> HUGH: WASPS IN THE COCKPIT!
> Lessons from the Ukraine Air War.
> TRAINING ‒ PRIMACY AND UNLEARNING
> GUY ‒ HOW DO FLIES L AND ON CEILINGS?
JIM: DON’T SCARE THE PUPE!
> PETER GARRISON: You Will Never Understand Lift!
> JANNIE MATTHYSEN: A Day in th e life of a heli Oil & Gas pilot
1 FIRST TIME BACK IN PRINT IN FIVE YEARS!
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WELCOME TO a historic edition of SA Flyer. Due to the appeals of those who prefer print to
In celebration of this return to print, columns, from Peter Garrison, Hugh Pryor and myself. These are those columns that you will want to cherish in hard copy.
In the bigger picture we all seem to be embroiled in a protracted cold war against
SALES MANAGER
Kerry Matthysen sales@saflyermag.co.za 082 572 9473
ACCOUNTS
Isabelle Leitch accounts@saflyermag.co.za
EDITOR
Guy Leitch guy@saflyermag.co.za
PUBLISHER
Laura McDermid laura@saflyermag.co.za
destroying the economy with a 17% increase in VAT. This will further pressure the many
We also continue to face debilitating to go away, particularly the mandatory 12bureaucrats just don’t get the fact that dangerous than a well-maintained and inspected 1800-hour engine. There are grounded from Part 135 and 141 ops by the on this ‘rule’. As I write, there is a huge and of the now infamous AIC 18.19.
CAA. I note with great concern that Santam is using ‘weasel words’ to repudiate a claim
to do with engine failure, but was caused by a solo student’s inability to handle a crosswind. Yet Santam is hiding behind the same old 12-year argument to repudiate the aircraft owners should boycott Santan.
in point is Plettenburg Bay Airport, which has now managed to cancel the agreement (Cape Winelands) and Gariep (Big Water) airports. The cancellation of the rsa.Aero
Fortunately Plett is in the better
And thus do bad times not last.
guy@saflyermag.co.za
PRODUCTION & LAYOUT
Patrick Tillman www.imagenuity.co.za design@saflyermag.co.za
CONTRIBUTORS
Jim Davis
Peter Garrison
Hugh Pryor
Morne Booij-Liewes
Laura McDermid
Jannie Matthysen
ILLUSTRATIONS
Darren Edward O'Neil
Joe Pieterse
WEB MASTER
Emily Kinnear
Bennie Erasmus saw the combination of light and landscape and using his cellphone, captured
Allow me for a moment to explore one of the great mysteries of aviation with a subject that has been around ever since Immelman rolled his Fokker rightway up at the top of a loop over the
THE IMMELMAN
who thought he just about had the Hun in his sights. But was it really new?
being doing Immelman’s for millions of years.
happily landed – upside down.
land on ceilings after a half loop? Or do they
then is it off a straight roll or a barrel roll? The aerodynamic implications are profound.
ceiling off a straight roll, does it need to, and
was with the aerobatic uber-pilots.
completely random and staccato fashion. Scully says that when they want to land on clutch onto the surface before they fall off. straight roll.
accomplished with magic snot and mirrors.
but otherwise ignorant outsider it seems to
featureless surface, and then pull up into a half loop of the correct the ceiling.
And what of the straight roll?
probably easier to judge than a half loop.
all things aerobatic, Brad Bennetts replied in writing to my poser by saying that, ‘Behind closed doors, aerodynamicists and scientists
therefore stay up - here Bernoulli’s theory goes out the window).
and at the same time enters a high g-stall (the same initial input it
respected as the Technicalities Editor of the American Flying
ceiling, and swings its body around the fulcrum of that grip until its other legs contact the surface.’
Peter then went on to add a few additional titbits of information. and short you Tube Video on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/
PETER GARRISON
THE AUTHOR is an emeritus professor at of science: how cultural and personal factors shape the motion whodunit from the BBC, concerns the efforts of scientists and 1909 and 1930 to understand how wings produce lift. of manufacturers and aeronautical engineers, who built tens of They did — that was all that mattered.
The sense in which scientists understand something is not the to the wings of airplanes. We understand lift by empathy: We feel it. brains of Cambridge and Göttingen. They were not Impressionists.
what was happening, since real wings produce real lift and real drag. Where were they coming from?
the riddle from different angles. It was not just a matter of national on the problem were pure mathematicians in the last degree, mostly from their country’s system of technical upper schools, in which it of a problem.
fact that an aerofoil slows the air passing below it and accelerates the aerofoil, angling it slightly downward. This small downward (or feet of air per second — produces the reaction that we call lift or, in the case of a propeller, thrust.
It was possible, if you made the right set of assumptions, to get
It was actually an Englishman, a plebeian polymath named
proposed a circulation theory of lift in the 1890s and connected the circulation to the technical school.
Circulation was mathematically illegal. Thus, the fact that real wings displayed
a circulation theory, far from gratifying the Cambridge idealists, put them into a moral and intellectual dilemma.
The worst of it was that they possessed the problem for them, but they could not get which air really is. Unfortunately, these so-
German aeronautical research, centred better balance of the ideal and the practical.
a bridge between the ideal and the real. The
the British during the war. Only after the end of hostilities in 1918 did German technical
dawned on the British that, while they had been banging on a door that refused to open, the Germans had gone around the corner to
The presence of the boundary layer in effect changes the shape of an aerofoil, between the ideal and the real. It is largely to Prandtl’s insights that we owe the modern ability to accurately simulate, with digital aeroplanes.
As late as 1925, one of the British
A useful illustration of the evolution of the
problem of stalling — their grail was a theory
had focused his attention upon the small aeroplanes. Within that range, he was able to deduce a number of simple formulas that still form the basis of aeronautical analysis and performance prediction today.
The contribution for which Prandtl is most famous is the concept of the boundary
does an aerofoil lift?’ We can hardly rest
can be subtly circumscribed by certain by the way the problem is initially framed. pigheaded and obtuse some of them may men. England threw its best and brightest at it.
action/reaction — the wing pushes air down,
At the time Southwell said these words, purposes. Still, he wasn’t wrong; in the terms of pure mathematical analysis in which the British had framed the problem, lift remained
in accordance with basic physical laws that Isaac Newton. are correct, but they don’t go far. We are tots laid siege to the stronghold of lift and were
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JIM DAVIS
The last couple of months have been about the basics of spinning – stuff every pilot should
NOW WE ARE GOING all the common ways of getting into a spin – deliberately and what the industry says about spin training. Basically, there are three approaches:
1. with spins
2. Woah! let’s catch spins in the incipient stage
3. Come darling! I’ll show you how to
parishioner, which one of these doctrines sits most comfortably with you?
Anyone who has had proper spin training
spin training. When I say ‘proper’ I mean training done in an honest aircraft that spins comfortably and predictably. And the guy, or girl, in the right hand seat is an instructor enjoys it.
Since this is largely for instructors – this means that you are the guy or girl in the right hand seat. If the pupe sees that you are at ease and enjoying yourself – guess what? – your pupil is also going to be cool about it.
case – I suggest you introduce spinning while congregation hurls abuse and rotten fruit.)
probably on stalling) I do a demonstrate a spin. I do this to defuse that terror of spinning that your pupe’s coconut.
So when it comes to your pupe’s actual spinning lesson they will pay attention to the classroom
trembling and dripping with fear. Their eyes night’s sleep. Got it?
pupe that they will be doing spins, or going be happy.
So, before descending from doing upper area, you do your clearing turn and select a you are going to demo a spin in preparation Tell the pupe that you are going to enter spins more comfortable than right hand ones.
count the rotations.
the controls if they meet three pre-spin
• They trust you
•
•
If you are in doubt about the third – don’t spin – terminate their training. It has only happened to me once, and it’s not fun –you need a plan B to unglue them from the controls. The plan B can either be physical –
belt them in the face, or it can be mental – try
by replacing it with a familiar problem – I turned it into a simulated forced landing on
on to the controls – particularly around the circuit. In fact I read of
This means that should the pupe disagree with the instructor on such matters as, for instance, the positioning of the controls, the pupe will do it his way.
5. The must be retracted
The C of G must be at its forward limit
1. Engine idling. happen:
1. slipstream, will still generate lift.
2. The nose up attitude will mean that the downward component of the slipstream generates lift.
3. lift on the inner sections of the wings.
4.
5. The asymmetric blade effect of the propeller also causes a which you must counteract with right aileron.
and pulls the pin from his harness so he can turn round in his seat. accidentally. A deliberate spin holds no inherent danger because you are often in the circuit. They are usually fatal because of the surprise partially stalled) and the other unstalled (or less stalled). Also remember that a stall happens when a wing (or part of it) stalls before you can properly get your head around spinning.
The stall speed – as shown in the POH – is the speed at which the aircraft will stall under the following conditions:
1. The engine must be idling
2. The aircraft must be at gross weight
3. The aircraft must be at 1G
4. The aircraft must be maintained at a constant altitude
enough. This condition is common during a go-around. It almost always causes the aircraft to crash to the left of the centerline in a spin to the left.
The problem is not enough right rudder to counteract the effects of power.
If you learn nothing more from this whole article that is the most
2. Gross Weight. a wing has to carry then you need to increase the lift by increasing
3. 1G.
4. Constant altitude. So when you practice a normal 1G stall
On most light aircraft you will need to decrease airspeed at about 1 speed.
6. C of G at the forward limit.
All this means that a stall is a bit of a slippery animal and not easy to pin down.
Now, to see what this has to do with spins, we need a bit more information.
Things that cause one wing to stall before the other – particularly when close to the stall.
Yawing.
This is the most common way of inducing a spin – either deliberately or accidentally. If you use left rudder to yaw the aircraft to the left, then the left wing will slow down and the right wing will speed up.
drag which slows it more and stalls it more deeply. And this causes the other wing to rise, get less stalled and less draggy.
The feeling of sideslipping into the turn causes you to use too much rudder.
The idea that you are going too fast, caused by the increased
The perception that your rate of climb has decreased, caused by
Cowboying
is particularly dangerous. There are two reasons why this is such a
I emphasise the word automatically because that’s where we get the term autorotation. The aircraft needs no help from you – that’s
And while we are about it we need to understand the word incipient – for the start of a spin.
My Chambers says incipient means: beginning, originating, that an incipient spin is the start of a spin. In other words, the spin starts as the wing drops and autorotation grabs hold of it.
A gust
Aileron drag
The use of aileron can start a spin on some aircraft. Say the
to a spin.
A hammerhead
with aileron, particularly if the speed decays, you are all set to spin.
Low level illusions
into a steep climbing left turn.
of hundred feet up, almost at right angles to the runway with 70° of
the nose towards the left wingtip. That means down. And the further effect of the rudder is to roll the aircraft more to the left, increasing the cruel world.
the last thoughts of many a promising young pilot. As well as older and seemingly wiser ones.
spins, taildraggers and basic aerobatics.
reputation for fatal spins. It seems that the more spin-resistant they
accidents with spin resistant aircraft accidents with other aircraft
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FOR THE SCEPTICS, a battery powered plane is an are used up.
big a sceptic you may be – battery electric power is a reality. And 2022.
PIPISTREL’S VELIS ELECTRO
Which brings us to the subject of our Electro.
Battery technology has been around for plane?
especially as half the circuit is done at almost no power.
which it is aimed.
Velis Electo’s design and structure are essentially the same. So for cooling systems.
Although the fuselage of the Electro is fundamentally the same as its siblings, the which is 19 degrees.
for pitch trim. The rudder is cable actuated.
pilot’s door, and a small outlet in the belly. More about this later.
recharged within one to two hours.
It’s the electric controls which are of custom made by Pipistrel.
In the centre-right of the panel is the Electronic Propulsion System Instrument (EPSI). This is the main source of information about the operational state of the aircraft –most importantly, the health of the engine and batteries. The EPSI has multiple pages: for shows the state of charge in percentage and
Another interesting feature, and again
to monitor the aircraft and its systems remotely, through an app which shows position and ordinary happens.
it’s
house at Pipistrel.
the three-phase AC supply to the motor.
300 amps, and that’s a lot of juice – and a lot of heat. Both the electric motor and power pump and a radiator.
warm and cold weather, but are best at around cooling when the batteries are being charged.
and fans are all monitored by the Battery Management System (BMS). The BMS performs myriad functions, including
calculating the battery State Of Charge (SOC) and State Of Health (SOH). SOC is
It can be recharged in
the ‘age’ of the battery, which affects how much energy it parachute nor baggage bay.
As the Velis Electro is still in its test phase and has to be operated from one airport, it was transported by Absolute
nice touch.
while the pedestal that braces the instrument binnacle
suction when the big three-phase charger is turned on to charger supplied with the aircraft can recharge at rates of thermal runaway when the batteries are being charged is
on the Velis’s prop as this puts a non-designed for load on the electric motor’s thrust bearing. Another interesting feature is that you can rotate the prop easily with just one effect from the prop windmilling.
EPSI shows rpm and power in both digital and analogue formats, the all-important battery state of charge (SOC) in
rear propulsion system batteries and coolant temperatures for the engine and battery systems.
An annunciator panel has ‘Master Warning’ and ‘Master Caution’ indications for failures in the propulsion system. These are reinforced by aural warnings. There’s also a
consists of battery temperature sensors and two warning
There is a plethora of placards. Notably the limiting room for a go-around.
START-UP
haptic stall warning system.
the undercarriage.
PRE-TAKEOFF CHECKS
The run-up is simple: set full power to ensure the system
Another interesting feature is it does not idle. When you pull spins into life again.
FLYING THE ELECTRO
the needles of both the prop rpm and power are in the top of the seconds.
trainer, so cruise performance is secondary. But with the on the ground.
see the time remaining jump. Because the plane has so little
the digital rpm display also changes to yellow. The big gauge registers remaining battery time. When we
The SOC indication was at 50% and this means that is consumed at MTOP, if the SOC indication is below 15% an
amber caution message stating ‘NO on the annunciator panel, which must arounds are not an option.
The limitations of battery technology mean an electric aircraft is not yet a practical touring plane to go for circuit training, but there’s more to it than that. It is possible that the electric with a hydrogen fuel cell. And battery
The big challenges for all electric recharge times. As electric cars engines had a TBO of around twenty hours, and now turbofans remain ‘on
The Velis Electro is hugely in building a practical circuit training and gets all sort of green credits. The future is indeed here.
Dimensions
Height 1.90m
Wing span 10.71m
Wing area
Weights and loadings
Empty weight
MTOW
Useful load
Wing loading
Power loading (MCP)
Vne (IAS)
Stall
Performance
Climb rate
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by Peter Garrison
JIM DAVIS
Jim’s Note: The SACAA seem to have lost all but the newest and oldest accident reports. This is not a bad thing because I have found Canadian reports are excellent and have selected this one, because it deals with issues very relevant to South Africa – particularly density altitude, spinning, and post maintenance
Background information
The accident aircraft had been damaged
was reinstalled and a repaired replacement right
History of the flight
On 28 August 2023, at Claresholm Industrial
[after the rebuild] the aircraft was conditionally released by the AMO pending a satisfactory test
The pilot occupied the right seat, which was the seat that she normally used when conducting aerial photography. After the run-up,
substantially damaged. There was no post-
Aircraft information
Ground scars were consistent with the aircraft contacting the ground in a spin to the left.
was set to full rich. Damage to the propeller was consistent with power being produced at impact.
total capacity of 37.5 US gallons.
engine monitor which recorded an increase in 8 U.S. gallons per hour, which is consistent seconds later.
temperatures were consistent with the engine
system, stall warning system, and engine were
The seat position was appropriate for the
Weather information
30 minutes before the accident, a nearby station reported:
Temperature 29.5 °C
Dew point 3.8 °C
described the aircraft in a shallow climb and then turning sharply to the left before entering a steep turning descent.
All aircraft components were located in
control should be leaned anytime that operations
The combination of high temperature
performance of the airplane in the following ways:
The engine power is decreased because its substantially reduced.
According to the POH, with the aircraft at
density altitude at the time of the occurrence, CAS.
Entry into a spin can occur at practically any the aircraft is stalled.
Ailerons – neutral Throttle – idle
Note: allow at least 1000’ for a 1-turn spin
This company has been conducting aerial at the time of the occurrence. The company
pilots are commercially licensed, and the photos are then brought to the property owners for possible purchase.
the hangar where it made a splendid home for generations of rats.
seems that despite appearances they are not
Cessnas that prefer to drop a particular wing on the stall. Or ones that don’t want to spin in a certain direction.
It seems the rigging of those wings can be
predictable on the stall.
a commercial pilot licence – aeroplane, a multiengine rating, and a Group 1 instrument
company. At the time of the occurrence, her total 150/152 aircraft. Her commercial pilot licence
the accident because the aircraft was being repaired.
Jim’s comments
What a pleasure to read a well-written accident report. A few things jump out at me as I
Rebuilt aircraft. Some years ago I did a to the right wing. The wing had been rebuilt by
That’s really not good enough. A far more
He made a couple of small adjustments and I tested it again with identical results. He then
There was more measuring, adjusting and consulting with the factory in the USA. Nothing
the accident was caused by a potentially twitchy aircraft. the crash site was 215’ left of centreline, or had she fallen into the trap of not using enough right
Now we come to more serious stuff. She summer temperatures for this operation.
(if the report has untangled its GS and CAS IAS ft/min.
been an accident. So was the crash due to aircraft?
learn from this unfortunate girl’s death.
Don’t be a test pilot if it’s not your job.
Always use POH speeds.
EVERY SOUTH AFRICAN has
thing called ‘The December Holidays’ means to them. And, no matter how far the journey is to get there, be damn sure we’ll
Hop across South Africa.
Free-State, to landing on a sweltering 44°C tar strip in the Northern Cape, the team stopped off at 17 spots to bring the High Wing to the public.
Wing was a myth. They’d seen it on YouTube, behind the trip.
Starting at their home in Parys in the Freeroute:
Bethlehem – Harrismith – Bingelela - El Paradise Beach - Plettenberg Bay - Oudtshoorn
- Mossel Bay - Cape Town - Saldanha - Van
While inclement weather meant stops in
locations to see the aircraft in action and in many
misconceptions about the plane. So, it was an incredible feeling to blow their minds with the
Whether it was the plane’s ease of entry, spacious interior or the sheer unmatched power
among pilots, including myself initially, that rough
Paradise Beach, where team Sling spent 4-5
stop. No matter who we called, whether it was for landing strip information, a hangar for the
High Wing after this trip. We pushed the plane to but no hassles. There’s a common thought
For anyone wanting to enjoy their own
The most beautiful part of the trip. And the
South Africa, at some point on your journey, you’re going to come across bad weather. If it’s one place, so be it. The only thing I would do concluded.
So, when December rolls around again and
to offer in one go.
wish list for Christmas as nine new additions are seen in this category.
Air Glaciers SA between 1993 until its retirement
additions, we see three narrowbody airliners
(24917). This plane was formerly registered in the Gambia as C5registration after a short sojourn on the be completed in South America. I wonder if SAA Technical, which had done most of the past few years’ maintenance, was too busy
Three new helicopters are registered:
Helicopters) EC120B added. This is the second EC120B to be
registered in two months so there seems to be a renewed interest locally in what was the smallest member of the Eurocopter stable until production of the type ceased in 2017 with some 700 units built.
were sold to South African owners with one of its selling points being the low noise footprint of the type.
In the deletions we see 11 aircraft and helicopters
type was at one stage the stalwart of the carrier’s stage, also the biggest operator of the type globally before the carrier added Embraer jets for additional foundation for what is today South Africa’s biggest has emigrated to Australia as VH-A75. The jet was
Port Hedland and Ceduna (both in Australia).
On the rotorwing front, an Airbus Helicopters of a middleman in the deal to supply these elderly
perhaps some of our readers can enlighten me
Finally, two Sling aircraft, a Sling TSi and Sling
to the USA of the former SAAF Aermacchi AM-3C page reports that this plane is now registered as
IHAVE GREAT NEWS – such a chart methodical Germans, so its accurate. Made by Eisenschmidt, this is the chart
As a long-time user of EasyPlan and Andrea Antel that it would be so much better where you are.
My wish has now been answered – and far better than I dared hope. Andrea has teamed up with Eisenschmidt to produce the chart we always wanted, at least of the
read them off. But the best part is the detail reporting points – and also the detailed
All the details are in notes on the chart.
- errm – the west one’.
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BUSH PILOT HUGH PRYOR
IT WAS AN EXCITING start to a
the headwaters of that mighty waterway, the southern reaches of the Nile were to be our home for a couple of Otter in support of the United Nations World Food Programme. We were bringing food and other
I say ‘we’ I mean my crew and I and when of command.
were bits missing. If he said it was NOT wife told me to! before. She was from that tragic disaster
her home, although her family had been dispossessed, along with so many other unfortunates who dared to disagree with the megalomaniac pensioner whose regime brought that once prosperous and Chrystal was a gentle tom-boy.
there could be no doubt about the strength in her shoulders. Her trim,
from the inside. The pleasure of hearing it was only enhanced by its rarity. I could go on, but....well... what I really meant to say all along and Monthlies, Summaries Of Hours, Passenger Manifests, Cargo manifests and returns, Fuel receipts and records and Personal Flying a lot, too.
relationship with the aircraft...that chemistry between pilot and aeroplane which is something absolutely without price. In our particular branch of
insect probed our defences.
Chrystal’s only concession to her gender was that she would always wear a pair of hard
the aircraft.
humble piece of hosepipe can be worth a thousand ducats.
The simple action of opening the window and sliding one end of the hose outside, puts
as well as, if not better than a lot of their male counterparts. It appears You may be under the impression that this state of affairs is the serenity is actually surprisingly fragile and can fall to pieces
members of the insect world, into the hands of a pilot.
into the far, unreachable recesses of the
slipstream passing the end of the hosepipe, outside the window.
The titanic struggle could only end one way, of course. The
T-hangar available for rent at a secure private farm airstrip near White River. No landing fees. Power available. R2200/m. Contact Jeremy (064 931 1642).
THE NEWSPAPERS were people had endured and how was affected from missionary nuns, to families and businesses. at the time, there were people who had been Congo in a Piper Commanche until the the Belgian colonial powers. forest.
For her courage and dedication, she was awarded the Commendation for Valuable
to be awarded the Amelia Earhart Medal for her courage and rescue missions in the shape of a coin with her name inscribed
She stayed on the family farm, learning to be a farmer. Her stepmother, Mary Wright had a half share in a where she remained for two bought was a Miles Magister. She joined the Aero Club of East Africa where she got her
She nurtured a sweet superstition. In Mombasa, at the age of carried it with her. freelance. forgotten it.
for training.
were immaculate with someone coming out to meet them at each other bush airstrips along the route.
JANNIE MATTHYSEN
different, as ocean, clouds, and sunrise all conspire to produce a breathtaking vista while we
WITH THE completed, we accomplish before we land in another hour and twenty minutes.
iPad applications to predict the S92’s landing performance. We accomplished conditions.
offshore platform.
20 minutes before landing. They use this safety precautions are in place, prepare for refuelling, brief and prepare passengers and
Typically, there are around 3 to 8
This is a particularly busy and potentially
The noise and spinning rotors from the
room for errors. followed by our company operations centre, in the operations centre is also at hand to
In addition to normal VHF radios, we’re landing. Our approaches in the S-92 are painfully or runway. Speed and height are both
A low rate of descent and absence of
15 – 20 minutes, and the return passengers are only boarded once refuelling has been completed.
It is with a sense of relief that we close
Today’s approach and landing is we spool down the rotor to idle before they approach.
The helicopter becomes the centre of attention as luggage and passengers
his crew scurries down the stairs and out of
and it’s only when we climb away and raise
ocean below, a gentle tailwind, and feel a deep sense of gratitude. In the world of
TTAF: 7195 hrs: In
Engines/Props
• LH engine 659 hrs SMOH
• RH engine 1235 hrs SMOH
• Props overhauled 2024
• New rubber fuel cells in wings
• GAMI fuel nozzles
Key avionics:
• Dual Garmin G5 primary flight instruments
• Genesys (STEC) 3100 digital autopilot
• GTN 625
• GNS 430 Nav/Com
• GNC 225 Nav/Com.
• G500TXi as primary engine instrument with CiES digital fuel senders
We elevate the art of aviation design to new heights. Our innovative approach blends cutting-edge technology with timeless elegance, transforming aircraft into personalized sanctuaries of comfort and style. From bespoke seating & advanced cabin layouts to exquisite liveries, we craft every detail to ensure your journey is as extraordinary as your destination.
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one of the common pitfalls pilots face during their journey from student pilot to professional pilot is the knock-on effects of errors, misunderstandings and knowledge
LEARNING IS and automatic processes. During this process, the ‘primacy effect’ to better remember, as well as place more whether correct or incorrect. pilot learns a concept incorrectly during presented with correct information later, the to critical errors, especially in high-pressure
strictly to a syllabus, a series of training and the license is often left to the students own many aspiring pilots opt for self-study due the material. While the pilot may progress through the academics, this approach can create an unintended, and potentially bias.
affects primacy - the principle that what is correct or incorrect. semi-circle with a gap).
complete the shape by drawing a full circle, though logical, is not the only possible at the desired answer ‘B’ but the procedure been incorrect. The same philosophy, and
There are multiple ways to complete the shape, demonstrating that a single, using incorrect reasoning, shortcuts, or straightforward nature of assessments. It may be argued that pilots can correct
said than done. The brain learns through neuroplasticity—the process of forming and strengthening neural pathways. When information is learned incorrectly, the brain establishes faulty pathways, which must and repetition.
greater learning intensity, and prolonged process is time-consuming and effortpilots tend to default to their earliest learned responses. If those responses are incorrect,
feature in any aircraft is a well-trained pilot. This underscores the importance of laying the right foundation from the beginning.
correct deeply embedded misconceptions later.
and industry best practices.
A Professional Attitude: This includes maintaining a sceptical mindset, situational challenges, all elements of Human Factors Training.
pilots adhere strictly to SOPs, ensuring consistency and safety in operations.
All three of these factors fall within the
The best pilots are students of
pilots—but their errors tend to be fewer, less
professionals to foreign carriers, resulting in a rapid progression of pilots through the career progression, it poses challenges instructors transition to the airline sector. In the face of this shortage, junior
communities, engaging in structured study programs to reinforce core concepts and committing to a growth mindset that embraces continuous learning and self-
research by Paul A. Craig, a career pilot regardless of their licenses or ratings. This is largely due to the fact that the
can be disastrous.
A detailed analysis of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
failure to adhere to one or more of these success factors.
Pilot safety depends on their ability classroom.
African pilot?
notably a potential pilot shortage. The South
As the saying goes; a good pilot uses that goes beyond just teaching a syllabus careers.
instructors presents challenges, it also independence, adaptability, and strong
human error, either as a primary cause or contributing factor. After decades of accident
some pilots consistently performed better than others.
A study conducted by the Flight Safety
It is far harder to unlearn something
Llessons:
T. GEN.
(ret), writing in Air&Space Forces
superiority at the outset cost Putin’s forces
resources and capabilities. This is what has its territory throughout the war.
Both sides possess lethal air defences that deny opposing air forces the ability to penetrate their battlespace. The result is an as it has the greater number of aircraft and underlines the importance of additional
potential to turn things around. Properly integrated air-ground campaign to secure air superiority, in the times and places of its operations that integrate their long-range surface-to-surface weapons with combat aircraft, drones, cyber operations, electronic
warfare (EW), and special operations to relying instead on missiles and drones. The state of air parity, in which neither force has aircraft.
has been the freedom to operate from a territory and airspace.
airpower impacted the war much less than
In the buildup to war, the balance of region, capable of hundreds of sorties per Su-30, Su-34, and Su-35S jets.
personnel were trained to do maintenance
security, and dummy batteries and radar sites, augmented by signals deception, were
recently highlighted this condition as his military’s top concern.
edge, with better radars and longer-range (PGMs).
smaller and less capable force—roughly 50 MiG-29s and 32 Su-27s, plus about 40 to low-altitude operations for self-protection,
to be greeted with open arms throughout was to employ special forces to eliminate army in the east and southeast and the air capabilities to gain control of the air. With the opening of hostilities
defense targets (air bases, radars, SAM and anti-aircraft batteries, and command and
three months of the war.
Unable to respond to the rapidly
until the GBAD could reconstitute.
the initial target set with mostly unguided weapons and poor accuracy.
air patrols in support of the penetrating
MANPADS, losing an estimated eight
By October 2022, the two sides reached a stasis that continues to the present.
sorties too dangerous, while SAMs and
cruise missiles and drones and nearly 80 percent of air- and ground-launched ballistic missiles nationwide. Patriot missiles, where employed, shot down 100 percent of incoming ballistic missiles. Such success reluctant to penetrate these defences.
2022 illustrates the same fears held by the U.S. Air Force regarding GBADs following 1970s as a means to counter integrated air
aerial combat operations concentrated modern war was a strategic miscalculation. superiority.
altitudes lethal to penetrating sorties on both sides.
in deeper penetration missions, forcing it to rely on drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.
Gulf War, fuelling an appetite for stealth that included the B-2 bomber, the F-22 and F-35
three decades.
in the war
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AviSys looks forward to establish long and just relationships with our client base, in order to meet our high standards of customer satisfaction.
A warm Thank You and shout out to our long standing and loyal Customers’ Support for the past 14 years!
Email: dewald@avisys.co.za
Phone: +27 (0) 83 442 5884
Fax: +27 (0) 86 618 6996
Web: www.avisys.co.za
HAVIN g attended both Middleburg and Airspan
the fellowship of our EAA a whistlestop tour, or more leisurely with attractions and the great accommodation information is the pilot’s responsibility as resources can be helpful, but a call to the most reliable source for the condition of a
1-AeroFarm Harrismith; 18/36 5580’
route stop for fuel and a leg stretch, and a bolt hole if the weather has pushed up to the N3 from the Harrismith municipal runway which is no longer usable as it has been a for fuel and to open the clubhouse for the loo
2-Ladysmith FALY; 11/29 3548’
town, another option for en-route/ weather
Van Der Merwe; 083 788 2704
3-El Mirrador FALQ; 06/24 4200’ 800 M grass strip 21 NM W of Estcourt. A well established and popular destination
end of the runway. The approach for 24 is has a slope with high ground to the west, so Scharff 082 551 2592
4.Himeville 04/22 5100’
Slight slope, typically 22 landing, ridge to the boundaries has the entire escarpment charted the mountains.
084 580 5933
5.Meadow Lane; 01/19 5335’ Grass runway 430 m, sloped. Microlight / a ridge, this runway is typically for microlights/ similar! 5 self-catering cottages, bass dam,
6.Richmond (McKenzie’s) 11/29 2750’ Grass runway 1100 m, good condition.
to Friday 08:30-2:00, Saturday 8:30-12:00 , if needed.
Estate is the home of chapter 1502. A neat clubhouse and member hangars are at the eastern end of the runway.
throughout the year with local crafts, food stalls and open gardens. EAA 1502
great opportunity to meet fellow EAAers and enjoy a family day out.
700 m 04/22 700’ amsl 1500’ circuits to the West. Situated 3.2 nm inland from the Noel McDonnagh’s World of Wings Flight School. A great strip and well positioned to August. The sardine run is an annual migration pursuing predators!
Noel McDonnagh 072 117 5130; noel@
Remember
VMC into IMC accidents and is notorious for its sudden changes, especially in the summer.
current is pushed up against a series of ridges 11,000’, in just 100 nm.
the patterns which cause the weather to early winter offers the most stable weather.
crossing of the escarpment. With that said,
Courtesy among pilots has always been
is only a small selection, there are many more and midlands, and the controlled airports of
to offer, you will not be disappointed.
AIRSPAN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT
, a dynamic, young, registered airport, just east of runway, helipads, aprons, 1000+ people (no landing fees)!
The full contact details are as
BRITS FLYING CLUB
Brits Flying Club, Founded in 1952, Brits Flying Club is one of South Africa’s
AIRFIELD , home of EAA Chapter 1502, is located on the historic rules)
+27823225722
Co-ordinates S29"44.9 E029"30.2
+27823225722
AIRFIELD
is located central
Kitty Hawk Aerodrome, your friendly
at FABS, our 900m asphalt runway (02/20)
Telephone : 012 255 0155
The clubhouse has a restaurant, lounge, stays.
No landing fees charged, open to the
KRUGERSDORP
PlessisAlexanderAthlone Park031 904
849 6512pdceras-ass@mweb.co.za FeinbergRodneyLyndhurst011 882 6010rodneyfeinberg@gmail.com GovenderDeenaUmhlanga Rocks031 566 2066/7deena@drdg.co.za
HeadBrandonSandton010 448 0900reception@drbradonhead.joburg ManeliLumkaSandton083 471 2051lumka@doyioccuhealth.co.za
ToerienHendrikWhite River, Nelspruit013 751 3848hctoerien@viamediswitch.co.za
CAPE TOWN
Erwin Electrical Solutions t/a AES(021)934 5373
ExecuJet South Africa(021)934 5764934 2087
Ultimax Aviation (Pty) Ltd(072)878 8786 DURBAN
BAC Aviation(035)797 3610797 5341
GRAND CENTRAL AIRPORT
Astwood Aircraft Electrical(011)315 9605315 0094
Superior Rotorworx(076)595 2120
KRUGERSDORP
Skyworx Aviation(082)346 0150086 697 9096 LANSERIA AIRPORT
Erwin Electrical Solutions t/a AES(021)934 5373
ExecuJet South Africa(011)516 2300011 659 1071
Gem Air(082)905 5760011 701 2653
Guardian Air Maintenance(011)701 3011
Lanseria Aircraft Interiors(011)659 1962
Plane Maintenance Facility(011)659 2204 pmf@myconnection.co.za
SkySource International SA(011)900 4300
The Propeller Shop(011)701 3114 086 543 7988
Tynay Aviation(082)088 6663 011 659 1157/8
CAPE WINELANDS AIRPORT
Diepkloof Aircraft Maintenance(083)454 6366 NELSPRUIT
Aircraft Maintenance International(013)741 8221082 787 0415
Leading Edge Helicopters cc(013)741 5582741 8188
NEW TEMPE BLOEMFONTEIN
Ferreira Aviation(051)451 1682451 1683 OR TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Nevergreen Aircraft Industries(010)003 3747 manager@nevergreen.co.za
Star Air Maintenance(011)395 2201973 4761
RAND AIRPORT1
Aerospace Electroplating(011)827 7535827 9896
Aviation Rebuilders CC(011)827 2491 lyn@aviationrebuilders.com
Clifton Electronics(011)383 2024086 689 5645
Dynamic Propellers(082)445 4496086 548 2651
Skytrim(011)827 6638 www.skytrim.co.za
RAND AIRPORT CONTINUED
Emperor Aviation(082)497 1701
FLYONICS (Pty) Ltd(082)686 2374
michael@flyonics.co.za
Heli-Afrique cc(011)827 8632086 503 1870
SPRINGS AIRFIELD
Legair Maintenance(083)736 3969086 508 6010
WONDERBOOM AIRPORT - PRETORIA
208 Aviation083 744 3412
Aerocore(012)110 4033082 565 2330
Aircraft Maintenance @ Work Pty Ltd(012)567 3443
Aerotric(087)802 1347
aerotric@aol.com
Aero Engineering & Powerplant(012)543 0948543 9447
AviSys Aviation Systems(083)442 5884086 618 6996
Avtech(082)749 9256
APCO Pty Ltd(012) 543 0775 567 3630
Breytech Aviation cc(012)567 3500086 643 0122
Propeller Centre cc(012)567 1689
NIGERIA - MURTALA MUHAMMED INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
ExecuJet Aviation Nigeria Ltd+2341295 5110
JOHANNESBURG
F Gomes Upholsters (011)614 2471614 9806
PRETORIA M&N Acoustics Services Pty (Ltd)
272 5547info@aifa.co.za
Helicopter Training (044)876-0096
Alpi Flight Academy (082)556-3592086-605-8948
LANSERIA AIRPORT / RANDBURG Aeronav Academy(011)701-3862701-3873
CSA Aviation(011)701-3835www.cirrussa.co.za
Skyhawk Aviation(011) 701-2622701-2623
MOSSEL BAY
Starlite Aviation Training Academy (044)692-0006www.starliteaviation.com
PANORAMA
Johannesburg Flying Academy(064)756 6356
PORT ELIZABETH
Algoa Flying Club (041)581-3274086-461-7067
RAND AIRPORT
Johannesburg School of Flying(011)827 9827info@jsf.co.za
U Fly Training Academy (011)824-0680390-1738
VEREENIGING AIRPORT
Bird Aviation(016)556-1007info@birdaviation.co.za
WINDHOEK - EROS AIRPORT
Desert Air (PTY) LTD+26461 228101+264 61 254 345
WONDERBOOM AIRPORT / AEROPARK / RHINO PARK - PRETORIA
Blue Chip Flight School(012)543-3050543-1826
Loutzavia(012)567-6775543-1519
Legend Sky(083)860-5225 086-600-7285
Powered Flight Training(078)460-1231086-666-2077
Vortx Aviation Training(072)480-0359086-524-0949
