SA Flyer Magazine November 2023 by Flyer & Aviation Publications

FlightCm African Commercial Aviation

Edition 332 November 2023 Cover: Greg Rooken-Smith

FLIGHT TEST:

CESSNA LONGITUDE – first in SA!

B y DC -6 t o the Comoros

The SAAF Cy beratt ack A OPA – o n m a k i n g f lying cheaper!

J i m – Fu e l mis management

John Bassi – s aving the Giant Sable

MOS A I C – Ho w t h e FA A i s c h a n g i n g G A

CAPE TOWN SUPPLEMENT

November 2023

I S THERE A CLOSER AIRPORT? YES, BUT ONLY YOU CAN ACCESS IT! The world’s first Super Versatile Jet takes off! Don’t be limited to pristine, lengthy runways with hours of driving after you land. Go where no jet has gone before! The PC-24’s short and unpaved runway capability gets you to your ultimate destination faster than ever before. With this jet, you call the shots. Explore more with 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

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BLACKHAWK.AERO

POSITION REPORT I may be one of the more consistently noisy of the SACAA’s critics – but there are times when even I have to feel a smidgen of sympathy for their problems. The thorny issue of a transgender pilot who has had his medical pulled is such a time that earns my sympathy as it has stirred up the Wokes into a froth of indignation. KAILER SMIT IS A PILOT (he, she, it? - since he looks male, I’m going to call him he) who claims to be transgender. He says that he has been unfairly grounded by the CAA due to his ‘gender identity’. The CAA says not so, he was grounded because he failed his medical. But you can’t ask us why. Smit has been flying commercially since 2015, doing charter, cargo, aid, and medevac flights. He has an ATPL, with 2,500 hours as a contract pilot and as an instructor. Before he started testosterone hormone replacement therapy in 2017, Smit says he checked with the CAA that this treatment was approved for a Class 1 medical. He says he was given approval and has since openly disclosed his use of testosterone for gender affirmation treatment in his subsequent annual medical assessments without any issues. But then, in January, the CAA declared him medically unfit. On 22 March, the regulator said, “The medical evidence reveals a history of Gender Affirmation Treatment. Based on the complete review of the available medical evidence, the panel found you to be Medically Temporary Unfit to exercise the privileges of the class of license you applied for.”

November 2023

Smit appealed the decision and was instructed to undergo a battery of psychological tests. Note these were not physical fitness tests, but fuzzy psychological tests, where there should not be a pass or a fail unless the candidate is certifiably off his trolley (that’s my diagnosis anyway). After all, to adapt Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, you must be at least half mad to fly commercially in Africa. Anyway, Smit states that two independent psychologists declared him medically and psychologically fit to fly. However, Smit says; “…the CAA rejected their recommendations, citing inconsistencies in the interpretation of the reports without specifying the nature of these inconsistencies.” When I asked the CAA about this decision, spokesman Sisa Majola said, “….The applicant in question has appealed the decision of the Aero Medical Committee (AMC) … It is important to note that all decisions made by the AMC are based solely on medical information that is presented and reviewed and NEVER on the sexual orientation of an applicant.” The bottom line is that the CAA is leaving the decision to a handful of doctors who can hide behind everything from medical protocols to the POPI Act, and even the Constitution, to not have to say why they pulled Smit’s medical. But as the face of regulation for this seemingly toxic little matter, the CAA must bear the brunt of this topical little medical bomb. The Woke media are running the story hard.

Guy Leitch

Asset Finance | Treasury | Working Capital | Investments | Private Wealth

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Companies in the Group are licensed and authorized FSPs November 2023

Heightening all your senses. THE MACAN GTS. MORE OF WHAT YOU LOVE. Typically Porsche: endorphin rushes as standard. Thanks to a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine with 324 kW (440 PS), sport exhaust system and sports air suspension with height adjustment including Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). The Macan GTS offers exhilarating performance while connecting you even more closely to the road. In short, more of what you love.

Porsche Centre Johannesburg Corner Witkoppen and Wroxham Road, Paulshof Telephone 011 540 5000 www.porschejohannesburg.com

Porsche Centre Cape Town Cnr Century Avenue and Summer Greens Drive, Century City Telephone 021 555 6800 www.porschecapetown.com

Porsche Centre Umhlanga 49 Meridian Drive, Umhlanga Ridge Town Centre, Umhlanga Ridge Telephone 031 514 3000 www.porscheumhlanga.com

Porsche Centre Pretoria 452 Botterklapper Street, Off Lynnwood Road, The Willows Telephone 012 816 7600 www.porschepretoria.com

Macan GTS: Combined fuel consumption: 9.9 l/100 km; Power: 324 kW (440 PS); Torque: 550Nm; 0-100 km/h: 4.3 sec (with Sport Chrono); Top speed: 272 km/h. Priced from R1 831 000 including a 3 year/100,000 km Driveplan. Prices are subject to change without prior notice. E&OE.

Edition 332

CONTENTS FLIGHTCOM Hugh Pryor - ROBBIE ROBINSON Laura McDermid - IRIS MCCALLUM

SA FLYER

14 20 26 50 56

Guy Leitch - MOSAIC Peter Garrison - TAIL WAGS DOG

SAF 72

COLUMNISTS

04 08

Jim Davis - RIGHT SEAT RULES Jim Davis - ACCIDENT REPORT Ray Watts - REGISTER REVIEW

FLIGHT TEST: CESSNA

LONGITUDE

November 2023

SAF 34

SALES MANAGER Howard Long sales@saflyermag.co.za 076 499 6358 TRAFFIC Christian Wentzel admin@saflyermag.co.za ACCOUNTS Angelique Joubert accounts@saflyermag.co.za EDITOR Guy Leitch guy@saflyermag.co.za

CONTRIBUTORS CONTINUED John Bassi Ray Watts Laura McDermid Darren Olivier Jeffrey Kempston ILLUSTRATIONS Darren Edward O'Neil Joe Pieterse WEB MASTER Emily Kinnear

PUBLISHER Guy Leitch guy@saflyermag.co.za PRODUCTION & LAYOUT Patrick Tillman www.imagenuity.co.za design@saflyermag.co.za CONTRIBUTORS Jim Davis Peter Garrison Hugh Pryor

© SA FLYER 2023. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without the express permission of the copyright holders.

RIGHT SEAT RULES NO. 11

Unwrap Limitless Destinations

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November 2023

Edition 332

CONTENTS

FEATURES SA FLYER

18 NEWS: PILATUS UPDATES PC-24 24 NEWS: THE FUTURE OF AVGAS 34 FLIGHT TEST: CESSNA LONGITUDE 47 NEWS: BLACKHAWK’S 150TH ENGINE UPGRADE 64 TRIBUTE - JOHN ILLSLEY 68 BOOK REVIEW: POOLEYS VOLUME 4 72 AOPA BRIEFING 81 CAPE TOWN SUPPLEMENT 90 NEWS: MILKOR MALE DRONE FIRST FLIGHT FLIGHTCOM

REGULARS 12 Opening Shot 62 M & N Acoustic Register Review 66 Aero Engineering and Powerplant Aviation Fuel Table

07 News - TAAG adds four 787s 80 Executive Aircraft Refurbishment 12 News - New Qatar CEO announced Events Calender 14 John Bassi - Saving the Giant Sable in Angola 19 News - Mercy Makau inducted into Hall of Fame FLIGHTCOM 20 Darren Olivier - Cyber Attacks 06 AME Directory 24 Jeffrey Kempson - Indian Ocean Island Odyssey 32 ALPI / BILL Flight School Listing 28 News - 100th Longitude delivered 33 Merchant West Charter Directory 34 Skysource AMO Listing 36 Aviation Directory 10

November 2023

KINGJAMES 56711

You are here.

Your drone is way up here.

At altitudes like these, a lot can happen. And whether you’re a professional or recreational drone pilot, there are a number of risks that can lead to the damage of your drone. Which is why you need the right expertise to protect your drone from the risks that are obvious and the ones that aren’t. Santam. Insurance good and proper. For more information, visit santam.co.za or speak to your broker. Santam is an authorised financial services provider (FSP 3416), a licensed non-life insurer and controlling company for its group companies.

November 2023

MY FAVOURITE OPENING SHOTS are those taken from the cockpit, and this puts us, the viewer, in the cockpit to share a spectacular sight. The hard thing about from the cockpit shots is to get the inside out outside exposures right. Especially when shooting into the sun in the early morning. Rudi Greyling has managed this, or rather his cell phone did, in this wonderful atmospheric photo of the view from his beautifully well-equipped RV-10 flying over the Hartbeespoort Dam. Remarkably, Rudi was using just a mid-range Samsung A53 phone – yet it has successfully managed the inside and outside exposure balance well. The final image is a large 4000 x 2250 MP in size and the phone was exposing at just an ISO of 50 to give great detail.

13 November 2023 Send your submissions to guy@saflyermag.co.za

ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE: GUY LEITCH

How the FAA

is Fixing Recreational Flying We often forget that South Africa still has some world class institutions that make our country a much better place than that supposed paragon of excellence – the USA. The American banking system is archaic compared to South Africa and our restaurants and food are better and cheaper. ONE OF THE BIG SURPRISES is that South Africa’s regulation of non-type certified aircraft (NTCA) is far better than the Americans. (Yes, Poppy, for once the CAA is better than the FAA). The FAA has long been held to be the leader in aviation regulation. Yet they created a boondoggle when they tried to regulate homebuilt aircraft.

to want to build and fly their own planes. By world standards, especially American, this was progressive. Notably , unlike American and European regulators, South African Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) were allowed to have retractable undercarriage and a constant speed prop. And crucially, there was no weight limit, unlike the Europe and American 600 kg max all up weight limit. The weight limit was a bad idea as aircraft were being built to an arbitrary weight rather than to an appropriate strength.

LSA rules turned out to be too fragile

The roots of South Africa’s effective regulation can be traced back to the LS-1 document which laid the groundwork for an enlightened approach to ‘homebuilt’ aircraft regulation. Over time the South African regulations have been further refined and in 2007 the then Director of Civil Aviation Colin Jordaan launched the Recreational Aviation Administration of SA (RAASA) to manage ‘non-type certified aircraft’. The idea was to make recreational aviation selfgoverning and thus to allow the CAA to wash its hands of responsibility for those crazy enough

November 2023

For the regulators, the big divide is between Type Certified (TCA) and Non-Type Certified Aircraft (NTCA). Type certified have passed the rigorous and expensive process of being approved (certified) by the regulator – usually the FAA or EASA. NTCA is essentially anything else which flies. This ranges from thundering

Peter Garrison feels a bit humiliated that his Melmoth 2 will be just a homemade light sport aircraft.

supersonic jet fighters to balloons and drones. Because they have not had to be approved and maintenance is likewise not as tightly regulated, they are supposed to be significantly more affordable than TCA. However, as the sophistication of NTCAs has increased, this is often no longer the case. The question of what constitutes a homebuilt aircraft has vexed the regulators. The USA came up with the 51% rule – which meant that more than half the plane had to have been built by the owner/pilot. Exactly how to define what constitutes more than half a plane is hard to define (weight or part count?) and resulted in factories having build-assist programmes to nominally have the new owner build half.

Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) rules which had turned out to be a little too fragile for flight training and too limited for family transportation. In the USA all NTCAs must display a large warning sign stating that the aircraft was ‘Experimental’. In other words, pilot and passengers beware, you are flying at your own risk.

L i g h t p l a n e s launched the Sport Pilot with limited s h o u l d b e c o m e Licence success. It was used by retiring pilots, and e a s y t o s t a r t , mostly not younger ones entering q u i e t e r, a n d the industry. The FAA says are around 7,000 m o r e r e l i a b l e . there Sport Pilots, compared with

Again the South African CAA led the way with a more practical approach to factory-built NTCAs. They recognised that an NTCA built by an ‘approved builder’ could be expected to have a better build quality than a genuine homebuilt. There was also an urgent need to update the

In 2004 the FAA had

164,000 Private Pilots.

Finally recognising that their LSA and Sport Pilot regulations did not work very well, the FAA has now issued a set of proposals called the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) for NTCAs. Because the FAA sets the standards for so many regulators around the world, this is of great importance to us in South Africa.

November 2023

Non Type certified aircraft have had to display this notice.

MOSAIC aims to modernise and expand LSA capabilities to improve: safety, accessibility and innovation in aviation by proposing eight key changes: 1. MOSAIC eliminates the 600kg weight limit. Instead, maximum weight will be dictated by stall speed. Planes that stall below 54 knots can weigh around 3,000 lbs. This allows bigger margins for safety and utility. 2. Mosaic increases the maximum LSA stall speed from 45 to 54 knots. This enables planes like C172s to qualify as LSAs. 3. Remove the 120 kt max speed limit, potentially permitting LSAs to reach 250 knots. 4. Allow variable pitch props, retractable gear, and even multiple engines.

6. Allow IFR and night flying. 7. Sport pilots will be able fly up to 4-seat LSAs, but only with 1 passenger. 8. Enable commercial aerial work like photography. This expanded definition adds over 50,000 legacy planes, including the venerable Cessna

November 2023

At this stage the MOSAIC proposals are just proposals for public comments. The final rules are expected in 1 to 2 years. MOSAIC is the product of years of effort by industry groups like the EAA, AOPA, and General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the FAA. It is all about revitalising the LSA industry into using performancebased standards so the basic Sport Pilot Certificate requirements will remain unchanged. Sport Pilots will still fly without a medical certificate, using their driver’s license.

El e c t r i c motors, FA DE C a n d f l y -b y -w i r e are allowed

5. Expand LSA categories to include helicopters, gyrocopters, and electric VTOL aircraft. This will spur innovation in VTOL, autonomy and advanced technology.

172 and Cherokees. While a Sport Pilot can still carry just a single passenger, they can fly a faster plane and use the back seats for luggage. That should make restoring old planes and adding new avionics a good investment.

One of the big changes will be the impact on electric aircraft. An embarrassing omission in the original LSA rules was electric motors, which were never considered and so were not allowed. This set back electric aviation by probably a decade. Electric motors will be allowed, as will FADEC and fly-by-wire controls. This flexibility should finally allow for real engine innovation, which has lagged avionics badly over the past two decades. Light planes should become easier to start, quieter, and more reliable.

Light Sport Aircraft can be difficult to insure even for experienced pilots.

With no limits on aircraft power sources, eVTOLs and electric planes can more easily certify as LSA. The increased 3,000 lb weight enables larger battery packs for extended electric flight. Higher permitted speeds let electric LSAs achieve practical cruise speeds. MOSAIC will allow LSAs to be used for commercial operations like aerial photography, surveys, agriculture, pipeline patrol, and more. This offers new business opportunities. Additional crew training may be required, but operating costs should be lower than full FAA certification.

FINAL THOUGHTS There is naturally concern that the FAA may be going too far in devolving the risks of light sport aircraft to the owner/pilot. Our columnist Peter Garrison says, “My guess is that the FAA is happy to wash its hands of as many airplanes and pilots as possible. MOSAIC opens the door to entrepreneurs and makes it cheaper to get a pilot’s license. I agree that a 250-knot turbine flown by a sport pilot sounds pretty extreme, but what does it really mean? The pilot hasn’t had to get a medical and hasn’t had to learn a lot of stuff that’s required for the Private (and is probably soon forgotten anyway), but may be perfectly capable. And if you don’t have good judgment, a PPL isn’t going to give it to you. “It was definitely a bad idea to have a weight limit rather than a wing loading limit, and the omission of electric motors was unfortunate. The MOSAIC rules seem to reflect a more realistic appreciation of how airplanes behave, and to be free of a lot of old prejudices. “I think it’s rather admirable that the FAA’s movement is toward liberalization rather than restriction. But I do feel a little humiliated that my plane [Melmoth 2] is going to be nothing but a homemade Light Sport.”

Sling Aircraft are making steady inroads into the huge American market. The MOSAIC proposals should make it far easier for them to sell their excellent Sling 4TSI and High Wing into that huge market. Sling Chairman James Pitman says, “the new proposals are just what we need as it will create a proper space for our four-seater planes and will hopefully remove the clumsy 51% rule. Also the market should be greatly expanded by allowing Sport Pilots to fly our four seaters.” The proposed MOSAIC rule is an exciting new chapter for general aviation. By unleashing innovation through modern, performance-based standards, MOSAIC will breathe new life into recreational flying and pilot training. We can expect to see LSAs get safer, faster, and more capable. New designs will make flying more accessible and affordable. It’s all good news.

guy@saflyermag.co.za November 2023

NEWS

PI L AT US

UPDAT ES P C-24 For 2024, Pilatus has extended the payload-range capability of it PC-24 to give a maximum range with six passengers of 2,000 nautical miles. PILATUS HAS ALSO INCORPORATED an array of new interior amenities, including a sidefacing berthable divan. The PC-24 now offers a full fuel payload of a single pilot plus 1,315 pounds (596 kg), and features a class-leading maximum payload capacity of 3,100 pounds (1,406 kg). This enables operators to increase the PC-24’s maximum range by 200 nm (370 km) with six passengers plus 2 crew on board. Pilatus conducted an extensive flight test campaign to expand the envelope for the higher design weights. At the PC-24’s maximum takeoff weight, balanced field length at sea level is

only 3,090 feet (941 meters), allowing the use of short and even unpaved runways. The cabin of the PC-24 has also been given a number of enhancements: Ambient sound levels have been reduced through optimisation of air conditioning ducting, noise absorbing panels, and tuned engine accessory air intake ducts. All PC-24s from serial number 501 onwards will be equipped with a feature to enable predictive services. The automated data transmission of key aircraft data directly to Pilatus upon landing will be analyzed and, if necessary, a predictive recommendation is made to the operator.

The Pilatus PC-24 has had a max weight upgrade and makeover. Image Justin de Reuck.

November 2023

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November 2023

PETER GARRISON

TAI L WAGS DOG ‘Hinge moment’ is the technical name for the force required to deflect a control surface. In small, relatively slow aeroplanes hinge moments are not very large; pilots move the controls with ease. But as control surfaces get larger and speeds get higher, hinge moments grow rapidly. HINGE MOMENTS INCREASE with the chord length of the control surface, with the square of speed and with the cube of the linear dimensions of the aeroplane. Thus, if you double the speed the hinge moments grow four times greater; if you double the size of an aeroplane, keeping all of its proportions unchanged, they become eight times greater. If you double both size and speed, hinge moments increase by a factor of 32. From Kitty Hawk onward, aeroplanes got bigger and faster, but pilots didn’t get any stronger. Obviously, this couldn’t go on forever. There is, furthermore, only so much you can accomplish with leverage between cockpit and control surface. In principle a wheeltype control could have a large mechanical advantage, if you didn’t mind having to turn it ten or twenty times to roll into a bank; but that would not make for a very agile aeroplane. A stick was at an even worse handicap, its movement limited by the space between the pilot’s knees. Piper's all flying stabilator.

November 2023

A servo tab on an aileron.

Now, it was well known from the world of boats that hinge moments could be reduced by putting a portion of a surface, such as a boat’s a rudder, ahead of the axis of rotation, or ‘hinge line’. Some early aeroplanes had completely balanced rudders and no fixed fin at all. Many also had balancing area projecting ahead of the ailerons at the wingtips. These expedients worked for small aeroplanes, but for large ones, like the multi-engine bombers that came into being during the First World War, keeping control forces within comfortable limits with aerodynamic balance was very difficult. During that war, however, a German engineer named Anton Flettner had an ingeniously simple idea for applying leverage in a new way. The force of moving air on a control surface like an aileron is centred approximately a third of the way back from the hinge line. Flettner proposed attaching a small additional surface behind the trailing edge of the main surface. The main surface was allowed to float freely; the pilot’s stick was connected not to it, but to the auxiliary surface. Air pressure on the auxiliary surface would have a lever arm more than three times greater than that of the force on the main surface, while the effort needed to deflect it would be much smaller, because the surface itself was small. The pilot could now move a large main surface using only the effort required to move a small one.

it survives in aviation in many varieties. The most familiar is the trim tab, which modifies the neutral or ‘floating’ position of a surface, such as an elevator or rudder, by pushing on its trailing edge. A trim tab is a stationary tab: it remains in a fixed position as the main surface moves. Some moving tabs, called servo tabs, are used for reducing control forces. A servo tab is identical in appearance to a trim tab, but is linked to a fixed point on the airframe. In the case of an aileron, the fixed point would be on the wing. If the link is attached to the bottom of the tab, it’s also attached to the bottom of the wing. Thus, if the aileron is deflected upward the link – usually a simple hollow rod – pulls the tab downward, helping the aileron along by reducing its hinge moment.

A stick was at an even worse handicap

Flettner tabs allowed pilots to control very large aeroplanes manually, and remained in use for decades. The DC-6 and B-29 had Flettnerequipped control surfaces, as did the Douglas DC-9, I believe the last large transport to forgo hydraulically boosted controls. Flettner’s invention is now called a tab, and

Something interesting happens if you attach the link to opposite sides of the tab and the main surface. When the main surface goes up, the tab, which is now called an anti-servo tab, comes down. Rather than reduce the control forces, it increases them. But why would you want it to do that? The answer is found on the tails of many a Piper, at least one Cessna – the Cardinal – and on plenty of other types as well. It’s the all-flying tail, or stabilator.

November 2023

Above: The anitservo tab on a stabilator. Below: The Balance Tab.

November 2023

To understand how a stabilator works, go back to the all-flying rudders of early days. Enough of the rudder was placed ahead of the hinge line to balance what was behind it, eliminating control forces altogether. It happens that aerodynamic pressures are concentrated near the nose of an aerofoil, in such a way that the lift force on the front quarter of a wing balances that on the back three-quarters. Therefore, if you take a rectangular wing, like the stabilator of a Cherokee or Seneca, and pivot it one quarter of the way from the leading to the trailing edge, it’s fully aerodynamically balanced and you can move it in flight without any effort.

p i l o t s d i d n’ t g e t any st ronger Completely effortless controls are not a good thing, however, because they don’t have a home base to which they want to return. The just float in any position. Early aeroplanes with balanced rudders and no fin flew in a sideslip just as willingly as straight ahead.

Stabilators have a number of advantages over the more conventional stabiliser with hinged elevator. They are structurally simpler, lighter and cheaper to build. They are aerodynamically more effective, and so can be smaller. Control forces can be easily tailored to any desired level. The only bad thing you can say about them is that they are subject to certain flutter modes that conventional empennages lack, and so for high-speed aeroplanes – over 200 knots, say – manufacturers tend to make the more cautious choice. To be sure, many very fast aeroplanes – supersonic fighters, for example – have all-flying tails. But they are not stabilators, and they have no tabs; they are simply streamlined slabs, driven by hydraulics, with no will of their own.

A trim tab on a Cessna elevator.

For stability and flying comfort, a control surface needs a home base – a position to which it returns of its own accord, hands-off. The elevator naturally wants to align itself with the stabiliser in front of it, because when it is in that position there is no air pressure pushing it up or down. The anti-servo tab provides the same effect for an all-flying tail. When it’s aligned with the stabilator, it’s at home; when it’s deflected, it pushes the stabilator back toward its home position. The pilot adjusts trim for different speeds by moving the anchor point at the front end of the tab link, usually with some sort of screw apparatus that has the effect of changing the stabilator incidence at which the anti-servo tab is aligned with the main surface.

November 2023

NEWS

THE FUTURE OF AVGAS The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its long-anticipated final determination on the danger of leaded aviation gasoline. THE FINDING DEFINES a “pathway” toward regulation that will ultimately enable a safe transition to a lead-free replacement for highoctane, low-lead fuel (100LL). With testing still required and opportunities for public comment, that process is likely to take two years, according to FAA Executive Director for Aircraft Certification Service Lirio Liu. Representatives of the Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) working group held a media briefing directly following

the release of the EPA finding. During the online webinar, Liu joined several industry stakeholder participants in stressing – multiple times – that EAGLE and the FAA are firmly committed to ensuring the continued availability of 100LL until a safe and practical replacement can be made universally available. In essence, the message was that ensuring flight safety for aircraft that require higher-octane fuel takes precedence over the risk of prematurely eliminating the availability of 100LL.

Avgas 100LL will continue to be available until a replacement is found.

November 2023

PLANE TALK - JIM DAVIS

RI GHT SEAT RULES NO. 11

COORDI NATI ON Hubie was one of those people who can’t march. He was a clever guy. He had a pharmacy in Riversdale in the Southern Cape and was also mayor of the town – but the poor guy simply could not march. HE WOULD PRACTICE for hours and would sometimes get it right, but when it really mattered, like the time he was presented with his ten-year long-service medal, well the arm and the leg on the same side moved the same way.

And it’s not that easy.

Most of the time it was bloody funny. He would get all tense, with his shoulders back and his stomach in, and a determined look in his eye, but on the command, ‘q-u-i-c-k march’ he would lead off with his left foot and left arm together.

Using the aileron and rudder in the same direction, at the same time is so important that a number of aircraft have them interconnected with springs so that when you move the ailerons the rudder automatically moves with them. Bonanzas, Tri-Pacers and Senecas come to mind.

If you – as an instructor – can teach your pupes to do this one exercise correctly, and to use that skill the whole time they fly, then you will indeed be an exceptional instructor.

a s mok e This co-ordination dete c ting, exercise is the most one in the book s har k -r e pe lle nt important – except it’s not in the book. It should be a formal heads et training exercise like steep

We tried everything to help the poor guy, but after weeks of practice there was really no improvement. And of course on the big day we were all rooting for him, but to no avail. There was a collective sucking in of breath amongst the rest of us who were standing stiffly to attention with our boots and buttons gleaming. What’s this got to do with flying? Well strangely Hubie had it right. With an aeroplane, almost every time you move the stick to the left you should use left rudder. And Hubie would do this perfectly in his little C152 Aerobat. Dare I say it came naturally to him?

November 2023

turns and stalls – but it just isn’t.

Anyhow, you are going to teach your students co-ordination, and you’ll be proud to know that they are a cut above anyone else’s pupes. First, what do we mean by coordination? In an aeroplane it means flying with the ball in the middle. As an instructor, you need to understand how the ball works and what it tells you.

November 2023

Mostly you don’t have to go into great detail with ordinary pupes – but instructors must have it up their sleeves for the occasional pupe who is smart enough to ask deeper questions. That’s what good instructors do – they have more info than they need. The ball is both very simple, and quite complicated. The simple part is that it is exactly what you see, a ball resting in the bottom of a U shaped glass tube. There’s some liquid in there to damp the movement of the ball. There are no mechanical or electrical connections – nothing. I emphasise it’s nothing more than a ball resting in the bottom of a U shaped tube. Actually if you are flying straight and the wings are level – then the ball is in the middle – there is no need to check – I guarantee it. And if

you can’t afford a R40,000 whiz-bang, noisecancelling, smoke-detecting, shark-repellent headset, here’s what you could do. Take your ordinary old hand mike, with its springy, spiral cord, wrap the cord a couple of turns round the throttle so the mike hangs down – and presto, you have made a ‘ball’. Sort of. If you fly properly it will point at the floor – even in a steep turn. In fact even in a loop. Okay – now you have the picture we can go to the next step. When the aircraft is not moving – the ball (and the mic.) acts like an upside-down spirit level. If the wings are level the ball will be in the middle because gravity pulls it there. If your left tyre is soft and that wing is down, or you are parked on a slope then the ball will sit to the left of centre. Here’s where a slight complication comes in.

The Tiger Moth and the car are at the same speed and so banked the same.

November 2023

The ball indicator must be set so the ball is at the bottom on level ground.

The instrument is mounted on the panel by four screws that go through curved slots. This is so that the engineer can set it exactly right with the ball in the middle when the wings are level. It he didn’t mount it correctly in the first place, or someone has moved it, then it will be wrong on the ground and in flight. So before you criticise your pupe for flying sideways, or one wing low, you need to be sure that the instrument is correct when the wings are level on the ground. Okay, so the ball is pulled to the bottom by gravity. But once the aircraft is moving, then other forces leap into action. I’m going to upset engineers by referring to one of these as centrifugal force. Engineers, being a pedantic tribe, like to call it a ‘reaction’ – not a force. For our purposes that just muddies the waters – so we are going to talk about centrifugal and centripetal forces. So what happens if you are taxying on a level surface and you turn to the right? Gravity still tries to pull the ball down to the centre but centrifugal force will pull it to the left. It’s the same as turning in a car – and the faster you go, or the sharper you turn, the further the ball will move out of middle. And obviously your body senses a tendency to lean outwards.

This same centripetal force is what turns the aircraft. Perhaps you need to read that again because if you ask half a dozen pilots what causes an aircraft to turn they are all likely to say ‘the rudder’. Have a look at the big diagram. When you bank, the lift stays perpendicular to the wings and that gives you the turning component of lift – the centipetal force. That’s the red arrow in the diagram. If you bank too steeply for the speed, you will slip into the turn and the ball will show this by being on the inside of the turn. Similarly, if your bank is not enough for the speed, then you will slide towards the outside of the turn.

f l y-bette r f or -t he -r es t of -your -li f e

Bear with me while I tie a stone on to one end of a piece of string. Now, holding the other end above my head, I swing the stone round and round. Sir Isaac, spotting this activity, springs into the fray with his first law which, loosely summarised, says that a body keeps doing what it was doing until acted on by an outside force. In this case the stone would go in a straight line but the string introduces centripetal, or centreseeking, force which pulls inwards and causes the stone to turn towards my hand.

I find it helps to look at a picture of a banked racetrack like Brooklands, which was the home of such famous aircraft as Avro, Vickers, Hawker and de Havilland. I getting side-tracked about Brooklands – but as you are reading a flying magazine you must be interested in Brooklands. I quote from Wiki: “Brooklands was the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation, and the site of many engineering and technological achievements throughout eight decades of the 20th century.

November 2023

“The racing circuit was constructed by local landowner Hugh F Locke King in 1907 and was the first purpose-built, banked racing circuit in the world. “Many records were set there. Many aviation firsts are also associated with Brooklands, which soon became one of Britain’s first aerodromes. It attracted aviation pioneers prior to World War I and was also a leading aircraft design and manufacturing centre in the 20th century,

producing a remarkable total of some 18,600 new aircraft of nearly 260 types between 1908 and 1987. “Brooklands-based aircraft companies such as Bleriot, Hawker, Sopwith, Martinsyde and Vickers were key players in the early years of aviation and were crucial to its early development.” Okay, side-track over – the reason I bring

The lift vector is always at right angles to the aircraft's lateral axis.

November 2023

The Brooklands race track was the home of much British aviation.

Brooklands into this fascinating discussion is that it makes it easy to understand the fairly complex relationship between, speed, bank angle, radius of turn and skidding and slipping. Imagine thundering round Brooklands in a 4.5 litre supercharged ‘Blower Bentley’. The track is wet and slippery from the thousands of previous bangers that have dripped oil on it. You cut the corner tight on the level, unbanked surface at the bottom. This will give you the advantage of the shortest route, and the tightest turn. But it’s not working – the car keeps skidding outwards towards the steeper banking. If you had an aircraft turn-andslip mounted on your burred walnut dashboard, the ball would be on the outside of the turn and it would stay there until you found the optimum bank for that speed.

optimum position and the ball was once again in the middle at the slower speed. Have a look at the beautifully timed black and white photo of a Tiger Moth flying over the track in the early 1930s while a car races round below. I would guess the aircraft was doing about 100 mph – and the car probably about the same. Races between cars and aircraft were common at the time. In fact, top cars were circling the track at around 120 mph.

ot he r f or ces leap into ac t ion

Then if you slowed down the ball would be on the inside of the turn and the car would tend to slip down the banking until it again reached the

The car seems to have slightly less angle of bank than the Moth. But the object was to keep as low on the track as possible to shorten the distance. Perhaps the most interesting thing in this photo is the faint black centreline you can just see behind the guys on the ground. They had obviously not finished painting it. It was called the 50 foot line as the track was 100’ wide. Take a guess at what the black line was for…

November 2023

Once you have reached the angle of bank that you want, you neutralise the ailerons and presto that annoying drag on the outside wing disappears – so you don’t need rudder anymore. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a gentle turn or a steep one – you do not need any rudder once you have reached your desired angle of bank. You can go round and round as long as you like with your feet on the floor and the ball in the middle.

If you whirl a stone on a string the centrifugal force is balanced by the centrepetal force.

In aeronautical terms it was the 60 mph ballin-the-middle-line. Theoretically, at that speed, you would not need to steer the car – it would go round the corners with the steering wheel straight. There would be no tendency to skid towards the outside of the track or slip towards the inside. The interesting thing is that is EXACTLY what happens in an aircraft. Try taking your feet off the rudder pedals once you are established in a turn. Nothing happens. The ball stays in the middle on its own. So, returning to the aviation classroom, you do not use the rudder to turn the aircraft. Read that again if you need to. However, you do need the rudder momentarily as you roll into and out of the turn. Think about the secondary effect of the aileron. As you move the stick to the right (to bank the aircraft to the right) the left aileron moves down and drags that wing back. This is the last thing you want, so to prevent this from happening you have to use enough right rudder just to keep the nose straight.

November 2023

In fact, if you trim it during the turn you should be able to let go of all the controls – they will all be neutral. You will only need rudder again when you use the ailerons to roll out of the turn. In this case you will use left aileron to level the wings, and while the inner aileron digs into the airflow and tries to yank the nose round to the right, you need to use left rudder to prevent this. My goodness that was a long story to explain why you always (except when sideslipping) have to use left rudder with left aileron, and right rudder with right aileron. Like Hubie with his marching. Take a breath, because now I’m going to explain the coordination exercise that we use to teach using stick and rudder together. Mostly we never really see the effects of aileron drag. This is because we are nice smooth pilots who enter, and exit, turns gently to give our pax a comfortable flight. But if you want to fly a little more crisply when granny is not in the back, then you will certainly notice the aileron drag, and have to use rudder to overcome it. So the exercise goes like this. We pick a distant point ahead, to keep straight on, and then we roll the wings smartly from side to side – about 30 degrees of bank in each direction.

The magnificent 4.5 litre Blower Bentley could do 120 mph around Brooklands.

You will be horrified by how far the nose moves off the aiming point each time you use the aileron. As you use right aileron the nose yaws to the left of the point and then as you swing over to the left, the nose makes a sickening lurch to the right. I use the word sickening advisedly because this motion is going to have both you and your pupe chundering if you keep it going for longer than a couple of minutes. So that’s what would happen if you kept going from a left bank to a right bank repeatedly and violently without using the rudder properly.

rudder together, and then left aileron and rudder together. Demo this to your pupe and offer him a beer if he can do it first time. Your money is absolutely safe – it’s bloody difficult the first time you try it. Your pupe needs to keep practicing until he gets it right. The secret is to practice this often, but only as the last exercise of each flight – until he gets if right you are both going to feel like heaving after a short time. But it’s worth the effort. I seem to remember telling you that once your pupe has got this right he will be a better pilot for the rest of his days.

hor r i f ie d by how far t he nos e moves

But isn’t that rather silly – because you won’t do that in normal flight? Well actually it can very easily happen if you fly soon after lunch when the Cu’s are starting to bubble and you have to fight the turbulence. You will indeed have your pax barfing if you don’t use the rudder properly to keep the nose straight. So here’s how to fix it: Each time you use the ailerons you must use enough rudder to keep the nose on your point. Right aileron and

It’s one of the things that flying gliders or a taildragger teaches you, so when you have some spare bucks, I recommend you spend them on a fly-better-for-the-rest-of-your-life soaring or tailwheel conversion. Thanks for showing us the way, Hubie. j

November 2023

FLIGHT TEST: CESSNA LONGITUDE 34

CESSNA

LONGITUDE Guy Leitch

November 2023

– THE LONG-AWAITED CESSNA FLAGSHIP FINALLY ARRIVES IN SOUTH AFRICA

The first Cessna Longitude in South Africa about to touch down at Rand Airport. Image Greg Rooken-Smith. November 2023

The first Cessna Longitude to arrive South Africa has finally been delivered, arriving from the Wichita factory in late September. Interestingly, the South African CAA has made it so difficult, time consuming and expensive to register the aircraft here that it is registered in San Marino – hence the T7-KFL registration. The Longitude is Cessna’s parent company Textron Aviation’s largest jet. It is aimed squarely at the competitive super-midsize bizjet market and has raised the bar in terms of performance and passenger appeal. As at October 2023, Cessna has delivered 100 Longitudes. It is noteworthy that T7-KFL’s South African owner upgraded from a Sovereign+ and as a long time Textron customer he was accorded the honour of having the 100th Longitude off the production line. Development The Longitude is a natural progression of the Cessna Latitude, which we reviewed about ten

years ago when we got to sample it on a sales demo tour to Southern Africa. The Longitude shares the same cabin profile as the Latitude and Sovereign but is otherwise in all respects a big step up. The cabin is more than a metre longer than the Latitude’s and the aircraft is 3.4 metres longer in overall length. Its distinguishing feature is a full T-tail – rather than the Latitudes (and Sovereign’s) cruciform tail. For bizjets based at the bottom end of Africa, key performance numbers are range and useful load. The size of the step-up from the Latitude can be seen in that the Longitude has an additional 8,700 pounds in max takeoff weight over the Latitude, which enables it to carry another 3,706 pounds of useful load. Most of

The flight deck is Garmin G5000 driven and based on the Latitude.

November 2023

Key performance - Range from Lanseria with 5 pax & 2 pilots.

this goes to fuel (14,500 pounds total, or an extra 3,106 pounds compared with the Latitude). That provides a significantly increased range, enabling the Longitude to carry a full-fuel payload of 1,600 pounds (1,000 more than the Latitude) and fly 3,500 nm, compared with the Latitude’s 2,700 nm (each with four passengers). Powered by a pair of 7,665-pound thrust Honeywell HFT7700L turbofans, the Longitude’s maximum cruise speed is 483 KTAS and maximum operating limit speed Mach 0.84, putting it ahead of the Latitude’s 446 KTAS and Mach .80. Despite having been built for speed and range, the Longitude evidently has a capable runway performance as its owner flies it regularly to his game farm in the Timbavati – which has a 1200m runway, and he bases it at Rand, with its 1700 metre runway and high density altitude.

The Competition Although some buyers loyal to the Cessna line may consider upgrading from a Latitude to a Longitude, the real choice comes from its super-midsize competitors, which include the

Gulfstream G280, the Challenger 350, Falcon 2000S, and Embraer’s Praetor 600. Embraer’s Praetor can fly about 500 nm further, albeit at a 16 knots slower long-range cruise. Both share the same flat floor six-foot cabin height, but the Praetor is wider at 6.8 feet versus the Longitude’s 6.4 feet and the Brazilian’s cabin is a useful 2.5 feet longer. Perhaps the closest competitor is the Challenger 350. The Longitude is slightly faster and has greater range (3,500 nm with four passengers versus the Challenger 350’s 3,200 nm with eight passengers), but the 350 has a wider cabin by about 9.5 inches. Compared to the Falcon 2000S, the Longitude’s smaller cabin size is apparent. The French jet has a 7.7 feet wide cabin vs the Longitude’s 6.4 feet, and the Falcon has two inches more headroom. Both offer the same high-speed cruise of around 480 KTAS, but the Falcon’s maximum speed is also significantly higher at Mach .862. The Falcon’s range with six passengers is 3,350 nm compared with the Longitude’s four-passenger 3,500 nm. So by the numbers the Falcon trumps the Cessna – but at a higher fuel burn and initial cost. November 2023

Standard seating is a double club.

Gulfstream’s G280 has slightly more height than the Longitude, but the G280’s cabin has a dropped floor instead of the flat floor of the rest of these competitors. Its cabin is six inches wider and just over six inches longer. With a maximum operating speed of Mach .85, the G280 is slightly faster than the Longitude’s Mach .84, and its range is also 100 nm further.

The Walk around

The partially supercritical wing features a fixed leading edge and almost 1 metre tall swooping November 2023

On the tail is a pair of Honeywell HTF7000 engines – which are also used by most of the Longitude’s competitors and, usefully for South African operators, have good hot and high performance. The engines deliver 7,665 pounds of thrust a side, flat-rated to 34 degrees C. On-condition maintenance means there is no formal timebetween-overhaul requirement. The engine features include a wide-chord fan, low-emissions effusion-cooled combustor, and transpiration-cooled high pressure turbine blades.

The Longit ude w ing lik es to go fas t .

The wing is a thing of beauty. When Textron announced the Longitude in 2012 many assumed that they would combine the wing of the Hawker 4000 with the Latitude fuselage. However, the Longitude’s wing is a cleansheet design with a rakish sweep of 28.6°, a sweepback angle exceeded in Cessna’s range only by the Citation X.

upturned winglets that add 2.6m of span.

The Longitude features singlepoint refuelling, providing complete control of the fuelling process from outside the cockpit. The system allows selection of the fuel load at the panel and so does not rely on the truck’s metering system. A remote oil-level sensor for the engines shows engine and APU oil levels at the fuel panel,

Optional seating has a 3-seat berthable divan.

although pilots can also check oil levels with traditional sight glasses. Another aspect of simplified systems are the two ice detectors mounted just below the windshield. Instead of watching for ice buildup somewhere vulnerable on the airframe, now pilots simply wait for the icing message then switch on the ice-protection systems. Pitot-static heat turns on automatically when needed, another feature that pilots don’t have to worry about. The sturdy trailing-link landing gear features what Cessna calls, ‘a special blend of corrosionresistant stainless steel’. For simplicity, the emergency landing gear is entirely mechanical, with no nitrogen driven pneumatic backup. The dual mainwheels feature anti-skid carbon brakes which are electronically controlled and powered by dual hydraulic sources, each of which can power the brakes by itself. Emergency braking is from a hydraulic accumulator.

The hydraulically steered nose wheel is controlled by a tiller, which can move the nose wheel up to 80.5 degrees. The steering is smooth and precise and when combined with the 7.5 degrees of rudder steering allows a turn radius of 81 feet.

The Cabin The boss who pays for it sits in the back, so the cabin experience is all-important. Here the Longitude really shines. The two key metrics are comfort and quiet. And of course all the now standard bells and whistles, including fast wi-fi interconnectivity and in-flight entertainment for every seat. For some obscure reason most gran-fromages seem to prefer sitting in the back of their jets which gives them the engine noise in stereo. This is where you are most likely to get an unpleasant thrum from the turbofans and it is one of the reasons airliner designers put

November 2023

Galley has space for dedicated glassware.

the engines out on the wings. A Cessna demonstration pilot told our reviewer that Cessna engineers made a maximum effort to deal with this thrum by mounting the engines on an insulated circular frame that absorbs much of the vibration and harmonics from the engines. The engineers’ effort has paid off as, according to Textron, the back of the Longitude cabin is a significant two decibels quieter than its closest competitor. For the Longitude’s first demonstration flight in South Africa, the back seaters remarked that they were able to talk easily with pax in the front cabin seats. A further key comfort parameter is the pressurisation differential. Here again Cessna have raised the bar with a cabin pressure of 9.66 psi, which means that at the maximum operating altitude of FL450 the cabin altitude is 5,950 feet. At a more standard FL410, the cabin altitude is typically 4,800 feet, which is lower than many Highveld density attitudes.

The seating configuration can be customised to the owner’s preference. Two double-club seating arrangements are standard, but many buyers replace the two seats on the left rear with a three-place berthable divan. A single side-facing seat can be fitted opposite the main entry door, but this reduces galley space. The pairs of opposing seats can fold flat to create a bed, so that means four beds for the doubleclub configuration – or three plus the berthable divan. The divan has seatbelts for three passengers, which can be used for takeoff and landing, but it is wide enough to fit four while in flight. Opening the couch into a bed is a simple matter, with just a single handle to pull it out like a sleeper couch.

good hot and high pe r f or mance

November 2023

Ahead of the cabin door is a 14-cubic foot cupboard with hanging storage and removable shelves. Another option is a stowable jump seat. The lightweight (40 pounds) jump seat can be

removed when not needed. The jump seat can face forward for flight deck observation, or aft for a cabin crewmember and is useable during takeoff and landing. The extra cabin length of the Longitude enables a larger galley with plenty of workspace and dedicated glass storage. Two hot water tanks are standard. An optional high-power electrical outlet is available for appliances such as standard coffee makers, eliminating the need to spend vast amounts on built-in custom Cessna approved appliances. The outlet is mounted inside a stainless-steel surround to protect the galley from fire risk. This option allows use of appliances that draw up to 15 amps of AC power. A convection or microwave oven are also optional. Both the galley and cabin are available with optional stone flooring. What that does to the aircraft’s empty weight and useful load is not specified.

There are two USB ports at each seat. Universal AC power outlets are available in the cabin, in the toilet vanity, and the flight deck. For worldwide connectivity, optional dual-channel Iridium or Inmarsat SwiftBroadband satcoms are available. Rounding out notable cabin enhancements is the air recirculation system. Cabin air is sourced from the engines’ bleed air, whose high temperatures have sterilised the air. This clean air is then cooled before distribution in the cabin. After flowing through the cabin, 78% of the air is vented overboard via outflow valves at the rear. The remaining air is recirculated to the cabin, which reduces engine fuel burn. The cabin management system (CMS) with surround-sound is controlled wirelessly from a smart device app. The app also controls temperature, lighting, and window shades, but separate controls for the latter two are also available at each seat. The audio/video system stores up to 400 GB of movies which can be

Nose baggage compartment used for avionics and oxygen. November 2023

Large baggage bay can be accessed from cabin.

November 2023

Bluetoothed to smart devices. An HDMI and auxiliary audio input port are available to display how-goes-it moving maps, and an optional 22-inch monitor can be mounted on the rear cabin wall.

Distinctive upswept wingtip nearly a metre tall.

The toilet can be used as a seat, but unfortunately not for takeoff and landing. An externally serviced vacuum freshwater toilet is a first for a Citation. Its 6.4-gallon heated holding tank is outside the fuselage pressure vessel, which the demonstration pilot claims helps keeps odours out of the cabin. The large 98-cu-ft, 1,000-pound capacity baggage compartment can be accessed from the cabin. Exterior access to the baggage compartment is made easy with a low threshold (about 1.5 metres above the ground). For overwater operations, the life raft has a dedicated storage space in the baggage area.

The Cockpit The Longitude’s cockpit shares a common flightdeck with the Latitude and it is a model of modern functionality. It is based around the Garmin G5000 avionics suite and features three 14-inch wide‑format LCD screens. As with the Latitude, there are four GTC575 touchscreen controllers (TSCs) handily placed in the pedestal. As with the Latitude, the overhead panel is kept small. Navigation within a primary flight display is via cursor control sticks on the bezel of the TSC. The flight guidance panel (FGP), to control the autopilot (AP) and flight director (FD), is mounted on the centre of the glare shield. A single-gauge electronic standby flight display, with an internal back-up battery, is mounted between the FGP and the multi-function display (MFD). Garmin’s synthetic vision technology comes as standard, as does an auto-throttle (A/T) system.

Also standard is Garmin’s new solid-state GWX 8000 StormOptix weather radar with a 14-inch antenna. The radar features a highdefinition 16-colour palette with “greater colour contouring,” 3D volumetric scanning with automatic tilt adjustment to scan and depict hazardous weather, hail and lightning prediction, turbulence detection, advanced ground clutter suppression, and predictive wind-shear detection (which is optional). The wind-shear detection feature provides aural notifications and visual indications. Certification approval is pending for an optional Garmin GHD 2100 head-up display (HUD), which will show imagery from an Elbit enhanced flight vision system (EFVS) and also Garmin’s synthetic vision system. The HUD will be a $284,000 option, while the EFVS will add another $550,000, according to the Longitude’s optional equipment guide. With a predominately DC electrical system, the Longitude shares electrical architecture with the Latitude and earlier Sovereign. The split-bus design has the left engine generator running the left electrical system and the right generator the right hand system independently, unless there is a failure requiring the systems to be tied together. Two TB44 lithium-ion batteries are standard. November 2023

The 100th Longitude was delivered in October this year to a well known South African beef producer.

For backup, the Honeywell 36-150 APU has a 500-amp DC generator and can operate at up to FL350. In a first for a Citation, the APU can be operated unattended on the ground,.

Six wing-mounted spoilers – three per side – are the Longitude’s only other FBW control surface. These secondary surfaces augment roll authority, act as speed brakes (SBs) while airborne, and dump lift when weight is on the wheels to improve wheel braking.

Fly-by-wire

These three FBW functions reduce mechanical complexity and weight. Runway performance is also enhanced, as an auto-deployment brake schedule is programmed.

The Longitude’s flight-control system is typically conservative American. It takes the French and the Brazilians to be truly innovative with fly-by wire (FBW) control systems for bizjets. When Embraer developed its Legacy 450 and 500 (now called the Praetor 500 and 600), it pioneered a full FBW control system, incurring considerable cost and time over runs on the development. Textron/Cessna has been more cautious incorporating FBW technology into the Longitude, which still has mechanical ailerons and elevator, yet a FBW-controlled rudder. The open-loop FBW applies rudder deflection as a function of airspeed, while performing full-time yaw damper and turn co‑ordination functions.

November 2023

The key benefit of FBW is envelope protection and advances by Garmin have make this available to conventionally controlled aircraft. Garmin’s electronic stability and protection system offers attitude protections in both pitch and roll, along with high- and low-speed protections. For the Longitude’s G5000 avionics suite, however, Cessna elected to implement high- and low-speed protection schemes that utilise the autopilot (AP) and autothrottles (AT) which are standard equipment.

Flying the Longitude Due to the owners desire to maintain maximum anonymity about T7-KFL what follows is a synopsis from multiple sources who have flown the Longitude. The first step to waking the aircraft and getting its systems up and going is to start the APU and get its generator online. With the flightdeck powered up, you enter the flight plan and weights for takeoff performance into the flight management computer (FMC). The start is a single push-button affair and is simplicity itself. Bleed air from the APU is used to turn both engines, with the FADEC-controlled fuel flow and ignition stabilising each engine at idle in under 30 seconds.

takeoff power to 89.3%, and the Longitude gets going briskly. A typical mid-weight Rotate is 110kt and the yoke forces needed to raise the nose are moderate. With a typical takeoff weight of 31,00lb, including 3,420kg of fuel and three occupants, it needed just over 1,000m of runway to unstick. At its 17,917kg maximum take-off weight, the Longitude would require a balanced field length of 1,466m at sea level on a standard day. Control yoke force changes during clean-up and acceleration to the initial 200kt climb speed are low and easily countered with yoke-mounted pitch trimmer.

The Longitude’s steering tiller falls readily to hand and you can track your taxi position on the airport layout display.

In level flight at FL410, the PFD showed a trueto-book Mach .84 at ISA -3 degree C, giving a true airspeed of 479 knots. Fuel flow was 980 pph for each engine. Cabin altitude was just 4,900 feet.

Flaps are set to 2. Once the aircraft is on the runway and cleared for takeoff, release the toe wheel brakes and advance both thrust levers (TL) to the takeoff detent. The FADECs set

Slowing to a long-range cruise of Mach .739 dropped the true airspeed to 421 knots and fuel flow to 700 pph per engine. But typical longrange cruise is at Mach .80, which would deliver

T7-KFL is greeted with a water cannon salute at Rand. Image Greg Rooken Smith.

November 2023

457 KTAS at FL410 and fuel burn not too much lower than maximum cruise. The Longitude, with its near super critical wing likes to go fast. Slowing the Longitude in level flight all the way to stick shaker, activates the autothrottles which power up to bring the speed back into the envelope. With gear and flaps down, the controls feel lighter at slower speeds, but the Longitude is a large aeroplane and sprightly handling isn’t a feature in larger jets with conventional manual elevator and aileron controls. On final the autothrottles bring the power back to idle as the nose is raised for the flare. Landing the Longitude smoothly is easy with its big

trailing-link main gear, leaving no temptation to try to massage the flare to touch down gently. Reverse thrust is hardly needed and it stows below 85 knots.

Summary The Longitude is Cessna’s flagship with excellent performance, a latest-tech pilotfriendly flight deck, and a cabin that fully delivers passenger convenience and comfort. That the Longitude has achieved significant sales into the fractional-share operations such as Netjets underscores its overall utility and passenger appeal. j

Cessna Citation Longitude

Specifications and Performance

Price: (typically completed and equipped) Engines: (2) Honeywell HTF7700L, Avionics: Garmin Passengers: (typical) Range: (NBAA reserves, 4 pax, 200-nm alternate) High-speed cruise: Long-range cruise speed: Fuel capacity: Max payload w/full fuel: Maximum altitude: Cabin altitude at ceiling: Max takeoff weight: Balanced field length at mtow: (sea level, standard) Landing distance: Length: Wingspan: Height: Cabin Volume: Width: Height:

$29.765 million 7,665 lbs G5000 2 crew + 9 pax 3,500 nm at Mach 0.80 483 ktas/Mach 0.84 457 ktas/Mach 0.80 14,500 lbs 1,600 lbs 45,000 ft 5,950 ft 39,500 lbs 4,810 ft 3,170 ft 73.1 ft 68.9 ft 19.4 ft

Length: (seating area) Baggage capacity: FAA certification: Number built:

25.2 ft 98 cu ft/1,000 lbs FAR Part 25 100 (October 2023)

November 2023

755 cu ft 6.4 ft 6 ft

NEWS

Blackhawk’s 150th CARAVAN ENGINE UPGRADE Blackhawk Aerospace has completed its 150th Cessna Caravan engine upgrade. BLACKHAWK OFFERS TWO UPGRADE options for the turboprop single: the XP140 and the Vy conversions, which feature the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 and the PT6A-42A engine, respectively. Caravan operations span a variety of mission profiles, including cargo, corporate, passenger and military applications. In each case, Blackhawk’s upgrades deliver a significant increase in available horsepower, improving climb rates, raising safety margins and affording access to more destinations including those

in hot and high conditions or with unimproved runways. This has made them particularly popular with skydiving operators and hot and high operators in Africa. “This is a major milestone in our Caravan programme’s success,” said Blackhawk President and CEO Jim Allmon. “For these workhorse airframes, more power is a necessity for mission capability and we are honoured to provide solutions that breathe new life into the fleet.”

Cessna C208 with a Blackhawk engine conversion.

November 2023

JIM DAVIS

C17 2 NI GHT

S OMAT OGR AV I C I LLUS I ON

•

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.

Aircraft registration: ZS-IFK Date and time of accident: 15 September 2014 1808Z Type of aircraft: Cessna 172 Type of operation: Private Operator: AFOS Flight School PIC license type: PPL License valid: Yes PIC age: 24 PIC total hours: Unknown PIC hours on type: Unknown Last point of departure: Newcastle (FANC) Natal Next point of intended landing: Rand (FAGM) Location of accident site: 8 nm NW of Newcastle. 4445’ AMSL Meteorological information: Mid-level cloud. T 32˚C. DP: 3˚C POB: 1 + 1 People killed: 1 + 1

History of Flight: The pilot refuelled at Newcastle after working hours. He paid R800.00 cash for 41 litres of Avgas LL100. He took off at about 1755Z. Ten minutes later ATC at OR Tambo spotted him at 5000 ft. He entered a right turn during which his rate of descent and airspeed increased before he disappeared from radar. The wreckage was located at 4445’, 8.3 50

November 2023

nautical miles NW of Newcastle. Both occupants were killed and the aircraft was destroyed by impact and fire. The investigation blamed spatial disorientation due to limited visual references. The pilot obtained his SPL on 29 May 2013 and on 23 September 2013 he passed his PPL flight test after flying 43 hours dual and 15 solo. He also obtained his night rating in September after doing 10 hrs of IF training.

The flight path was towards the 'black hole' of a dark mountain.

His logbook was not found, so his total hours, and hours during the past 90 days are unknown.

The aircraft was intact prior to hitting the ground. The wreckage was consistent with a high energy impact.

The pilot had a portable Garmin GPS on board. No evidence of any aeronautical maps was found at the scene of the accident.

The accident site showed a high risk of the pilot developing spatial disorientation due to limited visual references and low terrestrial lighting. The pilot may have experienced somatogravic illusion during the climb. This would have caused a loss of control and a dive into the ground.

Wreckage and Impact Information:

Probable cause:

The aircraft was under power in a nosedown attitude when it hit the ground. It flipped over and the safety harnesses failed from overload. Both occupants were flung out and were found 73 m from the first point of impact.

Spatial disorientation.

Aids to Navigation:

Contributory factor: Lack of experience.

The engine detached from the airframe and was found next to the bodies. November 2023

JIM’S COMMENTS Many experienced pilots are reluctant to fly a single engine aircraft on a black night. We are all members of the famous Live Cowards’ club. We are wary of: •

Electrical failures

•

Vacuum failures

•

Engine failures

•

Unplanned instrument flying

You can handle the first two if you are on the ball. Engine failure – hmmm – skill is not enough – you need plenty of luck. But it’s the last one – unplanned instrument flying that’s the killer. If you did your night rating training at, or near a big city – it’s simply worthless. You and your pax are going to die the first time you fly in a black hole – where there are no lights and no horizon. Reasonable terrestrial lighting and/or a decent moon – more than half – may give you a horizon, provided there’s no haze. It’s when you don’t have a horizon that things go desperately wrong. To stay alive you need go from being a weekend pilot, to being a current and proficient instrument pilot in milliseconds. The investigator missed the most vital contributary factor – there was NO BLOODY MOON. I checked – it was in its last quarter and only rose above the horizon three hours after they were both dead. The pilot didn’t stand a chance. I’m amazed he lasted for 8.3 miles. Most non instrument rated pilots who attempt a black hole takeoff die before they complete their crosswind turn. Let me explain.

November 2023

The somatogravic illusion.

The somatogravic (acceleration) illusion mentioned in the report works like this. As the aircraft accelerates during and after takeoff, your body feels this in two main ways: 1. You get pushed into the back of your seat. 2. Your inner ear senses that the peas get pushed to the back of the bowl. Don’t panic – look at the diagram. Your inner ear has what amounts to a bowl with peas in it. G stands for gravity, or apparent gravity. Note that in diagrams D and E you can’t differentiate between acceleration and climbing. So as you accelerate after takeoff, or in a go-around, you believe the nose is pitching up and your natural reaction is to push it down. If you manage to overcome this illusion you are still likely to enter a standard graveyard spiral, which is what this guy did. In the early ’80s I was based at Rundu, defending our country against naughty

communists. I was also teaching a bunch of medical doctors to fly. After they got their PPLs most of them wanted to do night ratings. I told them they would need to do ten hours of instrument flying as well as five hours at night. The legal requirement was for only five hours of IF, but I felt this wasn’t enough, so I doubled it. They were all happy, except one guy who said his mate in Johannesburg would do his rating much cheaper. He disappeared on the Flossie (the C130 shuttle from Waterkloof) and came back a few days later with a brand new night rating. Shortly after this, I was called away from a dinner party to help identify bodies. It was indeed the Johannesburg night-rating doctor, his wife and her sister. The stench of burned flesh caused me to deposit my dinner in the sand. If this was an isolated case I wouldn’t bother

You have to be proficient at basic instrument flying to fly at night.

November 2023

The burned-out wreckage from the high speed crash of the 172.

you with it. Unfortunately it’s an all too common way of killing yourself at night – you lose control before turning crosswind. And it’s not only rookie pilots – the following three crashes were published by SKYbray. aero. On 12 May 2010, an Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330 was making a daylight go around at Tripoli, after visual reference was not obtained at MDA. It did not sustain the IMC climb but descended rapidly into the ground with a high vertical and forward speed. The aircraft was destroyed and all but one of the 104 occupants were killed. Crew control inputs were attributed to the effects of somatogravic illusion and poor CRM. On 5 March 2008, an Air Transat A310-300 was mishandled by the crew during departure from Quebec. Control of the aircraft was temporarily lost. The inappropriate steep descent that followed was attributed to the effect of somatogravic illusion.

November 2023

On 23 August 2000, a Gulf Air Airbus A320 flew at speed into the sea during a dark night go around at Bahrain and all 143 occupants were killed. It was concluded that the most plausible explanation for both the descent and the failure to recover was the focus on the airspeed at the expense of the ADI. The effect of somatogravic illusion on the recentlypromoted Captain went unchallenged by his low-experience First Officer. If it can happen to airline pilots then us little Pappa Charlie pilots should sit up and take note. One of CAA’s top flying inspectors told me how he lost control of an Aero Commander 680 just after takeoff. He was using house lights as a horizon and going into an ever steepening bank. Eventually his co-pilot grabbed the stick and levelled the wings. His horizon was a housing estate on a hillside. My own night rating training was done by Diamond Dick Haremse, in Kimberly, in a 235 Cherokee. We did three circuits on runway 20

– away from the town lights. The horizon was a faint red glow over the desert. Then we had a cup of coffee the terminal building, after which Dick foolishly sent me off to do an hour of solo – without any form of briefing. By the time I taxied out the night was inky black. Soon after liftoff the last of the flare path lights disappeared and I started looking for a horizon. Then I heard the revs and airspeed increasing - so I eased back on the stick. But it didn’t help, so I pulled back harder. I had never heard the term ‘graveyard spiral’ and my instrument flying was extremely wobbly. I was banked and pulling the aircraft into an ever tighter turn while searching for a horizon

and losing height. Suddenly, in my peripheral vision, I saw a flash of red go past my left wingtip. It was a bush lit up by my port light. I cannot describe the panic that surged through me as I picked up that wing. I knew that I would die within seconds if I didn’t go on to instruments immediately. Needless to say, I glued my eyes to the artificial horizon and lived through it. But it nearly caused me to give up flying for ever.

Take home stuff: The most dangerous thing you can do in your whole flying career is a black hole night takeoff, or go-around. Consider spending your night rating money on a tailwheel conversion, or some gliding, or aerobatics.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH Rainier Lamers

QOM

Rainier Lamers is the founder and owner of MGL Avionics, one of South African aviation’s big success stories. He has had his fair share of struggling to navigate his business through the usual maze of CAA bureaucracy. For aviation forum www.avcom.co.za his signature says:

“Who said the sky is the limit ? It's not. The CAA is the limit.” November 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023 September sees just another six Type Certificated (TCA) aircraft added to the register, being five fixed wing and one helicopter. AMONGST THE FIXED WING AIRCRAFT are two Embraer E-jets for Airlink, an E190 and an E195. This airline just grows and grows, thanks to the gap left in the market by the failure of SA Express, SAA and even Comair. Airlink is now providing a full service offering on the Cape Town – Johannesburg route with its Embraer jets. At present they have the largest fleet of airliners in Africa with some sixty-two aircraft on their books ranging from the BAe Jetstream 41 Series through the Embraer ERJ 135 and 145 series to the Embraer E-jet E170 to E195 series.

Two aircraft have been imported from Africa: A Cessna 206 from Zambia which takes up the registration of a Cherokee 140 that we had at Grand Central that was sold in Botswana. A Beech A36 Bonanza from the DRC. This Bonanza is a very old one being serial number E-11 and takes up the registration that was once used by a BAe 146 which was exported to the UK.

s ome ve r y inte r es t ing addit ions The NTCA register has some t his mont h very interesting additions this

SAA have received one of their Airbus A320s back from storage in Europe and it takes up its old registration – this brings their fleet to thirteen. This is believed to be the last of their original pre-business rescue A320s that is available. One of their Airbus 330s is also believed to be returning ‘in the near future’.

November 2023

month with, amongst the eleven added, three ex-Nigerian Air Force ‘Air Beetle ABT-18’s which have finally made it to the register after being imported from Nigeria by Ian Greenwood and Ryan Forrester some time ago. The Air Beetles are modified Vans Aircraft RV-6As which are part of a fleet of 60 built for the Nigerian Air Force as basic trainers. Searching for a suitable trainer that could be assembled in Nigeria, the Nigerian government settled on the RV-6A. Van’s

ABOVE: ZS-DAD is a Hawker 800XP exported to San Marino. Photo Omer Mees. BELOW: ZS-TAX is a Stemme AG - now exported to Sudan. Photo Michael Combrink. BELOW BOTTOM: PR-AZL is another EMB190 for Airlink - as ZS-YZD.

November 2023

ABOVE: The now iconic EMB195 ZS-YDE for Airlink. BELOW: ZS-CDM is a Cirrus SR22 exported to Brazil. Photo Dave Becker. BELOW BOTTOM: The loss of a classic - ZS-HEB is a Hughes 269C exported to Namibia.

November 2023

ABOVE: ZS-LDA is a Mooney M20J exported to the USA. Photo Ray Watts. BELOW: ZS-NYM is a Pilatus PC12 exported to Germany. Photo Greg Rooken-Smith BELOW BOTTOM: ZS-SHO is a Cirrus SR22 exported to the USA. Photo Ray Watts.

November 2023

produced 60 kits to fulfil the order and these were assembled, and test flown in Nigeria, entering service with the Nigerian Air Force in 1989 as basic training aircraft. Over 20 years they suffered a series of mishaps, in particular landing accidents which broke the nosewheel and props. These aircraft were seldom repaired, and all have been withdrawn from service. A batch was sold to South Africa, where they are being rebuilt in Hoedspruit. Another notable is an Aircam pusher twin. This is the second Aircam in South Africa. There are also two aircraft added which I have no idea as to what they are. These are the Maurizio de Pol Trail aircraft and the Sniper AA

28. If anybody has photos of these, as well as the Air Beetles, please let us have them. From the local factories, there are two Bathawks and two Slings as well as a Savannah added. We have lost ten TCA aircraft to the export market with three going to the USA and the rest scattered all over the world. There is also a Ventus 2CM glider that has gone to Germany.

Tail piece: Summer is upon us with its thunderstorms – please be very careful up there and stay safe. j

A Groppo Trail

A Nigerian Air Force Air Beetle - some of which have now been imported to South Africa.

November 2023

BUMPPPFFF:

The Springboks arriving home on an Emirates flight (with SA pilots) squawking the final score.

ATIS message receieved by the crew of a Kenyann Airlines 787.

BOOK S

by Pete r Gar r is on

November 2023

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

REVIEW

SEPTEMBER 2023

REG

New Registrations ZS-

MANUFACTURER

TYPE NAME

SERIAL NUMBER PREVIOUS IDENTITY / EXPORT COUNTRY

ZS-ISJ

TEXTRON AVIATION INC

T206H

T206-09178

9J-…, N55355

ZS-NCB

BEECH AIRCRAFT CORP

A36

E-11

9Q-…, N8455N

ZS-SZE

AIRBUS INDUSTRIE

A320-232

6147

TF-GOA, ZS-SZE, F-WWBD

ZS-YDE

EMBRAER

ERJ190-200-IGW

19000088

UR-EMG, EI-FLR, TC-YAU, EI-FLR, JY-EMG

ZS-YZD

EMBRAER

ERJ190-100 IGW

19000147

2-LDER, PR-AZL, N288JB, PT-SYZ

New Registrations ZUZU-IYH

A.I.E.P.

AIR BEETLE ABT-18

128

Nigerian Air Force

ZU-IZA

A.I.E.P.

AIR BEETLE ABT-18

120

Nigerian Air Force

ZU-IZB

A.I.E.P.

AIR BEETLE ABT-18

149

Nigerian Air Force

ZU-IZC

MICRO AVIATION SA

BATHAWK R

0124

ZU-IZD

MICRO AVIATION SA

BATHAWK R

0118

ZU-IZE

SLING AIRCRAFT (PTY) LTD

SLING 4 TSI

461S

ZU-IZF

LOCKWOOD AIRCRAFT CORP-USA

AIRCAM (TWIN PUSHER) JAV001

ZU-IZG

MAURIZIO DE POL

TRAIL

00137197

ZU-IZH

WILLEM JACOBUS VISAGIE VAN DER WALT

SNIPER AA-28

2023180LYC

ZU-JDV

ICP ITALY & SAVANNAH AFRICA

SAVANNAH S

12-01-54-0151

ZU-TXX

SLING AIRCRAFT (PTY) LTD

SLING 2 TD

119

EC 120B

1244

N160DD, N1TY, N988AL, N447AE

New Registrations ZT-R ZT-RXX

EUROCOPTER

Aircraft deleted ZSZS-CDM

CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION

SR22

2703

BRAZIL

ZS-DAD

RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT COMPANY

HAWKER 800XP

258477

SAN MARINO

ZS-HEB

HUGHES HELICOPTERS

269C

111019

NAMIBIA

ZS-IFY

CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

177B

177-01533

AUSTRALIA

ZS-KZA

BEECH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION

A36

E-1834

FRANCE

ZS-LDA

MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP

M20J

24-1130

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ZS-RPH

BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON

206L-4

52105

BOTSWANA

ZS-SUB

CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION

SR22

2289

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ZS-TAX

STEMME AG

S-15

ASP-035

SUDAN

ZS-TJF

GIPPSAERO PTY LTD

GA8

GA8-11-160

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

VENTUS 2CM

GERMANY

New Registrations ZT-G ZT-GAF

SCHEMPP-HIRTH FLUGZEUGBAU GMBH

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

November 2023

Contact: Marianka Naude Tel: 012 689 2008 I Cell: 076 920 3070 Email: admin@mnacoustics.co.za

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

S Q U OTATI O N T ON REQUES Contact: Marianka Naude Tel: 012 689 2008 I Cell: 076 920 3070 Email: admin@mnacoustics.co.za

November 2023

TRIBUTE Text Guy Leitch. Image this page - George Tonking.

JOHN

ILLSLEY Too often we only present tributes to remarkable people when they have died. This article is a tribute to a man who is very much alive, yet who has already made a greater impact and touched more lives in general aviation in South Africa than anyone else I can think of. John Illsley retires from having led the Pretoria Boys High Aviation Society for nearly 30 years.

November 2023

MR JOHN ILLSLEY RETIRED as Deputy Headmaster of Pretoria Boys High School at the end of November 2023. This brings to an end a remarkable formal career of a man who was far more than a teacher – but a genuine educator, driven by a passion to share his knowledge and wisdom with the countless thousands of boys lives he taught. He is a teacher who added much more to his pupils’ lives than simply teaching his subject; history, a subject he holds a cum laude Masters Degree in. It is not just through teaching that John Illsley has made an enormous contribution. He is an accomplished aviation author and subject expert. His book, ‘In Southern Skies’ is a pictorial history of early flight in South Africa; from 1816 to 1940. Another notable work is his comprehensive Aero Club of South Africa Centenary Yearbook. Both these books are works of excellence, thanks to Illsley’s profession as a history teacher. John Illsley is not just an armchair aviator as he owns and flies two vintage aircraft – which he restored himself. The greatest impact John Illsley has had on aviation in South Africa was through his formation and running of the Pretoria Boys High School Aviation Society 28 years ago. He continued this during his tenure as the Deputy Headmaster of the School, when he also took on large projects

such as a new library and a book celebrating the school’s centenary. John poured his passion for aviation into the aviation society and planted the seeds for many who went on to become successful professional pilots. He was indefatigable in his work to expose his pupils to the inner workings of flying, arranging visits to airports and air shows. Our previous helicopter columnist George Tonking was a protege of John Illsley’s. He writes, “My teacher and now friend John Illsley has completed a career. Not in the way you might think, thoroughly completing his duties to the tee and then some in the corridors of a fine school, but rather with the very passion that brought him to teach. [At his farewell function at;] “A gentle afternoon at the local flying field; yes, he was also teaching there: teaching us to be considerate of all. Teaching us to respect our heritage. Finally, like a skilled surgeon, extracting the flying gene from our DNA and bringing dreams to flight.” “Today was the high point of my journey as a pilot, as a student and as a friend. Sweet it was to see the man cry. John, you’re a gentleman, a friend and more than that, a man who has mastered education, caring over his flock like a father. Enjoy the rest John, knowing your job is done, complete and with an incredible legacy.” j

John Illsely flying the Aeronca C3 he rebuilt. Image Willie Bodenstein. In Southern Skies is a seminal reference on aviation in South Africa.

November 2023

F L I G HT S A F E T Y T H R O U G H M A I NT E N A NC E

Aero Engineering and Powerplant FUEL TABLE Fuel Prices as at 29/08/2023 Fuel Prices as at 29/08/2023

Fuel Prices as at 28/09/2023 Fuel Prices as at 28/09/2023

Pri cesPri i nclude VAT but exclude any servi feesce fees ces i nclude VAT but exclude anyceservi Ai rfi eld Avgas AvgasJet A1 Jet A1 Ai rfi eld Baragwanath R32,50 Baragwanath R32,50 Beaufort West West R34,70 R 26,70 Beaufort R34,70 R 26,70 Bloemfontei n R33,53 R20,86 Bloemfontei n R33,53 R20,86 Brakpan R35,00 Brakpan R35,00 Brits Brits R30,45 R30,45 Cape Town R34,04 R21,39 Cape Town R34,04 R21,39 Cape Winelands No NoContact Cape Winelands Contact EaglesEagles Creek Creek R34,00 R34,00 East London R32,41 R21,37 East London R32,41 R21,37 ErmeloErmelo R31,51 R25,18 R31,51 R25,18 Gari epGari Dam R35,50 R23,00 ep Dam R35,50 R23,00 George 33.08 33.08 R20,69 George R20,69 GrandGrand Central R33,98 R21,78 Central R33,98 R21,78 Hei delberg R34,50 Hei delberg R34,50 Hoedspruit R33,04 R23,44 Hoedspruit R33,04 R23,44 Ki mberley R33,40 R15,65 Ki mberley R33,40 R15,65 Kitty Hawk R37,70 Kitty Hawk R37,70 Klerksdorp R32,86 R24,22 Klerksdorp R32,86 R24,22 Kroonstad R34,04 Kroonstad R34,04 KrugerKruger Intl Nelspruit R33,95 R25,15 Intl Nelspruit R33,95 R25,15 Krugersdorp R32,50 Krugersdorp R32,50 LanseriLanseri a R34,04 R23,00 a R34,04 R23,00 Margate R34,04 R23,06 Margate R34,04 R23,06 Middelburg R37,95 R23,00 Middelburg R37,95 R23,00 Morningstar R34,56 Morningstar R34,56 Mosselbay R37,50 R20,50 Mosselbay R37,50 R20,50 Nelspruit R32,32 R28,44 Nelspruit R32,32 R28,44 Oudtshoorn R35,49 R23,70 Oudtshoorn R35,49 R23,70 Parys Parys POA POA POA POA Pietermaritzburg R37,70 R24,32 Pietermaritzburg R37,70 R24,32 Pi etersburg Ci vi l Ci vi l R31,80 R23,70 Pi etersburg R31,80 R23,70 Plettenberg Bay Bay R34,60 R25,00 Plettenberg R34,60 R25,00 Port Alfred R33,50 Port Alfred R33,50 Port Elizabeth R35,19 R24,84 Port Elizabeth R35,19 R24,84 Potchefstroom POA POA POA POA Potchefstroom Rand Rand R34,10 R23,98 R34,10 R23,98 Robertson R31,20 Robertson R31,20 Rustenberg R31,30 R23,65 Rustenberg R31,30 R23,65 Secunda R33,00 R25,88 Secunda R33,00 R25,88 Skeerpoort *** Customer to collect POA POA POA POA Skeerpoort *** Customer to collect Springbok POA POA POA POA Springbok Springs R33,70 Springs R33,70 Stellenbosch R33,20 Stellenbosch R33,20 Swellendam R33,30 R23,50 Swellendam R33,30 R23,50 TempeTempe R34,04 R25,33 R34,04 R25,33 Thabazimbe POA POA POA POA Thabazimbe Upington R34,00 R24,00 Upington R34,00 R24,00 Vi rgi niVia rgi ni a R35,19 R23,12 R35,19 R23,12 Vryburg POA POA POA POA Vryburg Warmbaths R34,00 Warmbaths R34,00 Welkom R34,04 R25,33 Welkom R34,04 R25,33 Wi ngsWi Park R32,50 R21,90 ngsELPark EL R32,50 R21,90 Witbank R32,00 R25,33 Witbank R32,00 R25,33 POA POA POA POA Wonderboom Wonderboom Worcester R34,31 Worcester R34,31

Pri cesPri i nclude VAT but exclude any servi feesce fees ces i nclude VAT but exclude anyceservi Ai rfi eld Avgas AvgasJet A1 Jet A1 Ai rfi eld Baragwanath R37,00 Baragwanath R37,00 Beaufort West West R35,80 R 26,70 Beaufort R35,80 R 26,70 Bloemfontei n R37,09 R21,82 Bloemfontei n R37,09 R21,82 Brakpan R35,40 Brakpan R35,40 Brits Brits R31,10 R31,10 Cape Town R28,18 R22,43 Cape Town R28,18 R22,43 Cape Winelands No NoContact Cape Winelands Contact EaglesEagles Creek Creek R34,00 R34,00 East London R32,41 R17,07 East London R32,41 R17,07 ErmeloErmelo R32,66 R24,73 R32,66 R24,73 Gari epGari Dam R35,50 R23,00 ep Dam R35,50 R23,00 George R33,08 R22,13 George R33,08 R22,13 GrandGrand Central R34,79 R25,36 Central R34,79 R25,36 Hei delberg R33,60 R23,80 Hei delberg R33,60 R23,80 Hoedspruit R31,37 R20,66 Hoedspruit R31,37 R20,66 Ki mberley R37,16 R24,46 Ki mberley R37,16 R24,46 Kitty Hawk R36,60 Kitty Hawk R36,60 Klerksdorp R35,50 R23,81 Klerksdorp R35,50 R23,81 Kroonstad R33,81 Kroonstad R33,81 KrugerKruger Intl Nelspruit R33,84 R25,53 Intl Nelspruit R33,84 R25,53 Krugersdorp R33,00 Krugersdorp R33,00 LanseriLanseri a R35,54 R24,90 a R35,54 R24,90 Margate R34,04 R23,06 Margate R34,04 R23,06 Middelburg R37,96 R25,99 Middelburg R37,96 R25,99 Morningstar R33,50 Morningstar R33,50 Mosselbay R37,50 R20,50 Mosselbay R37,50 R20,50 Nelspruit R35,25 R27,83 Nelspruit R35,25 R27,83 Oudtshoorn R35,19 R23,10 Oudtshoorn R35,19 R23,10 Parys Parys POA POA POA POA Pietermaritzburg R34,20 R26,60 Pietermaritzburg R34,20 R26,60 Pi etersburg Ci vi l Ci vi l R33,70 R25,70 Pi etersburg R33,70 R25,70 Plettenberg Bay Bay R25,00 Plettenberg R25,00 Port Alfred R33,50 Port Alfred R33,50 Port Elizabeth R36,46 R25,65 Port Elizabeth R36,46 R25,65 Potchefstroom POA POA POA POA Potchefstroom Rand Rand R34,73 R24,50 R34,73 R24,50 Robertson R32,00 Robertson R32,00 Rustenberg R31,30 R23,65 Rustenberg R31,30 R23,65 Secunda R33,00 R25,88 Secunda R33,00 R25,88 Skeerpoort *** Customer to collect POA POA POA POA Skeerpoort *** Customer to collect Springbok POA POA POA POA Springbok Springs R34,36 Springs R34,36 Stellenbosch R38,70 Stellenbosch R38,70 Swellendam R34,90 R21,50 Swellendam R34,90 R21,50 TempeTempe R33,81 R25,56 R33,81 R25,56 Thabazimbe POA POA POA POA Thabazimbe Upington R34,00 R25,00 Upington R34,00 R25,00 Vi rgi niVia rgi ni a R36,11 R24,84 R36,11 R24,84 Vryburg POA POA POA POA Vryburg Warmbaths R34,00 Warmbaths R34,00 Welkom R33,81 R25,56 Welkom R33,81 R25,56 Wi ngsWi Park R32,50 R21,90 ngsELPark EL R32,50 R21,90 Witbank R33,00 Witbank R33,00 POA POA POA POA Wonderboom Wonderboom Worcester R34,31 Worcester R34,31

This months Fuel Table has not been updated due to Ray Watts being in hospital. It will be updated ASAP on the website. We wish Ray a speedy recovery. AMO No: 227

66HangarNovember 2023 no 4, Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria

aeroeng@iafrica.com (012) 543 0948/51

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

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BOOK REVIEW Guy Leitch

POOLEYS AIR PILOT’S – SOUTHERN AFRICA SERIES

Volume 4. The Aeroplane – General Knowledge British based Pooleys have become the industry standard for ab-initio flight training books in the UK and Europe. They have brought out Southern African editions of their Air Pilots Manual series and I have been reviewing one each month. This month I look at Air Pilot Manual #4: The Aeroplane General Knowledge. SOUTH AFRICAN FLIGHT SCHOOLS are increasingly becoming the preferred training ground for students from across Africa, the Middle East and India. When Pooleys launched their Southern African series at the AERO Expo at Wonderboom this year, I was intrigued by how Pooleys has tackled the daunting challenge of becoming the standard reference work for this large and diverse market. Apart from excellent text, the key requirement for a modern reference book is great diagrams and layout, especially for the more technical aspects of aircraft design and operations – which is what Book #4 covers.

November 2023

The Southern African edition includes reference material specifically for the SACAA PPL syllabus. For those students whose primary concern is to just pass the exams – without necessarily gaining a clear understanding of the principles of flight, the books include practice questions. This is important because the SACAA exams come in for steady criticism for their sometimes confusing questions. In the bad old days this may have been because the exams were first posed in Afrikaans and then translated into English. Nowadays the exams are set in English, but there’s still plenty of room for confusion. So the inclusion of typical SACAA questions is an essential for an industry standard reference text.

mode ls of s implicit y and clar it y

A quick flip through the Pooleys books will show that the layout and diagrams have elevated this niche publishing art to a new level. The diagrams, in particular, are models of simplicity and clarity. Importantly too, the text is organised into clear topics with headings and introductions that take the student seamlessly from one subject to the next.

The technical aspects of aircraft can be a daunting subject for non-aviation minded people who are wanting to become pilots – and yes, there are many, especially in Africa where many aspiring pilots are first generation enthusiasts, without having had the benefit of a father or grandfather in aviation.

Pooleys book #4 is essential reading for Southern African student pilots.

Pooleys has been publishing these books for more than thirty years. The content has thus had the benefit of decades worth of refinement – and it shows in the clarity of writing. The book has a list of acronyms (although these are in fact abbreviations), which are a huge help for those new to the jargon of aviation. Volume 4: The Aeroplane – General Knowledge broadly covers: •

The Principles of Flight

•

Aircraft: technical and general

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

With this admonition still intriguing me ten years after he wrote it – it was reassuring to find that Pooleys have stuck to the tried and tested Bernoulli explanation – which is after all, what the examiners are looking for. Our doyen of instructors, Jim Davis, has nailed his colours to the Newtonian mast and will probably have a conniption if he reads this. But the bottom line is – if you are studying to pass the PPL exams – this is the reference that gives you the conventional wisdom using Bernoulli. The books are available online, or from any good pilot supplies shop. Or order online from: https://www.pooleys.com/shop/category/booksebooks-manuals-resources/air-pilots-manualsfor-southern-africa/ j

November 2023

BOOK REVIEW

POOLEYS AIR

PILOT’S MANUALS THE POOLEYS AIR Pilot Manual series is a worldrenowned reference for both the student pilot and instructor. They have now brought out a Southern Africa series. Pooleys aim is to standardise the quality of flying training, teaching and learning equipment through schools and their instructors. Pooleys says that all the aviation training publications they produce have been closely scrutinised by leading schools and instructors. Over 35 years more than 200,000 copies of Pooleys manuals have been sold. There are five SA volumes covering all the key aspects of the Private Pilots syllabus – excluding South African licence radio patter. Their textbooks are constantly updated edited and revised. The key volumes published for Southern Africa so far are: • Volume 1: Flying Training • Volume 2: Human Performance and Meteorology • Volume 3: Navigation

November 2023

Some of the Pooleys Southern African series.

• Volume 4: The Aeroplane: Principles of Flight and Aircraft General • Volume 5: Air Law and Flight Planning.

Pooleys does not only produce books – they also have a strong online digital product range. Students are able to download the new SA manuals through the free Pooleys eBooks App and then in-app purchase the manuals. j

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

www.pooleys.com

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

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

www.pilotsnplanes.co.za

– Established 1957 –

Celebrating 66 Years Service to Aviation July 2023 November

73 71

AOPA

AOPA BRIEFING

IS IT ABOUT THE MONEY? Chris Martinus: President - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association – South Africa

In October’s column I explored the benefits of learning to fly. How it is a discipline that improves your cognitive abilities, and how learning such skills and literally broadening your horizons has benefits that go far beyond just being able to safely pilot a light aircraft. The Hummelbird falls under FAA Part 103.

November 2023

The ultra affordable, sawn-in-half VW which powers the Hummelbird.

I CATALOGUED NOT JUST HOW this is something that is confirmed by scientific research, but has been adopted by corporations such as EPI-USE, a large software multinational, as a means to make their budding CEOs into better CEOs. There are even unexpected benefits: after reading last month’s article, EPI-USE partner in Boston USA quipped in an email to me that he took great pleasure in informing his wife that his brain is now bigger than the average!

and prospects facing ATOs in South Africa. There are many challenges, yet training is nevertheless faring reasonably well, taking into consideration the economic conditions and the high costs of fuel and maintenance. One issue which is a matter of great concern in the Cape area is the inability of ATNS to provide services due to staffing shortages. This has resulted in NOTAMs being issued to periodically ban VFR and training flights in controlled airspaces in the Cape Town region.

not r e quir e d to me et air wor t hines s s t andar ds

This is great news for the aviation training industry if this trend expands to other corporates. So I polled a few aviation training organisations to get some general ideas about the challenges

Not only is this devastating to training schools operating within those airspaces, but is in fact unlawful in terms of the ATNS Act, which admonishes that ATNS may; “not unduly November 2023

The helibike is a true Part 103 microlight.

discriminate against or among various users or categories of users of any air navigation infrastructure or air traffic services.” As licensor with a duty of oversight to ensure service providers are suitably staffed, SACAA is also asleep at the wheel.

businesses. This is the classic “mid-life crisis” group of people who have attained their life goals of having reached the stage of life where they have a good income, have bought a nice home, raised families and finally have the freedom and resources to pursue their dreams of flight. I am a member of this mid-life crisis group, having obtained my PPL and bought an aircraft at age 40.

Ele c t r ic air craft abound unde r Par t 103

While chatting with Hayley Cumming, the delightful CEO of the reputable Helivate Helicopter Services, which offers helicopter pilot and drone training, I explored the current demographic of people who embark on their training courses. Hayley explains that not much has changed over the decades: the majority of PPL students are in the 35 to 50 year old age group and are made up mainly of professional people such as engineers, doctors, lawyers as well as entrepreneurs of small and medium-sized

November 2023

There is the smaller group of young people seeking careers in aviation, but with the eye-watering cost of attaining a helicopter CPL being well north of R1-million, this ambition is largely limited to those youngsters who have very well-heeled parents who may be prepared to fund their kids’ possible future careers. A CPL is, of course, just the first step toward finding employment as a pilot. Prospective commercial pilots then face the daunting prospect of

obtaining the experience and ratings that will inevitably be a prerequisite by any employer. For those helicopter PPLs and CPLs seeking a turbine rating on Helivate’s magnificent Alouette III, the piggy-bank needs to be fat indeed. My informal research confirmed the problem that has long persisted in private aviation, which was highlighted by the Secretary-General of IAOPA at our last world assembly when he read out excerpts of the minutes of the 1973 world assembly: private aviation is too expensive and it needs more young people involved. Yes, at some time in the future there will undoubtedly still be a few old greybeards flying around in their 100-year-old Piper Cubs. However, entry into aviation for the younger, less wealthy individual is an impossible dream for most. Even the excitement over experimental/NTCA and light sport aircraft has failed to deliver on the dreams of affordable aviation. A typical non

type-certified aircraft is no less expensive than a good used type-certified aircraft and is just as heavily regulated, if not more so. I’ll delve into the reasons for this a little further on. On the very very light end of aviation, aircraft such as powered parachutes and the like, while they may be affordable, fall into the category of extreme sports, and are of limited utility or educational value. As such, they only appeal to a tiny segment of those pursuing the dream of flight.

The FAA and Part 103 AOPA South Africa has long championed the concept of the USA Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 103 of the Federal Aviation Regulations into our own CARs. This is what it looks like:

Hayley Cumming, the CEO of Helivate, discusses chopper training costs. November 2023

• 103.1 Applicability. This part prescribes rules governing the operation of ultralight vehicles in the United States. For the purposes of this part, an ultralight vehicle is a vehicle that: (a) Is used or intended to be used for manned operation in the air by a single occupant; (b) Is used or intended to be used for recreation or sport purposes only; (c) Does not have any U.S. or foreign airworthiness certificate; and (d) If unpowered, weighs less than 155 pounds; or (e) If powered: (1) Weighs less than 254 pounds empty weight, excluding floats and safety devices which are intended for deployment in a potentially catastrophic situation; (2) Has a fuel capacity not exceeding 5 U.S. gallons;

(3) Is not capable of more than 55 knots calibrated airspeed at full power in level flight; and (4) Has a power-off stall speed which does not exceed 24 knots calibrated airspeed.

• 103.3 Inspection requirements. (a) Any person operating an ultralight vehicle under this part shall, upon request, allow the Administrator, or his designee, to inspect the vehicle to determine the applicability of this part. (b) The pilot or operator of an ultralight vehicle must, upon request of the Administrator, furnish satisfactory evidence that the vehicle is subject only to the provisions of this part.

• 103.5 Waivers. No person may conduct operations that require a deviation from this part except under a written waiver issued by the Administrator.

Electric ultralights can be operated under part 103.

November 2023

• 103.7 Certification and registration. (a) Notwithstanding any other section pertaining to certification of aircraft or their parts or equipment, ultralight vehicles and their component parts and equipment are not required to meet the airworthiness certification standards specified for aircraft or to have certificates of airworthiness. (b) Notwithstanding any other section pertaining to airman certification, operators of ultralight vehicles are not required to meet any aeronautical knowledge, age, or experience requirements to operate those vehicles or to have airman or medical certificates. (c) Notwithstanding any other section pertaining to registration and marking of aircraft, ultralight vehicles are not required to be registered or to bear markings of any type.

Part 103 has been in place, unchanged, for over 40 years. Although it covers traditional open tube and fabric ultralights (what we call microlights), since its beginning there have been designs like the AirBike, to the slick all-metal Hummel Bird with a fully enclosed cockpit. Today, there are literally hundreds of options to choose from, whether one decides to build your own from plans or a kit, buy a new factory-built aircraft or something used. Costs are generally low. Even fairly sophisticated designs like the aforementioned Hummel uses the ½ VW engine. Saw a Beetle engine in half yourself or buy a factory-made one from Hummel where all the work to make it safe and reliable has already been done.

ope ns up oppor t unit ies f or innovation.

Yes, you read it right. No certification, registration, markings or licences required. No exams, age limitations, medical certificates, standards, forced membership of dubious associations, payments or other bureaucratic paperwork needed, provided the aircraft complies with the weight, speed, fuel and seat limitations. Subpart B of 103 deals with operating limitations, which other than daytime VFR outside controlled airspace, contain nothing more than normal, common-sense rules. Hey, if you want to go faster, further, carry passengers and greater loads, you pays your money, write the exams, undergo testing, submit documents and so on. But Part 103 lets thousands of people get their foot into the door of the joys of flight, which door would otherwise remain closed to them, probably forever.

Part 103’s lack of restrictions opens up opportunities for innovation. With modern materials, lightweight instruments and avionics, as well as powerplants, it is the place we see the most new ideas. Electric aircraft abound under Part 103. Perhaps the most exciting thing we are seeing here is the amazing technologies emerging from drones being merged with traditional manned aircraft.

Individuals vs Groups I can already hear the screams about how dangerous this could be, but it is not. A scheme like Part 103 places all responsibility on the person who chooses that route, which is as it should be in a democratic society. It also has the psychological effect that a person who operates a Part 103 aircraft becomes well aware that he or she must make all decisions and take all necessary actions to ensure his or her own safety. This is a good thing, since pilots ultimately are the final decision-makers in any crisis anyway.

November 2023

But here is both the solution to the high cost of entry into aviation, as well as relieving the aviation authority of its duty of care over a segment of aviation which is impossible to regulate into safety anyway. The FAA even uses the term “vehicle”, rather than “aircraft” in Part 103 in order to divest itself from having to take any responsibility or suffer liability. And this is where South Africans have a mental difficulty. South Africans, despite 30 years under a democratic constitution, still labour under the inner cogitative cloud of oppression under British colonial and tribal monarchy. We seem to be unable to break free from a deep-seated need to be told what to do – and to tell others what they must do. We fear freedom. We also fear taking responsibility for exercising our freedoms.

Follow the Money

So, we sit in a pickle. AOPA has griped for years that our Civil Aviation Authority relies on commercial “passenger safety charges” for 75% of its income. It is very bad fiscal management indeed. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, SACAA lost around 97% of its income overnight. The SACAA’s eyes, together with groups who purportedly foster our interests, immediately turned toward general aviation, which was not directly affected by restrictions on public transport Fortunately, due to AOPA’s efforts, this scheme did not come to fruition. The clubs, AROs and November 2023

AOPA had already exposed the front company RAASA (Recreation Aviation Administration of SA) that was controlled by SACAA executives, illegally, to regulate and extract funds from the low end of the general aviation community, as well as take funds from the SACAA itself. Poppy Khoza wisely shut down this operation after AOPA published the rot.

Sout h Af r icans have a me nt al di ff icult y

This is why general aviation is in the expensive mess it continues to struggle with, with our urgent need to be controlled and to control others. In every instance, this herd-like urge results in egregious regulation and money extraction from the very people who do not need control – and don’t have the money to pay to be controlled.

corrupt bureaucrats who were rubbing their hands together in glee that Covid would provide an excuse for greater control and an opportunity to extract money from those who yearn to fly, were disappointed. Instead, SACAA is now increasingly dependent on state handouts, instead of being self-funding. As of their 2022 financial report, funds from state coffers came to R314 million, approaching double the previous year.

The deceptions behind SACAA’s scheme to “register” any and all places where flyers may choose to takeoff and land continues to be opposed by AOPA. When pressed on how this money extraction scheme through airfield registration would be implemented, SACAA’s Gawie Bestbier conceded at a CARCom meeting some time ago that this would be done through a “front company”. We wonder who the members of that “front company” will be. AOPA South Africa is now vigorously pursuing the establishment of a Part 103 in our own Civil Aviation Regulations – as well as getting rid of the registered airfield empire-building scheme. However, we will be ensuring that these initiatives are not captured by entities seeking money and control over its beneficiaries. j

All subjects in the South African fixed-wing and helicopter CPL/ ATPL syllabus, including the Instrument Rating. Two decades lecturing experience. Study anywhere AROUND THE GLOBE.

CPL/ATPL On-line Ground School Includes: • All Theory Manuals • All Course Presentations • All Q&A for Examination Preparation • Theory Summaries for all Subjects. • One-on-One Inter-active Student Support

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Cell: Brand Wessels - 073 337 9154 Email: brandwessels63.bw@gmail.com

November 2023

EVENTS

CALENDAR DRONES IN DISASTER AND RISK MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

DUBAI AIRSHOW 2023

1 & 2 November

Dubai

13-17 November

18 November Venue TBA

Century City Conference Centre,CT conference23@qpdronetech.co.za

henrietta.fernandes@dubai.aero

Neil: airadventuresa@gmail.com

55TH AFRICAN AIRLINES ASSOCIATION (AFRAA)

AERO CLUB AWARDS

AFBAA CONFERENCE

25 November Rand Airport (Menno Parsons Hangar)

27-28 November Cape Town

19-21 November Speke Resort in Entebbe, Uganda website: https://aga55.afraa.org/

EAA NATIONAL & CHAPTER 322 ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER

Sandra Strydom sandra@aeroclub.org.za Tel: 011 082 1100

Sam Keddle E-mail: sam.keddle@afbaa.org Cell: +27 (0)63 717 3460

Tel: +27 (0)10 900 4149 | Mobile: +27 (0)82 547 8379 Info@earefurbishment.com | Francois@earefurbishment.com November 2023 Hangar 24 (Interior Shop) and Hangar 31 (Paint Shop). Lanseria International Airport, South Africa, Gate 5 North Side.

CAPE TOWN – SUPPLEMENT

November 2023

INTRODUCTION

CAPE TOWN SUPPLEMENT: – INTRODUCTION

Aviation in and around Cape Town is doing simultaneously well – and not so well. Recreational Flying The flying schools are reporting strong growth. Morningstar, north of Cape Town, now has two busy flight schools and reports that it has never been busier. It has had a record number of new members join the flying club. Anecdotal accounts of recreational flying during the week show that the flying schools usually have a number of aircraft in the air at any one time. The exception to this is the Cape Town Airport based flying schools which have been

adversely impacted by the recent requirement imposed by ACSA that every flight to and from the airport have filed a flight plan. The high cost of fuel and maintenance is deterring many recreational pilots and the number of hours being flown per year is dropping. Notably, when the weather is marginal but flyable, pilots are choosing not to spend the money and fly – and many of the flying clubs fly aways are preferring shorter distances. This may be good for the accident statistics but is bad for proficiency.

Cape Town International Airport is struggling to get back to pre-Covid passenger numbers.

November 2023

Cape Town Airport Shortly before Covid, Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) was finally ready to start its huge R7 billion runway re-alignment and expansion. This included upgrades to the International and Domestic terminal buildings. Under Covid the project was suspended, as was the R3.8 billion construction of a new 3200-metre runway.

The use of CTIA as the point of departure for the increasing number of tourism flights to Antarctica adds an interesting dimension. Aircraft used range from the ‘vodka burner’ Ilyushin Il-76 to the latest Falcon and Gulfstream business jets, and even an Airbus A340 doing regular flights to the inland White Fang runway.

The high cos t of f uel

In pre-Covid operations Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) was the third largest airport in Africa, with almost eleven million passengers a year. The full recovery in passenger numbers has hoped to have been achieved in 2023 but is still awaited as the number of low cost carriers (LCCs) has been greatly reduced – with Mango and kulula having folded and just FlySafair and Lift still providing a much reduced basic LCC service. So the pressing need for the planned CTIA expansion has waned – at least for now.

Tourism In 2023 Cape Town was again rated as one of the best tourist destinations in the world, and so CTIA’s role has had to grow to match the expectation.

The airport was planning for a 90/10 split between international travellers and 90% local travellers. Due to the Cape’s success as a tourist destination, and in attracting new airlines, this mix is now nearer 25% international and 75% domestic. This is largely due to the airport’s ability to attract new airlines and expand the routes it serves.

Morningstar Airfield's growth shows that GA is alive and well in the Western Cape but that recreational flying is feeling the pinch.

November 2023

INTRODUCTION Cape Air Access Initiative

General Aviation

The world-renowned Cape Air Access Initiative has been instrumental in this success. The 2021 appointment of Ms Wrenelle Stander as CEO of Wesgro has further aided CTIA’s recovery. Notably SAA has decided to relaunch its Sao Paulo flights with just 2 flights from Johannesburg and 2 flights from Cape Town.

Cape Town International has a dedicated General Aviation area on the airport’s southwestern border. This section is home to the airport’s commercial non-scheduled operators, flight schools and the Cape Town Flying Club, as well as various GA maintenance facilities.

The wor ldr e nowne d Cape Air Acces s Init iat ive

Significant wins are being achieved in enticing airlines to operate directly to Cape Town. From the USA, both United Airlines and Delta are now competing to fly direct to CTIA from New York’s Newark and Atlanta respectively. Another recent win is Air Mauritius, which started operating its flagship Airbus A350900 service to Cape Town directly from late 2022.

It has its own refuelling facilities as well as hangarage for light aircraft and flight training schools, but lacks a dedicated GA customs and immigration facility.

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

Fisantekraal Airport is being redeveloped as the Cape Winelands Airport.

November 2023

and to wine estates and surrounds. In October NAC launched it huge upgrade to its Cape Town Waterfront helicopter base. (see separate report)

But the big action is now to the north, at Morningstar Airfield, about 25 km north of the city on the N7 to Malmsbury.

General Aviation Airfields

Morningstar Flying Club was founded over 30 years ago by a bunch of microlight flying enthusiasts and has grown to over 600 members. There are over 100 aircraft based at Morningstar.

Since the heydays of general aviation some forty years ago, flying clubs have seen a general decline. It’s great to be able to report that Cape Town has not one but two thriving flying clubs – and the possibility of a third at the new Cape Winelands Airport.

done much to s pr ead t he love of f l y ing

The best-known flying club in the Cape has to be the venerable Stellenbosch club in its sylvan setting below the Hottentots Holland mountains. Despite the encroachment of housing developments and golf course estates, this club is thriving.

The club is showing the fruits of dynamic management in that it has, after lengthy negotiations, finalised a long term lease with the Cape Town City Council. This gives much need stability until 2030, and then has a further ten years notice, effectively giving the members twenty years further title. This security of tenure and solid management

Stellenbosh Airfield is consistently rated the most beautiful in South Africa. November 2023

INTRODUCTION The general aviation area at Cape Town International Airport.

has enabled the club to sell off hangar stands and so raise funds for the key infrastructure. They have a tarred 700m runway and taxiways and pride of place is a large clubhouse with modern kitchens and two flying schools.

November 2023

This club has done much to spread the love of flying and the option of choosing aviation as a career to many disadvantaged children in the Western Cape. j

AWARDS

NAC HELICOPTERS CAPE TOWN WINS

WORLD LUXURY TRAVEL AWARD.

REFLECTING THE company’s commitment to service and safety, NAC Helicopters Cape Town has won the World Luxury Travel award. This award recognises the central function NAC helicopters performs in providing helicopter sightseeing and charter operations, especially for visitors to the ‘fairest cape in all the world.’ j

NAC Helicopters MD, Gary Wilson receives the award in Athens.

November 2023

LAUNCH Images by Justin de Reuck.

NAC LAUNCHES

NEW V&A

WATERFRONT BASE. IN OCTOBER NAC LAUNCHED its new helicopter Cape Town facility at the V&A Waterfront at a glittering function that featured a drag artist and a singer in a bubble. A key guest of honour was Cape Town City

Councillor James Vos who was there in support of NAC Helicopters Cape Town and to officially open the new facility. Vos has a keen interest in general aviation and has been a key facilitator in assisting flying clubs. j

Alderman James Vos opens the NAC facility with a drag artist.

November 2023

NAC CEO JP Fourie shares the vision.

Current and former NAC staffers celebrate.

November 2023

NEWS

MILKOR MALE

DRONE FIRST FLIGHT The Milkor 380 medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has made its maiden flight, the company announced on 6 October. Milkor said the flight took place on 19 September and a series of flights have taken place since then.

Milkor 380 specs:

The 1,300 kg UAV has an endurance of 30 hours; Milkor intends to extend the endurance to 35 hours. The aircraft is powered by a Rotax 915 iS.

Maximum endurance: 35 hours

A Milkor representative said that further tests will expand the flight envelope and see the integration of payloads. These tests are planned to take place through the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023 and continue into Q1 2024.

Wingspan: 18 m

Five UAVs are in production and will be delivered to undisclosed international customers in 2024.

Cruise speed: 100 to 150km/h

Maximum range: 2000+ km

Cruise Altitude: 20,000ft Length: 9 m

MTOW: 1300 kg Maximum payload: 210 kg Fuel capacity: 300 kg

The Milkor 380 has 30 hours endurance.

November 2023

FlightCm African Commercial Aviation

Edition 178 | November 2023

The SA AF Cyberattack

By DC-6 to the Comoros John Bassi – saving the Giant Sable 1

FlightCom: November 2023

Robbie Robinson remembered

CONTENTS

TABLE OF 04 06 07 08 12 14 19 20 24 28 32 33 34 36

Publisher Flyer and Aviation Publications cc Managing Editor Guy Leitch guy@flightcommag.com Advertising Sales Howard Long sales@saflyermag.co.za 076 499 6358

NOVEMBER 2023 EDITION 178

Layout & Design Patrick Tillman: Imagenuity cc Contributors

John Bassi Laura McDermid Darren Olivier Jeffrey Kempston

ADMIN: +27 (0)83 607 2335

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TRAFFIC: +27 (0)81 039 0595 ACCOUNTS: +27 (0)15 793 0708

News - TAAG adds four 787s Laura McDermid - Pilots News - New Qatar CEO announced John Bassi - Saving the Giant Sable in Angola News - Mercy Makau inducted into Hall of Fame Darren Olivier - Cyber Attacks Jeffrey Kempson - Indian Ocean Island Odyssey News - 100th Longitude delivered Alpi Aviation SA: Flight School Directory Merchant West Charter Directory Skysource AMO Listing Backpage Directory

© FlightCom 2023. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without the express permission of the copyright holders.

A NOTE FROM

THE EDITOR:

In Economics 101 the choices facing government for funding defence spending were reduced to the binary: ‘guns or butter’. WE ARE TOLD THAT in South Africa 27 million people out of the total population of 62 million are on social welfare grants. This is not sustainable. Given the abuse of business by government and the resultant disinvestment, combined with population growth above GDP growth, unemployment will get worse, and the ability to fund it will decrease. Already government is saying that it cannot afford the current level of social grants. The easiest budget to cut is defence spending, especially as South Africa has no immediate threat. In the unlikely event of an invasion, alliances (e.g., a Southern African NATO) to protect territorial sovereignty in the region should be agreed with either the US or China. There are therefore increasing calls to ‘right size’ the SANDF.

could then be increased to 70%, making far better use of the expensive assets. The idea is that the SAAF disband its Gripen and Hawk squadrons. Long range transport, maritime reconnaissance, and search and rescue, is a capability South Africa has long lost but must have in terms of international obligations. So the current C-130 Hercules upgrade must be expedited. Maritime surveillance aircraft (such as the CASA 295) can be leased. The Air Wing will retain 10 - 15 transport helicopters. The Rooivalk attack helicopter, which is rapidly becoming outdated, must be upgraded to a Mk2 standard.

hav e a flying training, and even r i ght -s i ze d Basic advanced training, can be outsourced, as increasingly pr o pe r l y happens in other air forces, f unde d f o r c e The entire SAAF budget is less than including the USAF. the cost of a single USAF fighter squadron, but the first casualty of defence cuts is likely to be the SAAF with its expensive aircraft. It is argued that the fighter squadrons can be shut down because they’re not operational anyway, and haven’t been since the SAAF’s limited capability for the Soccer World Cup protection.

The current budget priorities and funding constraints have reduced the SAAF to a hollow shell. The crisis has become so bad that experts are proposing the hitherto unthinkable – that South Africa reduce its Air Force to just an Air Wing; as Ireland and New Zealand have done. It’s argued that South Africa should have no more than 50 aircraft, all based in one central place. Serviceability

The net result is that rather than the current underfunded mess, South Africa will have a smaller, but properly funded Air Wing where it can maintain professional standards within the current budget constraints. Of course – it’s not just the SAAF which should be right sized. The same pundits argue that the navy and army need to be pollarded to remove expensive submarines and obsolete tanks. The Navy can keep two frigates (in Cape Town and Durban) and its new multi-mission inshore patrol vessels. The choice is simple – rather have a right-sized properly funded force, than an all but useless hulk from a once massively funded past. 

BUSH PILOT HUGH PRYOR

ROBBIE ROBINSON “Hello. I am your Examiner...I am here to help you!” Oh yeah...Really?

AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE who loses two nights of sleep before an Instrument Rating Check Ride (IRT).

lucky with my examiners and have almost always taken some new gem of aviation wisdom away from the tests.

I spent ten years of my life at boarding school and four years at university. When that was over I made a promise to myself that I would never leave home again and since it had taken me seven attempts to pass Mathematics ‘O’- level (GCSE), I would never take another exam in my life...ever!

Of course there were some examiners who had a reputation for eating innocent pilots alive and spitting the chewy bits out on the tarmac after landing.

Then I took up aviation and in forty-five years of ‘Contract Flying’, I spent four Christmases at home and was never more than six months away from a career-threatening examination.

One of these was ‘Robbie’ and his reputation earned me three sleepless nights at the prospect of one and a half hours of purgatory, followed by a humiliating terminal experience and I would not be allowed to burst into tears until I got behind the locked door at the end.

one and a My check ride with Robbie included a ‘Practice Forced Landing’ from half hours of The stupid thing was that I only an approach from mid downwind failed one IRT and that was because 01, with the props in purgatory onfullyrunway the examiner had popped the Marker fine pitch and the power at Beacons Circuit-Breaker before I strapped myself in and I reset it during the pre-start checks and I failed the test right there, because the rules state that a popped circuit-breaker may be reset twice in the air, but if a circuit-breaker is found to be open on the ground, it must be reset by a qualified engineer...Fair enough, but he would have saved me quite a lot of money if he could have told me that I had failed, before we got airborne, instead of at the end of what would otherwise have been a successful check-ride. Having said that, generally speaking I have been very

FlightCom: November 2023

idle. The aircraft came down like an elevator with the string broken. The secret was to keep enough speed up to be able to flare, before digging an enormous hole in the runway, and it worked. In fact, the resulting landing was one of those greasers which happen once in a lifetime and it brought a smile to Robbie’s face as he said “Okay, that’s enough for me. Let’s go and grab a cup of tea.” The ‘Debrief’ was more like a pleasant conversation and Robbie forgot to tell me whether I had passed until I asked him. He laughed and said “Oh!...of course...did I not tell you?”

FlightCom: November 2023

My obvious relief caused Robbie to laugh “What were you worrying about? That ‘Practice Forced Landing’ was one of the best I have seen!”

and if the pilot got a knot or two out on the speeds, the Buccaneer would tell him by falling out of the sky without warning.

“Oh, I always lose sleep before a check ride...it is just one of those things!” I said, sipping my tea and breathing again for another six months,

The ‘warning’ was when the aircraft fell out of the sky and if that was anywhere near the ground when it came, then it would probably be career-shortening for the crew, and being an Examiner would not improve his chances.

one of those greasers

E-MAIL

Rudi

Wonderboom Airport

083 422 9882

rudiavmed@gmail.com

Church

Belinda

Valhalla

079 636 9860

churchbs@live.com

Du Plessis

Alexander

Athlone Park

031 904 7460

dex.duplessis@intercare.co.za

Erasmus

Philip

Benoni

011 849 6512

pdceras-ass@mweb.co.za

Govender

Deena

Umhlanga Rocks

031 566 2066/7 deena@drdg.co.za

✗ ✗

Ingham

Kenneth

Midrand

011 315 5817

kaingham@hotmail.com

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Marais

Eugene

Mossel Bay

044 693 1470

eugene.marais@medicross.co.za

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Opperman

Chris

Pretoria Lynnwood

012 368 8800

chris.opperman@intercare.co.za

✗ ✗ ✗

Tenzer

Stan

Rand Airport & JHB CBD

083 679 0777

stant@global.co.za

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Toerien

Hendrik

White River, Nelspruit

013 751 3848

hctoerien@viamediswitch.co.za

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Van Der Merwe

Johann

Stellenbosch

021 887 0305

johann.vdmerwe@medicross.co.za

FlightCom: November 2023

Other countries

TEL NO

EASA registered

Britz

LOCATION

FAA registered

FIRST NAME

Off-site Specialist tests

SURNAME

On site Specialist tests

AME Doctors Listing

Senior Class 1, 2, 3, 4

Robbie was one of the most experienced Flight Test examiners ever born. He was the only civilian examiner on the Blackburn Buccaneer ground attack bomber in the Thunder City Collection in Cape Town and since I never met anybody who was not terrified of him, I was especially interested to discover that he himself lost a couple of nights sleep at the prospect of carrying out a Prof Check in the Buccaneer because the examiner had to sit in the back seat. There were no controls in the back

It was funny...I had never thought of an Examiner losing sleep at the prospect of doing a Check ride... it just seemed to be the wrong way round...but having said that, my opinion of Robbie took a sky rocket when I discovered that, hiding under the terrifying exterior, there was a quivering little human being...almost like me! 

Regular Class 2, 3, 4

Robbie smiled and nodded reflectively. “Mm...” he said, “You are not the only one. Anybody who says that they enjoy a check ride is either a liar or sick in the head!”

✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

✗ ✗

NEWS

TAAG ADDS FOUR 787S TAAG Angola Airlines is adding the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to its fleet with an order for four of the wide-body jets. TAAG ANGOLA AIRLINES currently flies five 777-300ER (Extended Range) jets, three 777-200ERs and seven 737-700s to 12 destinations across Africa, Europe, South America and China. “Our goal is to work with the best manufacturers in the world towards a multi type fleet, in order to ensure we have the appropriate airplanes for each flight typology, namely our intercontinental connections,” said Eduardo Fairen, CEO of TAAG Angola Airlines.

“The 787 option suits our intent for modern, size-wise and efficient equipment, able to progressively replace our current wide-body fleet and provide our customers with an improved flight experience,” Fairen says. Boeing’s Commercial Market Outlook for Africa projects that the continent will need 1,025 airplanes over the next two decades. Overall African air traffic growth is forecast at 7.4%, the third highest among global regions and above the global average growth of 6.1%.  The 787s will complement TAAGs 777s.

FlightCom: November 2023

LAURA MCDERMID

PART 7

IRIS - HER EARLY YEARS.

Air Kenya

Laura McDermid continues her stories about Iris McCallum in East Africa. From my veranda in Watamu the serene Indian ocean stretched out to meet the horizon in an endless embrace. Without the puffy white clouds that dotted the azure sky, their meeting point was almost imperceptible. The susurration of the breeze through the palm leaves and the soothing lapping of the waves cast a mesmerizing spell, lulling me into a peaceful trance.

“

IRIS… IRIS, WHERE ARE YOU?” I jolted awake, unintentionally spilling some of the precious amber liquid from the bottle I clutched in my hand. Over the preceding days, I had made a few repairs to the cottage and had packed my scant belongings into my VW Beetle in preparation for my move to Nairobi. The owner of the cottage, Jack Irwin, had come to fetch the keys from me. “I’m on the porch, Jack. Grab yourself a Tusker.” Jack rounded the corner of the cottage, followed by Gigis, the trusty stray dog who had adopted me at Ocean Sports Resort.

FlightCom: November 2023

Whenever I flew back to Malindi airport, I would play a little game with Gigis. I’d buzz the beach, and like clockwork, Gigis would emerge from the cottage, racing toward Ocean Sports as fast as his stocky legs could carry him. He’d arrive like a bat out of hell, his breath coming in jagged gasps, his tongue lolling from his cavernous jaws like a wet pink sea serpent. Our game was simple – who would reach the destination first. Most of the time, Gigis greeted me before anyone else, his muscular body wiggling with delight as I praised him for being such a good boy. Jack was a police commissioner and head of CID in Nairobi. The place I was staying was his holiday cottage in Watamu, a quaint coastal town just north of Mombasa.

Ian Gregory, Chief Pilot at Coastal Air.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jack and his family when I flew them from Malindi to Lamu on a day trip. Jack noticed my name badge and asked if I was related to Danny McCallum. It turned out that Jack had crossed paths with my brother a few years back when he took Danny’s statement while he was recovering in the hospital from a shrapnel wound. Danny had taken some clients on a hunting expedition to Archer’s Post in Samburu County, where they were shot at by poachers.

The flying doctors eventually arrived, airlifting the trio to the nearest hospital. Miraculously, the bullet that struck the client’s cheek lodged in his neck, just under the skin, causing minimal damage. After the wounds were treated, the clients insisted on continuing with their safari. Danny, on the other hand, had to stay in the hospital until he was able to walk again following surgery.

local Despite the harrowing experience, calm recounting of the events knowledge Danny’s left a lasting impression on Jack, and was our the two became friends. Some of the bullets had struck the body of the Land Cruiser Danny was lifeline standing on, he returned fire, and the I had spent the past two years flying poachers fled. The ordeal left Danny with a knee full of shrapnel.

A bullet had passed clean through one of the client’s hands, whilst another had torn a hole through the fabric of her jersey on her left shoulder. She’d also caught some of the shrapnel in her face. Her boyfriend who was standing next to her had a bullet hole through his right cheek. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much blood.

for Air Kenya, previously known as Coastal Air. Jack’s small beachside cottage became my home away from home. In June 1978, I started flying my first passenger trips in a Piper Cherokee 6 with the registration number 5Y-AKS. She would be my faithful companion for the next 600 hours, the minimum requirement set by the airline for flying single-engine aircraft, to gain familiarity with the varied landscapes and extreme weather conditions of East Africa.

FlightCom: November 2023

PILOTS Jack Irwin’s cottage in Watamu, Iris’ home for 2 years.

Ian Gregory, the Chief Pilot, offered invaluable support and guidance. In those pre-GPS days, local knowledge was our lifeline, and we relied heavily on it. My early flights involved structured day trips from Malindi Airport along the coast to Lamu, where I would land on Manda Island. A ferry would transport us to the mainland, allowing my passengers to enjoy lunch before our return journey. Once I had grown comfortable with coastal flying, I ventured into more challenging routes. I began to navigate the mountainous terrain, particularly the journey to Tsavo National Park and the Maasai Mara. The route took us west from Malindi, across the Chyulu mountain range, to the base of Mount Kilimanjaro in Amboseli National Park.

colliding with the large rocks was a matter of life and death. Many pilots had tragically lost their lives when venturing into the Chyulus or the Kilimanjaro region. These airstrips were unmanned and devoid of air traffic control. Our only means of communication was through radio broadcasts among pilots, sharing information about the current conditions. The danger did not end there.

The danger did not end there.

The mountain’s peak was frequently concealed by clouds that often cascaded down to the base, making the approach tricky. Flying conditions in this area required a pilot to possess three essential items: a watch, a compass, and an unwavering reserve of courage. Timing the descent through the clouds to avoid

10 FlightCom: November 2023

Termite mounds were constant hazards that would pop up overnight, as were animals, especially during the migratory season.

Of these, the wildebeest were the worst offenders. Upon hearing the plane, the herd would begin racing around in an erratic fashion, flinging themselves on the ground with the abandon of mad dervishes. I could never decide whether this chicken-little behaviour stemmed from genuine terror or if it was merely a shameless recourse to the melodramatic. In the time it took to set myself up to land after buzzing the runway, the clownish beasts would inevitably regroup and would be milling around on the runway again.

The view from Ocean Sports Resort.

After the morning game drives, my passengers would reboard the Cherokee, and I’d take off just before lunch, heading to the Maasai Mara by following the Rift Valley. To clear the mountains, the minimum VFR altitude was set at 12,500 feet, a crucial safety measure. When flying in the reciprocal direction, the minimum height was raised to 13,000 feet.

There is something deeply disturbing about being close enough to see the confusion in their piercing yellow eyes. Vultures, like people, could be unpredictable and irrational. There were instances when evasive manoeuvres, including steep banking, were necessary to avert a head-on collision, eliciting terrified screams from the passengers.

I had acclimated to flying at such altitudes after months of practice, but passengers who were unaccustomed to it often became lethargic and drowsy. I would always descend if someone complained of a headache or if I noticed a slight bluish tinge around their lips.

Upon reaching the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, my passengers embarked on another game drive, and later, we would takeoff for a pit stop at Tsavo National Park for afternoon tea. This leg of the journey was the most challenging, marked by hot, turbulent conditions during takeoff and landing. It was an unpleasant experience for everyone on board. The pilots collectively requested this leg to be scrapped as the only one who benefitted from it was the travel agent.

Flying at altitude soon became my secret weapon even when I didn’t need to be at that height as it afforded me some peace and quiet. Another constant threat was posed by thunderstorms and vultures. Thunderstorms could be seen from a distance and avoided, but the unpredictable vultures presented a persistent hazard, especially when the plains game was abundant during migration. When a vulture encountered an aeroplane, nine times out of ten, it would tuck in its wings and dive.

The flying time of four hours was repeated every day, five days a week, come rain or shine. It was an effective way to accumulate hours in the logbook and hone flying skills. To be continued…..



FlightCom: November 2023

NEWS

AKBAR AL BAKER RETIRES - NEW QATAR CEO ANNOUNCED.

Qatar Airways controversial CEO, Akbar Al Baker, is stepping down after 27 years. AL BAKER BECAME CEO in 1997. He has had to weather some particularly tricky circumstances while at the helm of Qatar Airlines, from the blockade of Qatar to the COVID-19 pandemic and, most recently, a high court battle with Airbus over the A350. Al Baker was not popular with his employees. A typical comment says, “there can be no doubt that he worked tirelessly to build QR up into one of the best airlines in the world, but he had no mercy, took no prisoners and was very vindictive. He … built an organisation based on fear.”

Hours after Al Baker’s retirement, the airline announced Badr Mohammed Al-Meer as his successor, who will take over as CEO on 5 November. Al-Meer is currently the COO of Hamad Airport Doha. Qatar Airways lauded Al Baker, noting that the airline won the ‘World’s Best Airline’ award seven times, and airline subsidiary Hamad International Airport; has been recognised as the ‘World’s Best Airport’. 

Akbar Al Baker has retired after 27 years as Qatar Airlines CEO.

12 FlightCom: November 2023

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PART 1

JOHN BASSI

SAVING THE GIANT SABLE IN ANGOLA This article was originally published in Atlas Obscura by Ashley Stimpson

The giant sable bull arrived dangling beneath legendary wildlife pilot, Barney O’Hara’s MD500 helicopter, the antelope’s four-foot-long horns curving back toward its flanks like the scythe of a backhoe.

S THE AIRCRAFT CAME INTO view, hundreds of people who had been waiting to greet the massive antelope at the dry, grassy edge of Angola’s Luando Strict Nature Reserve, broke into tears, song, laughter, dancing.

For the Angolan people, the giant sable is a national symbol, adorning everything from soccer jerseys to postage stamps. But this giant sable represented something even greater; hope.

The giant sable with Barney O’Hara’s MD500 used to transport it.

14 FlightCom: November 2023

As Barney deftly delivered the tranquilised bull to the ground, a group of shepherds and scientists loosened the strops and rolled the sable onto a stretcher. A dozen people, under the watchful eye of another wildlife legend, Dr Pete Morkel, hoisted the stretcher into the belly of a Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, a second, larger helicopter. The crowd pushed forward. Some people tried to get one last glimpse, others hoped to hug or shake hands with curly-haired biologist Pedro Vaz Pinto, who stood nearby, looking a little dizzy with disbelief. Somehow, against enormous odds, he had just led a team in tracking, tranquilizing, and transporting the 500-pound bull, which would journey another 60 miles north to Cangandala National Park, where it and nine female giant sables would comprise the world’s first captive breeding program for the nearly extinct animal. “It was an absolute magical moment”, Pedro Vaz Pinto reminisces with an incredulous smile many years later, having witnessed many magical moments over the course of his 20-year mission to save the charismatic ungulate. However the animals future remains terrifyingly fraught. It remains beyond comprehension that this icon, the national animal of Angola, remains completely ignored by the government and its survival is dependent on a small handful of private individuals. The giant sable is found in Angola’s largely undeveloped interior, when it can be found at all. No foreigner had seen one until 1916, 400 years after Portuguese explorers had first landed on Angola’s shore. It was not for lack of trying. The antelope is notoriously elusive

The giant sable bull being gently lowered to the ground.

and enjoyed the protection of the Lwimbi and Songo tribes, who often denied its existence to outsiders, deliberately misleading trophy hunters. Historically for locals, the creature was a totem, the tip of its horns a portal into the spirit world. An antelope almost heraldic in its stateliness, more like a proud beast from legend, than one of this earth. But even the giant sable wasn’t spared the carnage of Angola’s brutal, 27-year civil war. In the early 1970s, before the conflict, an estimated 2,000 giant sable inhabited the miombo woodlands in two of the

FlightCom: November 2023

Vaz Pinto (left) with Pete Morkel (right) and a sedated giant sable. Image Pedro vaz Pinto.

country’s preserves, the Luando Strict Nature Reserve and Cangandala National Park. By 2002, when the war finally ended, no one knew if there were any left at all. “Nobody could tell me for sure,” said Pedro. But curiosity about the status of the sable gnawed at him. “For a biologist who likes adventure, this was too much to ignore.”

her to be more specific. “Brown, kind of reddish?” she tried again. Pedro had to wait an agonizing week to get the pictures in the mail, but when they arrived, it took the biologist mere seconds to know that he was looking at the first photograph of a giant sable in nearly three decades.

i t was Pedro decided to do some pr o ba bl y reconnaissance work. In 2004, he installed motion-activated cameras in Cangandala National Park, strapping a was t e o f the devices to trees near termite t i me mounds where giant sable, grazing herbivores, might visit to eat the sodium-rich earth. Because there was nowhere nearby for him to develop the film, Pedro mailed each spent roll back to his mother in Portugal. One day, about a year into the effort, she called with some promising news. “She said, ‘There’s a lot of brown animals in this one,” Pedro remembers with a chuckle. He asked

16 FlightCom: November 2023

With evidence that the giant sable had survived the war, Pedro was able to secure public and private funding to establish the Giant Sable Conservation Project. “I thought it would be easy,” he says, “I thought there would be more.”

Instead, subsequent photos began to reveal new crises. For one, they always showed the same nine animals, suggesting that the giant sable was holding on, but just barely. More worryingly, there didn’t appear to be a bull among the group. And something else about the

photos began bothering Pedro. “Some of the animals looked a bit funny,” he says. “They had floppy ears and clownish faces.” So he began tracking the herd on foot. When Pedro finally succeeded in catching up with them, what he saw confirmed his worst fears. Standing in the middle of a harem of females was a roan bull, a completely different species of antelope. Left without a sable bull, the female giant sables were mating with the roan and giving birth to hybrids. Pedro knew that with only a handful of pure sable left, hybridization would doom the animal to extinction in short order. “The sky fell on my head,” he says. If the tiny sable population in Cangandala was going to survive, Pedro wouldn’t just need to separate the pure females from the hybrids, he would also need to deliver them a giant sable bull.

“We were so lucky,” Pedro exclaimed. But finding DNA didn’t mean that locating the actual animal would be simple. The Luando Reserve is about 3,820 square miles, or 830,000 hectares, the landscape a hypnotic collage of browns and tans with vast canopies of miombo forest. There are no fences, allowing easy access to poachers who penetrate on small Chinese motorbikes with murderous results. And then, when he needed it, Pedro had another one of those magical moments. On the first day of the translocation mission, without any other leads to go on, the group chose to begin their aerial search for the sable where his dung had been collected. When they arrived, the bull was standing in that very spot, as if he knew they were coming. Pete Morkel tranquilized the animal from the helicopter and the group rushed to tag and place a GPS collar on him.

A couple weeks later, the process a n AS350 was repeated, of locating, then chemically immobilizing each Pedro quickly devised an c ov e r i ng a n animal individually from the ambitious plan. He would recruit a r e a as l a r g e helicopter, and slinging each one to all the help he could and build a recovery point. The females were a 17-square-mile enclosure as t he K r ug e r all moved to the enclosure one by in Cangandala National Park. Meanwhile, he would begin scouting for a bull in the nearby Luando Strict Nature Reserve, where giant sable had historically roamed but hadn’t been spotted in years. If all went according to plan, in the summer of 2009, Vaz Pinto’s team would carry out the intrepid translocation mission, moving the nine females and one yet-to-be-found male via helicopter to the enclosure at Cangandala.

one. Once the cows were secure, the team flew back to Luando in the 500 to collect the bull. Because the journey to Cangandala required more fuel than the team’s small helicopter could carry, the crew stopped briefly to transfer the sable to a larger aircraft, providing the locals time for their impromptu farewell party and hugs for Pedro.

“I thought the chance of us finding a male were small,” said Dr Pete Morkel, the wildlife veterinarian Pedro recruited for the effort. “In fact, I told my wife it was probably a waste of time.”

In the decade since, the captive population has run into several challenges, including the unexpected infertility of several females and an aggressive bull that joined the enclosure, leading to the death of another male sable in 2011.

With the help of area shepherds, Pedro began collecting and testing dung for evidence of giant sables—nearly identical in appearance to roan dung—in the Luando Reserve. One month before the group had scheduled their translocation mission, a sample came back positive for male giant sable DNA.

Funding, Pedro laments, has been a constant struggle, especially during the pandemic, when longstanding corporate donors withdrew financial support. Angola’s current economic depression is also a major concern, as more people turn to poaching to survive.

FlightCom: November 2023

The giant sable on a TAAG 777. It also appears on Angola's currency and is the name of the national football team.

But for the most part, the herd has thrived. Today Vaz Pinto guesses there are more than 100 giant sable living in Cangandala National Park. “It’s been a spectacular success,” he says, while acknowledging the species is still perilously endangered. Between the populations at Cangandala and Luando, only about 300 of the antelopes remain.

population is highly threatened from poachers using sophisticated whip snares. A follow up operation into Luando was conducted in July 2021, the objective to try and locate 20 sable and monitor the health of the small population, no easy task for the 19 scouts and an AS350 covering an area almost as large as the Kruger National Park, but with no roads.

For Pedro, who never meant to devote two decades of his life to the giant sable, his continuing role in its survival is both an honour and an obligation, and he hopes he can soon step away.

Flying over the vast landscape searching for an estimated 150 to 200 sable is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Focus is torn between hoping to see live animals, and observing the myriad of green patches dotted in the clearings. Lethal grazing patches, completely surrounded by violently powerful whip snares. Then next few days proved to be a pleasant surprise…

The biologist who likes adventure admits he’s itching for a new one. “In a way, I feel like a doctor in the ICU eager for the patient to be discharged—not because I don’t love what I’m doing, but because it will mean the job is done and the patient can move on,” he says. “I am eager for the day the giant sable has been discharged from the ICU.” In October 2019 the Cangadala nucleus in their protected enclosure were doing really well, apart from one female with a snare. However the Luando

18 FlightCom: November 2023

To be continued.



NEWS

MERCY MAKAU INDUCTED

INTO HALL OF FAME

Mercy Makau founded the non-profit organisation in Nairobi called Young Aviators Club of Africa (YACAfrica). YACAFRICA NOW HAS MORE THAN 60,000 members and is now established in several countries on the continent. In recognition of this the Smithsonian Institute has inducted Makau in its Emerging Technologies Hall of Fame. Makau says, “We prepare young people to enter the aviation and aerospace industries to ensure the availability of trained, qualified and experienced professionals. The older students are coached by around 900 volunteers, mainly from civil aviation, who all give their time to share their aeronautical experiences.” According to Boeing’s projections for the next 20 years, Africa will need around 67,000 people in the industry, including 20,000 pilots.

YACAfrica acts in accordance with the ICAO next generation of aviation professionals (NGAP) initiative and also maximises contacts with industry players as their support is essential. The association has been awarded two International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) awards for winning innovation competitions. 

Kenya's Mercy Makau.

This involves facilitating and promoting innovation and creativity by setting up scholarships through established partnerships. There is also the involvement and participation of young people in aeronautical and space events. “We have units within universities, schools and academies and are having constructive discussions to strengthen our presence in Uganda and Rwanda -and also to establish new branches in Gabon, Ghana and Senegal.”

FlightCom: November 2023

DEFENCE DARREN OLIVIER

THE WAR AGAINST

CYBERATTACKS

The recent much-publicised breach of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) networks by the ‘Snatch’ ransomware team, in which they stole multiple terabytes of files and published them online, has thrown into sharp relief the need for strong cybersecurity practices for African militaries, especially as they adopt more digitised processes and products such as drones and command & control systems.

Cyberattacks and rasomware have afflicted the under resourced SANDF. 20 FlightCom: November 2023

HIS PIECE WILL FOCUS on the South African Air Force (SAAF) in particular and look deeper at the implications of the Snatch group’s breach on how the SAAF can and should keep its systems secure.

network, such as one that contains classified information, is segregation. Either through complete physical air gaps between networks and systems or through partial air gaps and specialised firewalls that only allow one-way traffic of clear-text information.

In this era of increasingly digitised and connected systems, and as avionics, navigation systems, and operational platforms increasingly rely on software and networked communication, cybersecurity becomes not just a box to be checked and a nice to have, but a critical and strategic capability where vulnerabilities can have catastrophic consequences.

The most common pattern for this, and one which has been codified in multiple international standards, is called the Red/Black concept. This divides an organisation’s networks into two main areas: Red networks, which contain classified information in plaintext, even if temporarily while being worked on, and Black networks which contain either unclassified/ non-sensitive information or fully encrypted classified/ sensitive information.

Put simply, having all of your operational, communications, planning, and intelligence systems digitised and networked together brings massive advantages in efficiency, performance, speed of action, and a host of other areas, but it opens up a huge new vulnerability. Shut down those systems or, worse, exploit them to feed them with false information, and you can grind an air force’s operations to a halt. Reverting to paper based systems is not an option, or at least not one that can be executed in a hurry or while maintaining the same level of effectiveness. While it’s feasible to design these critical systems to operate in a degraded state (such as with jammed communications), it’s not practical to have fall back plans that go all the way back to analogue.

Specialised encryption software and devices ensure that clear-text data from the ‘Red’ side may either never reach any other network (if it’s sufficiently classified) or may only be transferred in a standardised encrypted form.

On top of this basic approach, Electronic organisations then layer additional Warfare is security engineering elements as access control, selective evolving from such internet access, auditing, and so jamming and on. spoofing The DoD/SANDF, and therefore

Let’s take a brief overview through the South African Air Force’s digital infrastructure, describing all the main systems. Note that this will necessarily include a number of smaller systems, however, it’s not intended as a comprehensive list. First, it’s important to understand how the SAAF’s network infrastructure is designed, which will also explain why the Snatch ransomware attack appears to have only captured administrative and office documents rather than more deeply classified information or access to key systems. A standard practice for any extremely high security

by extension the SAAF, follow the same sort of pattern with three main categories of networks (and therefore file stores and similar):

The intranet, with internal file stores, sites, and similar functionality and without internet access. ICENET, or the Internet Connected Executive NETwork, which is as the name implies connected to the internet, and which is primarily intended to host the official and unclassified emails for DoD personnel. A series of ‘Red’ classified networks segregated according to service and purpose, without any internet access and only reachable by specialised equipment with cryptographic hardware and software usually developed by South African companies like Nanoteq and Etion. The SAAF’s core operational systems are all in Red networks.

FlightCom: November 2023

DEFENCE Ideally, you’d need entirely separate hardware to access all three. In practice, it’s not uncommon for computers to be given access to both the internet (via ICENET) and the intranet. But the same device never connects to both a Red network and the intranet or ICENET. Both the intranet and ICENET are largely maintained by SITA, the state-owned IT agency, with support from the SANDF’s CMIS (Command & Management Information Systems) division, whereas the various Red networks are largely maintained in-house by CMIS and service-specific units like OCAM (Operations Communications and Administration) in the SAAF. The DoD has five main categories of information classification originally defined by the country’s Minimum Information Security Standards, namely: UNCLASSIFIED, RESTRICTED, CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET, and TOP SECRET. UNCLASSIFIED was added primarily for press releases. RESTRICTED is the lowest level of control and just means being cautious of how widely information is shared, but there are no serious controls.

explain why security researchers are reporting that they’re so far almost entirely seeing RESTRICTED and CONFIDENTIAL documents only. That’s good news for the SAAF, as its most crucial operational systems are on Red networks. But the entire incident should be a serious wakeup call about the poor state of cybersecurity within the DoD, the over-reliance on SITA, and the long and unacceptable delays in setting up Cyber Command within Defence Intelligence. With that explanation in place, let’s look at the SAAF’s core operational systems and the reasons why any breach of the networks containing them would be catastrophic. The two most important tactical operations systems in the SAAF are the Ground Command and Control System (GCCS) and the Air Picture Display System (APDS) which together form the heart of all SAAF command and control.

is the mission planning the huge and GCCS and tasking system, providing the damaging SAAF’s Command Posts with information on aircraft available Snatch for tasking at various squadrons and allowing them to send tasking CONFIDENTIAL information breach orders to squadrons for the actual is a step up and is equivalent to what companies would consider to be ‘company confidential’ information. This would include most administrative issues, regular budgeting outside of the secret accounts, the personal information of DoD staff, office applications, administrative systems, and so on. Those handling CONFIDENTIAL and RESTRICTED information need to be careful, but there are no formal document control mechanisms. SECRET and TOP SECRET are another story: At least on paper these documents and systems are meant to be strictly controlled, with strict limitations on how many copies can exist of a document, and they may only exist in plaintext or opened form on Red networks and computers or devices. It’s believed that the Snatch ransomware group breached only computers and drive shares on the ICENET and possibly DoD Intranet, which would

22 FlightCom: November 2023

mission sorties. GCCS generates flight plans, assigns flight numbers and crews. It’s a sophisticated system, without which SAAF operations would pretty much grind to a halt while people tried to achieve the same through phone calls, HF signals, and faxes. APDS is, as the name implies, an integrated air command and control system that displays a tactical picture of the airspace over South Africa or any other deployed area, synthesising data from SAAF radars, SAAF aircraft transponders, and data feeds from civilian air traffic control.

Related to these two is the CURrent Intelligence System, or CURIS, which is networked to both and contains all tactical intelligence information, both historic and that being generated by ongoing sorties. A breach of any one of these three provides the opportunity to not only disrupt SAAF operations by shutting them down, but for a sufficiently sophisticated attacker with knowledge of their internal workings

A Snatch ransomware card.

to inject false data, presenting SAAF and SANDF commanders with a misleading picture. It’s sometimes said that the only thing worse than a non-functioning critical system is a semi-functioning one that you can no longer trust.

to implant exploit payloads into internal systems. Modern aircraft in particular are entirely controlled by software and ever more reliant on a single internal shared network that, although compartmentalised, still touches all the key operational systems.

At the next level back, on the logistics side, is the Operational Support and Information System (OSIS) which manages the maintenance, sustainment, and support of all SAAF aircraft by tracking work done, work needed to be done, spare parts inventories, maintenance bulletins, scheduling, and many other areas. OSIS is a little less vulnerable than the other systems owing to its decentralised design (each unit has its own instance, which can operate in offline mode and sync when possible) and the less urgent nature of the task, but it is still a risk.

So, while the approach is still in its earliest stages, there’s a much lower level of risk because of the high standards of avionics software, and there are no known instances of it being used in the real world, given current levels and rates of development it’s not impossible to imagine it becoming a reality in the near future. And it will be even more risky for air forces like the SAAF which lack the funding to keep updating their aircraft to the newest onboard systems software versions. For instance, the SAAF’s Gripen Cs and Ds remain on the MS19 standard, whereas all other operators are on MS20 and some are already on MS20 Block 2.

Not listed, but in the same category as GCCS and APDS, are the type-specific mission planning and systems such as the Saab Mission Support System used by 85 Combat Flying School for the Gripen and Hawk fleets which provide more specialist functionality and are linked with GCCS. Moreover, the terrestrial networks aren’t the only area of vulnerability. Electronic Warfare is evolving from being merely a jamming and spoofing capability to one that makes use of vulnerabilities in signal processing software on aircraft, missiles, and other equipment

There is therefore a need for a full rethink of the SAAF’s information security strategies, linked to a broader SANDF-level shift. The threat level in this sphere is only going to increase and become more sophisticated and the ever-increasing digitisation of military systems will make it harder rather than easier to defend against attackers. As the huge and damaging Snatch breach has so powerfully shown, complacency is no longer an option. 

FlightCom: November 2023

JEFFREY KEMPSON

INDIAN OCEAN

ISLAND ODYSSEY (OR FIASCO)

Before the South African political transformation, a group of diving enthusiasts wished to extend their diving experience to the more northern reaches of the Indian Ocean.

HEY WERE AWARE of the Coelacanth discovery near the Comoros Islands, and the proliferation of exotic fish and turtles that enjoyed the warm waters surrounding the French dependency of Mayotte in the Comoros archipelago, which featured one of the largest lagoons on Earth. The fishing club chartered a Douglas DC-6 freighter from Inter Ocean Airways at Lanseria. The freighter had been converted to passenger status by installing several rows of seats. Whether the aircraft carried passenger oxygen outlets, a galley or other normal amenities found on passenger aircraft, I don’t know. These items are normally removed from freight aircraft to reduce weight to increase the cargo capacity. The installation of the seats and other passenger amenities took a few days longer than expected, so the passengers had to seek overnight accommodation. Some slept on seats at Lanseria airport and some in the squash court.

24 FlightCom: November 2023

Once the aircraft was nearly ready, a Belgian pilot arrived to command the flight, aided by an American DC-3 Dakota owner and operator (Captain Fantastic in an earlier story) as co-pilot. The Belgian used to be a flight engineer and he sported a worn-out navy blue uniform with faded gold braid which made him look like a head waiter. Once the DC-6 was deemed more or less ready for flight, work was suspended to allow the pilots to familiarise themselves with the aircraft during daylight hours. Then cosmetic finishes to the passenger installations were continued during the night. During the afternoon the two pilots and a flight engineer started the engines. When the normal clouds of thick grey oil smoke cleared, they taxied out for a familiarisation flight watched by several passengers who had hoped to have been in the Comoros a couple of days previously. The takeoff seemed fairly normal and the aircraft climbed away, then banked towards the general flying

area. A while later the aircraft became visible on final approach, did an interesting landing, took power and went around again for another circuit. Driving down the airport access road on my way home, I was startled to see this large four engine airliner descending toward me on the access road with undercarriage and flaps down. With a perceptible roar the machine took power to abort and at about four hundred feet it climbed away, trailing a little black smoke.

about the airport concourse when Captain Fantastic, looking resplendent in his airline uniform and braided cap ascended the lower segment of the staircase, lit a cigarette which he placed in a long black holder, and addressed the frustrated divers, who should have left a couple of days earlier. Captain Fantastic's oration was pure theatre, befitting a man who at an earlier age had to choose between becoming an opera singer or a fighter pilot. Hew chose the latter.

a n o pe r a Whether they had mistaken the parallel Captain Fantastic was approaching access road for the runway or were just s i ng e r o r a late fifties, with a full head of sightseeing, I was unsure. f i ght e r pi l o t his grey hair, a handsome face, and The following morning work continued on the aircraft and the passengers gathered around at lunch time with the expectation of boarding for an afternoon departure. Much later that afternoon, it became apparent that departure would be further delayed until at least the next day. The now disgruntled passengers were milling

a commanding American voice, he addressed the passengers with a disarming charm, and apologised for the fact that a couple of mechanical glitches had initially delayed their departure, but he now advised that his CIA contacts had advised him that there was a formidable Russian fleet present in the Comoros Island area of the Indian Ocean. Not knowing their intent, it seemed

The end of the Interocean DC-6 at Lanseria. June 1990 Image Omer Mees.

FlightCom: November 2023

sensible to delay their departure for another day or so, until the Russian fleet had steamed clear of the area. Particularly as 52 South African apartheid era passport holders wouldn’t want to have to divert to the nearest other suitable runway at Dar as Salaam in Tanzania. At this, revelation, several of the passengers smiled, and actually applauded this precautionary revelation. Whereupon, he descended the stairs, and shook several of the willing hands extended towards him. Now, it became apparent to me that another major problem existed, notwithstanding the imaginary Russian presence at the desired diving location. A major, undisclosed discord existed between the two pilots. The Belgian Captain was adamant that he would not land the large DC-6 on the relatively short airstrip of Mayotte, but only on the much longer airstrip on Moroni, the principal island of the Comoros archipelago. One of the contributing factors to this decision was that the electrically operated reversible pitch propellers used for braking were intermittent.

Bon Voyage he casually said; ‘We’ll get the landing clearance en-route’. Then he climbed the stairs, turned at the top, and after a theatrical wave, closed the door. A small crowd of interested off duty pilots and airport personnel watched the DC-6 start up and belch further clouds of oily smoke. Then with chocks removed, the aircraft taxied to the 06 runway threshold, to run up the engines, and complete pre-take off checks. A few minutes later the sound of four Pratt & Whitney R2,800 radials roared along the runway. Abeam the tower the airliner lifted gracefully into the air and the undercarriage was retracted as the aircraft was held level with the runway to gather speed, before the nose was raised to the climbing attitude and the aircraft climbed skywards. I watched the aircraft until it was out of sight, wondering if I’d ever see it again. It was late afternoon, and Comoros Island time was an hour ahead of us, so the aircraft should arrive there about an hour before local midnight.

a mi l dl y ov e r w e i ght Wishing them the best of luck, I headed C2 10 for the bar.

However, Moroni was not where the diver’s accommodation had been booked, and it also seemed that there now also existed some low level political dispute between the islands, and permission to land on Moroni had not as yet been forthcoming. The divers had not been acquainted with this fact and the pilots still hoped to resolve the situation prior to departure. The next morning, sounds of a tremendous hammering, not appropriate to the maintenance of a serviceable aircraft, issued from the interior of the DC-6 as the last required seats, and a few interior fuselage side panels were fitted. Late afternoon the aircraft was declared ready for the trip, and the passengers cleared immigration and customs formalities. With their weighty diving equipment stowed in the underfloor holds, they boarded the airliner. As I shook Captain Fantastic’s hand and wished him

26 FlightCom: November 2023

Much later in that dark moonless night the DC-6 was unable to make radio contact with Moroni. There was no answer to their repeated calls, and the landing flare path had not been turned on. Having covered nearly 1400 nautical miles, and then flown around on reduced power over Moroni, Capt. Fantastic, and the head waiter look-alike Captain in command considered their options. Capt. Fantastic ventured the unwelcome opinion that as the passengers were all experienced aquatic divers, they should perhaps consider ditching the aircraft close to the Moroni shoreline. The flying Captain pointed out that the passengers may be good swimmers, and used to the sea, but that all their scuba equipment was locked in the underfloor holds, only accessible from outside the aircraft. After further discussion Capt. Fantastic suggested that the only realistic option they had was to head for Dar

The long route flown by the DC-6 to get the divers to the Comores.

es Salaam in Tanzania, a further 438 nautical miles away, and on first radio contact there declare a fuel emergency.

helped smooth the landing request, but airport officials were astounded to find that the 52 passengers all carried South African passports.

The other captain replied; “But that’s exactly where you told them they didn’t want to land, and the reason for the extra delay before the departure. And, anyway what about the presence of a large Russian fleet in the area?”

The passengers were deplaned and herded into the airport terminal lounge on a transit basis, while telephone calls were made to the police, and senior Tanzanian Government officials.

‘Well,” replied Capt. Fantastic. “I just made that up as a plausible explanation for our further departure delay.” Anyway, a couple of hours later, with the aircraft decidedly low on fuel, they declared an emergency, and were allowed to land in Dar es Salaam. Doubtless the aircraft’s American registration had

Fortunately, it seemed that the local government was keen to get rid of the aircraft and its South African contingent as soon as possible, before the press could arrive, and a full blown diplomatic incident ensued. Sadly, the crew did not have a fuel carne’ acceptable to the local fuel company, nor sufficient hard currency in US dollars to pay the landing fees, and refuel the aircraft.

FlightCom: November 2023

But fortunately the aircraft was owned by a construction company in Johannesburg, with international connections, so it was arranged for British Airways in Dar to pay all the applicable fees, and be compensated by one of the company’s overseas associates. This was done, and before too many local Tanzanians became aware of the potentially political embarrassment which the diversion had caused, the aircraft was once again taxiing out for takeoff with adequate fuel on board. Moreover, the Tanzanian government had secured landing permission for the aircraft at Moroni. They took off, and headed back towards the Comoros; with the head waiter still refusing to land on the shorter Mayotte airstrip, where the passengers needed to go. Some two hours later the DC-6 landed at Moroni, and immigration and customs formalities were completed. However after landing at Moroni the DC-6B became unserviceable with severe propeller pitch issues which were so bad the plane struggled to clear the runway. So it was then declared unairworthy, pending spare parts and rectification, which now had to be done on the very remote Comoros archipelago.

ferried the passengers and crew at last to their seaside accommodation. Some several days later it was necessary to arrange a transfer of US Dollar funds to the DC-6 crew, to cover expenses on Mayotte, where banking services were close go non-existent. It was decided a light aircraft should be despatched to the island carrying US Dollar cash funds. Knowing all the parties involved, and being considered an honest fellow, it was suggested that I pilot the aircraft for this mission. So, very early one bright morning, having been assured that Avgas was available in Mayotte, my then Commercial and instrument rated girlfriend pilot joined me, and due to the civil war in parts of northern Mozambique, we left Lanseria for Salisbury in the then Rhodesia for a refuelling stop, and bathroom break. This particular Cessna 210 Centurion was fitted with extra fuel tanks in the wing tips that increased our endurance from 6 to 8 hours.

pas s e ng e r s k i s s e d t he gr o und After the quick refuelling stop at the

Arguments ensued about how to get everyone to Mayotte, and to the ensemble’s great good fortune, a French Air Force C160 Transall was parked at Moroni. They were practising military exercises as the Comoros was once a French dependency. The good natured Transall crew negotiated some sort of permission, boarded the passengers and their scuba gear and luggage then flew them all to Mayotte. Grateful applause was accorded for this timeous favour. One last obstacle stood in the way of the passengers leaving the airport for their booked hotel. A 12 foot tidal drop between the airstrip and the main part of the island. A boat was arranged by the hotel, and once the tide table had been consulted, in due course several trips

28 FlightCom: November 2023

efficient then Salisbury main airport, we climbed to nine thousand five hundred feet and crossed northern Mozambique above extensive patches of cloud, which was a plus for being out of sight to potential ground fire. The weather cleared over the Indian Ocean, and we landed uneventfully on Mayotte. The tar airstrip was in good condition, and adequate in length for aircraft up to about the BAe 748 airliner, but not a heavy DC-6. Happily the tide fluctuation was in our favour, and a small boat, and then a Citroen delivered us to the small, but comfortable hotel. After a shower, cocktails, and an excellent sea food dinner, various passengers cited reasons to try hitch a lift back to South Africa on the C210. I deflected these inquires with the spurious arguments that this aircraft was not insured for passengers crossing a sizable tract of ocean, and in any event safe passage could not be guaranteed, as we only had one engine, and should that fail, we’d all be swimming with the sharks.

This seemed to dissuade them, although some suggested a lottery type arrangement which would permit 3 passengers to accompany Captain Fantastic, my co-pilot girlfriend and me back to Lanseria. I also tendered the excuse that the aircraft would be considerably overweight with the amount of fuel we had to carry to get back to the mainland. This mollified them, as they were unaware that a mildly overweight C210 would have no trouble launching enthusiastically from a smooth tar runway at sea level. After handing over the cash float to Captain Fantastic’s appointed deputy, we spent two nights on the island, our enjoyment only somewhat restrained by the understandably bleak mood of the now stranded diving club passengers. On the third morning, my girlfriend and I took off on the return trip to Salisbury and Lanseria with Captain Fantastic in full captain uniform occupying a middle seat. Interesting to relate, he slept, or feigned slumber over the oceanic portion of the route. As we crossed the African coast he opened his eyes, and asked; “Where are we?” “I was hoping you’d tell me,” I replied. While refuelling at Salisbury, Captain Fantastic caught sight of a South African registered Citation jet boarding for Lanseria, and tried to cadge a ride. I knew the pilot and persuaded him not to agree on the grounds of insurance and company policy, as I felt he had been responsible for this entire fiasco, and should arrive

home in a less triumphal style. This was relayed to him and accepted with bad grace. The only significant weather we encountered on the trip was a large and virulent late afternoon thunderstorm between Lanseria and Pretoria, necessitating us diverting to Wonderboom. Captain Fantastic lived in Pretoria, so his luck had finally turned, as after completing immigration and customs formalities, his wife arrived, and drove him home. An hour later the storm had passed, and my girlfriend flew us back to Lanseria. Several days later I was at Lanseria, when a chartered Safair L130 Hercules landed, and the Mayotte diving contingent and equipment disembarked. I now regret not having a camera with me, as several of the formerly stranded passengers actually knelt down and kissed the ground. The hapless DC-6 remained on Moroni Island for several further weeks, sadly corroding badly in close proximity to the salty sea. In due course, it was flown out by a different crew to Salisbury, where the efficient Rhodesian Affretair maintenance facility repaired it. Then it returned to service as the productive freighter it had been for many years. 

A Transall C-160F, of the French Air Force.

FlightCom: November 2023

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FlightCom Magazine

NEWS

100TH LONGITUDE DELIVERED Textron has delivered its 100th Cessna Citation Longitude – to a South African buyer and longtime operator of Cessna Citations and Textron products. THE LONGITUDE with Constructor’s Number 100, rolled off the Wichita production line in May in its green primer paint. The Longitude received its FAA type certificate in September 2019 with deliveries beginning the following October. The aircraft earned its type certificate under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in July 2021. As reviewed in the November issue of SA Flyer, the Citation Longitude “super-midsize” business jet features integrated autopilot and autothrottle systems with emergency descent mode (EDM), Garmin

synthetic vision technology (SVT), and in-flight diagnostics reporting. Powered by FADEC-equipped Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines, the model has a 3,500-nm range, full-fuel payload of 1,600 pounds, and top cruise speed of 483 knots. The Longitude has a 6-foot-tall, flat-floor cabin outfitted with fully berthable seats and technology designed to allow passengers “to manage their environment and entertainment from a mobile device.” It offers a cabin altitude of 4,950 feet at flight level (FL) 410 and can climb to FL430 in 20 minutes. 

The 100th Citation Longitude ready for delivery to South Africa in its final livery.

FlightCom: November 2023

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