS-GAB is over thirty years old and takes up the registration of a GO-3 Minimoa glider which was written of at Fisantekraal in 1959. The second A320 is eighteen years old and takes up the registration

of, inter alia, a DC10 Freighter which was exported to Brazil some time back.

Another oldie is the Embraer Brasilia 120ER. This one is twenty-eight years old and has returned off lease from Zambia where she was operated by Mahogany Air for four years on lease from Sahara African Aviation. She takes up the registration of a Beechcraft B80 Queen Air which was exported to Zaire in 1980.

The other two TCA additions are an Extra EA300C that is now seventeen years old and has taken up the registration of a Pilatus PC12 that was allocated the registration but was never imported. The last one is a TBM 700, this one is sixteen years old and takes up the registration of another TBM 700 that was exported to the USA in 2008.

The NTCA side of things continues to show growth with another eleven aircraft added. There is a whole variety of aircraft registered which

New arrival N850MW is a TBM850 now ZS-TBM, an upgrade from the owner's Piper Malibu

The drone market is as active as ever

ABOVE: Another new airliner for Cemair - 2-JARJ is a CL600 now ZS-CMX.

BELOW: Exported - but only for a season - OY-JRK an Airbus A320 is now ZS-GAB for Global Airways.

BELOW BOTTOM: ZS-AGS is a Cessna 208 Caravan, exported to Kenya.

ABOVE: The old Airlink fleet of RJs continues to depart. ZS-ASX is a Bae 146 exported to Zambia. Photo Ray Watts.

BELOW: A classic loss - ZS-LLU is a Do27 exported to Australia. Photo Ray Watts.

BELOW BOTTOM: The last few SAA A319s continue to leave - ZS-SFJ has been exported to France. Photo Ray Watts

ABOVE: The Comair B738 ZS-ZWF now exported to the USA. Photo Ray Watts.

BELOW: ZS-RNX is a Robinson R44 exported to Mozambique. Photo Ray Watts.

BELOW BOTTOM: G-CDNO is a Gazelle which is now ZU-RHG.

shows, to me anyway, just how active this section of our aviation is in this country. There are also two ex British Army Air Corps Gazelle helicopters added. Both are Westland built Gazelles.

There are no new helicopters registered this month.

The drone market is as active as ever with another forty-eight having been added and six being deleted.

We continue to lose aircraft to the export market with another sixteen TCA aircraft leaving our shores. Four of Airlink’s old RJ85s have gone to Zambia. One of the last of the Comair/Kulula Boeing 738s has been exported to the USA. Some sources said she was going to go to Safair, but it appears this didn’t happen.

The last two (of three) SAA Airbus A319s have been returned to their owner in France.

The balance of the exports has gone to countries all over the world, including an Aerospatiale Puma that was exported back to France.

NTCA exports total three with two going to Nigeria and one to Madagascar.

Tail piece

The end of May saw another successful and safe Presidents Trophy Air Race, but the number of entries was very much reduced, with only twenty-eight entries. This is a sad reflection on the cost of flying these days. j

ABOVE: ZS-SDY is a Mooney exported to the USA.

BELOW: On the lighter side ZU-RHW is a Calidus gyro now exported to Namibia. Photo Ray Watts.

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

During a flight, the device automatically takes oximeter readings more frequently, so you monitor your SpO2 percentage.

CENTURY AVIONICS TURNS 45!

+27 11 701 3244

Century Avionics celebrates its 45th anniversary in 2023. The company has been based at Lanseria Airport since being established in1978.

www.centuryavionics.co.za salesadmin@centuryavionics.co.za

CENTURY ALSO HAS A BRANCH at Maun Airport in Botswana, and a technical office on Wonderboom Airport. They are always willing to go to customers and so travel to Marondera and Harare in Zimbabwe regularly.

Century Avionics employs a team of 39 people of which 19 team members have over 10 years of service, the longest service to the company being 28 years!

Century Avionics’ owners have been with the company for 74 years in total – 25 years for Morné Cilliers, 25 years for Marc Robinson and 24 years for Carin van Zyl. Marc and Morné took the opportunity to answer a couple of questions from Guy Leitch.

GL: Congratulations on completing 25 years of service, Marc and Morné. You are also celebrating Century Avionics’ 45th

The Century Avionics team has a 45 year track record of excellence.

anniversary this year. Despite the challenges of the aviation market, you have come a long way.

MC: We look back on the road we have travelled to get where we are today and consider our strengths, values and leadership as key ingredients. But at the end it is the Grace of the Lord and the people in the company who drives the success

Our key values have always been to recognise the customers’ valuable time, requirements and desired outcome to help us understand and work towards the desired end product. Everyone who is part of the team at Century Avionics has specific functions to perform and contribute to the ongoing success. The previous owners played their part in the success of the company, especially to continuously promote and advertise Century Avionics at every possible opportunity.

MR: An experienced and wiling workforce contributes boundlessly. Steadfast support from OEM’s, Manufacturers, our local industry and operators (client companies) right through to private aircraft owners. Doing your utmost to remain focused, calm and collected during challenging and stressful times has stood us in good stead.

GL: Avionics is a rapidly developing field. Yet you have always been the first to learn new technology to demonstrate it to potential buyers. Does this come naturally – or do you have to put in long hours of learning and practice?

MC: We are eager to learn what is new and why the product was designed which helps to understand the functions and operation which the equipment was intended for.

When we started at Century Avionics the technology was basic and mechanical or analogue compared to what avionics entails today. The equipment available on the market today, mandated requirements and design potential has so developed that avionics has become fully integrated – and exciting! We have

certainly put in long hours of research, to be first on many systems and equipment – yes. And it has been rewarding, fuelling our inquisitive engineering minds.

MR: The development of avionics technology is indeed rapid. It’s no easy task keeping abreast with technology, development, mandates, bulletins, and procedures and the like. Staying informed about the latest technology and trends requires continuous learning. It’s exciting, challenging and daunting all at the same time. Is there even a word for that?

GL: For many aging aircraft, avionics has become the single largest item of capital expenditure. Do your clients find the investment pays of? In improved safety and situational awareness – and in the value and saleability of the aircraft?

MC: It’s important for aircraft owners to carefully evaluate the costs and benefits of avionics upgrades, considering factors such as the aircraft’s overall condition, planned usage, and budget. We believe for many reasons that there is merit in the refurbishment of an older model aircraft - modernised to the equivalent or competing new model at a very competitive price.

MR: Safety and peace of mind when getting behind your aircraft controls should be front of mind at all times. Responsible and safe flying practices, along with investments in safetyenhancing measures, are crucial. No investment in safety is wasted.

Modern avionic upgrades are an investment in safety and capability that pays off in many ways.

GL: You have been a very strong, and much appreciated, supporter of the recreational side of general aviation in South Africa. You often give up your weekends to travel to airshows. This seems to have worked well for you. Do people who build little planes go on to buy big planes with expensive avionics upgrades?

MC: The enthusiasm of the employees attending these shows is contagious. The shows are attended in the spirit of giving back to the industry that supports our business throughout the year. Thereby, in turn expanding our business by reminding aviators of our service and support, all whilst enjoying what we do. It slices both ways; we have a Business jet owners flying LS1 category aircraft for leisurely family time and Sport category aircraft owners who go on to own King Airs and PC-12s.

MR: We have an enormous passion for people and their planes. The aviation ‘family’ we have come to know over the past few years is the most resourceful and successful individuals from all angles of life! Our unwavering interest and support has earned is a good standing in the industry.

GL: Tell us about Century Avionics –what is your reach? – do you support aircraft across Africa?

MC: We go where we are needed. We see potential north of our countries borders and we endeavour to provide our service where it is required. Considering that logistics aren’t always easy, it makes for interesting travels. Visiting the harder to reach places in Africa carries our name further, helping to expand our footprint.

MR: Do we support aircraft across Africa... oh yes! If we could travel more we would! Our continent has the most interesting landscape and the most diverse cultures you could ever experience on one continent!

GL: What is your experience of the present state of the industry? Are aircraft owners spending money – or sitting on their hands waiting for the economy to improve?

MC: We still see a lot of movement where owners spend money to improve the avionics in their aircraft. I believe South Africans and people in the aviation industry make things happen; if people see the correct opportunities and the possibilities how to navigate through these difficult times then my previous statement has some truth where older aircraft is being modernised and sold for a profit, especially to Europe and the USA.

MR: Although the present state of the aviation industry has its challenges, particularly affecting commercial airlines, there has been some improvement in the general aviation avionics landscape. The current state of the economy is impacting the country not only aviation. Regulatory mandates and considerations, rising fuel and maintenance costs etc impact decision making. The post-COVID effects have also impacted the manufacturing sector, leading to delays in finished goods and parts. While money is still being spent, the spending patterns have changed, reflecting the evolving times.

Celebrate with Century Avionics at AERO SA on Wonderboom Airport 6-8 July 2023 and learn more on our extensive product range and capabilities. Take the opportunity to meet the team!

Morne Cilliers is a Director and CAA Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR).

At Dynamic Propellers cc we overhaul and maintain all Hartzell, McCauley, MT-Propeller, Hoffmann, Dowty, Sensenich, Whirl Wind and Hamilton standard propellers to include metal and composite blades. We do all maintenance procedures related to aircraft propeller overhauls as called for by the various propeller manufacturers including cadmium plating.

Everything is performed in-house, including cold compression rolling on Hartzell propeller blades, as well as dynamic balancing of propellers in the field. Dynamic Propellers cc is an Authorised Service

Centre for MT-Propeller and Whirl Wind. Dynamic Propellers cc is also appointed as the sole McCauley Authorised Service Centre for the African continent.

We carry a large stock holding of fast moving propellers, hubs, parts, de-icing parts, overhaul kits etc. in our inventory to cater for Hartzell, McCauley, MT – Propeller, Hoffman, Dowty, Sensenich, Whirl Wind and Hamilton standard propellers. We do a huge amount of travelling to local, domestic and neighbouring countries as well as abroad to cater for customer’s propeller requirements.

YOUR PEACE OF MIND IN AVIATION MAINTENANCE

WE ARE LOOKING FOR LICENCED ENGINEERS

AND EXTERIORS

CAA No AMO 620

Gemair is an SACAA Approved Maintenance Organisation, AMO 1003 with 5 other African AMO Approvals and has a team of 9 full time engineers who together have a combined total of over 50 years aviation experience. Gemair are able to perform all aviation maintenance requirements on a variety of NonType certified aircraft, light singles and twins up to turbo propellers and light jets.

Gemair also holds electrical and instrumentation approvals.

Tel: (011) 659-1962

Cell: 083 361 9123

Fax: (011) 659-1964

Email: info@aircraftcompletions.co.za

Hangar 107 C and D

Gate 13, Lanseria Airport

TEL: 011 701 2653 or 082 905 5760 Hangar 110, Gate 13, Turn right (old Pical hangar), located behind Spectrum Air Surveyors, Lanseria South Side, 1748

GEMAIR CC

GEMAIR CC, THE ONE-STOP AVIATION SOLUTION

Andries Venter started Gemair in 2007 bringing with him many years of experience gained in the South African Airforce, where he received his training as an aircraft engineer.

Gemair migrated to the southern side of Lanseria International airport in 2009 and has steadily grown in capability and reputation. The highly qualified team take care of a large fleet of privately owned, training and charter-operated aircraft. These range from non-type certified aircraft through light singles and twins and on to turboprops and light jets.

BUMPPPFFF:

Gemair is a recognised SACAA Approved Maintenance Organisation, AMO 1003 and has a team of nine full-time engineers who together have a combined total of more than 60 years of aviation experience.

Gemair has recently incorporated both instrumental and electrical workshops with a wide range of capabilities. Backed up by the fulltime administrative staff, Gemair has established itself as a true “One stop shop” able to cater to every need a client might encounter.

Lanseria International Airport

Hangar 110

Gate 13, (South Side)

Phone: 011 701 2653 j

The perfect symmetry of a swallow in flight.

An iconic picturereworked!

COMET AVIATION SUPPLIES

Comet Aviation Supplies is conveniently located near Rand Airport at Knightsgate Industrial Park in Germiston, just off the N3 and M2 freeways. We are the Authorised Distributors for Rotax Aircraft Engines in Southern Africa, but also sell a wide range of aircraft parts and pilot accessories for the light aircraft market.

We stock the widest range of headsets in South Africa, popular brands ranging from Pilot Communications USA to David Clark and Flightcom, and class leading ANR models from Lightspeed Aviation. Our shop stocks a selection of pilot supplies from maps, logbooks, first aid kits, fire extinguishers and portable oxygen

Other supplies include aircraft tyres from Speciality Tires of America, Ceconite and Poly-Fiber covering materials, AN hardware, antennas, wheel chocks, radios, instruments, and much much more.

Our online shop shop.cometaviationsupplies. co.za features a full service from click-click to your door delivery anywhere in South Africa and abroad, with secure credit card payment options.

Our knowledgeable and friendly staff are available to assist with any enquiries.

THE PARYS AIRSHOW

In 2022, the first edition of the Parys Airshow was very successful. So it came as little surprise to see aviation enthusiasts queuing from very early on the bitterly cold Saturday morning for entry to the Parys Airfield.

A highlight for many was the rare appearance of a SAAF Rooivalk attack helicopter.

Text and Images: Garth Calitz

THE SHOW STARTED at exactly 10:00, as advertised, with a skydiving display by the local skydiving club exiting the club’s turbine Trojan. The Trojan is a tricycle version of the SAAF Kudu that was purchased by the Rhodesian Airforce.

As soon as the skydivers had landed, the Puma Flying Lions fired up their engines. Team owner Arnie Meneghelli over-primed his Harvard somewhat and it discharged a spectacular flame out the exhaust.

While the Flying Lions were performing, Andrew BlackWood Murray was preparing to get airborne in his Nashua Extra 300. Andrew showed off the skills that have earned him a place on the South African team that will be competing in the Advanced World Aerobatic Championships later this year in Las Vegas.

Ryan Beaton, Dion Raath and Johan von Solms rearranged their normal display going directly into a tail-chase and finishing with formation aerobatics.

a forceful post-flight debrief

Menno Parson took to the sky in his Bell Huey, the sound of this machine is always a crowd favourite. Then the Huey display had to be cut short due to a “student pilot” taking a Rainbow Skyreach Bush Cat for an unauthorised flip. Sally Levin had to talk the rogue student down and after multiple hairy approaches, he finally got the little aircraft safely back on the ground. It turns out the student was Jason Beamish, a very accomplished aerobatics and airshow pilot.

The Airshow Director kept the show flowing with minimal lulls between displays. Andrew had barely landed and the RV Raptors formation went directly into their display. Trevor Warner,

While Sally was giving Jason a rather forceful post-flight debrief Flippie Vermeulen taxied out with the Springbok Classic Air’s Beech E18. Once airborne he delivered a graceful display of the abilities of this airliner from yesteryear.

As a show of abilities goes, not many can top the display by Andre van Zyl in his Magni Gyro.

The Parys Air show is a Levin family affair - here patriach Scully Levin puts a Cirrus SR22 through its paces.

The rogue student act made a welcome return with Jason Beamish flying a Bush Cat.

Menno Parsons filled the ears and hearts of the large crowd with his P-51 Mustang Sally.

Andrew Blackwood Murray in action in his Extra 300.

Henley Air in the newly acquired Bell 230 - to become a specialist pediatric intensive care chopper.

Andre has become a regular on the airshow scene in the last few years. An Airtractor AT-402B and a Robinson R44 gave the public a glimpse into the world of the crop spraying pilot with a wonderful display of the skill and control needed in agricultural flying.

The South African Air Force graced the Parys show with a display from the mighty Rooivalk and a BK117 helicopter. It was great to see these war birds in action, especially the Rooivalk playing hide and seek behind a sand mound and then a big tree. The BK117 display was very well executed with a host of wing-overs and high-speed passes.

As the shadows started lengthening, the air filled with the sound of high-performance aerobatics from The Hired Gun Pitts Special team, which have become a favourite on the airshow circuit. They were followed by one of the most innovative acts to join the airshow circus, Ivan van der Schaar and his son Jeandre, flying a full size Boeing Stearman in formation with an RC model Extra 300.

Three de Haviland Chipmunks were expertly flown by Steve Brown, Rodney Chinn and Grant Timms. In the tricky windy conditions, they were bounced around but still managed to keep it tight.

Sticking with the vintage war birds, Menno Parsons arrived with his P51 Mustang performing a series of high-speed passes and rolls. The sound of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine seems to always create massive excitement.

Scully Levin got airborne in a Cirrus SR22 to show off the abilities of the luxurious four-seater speed machine. He was closely followed by Rocket HEMS who displayed their recently acquired Bell 230 helicopter whose paintwork was inspired by children’s art.This machine will become a specialist pediatric helicopter.

The Goodyear Eagles team pilots may have changed over the years but the quality of their displays is still as good as ever. The display was flown by Jason Beamish and Johan von Solms. The Parys faithful were then treated to a second display by Andrew Balckwood-Murray followed

A Harvard has a rich start.

A unique act - a full size Stearman and a RC model Extra 300.

The unusual Trojan of the Parys Skydiving Club.

The evergreen Tiger Moths in tight formation.

The show was closed by the spectacular Boeing 737 and Goodyear Eagles formation.

by a flight of two pre-war de Havilland Tiger Moths flown by Grant Timms and Steve Brown.

Once the historic Tiger Moths landed it was time for Johan “Juba” Joubert to display exactly what is possible in an Aérospatiale Gazelle, these manoeuvres are possible but definitely not for inexperienced pilots, Juba has 1000s of hours of operational flying where he has honed these skills.

As the show was reaching a close, some people started to head for the gates but quickly made a U-turn when Brian Emmenis announced that a very special visitor was expected. Arnie Meneghelli, Scully Levin, Sean Thackwray and Ellis Levin kept the interest with a second Flying Lions display.

powering up for a spiral climb

While the Flying Lions were busy with their last manoeuvres, the special guest could be seen in the distance. Denis Spence was flying a Boeing 737-300 and formed up with his Goodyear Eagles team for a series of passes before a spectacular break. Denis then performed some gear and flap down passes before powering up for a spiral climb and return flight to OR Tambo.

This brought the notably excellent show to a close. The 2023 Smoke on Go Parys Airshow will be remembered as being one of the greats. Everyone involved in the planning and exaction of this show must be commended. j

HELI-AFRIQUE

HELI AFRIQUE SPECIALIZES in general helicopter maintenance, upgrades, repairs, interior and exterior refurbishment and modifications, specialising in the Airbus Helicopter SA341, H125 (AS350/355 series), H120 (EC 120), H130 (EC 130), H135 (EC 135 series), BO105 and BK117 helicopters. We provide first and second line maintenance of TURBOMECA, Allison and Lycoming Engines and hold a service centre for Robinson R22 & R44 helicopters.

Heli Afrique assist with inspections, C of Registration, Airworthiness formalities and have assistance from SACAA Inspectors to issue Certificates of Airworthiness and Certificates of Registration from abroad in foreign countries.

Heli-Afrique facilitates the sale of used helicopters, carry out export/import, customs and

shipping formalities. We provide pre-purchase inspections of helicopters worldwide.

Based at Rand Airport Hangar 56, Heli-Afrique holds a large range of spares inventory for the above mentioned helicopters and engines.

Heli-Afrique holds the following CAA approvals: SACAA # 830, Republic of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola and Lesotho.

We are the proven alternate ‘AMO’ to Airbus Helicopters and Safran (TURBOMECA) in Southern Africa.

Contact:

Tel: 011 827 8632/33

Email: tino.conceicao@heli-afrique.co.za www.heli-afrique.co.za j

HELI

We specialise in general helicopter maintenance, upgrades, modifications, repairs, interior and exterior refurbishment.

AFRIQUE – WE HAVE 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE BUSINESS.

• SA341

• AS350/ 355 series

• EC120/130/135 series

• BO105 series

• BK 117

• McDonald Douglas

• Robinson R22/R44

• Schweizer Hughes 300

• Hangarage service available

First and second line maintenance on Safran (Turbomecca), Allison and Lycoming engines. CAA approvals : SACAA # 830, Republic of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Lesotho

JOHANNESBURG FLYING ACADEMY

JOHANNESBURG FLYING ACADEMY established in 1984, is a SACAA approved Flight Training Facility situated South of Johannesburg. Due to our unique location at Panorama airfield, no time is wasted flying to and from the general flying area or on the ground waiting for flight clearances.

JFA offer professional training by dedicated and qualified instructors for National Pilot Licence (NPL) Private Pilot Licence (PPL), Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), Instructors rating, Night rating, Renewals, Conversions, Endorsements, Tailwheel ratings in a relaxed, professional environment.

Training is carried out,7 days a week, on our modern fleet of 2-seater, Sling Aircraft and is tailored to your individual needs.

Contact:

Office: (+27) 083 702 3680

Email: info@jhbflying.co.za

Panorama Airfield, Alberton j

EXPERIENCE THE THRILL OF FLIGHT LEARN TO FLY

PILOT TRAINING

• National Pilot License

• Private Pilot License

• Commercial Pilot License

• Night Rating

• Instructors Rating

• Tailwheel Rating

• Conversion / Renewal

• Hour Building

• Owner Training

• Foreign Validations

Fuel Prices as at 29/05/2023

Fuel Prices as at 29/05/2023

Fuel Prices as at 28/06/2023

Fuel Prices as at 28/06/2023

Prices include VAT but exclude any service fees

include VAT but exclude

Prices include VAT but exclude any service fees

Maputo airshow KHANIMABO!!!

After a four-year hiatus, the Maputo Airshow returned on 17 June 2023 – and it maintained the high standard of the earlier show.

The Maputo airshow was a huge success, thanks to great sponsors and organisation.

Report and images: Brian Emmenis and Aeroclub of Mozambique

THE AERO CLUB of Mozambique, the Municipal Council of Maputo and LIVE Communication worked together to pull off a wonderful airshow over the Maputo Bay coastline that was safe, and above all thrilling, for the large and appreciative crowd.

A key ingredient was the availability of the best teams and airshow professionals from South Africa, who were persuaded to tackle the logistics of a cross-border airshow by Gavin Neil, from the Maputo Aeroclub, who demonstrated incredible organisational skills in pulling it all together, with little if any prior experience.

and Vodacom were able to erect hospitality tents on the wide palm tree lined promenade. Over 1 km long, it faces south-west and has the magnificent Katembe Bridge as a backdrop. This makes it ideal for photographers, especially with the glow of the evening sun through the long spans of the suspension bridge.

explore the delights of festive Maputo

Taking advantage of the public holiday, some of the air show teams arrived on the Friday and had the opportunity to explore the delights of festive Maputo.

The Maputo Bay waterfront is an almost ideal airshow venue. Key sponsors Puma Energy

As the airshow was not held at an airport, the work of the Airshow Boss, Col Keith Fryer, was complicated by having to coordinate the teams taking off from Maputo Airport, 6 km away. Lt Col Keith Andrews was the Safety Director.

Key airshow teams that thrilled the airshow hungry crowd were: the Puma Flying Lions who filled the sky with the roar of their Harvard’s radials and smoke.

Nigel Hopkins and Jason Beamish had been competing in the Air Race at Durban on the Thursday and Friday, so they flew up the coast on the Saturday morning. This well-honed team impressed as always with their high energy

Maputo provides a great airshow venue along its harbour promenade.

The roar of radials from the Flying Lions.

Menno Parsons showed once again his value to airshows by also bringing the iconic Mustang Sally P-51.

Menno Parsons also brought his evocative Huey. Pic Jaco Kotze.

Nigel Hopkins and Jason Beamish in action with their Extras 330s.

Juba Joubert impressed as always with his Alouette II.

The Katembe Bridge formed an unmistakeable backdrop.

precision teamwork in the Extra 330s. Jason also doubled up as a pilot in the Pitts Specials of the Goodyear Eagles. Coming from all corners of South Africa was the Marksman team, led by Mark Hensman in his MX2 with Jonny Smith and Eugene van As on his wings in Extras.

Helicopter action was provided by Juba Joubert doing amazing feats flying the Aerospatiale Gazelle and Alouette II and by Menno Parsons in his tiger-striped Huey. Menno also flew his Huey on the Friday to provide flips for more than 50 disadvantaged children.

streaming fireworks from its wingtips

A highlight of the show was Menno in his P-51, Mustang Sally, with its elegant high speed swooping passes and the music of its V12 Merlin engine combined with the whistle of its gun ports.

Menno performed a complex feat of logistics to get his Mustang and Huey to the show – also requiring him to bring his Pilatus PC-12 and

Riaan Prinsloo flew a spirited display in his Yak 18 which then teamed up with a local pilot in a lumbering bright yellow biplane Ag-Cat crop sprayer. In contrast to the rumbling radials, Andre van Zyl ably demonstrated his diminutive gyrocopter along the shoreline to the amazed crowd. This was followed by a weight shift trike microlight flown all the way from Tzaneen. So the spectators got a wide variety of aircraft types.

In between the airshow acts there was a continual stream of water sports with skydivers landing in the warm waters of the Bay and jet skis racing around with plumes of water.

The show ended with a spectacular display by Mark Hensman in his MX2, streaming fireworks from its wingtips in the gloaming.

Cessna 182 to ferry him and his crew between Kruger Mpumalanga Airport and Maputo.

Commentary came from Brian Emmenis (centre) with Airshow Boss Gavin Neil (right) and a local dignitary.

I JUST READ MY EMAILS for the past week and was immensely surprised by yours, with the copies of the magazines.

Wow! I cannot tell you how delighted - and surprised - I was when I saw this email from you! I always had only the greatest admiration for your articles in this magazine and I still regard you as one of the best authors on aviation news issues who writes with such authority, but in a way that even a weekend enthusiast such as I can understand all the aircraft jargon. And to receive an email from someone who I had been admiring most amongst all in the aircraft fraternity, just made my day!

Thanks for the Magazine! j

Thanks for the nice surprise! Much appreciated, and I cannot wait to start reading all the articles! It is going to fill much of the free time that a pensioner has on hand!

Kobus Visagie

IT IS WITH MUCH INTEREST that I became aware of the article on the Mig-29 engine project in your edition 175, June 2023. I am the Project Engineer that did the feasibility study in 1989 and later led the South African concept design team that lived and worked in Brezhnev’s dacha 1990 to 1994.

Russian engined Mirages j

I have written a couple of books about our adventures there and on other clandestine projects around the world. I would very much like to read the article about my old project! Who wrote it? Is it possible that I could have a copy?

Kobus de Villiers

Dear Kobus

The article was written by our world esteemed military analyst Darren Olivier. I attached a proof by return of email.

Guy

PILOTS AND PLANES

PILOTS AND PLANES IS AN aviation related retail outlet specialising in Pilot and Aircraft Owner requirements.

Pilots and Planes is one of the larger retail outlets of its kind in South Africa and has its Main branch at Wonderboom Airport in Pretoria, and a second branch at Rand Airport in Germiston.

Merchandise on offer includes:

• Pilot uniforms and apparel

• Aviation headsets (BOSE, DAVID CLARK, AVCOMM,PILOT)

• Sunglasses (RAYBAN,RANDOLPH,BONDI BLUE)

• Study material and equipment

• A wide range of Aviation related gifts

Our Wonderboom and Rand stores trade Monday-Friday from 8am to 5pm.

On Saturdays, Wonderboom trades from 8am-2pm and Rand is open every first and last Saturday of every month from 8am-2pm.

Contact Melanie at Wonderboom Airport on:

Tel: 012 567-6775

Email: pilotshop@pilotsnplanes.co.za

Or Francois at Rand Airport on:

Tel: 011 824-3339

Email: rand@pilotsnplanes.co.za

VISIT US AT THE AERO SHOW 6-8JULY 2023 (Stand E6) at WONDEROOM AIRPORT j

REVOLUTIONIZING AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS:

INTRODUCING MUSKET FMS

In today’s fast-paced aviation industry, efficient and streamlined operations are key to success. That’s why we’re excited to present Musket Flight Management System, the cutting-edge solution designed to transform the way you manage your aircraft operations.

Traditional approaches to flight management often involve using separate systems for flight planning, crew management, and document storage, leading to inefficiencies, data redundancy, and increased costs. Musket FMS offers a game-changing allin-one solution that seamlessly integrates these functions and a whole lot more into a single, comprehensive platform.

Musket FMS goes beyond an off-the-shelf solution. Our experienced development team collaborates with you to understand your specific needs, offering customizations and enhancements that align perfectly with your operational requirements.

As your operations grow, Musket FMS scales seamlessly with you. With Musket FMS, you can effortlessly expand your operations, onboard new aircraft, and manage larger fleets, all while maintaining optimal efficiency and performance.

Enjoy peace of mind knowing that you are always up-to-date and in compliance with regulatory requirements. Store and organizing aircraft and crew documents, complete with automatic notifications when documents are due for renewal.

Discover how Musket FMS can revolutionize your aircraft operations. Visit our website at www.musketfms.com to learn more, schedule a personalized demo, or reach out to our experienced team for a consultation.

Elevate your operations with Musket FMS. Experience the future of flight management today. j

The CAA Complains

DEAR MR GUY LEITCH

NON-FACTUAL AND UNVERIFIED REPORTING ON THE SACAA IN YOUR MARCH 2023 PUBLICATION

This letter serves as an official complaint regarding the non-factual, inaccurate, and damaging article against the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) written by you in the SA Flyer Magazine, under the headline title: “Who Guards the Guards” (March 2023 edition).

In this article you printed reputationally damaging content that I feel also bordered on racial discrimination . Even worse, you printed an article based on inaccuracies, without taking the effort to seek any response from us , even though you have the Director of Civil Aviation’s and my direct contact details. This is blatant disregard of the Press Code of Ethics and Conduct that all South African Print and Online Media entities must abide by.

Chapter One of the Press Code states that in the gathering and reporting of news, the media shall:

1.1 take care to report news truthfully, accurately and fairly;

1.2 present news in context and in a balanced manner, without any intentional or negligent departure from the facts, whether by distortion, exaggeration or misrepresentation, material omissions, or summarisation;

1.3 present only what may reasonably be true as fact; opinions, allegations, rumours, or suppositions shall be presented clearly as such;

1.7 verify the accuracy of doubtful information, if practicable; if not, this shall be stated;

1.8 seek, if practicable, the views of the subject of critical reportage in advance of publication, except when they might be prevented from reporting, or evidence destroyed, or sources intimidated. Such a subject should be afforded reasonable time to respond; if unable to obtain comment, this shall be stated;

1.9 state where a report is based on limited information and supplement it once new information becomes available.

Chapter Five, under the discrimination and hate speech segment states that, media shall: “avoid discriminatory or denigratory references to people’s race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth or other status, and not refer to such status in a prejudicial or pejorative context – and shall refer to the above only where it is strictly relevant to the matter reported, and if it is in the public interest ; and

5.2 balance their right and duty to report and comment on all matters of legitimate public interest against the obligation not to publish material that amounts to propaganda for war, incitement of imminent violence or hate speech – that is, advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender, or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm.”

Below are some misleading points that I have extracted from the article. I will also provide you accurate facts:

• ‘The designation of Designated Flight Examiner (DEF) as an absolute right’ , is a misconception. As stated by the SA-CARs, Part 61, subpart 26, designation is a privilege and not a right.

• ‘The SACAA demands to be paid’. Correction: The SACAA travels across the country to all nine of the country’s provinces to conduct oversight on DFEs. All expenses (flight, accommodation, local transport, and food are all paid for by the SACAA). The DFEs only pay the administration fee, which is well stipulated in the Regulations. The notion that the SACAA charges the DFEs is misleading and unfortunate.

• ‘Radio licences. As mandated by the country’s constitution, ICASA is the custodian of all radio broadcasting in the country. Through a Memorandum of Understanding, ICASA has delegated some functions, as recommended and recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to the SACAA.

The requirements, as published on the SACAA website through AIC 009/2021, are mandated by ICAO. South Africa as an ICAO Member State, represented by the SACAA, shall ensure that all examiners abide to the AIC and conform to the international standards. Since the implementation of AIC 009/2021, more examiners who meet the requirements have been designated and certified. The number of such examiners increases weekly.

• ‘The DFEs are at War with TSOs’. Again, this statement is false and is not backed by any facts. The majority of DFEs have given positive feedback to the SACAA regarding the conduct as well as the oversight methods of the SACAA inspectors.

There are several platforms that may be used by DFEs to report any dissatisfaction with the conduct of inspectors. The disgruntled DFEs that have chosen to direct their complaints to your publication demonstrate that they have no intention of finding an amicable solution to their

complaints and similarly you also had no intention of finding the truth, by engaging the SACAA .

• ‘South Africa could be blacklisted by international bodies’. Relevant bodies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and the ICAO have conducted safety audits on the SACAA as recently as 2021, 2022 and 2023. All procedures, policies, and authorised personnel (including DFEs) were evaluated without adverse findings.

The SACAA has in all instances, met the international standards and requirements regarding the appointment of Authorised Officers. Furthermore, the training programme for the authorised officers is in line with both FAA and ICAO requirements.

The FAA confirmed that South Africa maintains its Category One status. It is for the abovementioned reasons that South African flights will continue to grace the skies and our aircraft will travel worldwide. One-sided articles such as the one you published are in fact the ones that cause harm to the reputation of South Africa’s civil aviation industry. NO aircraft will be banned because of a few unhappy DFEs and a magazine that is showing partisanship against the SACAA and has not made any effort to afford the Regulator an opportunity to respond to false accusations before publishing.

• Race. In your article you claim that:

“Contrary to what many may seem to believe, the stumbling blocks to SACAA competence and quality service delivery are not inexperienced affirmative appointees, but the writhing snake pit of race relations and internal politics which makes it difficult for the regulator to attract and retain quality people… South Africa is increasingly beset by toxic race relations. Non-whites are frustrated by entrenched prejudice that comes from the endless concession made to compensate for substandard education …”

In my view, this is borderline racism and proof that you are among the list of factionalist aviation bloggers who have an issue with seeing transformation in a sector that (still) remains untransformed, irrespective of the evident skills that the SACAA employs, and it is irrespective of whether personnel are black or white.

If this is truly your assertion, and the SACAA is governed by incompetent affirmative action appointees, then to what do you attribute the SACAA’s success and numerous local and international awards?

Perhaps there is a reflection on your stance on transformation that should be of concern, considering your influential role in the industry.

The SACAA which is a Schedule 3A public entity will continue to ensure that transformation and affirmative action policies are implemented as mandated by the constitution of the Republic of SA and the relevant legislative requirements. This is something on which we pride ourselves. The appointment of our Inspectorate is not determined by race or gender. as all appointed Authorised Officers, are qualified and meet the minimum requirements of the job as prescribed by the ICAO.

The testimony lies with the recent findings of both the FAA and ICAO audits (more on that later in this letter).

• ‘Examiner/Authorised Officers must be drawn from the ranks of senior pilots with tens of thousands of hours of experience’.

The SACAA has an open recruitment policy. All vacancies are advertised, and any person who meets the minimum requirements has a right to apply. Equal opportunity is given to all applicants, irrespective of previous organisational affiliations. Everyone must exercise their right to apply and go through the appointment process .

This then brings me to the term that you constantly use: “Commission Against Aviation”.

In our conversation sometime in March 2023, when I questioned you as to why you keep referring to the SACAA with this term in your communication and in the magazine, you said to me that this is the term that you and your aviation acquaintances “often use” and that the term is “merely a joke”.

This term, as I have now found out, is regularly used by a faction in aviation blogs of which you are a part, as a means of hurling insults against the organisation and the non-white leadership of the organisation.

The SACAA has been one of the bestperforming state-owned entities and has reported nine clean audits in the last 10 years from the Office of the Auditor-General. In March and April 2023, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was in the country to conduct a safety audit, where the preliminary results improved South Africa’s standing from 87.39% in 2017 to nearly 92% in 2023. This signified that the South African compliance to aviation standards is the best in Africa and among the leading 20 Member States that are audited by the ICAO.

To this date, there has not been a single mention from you and from the publication of this achievement. You have also not accepted our invitations for media opportunities where this would have been communicated.

Instead, I have only seen SA Flyer Magazine’s relentless efforts to try and find some form of wrong-doing or information that will support factionalist gossip that you have been happy to publish; worse of all, without even seeking comment from us . I would expect better from a person with your qualifications and expertise.

Your publication has a lot of influence in the sector and is one that we highly respect, despite this obvious mistrust and misinformation. We, as the SACAA, have always sought cordial relations with you and your publication (just as we do with other trade or mainstream media titles). Furthermore, to show that we do not have

any personal axes to grind against the SA Flyer Magazine, we have from time to time utilised the publication for advertorial opportunities on key messaging that we felt should also reach the aviation market. In recent weeks, the SACAA has liaised with you (as the publisher) and the salesperson, Wayne Wilson, regarding the placement of the 2023 Civil Aviation Industry Awards’ advertorials and awareness messages.

However, these levels of respect have not been reciprocated.

We are not looking for ‘sunshine’ reporting on the work of the SACAA as this is not your mandate and responsibility; instead, what we are seeking is factual reporting – whether good or bad – and not reporting that is flagrantly aimed at stirring factionalism and inaccuracies against the SACAA.

Even though your publication does not subscribe to the Press Council, it does not mean that it cannot prescribe to the required Press Code. We will share this complaint with the Press Council as well as the South African National Editors’ Forum for their records.

I look forward to your response to this complaint, addressing some of the matters that I have pointed out.

Yours in aviation,

Mr Sisa Majola Manager: Communications

For ease of reference, I have dealt with the key points you raise by annotating comments to your letter. So I will make some overview comments here:

1. It is a column - an opinion piece, an Op-Ed, and not a news report. For the record, I did confirm the assertions with other industry leaders. Further, many of the opinions are not mine but are very clearly attributed to the DFEs who provided the information and views.

2. My March column is in my view one of my better-balanced ones. Where I criticise, I also offer a carefully considered and practical solution.

3. Your accusation of racism is completely baseless - except to the extent that, if the wrongs of the past are to be righted, I am pro-transformation / affirmative action. For the record - in the past where I have criticised the TSOs they have all been white. Further – my transformation comments were about the consequences to the country as a whole, and not the CAA.

4. You failed to grasp that my comment about fees was merely in passing to the vexed subject of the CAA charging for what used to be a free service – namely registering a new ‘type rating’ on a licence and how the CAA has confused the issue of differences endorsements and type ratings. I addressed this in my column of May. It has nothing to do with DFEs having to travel.

Guy Leitch’s reply to Mr Sisa Majola

16 June 2023

Dear Sisa

To say that I am disappointed in the CAA’s response is an understatement. You are not seeing past your own misconceptions and prejudices about me.

5. You are completely wrong when you claim I have not recognised Ms Khoza’s achievements. For instance, in my May column I opened with:

“Let me start off with the good stuff. It really is commendable that the SACAA scored 92% in its latest ICAO audit.

Under the leadership of Ms Poppy Khoza this ICAO rating has been the prime objective, even

if it is sometimes at the expense of the industry’s growth and development.

The importance of achieving this high rating must not be understated. Imagine what would happen if South Africa’s rating was going steadily backwards, like so much else in our beloved country. The industry would heap opprobrium on the government and regulator and say that the decline in aviation regulation standards is just another typical African governance failure.

Instead, we have a world-class aviation regulator. This is great comfort to those who rely on South African aviation standards. This includes international businessmen and tourists who fly into South Africa and use local airlines. It also includes all the flight schools who must have their standards internationally accepted. And it applies to every pilot who needs to have his licence recognised in another country.

I must also record that, despite my carping that the CAA all too often regulates the industry into the ground, it is also trying to develop general aviation. I specifically note the relaunch of its Civil Aviation Industry Awards (CAIA) initiative. While many may like to think that this is a smug opportunity for overpaid civil servants to flaunt their conspicuous consumption of brands, it cannot be argued that it is good to recognise and reward excellence in the industry.

6. Radio licences: I am led to believe the standards for radio licence examiners have been changed and many are ceasing to be examiners – again I verified this by asking flight schools. But other than this passing comment I make no further mention of this subject.

7. ‘South Africa could be blacklisted by international bodies.’ The full statement reads “If the safety situation deteriorates, it is conceivable that South African aircraft could be black listed from flying into other countries”. You are being dishonest in

misquoting and quoting out of context. Plus, this statement is fundamentally true –regardless of the CAA’s ICAO score.

8. As an editor and journalist, I am appalled that you seek to link advertising support for SA Flyer to some sort of ‘reciprocal’ deal. I have the strongest barrier between editorial and advertising, which as you know, I leave entirely to our sales manager Wayne Wilson. You must advertise where you get the best exposure to your market – and that is unarguably SA Flyer.

In conclusion, I am very disappointed by the quality your complaint. What is most disappointing is your haste to play the race card. This is the refuge of the weak. And what further aggravates it, is that you completely misconstrued my point – which is fundamentally pro-transformation.

My op-ed column is an articulation of the industry’s frustrations. It is an opinion piece –and further – almost all the key opinions are from the DFEs – and not me.

I had hoped for a considered and mature response. I am happy to publish your letter without alteration or comment. But by playing the race card and getting so many points just plain wrong it will damage the CAA’s credibility even further. Your call.

And if anyone owes anybody anything, you owe me an apology for the race card. I would love the opportunity to ventilate the prejudice and errors in your complaint to the Press Council. That will make the general media sit up and take notice.

Yours sincerely

Dr Guy Leitch j

PJ AVIATION

AT AERO SA, STALL F4, PJ Aviation will be demonstrating Kanardia electronic flight instruments and systems. Kanardia’s products are well known for their intuitive, easy to use interface, lightweight design and reliable, fast hardware at competitive prices. Every module is interconnectable with supplied plug-in CAN bus cables, with no sub-modules, racks or install kits required. Expansion is easy, from just a PFD to say full 2 axis auto-pilot and engine monitor with logging. The 7 or 8,4 inch touch screen EFIS is supplied with EMS box and detailed mapping without subscription, in master and slave versions and interfaces with various makes of radios. Install yourself, or call for your nearest installer.

Also on display will be TSO’d, space saving, German manufactured TQ Avionics dual watch VHF-COM and Mode-S / ADS-B transponders. With 1400 employees in 13 locations, TQ Systems is one of Europe’s largest avionics manufacturer.

For professional users, PJ Aviation employs the TQ KRT2-S VHF COM in its rugged portable transceiver KRT2-TB2. Used by air traffic control, military and airlines, over 200 have now been produced in South Africa, and exported to more than a dozen countries. A new enhancement is a compact, bendable co-linear antenna, or pole mounting colinear extension antenna.

Contact:

Peter How 083 265 0581

www.pjaviation.co.za j

PANEL UPGRADES with Kanardia and TQ Avionics

SAFOMAR AVIATION

YOUR PARTNER IN AVIATION EXCELLENCE

Safomar Aviation (Pty) Ltd offers a leading competitive edge to the commercial, military, corporate and general aviation customer –providing a full spectrum of aviation-related solutions across multiple platforms through its subsidiaries.

The company was established in 1987 and has continued to support the aviation industry in South Africa and Sub-Saharan African countries.

Supporting our customers with products and services to ensure the affordability, safety and reliability of their aircraft.

Bespoke turnkey solutions across all platforms to meet our customer’s needs and operational requirements.

Our Expertise:

• Rotables, Parts & Consumables

• Lubricants, Fluids & Greases

• Transparencies

• Tyre, Wheel & Brake Management

• Rotable, Overhaul-repair Management

• Upgrade Programs

• Vibration Management Systems & Services

• Aircraft Sales & Leasing

Contact Details:

Tel: +27 (0)11 397 6260

Website:

www.safomaraviation.co.za

Email: customer.support@safomaraviation.co.za

Address:

Block C,2 Avalon Road, Westlake View

Modderfontein, Gauteng

South Africa, 1609 j

www.safomaraviation.co.za

AERO SOUTH AFRICA

Southern Africa’s premier general aviation expo runs at Wonderboom Pretoria from 6-8 July.

AERO SOUTH AFRICA is organised by Messe Frankfurt South Africa in partnership with fairnamic GmbH – the new joint venture of Messe Frankfurt and Messe Friedrichshafen who organise Europe’s largest General Aviation Show – AERO Friedrichshafen.

AERO South Africa covers the full spectrum of services and products for GA. Launched in 2019, AERO South Africa has the support of the City Of Tshwane which as the host city, committed to the event until 2024.

The City of Tshwane aims to become the hub for GA in Southern Africa, and Wonderboom

National Airport is the ideal location as it is one of the only National Airports in South Africa that can accommodate aircraft fly-ins for visitors and demo flights for aircraft OEMs and distributors, allowing for a first-hand experience to the serious prospective buyer during the purchase process. This not only allows exhibitors to demonstrate their products but also makes it more convenient for people to attend the event from around the country.

The primary focus of this year’s edition of AERO South Africa is to provide a professional business-to-business networking platform for exhibitors in the aviation industry. Aero South

AERO Expo returns for 2023.

Africa serves as an exceptional opportunity for industry professionals to showcase the latest technology, unveil new products, forge new business partnerships, and strengthen existing relationships through the B2B Matchmaking program.

General aviation professionals, aircraft and helicopter owners/operators and pilots are invited to register as trade visitors. By attending AERO South Africa, they will gain valuable insights into the latest aviation technology and industry trends. This annual event offers South African manufacturers and distributors a dedicated platform to engage with new buyers, while international manufacturers consider it an ideal gateway to enter the South African market. In addition, attendees can attend presentations by reputable speakers in the aviation industry, covering a wide range of topics relevant to general aviation.

Exhibitors will have the opportunity to provide demonstration flights, allowing potential buyers to experience aircraft features and luxury firsthand. We encourage visitors to fly-in to AERO South Africa using their own aircraft. Landing, approach, and ground handling fees for fly-ins to Wonderboom National Airport will be waived, provided that prospective fly-in visitors preregister their flight plan. To register for AERO South Africa 2023, please use the following link

https://app.messereg.com/events/visitor/aerosouth-africa-2023

The 2023 exhibitor list includes Absolute Aviation, Absa Commercial Asset Finance, Absa Relationship Banking , Aeronautical Aviation, Aero Club of SA, Aero Supreme, Airpart Supply Ltd, African Pilot, Airbus South Africa, Aircraft Finance Corporation, ARCC, Aviatize, Avocet Aviation Ltd, Aviation 4 SA, Aviation Union of Southern Africa, Bona Bona, Bell Textron, Bose Products B.V, CAMASA, Concorde Battery Corporation, Century Avionics, City of Tshwane, Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH, DJA Aviation Pty Ltd, Flybywire Aviation Art, Flying for Life, ForeFlight, Garmin, G.I.B Insurance, Jet A1, Musket Flight Management System, NAC, Ntsu Aviation Solution Pty Ltd, Pilots and Planes Pty Ltd, Pilot Insure Brokers Pty Ltd, PJ Aviation, Pooleys Flight Equipment Limited, R. Eisenschmidt GmbH, SA Flyer, Sling Aircraft, Santam PTY Ltd, SMR Technoliges dba Ice Shield, Southern Cross Aviation, UNISA, Vektor Aviation Pty Ltd, VL3 Aviation, Wings n Things Pty Ltd, World Airnews.

The 2022 Expo

Building on the success of the first, back in 2019, the 2022 Expo welcomed over 3,500 visitors with 72 exhibiting companies across 5106 sqm of display space.

The 2023 Aero Expo will build on its 2022 success.

AERO South Africa featured an engaging workshop programme that covered amongst other tropics, careers for women in aviation, skills development, General Aviation Safety Strategies, and various product launches.

In a first for the event, a successful personalised B2B Matchmaking Programme was launched where businesses were profiled and matched to specific trade visitors that secured and hosted over 100 confirmed B2B meetings at the event.

Over and above that there were 103 preregistered Fly-ins who received free landing, approach, and passenger fees. Selected exhibitors also offered demo flights, and the Park and Sell area was an opportunity for visitors to view pre-owned aircraft for sale.

The event was presented by Messe Frankfurt South Africa in partnership with Fairnamic – organisers of Europe’s largest general aviation show Aero Friedrichshafen. Host city – The City of Tshwane signed a 3-year partnership with AERO South Africa and Wonderboom National Airport with the vision of the City of Tshwane becoming the hub of general aviation in Africa.

Wonderboom Airport

The capital city prides itself on being a centre of excellence in research and technology.Being the home of several general aviation organisations at Wonderboom National Airport, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and several other private enterprises that provide engineering and specialist services, the city’s long-term strategy and commitment is in enticing international business and multinational companies to settle and do business in Tshwane.

With more than 85% of South Africa’s research and development as well as 30% of the

country’s aerospace development work taking place in the city, Tshwane aims to become the de-facto aerospace hub in Africa. Hence the decision to partner with Messe Frankfurt South Africa to have AERO South Africa hosted in the city till 2024. This then is an open invitation to individuals and businesses in the aviation space to consider Tshwane for their aviation business.

The City of Tshwane is not only about business but also offers an array of tourism experiences ranging from diversity of cultures, heritage, entertainment, wildlife, outdoor and good weather all year round.

The first AERO Expo was adjudged a big success.

Fly-In

AIRFIELD INFORMATION:

Runway Details: runway 29/11 length 1825x30m

PAPI and Runway edge lights

Rwy 06/24 1280/22m nil lighting

both Asphalt

Airfield co-ordinates: S25 39 19.1

E028 13 16.8

Area Frequency: Special Rules

East 125.4

Special Rules West 125.8

FAD 128/9 124.4

IFR Flight Radar 124.5

FAWB TWR 118.35

FAWB GND 120.6

Runway headings: as above

Runway:

Elevation: 4095ft

Fencing: Airfield Perimeter is fenced

Fuel: Skeerpoort Verspreiders Avgas and JetA1

The 2022 exhibition apron.

AERO 2019 Organisation very customer focussedincluding these helpful walking equiry assistants.

Everybody needs a wingman.

We’re right there with you.

With more than 40 years of experience, Santam Aviation has established itself as South Africa’s leading short-term insurer in the aviation industry. Our aviation experts have years of combined technical knowledge and can advise you on how best to cover every aspect of your risk. Whether you’re in the private aircraft market, a charter company or an owner, we’re here to guide and support you on your journey. Santam. Insurance good and proper.

To find out more, visit santam.co.za or speak to your intermediary.

SANTAM

COMMERCIAL DRONES MANIFEST AS A LEGACY-CREATION FORCE

As strong an impact as the mobile phone market has had on life today, will be the use of commercial drones. So intense will the use be, says the Alliance for Drone Innovation, that sustainable growth will culminate in more than US$82.1-billion by 2025, creating some 103 776 jobs, and that’s just in the United States. “This growth is believable because Santam Aviation has more that doubled the insured number of commercial drones on its books in the past year alone,” says James Godden, Head of Santam Aviation.

Largely commercial drones are used in the energy, mining, security, medicine and agricultural sectors. Their use in agriculture specifically has been touted to be one of the most radical industry-transformations because they can crop spray 100% of a field faster and more accurately than traditional planes. “They are also far more cost-efficient,” says Godden. “The cost of such a drone is between R200 000 to R300 000, and can provide, in some cases, up to 1 000 hectares of spraying from a battery’s lifetime.”

“For inspection purposes, drones are incredibly useful. Not only do they minimise, even eliminate the risks associated with human inspection, they respond quickly to lifethreatening situations be that rescue searches or building threats,” says Godden. “This is also true within the insurance industry where drones are becoming popular in undertaking the inspection of claims, fraud detection, and prevention of incidents.”

Santam Aviation’s commercial drone insurance policy is only applicable to South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) registered drones that are operated by qualified drone pilots who need to have passed a medical examination that defines the operator’s physical competence. Specific to companies employing the use of drones, is the need for a company-operating licence.

Drone insurance has been included in Santam’s Aviation’s portfolio for more than five years, having had the foresight early on in realising the potential of the industry. The policy ensures cover if a drone is lost, damaged or causes damage, loss or injury to others. To date, says Godden, Santam Aviation drone insurance claims have been largely loss related, either through theft or damage. “Negligence is minimal given the licensing regime, although accidents do happen. Interestingly some of the drone damage claims have been accredited to birds of prey, particularly the Yellow Billed Kite, which is territorial and obviously finds drones invasive in their environment.” j

SKY VOYAGE

SKY VOYAGE, an advanced training ATO, guided and managed by its very own dynamic and entrepreneurial leader and CEO, Ricky Smit, offers a very high standard of advanced ICAO-compliant training solutions to our clients with a specific focus on pilots who want to grow their careers and progress to more advanced and complex aircraft. Sky Voyage stives to always align itself with it’s company moto, Excellence in Advanced Training.

The Sky Voyage team consists of dynamic legendary aviators, instructors and DFE’s, who are passionate about what they do. A number of our instructors and DFEs are also accredited by regulatory bodies other than the SACAA.

No aviation training is valuable or complete without the execution of the practical elements

and soft courses to round off all training. Sky Voyage also covers most aviation soft courses which are designed and approved by SACAA and exceed international standards. We continuously improve and research our course material and training techniques to deliver superior quality training.

Sky Voyage has an ever-expanding footprint in the African aviation market and will, with regulatory approval, provide tailor-made solutions to satisfy the client’s requirements in terms of time and venue.

Contact:

Tel: +27 (0) 83 231 6458

Cell: +27 (0) 83 231 6458

Email: rickysmit@mweb.co.za

www.skyvoyage.co.za j

Come Fly With Us

Tel: +27 (0) 83 231 6458 | Cell: +27 (0) 83 231 6458

Email: rickysmit@mweb.co.za | Website: www.skyvoyage.co.za

Flight Training

We offer a very high standard of advanced training solutions to our clients which is specifically for those pilots who want to grow their career and start taking on advanced and complex aircraft - together we take them to the next level of flight training.

We consult and plan their career path by assisting with the different choices they have to make. Each client has access to individual consultation with our mentors which help them to make the right choices in their training decisions.

Our Team

The team consists of dynamic legendary aviators, instructors and DFE’s, who are passionate about what they do using ICAO approved course material for all courses offered.

Soft Courses

In the Class room. No aviation training is actually valuable or complete without the execution of the practical elements and soft courses to round off all training. Our courses are designed and approved by SACAA and exceeds international standards. We continuously improve and research our course material and training techniques to deliver superior quality of training to you.

For all advanced training requirements, Sky Voyage has you covered.

STANDARDAERO is one of the world’s largest independent providers of engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, providing OEM-authorized support for leading aeroengines and APUs including the AE 3007, APS 2300, CF34-3/-8, CFM567B, GTCP36, JT15D, LEAP-1A/B, PT6A, PW100, PW150A, PW901A/C, RB211-535 and RE220.

StandardAero’s facility at Lanseria International Airport near Johannesburg is a fully authorized Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF) for the PT6A family, and the world’s only independent service provider authorized to overhaul the PT6A-140. In addition, the facility provides full support – up to and including overhaul – for 41 other variants of the engine.

The Lanseria facility also offers service center and mobile repair team (MRT) support for the PW100 turboprop and JT15D turbofan.

With more than five decades of experience in repairing and overhauling P&WC engines, StandardAero has developed a reputation for quality workmanship, industry leading turnaround times, exceptional customer service and competitive pricing.

Point of contact:

Jason Gallant

General Manager

Office: +27 11 701 3035

jason.gallant@standardaero.com

PT6A FLAT RATE OVERHAUL (FRO)

No

No

StandardAero Lanseria, a Pratt & Whitney PT6A designated overhaul facility (DOF) and the sole independent DOF approved for the PT6A-140, is pleased to support operators across Africa with P&W’s flat rate overhaul (FRO) program, which combines OEM-level quality with guaranteed “not to exceed” capped pricing. Meaning that you can plan your maintenance expenses with confidence, and without any compromises.

StandardAero Lanseria, a Pratt & Whitney PT6A designated overhaul facility (DOF) and the sole independent DOF approved for the PT6A-140, is pleased to support operators across Africa with P&W’s flat rate overhaul (FRO) program, which combines OEM-level quality with guaranteed “not to exceed” capped pricing. Meaning that you can plan your maintenance expenses with confidence, and without any compromises.

The FRO program does not incur extra charges for typical corrosion, sulphidation or repairable foreign object damage (FOD), and PMA parts are accepted.

The FRO program does not incur extra charges for typical corrosion, sulphidation or repairable foreign object damage (FOD), and PMA parts are accepted.

As the industry’s leading independent aeroengine MRO provider, StandardAero is trusted by airline, governmental and business aviation operators worldwide for responsive, tailored support solutions. Contact us today to learn more.

As the industry’s leading independent aeroengine MRO provider, StandardAero is trusted by airline, governmental and business aviation operators worldwide for responsive, tailored support solutions. Contact us today to learn more.

AEROTEL

AEROTEL – A BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN LUXURY PLANS

Situated in Hoedspruit, South Africa, Aerotel is the product of the town’s resident couple Martin and Tracy den Dunnen. An entrepreneur, pilot, and property developer, Martin and his wife had always dreamed of rescuing airplanes from scrapyards and restoring them in to their former glory.

The idea became a reality in 2019 when they purchased a retired Boeing 737-200, previously registered ZS-BIL and now called BIL. The 39-year-old plane was originally delivered to America West, and its last operator was Gryphon Airlines in South Africa.

With the help of local artisans, suppliers, and workforce, Martin and Tracy converted the aircraft into a magnificent hotel without any manual.

Aerotel opened in October 2020 and is an approximately five-to-six-hour drive from Johannesburg. While slightly removed from urban buzz, Aerotel is not entirely off the grid. Its proximity to Kruger National Park and various animal rehabilitation centres offers a great chance for travellers to combine a unique stay with a safari.

BIL has Six Business Class cabins each room named after a cloud formation and they are all equipped with a queen bed, minibar, private bathroom and shower, coffee & tea, complimentary WiFi and individually controlled air conditioning, as well as On-board breakfast which are all included in the stay.

Adjoining the hotel is a mosaic swimming pool with an aviation compass, a flight deck that offers the perfect place to relax and soak in stunning views of the Northern Drakensberg Mountains and the glorious African bushveld over a Gintail and mouth-watering Tapas.

Contact The Aerotel Crew:

087 6556 737

reservations@aerotel.co.za

www.aerotel.co.za

1406 Zandspruit Boulevard, Zandspruit Estates, R527, Hoedspruit

UAVONIX

UAVIONIX CORPORATION

uAvionix is the leading provider of ADS-B products world-wide for General Aviation and Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS). Founded with a mission of advancing aviation safety through a connected airspace, uAvionix’s innovative tailBeaconX combines a rear LED position light with a 1090 MHz ADS-B OUT / Mode S transponder, SBAS GPS, and antennas that future-proof your aircraft for ADS-B requirements. The advanced AV-30 EFIS display is an easy retrofit in an existing 3” panel slot and serves as the tailBeaconX transponder controller. Together, the tailBeaconX and AV-30 deliver cutting-edge performance for both certified and experimental aircraft.

tailBeaconX REDEFINING THE ADSB TRANSPONDER

tailBeaconX combined with the AV-30 or supported third-party EFIS elevates your cockpit functionality while future-proofing your ADS-B transponder to meet South Africa, US, Canadian, and future ADS-B requirements. tailBeaconX replaces your existing transponder while upgrading your rear position light.

EASA Approved and Now Shipping

tailBeaconX CONTROLLED WITH AV30

Comprised of aviation enthusiasts and pilots, the uAvionix team leverages unparalleled engineering and manufacturing expertise to deliver transponders, cockpit displays, and portable ADS-B devices that improve safety and your flying experience.

AV30 HIGHLIGHT S:

• PRIMARY AI

• PRIMARY DG

• PRIMARY SLIP

• GMETER

• PROBELESS AOA

• LIVE ADSB TRAFFIC

uAvionix ships to South Africa. Interested in becoming a uAvionix customer or reseller? We look forward to connecting with you!

AV30 ADDONS:

•

Email: sales@uavionix.com

Website: www.uavionix.com

AV

•

uAvionix.com/tbx

Gauteng

JACK TAYLOR AIRFIELD SPOT LANDING COMPETITION

8 July

Krugersdorp Flying Club Jack Taylor Airfield

Contact: 083 577 8894

EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH

24 – 30 July

Wisconsin, USA

Camping on airfield Neil Bowden: airadventuresa@gmail.com

Neil Bowden

E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

Hotels in Appleton Calvin Fabig: calvin@designer.co.za

SAPFA SPEED RALLY NO.3 – LOUIS TRICHARDT FALO

29 – 30 July

Louis Trichardt FALO

David le Roux Cell: 073 338 5200

E-mail: david@pilotinsure.co.za

SOUTPANSBERG AIRSHOW LOUIS TRICHARDT FALO

28 – 29 July

Louis Trichardt FALO

Jaco 082 353 6002 Bianca 084 297 7274

E-mail: spbvliegklub@gmail.com

BUMPPPFFF:

Finally

- a good explanation of how a wing works.

Smoking during refueling is fine.

The inside of an A380 wing fuel tank. The man is apparently over 6 ft tall.

They work Robbie 44s hard in South America.

Where romance meets nature

14 18 21 22 26 33 34 38 39 40 42

EDITION 174 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Publisher Flyer and Aviation Publications cc

Managing Editor Guy Leitch guy@flightcommag.com

Advertising Sales Wayne Wilson wayne@saflyermag.co.za

Layout & Design Patrick Tillman: Imagenuity cc

JULY 2023

ADMIN:

+27 (0)83 607 2335

TRAFFIC:

+27 (0)81 039 0595

ACCOUNTS:

+27 (0)15 793 0708

Bush Pilot - Hugh Pryor

AME Directory

IATA - Yvonne Manzi Makolo Chairs IATA Board

Pilots - Laura McDermid

John Bassi - Thought I knew how to fly

IATA - Willie Walsh Berates Politicians

Defence - Darren Olivier

Zambian Children’s Flight

IATA - Urges better Accident Reports

Jeffrey Kempson - A shaky start

Alpi Aviation SA: Flight School Directory

Merchant West Charter Directory

Skysource AMO Listing

Backpage Directory

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR:

IN JUNE, AIRCRAFT LEASING company

Avolon, published its World Fleet Forecast, headed ‘Return to Growth’. This projects trends in the commercial passenger aviation fleet out to 2042.

Key findings are that Asia will lead growth driven by travel demand from a rising middle class. And longterm demand to travel to see friends, family and do business is now undiminished byt he Covid pandemic. Good news for pilot demand is that Avolon forecasts the global airline fleet will almost double by 2042, growing 94% to 46,880 aircraft, underpinned by sustained growth in demand for air travel, building on the rapid recovery experienced since the pandemic.

Passenger demand will continue to rise by around 3.5% per annum from a 2019 base, but the pace of expansion will be lower than the 5-6% of the previous 20 years due to reduced potential for further deregulation to drive growth, and higher fares because of aircraft supply shortages and increasing sustainability levies.

decommissioning at the end of their economic life or freighter conversion.

• Growth of the narrowbody fleet (112%) will outpace widebody fleet growth (97%) as single-aisle aircraft are able to accommodate more passengers and transcontinental flight distances. Regional Jet (11%) and Turboprop (36%) growth will be more modest.

• Supply constraints currently being experienced will continue into the second half of the decade, increasing the value of booked production slots and aircraft that have already been delivered. Those airlines that have not secured sufficient capacity will rely on lessors for new and used aircraft.

Africa is getting left behind again

Avolon estimates that over $4 trillion will be required to finance the 44,300 new passenger commercial aircraft to be delivered over the next 20 years, providing a considerable opportunity for lessors to partner with airlines globally to finance their growth ambitions.

The biggest growth driver will be new middle-class consumers, particularly in India, South-East Asia and Latin America. So Africa is getting left behind again.

Avolon’s World Fleet Forecast key takeaways include:

• The regions showing the biggest increase in travel to 2042 will be India (4.4%), China (3.7%), Asia (5.0%) and Latin America (4.9%). Mature markets such as North America (2.0%) and Europe (3.1%) will continue to grow, although at a more moderate rate.

• 44,300 new aircraft will be delivered over the period and 21,600 aircraft will exit the passenger fleet through

Aircraft lessors will play a key role in accelerating fleet renewal, and a growing industry will attract the capital required to hit aviation’s net zero target by 2050.

Aviation is confronting the challenge of decoupling growth from environmental impact. Trillions of dollars of new investment will be required to fund the required transition to new-technology lower emissions aircraft, to ramp up the supply of sustainable aviation fuel, and to explore new designs that pioneer alternative energy sources.

The outlook for the global airline industry remains very positive – and that’s great news for pilots, cabin crew and the rest of the industry.

POL PART 2

HORST AND I SET OFF before sun-up the next morning to once again try and find Pol.

We had gallons of strong coffee to keep Hypnos from sitting on our eye lids and some substantial sandwiches to feed the worms.

With the main and underwing tanks full, we had a good five and a half hours endurance. In fact closer to six, which I know is not far over the ground in a Porter. The Porter is so slow that it is reputed to be the only aircraft to have suffered a bird strike from the rear, but nevertheless, it was better for this job than a four-by-four. The only limiting factor appeared to be the size of our respective bladders and there were various ways around that problem, particularly armed as we were with the Porter’s peculiar “off-road” abilities.

than him, are already here, which I have tortured and claimed before?.....Nothing!.....Go home!.....Go home to your comforts, your air conditioning and your imported luxuries! I shall be here when you and the whole human race have been swept away in the sand storms of time,”

We got back disconsolate to the hangar in Zella that evening, to find that the momentum had been beaten out of the search by the desolate indifference of the desert. Three of the search aircraft had anyway to go back to work for the living, instead of looking for what many of us assumed must by now be the dead.

terrifying, disabling loneliness

We landed just the once during that day, for fuel. The other two times were out in the desert, for “comfort stops” and more cups of coffee! Our spirits sank deeper and deeper as the hours and the endless tracts of scorched desert crept past.

It was as if the very desert itself were saying to us, “Give it up! The guy hasn’t an icicle in hell’s chance out here. What’s one more desiccated little pile of bones anyway, to add to the thousands. Some, much tougher

But Horst and I just gagged at the thought of leaving poor little old Pol to eke out his final sun-bleached hours in terrifying, disabling loneliness. He HAD to be SOME where. A large white Toyota Land Cruiser cannot simply disappear into thin air. It’s just too big to get blown away or buried without trace by the wind. We must have been looking in the wrong place all this time. Neither of us realised how close we had been to finding him on the second day, but the truth of the matter was that the five aircraft had now covered the maximum area that Pol’s fuel could have taken him. So we MUST have missed him. He HAD to be somewhere inside that search circle.

That was the Thursday and that evening Horst and I sat

In Part 1 of this two-part story, Hugh Tells how his engineer Pol got lost in the Libyan desert.

down, the only available members of the “Thursday Evening Society”, to drink to an absent friend.

During our discussions I suddenly realised that the only part of the circle which none of us had visited was the Sirte Prohibited Area. The Americans had just recently reduced Mr. Ghadaffi’s Air Defence Radar sites at Sirte to rubble and so the Prohibited Area would be buzzing, as the authorities rushed to fill and calibrate this breach in Libya’s defensive wall. One of the Twin Otters and ourselves had brushed against the boundary of the area on the second day of the search, but both of us had decided that discretion might keep us from the firing squad at this very unstable time and so we had kept out.

But the same rules did not apply to vehicles and quite a large chunk of the search circle was hidden behind the jumpy glare of the newly installed replacement radars.

I think it must have been the second beer which prompted my guard to be lowered enough to allow an outrageous idea to barge in on the conversation.

“Horst,” I said enquiringly, “do you know anything about Air Defence Radar?”

“A bit.” replied Horst, “I had quite a lot to do with it during my National Service days. Why?”

“Well, for example, how can the radar differentiate between cars and low flying aircraft?”

“Oh, they have a Doppler Warning on most Air Defence Radars which eliminates from their calculations any target which is travelling towards them at a relative speed of less than sixty-eight knots. Otherwise they would be getting false alarms every time a truck approached the radar site, wouldn’t they.”

“ What about helicopters?”

“Helicopters?” Horst continued, “The thing is that even the rotor blades of a helicopter will set the Doppler warning off. So it’s quite effective.”

“What about the propeller blades on a Pilatus Porter

which was flying towards the radar site at forty-four knots?”

“No, they wouldn’t set it off because the blades are rotating ACROSS the track to the radar and their relative inbound speed is just the same as that of the aeroplane.”

“Do you want to give it a try then?...tomorrow?”

“I think you’re really serious, aren’t you, Hugh,” said Horst, looking quizzically into my eyes.

“Well, it’s the only place in the search circle that we haven’t been and we would never forgive ourselves if we lost him because we just didn’t look, would we. I don’t think we are being silly. If we stay low enough and slow enough and keep to the right side of the road, we’ll look like a truck. As a matter of fact, I reckon the Pilatus Porter looks like a truck anyway!”

“Okay,” said Horst with a conspiratorial grin. “If you’re going, I’d better come along to keep you out of trouble!”

So, the next morning, once again weighed down with coffee, sandwiches, five litres of water and three vast water melons, we set off to comb each side of the road to Rig 18, searching for the wheel tracks which would tell us that somebody had, intentionally or not, left the established route.....And we found them.....a rogue set of tracks set off on their own, across the hard gravel plain, to the west, where the other trails eased off right, towards the north east.

Suddenly, I realised that we would have to get fuel for the afternoon search, because our consumption had been dramatically increased by the low altitude and the intricate dance we had weaved as we followed every twist and turn of the road...making like a truck.

We landed and I dug a red blanket out of our emergency box. Why they needed a great big red blanket when the outside air temperature was hovering around one hundred and thirty Fahrenheit beat me, and so I didn’t feel too bad about using it to mark where the rogue tracks split away from the main stream of wheel marks.

we would never forgive ourselves

We then rushed back to our base at Zella as fast as our truck disguise would allow us and returned to the red blanket an hour and a half later, to continue our investigation of the errant spore.

Just as we were entering the Sirte Prohibited area, we spotted, in the distance, a low building. We landed in the desert beside it to see if there was any evidence of our lost friend and we were rewarded with multiple tell tales of fresh wheel marks. The roofless building turned out to have been some kind of a bar, probably Italian, judging by the markings on the bottles from which the bar itself was constructed and the Italians had not been in these parts since the Second World War, so the fresh wheel marks were a definite encouragement.

We leapt back into the air again to our cruising altitude of fifteen feet and followed the scent to the north. The day was just beginning to show signs of tiring and the evening was creeping in from the east. We had to make a decision. Deep, as we were in a highly active Military Prohibited Area, we couldn’t afford to get caught there, however desperate poor Pol’s situation, unless we wanted to spend a considerable amount of time in a Libyan jail and Libyan jails do not appear in any of the Michelin guides that I have seen. At worst we could get to meet the firing squad for what, on the face of it, would look like pretty plausible charges of spying, at this hypersensitive time.

No, we had to turn around just now and head for base.

I looked at Horst. “You see that little green area up ahead?” I asked, pointing out of the windscreen, “I’m just going to have a look and see what it is and then I’m going to go back to Zella. Our fuel is getting low, and we don’t have much daylight left and I’d hate to get caught in this area, particularly after dark.”

“Okay,” Horst agreed, and we carried on slowly towards the area I had pointed out to him. It turned out to be an incongruous patch of unnaturally bright green grass in the middle of the barren plain. Two fresh lines of wheel marks had crushed the grass, where the track crossed it. Horst turned to me, “Why don’t we just go up to that dust devil and check it out?” he said, pointing at a twirling plume of sand rising into the hot

evening air in front of us.

I nodded and we began to overhaul the moving vortex.

As we came abeam the dust cloud, we could see that it was being created by a large white Toyota Land Cruiser. We had found Pol.

In a state of pure euphoria, I wound on full flap with the roof-mounted “Sorry Lever”, (so-called because you tend to punch your neighbour’s head vigorously as you wind it to lower the flaps) pushed the prop lever to fully fine, yanked the Porter over and landed straight ahead in front of him. We stopped and I switched off the generator and feathered the prop...hand brake ON... hurl the door OPEN and leap OUT!

Little Pol was jumping up and down like someone doing primary school physical education. His face was all scrunched up and tears would have been flooding down his cheeks if there had been any tears left in his dehydrated system.

“I KNEW you would come!...I Knew you would find me! My father TOLD me you wouldn’t leave me out here to die!...He told me yesterday evening!”

Pol staggered forward and I caught him as he toppled over. I carried him back to the plane and handed him up to Horst who had climbed into the back. “I’ll look after him. You just get us out of here!” he shouted, as he laid Pol along the bench seat.

I ran round the aeroplane to check that all the wheels and wings were where they were supposed to be and then jumped in, unfeathered the prop, set take-off flap, ran through the take-off checks and pushed the power lever forward.

We surged into the air, leaving the Toyota in a cloud of dust. which stood there in the quiet evening air as we turned south for Zella, I prayed that no suspicious eyes had observed our noisy departure.

Pol lay, half conscious, across Horst’s lap, who gently introduced sippets of water between Pol’s cracked lips. Slowly he regained consciousness and then Horst

fuel is getting low

tried him on a bit of chilled watermelon from the cool box. This seemed to bring Pol round and soon he was cramming the crisp juicy pink flesh into his mouth.

By the time we reached Zella, all three melons had disappeared, as had most of the water.

Horst and I went back to pick up the car the following morning.

Pol was laid up for a couple of days to get his strength back and I visited him the second evening when I got back from a trip to a rig up near Hamada.

When I walked into his room, he looked up and said in an uncharacteristically low, cracked tone, “On the second day I almost gave up. I saw you and the Oxy plane fly right over the top of me. I shouted as loud as I could. I waved, I even set fire to an old tyre that I found by the track, to try and attract your attention. But you didn’t see me. Then I realised that you would not come back to a place you had already searched. That was when I nearly gave up. But that evening, my

Father told me that you would come and get me. He’s very grateful to you two you know.” His gaze dropped reflectively to the open door with the evening sunlight streaming in through it, “And so am I!”

Pol’s eyes gave way to the inevitable as he slipped off to sleep and I quietly closed the door of his room as I left him and went to the mess for a restorative cup of tea.

Horst was sitting at the table, a cup of coffee to hand. “How’s our survivor?” he asked.

“Oh, he’ll be fine.” I replied, “He said he didn’t sleep very well the first night, but he drifted off very peacefully as I left him just now. He seems to have got a lot of strength from his Father doesn’t he.....strange, that, because he told me that his Father died twelve years ago. Almost makes you believe in ghosts doesn’t it!”

Horst grinned and nodded. 

AME Doctors Listing

YVONNE MANZI MAKOLO CHAIRS IATA BOARD OF GOVERNORS

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that RwandAir CEO Yvonne Manzi Makolo has assumed her duties as Chair of the IATA Board of Governors (BoG) for a one-year term, effective from the conclusion of the 79th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Istanbul, Türkiye on 5 June.

MAKOLO IS THE 81ST CHAIR of the IATA BoG and the first woman to take on this role. She has served on the BoG since November 2020. She succeeds Pegasus Airlines Chairperson of the Board Mehmet Tevfik Nane who will continue to serve on the BoG.

Makolo started her aviation career in 2017 when she was appointed as RwandAir’s Deputy CEO in Charge of Corporate Affairs. She was named CEO in April 2018. Yvonne brought 11 years of commercial expertise to her current role, having joined telecommunications company MTN Rwanda in 2006, rising to the positions of Chief Marketing Officer and Acting CEO.

She was born in Rwanda. In 1993, she voluntarily emmigrated to Canada. Ten years later, in 2003 she returned to Rwanda. She and her older sister were raised by a single mother, Yvonne’s father having died when the daughters were very young.

RwandAir's Yvonne Makolo has been appointed Chair of IATA's BoG. Image IATA.

Makolo has specialised training in information technology and has worked as a software developer, both in Canada and Rwanda. She holds a BA Hons degree from McGill University in Canada and a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Information Technology.

In 2006, she joined MTN Rwanda, a leading telecommunications service provider in the country. She rose to the position of chief marketing officer and also concurrently served as the chief executive officer in an acting capacity.

In April 2017, when the Cabinet of Rwanda made management changes at Rwandair, Makolo was appointed Deputy CEO, responsible for Corporate Affairs. One year later, she was appointed to the position of managing director and chief executive officer at Rwandair.

In November 2021, Makolo was interviewed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). During that interview, she was asked what it will take for African aviation to revive. She believes governments must provide more support for aviation. “However, this does not always imply financial assistance”.

“I am honoured and pleased to take on this important role. IATA plays a critical role for all airlines—big and small, various business models, and in all corners of the world. Leading a medium-sized airline in

Africa gives me a unique perspective on issues that airlines hold in common. At the top of the agenda are decarbonization, improving safety, the transformation to modern airline retailing, and ensuring we have costefficient infrastructure. I am particularly pleased to be taking on this role as IATA launches Focus Africa with the aim of unifying the continent’s stakeholders so that together we can strengthen the contribution of aviation to Africa’s social and economic development,” said Makolo.

Under her leadership, RwandAir has become one of Africa’s fastest growing airlines with a fleet of 13 modern aircraft. She has led cultural change at the airline with a focus on inclusion and diversity and growing the number of women in under-represented roles.

Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General says, “I look forward to working with Yvonne as we tackle the important challenges of sustainability, rebuilding the aviation workforce while growing diversity and reinforcing the global standards that are so critical for efficient connectivity. I want to thank Mehmet for his strong support and leadership over the past year as the industry emerged from the COVID-19 and in particular, his encouragement in working for greater gender diversity.” 

C.W. PRICE AND COMPANY

C.W. PRICE AND COMPANY has been involved in aviation and meteorological instruments for over 71 years. Based in Midrand, C.W Price are the appointed agents for airport support equipment from aircraft ground power to man portable rugged Redbox power packs for aircraft starting.

They are agents for Eagle All Wheel Drive aircraft tow tugs for regional, corporate and military applications. They import Precision Airmotive fuel injector parts and overhaul kits.

They provide online VitalWeather system for remote or sms monitoring of small airports as well as stand alone weather stations for regional airports.

Contact Kelvin on:

Tel: 011-805-4720

Email: cwp@cwprice.co.za

Website: www.cwprice.co.za

C W Price & Co

Start Power Units

The Red Box range of jump start batteries and aircraft start units are the ideal solution for starting the majority of DC aircraft. They are designed to start aircraft from the very smallest up to the largest business jets.

Hybrid Start and Continuous Power 28V DC

This Red Box unit combines a petrol engine with a bank of batteries to offer the slickest combination unit in the world. The weight and size of this unit is unrivalled, making it the obvious choice of Business Jet owners and operators. It allows for starting and continuous power away from the normal hanger environment so that aircraft on the flightline can be serviced as an alternative to being moved via an aircraft tug into the hanger.

LAURA MCDERMID

IRIS - HER EARLY YEARS. PART 3

Tanzania Game Tracker Safaris

Laura McDermid continues her stories of Iris McCallum’s flying exploits.

I had just accepted a job offer from Robin Hurt, a well-known and respected Professional Hunter (PH). He had recently set up his own company called Tanzania Game Trackers Safaris in Arusha, the safari capital of the world, and had asked me to set up the aviation side of his business.

IRESIGNED FROM LIMBE Leaf Tobacco in Malawi where I had worked for the past three years piloting a Citation SP1, packed up my scant belongings, and in January 1986 began my new job.

I was tasked with finding a fleet of reliable aircraft which would be used to ferry the clients of Tanzania Game Trackers Safaris from the major airports to various bush camps.

I asked a good friend, Buster Ray, to help me with this task. Buster’s father and my dad were PHs together at White Hunters (Africa) Ltd and I recall changing baby Buster’s nappies when I was eight years old. I reckoned he owed me for that, and he was only too keen to join me in this new venture.

Within five months we had managed to source and register a Cessna 206 Stationair 5H-TGT and a Cessna 404 N68071T. In June I bought our third plane through my contacts at Wilson Airport, a Cessna 402C N268PA.

My job was varied; apart from ferrying clients, I was tasked with transporting their precious customdesigned guns. Existing firearms were often modified or in many cases, new ones were built from scratch to ensure that the gun fitted the user’s body type, shooting stance, and preferences.

The law in East Africa at the time stated that higher calibre guns had to be used for the hunting of big game. The .458 Winchester Magnum bolt-action rifle was the

the very active yoke of a C206

most popular. Favoured for its reliability, accuracy, and versatility, the cartridge offered substantial stopping power and was known for its ability to take down large and thick-skinned animals such as elephants, buffalo, and rhinos.

Due to the remoteness of the hunting camps, fresh food was scarce, and produce had to be flown in. Each week I would fly 500nm from the hunting camp in Murungu which lay west of Arusha in the great Moyawasi swamp area, to Arusha Airport, where I would load up on fresh fruit and vegetables that I’d purchase from the local vendors.

Due to the absence of Avgas at Arusha, I would fly back via Kilimanjaro to refuel.

Initially, the transition from the powerful twin Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines onto the Continental IO-520 single-piston engine was my biggest challenge.

Buster didn’t have the C206 on his license, so he was

From three years of comfortable “armchair flying’ in the Citation, I was back behind the very active yoke of a C206.

The 200kt difference in cruising speeds came as a shock to my system. The 500nm from Murungu which would’ve taken 1.5 hours in the jet, now took over 3 hours in the Stationair, as it also meant having to refuel between trips, turning the affair into a day’s outing.

I was back doing some ‘real’ flying and was in my element. The C206 was robust, and its use so varied as to be perfectly suitable for charter flights, surveillance, and cargo operations. Its good short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities made it ideal for operating from rudimentary bush strips. In short, it was a fun, pilot-friendly aircraft.

Every year in June, Tanzania Game Tracker Safaris would begin afresh by cutting and burning down the

Vultures are a major hazard for pilots.

‘stuck’ flying the 404 and 402C.

long grass to create new roads and rebuild the disused airstrips and camps.

The regulated hunting season ran from July to November, which meant that illegal hunting and poaching ramped up considerably in the off-season, especially in remote, inaccessible areas. Part of my job was to locate poachers’ lairs.

Every year, the migrating wildebeest and zebra pour out of the western Serengeti, to re-enter the park in the north. Not much skill is needed to trap the wildebeest when they massed to drink in confined places in the dry season. Snares are set in the gaps of game fences, placed along game trails, or left around waterholes.

It is a cruel practice that decimated animals in their thousands. The snare wouldn’t always kill the animal. Many times, the wire would cut through the hide, biting to the bone, trapping the animal for days until it perished from thirst.

It was one thing to kill for the pot, however, there were occasions during the migrations when the wildebeest and zebra were so abundant that the poachers would just cut off the tails to be sold as fly whisks, leaving the carcasses to rot in their thousands.

A vulture will not avoid an aircraft

The use of steel wire for snaring became the weapon of choice after WWII and thanks to the numerous failed mining operations in East Africa, wire was abundant. Unlike the primitive rope snares, wire never deteriorates, and can be used repeatedly.

The introduction of planes for aerial surveillance in the Serengeti in the early 1960s, combined with the dedication of rangers on the ground, made a tangible difference. and although poaching had declined markedly as a result, Tanzania was still plagued by this savage practice as demand from international markets grew.

One of the tell-tale signs of poaching was smoke; the

Confiscated snares.

faintest tendril would give the poachers’ location away. I’d descend as low as the treetops permitted, circling overhead to gauge the magnitude of their operation. At times the poachers would take aim at the aircraft, even killing a helicopter pilot on one occasion.

Like a scene from Ulysses’ underworld, strips of flesh covered every available branch and hung on makeshift racks set over smouldering embers to cure the meat as fast as possible.

The other sign we looked for was circling vultures. Undoubtedly amongst the worst hazards for bush pilots flying over the game areas in Africa are the great birds of prey, and in Tanzania with its endless supply of carrion and prey animals, the concentration of vultures and eagles is immense.

These large birds weighing anything between 5-7kg can be encountered at any altitude from ground level to as high as 12,000ft, and are always in attendance when mighty concentrations of zebra and wildebeest are moving through the park.

A vulture will not avoid an aircraft until the last moment, and they are prone to diving, which meant that one has to pull up to avoid a potential catastrophe.

Whilst flying a honeymoon couple in the Maasai Mara

In 1994, my good friend Ashraf Khan met his fate when he collided with a vulture. When they found his body, the yoke was still tightly clenched in his fists, a sign that he fought until his last breath to keep the C402A airborne. Another notable bird strike was world famous conservationist Michael Grzimek, who died in his Dornier Do-27 after colliding with a lammergeier bearded vulture over the Ngorongoro Crater

Such is flying. You can manage every factor that is in your control, but the reality is that there are many, many unforeseen things that can befall a pilot.

In the words of flying ace Chuck Yeager, ‘If you want to grow old as a pilot, you’ve got to know when to push it, and when to back off.’

The wreckage of Michael Grizimek's Do-27 after it collided with a vulture over Ngorongoro. 

JOHN BASSI

PART 1

I REALLY THOUGHT I KNEW HOW TO FLY AN AIRCRAFT….NOT

AFTER ALL, I have been flying for 38 years now, so how hard can it be to fly tail draggers?

That first flight was utter brain-numbing chaos. I simply did not have enough brain, feet, legs or arms to even remotely follow the unfolding event of a take-off and landing.

My brain freeze had begun just taxiing with a fresh cross wind from the left. Andy Kasperson somehow managed to get the little Cheetah to dance along the runway with a running commentary, “left wheel, right wheel, both wheels, tail wheel, stick forward and into wind, rudder..rudder..speed, speed, let her fly”. Well, my brain was still somewhere inside the hangar and way behind the curve.

They say that flying tailwheels is within reach, even for student pilots. Maybe because students have not got polluted by fixed ideas about how to fly and students have not yet gained “muscle memory” to instinctively

do things in a set way? (Let’s face it, there was a time when everyone’s first aeroplane had a tailwheel.)

Like most aviators, I took the easy way out. I learned on nosewheels initially, and then moved to rotorcraft, only now getting the courage to pursue the coveted tailwheel endorsement. Let me tell you, flying helicopters is easy-peasy, but your feet become insanely lazy.

I have a long way to go….

Tailwheel aeroplanes require purposeful, accurate inputs and there’s less margin for error. Tailwheels are also more sensitive to crosswinds. You might get away with sloppy, insufficient, or incorrect control inputs with a nosewheel. Not in a tailwheel. Andy, my poor long-suffering instructor tells me, “This doesn’t mean they’re always ready to swerve out of control, but they do require you to constantly anticipate and respond.” Well, I don’t believe him, yet.

One of the benefits that I have discovered of tailwheel

There comes a time in one’s life when it feels like it’s time to re awaken the sparkle and wonder of flight by trying something new. There is nothing quite like the sobering snotklap you get as you begin as a fresh student all over again. I had to try to convince myself that, “you’re not crazy, John”.

I’m far from considering any solo

flying, is a heightened awareness of personal and aircraft limitations. That’s good in any aeroplane, or helicopter. There is no doubt that mastering tail wheel flying hones your skills and makes you very much more aware of accuracy.

Insurance rates for tailwheels are higher. However, hopefully they should drop down as one accumulates incident-free hours. Although at this point, I have discovered that it’s not about flying hours, it’s all about how many landings you have logged. It’s all about successfully getting the aeroplane safely locked up inside the hangar in one piece after your landing.

“The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new — Socrates”.

When Andy finally endorsed my logbook for tail wheel aircraft, he said that I should think of his signoff as an endorsement to keep motivated and learning with instructors, and then eventually on my own, and not the end of the process.

It’s a yo-yo of self-doubt

I decided to jump into the VERY deep end and purchased a beautiful 300 hp Cessna 185…. and yes I’m terrified. I decided to start small and simple, by getting ground and flight training on a Cheetah TD rather than straight on to the C185. My strategy is to do as much recurrent training on a regular basis, then to convert onto other types, working my way up the ladder (at this time it’s more like Mount Everest) to stay safe and avoid the dreaded ground loop.

I like that way of thinking, besides I’m far from considering any solo. This journey has awakened the spirit of continuing to learn and encouraging others to do the same. Possibly I will be able to share my experiences learning to fly a taildragger as I eventually transition to flying my Cessna 185.

Some background: I learned to fly in a MX2 Quicksilver microlight in 1985. My interest in flying was and is adventure, conservation and wildlife. I wanted to save the world's wildlife (Duh!), see our planet from a new perspective, and to challenge myself. I accumulated about 3500 hours over the following seven years on all types of ultralights, mostly as an instructor, then moved onto the Robinson R22 and other helicopter

One day when I am big I will fly my C185 Skywagon with confidence..until then I will dream.

types. Over the following years I transitioned onto the C172, 182 and 206, a Sling and a Foxbat, but never a tail dragger.

I have never had a flight that I did not enjoy, but I started to itch for new challenges. The iconic C185 had awed me from the early days as the ultimate bush plane, evoking dreams of adventure.

I have been flying over some otherworldly landscapes in Africa and have been yearning to explore further, also, I wanted something that would be practical for my conservation and census work, in far away, remote destinations. When the opportunity came along, I couldn’t help myself and bought a Cessna 185 Skywagon.

I’m not just gratuitously throwing my age into this article, but the brain learns differently at different stages of life, and there are times that mine seems a bit slow. Children and young adults have more mental flexibility, while older people can draw on a wider range of experiences to help them learn. So I think my age is relevant in my understanding and appreciating

tricycle aeroplane and helicopter operations and how that knowledge affects my transition to a tail dragger. Also, why things that helped or hindered my progress might be different from those of someone else.

I have to justify why I found the training so difficult.

There are times that I am frustrated with my slow progress (or even regress). It’s a yo-yo of self-doubt and then the sweetest highs. However there really are times when I doubt that I will eventually succeed. But the journey has just begun and all it takes is one sweet wheeler and all that self-doubt has gone. I am hoping that, as in situations before, where I felt overwhelmed by challenges, I know that with patience and persistence I will overcome them.

Another learning tool developed through experience is the technique of breaking a complex task into its most basic, simple components in transitioning to tail dragging. This meant learning to handle a high-performance engine, a complex propeller, and tailwheel landing gear.

Trying to look composed after another mind numbing session attempting to tame “the cat”.

WILLIE WALSH BERATES POLITICIANS

IATA DIRECTOR GENERAL Willie Walsh took the opportunity of the organisation’s AGM to rebuke the governments that will play a crucial role in ensuring airlines’ hard work and investments are not in vain.

“We’re in a good place; we’re clearly recovering strongly. But when it comes to the role of politicians in tackling the sector’s most-pressing challenges, “it’s time for honesty with these people”, Walsh says. “There’s no point in complaining about what airlines are doing when the root cause is in many cases within direct control of the governments.”

Walsh’s frustration is particularly acute because he believes airlines are “playing our part and delivering on the promises that we have made” on key issues. Walsh cites two topics in particular: Sustainability and air traffic control.

On air traffic management, he expresses concern about air traffic controller shortages in the USA and delays caused by ATC issues in Europe.

“What disappoints me the most is that governments will talk about airlines getting their act together, but this is an area under their control,” he states.

On sustainability, Walsh notes that airlines committed to achieving net-zero CO2 emissions at the height of the Covid-19 crisis, while continuing to allocate “scarce resources” and make “big bets” on sustainabilitylinked investments amid “very, very scarce capital”.

At the same time, however, “it frustrates me on environmental issues when we get lectures from politicians on what we must do and yet they don’t do anything that’s within their own control”. He highlights the absence of progress on the EU’s Single European Sky initiative as an example of that phenomenon.

IATA's Wiilie Walsh fires a broadside at politicos who do not appreciate aviation.

REFLECTIONS ON INKWAZI

Inkwazi, the South African Air Force’s Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) used for VIP transport, has been reliably racking up the flying hours this year. In just the past two weeks before writing this column it flew President Ramaphosa tens of thousands of kilometres in back to back trips to Switzerland, Poland, Russia, and now France without a single hitch or serious snag and quick turnarounds between missions.

YET IT WASN’T THAT LONG ago that the South African Presidency and Minister of Defence under the Zuma administration were deriding the BBJ as ‘unreliable’, ‘unsafe’, ‘too old’, and in urgent need of replacement as it was supposedly no longer up to the job of transporting the president.

Between 2011 and 2017 there were numerous attempts to lease or acquire costly new aircraft to replace it, and the frequent and unnecessary use of chartered aircraft in its place. At the same time a wide group of commentators, self-proclaimed experts, and praise-singers were echoing those arguments in opinion pieces, on social media posts, and in appearances on radio and TV. All are now silent on the matter, with the ‘unreliability’ of the BBJ and purported urgency of replacing it entirely forgotten. None have ever walked back or apologised for their statements.

As the public, we should not be allowing our politicians, commentators, and other public figures to conveniently forget about all this, and we should keep it in mind every time there’s a similar debate around acquisitions, requirements, and security for VIP travel. Once bitten, twice shy, and scepticism should be the public’s default position after all the attempts to mislead it.

After all, the first serious attempt to make these arguments and replace the BBJ (and the rest of the VIP fleet) came as early as 2010, soon after Jacob Zuma became president, when the BBJ was just 10 years old. Clearly the argument could not be made that the BBJ was too old, so instead the then Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu argued in an internal memo published by the Mail & Guardian that: “One aircraft for intercontinental presidential travel is woefully inadequate.” And that: “In the event that the BBJ is unserviceable or in servicing, there is not another kind of aircraft that is able to fulfil presidential air transport requirements.”

the total package would have easily cost R10 billion

As a result, an attempt was made to acquire a fleet of six brand new dedicated VIP aircraft: Two Boeing 767s for the exclusive use of the president, two BBJs for the deputy president, and two Challenger or Global XRS-sized business jets for ‘former presidents and ministers’. Notably, this was not reportedly preceded by the defined Department of Defence requirements gathering and determination process, such as a Staff Target, a Staff Requirement, a User Requirement Specification, and so on.

That plan presumably came up against the cold hard reality of National Treasury’s beancounters, as the total package would have easily cost R10 billion when including the cost of fitting VVIP interiors.

The focus then shifted toward leasing, perhaps as a way to hide the exorbitant costs inside the SANDF’s operational budget, and the early 2011 agreement with AdoAir of an R800 million five year lease of two Embraer Lineage 1000s. This was, however, done before approval of the department’s legal team had been received, and the Secretary of Defence, Mpumi Mpofu, as the department’s accounting officer refused

to sign off. The department had no choice but to cancel the deal, but soon tried to replace it with another one with Execujet for a second Boeing Business Jet and a Global Express XRS. That, too, fell through. Later in 2011 both Mpumi Mpofu, as Secretary of Defence, and Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano, the Chief of the Air Force, tendered their resignations over the VVIP transport situation. Gagiano’s was not accepted.

AdoAir in the interim sued for damages of R200 million, related to costs accrued while sourcing the aircraft following the signing of the agreement. The case was settled in an out of court settlement a year later, by which time Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula had replaced Sisulu as Minister of Defence. She had though initially contested the case and argued in filed court papers that no payment was due to AdorAir as the entire contract was irregular.

She also soon picked up where her predecessor left off, and in 2012 the South African media reported that the Department of Defence had entered into an initial agreement to acquire a VVIP Boeing 777-200 LR for the president and a Bombardier Global Express 6000

ZS-RSA, the SAAF Boeing BBJ, survived repalcement by the Zuma government. Image Wikipaedia.

for the deputy president, at a cost of several billion Rand. The agreement lapsed before approval could be received from all relevant departments.

Mapisa-Nqakula continued making a strident case for a new presidential aircraft, saying in 2013: “Every week without fail, we pay millions of rand chartering aircraft for strategic airlift capability, which far exceeds the money we would have spent by purchasing… If you look at some of our aircraft, they’re 60 to 62 years old and should be museum pieces and we use them to ferry our people around… I won’t elaborate on some of the experiences I’ve had and what I’ve seen happening, but this process must begin.”

Yet those were all statements that applied to the Air Force’s aged transport fleets, not to the VVIP aircraft of 21 Squadron, and it was clear that the acquisition of a new VVIP aircraft had priority over new medium and light transport aircraft.

By 2015 a new acquisition plan, Project MOAGI, was set up and Armscor issued a tender for a new VVIP aircraft, specifying that it would have to be capable of carrying 30 passengers in a VIP configuration over a distance of 13 800 km without stopping to refuel and with the usual safety reserves. That requirement alone meant that only a handful of aircraft, such as the Boeing 747, 777 and 787 and the Airbus A330, A350 and A340, had the size and range to meet it. It also meant a likely minimum cost of R3.2 billion for the aircraft if acquired new, as the cheapest aircraft on that list cost over $220 million in their base configurations, and fitting a VIP interior would have added approximately another $100 million or R1.4 billion based on similar examples. All in all, a price tag of R4 billion was highly plausible.

The public outcry was immediate and widespread, causing the government to back down slightly and attempt to justify it. However two notable snags with Inkwazi, the first a leaking fuel pipe detected in Doha, Qatar that meant one of the external fuel tanks could not be used, and the second an overplayed technical problem on the ground in Burundi, provided an excuse to claim that the aircraft was unsafe and needed to be replaced.

For months President Zuma flew only on chartered aircraft, in particular a Super 27 owned by Paramount’s Fortune Air, even though the BBJ was perfectly serviceable. Media reports at the time claimed that the president feared ‘sabotage’, and the personnel at 21 Squadron came under intense, unwelcome, and unpleasant scrutiny.

It was all the reasoning Mapisa-Nqakula needed to justify a new aircraft. At Africa Aerospace & Defence 2016 she insisted that a new VVIP aircraft would be procured within the next eighteen months, and that Inkwazi was unsafe and could not be used: “There are issues with it. It’s 15 years old. Three years ago it was flying 300 hours annually, now it flies 600 hours. The need for a replacement is urgent and is nonnegotiable.”

It was only the victory of Zuma’s opponent within the party, Cyril Ramaphosa, at a party conference in late 2017 and his appointment as president of South Africa in early 2018 that ended the hunt for a new aircraft. While Project MOAGI remains current, there is not currently any serious funding allocated or urgency driving it. After a period of work to restore lapsed maintenance contracts and restore the BBJ to flight, it was brought back into use and has proven reliable since.

It’s true that the BBJ has not had a completely troublefree service life, with the occasional snag disrupting proceedings and the odd incident including the two mentioned before. However, it would be unrealistic to expect that any aircraft would be any different. They’re complex machines, and even with the best maintenance snags will happen. But it speaks well of the reliability of the aircraft and the excellent work done by the SAAF’s technical staff that there have been so few problems over the past 20 years and that none was ever a serious safety issue, given how frequently and extensively it has been used.

At times the BBJ has also been unavailable for reasons that have nothing to do with the aircraft itself, but rather poor planning, mistakes by airport personnel, or local regulations. For instance, last year it was

it was flying 300 hours annually

out of service for months longer than planned while undergoing a C-Check, as there were delays caused by SAA Technical’s difficulties with conducting its first such procedure on a BBJ.

Previously C-Checks and D-Checks had been conducted at Jet Aviation in Switzerland, the OEM for the BBJ’s interior, but in line with an Armscor and SAAF push for local suppliers, the work was contracted to SAA Technical. Later in the year the aircraft was grounded again when the regular tender for Jeppesen navigation data was not completed in time owing to a dispute and mix-up between the Department of Defence and National Treasury. And most recently it was out of action for a month or two after Cape Town International Airport ground staff towed it to the wrong position in a hangar and damaged the vertical tail on an overhead beam.

For both planned and unplanned periods of unavailability the Air Force has the option of chartering, where it benefits from the availability of a relatively large number of suitable private jets on the South African register. In the past this was usually

done via the National Treasury’s RT61 transversal contract, which consists of pre-approved and prevetted providers and aircraft. As long as this option is used for genuine instances where the Air Force’s aircraft are not available it’s a cost-effective alternative to having more aircraft in service.

There will also come a time when it does make proper financial and operational sense to replace the BBJ. Arguably, that point has already been reached for the Dassault Falcon 900B and Falcon 50s that make up the rest of 21 Squadron’s VIP fleet. When that happens, it might make more sense to avoid acquiring another dedicated set of VIP aircraft and instead look to follow the example set by other countries of having modular and removable VIP interiors for long range strategic transports, like the A330 MRTT or perhaps the smaller KC-390. That would provide a boost to the Air Force’s operational capabilities, in particular restoring the air refuelling capability lost when the 707s retired, while also meeting VIP transport requirements. 

Screw the poor - Jacob Zuma kept trying to get a bigger plane.

KUMBULULUKA KWA BAFANA 2023 – ZAMBIAN CHILDREN’S FLIGHT

In 2016 musician, Michael Ferguson and commercial Pilot Felix Gosher joined forces to offer underprivileged children the opportunity to experience the joys of flight, a privilege that many of us take for granted. The initiative was inspired by a song by Michael, “Paper Plane” about a young boy with a dream to fly. Through hard work and dedication, his dream is realised.

The Kids' Flight in Zambia was on a massive scale with the involvement of the airlines and Air Force.

THROUGH SHEER determination and enthusiasm Felix has initiated many successful Children’s Flight events in South Africa. When he moved to Zambia he was determined to take the concept with him and after long deliberations with the Zambian Air Force and other stakeholders, he managed to host the first Kumbululuka Kwa Bafana Kids’ Flight in 2021 and again in 2022, only even bigger and better.

Saturday 10 June arrived and it was time for Kumbululuka Kwa Bafana 2023. It was an early start as the children were scheduled to arrive at the Airforce Base at 7:00.

Once all 500 children were safely at the Airforce Base the event was opened in prayer by a ZAF Chaplain. The Chief of the Zambian Airforce, Lt-Gen Colin Barry, then joined a selection of senior officers to acknowledge the Zambian National Anthem played by the ZAF Band. Three ZAF skydivers dropped in from a Harbin Y-12 carrying a large Zambian flag.

every need the children might have

The first group of over 100 children accompanied by a team of carers were then invited onto Proflight’s newly acquired Boeing 737-500 for a rather large circuit over Lusaka. This first flight was known as “Alpha Flight” and was intended to be in two parts. Unfortunately, the second part was a flight in a ZAF Mil-17 helicopter which had to be withdrawn at the last minute for operational deployment.

Once the Boeing was back on the ground the flying started in all earnest. Many sorties

The venue was the spacious Kenneth Kaunda Airport. The Zambian Air Force band.

When the kids were not flying, there was continuous food and entertainment available.

Skydivers thrilled the children - and flew the flag.

Long lines of children were carefully shephered onto and off the aircraft.

The indomitable Felix Gosher - who makes it all happen.

were flown by the the ZAF Beech 1900, Xian MA60, Cessna 208 Caravan and two Harbin Y-12. They were joined by a ProCharter Cessna 208 Caravan.

The proceedings came to a halt when the Zambian Airforce Golden Eagles Aerobatic team took to the air for an excellent display of formation aerobatics. The Golden Eagles flew their Karakorum K-8 lead-in jet trainers directly over the crowd while performing rolls and inverted manoeuvres. Their sequence would have caused an uproar if it was performed in South Africa.

flights in and out of the airport. Despite the delays the children loved it.

After Jason landed, a three-ship formation of Hongdu L-15 Falcon fighter jets took to the sky with a series of high-speed passes. These aircraft were acquired to fill the gap left when the ZAF Mig-21 fleet was grounded.

a difference in many children’s lives

The programme was held up when one of the K-8s burst a main gear tyre on landing and the runway was closed until the aircraft was retrieved. Jason Beamish had to shut down and wait to get confirmation that the runway was once again operational. After a lengthy wait, Jason was given clearance to commence his display, which he had to break off periodically to allow scheduled

After all the unforeseen delays, the day was quite far behind schedule and that’s when Felix unleashed the civilian squadron that he had put together. A gaggle of Cessna 210, Cessna 206s, Beechcraft Barons, a BrittenNorman BN-2 Islander, a few Slings and even a Zenith SkyJeep spent the afternoon doing circuits for all the remaining children.

Events like this would just not be possible without, firstly, people with the drive and passion of Felix Gosher and his team, and secondly the generous

The Zambian Air Force Golden Eagles pilots.

The Chief of the ZAF, Lt-Gen Colin Barry.

Civilian pilots also helped out - even if just in a two seater bush plane.

The ZAF Hongdu L-15 Falcon.

Jason Beamish flew up from South Africa to fly the Extra 330.

sponsors. Sponsors stepped up to take care of every need the children might have throughout the day. A large variety of food and drinks was made available to the children and the crew. There are too many sponsors to name individually. On a personal note, I’d like to thank ProFlight Zambia for offering the SA media massively reduced rates for the flights to and from

To everyone involved in making the 2023 Kumbululuka Kwa Bafana the success it was, we salute you and thank you for your selfless enthusiasm. You made a difference in many children’s lives.

The ZAF SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 turboprops.

Lusaka and to Southern Sun Ridgeway hotel for the accommodation.

The many sponsors.

IATA URGES BETTER ACCIDENT REPORTS

IATA called on governments to live up to longstanding international treaty obligations to publish timely and thorough aviation accident reports.

AT ITS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING held in Istanbul in June, IATA reminded delegates that safety is aviation’s highest priority. Failure to publish prompt and complete accident investigation reports deprives operators, equipment manufacturers, regulators, infrastructure providers and other concerned stakeholders of critical information that could make flying even safer.

“The accident investigation process is one of our most important learning tools when building global safety standards. But to learn from an accident, we need reports that are complete, accessible and timely,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

The requirements of the Convention of International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) Annex 13 are clear. States in charge of an accident investigation must:

• Submit a preliminary report to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) within 30 days of the accident.

• Publish the final report, that is publicly available, as soon as possible and within 12 months of the accident.

• Publish interim statements annually should a final report not be possible within 12 months.

Only 96 of the 214 accident investigations during the period 2018-2022 conform with the requirements of the Chicago Convention. Just 31 reports were published in less than one year of the accident with the majority (58) taking between 1–3 years. In addition to the fact that final reports regularly take more than a year, interim statements often provide little more than what was presented in the preliminary report.

“Over the past five years, fewer than half of the required accident reports meet the standards for thoroughness and timeliness. This is an inexcusable violation of requirements stated clearly in the Chicago Convention. As an industry we must raise our voice to governments in defence of the accident investigation process enshrined in Annex 13. And we count on ICAO to remind states that the publication of a complete accident report is not optional, it is an obligation under Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention,” said Walsh.

IATA wants faster accident reports.

A SHAKY START.

In 1960 Rhodesia was the breadbasket of Africa. I lived in Salisbury, a pleasant fully functional city, with a perfect climate; ideal for flying. I was employed as an apprentice aircraft engineer at Central African Airways, the forerunner of Air Zimbabwe.

JEFFREY KEMPSON

A Masonaland Flying Club Piper Cub.

NORTHWEST OF SALISBURY’S main International airport lay Mount Hampden airport (now named Charles Prince, after a former flying instructor). This small general aviation airfield had two cross wide grass runways, and hosted the Mashonaland Flying Club and a small aircraft maintenance facility.

The club owned two 85 horse power Piper J3 Cub training aircraft: VP-YFT which was a standard Cub yellow colour, and VP-YHL which was a dull grey.

The cost of flying these machines was three Rhodesian Pounds per hour. My meagre apprentice salary only permitted me to fly for half an hour intervals, which I did on sunny Saturday afternoons.

I had built and flown model aircraft for most of my teenage years, including flying engine powered control line models in “Team Racing” and “Aerobatic” events. Consequently, I had a fairly comprehensive knowledge of basic aerodynamics.

At the age of ten my father had bought me one of the once familiar softcover “Teach Yourself Books.” Mine was entitled “Teach Yourself to Fly.” I avidly perused this excellent little book which explained every basic aspect of powered flight in easy to understand steps from takeoff, climb, cruise, turning, decent and landing. It went on to basic aerobatic manoeuvres, including side-slipping, which was useful for descending rapidly toward a runway without increasing speed in aircraft not fitted with flaps.

My ab initio instruction proceeded well, though the Cub was noisy and we did not have the benefit of an intercom system, nor of course the yet to be invented noise cancelling headphones. Also, neither of the Piper Cubs was fitted with radio. So, our takeoff and landing permissions were given by a hand held Aldis lamp directing either a red or green light at aircraft from the control tower.

The Piper J3 Cub is flown from the back seat,

particularly solo, to preserve the correct centre of gravity. With a passenger or instructor in the front seat the forward vision was somewhat obscured. However, the front seat instructor often leaned one way or the other to allow the instrument panel to be seen from the rear seat. The principal instruments were the air speed indicator, altimeter, compass, turn and slip indicator, rev counter (which went backwards – i.e. anti-clockwise) and engine temperature and pressure gauges.

One bright windless Saturday afternoon, while practicing circuits and landings my assistant instructor, a Mr. Henry Cowan told me to make the next landing a full stop.

I looked at my watch and thought I was being short changed. I did as requested and was surprised when the instructor said; “I’m getting out, and another instructor is going to do a circuit with you.”

With the engine still running the new instructor, a Mr

Mashonaland Flying Club badge.

Stam, climbed in and said, “Let’s go.” I taxied back to the end of the runway, performed the basic checks, was given a green light from the tower, took off, flew the circuit and landed.

The new instructor said, “Taxi to the clubhouse, and stop there.” I did as instructed, and being naive thought a new student would be taking my place, as this was common practice, rather than stopping the engine and having to get someone to hand swing the propeller to start it again.

I undid my seat belt, and opened the upper and lower hinged perspex window and door preparatory to getting out. The new instructor deplaned, turned to me and said “Go off and do one circuit, then stop back here. You’ll find the aircraft will be a bit more lively with only one person in it.”

members ducking and scattering

I did up my seat belt and closed the double latched window and door and taxied out thinking, “I hope this instructor hasn’t confused me with some higher flight time flight student.”

At the end of the runway I received a green light from the tower and opened the throttle. The engine roared and we accelerated more rapidly than usual. Then I pushed the stick forward to raise the tail wheel and get the aircraft into the correct take off attitude. The view through the windscreen without the usual obscuring instructor was excellent. The next moment the Cub began a gentle swing to the left, and I brought it back with rudder, only to find the machine was now swinging gradually the other way, and not responding to my opposite rudder input.

I brought the aircraft back inline with the runway by using the rudimentary heel activated asymmetric wheel brakes, but once again the aircraft started to swing to the right across the wide grass runway. The speed was increasing, and we were now heading towards the club house. I felt that any further correction to regain the centre of the runway might damage the undercarriage. The club house was now

Jeff Kempson's solo in the 1960 club newsletter.

beginning to loom large in the windscreen and a glance at the airspeed indicator showed sufficient flying speed, so I eased the stick back and the Cub lifted easily into the air and zoomed about thirty feet above the clubhouse, I looked down and noticed the group of first solo watching members ducking and scattering. Except for my proud father who remained unmoved, his upturned white face watching my passage.

As I climbed away, the aircraft appeared to fly quite normally. I flew a circuit, and did a decent landing. Taxing up to the club house, I parked, and an angry instructor opened the perspex hatched doorway, pulled the mixture knob out to cut the engine off and shouted; “What do you think you were playing at, you young fool?”

A calmer voice then interjected, and said “I can see what the trouble is.” He pointed to my seat belt. We looked down and noticed that when I’d thought I was going to get out of the aircraft earlier I’d undone my seat belt, but when told I was going to fly solo, I’d done it up again. However, when I did it up, I inadvertently trapped the right side rudder cable that ran internally

from that rudder pedal between my waist and my seat belt. Consequently, when I moved the rudder pedals when leaning to one side in order to see over the raised nose during the take off roll my body was sporadically trapping the cable, and consequently the rudder in extreme positions, creating the yawing excursions.

I was so inexperienced and naive that it never occurred to me to close the throttle and bring the aircraft to a stop. Besides, I was going solo, something I’d dreamed of for most of my young life.

Over the ensuing years I was occasionally further disappointed to learn that my basically comprehensive “Teach yourself to fly book” hadn’t covered every eventuality.

However, I was pleased to be told that I had broken the club record by going solo in five and a quarter hours. The later, printed commendation in the Mashonaland Flying Club magazine proclaimed that I had gone solo in approximately five and a half hours. That small inaccuracy rankled at the time.



A pic from the grey Cub flying past the clubhouse.

I’m getting out

South Africa

BACKPAGE DIR ECT ORY

Air Line Pilots’ Association

208 Aviation

Ben Esterhuizen +27 83 744 3412 ben@208aviation.co.za www.208aviation.com

A1A Flight Examiner (Loutzavia)

Jannie Loutzis 012 567 6775 / 082 416 4069 jannie@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za

AES (Cape Town)

Erwin Erasmus 082 494 3722 erwin@aeroelectrical.co.za www.aeroelectrical.co.za

AES (Johannesburg)

Danie van Wyk 011 701 3200 office@aeroelectrical.co.za www.aeroelectrical.co.za

Aerocolour cc

Alfred Maraun 082 775 9720 aeroeng@iafrica.com

Aero Engineering & PowerPlant

Andre Labuschagne 012 543 0948 aerocolour@telkomsa.net

Aerokits

Jean Crous 072 6716 240 aerokits99@gmail.com

Aeronav Academy

Donald O’Connor 011 701 3862 info@aeronav.co.za www.aeronav.co.za

Aeronautical Aviation

Clinton Carroll 011 659 1033 / 083 459 6279 clinton@aeronautical.co.za www.aeronautical.co.za

Aerospace Electroplating

Oliver Trollope 011 827 7535 petasus@mweb.co.za

Aerotel

Martin den Dunnen 087 6556 737 reservations@aerotel.co.za www.aerotel.co.za

Aerotric

Richard Small 083 488 4535 aerotric@aol.com

Aviation Rebuilders cc Lyn Jones 011 827 2491 / 082 872 4117 lyn@aviationrebuilders.com www.aviationrebuilders.com

AVIC International Flight Academy (AIFA)

Theo Erasmus 082 776 8883 rassie@aifa.co.za

Air 2000 (Pty) Ltd

Anne Gaines-Burrill 011 659 2449 - AH 082 770 2480 Fax 086 460 5501 air2000@global.co.za www.hunterssupport.com

Aircraft Finance Corporation & Leasing

Jaco Pietersen +27 [0]82 672 2262 jaco@airfincorp.co.za

Jason Seymour +27 [0]82 326 0147 jason@airfincorp.co.za www.airfincorp.co.za

Aircraft General Spares

Eric or Hayley 084 587 6414 or 067 154 2147 eric@acgs.co.za or hayley@acgs.co.za www.acgs.co.za

Aircraft Maintenance International Pine Pienaar 083 305 0605 gm@aminternational.co.za

Aircraft Maintenance International Wonderboom Thomas Nel 082 444 7996 admin@aminternational.co.za

Sonia Ferreira 011 394 5310 alpagm@iafrica.com www.alpa.co.za

Airshift Aircraft Sales

Eugene du Plessis 082 800 3094 eugene@airshift.co.za www.airshift.co.za

Alclad Sheetmetal Services

Ed Knibbs 083 251 4601 ed@alclad.co.za www.alclad.co.za

Algoa Flying Club Sharon Mugridge 041 581 3274 info@algoafc.co.za www.algoafc.co.za

Alpi Aviation SA

Dale De Klerk 082 556 3592 dale@alpiaviation.co.za www.alpiaviation.co.za

Apco (Ptyd) Ltd

Tony/Henk + 27 12 543 0775 apcosupport@mweb.co.za www.apcosa.co.za

Ardent Aviation Consultants Yolanda Vermeulen 082 784 0510 yolanda@ardentaviation.co.za www.ardentaviation.co.za

Ascend Aviation Marlo Kruyswijk 079 511 0080 marlo@ascendaviation.co.za www.ascendaviation.co.za

Atlas Aviation Lubricants

Steve Cloete 011 917 4220 Fax: 011 917 2100 sales.aviation@atlasoil.co.za www.atlasaviation.co.za

AVDEX (Pty) Ltd

Tania Botes 011 954 15364 info@avdex.co.za www.avdex.co.za

Aviatech Flight Academy

Nico Smith 082 303 1124 viatechfakr@gmail.com www.aviatech.co.za

Aviation Direct Andrea Antel 011 465 2669 info@aviationdirect.co.za www.aviationdirect.co.za

Avtech Riekert Stroh 082 749 9256 avtech1208@gmail.com

BAC Aviation AMO 115 Micky Joss 035 797 3610 monicad@bacmaintenance.co.za

Blackhawk Africa Cisca de Lange 083 514 8532 cisca@blackhawk.aero www.blackhawk.aero

Blue Chip Flight School Henk Kraaij 012 543 3050 bluechip@bluechip-avia.co.za www.bluechipflightschool.co.za

Bona Bona Game Lodge MJ Ernst 082 075 3541 mj@bonabona.co.za www.bonabona.co.za

Border Aviation Club & Flight School

Liz Gous 043 736 6181 admin@borderaviation.co.za www.borderaviation.co.za

Breytech Aviation cc 012 567 3139 Willie Breytenbach admin@breytech.co.za

Celeste Sani Pak & Inflight Products

Steve Harris 011 452 2456 admin@chemline.co.za www.chemline.co.za

Cape Town Flying Club Beverley Combrink 021 934 0257 / 082 821 9013 info@capetownflyingclub.co.za www.@capetownflyingclub.co.za

Century Avionics cc Carin van Zyl 011 701 3244 sales@centuryavionics.co.za www.centuryavionics.co.za

Chemetall Wayne Claassens 011 914 2500 wayne.claassens@basf.com www.chemetall.com

Chem-Line Aviation & Celeste Products

Steve Harris 011 452 2456 sales@chemline.co.za www.chemline.co.za

Clifton Electronics cc CJ Clifton / Irene Clifton 079 568 7205 / 082 926 8482 clive.iclifton@gmail.com

Comair Flight Services (Pty) Ltd Reception +27 11 540 7640/FAX: +27 11 252 9334 info@flycfs.co.za www.flycfs.co.za

Corporate-Aviators/Affordable Jet Sales

Mike Helm 082 442 6239 corporate-aviators@iafrica.com www.corporate-aviators.com

CSA Aviation – Cirrus South Africa

Alex Smith 011 701 3835 alexs@cirrussa.co.za www.cirrussa.co.za

C. W. Price & Co

Kelvin L. Price 011 805 4720 cwp@cwprice.co.za www.cwprice.co.za

Dart Aeronautical Jaco Kelly 011 827 8204 dartaero@mweb.co.za

Dart Aircraft Electrical Mathew Joubert 011 827 0371 Dartaircraftelectrical@gmail.com www.dartaero.co.za

Diepkloof Aircraft Maintenance cc Nick Kleinhans 083 454 6366 diepkloofamo@gmail.com

DJA Aviation Insurance 011 463 5550 0800Flying mail@dja-aviation.co.za www.dja-aviation.co.za

Dynamic Propellers Andries Visser 011 824 5057 082 445 4496 andries@dynamicpropeller.co.za www.dynamicpropellers.co.za

Eagle Flight Academy Mr D. J. Lubbe 082 557 6429 training@eagleflight.co.za www.eagleflight.co.za

Execujet Africa 011 516 2300 enquiries@execujet.co.za www.execujet.com

Federal Air Rachel Muir 011 395 9000 shuttle@fedair.com www.fedair.com

Ferry Flights int.inc. Michael (Mick) Schittenhelm 082 442 6239 ferryflights@ferry-flights.com www.ferry-flights.com

F Gomes Upholsters Carla de Lima 083 602 5658 delimaCarla92@gmail.com

Fireblade Aviation 010 595 3920 info@firebladeaviation.com www.firebladeaviation.com

Flight Training College Cornell Morton 044 876 9055 ftc@flighttrainning.co.za www.flighttraining.co.za

Flight Training Services Amanda Pearce 011 805 9015/6 amanda@fts.co.za www.fts.co.za

Fly Jetstream Aviation Henk Kraaij 083 279 7853 charter@flyjetstream.co.za www.flyjetstream.co.za

Flying Unlimited Flight School (Pty) Ltd Riaan Struwig 082 653 7504 / 086 770 8376 riaan@ppg.co.za www.ppg.co.za

Flyonics (Pty) Ltd Michael Karaolis 010 109 9405 michael@flyonics.co.za www.flyonics.co.za

Gemair Andries Venter 011 701 2653 / 082 905 5760 andries@gemair.co.za

GIB Aviation Insurance Brokers Richard Turner 011 483 1212 aviation@gib.co.za www.gib.co.za

Guardian Air 011 701 3011 082 521 2394 ops@guardianair.co.za www.guardianair.co.za

Heli-Afrique cc Tino Conceicao 083 458 2172 tino.conceicao@heli-afrique.co.za

Henley Air Andre Coetzee 011 827 5503 andre@henleyair.co.za www.henleyair.co.za

Hover Dynamics Phillip Cope 074 231 2964 info@hover.co.za www.hover.co.za

Indigo Helicopters Gerhard Kleynhans 082 927 4031 / 086 528 4234 veroeschka@indigohelicopters.co.za www.indigohelicopters.co.za

IndigoSat South Africa - Aircraft Tracking Gareth Willers 08600 22 121 sales@indigosat.co.za www.indigosat.co.za

International Flight Clearances Steve Wright 076 983 1089 (24 Hrs) flightops@flyifc.co.za www.flyifc.co.za

Investment Aircraft

Quinton Warne 082 806 5193 aviation@lantic.net www.investmentaircraft.com

Jabiru Aircraft

Len Alford 044 876 9991 / 044 876 9993 info@jabiru.co.za www.jabiru.co.za

Jim Davis Books

Jim Davis 072 188 6484 jim@border.co.za www.jimdavis.co.za

Joc Air T/A The Propeller Shop Aiden O’Mahony 011 701 3114 jocprop@iafrica.com

Johannesburg Flying Academy

Alan Stewart 083 702 3680 info@jhbflying.co.za www.jhbflying.co.za

Kishugu Aviation +27 13 741 6400 comms@kishugu.com www.kishugu.com/kishugu-aviation

Khubenker Energy (Pty) Ltd T/A Benveroy

Vernon Bartlett 086 484 4296 vernon@khubenker.co.za www.khubenker.co.za

Kit Planes for Africa

Stefan Coetzee 013 793 7013 info@saplanes.co.za www.saplanes.co.za

Kzn Aviation (Pty) Ltd

Melanie Jordaan 031 564 6215 mel@kznaviation.co.za www.kznaviation.co.za

Lanseria Aircraft Interiors

Francois Denton 011 659 1962 / 076 810 9751 francois@aircraftcompletions.co.za

Lanseria Flight Centre

Ian Dyson Tel: +27 11 312 5166, F: +27 11 312 5166 ian@flylfc.com www.flylfc.com

Lanseria International Airport

Mike Christoph 011 367 0300 mikec@lanseria.co.za www.lanseria.co.za

Leading Edge Aviation cc

Peter Jackson Tel 013 741 3654 Fax 013 741 1303 office@leaviation.co.za www.leadingedgeaviation.co.za

Legend Sky 083 860 5225 / 086 600 7285 info@legendssky.co.za www.legendsky.co.za

Litson & Associates (Pty) Ltd

OGP/BARS Auditing & Advisory Services & Aviation Safety Training

Email: Phone:enquiries@litson.co.za 27 (0) 8517187 www.litson.co.za

Litson & Associates Risk Management Services (Pty) Ltd

eSMS-S™/ eTENDER/ e-REPORT / Aviation Software Systems

Email: Phone:enquiries@litson.co.za 27 (0) 8517187 www.litson.co.za

Loutzavia Aircraft Sales

Henry Miles 082 966 0911 henry@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za

Loutzavia Flight Training

Gerhardt Botha 012 567 6775 ops@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za

Loutzavia-Pilots and Planes

Maria Loutzis 012 567 6775 maria@loutzavia.co.za www.pilotsnplanes.co.za

Loutzavia Rand

Frans Pretorius 011 824 3804 rand@loutzavia.co.za www@loutzavia.co.za

Lowveld Aero Club Pugs Steyn 013 741 3636 Flynow@lac.co.za

Maverick Air Charters

Lourens Human 082 570 2743 ops@maverickair.co.za www.maverickair.co.za

MCC Aviation Pty Ltd

Claude Oberholzer 011 701 2332 info@flymcc.co.za www.flymcc.co.za

Mistral Aviation Services Peter de Beer 083 208 7249 peter@mistral.co.za

MH Aviation Services (Pty) Ltd

Marc Pienaar 011 609 0123 / 082 940 5437 customerrelations@mhaviation.co.za www.mhaviation.co.za

M and N Acoustic Services cc Martin de Beer 012 689 2007/8 calservice@mweb.co.za

Metropolitan Aviation (Pty) Ltd

Gert Mouton 082 458 3736 herenbus@gmail.com

Money Aviation Angus Money 083 263 2934 angus@moneyaviation.co.za www.moneyaviation.co.za

North East Avionics Keith Robertson +27 13 741 2986 keith@northeastavionics.co.za deborah@northeastavionics.co.za www.northeastavionics.co.za

Orsmond Aviation 058 303 5261 info@orsmondaviation.co.za www.orsmondaviation.co.za

Owenair (Pty) Ltd Clive Skinner 082 923 9580 clive.skinner@owenair.co.za www.owenwair.co.za

Par-Avion Exclusive Catering Jakkie Vorster 011 701 2600 accounts@par-avion.co.za www.par-avion.co.za

PFERD-South Africa (Pty) Ltd Hannes Nortman 011 230 4000 hannes.nortman@pferd.co.za www.pferd.com

Plane Maintenance Facility

Johan 083 300 3619 pmf@myconnection.co.za

Powered Flight Charters

Johanita Jacobs Tel 012 007 0244/Fax 0866 66 2077 info@poweredflight.co.za www.poweredflight.co.za

Powered Flight Training Centre

Johanita Jacobs Tel 012 007 0244/Fax 0866 66 2077 info@poweredflight.co.za www.poweredflight.co.za

Precision Aviation Services Marnix Hulleman 012 543 0371 marnix@pasaviation.co.za www.pasaviation.co.za

Propeller Centre Theuns du Toit +27 12 567 1689 / +27 71 362 5152 theuns@propcentre.co.za www.propcentre.com

Rainbow SkyReach (Pty) Ltd

Mike Gill 011 817 2298 Mike@fly-skyreach.com www.fly-skyreach.com

Rand Airport Stuart Coetzee 011 827 8884 stuart@randairport.co.za www.randairport.co.za

Dr Rudi Britz Aviation Medical Clinic

Megan 066 177 7194 rudiavmed@gmail.com Wonderboom Airport

SAA Technical (SOC) Ltd

SAAT Marketing 011 978 9993 satmarketing@flysaa.com www.flysaa.com/technical

SABRE Aircraft

Richard Stubbs 083 655 0355 richardstubbs@mweb.co.za www.aircraftafrica.co.za

Savannah Helicopters De 082Jager 444 1138 / 044 873 3288 dejager@savannahhelicopters.co.za www.savannahhelicopters.co.za

Scenic Air

Christa van Wyk +264 612 492 68 windhoek@scenic-air.com www.scenic-air.com

Sheltam Aviation Durban

Susan Ryan 083 505 4882 susanryan@sheltam.com www.sheltamaviation.com

Sheltam Aviation PE

Brendan Booker 082 497 6565 brendanb@sheltam.com www.sheltamaviation.com

Signature Flight Support Cape Town

Alan Olivier 021 934 0350 cpt@signatureflight.co.za www.signatureaviation.com/locations/CPT

Signco (Pty Ltd)

Archie Kemp Tel 011 452 6857 Fax 086 504 5239 info@signco.zo.za www.signco.co.za

Skytrim Rico Kruger +27 11 827 6638 rico@skytrim.co.za www.skytrim.co.za

SleepOver

Michael Richardson 010 110 9900 michael.richardson@sleepover-za.com www.sleepover-za.com

Sling Aircraft Kim Bell-Cross 011 948 9898 sales@airplanefactory.co.za www.airplanefactory.co.za

Solenta Aviation (Pty Ltd)

Paul Hurst 011 707 4000 info@solenta.com www.solenta.com

Southern Energy Company (Pty) Ltd

Elke Bertram +264 8114 29958 johnnym@sec.com.na www.sec.com.na

Southern Rotorcraft cc Mr Reg Denysschen Tel no: 0219350980 sasales@rotors-r-us.com www.rotors-r-us.com

Starlite Aero Sales

Klara Fouché +27 83 324 8530 / +27 31 571 6600 klaraf@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com

Starlite Aviation Operations

Trisha Andhee +27 82 660 3018/ +27 31 571 6600 trishaa@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com

Starlite Aviation Training Academy

Durban: +27 31 571 6600 Mossel Bay: +27 44 692 0006 train@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com

Status Aviation (Pty) Ltd

Richard Donian 074 587 5978 / 086 673 5266 info@statusaviation.co.za www.statusaviation.co.za

Superior Pilot Services Liana Jansen van 0118050605/2247Rensburg info@superiorair.co.za www.superiorair.co.za

Swift Flite Linda Naidoo Tel 011 701 3298 Fax 011 701 3297 info@swiftflite.com / linda@swiftflite.com www.swiftflite.co.za

The Aviation Shop

Karel Zaayman 010 020 1618 info@aviationshop.co.za www.aviationshop.co.za

The Copter Shop Bill Olmsted 082 454 8555 execheli@iafrica.com www.execheli.wixsite.com/the-copter-shop-sa

The Pilot Shop Helen Bosland 082 556 3729 helen@pilotshop.co.za www.pilotshop.co.za

Titan Helicopter Group 044 878 0453 info@titanhelicopters.com www.titanhelicopters.com

Top Flight Academy Nico Smith 082 303 1124 topflightklerksdorp@gmail.com

Turbo Prop Service Centre 011 701 3210 info@tpscsa.co.za www.tpscsa.co.za

Ultimax Aviation (Pty) Ltd Aristide Loumouamou +27 72 878 8786 aristide@ultimax-aviation.com www.ultimax-aviation.com

United Charter cc Jonathan Wolpe 083 270 8886 jonathan.wolpe@unitedcharter.co.za www.unitedcharter.co.za

United Flight Support Clinton Moodley/Jonathan Wolpe 076 813 7754 / 011 788 0813 ops@unitedflightsupported.com www.unitedflightsupport.com

Velocity Aviation Collin Pearson 011 659 2306 / 011 659 2334 collin@velocityaviation.co.za www.velocityaviation.co.za

Villa San Giovanni Luca Maiorana 012 111 8888 info@vsg.co.za www.vsg.co.za

Vortx Aviation Bredell Roux 072 480 0359 info@vortx.co.za www.vortxaviation.com

Wanafly Adrian Barry 082 493 9101 adrian@wanafly.net www.wanafly.co.za

Windhoek Flight Training Centre Thinus Dreyer 0026 40 811284 180 pilots@flywftc.com www.flywftc.com

Wings n Things Wendy Thatcher 011 701 3209 wendy@wingsnthings.co.za www.wingsnthings.co.za

Witbank Flight School Andre De Villiers 083 604 1718 andredv@lantic.net www.waaflyingclub.co.za

Wonderboom Airport Peet van Rensburg 012 567 1188/9 peet@wonderboomairport.co.za www.wonderboomairport.co.za

Zandspruit Bush & Aero Estate Martin Den Dunnen 082 449 8895 martin@zandspruit.co.za www.zandspruit.co.za

Zebula Golf Estate & SPA Reservations 014 734 7700 reception@zebula.co.za www.zebula.co.za