FlightCm African Commercial Aviation
Africa’s Biggest Aviation Magazine Edition 301 February 2021 Cover: Francois Potgieter
FLIGHT TEST: THE AMAZING VANSIN! CAA DOSSIER – BULLYING TACTICS EXPOSED JIM – FUELISH ASSUMPTIONS! COVID – FELLS AVIATION’S BESTS GUY – QUESTIONS CAA CADET SCHEME CAN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY SURVIVE COVID? 1
February 2021
LANSERIA AIRPORT REVIEW
p
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POSITION REPORT WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY TONEDEAFNESS TO ITS AVIATION COMMUNITY, THE SOUTH AFRICAN CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY IS CELEBRATING ITS EXTRAVAGANT CADET SCHEME BEING RUN IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE.
cadets are expected to become aeronautical engineers. But then this raises the question of why go to the great cost of providing students with that level of tertiary education if the objective is to redress the shortage of pilots from previously disadvantaged groups in South Africa.
TWO years ago the CAA selected six ‘previously disadvantaged individuals’ to receive flying training
it could have been done far more cost-effectively
at the prestigious École Nationale de l’Aviation
and quicker in South Africa. Skyhawk Aviation, a
Civile (ENAC) in Toulouse. After nearly two years
flight school at Lanseria provides accommodation,
in France, just four of the six cadets have now gone
food and transport for its many foreign students at
solo.
a cost of around 10,000 per month. In the USA it is at least double that, and in the south of France it is
Solo? Surely they should have received frozen ATPLs by now? This seems like the most
reckoned to be triple that cost. And then there is the inordinate amount of time
extraordinary underperformance. Inevitably questions are being asked about these students’
taken so far. As noted, it should take a month to go
abilities, and the process used for their selection.
solo, not two years – yet still only half the cohort
These days it takes around 15 – 20 hours to go
has gone solo. In South Africa there is a wash-out
solo. A student with hand-eye coordination should
policy. To prevent flight schools milking hopeless
easily be able to go solo in a month of full-time
cases, if students have not gone solo by 30 hours,
training – not two years! No doubt COVID-19 will be
they must be evaluated by an independent examiner.
blamed, but they had a year in France before it hit –
How many hours do these cadets have after two
more than enough time to complete a PPL and CPL.
years?
At time of writing there are still many unanswered questions: Perhaps they had to do nothing but learn French
A further question is why train at a French school? – when the universal language of aviation is English. Given the problems South Africa has
for the first six months – or a year?
with aviation skills retention, surely this increases
ENAC is not just a flying school,
the likelihood that these cadets will use their new
but a university. Students get their
language skills to seek better jobs elsewhere – in
PPLs (and depending on the course, CPLs and ATPLs) as part of a broader programme, so perhaps the
4
If the objective was to get these six cadets a CPL,
February 2021
Francophone countries, without South Africa’s racial baggage? I put a list of 12 questions about to this scheme to the CAA, but had not received an answer by the time this editorial was finalised.
Guy Leitch
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COLUMNISTS SA FLYER
16 Guy Leitch - ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE 22 Peter Garrison - LEADING EDGE 28 Jim Davis - PLANE TALK 40 George Tonking - HELI OPS 46 Johan Walden - A SLIM LOGBOOK 52 Ray Watts - REGISTER REVIEW 88 Jim Davis - ACCIDENT REPORT
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February 2021
FLIGHTCOM
8 12
Bush Pilot - Hugh Pryor
FC 43
Edition 301
CONTENTS Airlines - Mike Gough
VANSIN FLIGHT TEST
FC 32 February 2021
Edition 301
CONTENTS FEATURES SA FLYER
58 Flight Test: VANSIN 76 Out landings:: Mark Holliday 78 Quote of the month 86 Anatomy of Air Show Accidents 89 LANSERIA AIRPORT REVIEW
REGULARS 14 FLIGHTCOM
15 Covid-19 hitting airlines harder than expected
24 Gulf airspace restrictions relaxed 26 Defence - Darren Olivier 32 Lift-off for Lift Airlines 36 The CAA Dossier – Series 2 48 Boeing 737 Max Returns
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February 2021
Opening Shot
53 Bona Bona Register Review 56 Aviation Direct Events Calender 72 SV Aviation Fuel Table
FLIGHTCOM
44 Starlite Flight School Listing 45 AME Directory 46 AEP AMO Listing 48 Atlas Oils Charter Directory 50 Aviation Directory
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February 2021
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February 2021
Model shown: New Bentayga V8.
13
OPENING SHOT
T
HIS dramatic image captures
the moment the big Blackhawk helicopter owned by Mark Jackson of Leading Edge
Aviation in Nelspruit drops its load of 3000 litres of water and retardant on a fire raging at the Masiphumelele informal settlement near Kommetjie in Cape Town. The problem with social media is that people post great photos and they get spread about – so it is not possible to find out who took the original photograph. This is what has happened this month. Also – we have no detail as to how the photo was taken and with what camera settings. We hope that the original photographer will contact guy@ saflyermag.co.za so that we can give him or her all the credit they deserve!
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February 2021
February 2021
Send your submissions to guy@saflyermag.co.za
15
ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE: GUY LEITCH
THREE DEATHS A YEAR AGO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC SEEMED MORE IMAGINARY THAN A REAL THREAT. WHEN THE STATE OF DISASTER WITH ITS LOCKDOWN REGULATIONS WAS INTRODUCED IN MARCH 2020, THERE WAS GENERAL SCEPTICISM, AND AT BEST RELUCTANT COMPLIANCE, IN MANY QUARTERS. BUT NOW IT’S HITTING HOME – FELLING MANY GIANTS IN THE AVIATION COMMUNITY. THIS COLUMN IS ABOUT JUST THREE OF THE LARGER THAN LIFE CHARACTERS WHO HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM US BY COVID-19.
IN December the second wave of the pandemic
people we know and love. Where previously
hit, and this time it’s far more virulent that the first
there was reluctant compliance, or even civil
strain of the virus. Yet the lockdown regulations
disobedience, against the Covid-19 lockdown,
have remined less restrictive than they were for
now people are voluntarily staying home and
the first wave. This is presumably in response to
self-isolating, above and beyond the legal
the decimation of the South African economy by
requirements. This is because people we know
the first wave restrictions.
are dying – and many of these are people we, in
As an aside, South Africa has now achieved world-wide notoriety as the source of what has come to be called the South African variant.
respect. I would like to take the opportunity to pay my
(It could have come from anywhere, but South
respects to three stalwarts of the industry – who
Africa was the first to identify it).
have had an immense impact for good on so
The second wave has now hit home, killing
16
the aviation community, have grown to love and
February 2021
many of our lives.
KIM PRATLEY A man who quietly got on with making a vast contribution, yet without seeking any reward or
Kim Pratley - a quiet stalwart behind Krugersdorp Flying Club.
acknowledgement, was Kim Pratley, who passed away on 19 January aged 66 after a long and debilitating battle with Covid-19. Kim was the son of George Montague (Monty) Pratley, the founder of Pratley Engineering, famous for its world-leading glue products, and for its advertisements – where Kim Pratley sat at his desk under a huge D6 bulldozer suspended above him with just Pratley glue. Pratley products have been used to fix everything from a NASA spacecraft to a million broken vases. In his obituary for Kim Pratley, Paul Lastrucci, Past Chairperson of Krugersdorp Flying Club and Aero Club of SA wrote: “Kimleigh George Montague Pratley was
Flying Club (KFC) on a myriad of legal and
born in March 1954. His deep aviation roots go
regulatory battles over many years. He gave
back as far as the development of the jet engine,
freely of his time and vast knowledge and
where his father, Monty Pratley, was on the team
could be called on at short notice to present
with Frank Whittle in the UK that developed the
very informative aviation topics and safety
jet engine as we know it today. Kim also loved
presentations. His in-depth knowledge filled the
engines – any engine. In the museum at his
clubhouse to overflowing every time.
beautiful home, he would start all of them and
As the long serving KFC Vice Chairman,
they would run chugging away in unison, whilst
responsible for the Safety and Legal Portfolio,
he was attending to them in his white overall,
he and the committee navigated many
beaming a huge smile.
challenging times and attacks on the club. Kim
Kim joined the Krugersdorp Flying Club in
was unfailingly the voice of reason, no matter
1968 and learned to fly at Reef Air, along with
how dire or frustrating the situation. His words
his dad. He was always an unassuming, yet
were; “We must continue to do the right thing!
remarkable man and was awarded honorary
The outcome will be perfect.” And indeed, under
membership of the Club for the huge contribution
his calm guidance, it was. He was firm, fair and
he made over 50 years.
did not suffer fools easily. He was appalled
Kim went on to earn a multi-engine fixed wing
by dishonesty, and his attention to detail was
ALTP and Instructor rating and a Commercial
astounding. The support and guidance he gave to
Rotor Wing licence. He represented Krugersdorp
me along with Cecile, our longstanding secretary, February 2021
17
and the KFC committee during my tenure as chairperson, I will cherish forever. “As Lt Col Kim Pratley, he was very active in the
understood his machines. “My first ride in a piston helicopter was with Kim in his pristine Bell 47 that has been in the Pratley
SAAF and was OC of the 104 Squadron. He flew
stable since the early 70s. For me, being a piston
support in the SAAF in the squadron and in later
engine nut, it was fantastic, as he really took time
years flew a few of the SAAF museum aircraft as
to show how this ol’ warbird heli flies.
well. Kim gave a lot of his time and expertise to make a difference in many people’s lives. “I was very privileged to get to know Kim during
“My last flight with Kim was in his Hughes 500, some months back. I helped pack the back seats of the heli with fruit grown from the orchard at his
my initial PPL training some 35 years ago. He
home. We flew to the Shalom Respite Care Centre
would fly with the Reef Air students when the
to distribute to the care givers and residents at
The virulent second wave has now hit home, killing people we know and love
the centre. Kim and Val over the years have provided much love and support to this facility. “Kim was a devoted husband to Val, father to Charles and Andrew, and all-round family man who really enjoyed spending time with his grandsons, having a literal blast teaching them all kinds of science-related mischief. He loved his dogs and taught them extraordinary things. The family golden retriever could taxi a Cessna 172. One fine Saturday afternoon, a 172 with no one but a dog at the helm taxied past the clubhouse. From bar stool level you couldn’t see that in the right-hand seat Kim was crouched down, hiding from view to keep it
resident instructor, “Oom Frik”, was busy flying
straight, whilst the Big Dawg was casually glancing
surveys for the mines at JCI. Kim helped me
out the pilot’s window and over the instrument
and many others as fledgling pilots to better
panel, seemingly doing a great job of taxiing out.
understand “HMS Krugersdorp’s” challenging
One of the regulars welded to the pub leapt off
approaches and landings, so that we were all able
his bar stool and yelled “Waar gaan daai hond in
to use the aeroplane again.
Pratley’s se aeroplane?!!!”
“I always jumped at any opportunity to fly with
18
Paul Lastrucci concludes. “We are all deeply
him in his beloved Cessna Robertson STOL 210,
saddened at your passing. We take solace that Val
my all-time favourite aircraft. The Pratley 210 is
and your special family will continue the Pratley
probably one of the only one-owner from new, no
legacy in business and aviation with the solid
damage history, Cessna 210s in the world today.
family values you so steadfastly entrenched and
His night landings at Krugersdorp in his Cessna
portrayed. You always said “Impossible is what
421 were unbelievable. A man of many talents, he
nobody can do …. until somebody does it.”
February 2021
and medical skills to help out wherever needed in
DR ROBBIE NEL Dr Robbie Nel was an institution in the Lowveld when he died of Covid-19 complications aged 77. He was the region’s favourite Designated
the world – from the 2000 Mozambican floods, to the Tsunami in Indonesia. His friend, Ken Robertson, says that when
Aviation Medical Examiner and a pilot of great
the Tsunami struck Indonesia, Robbie flew over
accomplishment, who selflessly ploughed much
to help at his own cost. He just wanted to help –
unsung work into the Lowveld flying community.
that’s the type of person he was.
Robbie moved to Sabie in the early 1970s and
The question to all who have depended on
obtained his PPL soon afterwards. He immediately
Robbie for their medicals is, what now? The
immersed himself in his new practice and his
answer is: Late last year, Robbie met with Doctor
flying passion.
Kobus Hugo, a very accomplished doctor in his
His late father owned a J3 Cub for many years, so Robbie grew up with a love for the old Pipers. His own 1946 Super Cruiser, ZS-BOX was his favourite steed, with a V-tail Bonanza sharing the hangar at Hazyveiw. Robbie was both an accomplished fixed wing and helicopter pilot. He owned many types, including a Cessna 337 push-pull and an Alouette 2 helicopter. The Lowvelder newspaper writes that, “Dr Robert Gustav Nel (77), whose practice was based in Hazyview Junction Mall, passed away after battling Covid-19 since he was diagnosed
Dr Robbie Nel - an institution in the Lowveld.
with Covid-19 on 26 December.
late fifties, who was to be a partner in the practice.
“Robbie Nel was supremely fit. Doctors
The new partnership would start in early January
said that, although he recovered from the viral
2021. Coincidently, he started the day that Robbie
infection, the damage to his lungs was too severe.
went to hospital. Following Robbie’s passing,
The cause of his death was secondary Covid-
his family have had a very successful meeting
related pneumonia. According to his wife Linda, Dr
with Kobus, who will take over the practice with
Robbie Nel had no other medical issues.
immediate effect. He also does flying medicals,
Dr Robbie Nel had boundless enthusiasm and passion when it came to his work, using his flying
along with a General Practice. Robbie received an award for his exceptional February 2021
19
contribution to aviation from the Lowveld Aero
astounded everyone with his food quality and work
Club in 2015. As an indication of the high esteem
ethic, despite having very little English – and no
the Club held him in, Danie Terblanche organised
Afrikaans.
a missing man flypast over Robbie’s farm with 15
And the rest is history. This industrious
fixed wing and three helicopters. It was particularly
immigrant family went on to build Villa san
moving, as most of the pilots had their medical
Giovanni into an attraction for those from all
service done by Robbie.
around the country who would fly in for the famous
“He was a doctor by profession and a pilot by choice,” Robertson added. “When he wasn’t
$100 dollar hamburger – or in this case – pizza? The business has steadily grown and expanded
running the Comrades Marathon, or competing
to include a hotel in the terminal building run by
in the Iron Man challenge, he would be flying his
Christian’s wife Tanya Maiorana. This one family –
1946 Piper Super Cruiser, ZS-BOX.”
lead by the entrepreneurial Giovanni has touched
Fitness, farming and flying were a few of
many lives in aviation – and almost certainly
Robbie Nel’s great loves, apart from his wife, his
anyone who has been though Wonderboom
three children and his two grandchildren.
Airport in the past 50 years.
GIOVANNI MAIORANA Flying is not only about pilots. Thousands of people on the ground are an essential part of the
j
guy@saflyermag.co.za
broader fabric of the aviation community. No one embodied this more than Giovanni Maiorana, a restauranteur and host extraordinaire – who made Wonderboom Airport something special, and a place always worth flying to. Giovanni Maiorana was born in modest circumstances in 1946, into a family of 13 children in immediate post-war Italy. When Giovanni was twelve, he left school and got a job in a bakery. He went on to work as a tool and die maker, and when he turned 21, he started his own company on the side. He met and married Maria and had two children, Luca and Christian, before leaving Milan for South Africa. After the ship carrying all their possessions was wrecked, they started with nothing, working at a friend’s restaurant. In the early 1980s he managed to get a position at the then Wonderboom Airport café, where he
20
February 2021
Giovanni Maiorana - the man who transformed Wonderboom Airports welcome.
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OSHKOSH? Y’gottago! Oshkosh - THE Tour February 2021
21
LEADING EDGE - PETER GARRISON
INVERT TO UNTANGLE WHEN CLIMBING, YOU NEED SOME RIGHT RUDDER TO KEEP THE BALL CENTRED. IF YOU PERFORM A HALF ROLL AND CONTINUE TO CLIMB UPSIDE-DOWN, WHICH RUDDER WILL YOU HAVE TO USE TO STAY COORDINATED? WHY do we need right rudder in a climb,
is in a level attitude; but it is absent when the
anyway? Is it because of slipstream rotation?
aeroplane holds the same level attitude in flight.
The propeller drags some air around with it, and
So at least some of the pull to the left has to be
the aeroplane continually advances through this
due to something other than the aeroplane’s
slipstream of deflected air. The fin, being behind
pitch attitude.
the portion of the propeller disk where the blades are going left to right, feels a push to the right. But what about P factor? When an aeroplane
invoked: torque. Torque is the twisting force supplied by the
is nose-high, its propeller is tilted upward with
engine to make the propeller spin. The natural
respect to the direction of its travel through the
effect of torque, if we did not do something to
air, and a downgoing blade has a greater angle
prevent it, would be to spin the aeroplane in the
of attack than an upgoing one. The downgoing
opposite direction to the propeller, in the same
blade is on the right side, and so it tends to pull
way that a helicopter, deprived of its tail rotor,
the nose of the aeroplane to the left. I once
begins to rotate in the direction opposite to the
did some calculations that suggested that the
main rotor. Torque and slipstream rotation are
difference in blade speed that results from tilting
two sides of the same coin; part of the torque is
the propeller is at least as influential as the
imparted to the slipstream, making it rotate.
difference in angle of attack, but that doesn’t matter. The general principle remains the same. A big problem with the P factor explanation is
22
Another mysterious being is sometimes
In flight, torque is trimmed out by rigging and by imperceptibly small aileron deflections, but on the ground the job is done by a sideways
that the pull to the left is felt early in the takeoff
force on the tyres instead. That force tends, like
roll, when the aeroplane, if it is not a taildragger,
everything else, to make the aeroplane veer off
February 2021
to the left. Once you’re airborne
is that it distinguishes between
pilot presses on the right rudder
it disappears, but then the
P Factor and slipstream
pedal. The rudder deflects to
slight excess lift on the left side
rotation. To see why, imagine an
the right, producing a force that
needed to cancel out torque
aeroplane climbing, and that we
pushes the tail to the left, and
produces a small adverse yaw
are observing from a position
equilibrium is restored.
that, again, pulls the nose to the
behind and above it.
left.
We have already seen how P
Well, almost. Actually, right rudder does neutralise the
Because all of the forces at
factor pulls the nose to the left
effect of slipstream rotation
play pull to the left, it is difficult
and slipstream rotation pushes
without producing any side
to tell which is doing what. The
the tail to the right. To overcome
effects. But when it neutralises
beauty of the inverted-climb test
these undesired movements, the
P factor, the side force on the
ABOVE: Guy gets airborne in the Saratgoa - with a bootful of right rudder.
vertical fin is unbalanced. The aeroplane wants to slide sideways; an imperceptibly slight right bank is required to keep it going straight. This is a smaller version of the bank into the dead engine that is needed when flying a twin with one out. But just sticking to the big first-order effects, consider what happens when the aeroplane rolls over and continues its climb inverted. The P factor force still pulls left, because the propeller looks the same when the aeroplane is upside-down as it did when it was upright. The rudder will still need to be deflected toward our – the observer’s – right. But now the pilot is upside-down, and our right is February 2021
23
his left, so, if P factor results from the tilting of the
who has a Pitts, to fly some inverted climbs and
propeller disk, he uses his left foot to compensate
report the results. I also still had the results of
for it.
Scaled Composites engineer Chuck Coleman’s
On the other hand, the vertical fin is now below the aeroplane and so it is in the wake of the
Extra 300 tests of nine years earlier. Coleman had found that the Extra, with feet
portion of the propeller disk in which the blades
on the floor, showed the same amount of out-of-
travel right-to-left. Slipstream rotation therefore
centre ball upright and inverted, and, incidentally,
wants to push the tail to our left, and the rudder
about twice as much at 70 KIAS as at 80. But
will have to deflect to the left. The topsy-turvy
inverted flight required left rudder rather than right. The overriding force, therefore, was coming from P factor; slipstream rotation
If you are inverted and climb - do you need left rudder instead of right?
had no noticeable influence; most likely because the engine’s 1.5-degree right offset was neutralizing it. Crow found the same in his Extra: right rudder upright, left rudder inverted, and no apparent contribution from the slipstream. By an odd coincidence, both
pilot will have to step on his right rudder pedal to compensate. Assuming that P factor and slipstream rotation
upon the various adjustments a pilot would have
are the two major factors governing the need
to make to fly an inverted ILS. Crow considered
for rudder during climb, can a comparison of
the omission of this information from the AIM
upright and inverted climbs reveal the size of their
lamentable.
respective contributions?
24
Coleman and Crow reflected, quite irrelevantly,
Melvill’s Pitts was a bit different. At 83 KIAS, it
I first got interested in that question back in
required only half as much rudder to coordinate
2005 and queried some acrobatic pilots about it. I
inverted as upright but, again, with opposite feet.
got mixed answers, wrote an inconclusive article,
I infer that slipstream rotation is playing more of
let the topic drop for a few years, and then got
a role in the Pitts; its strength is about 1/3 that
interested in it again. I asked two pilots, JD Crow
of P factor. The Pitts has no engine or fin offset;
of Port Angeles, Washington, who has an Extra
perhaps that is why the effect of slipstream
300, and Mike Melvill of Tehachapi, California,
rotation is more prominent in it than in the Extra.
February 2021
From these experiments I concluded that in
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most aeroplanes the predominant cause of the need for right rudder in climb is P factor, not slipstream rotation. On the other hand, during the takeoff roll, when the fuselage attitude is more or less horizontal, P factor does not exist, and some combination of slipstream rotation and the torque reaction of the pavement against the tyres must be the culprit. I’m inclined to guess that the influence speed, because the faster the plane goes the smaller is the angle at which the deflected slipstream strikes the fin.
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It may be that taildraggers experience an
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of slipstream rotation diminishes with increasing
exaggerated leftward pull early in the takeoff roll, because both P factor and slipstream rotation are at their strongest. Perhaps that is why so many runway lights have been flattened by P-51s.
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Oddly enough, I failed – and have still failed – to perform an obvious simple test of the influence of both P factor and slipstream rotation, namely, to fly a twin with counter-rotating propellers. In theory, it should be free of pull to either side, from any cause, during the takeoff and climb. I would the grateful to hear from anyone who has performed the experiment. To a pilot, of course, all this is academic. Provided you stay ahead of the aeroplane, the transition from one cause of left pull to another is smooth and imperceptible. They feel like a single
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must rely instead on a feeling that their heads are dangling at a strange angle. The important practical advice to take away from the discussion is this: When flying the ILS inverted, you should treat it as a back-course approach.
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February 2021
27
PLANE TALK - JIM DAVIS
NEVER
TRUST THE BUGGERS THOSE WHO WERE PAYING ATTENTION WILL REMEMBER THAT FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT PAX.
I’VE been trying to figure out how the five personality traits recognised by psychologists affect the safety and harmony of a flight. Here they are again.
THE SAD STORY OF DAFT DONNIE If you fly long enough you will find yourself really scared in an aeroplane. It happened to me when I was the big cheese at 43 Air School. The cause of the trouble was a guy who I will
1. Conscientiousness
call Donnie so as not to upset his friends and
2. Agreeableness
family. He was a big, tanned, tough outdoors sort
3. Neuroticism
of guy from Zim who had served in the bush war.
4. Openness to experience
He seemed a hell of a nice guy, I liked him from
5. Extraversion
the start. He had recently settled in South Africa and had come to 43 to do his PPL training.
You have three main lines of defense against them:
The first hint of trouble was when Paul Leaker, my very sharp ground-school lecturer, told me
•
Brief them properly.
that Donnie had raised his hand during a PPL
•
Treat them like talking cargo.
Nav lecture. Paul asked Donnie what he wanted,
•
Never trust the buggers.
thinking it would be a question about navigation. Nope. Donnie said the most extraordinary thing.
Unfortunately at the extremes of some of the personality traits we can find some seriously dangerous individuals. Neuroticism is the worst.
He said, “I’m not here.” Paul, somewhat taken aback, asked Donnie what he meant, to which Donnie simply repeated, “I’m not here.”
28
February 2021
February 2021
29
“Hmmmmm, okay” said Paul, a little uncertainly, and carried on with the lecture. Ten minutes later Donnie again raised his hand,
Donnie of the briefing and start doing the HASELLL checks. Suddenly he rests a big hairy hand on my shoulder, looks me in the eye and
and when he had Paul’s attention, said, “Okay I
says, “So if I do it wrong I could kill us both –
am back again now.”
right?”
If a pupil freezes on the controls you need a weapon
Something in his tone said “This guy is bonkers and he’s deadly serious. If I do or say anything he doesn’t like he’ll strip a cog.” What makes it really scary is that he is mad – but he’s not stupid. If he sees I am scared he’ll probably escalate his cat and mouse game. I can see the threat in his eyes. I need to break the tension and change the dynamic. I have to get him focused on something else immediately. I know that if I rock his boat the
When Paul told me about this my first instinct was that it was probably meant to be a joke. But
accident investigators will never find out why we dived into the ground. It was bloody terrifying.
Paul assured me that it was deadly serious.
All I can come up with is a simulated forced
The next flag was when Donnie’s female
landing. I haul the throttle back, tell him to find
instructor told me didn’t want to fly with him. She
a field and show me what he could do. We are
said she was scared of him. It wasn’t a male/
within easy gliding distance of the airfield and he
female thing. He wasn’t molesting her. She just
judges it well.
said he was a nervous pupe and she was scared
Afterwards I realise I need a better strategy
that he might take the controls and overpower her
for myself and for my instructors. If a pupil goes
– particularly during stalls and recoveries.
potty or freezes on the controls you need a
Now, I’ve found people are only nervous in an
weapon. And you actually have a good one – the
aeroplane if they don’t understand what’s going
fire extinguisher under your seat, if you can only
on. She was a newish instructor and I suspected
remember how to unclip it and get it out smoothly
she was simply not briefing him properly. I said I
and discreetly.
would fly with him.
Anyhow back to Donnie. I know we can’t fly with him again and I must give him a reason,
This turned into the most scary decision I ever made. I briefed the guy very carefully on the
dangerously mad. I set up a meeting in my office
ground and took particular care to describe the air
with Donnie, his wife, Paul Leaker, myself and
exercise, including exactly what the stall would feel
Steve Goodrick – my CFI.
like – the whole deal. We climb to 4000’ over Port Alfred. I remind
30
it’s obviously not enough to say we think he is
February 2021
As we sit down Donnie takes charge. “Okay guys, what language shall we speak?” he asks. I
say, “Donnie, we are all English speaking so…..” He cuts me off. “No, man should we speak moon language or computer language or what?” It’s an extremely painful business. I tell Donnie
went on to set fire to two of Deon’s aeroplanes, beat up his wife and then take his own life by overdosing on sleeping pills. I have to say that I liked Donnie, he was well
we were worried about his mental state and
brought up, bright and interesting. Most of the
reminded him of some of the peculiar things he
time he seemed totally normal. I guess he was
has done. After a lot of resistance he agrees to
suffering from some sort of PTSD as a result of his
see an aviation shrink in PE.
time in the bush war.
After the meeting I phoned the shrink – told him the problem and set up the appointment. A few days later he called back to say that under no
THE SAD STORY OF KEN TEUBES Ken, was also a hell of a nice guy. He was one
circumstances should Donnie fly. He had already
of these people who always dressed immaculately
Donnie went on to set fire to two of Deon’s aeroplanes, beat up his wife and then take his own life
and did everything properly – just the sort of pilot we should all aim to be. Very high on conscientiousness and agreeableness He was flying a Twin Comanche on a daytime charter from Wonderboom to Bloemfontein in a cloudless sky at flight level 85. This put him a good 4000’ AGL. He had one passenger, a guy named Roderick who was the boss of a big motor company called Roderick and Brook (or it may
contacted CAA and the medical mob and Donnie’s medical had been cancelled. Eighteen months later I see from my office window Deon Kraidy’s Cessna 182 taxi in to the fuel pumps. Deon has a parachute jumping
have been Roderick and Botha). A Freestate farmer, the only witness, said he saw the aircraft put its nose down vertically and dive into the ground. The board of enquiry were mystified. They
business 30 miles away in Grahamstown. As I
had little more than a hole in the ground, but
watch, who should get out of the aeoplane? Not
measuring the distance between tiny fragments
Deon, no – it’s Mad Donnie.
of red glass on one side of the hole, and equally
I phone Deon and ask if he knows that Donnie is flying his aeoplane, and if he knows he cannot have a valid pilot license because he has lost
tiny fragments of green glass on the other side told them that the wings were still attached on impact. This was at a time when there was an AD on
his medical on account of pottyness. And the
Twin Comanche windscreens as small cracks
PE shrink had explained that he could never get
were inclined to develop around the edges. It
it back. Deon knows nothing about this. Donnie
was concluded that the windscreen had probably
works for him as a drop-pilot and has never
broken and smashed into Ken’s face and
appeared loopy.
incapacitated him.
Unfortunately, over the next year or so Donnie
But that wasn’t the end of the story because February 2021
31
a year later Angus McKenzie, whom I knew well
He had visited a number of shrinks, but had
because he also flew for Placo, had a windscreen
either failed to tell them he was an airline pilot, or
failure when he flew into some hail. The interesting
the shrinks had viewed his condition as classified
thing was that the windscreen didn’t smack him in
under patient confidentiality. He had even been
the face. In fact it caused no damage. It seems the
diagnosed as suicidal.
pressure in the cabin prevented anything dramatic from happening, and Angus flew back to base without a problem. This obviously meant that the Ken Teubes
Friends and neighbours described him as a “quiet” but “fun” character, who enjoyed his job. After the disaster, investigators found a very different side to his character. Police found torn-up
finding was wrong, so the DCA had to revise their
sick notes in his home, including one covering the
finding on that accident. The short story is that Mr
day of the crash.
Roderick was off the end of the neuroticism scale.
His friends claimed that he appeared to be
It seems he was having financial and domestic
in good spirits. But the final report by French
troubles and decided to end it all by pushing on
investigators found he had suffered from a
the stick and taking poor Ken with him.
psychiatric condition and had been taking medication before the crash. Fearing he was
THE UNBELIEVABLE STORY OF ANDREAS
losing his vision, he had hidden the evidence from
LUBITZ
his employer.
Remember him? – he was the 28 year old
According to Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr,
copilot on the A-320 Germanwings flight 4U-
Lubitz had a break in training about six years
9525. He did the same in far grander style – killing
previously, lasting several months. Spohr refused
150 people. What is really scary is that he had
to explain the reason for this gap but said he had
a history of nuttiness but had apparently been
been reassessed and Lubitz had resumed his
able to conceal this from both his friends and his
studies.
employer.
The report confirmed the break was caused by medical problems. He suffered a
Andreas Lubitz, the 28 year old co-pilot on the Germanwings' A320.
serious depressive episodes during his training, and went on to receive treatment for a year and a half. During that time, he considered suicide but was eventually declared fit to fly. His doctor reported that he needed special regular inspections, and his medicals were valid for only one year at a time. A note to this effect was added to his file as well as to his pilot’s licence.
32
February 2021
The massively spread out wreckage of the Germanwings crash that impacted in a power dive.
The British newspaper, the Express reported that Lubitz had seen 41 doctors in the previous five years. He was suffering from depression
adequately supervising the co-pilot’s medical condition. I still find it hard to believe that none of these
and loss of vision and feared he would lose his
shrinks had the guts to break ranks and report
job. He was on the highest permissible dose of
directly to the airline.
the antidepressant drug Mirtazapine, which also induces sleep. In an email to his doctor he said, “The maximum sleep stint is two hours per night
A VERY GREEN INSTRUCTOR I learned to distrust pax within half an hour of
(but now rarely achieved because I’m scared I will
becoming an instructor. I allowed one to demolish
go blind.)”
my Tiger while I was sitting in it. Here’s what
In civil proceedings against Germanwings
happened.
and the Lufthansa flying school, the plaintiffs
The tyres on my aircraft were in a sad state
are demanding more compensation than the
with cracked walls and canvas showing, and it
airline has already paid out. They claim that
was almost impossible to find new ones. Then
both companies failed to prevent the crash by
someone suggested I try Hennie, who owned February 2021
33
a factory at Wonderboom that made electrical switchboards. Hennie had been a wartime pilot who trained
the promised flight. We lined up and I was about to open the taps when it occurred to me that maybe he might
on Tigers and eventually wound up flying Spitfires.
like to do the takeoff. Hell, he was a much more
Lying in the back of his factory, He had two brand
experienced pilot than I was. So I sat in the front
new tyres for my aircraft. Better still he was happy
with my arms folded and watched in amazement
to give them to me in exchange for a ride in my
as the disk of the prop got smaller.
aeroplane – what a bargain. The day came for me to take him flying. It was a brilliant day. DCA represented by the famous
I was fast asleep and didn’t realize that Hennie had raised the tail too high and the prop was thrashing itself to death on the ground.
Barry Radley had just tested me for my initial instructor rating. When I say tested, I use the term in its broadest possible meaning. I took off on runway 11, turned out left, climbed to 3000’agl and pattered him through a two and a half turn spin as directed by the great man. “No no no, you have got to recover more accurately than that.” Was his comment. “Let me show you what I mean. You don’t mind if I warm up with some aerobatics first?” Well that was the last time I touched the controls. Barry played aerobatics for half an hour, took us back, landed, and taxied in. We stopped next to the wooden hut that passed as a control tower. As we climbed out he looked me in the eye, shook my hand and said, “Well done my boy. You are now officially a flying instructor.” He signed the paperwork in the little control tower hut and sent me on my way. Perhaps half an hour later he was able to witness the result of his foolishness. While
The then Division of Civil Aviation's examiner Barry Radley.
he and Schalk Barnard, the ATC, looked on in horror I splattered my aeroplane along 11, shedding wings and struts and wires as we went.
90 degrees and cartwheeled down the runway
Here’s how it came about:
leaving much of the aeroplane behind as we went.
I had sought out Hennie of the tyres, strapped him in the back seat and taxied out to take him for
34
Eventually we stood on our nose, rotated
February 2021
Barry and Schalk were the first on the scene – they dragged us out of the wreckage, dusted us
down and helped us hobble the tower, where the first-aid kit lived. “Are you okay?” Barry asked me. “Yep, I think so.” “Well I am very sorry to hear that,” was his only reply. So much for the spirit of camaraderie that one expects to see amongst us flyers. Had
Bellanca Scout Model: 2000 Total hours on aircraft: 900
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FO
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a competent shrink been around to add his opinion he would have described me as low on conscientiousness and high on agreeableness – not a good combination for pilots. It was entirely my fault. I should have discussed the takeoff with Hennie first, and been ready to sort out any problems. I broke two of my own rules: •
Brief them properly
•
Never trust the buggers.
j
February 2021
35
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February 2021
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aircraft’s next scheduled deep-maintenance
the company from SA Airlink to now just “Airlink”.
overhaul. This will avoid disrupting the airline’s
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Airlink have now begun applying the new livery to their ERJ-135 fleet - Image Johan Nicolaisn.
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February 2021
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HELI OPS: GEORGE TONKING
HOLD ON,
I’M NOT LORD OF THE SKIES? IT SEEMS THAT THE MORE I FLY, THE MORE I SEE HOW MUCH I STILL NEED TO LEARN (ABOUT FLYING).
40
Learning takes on many forms in the cockpit and
be too proud to accept support and advice.
it always seems easier when you have a great
My first flying gig was in the security industry,
teacher. Interestingly, and here comes a real bit
flying on a vehicle tracking contract. It wasn’t a
of ancient wisdom, you can find the most unlikely
very difficult job, the most stressful part being
teachers when you are most teachable.
to learn to traverse the busy Gauteng airspace
In this month’s article, I aim to look at how to
(something I will try to cover in a future article).
become a safer and more confident helicopter
Most days it was like being in a cops and robbers
pilot, and the roles others, not specifically fellow
movie. Every boy’s dream. A lot of waiting around,
pilots, play in filling our experiential gaps.
punctuated by frenetic flying to try to catch car
In several articles over the past few years, I have
thieves in the act! But not exactly the kind of job
written about the need for experienced pilots
for a 100-hour fresh com pilot. A year down the
to mentor and guide young aviators. But as
line, with 600 hours under my belt, I thought I was
important as that is, even experienced aircrew
a super pilot. Oh, did I have a lot to learn!
are continually shaped by their environments, and
My second (and current) flying job came along
until the day we hang up our helmets, we all need
soon, this time in the broader security solutions
steering and moulding at various points in our
sphere, managing helicopter operations. As a
logbooks.
relatively inexperienced pilot, I was tossed into an
I was fortunate to find both a great flight school
industry that knew little about how to safely use
and amazing instructors when training to be a
a helicopter for security in the highly-regulated
pilot. However, away from the safety and the
aviation domain.
controlled flying environment of the flight school,
The helicopter is a most convenient tool in the
as I embarked on my new career in the sky I
time-pressured, action-filled industry of private
realised that I was pretty much on my own. I wish
security in South Africa. How to use it effectively
I could say that I learned some important lessons
within the safety, financial and legal confines
quickly, like, that if I was to succeed, I would need
was the challenge I faced. Also, balancing the
to learn to adapt (or die) and that I should never
expectations of a boss with military operational
February 2021
K9 and helicopter (although not Ferro)
experience and the pressures of
At this time, I met one Timo de
experienced operator.
a volatile cash-in-transit business
Swardt, who had just started
In those early days at Protea
with the necessary oversight
working in the task team at Protea
Coin, I had to make many
requirements was a daunting
Coin. Timo was a long-time SAPS
decisions without really knowing
task for this young (in aviation)
member, having worked as an
what the situation I was going into
pilot. I had to learn to say “no”
ALEO (Airborne Law Enforcement
looked like. In order to survive
when required, and to stand my
Officer) at the Pretoria Air
and succeed, I regularly found
ground, with facts to back me up.
Wing. These guys fly with the
myself flying by the seat of my
In so doing, I also realised that
pilot to help use the helicopter
pants and needing to lean on
I had to have not only a reason
more effectively in its role as a
friends I had made in my short
for my “no” but, more importantly,
preventative and reactive crime-
time flying. It was then that I
an alternative, without which my
fighting tool. Timo had cut his
realised how valuable crew
employer may have failed to see
teeth as a K9 “hondeman,” as
members, not only while flying,
the point of owning an expensive
they are affectionately known in
but also for insight during pre-
helicopter with a pilot seemingly
the SAPS. He had then moved
mission planning, are.
unwilling to fly it.
on to becoming an experienced
For example, conducting a
Not only was I managing
ALEO on Hughes 500, Airbus
confined landing is exponentially
helicopter operations, however,
H125 Squirrel, BO105 and
safer when you have another set
I was also trying to find my feet
BK117 helicopters at the
of eyes glancing backwards to the
flying (as it were) in the specific
National Heliport in Pretoria. Law
tail rotor. This was where Timo’s
industry.
enforcement was old hat to this
experience in the SAPS Air Wing February 2021
41
The Author and his ALEO Timo de Swart
42
would come to the fore as he would guide me easily
experience. The Robinson R44 Raven II that I was
into what could have been a difficult landing zone.
flying is a great ship for aerial observation but not
To this day, I rely on Timo’s uncanny ability to judge
very helpful as a tactical platform. For example,
whether our Squirrel, which is particularly difficult
in order to drop support personnel into an active
to land off-airport due to its long and low tail, will fit
engagement, you need a helicopter large and
into a tight landing zone. Before I can ask, Timo is
powerful enough for the task. So, along with the
peering out of the left door, looking around and then
security solution skills that were needed, I also had to
calling “two foot left, one foot forward, okay, down!”
learn to fly aircraft such as the Airbus H125 Squirrel.
I also learned to rely less on the aircraft’s GPS, with
In my opinion, the Squirrel is the best tactical light
Timo’s shortcuts around Gauteng’s airspace allowing
single-engine helicopter for our needs, due to its
us critical time-saving when most needed! Operating
oodles of power, large, flat-floor cockpit and sliding
covertly at low level is also made significantly easier
doors, which enable quick trooping access. As my
as obstacles, such as “aircraft harvesting” power
flight hours slowly built, so came the opportunities to
lines, are called out by your crew. There is no better
progress onto such types.
feeling than knowing that you’re in safe hands!
On a recent mission in the darkness of the East
I clearly lacked experience in dealing with the
Rand, Timo and I worked together on a multi-
unknown in a criminal’s environment as well as
discipline operation. Drones had been deployed
working in team with experienced law enforcement
from our sister company UDS in a six-month-long
professionals, in my early days in the industry. With
covert operation to track and trace diesel thieves. In
the help of crew like Timo, I quickly gained a better
order to pinpoint the kingpins in this specific crime
understanding of the basics of helicopter support. Oh,
ring, Timo had to spend many nights lying next to
did I have a lot to learn!
the drone operators as they gathered all-important
At the time, I also had very few helicopter types
evidence to guarantee a successful conviction. At
on my license and under 1,000 hours of flight
the same time Timo carefully plotted the take down,
February 2021
including when he would call me in and how. On the
Timo and many other team members have been
morning of the bust, we started out at 4 a.m. in our
crucial to my development as a tactical helicopter pilot.
Robinson R66 from the Ultimate Heliport in Midrand.
As we forged a crew relationship flying together, so
In order to execute an arrest, we needed to catch
we have also become great friends. Which has led to
the perpetrators in the act, as they loaded up. The
greater trust, and a more seamless crew interaction.
flight was around 35 minutes to target. At the same
But specifically, after close to a decade flying with my
time, we maintained communication with the drone
own ALEO, Timo, I continue to learn from him. Armed
crews as briefed in planning. We arrived precisely
with a heavy tech bag filled with all kinds of tactical
as planned overhead to provide air support to the
trickery, treats for Ferro, his trusty Belgian Malinois,
officers taking down the suspects, allowing no room
and a “blikkie” or two of bully beef, Timo has left an
for escape.
indelible mark of always “be prepared” on me.
In my industry I could quite easily see myself as lord
My hope for you is that as you grow in your flying
of the skies, grand poobah and top banana, without
career and prowess, you may find your own “Timo” to
whom no operation would be successful. But in reality,
help you on your way.
helicopter flying is only one cog in a well-crafted multidiscipline operation. In this case, drone, helicopter
Footnote – This column is dedicated to my friend
and ground force working in unison.
Mark Stoxreiter: 22-3-1980 to 21-1-2021
This column is dedicated to my friend Mark Stoxreiter 22-3-1980 to 21-1-2021
February 2021
43
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February 2021
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7º
11º
• The primary food source of the sunbird is nectar, making them important pollinators in the African ecosystem. Airlink connects destinations in southern African markets, collecting passengers (nectar) at different points and connecting them with business opportunities in widespread towns and cities (flowers) and so impacting the regional and local economy and having a positive impact on business. • The sunbird flies from flower to flower, hovering and pausing to collect nectar. Airlink flies to different destinations, where they pause to drop off customers and their luggage before turning the aircraft around, refuelled, cleaned and sanitised, picking up customers and flying back to another destination – flitting like the bird between cities and towns. • The sunbird’s flight is fast and direct. Airlink’s flights are also fast and direct, from point to point, with convenient, quick turnarounds. • Most sunbird species are resistant to changes in habitat. Airlink is a resilient, privately-owned, profitable company that continues to flourish in a challenging industry.
CMYK shading EXIT VENTILATION BREAK-IN
CUT HERE IN EMERGENCY
EXIT
I N G E S T I O N H A Z A R D
2.6 M
8.5 FT
The Airlink brand and name has been enlarged on the aircraft
February 2021
45
A SLIM LOGBOOK - JOHAN WALDEN
THE BRICK
SOMETIMES IT TAKES AN EVENT OR EXPERIENCE TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND THE TRUE WEIGHT A WORD CARRIES; LIKE ‘PLUMMETING’ DURING YOUR FIRST SPIN. TODAY I WAS GOING TO LEARN TO FLY ‘COMPLEX AIRCRAFT’. ONE of the requirements (a fun one) for the
After rolling back the hangar doors I looked
Commercial Pilot Licence is to complete five
at the plane and took it in. The Turbo Arrow – it
hours of training in a complex aircraft: One with
looked like it sounded. From its high T-tail to its
flaps, retractable undercarriage and a constant
pointy spinner it said, ‘I’m fast.’
speed propeller. A ‘real’ aeroplane as some like to call it.
I hopped inside and surveyed the cockpit. Usually I’d found cockpits to be simpler than they
Our ‘real aeroplane’ today was the school’s
first looked once I broke them down into the main
Piper Arrow. Now one of the constants of this
parts: flight instruments, avionics, engine gauges,
universe is that if you ever hear someone describe a Piper Arrow during a bit of clubhouse banter, the word ‘brick’ will always follow – usually within a sentence or two. Always some ‘war story’ of a scary take-off or other hangar talk. This is the story of my introduction to a spiffy
Three greens above the gear lever on the panel are cool.
looking red and white Turbo Arrow IV – and by
46
extension its close association with the humble
and controls etc. But the Arrow was quite opposite.
brick.
The more I searched, the more buttons, lights,
Still, at first glance the only new things appeared
and gauges I found. Every square inch of space
to be the gear and constant speed prop. Oh, and
on the panel was taken up by something. There
of course the turbocharger on the Arrow. Two
were even placards and performance tables
extra controls; how hard could that be? Well, one
printed on the sun visor. On the floor in the centre
morning bright and early I rocked up at the airfield
was the flap lever, rudder trim, and emergency
to find out just that.
gear extend lever. And on the wall by my left
February 2021
knee I found the fuel selector.
started taxiing with one wheel
behind the engine as it took time
It was the sort of cockpit where
on the gravel (Morningstar has
to spool up. So, finding a new
if you weren’t looking for ‘it’ you
narrow taxiways) to the holding
respect for the term ‘complex
wouldn’t see it.
point.
aircraft’, I lined up on Runway
But the one exception to this
For take-off we wanted 41
was the signature ‘three greens’
inches
pressure
brakes, I gingerly pushed the
above the gear lever on the
(MAP), that is; the air pressure
throttle up to only 36 inches
panel – cool.
available to the cylinders, and
and held on for dear life as we
2575 RPM. But you couldn’t
leapt forward. Several seconds
exam
just set the propeller to max
later my backside felt the turbo
dusted, my instructor and I
RPM and floor it: the Arrow had
kick in hard and gradually push
heaved the plane out of the
a turbocharger – a mini turbine
the MAP up to 41 inches. The
With the requisite ground school
and
technical
of
manifold
20 for blast-off. Holding the
towering blue gums at the end I'm fast.
of the runway loomed ahead, but they were no match for the speeding Arrow. After a firm pull on the yoke we were off the ground and climbed away steadily. While booting right rudder to counter all that torque, I started the after take-off checks:
hangar and began the preflight.
driven by the exhaust gasses
This sent me grovelling under the
which
wings to check the landing gear
many thousands of RPM. The
for any hydraulic leaks – a must-
compressor shoves more and
do for any pilot who doesn’t want
more air into the engine for it
to chance a ‘wheels-up’ one day.
to burn and produces a huge
Before turning the Master on,
boost of power. But my instructor
I made damn sure the gear lever
explained that as we would pick
was in the down position and
up speed during take-off run,
that all other switches were off.
the ram effect would increase
Following the checklist carefully,
pressure even more and boost
I primed the engine and turned
the engine beyond its limit – put
the key… it fired first try. Then
simply, the engine goes ‘Bang!’
once it had warmed up nicely I
spins
a
compressor
Also, the turbo would lag
Checking for hydraulic leaks - a must-do. February 2021
47
‘Tap the brakes, undercarriage down and fixed…
Then of course when I looked up I’d find myself
I mean ‘Gear UP!’’
climbing or descending again. ‘Set it and forget
Thrilled to be pulling the gear up on an
it’ didn’t exist in this plane.
aeroplane for the first time in my life, I raised the
Soon it was time to head back to the airfield
lever and waited. Wanting to avoid a hard smack
and attempt some touch-and-goes. The Arrow
on the wrist from my instructor, as warned, I
even saw a chance to one-up me during the
kept my hand on the lever until the gear-in-
descent to Morningstar when the turbo started
transit light stopped blinking and the wheels were tucked away safely. Then I continued with the rest of the checks. I always wondered why we’re supposed to tap the brakes after take-off. My instructor explained that as the wheel rotates up into the wheel well, if it’s still spinning it will produce gyroscopic forces on the gear strut – like a spinning bicycle
The definition of complicated.
wheel. In about half the usual time required, we’d made it into the practice area.
pushing more power again in the thicker air.
With more weight and speed behind me, it flew
Constant monitoring was required. My instructor
‘straight as an arrow’ once trimmed out. But with
also warned me of the very real risk of shock
all that power, if I had even slightly too much
cooling the cylinders. I couldn’t just arrive
back pressure on the yoke the Arrow would very
overhead the field, chop the power, and descend
comfortably go into a 500fpm climb – just like
to circuit height; I had to plan. And that meant
that.
always staying one step ahead of the aircraft – a
Engine management took the cake for the biggest learning curve. I was spending lots of time (more than I should) with my eyes inside
48
very fast race to run! I turned downwind and ran through the landing checks.
the cockpit, trying to keep track of RPM and
‘Gear down… Three green’.
manifold pressure. What made changing power
The cockpit was extremely busy and before I
to a particular setting tricky was the turbo lag. If
knew it we were on final approach and too high.
I throttled back, the engine would immediately
As that perennial hangar talk saying goes;
respond, but a few seconds later it would drop
when gliding in an Arrow, if you throw a brick out
further as the turbo slowed down. And so I would
the window chances are you’ll see it whizz past
have to look down at the gauge again to adjust it.
again as you overtake it on the way down.
February 2021
I’d misjudged the approach so I instinctively
go. As per his instructions, I throttled up until my
throttled back to idle… and soon saw that the brick
straight forefinger touched the panel (leaving a few
analogy wasn’t quite the tall tale I thought it was.
centimetres of throttle to go) while my instructor
We plummeted over the trees toward the runway
monitored the manifold pressure. Then he adjusted
and back onto the proper glide path.
my power setting so we didn’t blow the engine up.
I’d had all I could take for one hour and made a full stop landing.
As the turbo kicked in we whooshed down the runway, and I actually noticed him reducing power to keep it under the limit. After two more fearful landings I’d had all I could take for one hour and made a full stop. With that being the first of five hours’ training, the single biggest thing I learned was a newfound respect for complex aircraft. One or two seemingly insignificant
I remembered my first instructor’s words: He
add-ons really do make a difference when you’re in
told me that you never ‘put an aircraft down’ on
the air, where they quickly soak up the last bit of
the runway; you ‘finesse’ it on. That, soft pillows,
brain juice you have left.
and smooth butter were the thoughts I tried to keep in my mind as I precariously edged it down to the numbers. With the T-tail elevator sitting
well
above
Complex really is complex… especially when
j
you’re flying a brick.
The signature Three Greens.
the
propeller’s slipstream it was less effective. So I had to give the yoke a gutsy pull to get the heavy nose up before touchdown. Teeth clenched, I waited… and was rewarded by a dull ‘thump thump’. I sensed waves of relief from my right, as well as from inside. Phew! But we were eating up Morningstar’s short runway every second so there was no time to stay for more than literally a touch and February 2021
49
REGISTER REVIEW: RAY WATTS
DECEMBER 2020 ZS-SDF Airbus A350 returned to lessor as 3B-NCF. Image by Michael Combrink.
THE CAA ARE BACK ON TRACK WITH THE AIRCRAFT REGISTER AND ARE NOW SUPPLYING ME WITH REGULAR AMENDMENTS, FOR WHICH I’M GRATEFUL.
LOOKING at the amendments for the month of October 2020, there were seven Type
One of the helicopters is a factory brand
Certified (TCA) aircraft added being: five fixed
new AS350B3E. Nice to see really new aircraft
wing and two helicopters. Included in the fixed
coming into the country.
wing aircraft was another Boeing 737-800 for
There are five aircraft added to the NTCA
FlySafair. This one has been leased from Avolon
section and one of these is the delightful
and is thirteen years old.
SAAB Safair ZU-DES. This one has also been
A very interesting old aircraft that has been totally rebuilt and placed back on the register is ZS-BAK, a 1945 model Fairchild F24R-46A. I believe this was the aircraft that lay derelict in the
subjected to a complete rebuild. I have not included all the drones again this month – nineteen new drones were registered. We are really losing out when it comes to
back of a hangar at Petit for many years. Good
aircraft being exported. There is a rumour that
to see her up and about again.
any Cessna 210s exported to the USA are being
Another interesting amendment is the King
stripped and reduced to spares in the States.
Air that has been re-registered. In the 1970s the
There were two that were sent to the States this
re-registering of aircraft became a real problem,
month. This has certainly happened to some
and it wasn’t uncommon to see two aircraft with
210s that were exported from Namibia.
the same registration standing on the same airfield. The then DCA actually put a stop to this
50
but the practice has started again.
February 2021
In total we lost twelve aircraft, six of which were SAA aircraft being returned to their lessors.
ZS-BAK a Fairchild F24 before her rebuild.
ZS-CCG Citabria was exported to the UK. Image: Dave Becker.
Comair have exported one of their Boeing 737-
as Sphiwe Malibe and Kolekile Stofile at the CAA
800s to Austria. Another went to Morocco and
who have been of great help over the past few
another to Aruba. The others went to Mauritius,
months.
Malta, and Guernsey. There was also an AS350B3 exported to Ethiopia. There are rumours that Cemair is in the
There has been quite a bit of action on the register and to get up to date till the end of December 2020 I have decided to combine the
process of acquiring three Airbus A319 aircraft
amendments for November 2020 and December
and one wonders if these are the three ex SAA
2020 into one table.
ones that are sitting at OR Tambo.
Although, to the casual observer, the industry appears to be quiet, in reality it is fairly active.
REGISTER REVIEW JANUARY 2021
In these two months a total of nine new TCA
With the onset of the new year let us hope
registrations have been issued (six fixed wing
2021 is mucht better in every way. Happy New
and three helicopters). These include a factory
Year to my correspondents, here and overseas,
new Bombardier BD700, a hot air balloon and a
and especially Ian Burnett of Air Britain, as well
EC130T2 helicopter. These aircraft represent quite
ZS-MDB exported to USA - possibly to be reduced to parts.
February 2021
51
REGISTER REVIEW: RAY WATTS ZS-MPZ B737-300 freighter has been exported to Indonesia. Image: Michael Combrink.
first of their high wing Slings. Although it doesn’t feature in this review, it is fantastic to know that they are producing a world beating aircraft right here in our own country. Unfortunately, we continue to lose aircraft. Nine Airbus aircraft that were operated by SAA have been returned to their lessors. They have been
ZS-RFU S76C was exported to Canada.
registered in Ireland, Malta, Austria and France. There is one Cessna 172 (ZS-CGW) that was deleted as “Destroyed”. However it hasn’t been – she is in Port Alfred with Mooney SA and is being converted into a Cessna 170. I look forward to seeing her up and about soon. One of Comair’s B737-400 aircraft has been exported to the USA. We have also lost three helicopters. They were exported to the USA, Saudi Arabia and Spain. Four NTCA aircraft have been exported as well – one to Namibia and three to Australia. Although I haven’t listed the drones there were another seventy-four registered during this period.
ZU-DES before her complete rebuild. Image: Ray Watts.
a large investment and show that our economy isn’t quite dead – yet, despite the Corona Virus pandemic. I live quite close to O.R. Tambo airport and
Tail Piece I would just like to wish all of you the happiest of New Years for 2021 and let’s hope this virus disappears as quickly as it appeared. Fly safely. Remember to wear your mask - even though it’s a nuisance.
j
it’s great to hear the airliners going in and out once again. From personal observation, the light aircraft charters out of the airport still have to pick up, but no doubt as travel restrictions are relaxed for overseas visitors, these will become more active again. The NTCA register continues to grow steadily with another eleven aircraft being added during this period. In late December, The Airplane Factory, now renamed Sling Aircraft, flew the
52
February 2021
ZU-TAC a Sling 4. Gone with its owner to Australia?
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OCTOBER 2020 Reg New Registrations ZS-
Manufacturer
Type Name
Serial number
Previous Identity
ZS-BAK
FAIRCHILD INDUSTRIE INC
24R-46A
1184
ZS-BAK, KK566, 44-83223
ZS-BTG
CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY
208B
208B5145
5H-TZV, N31001
ZS-FGD
THE BOEING COMPANY
737-800
34268
N268WT, PR-GTT
ZS-MID
AIRTRACTOR INC
AT-502A
502A-3242
ZS-ZOA
BEECH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
C90
LJ-669
ZS-DIX, ZS-OHR, ST-AFO, N9397S
New Registrations ZT-R
ZT-RFG
AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
AS 350 B3E
8896
ZT-RTB
AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
AS 350 B3
4517
B-70QW, G-CIZJ, EC-KTY, F-WAHD, F-WQDN ZU-DES, EAF-141, IEAF-141
New Registrations ZU-
ZU-DES
SVENSKA AEROPLANE
SAAB 91 SAFIR
91-394
ZU-ISY
FRANCOIS J LOUW
CGS HAWK AERO 11
HA2-310-TRI
ZU-ITB
RICHARDT NOEL LOVETT
VAN’S RV-14
140488
ZU-ITG
JOHANNES PETRUS VAN ZYL
SLING 4 TSI
171SK
ZU-KLK
REILYY KEEN
RV-12
120152
N468JG
Aircraft Deleted ZSZS-DIX
BEECH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
C90
LJ-669
RE-REGISTERED ZS-ZOA
ZS-MDB
CESSSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY
T210N
210-63044
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as N288FL
ZS-NYH
CESSSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY
T210L
210-61236
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as N100YN
ZS-PND
BEECH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
A36
E-2581
MOROCCO
ZS-SDE
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A350-941
0354
MAURITIUS as 3B-NCE
ZS-SDF
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A350-941
365
MAURITIUS as 3B-NCF
ZS-SID
THE BOEING COMPANY
B737-244
22583
ARUBA
ZS-SPH
CESSSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY
U206G
U206-04627
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as N206FL
ZS-SXA
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A340-313
544
MALTA
ZS-SXB
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A340-313
582
MALTA
ZS-SXL
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A330-343
1779
GUERNSEY as 2-HHLL
ZS-TIW
THE BOEING COMPANY
737-300
28569
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as N569TM
ZS-ZWR
THE BOEING COMPANY
737-800
28382
AUSTRIA as OE-IPQ
AS 350 B3
3587
ETHOPIA
Aircraft Deleted ZT-R ZT-REY
EUROCOPTER
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February 2021
53
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NOV & DEC 2020 Reg New Registrations ZS-
Manufacturer
Type Name
Serial number
Previous Identity
ZS-CON
PILATUS AIRCRAFT LTD
PC-12/47E
1004
PH-CZD, N869TW, HB-FQV
ZS-EKA
BOMBARDIER
BD700-1A10
60020
C-GKRA
ZS-HJD
BALONY KUBICEK SPOL S.R.O
BB85Z
1737
ZS-HNK
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON
412SP
33180
N508MF
ZS-RWB
AEROSPATIALE INDUSTRIES
AS 350 B
3219
ZS-RWB, XT-HAL
ZS-TVH
BEECH AIRCRAFT CORP
1900D
UE-364
PK-TVH, N30469
New Registrations ZT-R ZT-HCC
AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
EC 130 T2
8928
ZT-RFH
BELL HELICOPTER COMPANY
206L-3
51566
N521RG, N521RC, N93EA, 5B-SMC, N4278Z
ZT-RMZ
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON
407
54616
5Y-PPS, N5660M
New Registrations ZUZU-CLB
SHADOW LITE CC
JABIRU J430
967
ZU-GAK
KEVIN DOUGLAS FOUCHE
WHISPER TMG
WA 05017
ZU-ITH
THE AIRPLANE FACTORY
SLING 4 TSI
216S
ZU-ITI
MICRO AVIATION S A
BAT HAWK C
0076
ZU-ITJ
ROSS COLIN LEIGHTON
S21
05190048
ZU-ITK
SHADOW LITE CC
JABIRU J230
966
ZU-ITL
SAVANNAH AIRCRAFT AFRICA
SAVANNAH S
19-10-54-0698
ZU-ITM
AEROPRAKT LTD
A-22LS
381
ZU-PPA
JOHANNES PETRUS VAN ZYL
SLING 4 TSI
207S
ZU-STH
THE AIRPLANE FACTORY
SLING 2
298
ZU-STO
THE AIRPLANE FACTORY
SLING 2
305
ZS-ALT
BEECH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
1900D
UE-94
AUSTRALIA as VH-NOA
ZS-AWA
CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY
182T
18281760
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as N2456S
ZS-CCG
AMERICAN CHAMPIONAIRCRAFT CORPORATION
8KCAB
813-98
UNITED KINGDOM
ZS-CGW
CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY
172
36323
DESTROYED
ZS-CNM
CIRRUS
SR22
2946
CRASHED AT NELSPRUIT 6/11/2020
ZS-ECB
EMBRAER-EMPRESA
EMB-135BJ
14500832
GREECE as SX-KKA
ZS-HIY
ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY
R66
0122
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ZS-HIY
ROBINSON
R66
122
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as N730TL
ZS-HYS
THUNDER & COLT LTD
COLT 240A
2579
NAMIBIA
ZS-MCC
BELL
407
53766
CRASHED IN TANZANIA 16/11/2020
ZS-MPZ
THE BOEING COMPANY
737-301
23741
INDONESIA as PK-YST
ZS-OAT
THE BOEING COMPANY
737-476
28150
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ZS-OFH
PIPER AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
PA-32R-301T
3257033
HUNGARY
ZS-PKZ
CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY
182S
18280241
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as N824CF
ZS-RFU
SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT
S-76C
760417
CANADA
ZS-SFI
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A319-131
2375
AUSTRIA
ZS-SXA
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A340-313
544
MALTA as 9H-ACX
ZS-SXB
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A340-313
582
MALTA as 9H-ACY
Deleted ZS-
54
February 2021
N12 N12 Between Between Klerksdorp Klerksdorp & & Wolmaransstad Wolmaransstad Reservations: +27(0)18 451 1188 Reservations: +27(0)18 451 1188 // 071 071 674 674 9969 9969 info@bonabona.co.za www.bonabona.co.za info@bonabona.co.za www.bonabona.co.za
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NOV & DEC 2020 Reg Deleted ZS- CONTINUED
Manufacturer
Type Name
Serial number
Previous Identity
ZS-SXC
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A340-313
590
MALTA as 9H-ACZ
ZS-SXJ
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A330-343
1754
MALTA
ZS-SZF
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A320-232
6189
FRANCE
ZS-SZG
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A320-232
6200
IRELAND
ZS-SZG
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A320-232
6200
IRELAND
ZS-SZH
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
A320-232
6306
MALTA as 9H-SZH
ZS-THU
DE HAVILLAND CANADA
DHC-8-102
038
CANADA as C-FCGE
ZS-XCB
ATR-GIE AVIONS DE TRANSPORT
ATR 72-212
460
GABON
Deleted ZUZU-CFU
WINDLASS AQUILLA
WA871
CRASHED MOOIPLAAS 7/12/2020
ZU-DLV
KITPLANES FOR AFRICA
BUSHBABY
018
KENYA
ZU-ILO
VAN’S AIRCRAFT
RV-8
83578
AUSTRALIA
ZU-SLL
JABIRU AIRCRAFT (PTY) LTD
J430
812
AUSTRALIA
ZU-TAC
THE AIRPLANE FACTORY
SLING 4
113
AUSTRALIA
ZT-RDO
SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT
S-76C
760765
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as N765MR
ZT-RFF
AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
AS 350 B3
8754
SAUDI ARABIA
ZT-RKB
ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY
R44 II
14050
SPAIN
Deleted ZT-R
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Events by SAPFA FUN RALLY AT BRAKPAN AIRFIELD 27 February frank.eckard@mweb.co.za Cell: 083 269 1516
FASHKOSH AIRSHOW
EAA CHAPTER 322 DRIVE-IN OR FLY-IN NIGHT 27 February neil1@telkomsa.net 084 674 5674
SANDSTONE STEAM FESTIVAL 26 - 28 February 051 933 2235 www.sandstone-estates.com
FLY-MU BREAKFAST FLY-IN & MUSICAL FESTIVAL - Charity Event
ROYAL INTERNATIONAL AIR TATTOO
30 May - Springs airfield Fanie 083 789 5507 ansan@tiscali.co.za
6 - 19 July 30 May - Springs airfield Fairford, Gloucestershire UK
FLYING LEGENDS
AERO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GERMANY
DUXFORD AIR FESTIVAL
10 - 11 July Moved to Sywell Aerodrome. Northhants UK
14 – 17 July 2021 Germany Stephanie.keller@messe-fn.de www.AERO-EXPO.com
24 - 25 July Duxford Aerodrome Cambridgshire UK
19 – 20 March Stellenbosch Airfield Anton Theart gm@stelfly.co.za 079 873 4567
Flying in Africa – that’s what we love 56
February 2020
Rain brings Life.Sossusvlei after the rains..
Flying in Africa - that’s what we love!
©Krissie Schreiber - Tsondab Valley Lodge
Comprehensive airfield information, up-to-date aeronautical data, friendly and efficient customer support, easy Flight Planning, electronic logbook, In-flight Navigation with EasyCockpit, Weather overlays, Weather cams, Events notification ... you have it all.
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FLIGHT TEST: FRANS GROTEPASS
Carel van Aswegen’s VANSIN The Vansin is a unique aircraft. The product of the prodigiously talented and skilled Carel van Aswegen – this wonderful example of the homebuilders’ art is being cherished and continuously refined by the inimitable Prof Frans Grotepass, a retired Voluntary Red Cross Air Mercy Pilot and still an active maxillo-facial surgeon in Durbanville Cape Town.
THE REMARKABLE CAREL VAN ASWEGEN Carel van Aswegen was born in the Orange
Carel’s natural ability of working with his hands and the stimulation at a young age created the
Free State in 1923, so his youth was during the
man I was to later meet in Plettenberg Bay.
depression years and the Second World War.
Our mutual interest in aircraft and the amateur
The early years of his life were hard. As
building of these wonderful machines was the
a young man he had to leave the comfort of
secret ingredient to our mutual friendship for
academia and help his father in the building
the years to follow.
trade. Being a practical man, his father taught
58
His father must have recognised young
Carel arrived in Plettenberg Bay in 1957 with
young Carel the secrets of cabinet making and
his wife Joey de Beer, who he had married in
instilled in him a superior sense of working with
Bloemfontein on his birthday on 26 June 1947.
different materials.
I can identify with that decision because I was
February 2020
The Vansin is truly a one-of-a kind, and yet is remarkably successful as a touring aircraft.
married on my 25th birthday and have now been
man, he was soon acquiring various aircraft
married to my very longsuffering and forbearing
wrecks. Amongst the various parts were the
wife Mari for 54 years.
remains of a Cessna 170B, Piper Apache PA23
When he arrived in Plett, Carel worked for a
wings, the engines of a Twin Comanche and
builder, Kou Reddering. This coincided with the
various other parts that were a constant source of
discovery of the Formosa Bay area as an area
hardware for his building. Carel was rebuilding a
of magnificent natural beauty and a boom period
Tri-Pacer, Piper Cubs and a Cessna 140, ZS-YLU.
followed. As a builder Carel noticed the poor
All these aircraft showed superb craftsmanship.
quality of the available bricks. His natural instinct
Designing and building new brickmaking
for materials kicked in and it wasn’t long before
machines also kept him busy and his wonderful
Carel made his first batch of bricks. He sourced
brain began thinking of a new aircraft. Applying
the correct clay, mixed it using his ingenuity and
his renaissance brain and mixing it with his
created a brick production service. The rest is
dexterity and his natural evaluation of material
history as Plett was booming and Carel supplied
strengths gave him an inbuilt ‘wetware’ version of
the bricks.
an AutoCad Solidworks combined stress analyses
With his business flourishing he could now spend his spare time on dreaming and building aeroplanes. Mail order catalogues for aircraft parts had
program. His strong ability to think logically was not clouded by unnecessary intellectual facts. His first self-designed aircraft was the Bergwind ZS-
started in 1965 in the USA but in South Africa
UIS which, on the 17th April 1977, was officially
nothing was freely available. Being a practical
presented to the public. It was a single seat low February 2020
59
ABOVE: The Vansin in 2003 before it had its nose stretched to move the CofG forward. LEFT: Instrument panel is practical rather than pretty. BELOW: Prof Frans Grotepass is a maxilo facial surgeon, Red Cross pilot - and a plane builder.
OPPOSITE PAGE
ABOVE: The Vansin uses a turbo Twin Comanche 160 hp engine.
BELOW: On the ground - access through the single gullwing door requires a step up.
60
February 2020
His ability to think logically was not clouded by intellectual facts
February 2020
61
Empennage comes from a Cessna C170.
wing aircraft with modern lines and a 55hp Lycoming engine driving a three bladed wooden propeller. The then DCA (which were always helpful) admired the wooden prop but queried the strength. Carel insisted it was strong enough as he had done the lamination Tip tanks come from a Twin Comanche - which also supplied the engine and original cowling.
and the gluing. DCA insisted it be tested and supplied him with the load that the blade was subjected to under flight conditions. Carel quickly made another stinkwood prop with a duplicating machine he designed, a structure was built the propeller suspended and the required load was applied. Nothing happened so he decided to load the prop to see when it would break. It never broke, but the supporting
Unique touches the key to open the fuel tank caps.
structure collapsed. The test propeller adorned his hangar and was the start of many discussions. The prop duplicating machine was donated to his sister’s son who showed an interest in woodworking and propellers. His name is Pieter de Necker and he has gone on to become South Africa’s foremost wooden prop supplier.
62
February 2020
THE BIRTH OF THE VANSIN Meanwhile Carel’s brain was now working
structure turned upside down was found to be perfectly suited to the overall profile of the airframe
overtime, sketching aircraft shapes and lines on
and tailcone. The tail feathers were all new in
his hangar walls. He liked low wings and wanted
profile. The Cessna empennage was the correct
something more practical than the single seater
size and the lines had to fit with what Carel had
Bergwind.
drawn on the wall and on the floor. The remainder
The main spar of the PA23 Apache was a nice strong structure – and the Cessna C170 has a
of the design was in his head. The engine would be the Lycoming IO-320
wonderful aerofoil profile. So he reasoned that he
turbo normalized engine from the Twin Comanche,
could combine the aerofoil of the Cessna 170 with
so the firewall forward was grafted from the PA30
the PA23 spar. But it had to be a tapered wing, and
Twinco.
The Vansin is a great tourer. Here it is - with the short nose - in Pemba in far northern Mozambique in 2003.
aesthetics were important. So the ribs were made
The fuselage was finished and balanced and
for the aerofoil. The bell cranks, flap mechanism
then placed on the judged centre of lift of the wing.
hinges and other hardware were all donated from
The wing and fuselage were mated and voila! The
the 170B. The wingtip was completed with the tip
CoG was sorted.
tanks from the Twin Comanche. The main fuel tanks were also grafted from the 170B. The whole aircraft was completed with countersunk rivets, minimising drag. The fuselage was designed around two reclining chairs and the structures were laid out. The C170Bs fuselage
For undercarriage, the spring steel gear legs of the C170 could not be improved upon and all the necessary fairings were made to improve the aerodynamics. Now for the windows. Easy. Carel said he would blow them himself. He built a big box and February 2020
63
the correct frame and clamped the acrylic sheet. This big box had a big inlet and outlet for air.
day arrived when Captain Jerry Broberg of the
He brought his bulldozer from the brickyard and
then DCA came to test fly the new helicopter. The
connected the exhaust to the inlet. The outlet was
flight was successful and Broberg remarked that
left open, then the bulldozer was started and the
the helicopter flew very well, but was extremely
He reasoned he could combine the aerofoil of the C170 with the PA23 spar
sensitive to control inputs. Carel remarked that he did not find it so sensitive and Jerry just frowned, as he was after all representing DCA. FRANS GROTEPASS AND THE VANSIN Back to the Vansin. During its build Frans visited Carel often and his two boys, both under 10, were always full of enthusiasm with uncle Carel. They were allowed to play hard and it made a lasting impression on their developing brains, as they learnt that if you put your mind to it, anything is possible. Frans writes, “I made Carel promise that if ever he wanted to sell the Vansin I must have first option to buy this aircraft. So the day arrived
acrylic sheet was warmed up till the softness was
that Carel wanted to part with it. He was however
just right. The outlet was then closed. The exhaust
reluctant to sell as he wanted to break up the
pressure blew the acrylic into the correct shape
machine, being scared of litigation. I went to
and at the right moment the engine was stopped
the attorney Rassie Theron in Plett, also a keen
and everything cooled down. It takes a special
aviator and he drew up a contract with which
brain to be so practical and clever.
Carel was happy. And so the Vansin moved to
The aircraft needed a name. Van had built it, so it became the ‘Vansin.’ The Vansin led Carel to build a helicopter –
Grootfontein Airfield in Cape Town. Now having the Vansin under my roof meant that I could consider refining an already lovely
based on the then available BabyBell helicopter. It
aircraft. An obvious place to start was the
became the Carelsin 1, ZS-VJX, powered by the
instrument panel which was from the 60’s, with
second engine from the Twin Comanche. Once it
a lot of instruments all over the place. I had soon
was finished, he couldn’t fly it as there was nobody
discovered that when flying the Vansin she was
to teach him. So he tethered the helicopter to a big
easily loaded beyond the aft CoG. I really wanted
frame made from aluminium irrigation pipes, and
to improve this problem but had no plans and no
started hovering. He slowly lengthened the tether
real CoG data.
and training progressed until Carel was flying all over the farm.
64
He thought he should get it legitimate. The big
February 2020
I started looking at the CoG limits on the Cessna aerofoil and marked the limits with a pencil
on the wing, followed by a critical weight and
There is also a pump to transfer the left main tank
balance with all the various loading possibilities. I
to the right tank, so after a long cross country flight
found that I needed 50 kgs of weight in the nose.
your remaining fuel can be transferred to the right
Being experimental, I made a custom lead ballast
tank. This arrangement is my choice because I like
and fixed it to engine. With that weight on the
to sideslip on final approach for speed and height
nose, she flew beautifully. So the solution was
control (still a remnant of my initial training in the
easy; the engine had to be moved 180mm forward
J3 Cub).
to give a practical CofG range.
After a while it was time to replace the patched
A new engine mount was made and while the
cowling with a full new cowling and to revisit the
engine was out, a top overhaul was done on the
instrument panel again. All the gyro instruments,
Lycoming. Moving the engine forward was not just
as well as the vacuum pump were removed and
a matter of bolting it to a longer engine mount. It
replaced with modern MGL EFIS equipment. For
needed new control cables, and sensor leads and
redundancy a backup Dynon D3 artificial horizon,
much more. It was more work than anticipated –
which can operate independently of the electrical
and also the cowling had to be extended.
system was installed. When I installed the EFIS I put a magnetometer into the wing tip. This gives the advantage of full
THE LONG NOSE VANSIN The end result was fantastic. The aeroplane is
air-data of which a big benefit is having crosswind
fast and stable and a great long distance cruiser.
information. Having the magnetometer also meant
Many long flights have been flown including from
that by adding two auto pilot servos on the CAN
then Cape to northern Mozambique, Botswana
bus I could have electronic help flying on long
and Namibia. She carries 266 litres of fuel giving a
cross-country flights.
7 hour endurance at 140 kts at 7000ft. The empty weight is 80 Kgs lighter than a C172, and the all up weight is the same as the Cessna 172, yet with the same horsepower. After taking it over I also simplified the fuel system. All the fuel hoses were replaced
It takes a special brain to be so practical and clever.
with Teflon wire-braided fuel lines which have unlimited life expectancy. The
The supposedly quick adding of two servos
gascolator was moved to the right leading edge
needed me to spend many relaxing hours on my
and now incorporates the Weldon prime backup
milling machine to make the custom mounting
pump. All the fuel transfer from tip tanks to the
brackets. After setting up the servos and fine
main tanks is done with reliable Facet pumps.
tuning, the autopilot flies very well and is a big plus February 2020
65
for the operation of this magnificent aircraft. Losing the heavy vacuum pump and plumbing had a very positive effect on the empty weight.
magnetometer. The layout of the panel is unusual – particularly in the location of the avionics and switchgear which appear haphazard. The design however
ON THE GROUND The thought that goes into a custom-made
and the lack of space on the panel. Carel wanted
aircraft such as this is immediately evident. The
to see over the panel, leaving little space. The
aircraft is beautifully smooth and flush riveted and
flying instruments were placed in front of the pilot
the flush fuel caps have a simple metal key with
as well as the radio, the engine instruments were
two pins. The tuna shaped fuel tip tanks just look
placed on the right with the transponder with
right.
warning annunciator lights in front of the pilot. The
The engine cowl cannot be opened without
switches and circuit breakers are located vertically
undoing camlock fasteners and removing a left
on narrow strips down either side of the instrument
or right half, so only the oil can easily be checked
panel. The centre of the panel is dominated by
through its own hatch for the dipstick.
the MGL EFIS, and below it are hefty push-pull
There is only one way into the cabin and that’s
engine control knobs. Thoughtfully located next to
through a high-silled gullwing door on the right,
the throttle knob is a flap switch and the fuel pump
but it opens high enough to make access easy.
switch – which can both be operated without taking
Once seated, the 40 inch wide cockpit is quite tight
your hand off the power controls.
for two broad shouldered South African males.
On the lower left side of the panel is a large
Although marginally large enough for four seats
red knob which operates the manual triple K
Frans flies it with two, giving plenty of space for
turbocharger suitable for the capacity of the
baggage and making the Vansin indeed a great
Lycoming and the rpm. The original Rayjay turbo
touring plane.
parts supply was a problem. In a rare mistake in
An immediately noticeable and unusual
finishing quality, the spackle finish on the metal
feature is the stiffening frame around the cockpit
instrument panel is peeling off – which is Frans’
windshield former. This acts as a roll over frame
next project.
and gives the Vansin rigidity and strength. The seating position is low, with your feet
On the right-hand side of the panel are modern engine health instruments and fuel gauges.
stretched out in front, but it is very comfortable
Somewhat incongruously – in the middle of the top
for long trips. The windows, particularly the
of the panel and two small switches simply marked
windscreen, are expansive, giving a great view
‘Mags’. The prominently located magneto switches
out. Notable too is that the windscreen does not
were placed there so that the position of switches
have a centre brace, which means the compass
can be seen during a walk round inspection and
is mounted on the top of the instrument panel.
the safety of the magnetos can be easily seen.
Hanging from the stiffener is a fine non-magnetic
66
was influenced by many years of instrument flying
There are handy USB ports on both sides of
brass screwdriver which Frans uses to fine tune
the panel. These USB sockets supply the latest
the compass in flight – aligning it with the accurate
quickcharge specs.
February 2020
There is no boarding step, or handhold, so
wing likes to haul weight and once rotated she is
getting up and into the cockpit requires a fairly
buoyant and likes to fly, even with full fuel and two
high step up onto the trailing edge of the wing.
crew and some baggage. On airports with a high
You step down into the cockpit and slide across to
density altitude, the turbo can be applied to give
the left seat.
sea level manifold pressure. The turbo is seldom used in cruise because she has a healthy cruise
FLYING THE VANSIN
speed. At altitude a 2400/22 power setting is
So how does the aircraft fly?
maintained, and the true airspeed then is 150 kts.
Start-up is conventional fuel injected Lycoming.
Fuel consumption at that power setting works out
Prime it, then pull the mixture back to idle cut-off. Remember to flip the two small mag switches to On. Crank the starter and when she fires,
to 32 litres/hr. In the circuit she is very docile. Downwind is entered at 120 KIAS and the speed decreased
His workmanship is a legacy to a great man and a wonderful builder advance the mixture. For the taxi, even with the extended nose,
to 90 KIAS, when approach flaps are selected. This speed is maintained on Base leg and the turn onto Final approach. On Final speed is reduced to 60
KIAS and full flap is selected. The visibility over the nose is excellent and at these speeds and
visibility is good for a taildragger. The rudder
typical weight the approach is stable. I aim for 50
pedals are connected to the tailwheel and there is
KIAS over the numbers.
differential braking on all four pedals. For takeoff she likes 15 degrees of flap. This helps to move the centre of lift back a bit and facilitates lift off. The wing incidence is only 8
She is easy to land and directional control is typical taildragger, but not at all jittery. Rudder authority is excellent. The Vansin first flew in 1978, yet in 2020
degrees and this makes a flapless takeoff happen
she still is modern. The vision that Carel had
at higher groundspeed then is necessary.
wandering through his aircraft boneyard was
She gets airborne at 45 kts indicated (KIAS) and the initial climb out is at 70 kts till 700 ft above ground when the flaps are retracted. At
way ahead of its time. He has created a unique
j
aircraft, a truly one of a kind in the world.
circuit altitude the fuel pump is switched off and 2400 rpm and 22� gives an indicated airspeed of 130 kts. Due to the 9.2 metre wingspan the February 2020
EPITAPH:
CAREL VAN ASWEGEN CAREL PASSED AWAY ON 12 JANUARY 2012 IN STILLBAY. His workmanship of all he touched is a legacy to a great man and a wonderful builder. In the Vansin every part was etch primed and now, 42 years later, the Vansin has no corrosion, despite having lived at the coast all its life. It is a tribute to Carel van Aswegen, our own doyen of the aircraft home-building fraternity.
Frans Grotepass, Joey van Aswegen, Carel van Aswegen and Jan Grotepass, the engine mount welder.
68
February 2020
MOVING THE ENGINE: Technical considerations making the new lengthened engine mount. The engine was suspended horizontally and weighed with the prop and all accessories. The CoG was calculated for the airframe. The aim was to have the aircraft at the foremost CoG with the pilot in the left seat and the fuel tanks empty. From the calculations the engine had to move 180mm forward to attain the new CofG. The next step was to make a jig to get the firewall dimensions and the Dynafocal engine mount ring. This jig was able to telescope to attain the 180mm extension. All calculations were checked and double checked. The telescoping part of the jig had to be in line with the thrust line. Once this tedious job was done, the actual construction began. It was decided to increase the wall thickness of the tubes and I also took the next larger size tube. All material used was 4130 aircraft tubing and the welding rods were the correct grade for 4130 metal. The notching of the tubes was not easy as all angles were nonstandard but with patience good fits were achieved and the whole mount was TIG
The old and the new engine mounts.
The mount was then painted white with a high-quality paint. I do not like epoxy coating. The drilled breathing holes are tapped 3 mm so that SS grub screws can be fitted, the actual position of the holes are such that they do not create a stress point where a crack can start. The area where there are doublers is the ideal position. Finally the engine mount was filled with blue outboard two stroke oil. The idea behind this is, if a crack should develop, the blue oil will leak, so the crack detection system is built in. All the engine mounts I have built have been done this way. With the attention to this kind of detail we have been free from cracks. Giving proper attention to balancing propellers is of course also very important.
j
welded. Breathing holes were drilled and the pipes were filled with Argon gas to facilitate pure welds on the inside of the pipes. The ventilation holes were drilled such that they would be at the highest point
The holes used to fill the engine mount with blue 2-stroke oil - and then sealed with grub screws.
in the pipe once the engine mount is in place. The whole engine mount was then placed in a potter’s kiln and the temperature was slowly raised till the 4130 lost its magnetic properties and the colour of the metal became cherry pink. The mount was then left to cool slowly. February 2020
69
THE FUEL SYSTEM
The Andair gascolator and backup fuel pump in the cool leading edge.
C
AREL’S original fuel system was
tanks, and the two mains would be fed from the tip
complicated, needing two three-way
tanks with transfer pumps. The pumps are Facet
fuel cocks to select the two tip tanks
pumps, known for their reliability, and also the
and the two main tanks. The fuel
ability to run indefinitely in case they are forgotten
lines were long and vulnerable to airlocks in the fuel lines.
to be switched off. An additional transfer pump was fitted to
In flight this gave rise to a number of uneasy
crossfeed fuel from the left main to the right main
fuel stoppage silent moments which could only be
tank. The thought behind this setup is after a long
fixed using the electric fuel pump and switching
cross country flight, the remaining fuel can be
tanks. Also it was difficult to use all the fuel and
pumped into the right tank.
it needed nerves of steel and plenty of altitude, A
On landing, height control is assisted with
rethink was necessary. Having flown the Cessna
various amounts of left sideslip, so the remaining
Citation, PC-12 and the Beechcraft Baron, I had
fuel will always flow towards the fuel pickup in the
been spoilt with elegant fuel systems. I decided
tank. At the end of a long flight, with total fuel less
that the Vansin fuel system also had to be easy to
than 80 litres, I switch on all transfer pumps and
use – and elegant.
switch to the right tank. Then the remaining fuel is
I decided that she would feed from the two main
where I want it.
All fuel lines have been replaced with Teflon
Also added was a pressure gauge that reads
Stainless steel braided lines the advantage is a
the Weldon backup/prime pump’s pressure, which
lifelong fuel hose which is also much stronger
should be 20 psi. On every start-up and whenever
against rupture in case of a mishap.
the fuel pump is switched on, the condition of the
The gascolator was replaced with an
backup pump can be checked.
Andair gascolator and moved from the engine
The system has been flown extensively and is
compartment to the right leading edge. The
really working very well. It is easy to understand
backup fuel pump was also placed in the cool
and operate, and all 266 litres can be used
leading edge.
effectively.
j
To facilitate hot starting, a purge valve was placed in the fuel line. This helps with hot starting, which is a well-known hassle with fuel injected systems.
SPECIFICATIONS: Vansin ZS-UJT VANSIN ZS-UJT Length Wingspan Wing area Empty weight Max takeoff weight Fuel capacity Powerplant Maximum speed Cruise speed Stall speed Range Service ceiling Rate of climb
SPECIFICATIONS 7250 mm 9200 mm 13.43 Sq metre (144. 6 sq ft) 675 kg 1250 kg Main 166 litres. Tip tanks 100 litres Lycoming IO-320-C1A 160hp TN PERFORMANCE 165 kts 140 kts 45 kts (flaps down/power off) 800 nm@ 55% power 20 000 ft 1 000 ft/min
FUEL TABLE www.sv1.co.za Fuel Prices FuelasPrices at 02/12/2020 as at 02/12/2020
SA Flyer 2021|02
Pri ces i nclude Pri ces iVAT nclude but VAT exclude but exclude any serviany ce fees servi ce fees Ai rfi eld Ai rfi eld Avgas Avgas Jet A1 Jet A1 Baragwanath Baragwanath R 18,50 R 18,50 BeaufortBeaufort West West R 18,35 R 18,35R 14,35 R 14,35 Bethlehem Bethlehem R 21,97 R 21,97R 15,62 R 15,62 Bloemfontei Bloemfontei n n R 14,89 R 14,89R 8,19 R 8,19 BrakpanBrakpan R 20,50 R 20,50 Brits Brits R 16,30 R 16,30 Cape Town Cape Town R 21,91 R 21,91R 7,48 R 7,48 Eagles Creek Eagles Creek R 19,55 R 19,55 East London East London R 17,71 R 17,71R 8,12 R 8,12 Ermelo Ermelo R 18,75 R 18,75 Fi santekraal Fi santekraal R 21,00 R 21,00 Fly-In Fly-In R 17,75 R 17,75 Gari ep Dam Gari ep Dam R 20,10 R 20,10R 13,00 R 13,00 George George R18,81 R18,81 R9,10 R9,10 Grand Central Grand Central R 18,92 R 18,92R 11,73 R 11,73 Hei delberg Hei delberg R 16,80 R 16,80 Ki mberley Ki mberley R 15,12 R 15,12R 8,42 R 8,42 Kitty Hawk Kitty Hawk R 18,10 R 18,10 Klerksdorp Klerksdorp R21,64 R21,64R14,80 R14,80 Kroonstad Kroonstad R 15,53 R 15,53R 9,51 R 9,51 Kruger Intl Kruger Nelspruit Intl Nelspruit R 20,00 R 20,00R 13,90 R 13,90 Krugersdorp Krugersdorp R 18,50 R 18,50 Lanseri aLanseri a R 17,14 R 17,14R 11,76 R 11,76 MargateMargate R 20,20 R 20,20R 12,35 R 12,35 Morningstar Morningstar R 17,95 R 17,95 Mosselbay Mosselbay R 18,20 R 18,20R 11,25 R 11,25 Nelspruit Nelspruit R 18,86 R 18,86R 13,05 R 13,05 Oudtshoorn Oudtshoorn R 17,10 R 17,10R 10,94 R 10,94 Parys Parys R 16,40 R 16,40R 10,50 R 10,50 Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg R 18,30 R 18,30 Pi etersburg Pi etersburg Ci vi l Ci vi l R 17,20 R 17,20R 11,10 R 11,10 Port Alfred Port Alfred R 23,17 R 23,17 Port Elizabeth Port Elizabeth R 17,83 R 17,83R 12,98 R 12,98 Potchefstroom Potchefstroom R 16,40 R 16,40R 10,50 R 10,50 Rand Rand R 18,95 R 18,95R 11,50 R 11,50 Robertson Robertson R16,15 R16,15 Rustenberg Rustenberg R 16,20 R 16,20R 11,20 R 11,20 SecundaSecunda R 18,96 R 18,96R 12,19 R 12,19 Skeerpoort Skeerpoort *** Customer *** Customer to collect to collect R 14,20 R 14,20 R8,25 R8,25 Springbok Springbok R 20,28 R 20,28 Springs Springs R 18,60 R 18,60R 12,79 R 12,79 Stellenbosch Stellenbosch R 17,50 R 17,50 Swellendam Swellendam R 15,60 R 15,60R 9,00 R 9,00 Tempe Tempe R 16,22 R 16,22R 11,16 R 11,16 Thabazimbe Thabazimbe R 17,30 R 17,30R 11,80 R 11,80 UltimateUltimate Heli (Midrand) Heli (Midrand) *** *** R 17,60 R 17,60R 11,40 R 11,40 Upington Upington R 15,70 R 15,70R 8,99 R 8,99 Vereeni giVereeni ng gi ng R 15,04 R 15,04R 13,02 R 13,02 Vi rgi ni aVi rgi ni a R 18,18 R 18,18R 10,35 R 10,35 WelkomWelkom R 15,53 R 15,53R 9,51 R 9,51 Wi ngs Park Wi ngs EL Park EL R 18,75 R 18,75 WitbankWitbank R 15,75 R 15,75 R 14,70 R 14,70R 8,75 R 8,75 Wonderboom Wonderboom Worcester Worcester R 18,10 R 18,10 *** Heli copters *** Heli copters only only
Tel: +27 14 576 2522 Ina: +27 82 553 9611 Email: aviation@sv1.co.za Marina: +27 82 924 3015
Co-ordinates: S25°50’37 E27°41’28 72 GPS February 2020 Import/Export no. 21343829
Fuel Prices FuelasPrices at 04/01/2021 as at 04/01/2021 Pri ces i nclude Pri ces iVAT nclude but VAT exclude but exclude any serviany ce fees servi ce fees Ai rfi eld Ai rfi eld Avgas Avgas Jet A1 Jet A1 Baragwanath Baragwanath R 18,50 R 18,50 BeaufortBeaufort West West R 18,35 R 18,35R 14,35 R 14,35 Bethlehem Bethlehem R 21,97 R 21,97R 15,62 R 15,62 Bloemfontei Bloemfontei n n R 15,49 R 15,49R 9,15 R 9,15 BrakpanBrakpan R 20,50 R 20,50 Brits Brits R 16,30 R 16,30 Cape Town Cape Town R 21,91 R 21,91R 7,48 R 7,48 Eagles Creek Eagles Creek R 19,55 R 19,55 East London East London R 17,71 R 17,71R 8,12 R 8,12 Ermelo Ermelo R 18,75 R 18,75 Fi santekraal Fi santekraal R 21,00 R 21,00 Fly-In Fly-In R 17,75 R 17,75 Gari ep Dam Gari ep Dam R 20,10 R 20,10R 13,40 R 13,40 George George R18,81 R18,81 R9,10 R9,10 Grand Central Grand Central R 18,92 R 18,92R 11,73 R 11,73 Hei delberg Hei delberg R 16,30 R 16,30 Ki mberley Ki mberley R 15,72 R 15,72R 9,38 R 9,38 Kitty Hawk Kitty Hawk R 18,10 R 18,10 Klerksdorp Klerksdorp R21,64 R21,64R14,80 R14,80 Kroonstad Kroonstad R 15,53 R 15,53R 9,51 R 9,51 Kruger Intl Kruger Nelspruit Intl Nelspruit R 20,00 R 20,00R 13,90 R 13,90 Krugersdorp Krugersdorp R 18,50 R 18,50 Lanseri aLanseri a R 17,14 R 17,14R 11,76 R 11,76 MargateMargate R 20,20 R 20,20R 12,35 R 12,35 Morningstar Morningstar R 17,95 R 17,95 Mosselbay Mosselbay R 18,20 R 18,20R 11,25 R 11,25 Nelspruit Nelspruit R 18,86 R 18,86R 13,05 R 13,05 Oudtshoorn Oudtshoorn R 17,10 R 17,10R 10,94 R 10,94 Parys Parys R 16,75 R 16,75R 10,70 R 10,70 Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg R 18,30 R 18,30 Pi etersburg Pi etersburg Ci vi l Ci vi l R 16,10 R 16,10R 11,10 R 11,10 Port Alfred Port Alfred R 23,17 R 23,17 Port Elizabeth Port Elizabeth R 17,83 R 17,83R 12,98 R 12,98 Potchefstroom Potchefstroom R 16,75 R 16,75R 10,70 R 10,70 Rand Rand R 18,95 R 18,95R 11,50 R 11,50 Robertson Robertson R16,25 R16,25 Rustenberg Rustenberg R 16,20 R 16,20R 11,20 R 11,20 SecundaSecunda R 18,96 R 18,96R 12,19 R 12,19 Skeerpoort Skeerpoort *** Customer *** Customer to collect to collect R 14,50 R 14,50 R8,45 R8,45 Springbok Springbok R 16,70 R 16,70 R9,95 R9,95 Springs Springs R 18,60 R 18,60R 12,79 R 12,79 Stellenbosch Stellenbosch R 17,50 R 17,50 Swellendam Swellendam R 15,60 R 15,60R 9,00 R 9,00 Tempe Tempe R 16,22 R 16,22R 11,16 R 11,16 Thabazimbe Thabazimbe R 17,25 R 17,25R 11,20 R 11,20 UltimateUltimate Heli (Midrand) Heli (Midrand) *** *** R 17,95 R 17,95R 11,90 R 11,90 Upington Upington R 16,41 R 16,41R 10,07 R 10,07 Vereeni giVereeni ng gi ng R 15,04 R 15,04R 13,02 R 13,02 Vi rgi ni aVi rgi ni a R 18,18 R 18,18R 10,35 R 10,35 WelkomWelkom R 15,53 R 15,53R 9,51 R 9,51 Wi ngs Park Wi ngs EL Park EL R 19,50 R 19,50 WitbankWitbank R 15,75 R 15,75 R 15,00 R 15,00R 8,95 R 8,95 Wonderboom Wonderboom Worcester Worcester R 17,40 R 17,40 *** Heli copters *** Heli copters only only
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75
OUT LANDINGS: DR MARK HOLLIDAY
A BEAN FIELD NEAR MAKWASSIE One of the wonderful things about gliding is that you learn the names of obscure turn points and can thereafter talk authoritatively about the geography of rural farmlands. Daniel Rodic, the famous Russian fighter pilot, who settled in South Africa and flew gliders, claims his Afrikaans wife was impressed on their first date by the fact that he knew where she came from â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a very remote turnpoint 350 km from Gariep called Marydale (population <100).
T 76
HE small town of Makwassie was my first competition out-landing
ASW20 dug into the soft drought-stricken soil. The retrieve was not that straight forward
that caused no damage. I had
because the trailer couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t negotiate the access
previously broken a wing on a
into the field. The farmer was most helpful in
road sign in the 1987 Transvaal
showing us how to drop the fence and I have always
Regionals when I ran out of ideas and touched
carried a wire-cutter since that day. The trick is not
down on a road in a moment of panic. The bean
to cut the fence, but to cut the little wires holding
field at Makwassie looked perfect from the air
the fence to the embedded uprights. Do this to 2
and the only surprise I got was the dust cloud
or 3 sections and you can hold the fence flat by
that burst into the cockpit when the wheel of my
foot while the car and trailer drive over it. The fence
February 2020
is then easy to reconnect to the uprights with a little wire afterwards and you won’t have a grumpy farmer to contend with.
one and only championships in 1997. Lessons: Learn about fences. I very rarely land in ploughed fields these days. I prefer to find a cut
If you don’t have a 4x4 and are going to land
grass field, the road through/between ploughed
in a ploughed field, do so near the road. Frankie
fields and the perimeter road around big centre-
Kienhofer’s first out-landing was in the centre of a
pivot fields if suitable (you can always land into
2 km square field near Hartswater and the furrows
wind). If I see a farmer’s car tracks on a cut grass
were about 40 cm deep, too deep to negotiate a 4x4
field I try and land on the tracks as he is unlikely to
so we had to carry the glider out piecemeal, making
have driven over a burrow.
for a very tiring retrieve. Conversely don’t land too close to the fence – remember your wingspan.
Remember that if your field selection is too short and you are going to run into a fence, you
When landing on a road you are almost always
do not have to die by strangulation. You can do
going to break something. The one exception is in
several things to slow down more rapidly; push the
Namibia where they grade the roads and shoulder
nose into the ground whilst braking hard, raise the
about 18m wide. The Namibian CAA seems to have
undercarriage or ground-loop. Also remember that
no problems with aero towing off a road. Namibia
a ground loop develops quite slowly so plan to do it
is also littered with salt pans that make for easy
well before the fence.
j
landings and aero towing, as I experienced at their February 2020
QUOTE OF THE MONTH: IATA’s Chief Economist Brian Pearce has been keeping an eye on Airline share prices many of which have already recovered to pre-COVID-19 levels. Pearce said:
“We will have a very difficult three to six months ahead of us. Nonetheless the financial markets trading airline stocks are behaving as if the pandemic is already over.”
Reaching new heights
OUR FLEET OF AIRCRAFT: Virginia Flight School currently has a wide range of aircraft that a person may choose to fly, these include: Cessna 152 (C152), Cessna 172 (C172), Cessna 172 Retractable (C72R), Piper Cherokee 140 (P28A), Simulator (FNPT11)
Tel: +27 31 563 2080 Mobile: +27 82 826 6413 Website: www.vfs.co.za
78
February 2020
BUMMPPHHH:
February 2020
79
ACCIDENT REPORT: JIM DAVIS
CHIEFTAIN FUEL On Saturday 13 November 2010, the pilot in command, with a valid test pilot Class 2 rating accompanied by two passengers, an AME, and a
ACCIDENT REPORT SUMMARY: Aircraft Registration: ZS-JOA Date of Accident: 13 November 2010 Time of Accident: 1007Z Type of Aircraft:
pilot not rated on aircraft
Piper-PA-31P-350 Chieftain
type, departed Lanseria for a
Test Flight Pilot-in-command
test flight in the local flying area after maintenance was
Type of Operation: Licence Type: Commercial Age: 49 Licence Valid: Yes
conducted on the aircraft.
Flying experience:
According to the test
Total 843.3 Hours on Type 42.3
pilot a thorough preflight
On 10 January 2007 at Wonderboom
inspection was performed
aerodrome, a Piper PA-30 piloted by the
before takeoff and the
Previous Accidents:
pilot cart-wheeled. Last point of departure: Lanseria (FALA)
aircraft fuel quantity gauges
Next point of intended landing:
indicated more than half full.
Location of the accident site:
Lanseria (FALA). On a farm Skeerpoort valley at GPS S25°56 '38.81 E027°48 '30.15.
80
Meteorological Information Visibility, February 2021
CAVOK: Temperature, 22°C.
THIS REPORT WAS COMPILED IN THE INTEREST OF THE PROMOTION OF AVIATION SAFETY AND THE REDUCTION OF THE RISK OF AVIATION ACCIDENTS OR INCIDENTS AND NOT TO ESTABLISH LEGAL LIABILITY.
With fuel there is no such thing as â&#x20AC;&#x153;maybeâ&#x20AC;?.
START clearance was obtained from the Air
manually and maintained 120 mph indicated
Traffic Control and both engines started normally.
air speed. The PF reported that as the aircraft
The aircraft was taxied to threshold of runway 06L
approached the area identified, he kept lowering
and pre-takeoff checks were carried out. Takeoff
the nose with the intention to maintain gliding
clearance was obtained and the PF commenced
speed with the flaps retracted.
with the takeoff run. After exiting FALA CTR at
The aircraft touched down on a rocky terrain
7 000 feet AMSL, the aircraft turned left towards
and the undercarriage subsequently collapsed.
Hartebeespoort Dam.
The aircraft skidded for approximately 70 metres
The PF reported that after 14 minutes flight
before it came to rest with the nose facing in a
time, the aircraft experienced an electrical failure
Westerly direction. After the aircraft came to rest
and he immediately requested FALA tower to
the PF immediately switched OFF the master
obtain inbound clearance. The aircraft turned
and ordered the passengers to exit the aircraft.
towards FALA when the left engine started to
The passengers disembarked unharmed and the
splutter and subsequently stopped. The PF flew
aircraft was substantially damaged during the
the aircraft on one engine and after a few minutes
forced landing.
the right engine also stopped. The aircraft started
The PF exited the aircraft with back injuries
to lose altitude and the PF immediately identified
and was later airlifted to 1 military hospital. The
an open field with the intention to execute a
engineer immediately retrieved the aircraft hand
forced landing. The PF lowered the undercarriage
held Halon fire extinguisher in case a fire started February 2021
81
and disconnected the battery. The aerodrome
again flown on a test flight with a flight time of 0.3
crash alarm was activated and emergency
hrs (18 min).
response services quickly rushed to the scene to render some assistance and secure the area. NOTE: According to the Airframe Logbook, the
The aircraft was on the ground for approximately 3 months and 14 days. On November 2010, the aircraft was flown on the
fuel gauges were calibrated on 14/05/2010. Six
third test flight after the last MPI. The aircraft was
months previously.
airborne for approximately 14 minutes when the
Tests and Research: On-site investigation
pilot experienced engine failures that was found
revealed no evidence of fuel leakage or spillage
due to fuel exhaustion. In order to determine the
from either side of the aircraft and on the ground.
fuel that was consumed the following calculation
Fuel tank caps were secured and were later
was made: 400 litres (105 USG) ÷ 42 USG/hr =
opened for inspections using a dip stick where
2.5 hours endurance. The aircraft was then flown
after no evidence of fuel was found.
a total of 0.4 hrs (24 min) + 0.6 (36 min) + 0.3 hrs
THE AIRCRAFT FUEL GAUGE READINGS WERE NOT ACCURATE.
(18 min) during the ferry flight and the two test flight prior to the third test flight when the accident occurred: 2.5 hours endurance – 0.4 + 0.6 + 0.3 hrs flown = 2.5 – 1.3 = 1.2 hrs (+/50 USG) endurance remaining for the third test flight. It later came to the attention of the investigator in charge (IIC) that an aircraft
All fuel lines and fittings were inspected for cracks, leaks and loose attachments and none
was on board but not rated on the aircraft at FALA
were found. On-site investigation revealed that the
asking the test pilot how much fuel the aircraft
aircraft fuel gauge readings were not accurate.
had prior departure. The test pilot responded by
According to the aircraft flight folio, 400 Litres
82
maintenance engineer overheard the pilot who
saying 400 litres of aviation gasoline (Avgas LL
avgas (105 USG) was uplifted at Kitty Hawk
100) was uplifted at Kitty Hawk prior to ferrying the
aerodrome on 23 July 2010. The endurance
aircraft to FALA for maintenance. The test pilot
is 105 USG ÷ 42 = 2.5 hours. The aircraft was
also mentioned that only two short test flights were
then ferried from Kitty Hawk to Lanseria for
flown afterwards. The passenger again asked
maintenance purposes with a flight time of 0.4 hrs
if he should add fuel just in case. The test pilot
(24 min). On 06 November 2010, the aircraft was
answered by saying that there should be about
flown on a test flight with a flight time of 0.6 hrs
two hours worth of fuel in the tanks and that they
(36 min). On 10 November 2010, the aircraft was
will only be flying for an hour maximum.
February 2021
The aircraft touched down on a rocky terrain and the undercarriage collapsed.
ACCORDING TO CARS CHAPTER 91.07.12: The pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall not commence a flight unless he or she is satisfied that the aircraft carries at least the planned
JIM’S COMMENTS A superior pilot uses his superior judgment to avoid having to use his superior skill. In this case, you don’t need superior judgement
amount of fuel and oil to complete the flight safely,
to know it’s idiotic to take off when you don’t know
taking into account operating and meteorological
how much fuel is in the tanks. A child of three
conditions and the expected delays.
could advise you on this.
The pilot-in-command shall ensure that the
Fuel is not a guessing game – it’s a numbers
amount of usable fuel remaining in-flight is not less
game. And we are talking very simple numbers
than the fuel required to proceed to an aerodrome
that most people can do in their head. For
where a safe landing can be made. If the usable
example, 50 gallons at ten gallons per hour will
fuel on board the aircraft is less than the final
last for five hours. Call it four hours to be safe. It
reserve fuel, the pilot-in-command shall declare
could hardly be easier.
an emergency. The fact that the other passenger was questioning the fuel state, it is possible that the aircraft had only small amount of fuel left. The PF took a chance, ran out of fuel and lied afterwards about “half full” gauges. For unknown reasons the
Once you start juggling minutely accurate figures the chances are you need more fuel or shorter legs. In this case the CAA’s calculations are a waste of time for two reasons: 1. They are based on a thumb-suck 42
aircraft was defueled during the time it was not
GPH. In reality a Chieftain drinks 60 GPH in
flying.
the climb and as little as 30 GPH in the cruise.
The pilot did not visually or by means of dip
They tell us that since refuelling the aircraft had
stick inspect the amount of fuel remaining in the
done a ferry flight and two test flights. They don’t
aircraft fuel tanks and there is a possibility that the
tell us whether the duration of these flights was
aircraft fuel gauges were faulty.
tachometer time, Hobbs time or start-up to switchFebruary 2021
83
off time. And there is no way of guessing fuel
out. So, for a short local flight I will put a drum (50
consumption on a test flight.
US gallons or 200 litres) of fuel in each side.”
2. The calculations are rendered void by
With these accidents I always like to ask myself
CAA’s own comment that the aeroplane was de-
whether I would have happily sat in the back
fuelled “for unknown reasons” during its more than
seat of the aircraft. This is a surprisingly useful
100 days in the AMO.
exercise, because we can use it for our own flying.
And that’s an interesting comment. Would I bet my life on the belief that no one had taken fuel out of the tanks while the aircraft languished in the
Take stock of all the facts BEFORE you fly – it’s a good indicator of whether one should takeoff. And if you learn to see trouble building up
hangar for all that time? I think not – but this pilot
before someone else’s flight, surely you can do it
did. And he was wrong.
for your own flying.
In the pilot’s defence – and it is a very weak defence – it’s almost impossible to tell how much fuel is in the tanks of a Chieftain. The report notes that the pilot did not check the tanks visually or
As my mate Chalkie always says, “Takeoff is optional.” Wise words indeed. So let’s look at this one. Here’s what we know before the flight.
use a dipstick. But that’s a pretty silly comment – you wouldn’t expect to see the fuel, visually, or on
1. This is a post-maintenance test flight
a dip-stick unless the tanks are almost full.
2. The aircraft has been out of service for a long time
A SUPERIOR PILOT USES HIS SUPERIOR JUDGMENT TO AVOID HAVING TO USE HIS SUPERIOR SKILL.
3. The Chieftain is a reasonably fast, complex aeroplane 4. The Commercial pilot, although nearly 50, has only logged 843 hours 5. The pilot has already had one accident in a twin 6. Chieftain fuel gauges are notoriously unreliable 7. The co-pilot is worried about the fuel state 8. No one knows for certain how much fuel is in the tanks
The first thing every pilot learns about a Chieftain – is that its fuel gauges are a joke. And the next thing you learn is that the countryside
last one is a clincher. The pilot was well aware of
is scattered with Chieftains that have run out of
all these points, so I have to ask myself why would
fuel. So the CAA’s comment that the pilot “took a
he NOT refuel? I can think of five reasons off the
chance” is insightful, if somewhat crudely put.
top of my head.
What would I have done in this pilot’s shoes? I would have said, “I have no idea how much fuel is in the tanks, and there is no easy way of finding
84
The first seven points are a bit ho-hum but the
February 2021
1. The aeroplane would have been too heavy. Not a chance. 2. The pilot didn’t have the money to buy fuel.
Possible – but not worth risking your life for. 3. The pilot knew for certain that he had enough fuel. This was not the case.
THE PF TOOK A CHANCE, RAN OUT OF FUEL AND LIED AFTERWARDS ABOUT "HALF FULL" GAUGES.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN? The lessons are so obvious it’s embarrassing to list them. But for those who were practicing their speed-reading above, here they are again in slow, thoughtful reading: • Before flying review all the potentially negative stuff •
Never be in a hurry around aeroplanes
•
With fuel there is no such thing as “maybe”
•
Always be wary of post-maintenance flights
• Conduct post maintenance flights within gliding distance of the field. This has often saved my bacon • If it’s a matter of fuel or cargo – you know which one takes precedence • Fuel calculations are simple – if they get
4. The pilot was prepared to take a fat chance. Now we are getting there.
complicated there is simply not enough • Never trust your life on light aircraft fuel
5. The pilot was in a hurry, or too lazy. Almost certainly. If a fairy had offered to refuel the aircraft with a wave of her wand, I suspect our pilot would have grabbed the offer. This guy used his inferior judgement to put himself in a position where he has to glide at 120 mph in order to do an unnecessary forced landing in hostile territory. Madness. Now I am going to do some bragging for which I make no apology. In a lifetime of flying, I have done some stupid, even reckless things, but I have never ever been worried about my fuel state. Not once. Actually it’s not much to brag about is it? You simply have to ask, “Do I want to scare myself, or shall I just chuck some fuel in?” Not a difficult question. This is the sort of decision that the Live Cowards’ Club (LCC) members make every day. It turns flying from fear into fun.
gauges •
Takeoff is always optional
j
INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FUEL GAUGE READINGS WERE NOT ACCURATE February 2021
85
BOOK LAUNCH
Anatomy of Air Show Accidents BY DES BARKER Renowned test pilot, writer and SA Flyer contributor, Maj General Des Barker has released a reference work on air show accidents that will become a standard text on a complex subject.
THE International Council of Air Shows, (ICAS) and the International Air Show Safety Team
Air Show Display Flying Analyzed. He spent more
combined forces to publish and distribute this new
than 15 years gathering the data for and writing
book. A media release says that “It will quickly
Anatomy of Air Show Accidents.
become the definitive reference source on air
“Drawing on the analytical skills that he learned
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as a fighter pilot and test pilot, Barker leaves
Barker (South African Air Force, retired), Anatomy
no stone unturned in his efforts to provide air
of Air Show Accidents is a 662-page master work
show pilots with information about the common
and “how to” manual for air show pilots committed
causes of air show accidents. From pilot error
to flying low-level aerobatic performances as
to mechanical failures, from solo performers to
safely as possible.”
formation teams, from purpose-built aerobatic
This comprehensive volume includes narrative
aircraft to vintage warbirds, Barker categorises
discussions of the factors influencing accidents,
many hundreds of accidents and incidents to
statistical analysis and categorisation of past air
dispassionately present factual information and
show accidents, and a detailed explanation of the
expert analysis aimed at helping other pilots avoid
air show pilot mentality and the role it plays in air
similar accidents.
show accidents. The book also includes detailed
86
Des Barker is the author of Zero Error Margin:
Barker explains in the book’s foreword, “This
summaries of nearly 1,400 air show accidents
book does not seek to pass judgment on those
between May of 1908 (the first air show accident
who have been involved in accidents, but rather
involving a Bleriot monoplane in France) and
to illustrate trends in air show accidents and
November of 2018.
incidents with the view to developing action plans,
February 2021
processes and procedures to reduce the hazards
more than 110 years of air show accidents, this
of air shows.”
book has the power to significantly reduce the
The book also includes sections on the history of air shows, the safety challenges built into air
frequency of air show accidents. But that process necessarily requires that performers, air bosses
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imperative to
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protect air show
The cost of
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Anatomy of Air
the regulatory
Show Accidents
environment in
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which air shows
Shipping fees
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implications of
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States and Canada, but around the world,” says ICAS President John Cudahy. “By objectively identifying, explaining, analyzing and quantifying February 2021
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ORDER FORM
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____ # of copies @ $59 each
Standard shipping ($10 for US) International shipping
International shipping charges vary based on country. We will confirm shipping costs with you prior to charging your credit card.
Total due: $______ Shipping information: Name: ___________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip code/Country: __________________________________________ Email address: ______________________________________________________ Phone number: _____________________________________________________ Payment information (we accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express): Credit Card #: __________________________________ Expiration Date: ____________ Thank you for your order. International Council of Air Shows, 741 Miller Dr SE # G-1A, Leesburg, VA 20175 icas@airshows.aero 703-779-8510
88
February 2021
LANSERIA AIRPORT
REVIEW
February 2021
89
LANSERIA AIRPORT
PUSHING THROUGH THE CRISIS The Covid-19 pandemic has hit airports around the world, and Lanseria International airport is no exception. It finds it is fighting not only the pandemic, but also an obstructionist government and drastically reduced airline operations – while still completing its earlier bold growth programmes.
A
S Lanseria has developed it grew
as 26 per day pre-COVID-19 to a current level of
from essentially a general aviation
just about 3 per day.
airport to a scheduled airline
General Aviation, which means all non-
airport. While this growth has
scheduled operations, has not done as badly,
been good for the airport as a business, it has
and Christoph reports that it is around 70% of
impacted it particularly hard during the COVID-19
pre-COVID-19 levels. He reckons that this may be
lockdowns.
partly due to the dramatic decrease in scheduled
At first, under Level 5 lockdown, all scheduled
operations. He cites the example of Polokwane
flights were stopped. Then as the lockdown
where pre COVID-19, a team of businessmen
eased, the airlines gradually restarted operations.
could book a scheduled flight there and back in
But now with the arrival of the second and third
the same day. Now there is just one flight per day
COVID-19 waves and the strong compulsion
which means that the businessmen are having
of the travelling public to rather ‘stay home’ the
to sleep over, and this makes air charter a better
scheduled airlines have all but stopped once
alternative.
again. Operations Manager, Mr Mike Christoph, says that scheduled flights have reduced from as many
90
February 2021
MAINTENANCE AND TRAINING A key strength of Lanseria is its being a centre
of excellence as a maintenance and training
full customs and immigration capability. However,
centre. Even with low hours been flown, this has
the immigration officials are only processing
enabled the airport to remain busy with scheduled
crew and not passengers, which is causing
calendar work, with aircraft coming in from all over
great inconvenience and cost to the airport’s
Africa for maintenance.
international VIP customers.
Given the shift to schedule airline operations
Mike Christoph reports that despite these
there are now just three training schools left at
setbacks the Charter operations of the airport
Lanseria. Skyhawk’s Mike Gough reports that he
are still doing well and the airline is continuing
has more business than he can accommodate,
to support a number of top level Fixed Base
and he has been on a strong expansion drive.
Operators.
The availability of the airport’s ILS for VMC
Lanseria management has always prided
approaches and the proximity of the General
itself on good relations with its tenants, and the
Flying Area makes Lanseria ideal for advanced
often-vexed problem of security – particularly
training.
considering the requirements of an international airport.
INTERNATIONAL STATUS The airport has had an ongoing legal battle
The Lanseria Operator’s Safety and Security Forum is a dynamic meeting that has the
with the Department of Home Affairs which
enthusiastic participation of everyone on the
provides immigration and customs formalities.
airport, from the SA Police Security teams and
The airport’s international status was withdrawn
even the customs and immigration officials. The
during the initial Level 5 and then 4 lockdown, but
forum covers everything from aircraft incidents to
under Level 3 and higher the airport should have
the airport’s recycling initiatives. February 2021
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Lanseria is a catalyst for new Industrial Parks around it.
Lanseria's growth was slowed but not stopped.
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February 2021
THE FUTURE Not one to rest on the laurels of successfully having completed its massive R200 million multi-story parkade, a further R2-billion worth of plans for improvements to Lanseria airport have been continued through the Covid-19 Lockdown. The largest of these is the Pier upgrade to the terminal building which almost doubles its capacity. The pier is now scheduled for completion at the end of March 2021. Airport CEO Mr Rampo Ramopo says that as a privately-owned airport, Lanseria, offers a flexible business model which allows for smaller and lesser-known operators to function successfully while remaining competitive. A long shot hoped for by Rammopo is the possibility that the Gautrain will be expanded from its primarily north south connections between Johannesburg and Pretoria to reach out westwards to Lanseria.” This will hopefully create an increase in property development, with a ripple effect to the benefit of the local workforce and travellers,” he adds. Rammopo believes that the Gautrain expansion would be a notable “game changer” for the area. “We have always been involved in developing the area and communities around the airport, and have invested heavily in corporate social investment projects – the Gautrain can only bolster these efforts.”
We have moved to Gate 9 B Lanseria International Airport Velocity Aviation Building
AIRCRAFT PARTS Contact us and get your quote today!
Ramopo’s pre-Covid goal was to “Increase the airport’s traffic to 4.5-million passengers a year by the end of 2022, with an ultimate target of six-million yearly passengers by the end of 2028.” The impact of the Covid pandemic has set these ambitious goals back by a number of years.
j
Lanseria hosts world class operations, such as Skyhawk Flight School which has partnered with the Sakhikamva Foundation to spread the love of flying.
Tell no: +27(0) 11 659 2306/2334 – office Cell no: +27(0)82 872 3263 – C. Pearson E-mail: info@velocityaviation.co.za collin@velocityaviation.co.za Visit us on: www.velocityaviation.co.za
February 2021
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IT â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S JUST
PL A NE PASSI ON Aspire Aviation is a South Af rican Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul (MRO) Organization based at Lanseria International Airport, which is appointed as the only Authorized Service Centre for both Embraer Executive and Commercial Aircraft on the Af rican Continent.
HANGER 201 GATE 7 LANSERIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT W W W. F LYA S P I R E . A F R I C A TA L KT O M E @ F LYA S P I R E . A F R I C A AMO 1135
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February 2021
Aspire Aviation
Aspire Aviation (Pty) Ltd an innovative, progressive South African Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul (MRO) Organization based at Lanseria International Airport, which is appointed as the only Authorized Service Centre for both Embraer Executive and Commercial Aircraft on the African Continent whom are focused on delivering a personalised experience to Aircraft Owners and Operators, ensuring the continual safe operation of their Aircraft Assets with the aim of becoming the preferred MRO on the African Continent. Aspire
Aviation holds approvals to maintain aircraft on the National Regulatory Registers of South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Bermuda with more certifications to follow and their team of AMEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are certified to carry out maintenance on Aircraft Airframes, Engines and Avionics for a range of aircraft, inclusive of Bombardier, Dassault, Cessna, Embraer, Beechcraft and Hawker amongst others. On 01 June 2020 Lanseria Jet Centre changed their name to become Aspire Aviation and Aspire Charters and in August of 2020 embarked on the commencement of re branding, in doing so affording the opportunity for the company to start on an exciting new path to future growth, a new beginning, so to speak. Aspire Aviation and Aspire Charters together with its FBO Lounge is truly proud to showcase their new clean and vibrant image at Lanseria International Airport. Aspire Aviation realizes the importance of supporting sustainability in Aviation Sector in doing so strives to within its facility offer several supporting aviation services to Aircraft Owners, via key partnerships. Starting with the Aspire Training room which has been created to cater for both in house training as well as for outside trainers to host Aviation related training in addition to partnerships with a wheel and brake shop, JMAC Aerospace Services as well as Executive Aircraft Refurbishment thereby enabling Aspire Aviation to extend its service offering on site.
The ability to touch lives and make a difference prompted Aspire Aviation to look for areas of local social responsibility which will not only assist the locally community but in addition present opportunities for the youth to be introduced to Aviation thereby planting a seed for future interest in the Aviation Sector, which may well lead to job and wealth creation. Partnering with local Kwena Malopa Secondary School, and Camas SA Aviation Academy (A subsidiary of PSS Aviation) Aspire Aviation embarks on promoting aviation to the youth through their Social Responsibility initiatives.
The Aspire Aviation and Charters Team are ready to offer maintenance and maintenance support both locally and, on the continent, they eagerly look forward to welcoming both existing and new clients to come and experience their new look and feel as they embark on their new phase of growth on the African Continent.
Hanger 201, Lanseria International Airport, Lanseria, Gauteng, South Africa Email Maintenance :talktome@flyaspire.africa Email Charters :flyme@flyaspire.africa Office Hrs : +27 (0) 11 659 2150 Maintenance After Hrs : +27 (0) 62 850 6059 Charter After Hrs : +27 (0) 62 570 4664
February 2021
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Executive Aircraft Refurbishment ultra-modern standards. Offering a choice of FormicaÂŽ lamination or veneer, with a gloss or matt finish, all manufactured and fitted on-site. Aircraft flooring is custom manufactured and installed, from wool carpets with special wool carpet edging to non-textile floor installations, such as coin-dot flooring on galley, cargo and baggage section floors as well as the all air-stair surfaces. Executive Aircraft Refurbishment conduct burn tests on all the materials used on the aircraft. Burn tests are done according to FAR25.853 and FAR23.853 test regulations, after which they will issue the required burn certificates.
COMFORT, QUALITY AND PERFECTION IS THE MOTTO THAT DRIVES THE TEAM AT EXECUTIVE AIRCRAFT REFURBISHMENT. With over 30 years of combined aircraft refurbishment experience between the owner Francois Denton and his staff, EAR has built a reputation for quality and attention to detail, specializing in full and partial interior and exterior refurbishment of Gulfstream, Global, Hawker, Challenger, and Falcon ranges of aircraft. The advanced on-site Sewing shop will take care of any upholstery needs whether leather or fabric, Executive Aircraft Refurbishment will custom design and develop aircraft interior with foam building to the clients specification. EAR will also re-cover interior panels and trimmings; and manufacture interior sun-shields, and aircraft ground covers. Also with in house aircraft safety belt refurbishment capabilities EAR can do it all. Executive Aircraft Refurbishments Cabinet Shop specialize in refurbishment of interior cabinets to
Executive Aircraft Refurbishment operate a professional paint shop large enough to get any job done, with state-of-the-art equipment, and a highly experienced team who pride themselves in attention to every detail. EAR specialise in custom livery paint scheme designs to customer specifications. No component is too big or too small for the paint team who will respray components like wheel rim assemblies and landing gear. If needed touch-ups will be done by an experienced mobile team. All paint colours are matched and mixed in-house as well as the supply of all exterior decals for all applications. Every paint job is sealed with PRCÂŽ aerospace sealants. The expert team at Executive Aircraft Refurbishment are ready to advise clients on all aspects of the aesthetic and technical implications throughout the refurbishment process, a true nose-to-tail makeover for any aircraft.
Gate 5, Lanseria International Airport, Airport Rd, Lanseria. Hangar 31: Paint Shop, Hangar 10: Interior Shop and Office Tel :+27 10 900 4149 or 082 547 8379 Email :francois@earefurbishment.com or info@earefurbishment.com
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February 2021
QUALITY AIRCRAFT REFURBISHMENT Tel: +27 (0)10 900 4149 Info@earefurbishment.com
| |
Mobile: +27 (0)82 547 8379 Francois@earefurbishment.com
Gate 5, Lanseria International Airport, Airport Rd, LanseriaFebruary 2021
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AERONAV ACADEMY Pilot TrainingAeronav Academy is committed to providing top-level flight training utilising the
electrical, instruments, avionics, compass systems and all aircraft components. •
AES can do your Ni-cad, Lead Acid
most modern equipment available. This not only
main batteries, Emergency Batteries,
gives our clients an enjoyable training experience
ULB Batteries and ELT batteries at both
but also provides Aeronav the ability to conduct
Branches.
flight training in a manner that ensures that student
•
pilots will be ready and well equipped to enter the aviation industry of the future.
ACK ELT’s. •
Aeronav Academy is proud to offer a dynamic fleet of aircraft, including Diamond DA20s, Cessna
AES has recently acquired the Agency for AES can do your Inspections and defects away from base at affordable rates.
•
AES states that the company is committed
182s and the Diamond DA42 Twinstar Multi-
to the principles of honesty, excellence and
engine trainer. The Academy’s latest acquisition is
dedication.
the impressive Alsim ALX-65 flight simulator. The
All staff at AES are committed to provide its
amazingly realistic graphics feel of the controls
clientele with quality service time after time,
and response make training in this flight simulator
because flying isn’t JUST flying!
a truly first class experience. The school is based at Lanseria Airport. A
Contact: Erwin Erasmus (Cape Town)
controlled airspace provides students with an
Cell: 082 494 3722
excellent grounding in procedures and gives them
Email: erwin@aeroelectrical.co.za
the experience needed to cope with operating in a
or
busy airline orientated environment. Whether you
Danie van Wyk (Lanseria)
choose to fly for pleasure or wish to make aviation
Cell: 083 269 8696
your career, Aeronav can provide you with an
Email: danie@aeroelectrical.co.za
approved course tailored to your needs.
Website: www.aeroelectrical.co.za
Tel No: + 27 11 701 3862 Email: info@aeronav.co.za Website: www.aeronav.co.za
AVIATION REBUILDERS Aviation Rebuilders is an SACAA approved category B and X5 Aircraft Maintenance
AERO ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS (AES) AES is an Aircraft Maintenance Organisation,
Showroom right that the entrance to Rand
AMO1011, established in October 2004 and
Airport, Germiston. Established in 1997, Aviation
operating initially from Lanseria airport. The
Rebuilders is your competitive and reliable option
company is growing strongly and has expanded to
when it comes to of all your sheet metal, welding
Cape Town International.
and flight control cable assembly requirements. No
AES prides itself on providing quality and reliable service on most aircraft, including
98
Organisation, number AMO 188, based in the
repair is too big or too small for our enthusiastic team who are always keen and up for a challenge.
February 2021
99
Our highly experienced technicians provide
aviation avionic solutions from a vast majority of
excellent quality and turn-around times for your
suppliers (Garmin, Bose, Avidyne, McMurdo ELT,
maintenance requirements.
Genesys Aerosystems, BendixKing/Honeywell
Our flight control cable assembly facility offers
and many others). We constantly aim to offer our
all standard MIL-SPEC cable and end fittings,
valued customers the widest range of products
ranging from 1/16” to 3/16”, with cables assembled
and capabilities available currently for your aircraft
per sample or specification. Our welding facility
and your specific need.
offers weld repairs using TIG methods to
We excel in Avionics Sales/Marketing,
aluminium alloys, carbon steel and corrosion and
Installations, Repairs/Maintenance, Support and
heat resistant steels. The Aviation Rebuilders
Certification ensuring we can do most of the work
sheet metal facility boasts an extensive range of
in-house to ensure the work quality is up to their
tooling and equipment which enables us to offer
standard. We are also the only repair/service
an excellent repair service to keep your aircraft
centre in Southern-Africa for BendixKing, Bose
flying.
Aviation, David Clark and Lightspeed.
Contact Aviation Rebuilders on:
Our AMO and Design Organisation is approved
Tel: +27 (0)11 827-2491
in South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia,
Cell: +27 (0)82 872-4117
Malawi and Zimbabwe. Please contact us for all
Email: lyn@aviationrebuilders.com
your avionic requirements. Tel: +27 11 701 3244 | E-mail: salesadmin@ centuryavionics.co.za | Website: www.
CENTURY AVIONICS - EXCELLENCE IN
centuryavionics.co.za
AVIONICS Century Avionics was established in 1978 and is based at Lanseria International Airport. We specialise in general aviation avionics
Keywords: Aircraft Parts and Consumables
maintenance, supply, repair and installation for
D.M. Aviation Spares is situated on the north
fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft together with a
side of Lanseria, Unit 2, next to Century Avionics,
various array of portable units, avionics and
Gate 5. The company stocks aircraft parts, aircraft
headsets.
consumables and general consumables.
We take pride in small and big avionics
D.M. Aviation Spares was started in 2011 by
upgrades and we are more than happy to quote
Daniella Mawson who has been in aviation since
you on any upgrade or advise you on the best
1980 and in the aircraft parts industry since 1990.
suitable avionics for your aircraft. With technology
She therefore has extensive knowledge of parts
changing so rapidly, we ensure our employees
and their sourcing.
receive regular training so that our company stay
D.M. Aviation Spares’ aim is to make life easier
ahead to the changes and improvements that
for the smaller AMOs at the airport by holding fast
happens regularly on all avionics, headsets etc.
moving stock.
Century Avionics offer a wide range of general
100
D.M. AVIATION SPARES
February 2021
Daniella goes out of her way to source parts
that others say are not available. D.M. Aviation
owned, training and charter operated aircraft.
imports parts as well as sourcing hard to find
These range from Non-Type Certified Aircraft
aircraft components. They provide clients with the
through light singles and twins and on to turbo-
best prices and service possible. Furthermore,
props and light jets.
they are agents for Aircraft Spruce and others.
Gemair is a recognised CAA Approved
For more information, contact Daniella Mawson on:
Maintenance Organisation, AMO number 1003, and has a team of nine full time engineers who
Tel: 082 576 8853
together have a combined total of over 50 years
Email: dmaviationspares@gmail.com
of aviation experience. Backed up by the full time administrative staff, Gemair is able to perform all your aviation maintenance requirements.
GEMAIR Gemair was started in 2007 by Andries Venter,
The company has expanded into aircraft
a South African Air Force trained engineer
interiors through the acquisition of Lanseria
with over twelve years of aviation maintenance
Aircraft Interiors and aircraft charter through the
experience. Since relocating to Lanseria
acquisition of Out of the Blue Air Safaris. Contact Andries Venter:
has continued to grow and now looks after the
Cell: 082 905 5760
maintenance needs of a full range of privately
Email: Andries@gemair.co.za
m haWe ov v ede !
International’s south side in 2009, the company
“We Keep you Flying” Source & Supply Aircraft parts & consumables for Fixed Wing / Beechcraft / King Air / Dornier 328 / Citation / Embraers / Learjet & Home Build Aircraft. All parts come with Approved Release Certificates. Locate “Hard to Find” Aircraft Parts & consumables Handle Component Repairs & Exchanges Distributor for Professional Tooling Agent for Aircraft Spruce Based next to Century Avionics, Lanseria International Airport
UNIT NO 2, GATE 5 LANSERIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Contact: Daniella Mawson Mobile no: 082 576 8853 E-mail: daniellamawson@telkomsa.net / dmaviationspares@gmail.com
February 2021
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A Message to All Our Loyal Readers The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown the aviation publication business into turmoil. QUESTION:
WHY CAN I NOT FIND SA FLYER ON THE SHOP SHELVES AND IN MY POST BOX?
ANSWER:
T HE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS EFFECTIVELY FORCED ALL THE AVIATION MAGAZINES TO STOP PRINTING. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE IS NOW FAR MORE TO ENJOY!
C
OVID-19 has brought the entire print publication industry to its knees. One of the impacts of this has been the closure of our retail distribution to shops and our inability to deliver subscriptions. For this reason, we have moved to a purely digital offering. Our new value proposition to you, our loyal reader: We now provide not just the magazine, but 3 different ways for you to get your flying fix – and not just monthly – but with new material every day! 1. Our all new digital pdf magazine - available for free on our website www.saflyer.com 2. Our Facebook page - with by far the biggest aviation following in Africa 3. Our brand-new state of the art website - visit www. saflyer.com And best of all! We provide all three of these platforms for free!!
The core our offering remains the magazines, which, as purely digital PDF publications use an excellent ‘e-zine’ reader. Click on: https://issuu.com/saflyermagazine for your free copy of SA Flyer and FlightCom. This very
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February 2021
powerful yet easy to use e-zine reader allows us to fully exploit the wonderful opportunities created by digital publishing in linking videos to our articles. And we have made the font and layout much easier to read on a tablet or computer monitor. So now – not only is SA Flyer and FlightCom available for free – it offers so much more! Our means of reaching our readers may have changed, but at SA Flyer and FlightCom we remain committed to our core principles of quality journalism and insightful thought-leadership. Our key objective is to inform and entertain our readers, which we do thanks to the world-class contributors we have nurtured. These include: •
Peter Garrison’s unrivalled insights into aerodynamics and accidents
•
Jim Davis’s years of instructing experience
•
George Tonking’s unique helicopter insights.
•
At the same time we are nurturing young writers such as Johan Walden and the wonderful Dassie Persaud van der Westhuizen who qualified as an architect and then became a flight attendant to fund her flying training – all the way to the cockpit of an Airbus A320.
We are also the only magazine to do hands-on ‘from the cockpit’ flight tests where we actually fly the aircraft. And we bring our readers invaluable information, such as where to get the cheapest fuel – thus saving you thousands of Rands! We live in challenging times and it will be extremely interesting to see what the aviation publication market looks like in a year’s time. But in the meanwhile, we are confident that we are still by far the most liked and respected aviation magazine in Africa. Thank you for your support!
Guy Leitch
The Garmin D2â&#x201E;˘ Air device has a wrist-based pulse oximeter to gauge the saturation of oxygen in your blood (SpO2)
Knowing your oxygen saturation can help you determine how your body is adjusting to high altitudes. As your altitude increases, the level of oxygen in your blood can decrease. During a flight, the device automatically takes pulse oximeter readings more frequently, so you can monitor your SpO2 percentage.
Lanseria's growth has not stopped.
+27 11 701 3244
www.centuryavionics.co.za salesadmin@centuryavionics.co.za February 2021
103
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT CLEARANCES International Flight Clearances are Lanseria based aviation consultants whose aim is to add value and ensure safety to international flights anywhere in the world, while reducing the stress factor for both operators and passengers. They have immense experience in dealing with all types of flights, both regionally and internationally. They assist in cost efficient and safe route planning, whilst adding a personal touch. By being intimately acquainted with Africa in all her moods, and being familiar with the vagaries of every country, they have the expertise to plan with the detail necessary to bypass avoidable inconveniences, ensuring a trouble free trip for passengers. Contact International Flight Clearances on: Tel: +27 11 701 2330 or +27 76 983 1089 (24 hours) Email: flightops@flyifc.co.za Website: www.flyifc.co.za
WE SPECIALIZE IN: - Avionics - ACK Agents (ELTs') - Repairing and fault finding in rotor and fixed wing aircraft - Overhaul and repairing of DC/ AC Electrical, Magneto and ignition equipment - Full Battery workshop facilitating NiCad and Lead Acid batteries - Aircraft electrical modifications and installations - We travel to any destinations for MPI’s and repairs
JOHANNESBURG Hangar M7, Gate 5, Lanseria Airport Tel: 011 701 3200 Danie van Wyk: 083 269 8696 Fax: 011 701 3232 CAPE TOWN Signature Hanger, Beachcraft Road Cape Town International Tel: 021 934 5373 Erwin Erasmus: 082 494 3722 Website: www.aeroelectrical.co.za Email: office@aeroelectrical.co.za
AMO 1011
P P L T O AT P L T R A I N I N G A N D E V E RY T H I N G I N B E T W E E N SA Flyer 2020|12
T R A I N O N T H E M O ST M O D E R N F L I G HT S I M U L AT O R AVA I L A B L E I N S O UT H A F R I C A • Now certified for TCAS training . • R N AV a n d G N S S Certified on all flight models from single engine to turbine.
N E W S A C A A A P P R O V E D L I G HT J E T M O D E L N O W AVA I L A B L E CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tel: 011 701 3862 E-mail: info@aeronav.co.za Website: www.aeronav.co.za SACAA ATO No: CAA0002
104
February 2021
Gemair AMO 1003
YOUR PEACE OF MIND IN AVIATION MAINTENANCE Gemair is an SACAA Approved Maintenance
Organisation,
AMO
1003 with 5 other African AMO Approvals and has a team of 9 full time engineers who together have a combined total of over 50 years aviation experience. Gemair are able to perform all aviation maintenance requirements on a variety of NonType certiďŹ ed aircraft, light singles and twins up to turbo propellers and light jets. instrumentation approvals.
SA Flyer 2019|09
Gemair also holds electrical and
SA Flyer 2021|02
TEL: 011 701 2653 or 082 905 5760 Hangar 110, Gate 13, Turn right (old Pical hangar), located behind Spectrum Air Surveyors, Lanseria South Side, 1748
1st Floor, Multi-story Carpark, Lanseria International Airport | Tel: 011 701 3209 Main Terminal Building, Grand Central Airport, Midrand Tel: 011 805 0684 email: info@wingsnthings.co.za | www.wingsnthings.co.za
February 2021
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February 2021
SKYHAWK AVIATION Skyhawk Aviation was established by Mike Gough (Airbus Training Captain and SA Flyer columnist) in 2008. Well established as the dominant operation in the flight training environment at Lanseria International Airport, Skyhawk Aviation offers all the resources required for the successful completion of all CAA licences and ratings. As a Designated Flight Examiner (DFE 1) as well as an Airbus Training Captain, Mike is able to assess student’s progress, and conduct final flight
PT6A FLAT RATE OVERHAUL (FRO)
tests presenting realistic scenarios. We are also approved to conduct the full type rating for the Airbus 320, as well as proficiency checks and ATP revalidations. Aimed specifically at developing the professional pilot, we specialise in both the full turn-key contract clients as well as individuals starting out on the road to flying for a living. Part of our services include accommodation, transport
No surprise pricing
and visa services.
No compromise on quality
Skyhawk is associated with the Sakhikamva Foundation, and offers programs to high school learners to expose the kids to aviation and spark interest in maths and science through this medium. Come and see our Boeing 737 nose section kitted out as a classroom! If you need a reality check about the sometimes hard truth about becoming a career pilot, then you can’t go far wrong by dropping in at Hanger 30, Gate 5 at Lanseria. Send an email to Mike beforehand to get welcomed to the demanding, but infinitely rewarding world of Commercial Aviation. Contact Tracey Gough on: Tel: 011 701 2622 Cell: 072 484 7984 Email: mikegough@mweb.co.za
No surprise pricing No compromise on quality No sweeping exclusions No sweeping exclusions
No wonder it’s so popular! No wonder it’s so popular! StandardAero Lanseria, a Pratt & Whitney PT6A designated overhaul facility (DOF) and the sole independent approved for&the PT6A-140, is StandardAero DOF Lanseria, a Pratt Whitney PT6A pleased to support across Africa designated overhauloperators facility (DOF) and the with sole P&W’s flat rate overhaul (FRO) which independent DOF approved forprogram, the PT6A-140, combines quality with is pleased OEM-level to support operators acrossguaranteed Africa with “not exceed” Meaningwhich that P&W’stoflat rate capped overhaulpricing. (FRO) program, combines OEM-level quality with guaranteed you can plan your maintenance expenses with “not to exceed” capped any pricing. Meaning that confidence, and without compromises. you can plan your maintenance expenses with
confidence, and without The FRO program doesany notcompromises. incur extra charges for typical corrosion, sulphidation or repairable The FROobject program does not incur extra foreign damage (FOD), and PMAcharges parts for typical corrosion, sulphidation or repairable are accepted. foreign object damage (FOD), and PMA parts are accepted.
As the industry’s leading independent aeroengine provider, StandardAero is trusted As the MRO industry’s leading independent aeroby airline, governmental and business aviation engine MRO provider, StandardAero is trusted by operators worldwide for airline, governmental and responsive, business tailored aviation support solutions. Contact us today to learn more. operators worldwide for responsive, tailored support solutions. Contact us today to learn more.
Website: www.skyhawk.co.za BIGGER. BETTER. BOLDER. www.standardaero.com
BIGGER. BETTER. BOLDER. www.standardaero.com
February 2021
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STANDARDAERO StandardAero is one of the world’s largest independent providers of engine maintenance,
WINGS ‘N THINGS Pilot Supplies Wings ‘n Things is a specialist pilot supplies
repair and overhaul (MRO) services, providing
shop based at Lanseria and Grand Central
OEM-authorized support for leading aeroengines
airports, catering for all levels of aviation
and APUs, including the AE 3007, APS 2300,
enthusiasts and is the preferred supplier to many
CF34-3/-8, CFM56-7B, GTCP36, JT15D, PT6A,
aspiring and professional pilots.
PW100, PW150A, RB211-535 and RE220. StandardAero’s facility at Lanseria International
We are authorised dealers of some of the world’s premium aviation brands, including
Airport near Johannesburg is a fully authorized
Jeppesen, David Clark, Bose, and ASA. We are
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) Designated
also resellers of Pooley’s, Garmin, Icom, RAM
Overhaul Facility (DOF) for the PT6A engine
Mounts and many more local and international
family, and the world’s only independent service
aviation brands.
provider authorized to overhaul the PT6A-140
So, whether you are a professional or
variant. In addition, the facility provides full
recreational pilot, student pilot, aviation enthusiast,
support – up to and including overhaul – for 41
looking for a gift for that someone special or just
other variants of the engine.
looking to spoil yourself, visit one of our shops at
The Lanseria facility also offers service center
Lanseria or Grand Central, or shop online, for the
and mobile repair team (MRT) support for the
widest range of aviation related products and gifts.
PW100 turboprop and JT15D turbofan.
Visit our website to see the full range of products
With more than three decades of experience in repairing and overhauling P&WC engines, StandardAero has developed a reputation for
that we carry. Contact Wings ‘n Things on: Tel: +27 (11) 701 3209
quality workmanship, industry leading turn-
Email: lanseria@wingsnthings.co.za or info@
around times, exceptional customer service and
wingsnthings.co.za
competitive pricing.
Website: www.wingsnthings.co.za
ATLAS AVIATION VIDEO 108
February 2021
FlightCï&#x192;¼m African Commercial Aviation Edition 147 | FEBRUARY 2021
Real HELICOPTERS HAVE HOISTS
LIFT FLIES! Can airlines survive Covid?
HUGH PRYOR ON CORRUPTION SACAA BULLYING TACTICS EXPOSED
The next Scout Helicopter United States Dollars $3.50 | South African Rands R39.50 | Kenyan Shillings KES 300.00 | Nigerian Naira NGN600.00 1 PRICE:FlightCom Magazine
AMO 227
FLIGHT SAFETY THROUGH MAINTENANCE
Overhaul / Shockload / Repair of Continental and Lycoming Aircraft engines
Hangar no 4, Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria PO Box 17699, Pretoria North, 0116 Tel: (012) 543 0948/51, Fax: (012) 543 9447, email: aeroeng@iafrica.com
SA Flyer 2019|12
Overhaul Engine Components Overhaul and supply of Hartzell / McCauley and Fix pitch Propellers
A LEADING AIRCRAFT SALES COMPANY IN AFRICA
ASCEND VIDEO
CONTENTS
TABLE OF 08 12 15 24 26 32 36 44 45 46 48 50
Publisher Flyer and Aviation Publications cc Managing Editor Guy Leitch guy@flightcommag.com Advertising Sales Wayne Wilson wayne@saflyermag.co.za Layout & Design Emily-Jane Kinnear
FEBRUARY 2021 EDITION 147
Airlines - Mike Gough
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Bush Pilot - Hugh Pryor Covid-19 hitting airlines harder than expected Gulf airspace restrictions relaxed Defence - Darren Olivier Lift-off for Lift Airlines The CAA Dossier – Series 2 Alpi Flight School Listing AME Directory AEP AMO Listing Atlas Oil Charter Directory Back Page Directory
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A NOTE FROM
THE EDITOR: Boeing has agreed to pay US$2.5 billion to settle criminal charges that it hid information from the FAA and airline customers about the MCAS in its 737 Max. About US$500m of this will go to families of the 346 people killed in the tragedies.
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US$500m is an indication of how much African life is worth. Notable is this it is half the estimate from Bloomberg that it would cost Boeing at least US$1 billion to settle claims from families of Lion Air Flight JT610 and Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 victims. Bloomberg’s estimate of US$1 billion comes to US$3m per passenger. This seems to be a realistic upside amount. The first of the 32 Kenyan families HIS
of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 crash victims have indeed now received a US$3m each settlement from Boeing. This is a long way from Boeing’s opening bid in July 2019, when it announced $100 million in funds for the families and communities of the crash victims. This may have been an interim amount for supporting education, community programmes and living expenses for affected families, pending the finalisation of claims. Boeing said it would partner with local governments and non-profit organizations to address these needs, and that the US$100m would be distributed over multiple years. It is notable that a large part of this latest US$2.5 billion award by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) is punitive because Boeing ‘chose “profit over candour”, impeding oversight of the planes, which were involved in two deadly crashes. The tragic crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 exposed fraudulent and deceptive conduct by employees of one of the world’s leading commercial airplane manufacturers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General David Burns. Boeing did not co-operate with investigators for six months, the DOJ said. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Boeing was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the US, which will be dismissed after three years if the planemaker continues to comply with the deal. Of the US$2.5 billion, the bulk, being $1.77 billion, will go as compensation to the airlines who were affected by the grounding of their Max fleets.
Boeing also agreed to pay a penalty of $243.6m. According to the DOJ, “Under the terms of the DPA, Boeing will pay a total criminal monetary amount of over $2.5 billion, composed of a criminal monetary penalty of $243.6 million, compensation payments to Boeing’s 737 MAX airline customers of $1.77 billion, and the establishment of a $500 million crash-victim beneficiaries fund to compensate the heirs, relatives, and legal beneficiaries …” But attorneys for the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash said the deal would not end their
pending civil lawsuit against Boeing. It will be interesting to see what amounts the victims finally receive – and if a one size fits all approach will be adopted whereby every family receives the same or whether some sort of seniority system will be applied, the quantification of which will keep teams of lawyers busy for years.
BUMMPPHHH FLYING RULES:
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AIRLINES MIKE GOUGH
Not-SoGreat
Expectations AS WE FIND OURSELVES COMMENCING ANOTHER GREGORIAN CALENDAR-DEFINED TRIP AROUND THE SUN ON SPACE SHIP EARTH, A REVIEW OF EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS ORBIT MAY BE IN ORDER.
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n our over-optimistic, typically human assumption of being able to control, regulate and measure everything around us, the Gregorian Calendar evolved from the Julian Calendar with the assistance of Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. This was a minor correction to reduce the average year length from 365.25 days to 365.2425 days, as that annoying 0.0075-day error per year was messing up the Northern Spring Equinox (around March 21), which subsequently confused the calculation of each year’s date for Easter. That is probably why sometimes you can’t find the Easter eggs you hid for yourself, as a result of this time / space displacement, and not one’s ailing memory. We seem to have relied upon this extremely
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precise re-commencement of our solar orbit to somehow create a New Beginning within our current existence, which has magical eraser qualities and provides each New Year with a clean slate and invokes such associated expectations. This anticipation of regeneration is also somewhat flawed by the fact that, with each new beginning, comes the opportunity of bringing its own events; be they ups or downs. From last year, many of us would be mentally running from that main event, the pandemic. That event, for some of us in the aviation world here in South Africa, had the dubious curtain raiser of one’s employer in business rescue – both the pandemic and the business rescue seeming to have continuing encores as I write this.
This particular solar circuit kicked off with that most bizarre-turned-lethal side show of American politics. To a certain extent, the storming of the US Capitol in Washington actually made me feel a little better about our politics in this country… chaos appears to be a universal commodity when it comes to power, egos and agendas. A few days later, we saw the almost all-too familiar flight path of a Boeing 737-500 accident in Indonesia. Airborne for only a few minutes and reaching only eleven thousand feet, it achieved momentarily a rate of descent of around thirty thousand feet per minute almost vertically downwards into the sea. Apparently, the Flight Data Recorder has been downloaded, and the Cockpit Voice recorder awaits discovery in the fifteen metredeep (concentrated) debris field. At the point of writing this, we only have conjecture, with my current thumb-suck being some form of Loss Of Control Inflight (LOC-I), possibly due to the convective weather in the area. This is still the current Enemy Number One for airline crew, and, throw in a bit of lack of recency with the global grounding of airlines in one form or the other, and a familiar scenario looks ready to be investigated again.
To these events, we can add five local South African aviation accidents and several others involving light aircraft around the world. I suppose starting from a low base should provide for a sense of improvement, if we contain the trend, as we progress through this year… Pandemics and collapsing airlines aside, the aviation scenarios at both airline and General Aviation level will once again have to look to training to steady the ship, so to speak.
look to training to steady the ship I was fortunate enough to do my last A320 flight at the end of August last year, while many of my colleagues have not flown an airliner since March. I have also been absolutely flat-out at my flight school at Lanseria, filling three complete pages in my logbook. Despite this ‘recency’, I felt very much on the back foot as I did my Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) and Flight Instructor revalidation tests in an Airbus simulator at the beginning of December last year. The
familiarity of the environment was quick to come back, but the instinctive reactions of an engine failure during a go-around were less than exemplary, to say the least. A few days’ later, I was at Brakpan, test flying an additional Piper Seneca that I was in the process of buying. I was fairly ‘Seneca’ current, as I had been busy with Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) initial tests for a few candidates on my currentlyowned Seneca. Still, I am used to a 45-metre wide runway, ILS indications and PAPI lights (Precision Approach Path Indicator)… everything a conditioned airline pilot likes to see. With a reasonable amount of concentration, I managed to impress the ex-owner with a greaser on the eight-meterwide runway and make the exit halfway down the 1400-metre runway – so the approach speed and touch down technique must have been okay. The significance, I suppose, of this feeling of accomplishment is twofold… being able to reasonably accurately fly a ‘complex’ aircraft, and the acknowledgement of the fact that airliners and I are (hopefully) temporarily divorced, and this, at present, is as good as it gets. Considering the current global situation with thousands of
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Is being 40ft below the glideslope OK for a fresh CPL?
pilots out of work, and not able to get anywhere near an aircraft of any description, I am considering this lowering of one’s expectations to be a privilege as opposed to a ‘downgrade’. Similarly, the level that I have been used to in terms of operating as an instructor and examiner have had to take somewhat of a re-calibration, as I predominantly deal with ‘newbies’ entering the commercial aviation environment. The level that we used to operate at in the airline was a fantastically high-level, complex and demanding environment, enabled by some of the finest minds I have encountered in the advanced training world. It is quite a change of pace to now modify one’s approach to examining and assessing at what is essentially ab-initio level. To be absolutely fair during these evaluations, I find myself literally putting myself in the position of someone who has just scraped together a grand total of around two hundred flying hours and looking at scenarios through the 10
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eyes of someone who has never flown an actual instrument approach and has not been immersed in the culture of the operational professional pilot. Interspersed with the initial skills tests are the revalidations of instrument ratings (which maintains the competency of the commercial or airline transport licences) and instructor renewals. This is where one can explore the more technical aspects of the various ratings and the theory that supports the processes that make up that particular operational environment. However, without the type rating complexities that accompany the normal airline-type environment, I feel there is something missing at this level. Having a look back at my development as an instructor and examiner, it is almost twentythree years ago that I did my Grade One flight instructor upgrade and became a Designated Flight Examiner (DFE), which is where I get to wear an official Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
hat for a few hours while dealing with a nervous candidate. To jump through this particular hoop, one has to have a nominated topic approved by Testing Standards at CAA, and this becomes the basis for one’s dissertation during the actual upgrade assessment. This is presented in front of an existing DFE and a representative from the CAA. The former is to assess the accuracy and level of the presentation, while the latter does the boxticking exercise that the requirements of the CAA are appropriately met. I have been involved on such ‘panels’ many times, and the most recent one I sat through was based on the high-altitude stall characteristics of
I have a welldocumented process of lessening my expectations. Fly-By-Wire aircraft, using Air France 447 as a specific case study. My contribution during my assessment, all those years ago, was much more down to earth, so to speak. At the time, I was fascinated with the absolute lack of any defined testing standards across all licences and ratings in South Africa. I duly produced around a thousand pages of ‘guidance’ material, using the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Practical Test Standards (PTS) as a basis. This detailed every single manoeuvre that is required to be demonstrated
during all skills tests, from PPL through to ATP level, and what would constitute ‘satisfactory’ performance. The then-DCA (Department of Civil Aviation – forerunner to our present CAA) gratefully accepted these weighty tomes from me, and promptly filed them in the back of a cupboard, never to see the light of day again. My efforts were not in vain, as I make daily use of this information at my flight school, duly updated for the current syllabus. Students and instructors alike have access to the relevant PTS, and if one is totally honest with oneself (not a common event), one can reasonably de-brief oneself as to how well a particular training sortie or skills test went. Thus, as I find myself operating full-time in the basic training environment, I have a welldocumented process of lessening my expectations. Of course, if one actually reads the pre-amble on any of the Skills Test / Competency Check forms on the CAA website, there are very simplistic ‘tolerances’ for the examiner to use during such evaluations. However, if held to the absolute letter, I would say the highly capable autopilots found in all Airbus models would battle to ‘pass’ such scrutiny. There is a lot more to consider than elementary altitude or heading deviations… I took the accompanying photo during one of my recent Instrument Rating evaluations. We should be maintaining 6400 feet altitude while intercepting the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Lanseria. It is clear that the candidate has ‘nailed’ the Localiser, while waiting for the Glide Slope intercept. We are however, around forty feet low… Satisfactory? We wouldn’t know without defined expectations.
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BUSH PILOT HUGH PRYOR
MANAGEMENT & COMMAND Some of you who read this will have been
asked
for
‘Aircrew
Review
Reports’. I received a request for one the other day.
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T was laid out in the fairly
normal format but did not include the traditional box for the subject’s signature. I was reluctant to submit it without getting that little box filled in. I was pressured into completing the report, but the subject was not present to put his “X” in the box. My report concluded that the pilot, being considered for command, for all his great qualities, no I mean it, was not yet ready to assume the responsibilities of getting twenty passengers from A to B, in some of the most demanding meteorological conditions in the world, with the confidence which I would expect of my Captain, if I were to be one of his passengers.
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In other words, it was unfair to ask him to take that responsibility. But regardless, he has now been upgraded to Command. Another pilot, whom I recognised as being very good potential for pilot-in commandunder-supervision, has been passed over and has since resigned from the company. What’s my problem? Why ask me for advice, and then do the opposite? Does management ask for my advice in order that they can gauge what the opposite course should be? “Oh! Hugh says this, so we obviously have to do the opposite!” No, that can’t be right, surely? But it is. I quote an experience
from quite a few years ago when I was flying a Pilatus Porter for a very large Oil Field Service Company for the enormous oil industry in Libya. They had two Pilatus Porters because they were servicing a lot of oil rigs, all over the Libyan desert, at the time. That year the price of oil plummeted, and so exploration jobs evaporated. Our client had to cut costs and one of them was the second aeroplane. Jim, the client’s boss, (he was Irish, and had a finger missing which proved that he was ‘Genuine Oil Industry’,) asked me if I would like to continue with them on the one plane, “And we would like Fernando to stay on as well, as your ‘back-toback’, because you two know our business and the guys and the equipment. Do you reckon that would work?” the boss asked. “Jim.” I looked at him, in some doubt, “I would love to stay, but there may be a problem.” “What’s the problem?”
ABOVE: Where are the Herb Kellehers of management today?
“The problem is that, if my company feels that the crew you are requesting are more important to you than our employers, then they will send us somewhere else.” “You’re joking!” said Jim and I slowly shook my head. “Then how on earth do we sort this out?” he asked. “I really don’t know, Jim. You could try a letter, I suppose, but I’m pretty sure of the result.” So Jim wrote a letter – and Fernando got transferred to Ethiopia and I was sent to Yemen… and the company lost the contract. Management appears to be a talent largely missing
from today’s higher echelons of industry. The Herb Kellehers are of a breed which is rapidly approaching extinction. It seems as though there is some kind of virus sweeping through the corridors of power. The germ infects the brain of anyone promoted to the boredroom, sorry, did I say boardroom. It removes any vestige of common sense and replaces it with a kind of ignorant arrogance, fuelled by an insatiable greed. Frauds become ever more incalculable. Take the case of Parmalat, the Italian dairy products giant. The founder of the company freely admits to stashing away 600 million dollars in his own bank account. His expression said it all. “So what’s 600,000,000? It’s peanuts! Look what the rest of
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BUSH PILOT HUGH PRYOR
them have stolen. BILLIONS!” By that he almost implied; “I have done nothing wrong!” But there are a large number of unpaid French farmers who would argue with him on that point. What’s this guy going to do with $600,000,000 anyway? Why does he think that he should get away
A kind of ignorant arrogance, fuelled by an insatiable greed with it, when there are people to whom he owes that money? The European media proudly proclaim that this home-grown European debacle easily outdoes any scandal they could produce across the pond in the US of A. Look at the retirement packages handed out to senior directors nowadays. They are truly obscene when placed in the same frame as the number of lives wrecked by the unemployment caused by these so-called Captains of Industry. Loyalty is no longer rewarded by security. It’s ‘Every man for himself, and devil take the hindermost!’ these days. But that’s not good management, is it? That’s not the way to get the best out of your work force. Leadership is. How can you follow a leader if he is trying to steal your money, cheat you into doing your job and somebody else’s for half the money and finally to
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destroy your job by getting somebody else to do it as well as their own and the extra one you were given, for two thirds of the payment. “…And if you don’t like it, you know what you can do!” And that’s what’s happening with our industry as well. The guys at the coal face are simply digging more coal for the same, or possibly less, money. And...what happened to the coal industry in Britain? “What coal industry?” I hear you ask. Precisely! There isn’t one any more, in the UK. Are you still listening?
Industry Overview:
HITTING AIRLINES HARDER THAN EXPECTED
Brian Pearce
In a presentation to the CAPA conference in January, IATAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chief economist Brian Pearce said that for airlines, the transition from cash burn to cash generation might not arrive before the end of this year.
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peaking online in the CAPA webinar, Pearce said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will have a very difficult three to six months ahead of us. Nonetheless
the financial markets trading airline stocks are behaving as if the pandemic is already over: See Figure 1:
Figure 1: Airline Stock Prices have recovered
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A lot has to be done before the airlines can become cash generators by the end of this year, while cash burn is going to continue for the next six months.
And indeed, in certain regions such as Europe, it may well increase because of the immediate challenges. See Figure 2:
Figure 2: Airline Cash Burn
The availability of vaccines has transformed vaccinated, and indeed ultimately herd immunity, the outlook. Research from Airfinity (Figure 3), will vary from country to country shows that the timing of vulnerable groups being
Figure 3: Vaccine Roll-out
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Industry Overview:
It is looking fairly positive for major developed economies. The availability of vaccines could allow vulnerable groups to be vaccinated in North America and Europe by the second quarter, which points to a much more positive outlook for the second half of next year. However, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not going to be the case in all markets. Particularly
some emerging markets in developing economies will take longer, so full recovery is going to take time. And indeed, if we look at whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been happening over the past six months, what started in the summer as a recovery in global air travel, completely stalled after August.
Figure 4: Recovery stops
We have just seen global passenger kilometres flown flat-lining, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been some deterioration. The consequence for average 2021 growth outcomes is going to be weighed down by the very weak start to the year. The reason is that, outside of Asia, we found that the control of the virus was much more
difficult than had been expected in the summer. We have seen this very severe second wave in Europe, and a severe third wave in North America, which has caused travel restrictions and economic lockdowns to be re-imposed.
Figure 5: Domestic recovery
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It depends also on the outlook of consumers. If we look at the activity on major air travel websites as an indication of passenger and consumer confidence and willingness to travel, we have not seen much of an upturn. Which again I think is a concern for the short term outlook, but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that it is
much of a concern for the end of this year when vaccination should be playing a major role. Over the next quarter, prospects look pretty weak. But there is strong evidence of pent-up demand for air travel, particularly for the visiting friends and relatives (VFR) and the leisure sectors.
Figure 6: Second and Third Covid waves
Figure 7: International travel flat-lines
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relaxed, there has been a surge of bookings,
saw a dramatic surge of bookings between the UK
is pent-up demand. However, subsequently we
requirement to quarantine in mid-November, we
and the UAE. And we have seen that in a number
of cases, whenever travel restrictions have been
Industry Overview:
When the UK removed the UAE from a
particularly for VFR and leisure travel. So there have seen the impact of what happened in the UK with a new variant of the virus.
Figure 8: Pent-up demand for travel
FIGURE 9: Forward Bookings
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If we look at forward bookings, the immediate prospects are not good. And if we compare the first three months of the quarter in [Figure 9], the red bars show the fourth quarter of year-on-year bookings. This shows some deterioration as we move through the fourth quarter. The blue bars show the three months of the first quarter which show we are expecting some deterioration in travel in the first quarter of this of this year, as a result of the economic lockdowns and travel restrictions,
so the outlook for the end of the year is positive because of the vaccines. However, the immediate prospects look extremely challenging. For this reason, we think we are talking about a multi-year recovery, rather than a recovery in several months. The weak start to 2021 is going to mean that the average 2021 numbers will be low, even if there is a significant improvement at the end of this year, once vaccination allows travel restrictions to be reduced.
Figure 10: Recovery to Previous Levels
As can be seen from the blue line in Figure 10, our baseline forecast is for recovery this year. In fact there is a 50% gain on low 2020 levels, but it will leave global markets measured by passenger kilometres flown still 50% below 2019 levels, with a much stronger pick up in 2022. It also depends on where the airline is based. If you are based in China,
Cargo
you already have seen a full recovery of domestic air travel. Chinese airlines have already seen a return to profitability. That is obviously not true for airlines in other regions, including the US, which has the biggest domestic market, but in particular those airlines reliant on international air travel are where we have not seen any substantial recovery so far.
The cargo business is doing very well as a result of the passenger fleet, which typically carries half of the cargo volumes. the exceptional yields that have resulted from the shortage of capacity, because of the grounding of
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Industry Overview: Figure 11: Air Cargo Yields
So, in contrast to the passenger business, the cargo business is doing well and now we are seeing network decisions based, not on high yield business traffic, but on cargo. I think that strong cargo revenues are likely to be a feature of this
year as well as last year. However, over the longer term this is not likely to last. Once capacity comes back on the passenger side, those years are likely to normalise.
Figure 12: But Cargo is a small part of Revenue
The reality is that cargo is just not a big enough business to offset the loss of a near catastrophic fall in passenger revenues. [Figure 5]. Even with a
very substantial increase in cargo revenues, cargo doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make much difference at an industry level for most airlines.
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Bailouts
Although we are expecting to see some improvement in revenues this year, they will still be considerably below where they were expected to be, which requires much more reduction in costs to end cash burn. The first half of the year is going to be very challenging. However, we have not seen very many
airlines fail and that is because governments in most countries have stepped in and have provided almost $200 billion in cash to fill the holes in the balance sheets and in profit and loss accounts. This has kept the industry on life support.
Figure 13: Government support
However, it has left the patient shackled with considerable debt, which is going to affect performance and behaviour as the industry moves
into a recovery phase. Further, it is not just the debt from government aid, as many airlines have been sourcing capital markets to provide cash for survival.
Figure 14: Government and Private Loans to airlines
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Industry Overview:
The industry has probably raised its net debt by about 50% over the past year to something like $650 billion. That will shape behaviour over the next few years as, to a large extent, this is
unsustainable. Airlines will want to de-leverage and this will be the focus of those airlines, rather than on shareholder returns, as they come out of this crisis.
Figure 16: Cash Reserves
If we then look at cash balances compared to cash burn, some airlines have substantial resources to stay alive during the next six months before we see vaccines make a difference to passenger revenues. However, that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t apply to all airlines. There are some on the right hand side ofd this diagram with relatively low cash balances. We
know bookings at the moment are deteriorating because of travel restrictions. We are going to need governments to either provide more aid or to put in place testing regimes that will allow a recovery of passenger revenues ahead of the vaccinations we are expecting to transform the environment, at least later this year.
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Industry Update:
GULF AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS RELAXED
In a wave of reconciliation sweeping across the Gulf States, the United Arab Emirates has reopened its borders and airspace to Qatar after boycotting the small energy-rich country alongside its Gulf allies since 2017.
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URTHER, Saudi Arabia has announced
the reopening of its airspace and borders with Qatar. National carrier Qatar Airways said it had started to reroute some flights through Saudi airspace, with the first flight over Saudi skies from Doha to Johannesburg on 8 January. The move comes after Saudi Arabia declared a breakthrough in settling the years long rift with Qatar during the annual Gulf summit, saying the kingdom would restore diplomatic ties and that its allies would follow suit. Associated Press reports that the UAE indicated that its restoration of full diplomatic relations with Qatar would take longer. The report said the UAE is continuing talks to “end all other outstanding issues.” Opposition to Qatar’s support for Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood runs deeper in
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the UAE than in Saudi Arabia, which is primarily concerned with Qatar’s close ties with regional foe Iran. Bahrain and Egypt, which had joined the UAE and Saudi Arabia in isolating Doha, have yet to publicly elaborate on their pledges to ease the boycott signed in January in the ancient Saudi desert site of al-Ula. The four Arab states severed commercial and diplomatic ties with Qatar in 2017, accusing the country of financing extremist groups in the region, charges that Doha denies. It was believed that the boycott pushed Qatar closer to Iran, by for instance forcing Qatar Airways to change routes through Iranian skies. It is estimated that this has given the Islamic Republic hundreds of millions of dollars in overflight fees. The reopening of Saudi and Emirati airspace
to Qatar is critical as the country prepares to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to draw over 1 million foreign soccer fans. ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu also welcomed the new developments from the Gulf, recalling that the ICAO Secretariat, through its Regional Office in Cairo, had rapidly established contingency routes to ensure the safety and regularity of international flights in and out of Qatar when the restrictions were first imposed.
“We were grateful to fulfil this important role when called upon,” she noted, “and to help assure that international air transport in the affected areas remained as safe, secure, and efficient as possible while the restrictions were in force.”
W N E EW B S IT E
Qatar Flights before and after the airspace and overflight blockade.
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Defence - Darren Olivier
Bell's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, based on the humble B206, has proven hard to replace.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE SCOUT HELICOPTER Africa is characterised by asymmetric warfare which requires the larger, more technologically advanced combatant to be able to exercise dominance over small, convoluted and inaccessible places. These places may be dense urban environments such as cities or shack settlements, or remote jungles. This requires small, agile helicopters that can provide fast point to point intervention. 26
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most successful of these small agile helicopters has been the American OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, based on Bell’s ubiquitous 206A JetRanger. However, it is now largely obsolete – and the search for a replacement has thrown up two fascinatingly different approaches – and thus contenders. It’s a sign of just how remarkable the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior was as an armed reconnaissance scout helicopter that the US Army has spent more than 20 years trying, and failing, to replace it with a slew of failed programmes. First was the overly ambitious RAH-66 Comanche, a stealthy design meant to be able to fly deep into enemy territory well-defended by antiaircraft systems. While impressive, the programme was killed in 2004 after $7 billion had been spent on it and numerous delays had made the in-service date increasingly uncertain. HE
Second was the ARA-70A Arapaho, which attempted to keep costs down by using an off-theshelf commercial helicopter — the Bell 407 — and adapting it to carry the necessary sensors and weapons. It was a disaster, with development costs tripling compared to original plans and integration issues causing unacceptable delays. The Army pulled the plug on it at the end of 2008. In 2013 Army planners tried again to launch a replacement programme, called the Armed Aerial Scout, but couldn’t get approval from the service’s leaders after it became clear that they still faced the same inherent inability to find a sweet spot between schedule, cost, and capability. Eventually budget decisions forced the retirement of the OH-58D fleet without a direct replacement, with the Army moving AH-64D Apaches from the National Guard and Reserves into new Armed Reconnaissance Squadrons to take up the role previously carried out by the OH-58Ds. But
Bell's 360 Invictus is a relatively conventional design.
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experience has shown this to be a sub-optimal solution, with the AH-64s being too large and unwieldy for the scouting task, even when paired with MQ-1 Gray Eagle UAVs to extend their reach. At the same time, experience gained from
Long-range covert infiltration is now understood to be impossibly risky with modern air defence systems. the years of hard operational use of the Army’s helicopters in Afghanistan and Iraq had begun to bear fruit in terms of new technologies developed as a result of lessons learned. And Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014 caused a review of the Army’s
A Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche prototype during a test flight.
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aviation tactics and a recognition that even with UAVs there remained a need for a fast and agile armed reconnaissance helicopter able to fly at extreme low level both in the countryside and cities. These coalesced into a broad new programme called Future Vertical Lift (FVL), which combines four interlinked projects: 1. Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) A new optionally-piloted 6-tonne lightweight armed reconnaissance helicopter, able to operate in confined spaces, cruise at 180 knots, dash at over 200 knots, and with a size and rotor diameter small enough to fly between buildings. 2. Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) A replacement for the UH-60 Black Hawk, with requirements to carry 12 fully-equipped troops out to a distance of 2,440 nautical miles at a cruise speed of 280 knots.
3. Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) A standardised set of open standards and requirements for avionics and associated software, intended to avoid vendor lock-in and ensure that any supplier can offer modular components that can be integrated seamlessly onto the aircraft, or even provide line replaceable units (LRUs) that replace multiple discrete functions, without the need to redesign the controlling systems. Both FARA and FLRAA will also have separated digital buses for flight critical and missionoriented systems, so that changes can be rolled out and tested rapidly without affecting the core flight critical controls.
4. Future Unmanned Aerial System (FUAS). This includes: • A new long-range Advanced UAS (AUAS) to replace the Gray Eagle. • A shorter-ranged Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) to replace the RQ-7 Shadow. • And most interestingly, Air Launched Effects (ALE), a set of tiny drones small enough to be launched from the FARA concept and designed to be everything from off-board decoys to electronic warfare jammers. Dozens of them can swarm intelligently and communicate using ad hoc mesh networks. Along with this has come a fundamental rethink of the US Army’s approach to operating helicopters in attacks against highly defended enemies. Long-range covert infiltration, for which the RAH-66 Comanche was optimised, is now understood to be impossibly risky with modern air defence systems. Instead, the FARA will dart around the front lines, down city streets and around buildings while dispensing ALE drones to either conduct longer-
ranged surveillance of key areas or to disrupt enemy defences and command and control networks. Heavy use will be made of various artificial intelligence (AI) approaches such as neural networks trained to identify the most high-threat targets, or the optimal order in which to take out enemy vehicles. Unlike the old approach where OH-58Ds and AH-64Ds would be paired up in ‘hunter-killer’ combinations, the future FARA will be digitally linked to all friendly forces including troops on the ground, long-range artillery, AH-64Es, and so on, and able to pass on information or call in strikes from whichever is best placed to respond. For targets small enough to take out itself, the FARA will be armed with Spike NLOS missiles, the XM915 20mm cannon, and other weapons. The basic concept is to use the ability of the future US Army to co-ordinate rapidly, move forces around quickly, and launch precise yet powerful attacks on enemy positions all over the map in order to disrupt the enemy’s air defence network badly enough to
The basic concept is to move forces quickly, and launch precise yet powerful attacks on enemy positions all over the map start to open up gaps and channels through which the FARA and FLRAA helicopters can make highspeed runs in order to further disrupt enemy systems, drop troops to take key locations, and expand the breach until it’s large enough for older generation
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aircraft like Apaches to come in and use their superior firepower to further turn the tide of battle. Obviously, pulling this off puts extremely high demands on the FARA type, with it needing to be quiet, survivable enough to be on the front lines, small and nimble enough to dodge in and around buildings and city streets to avoid detection and being fired on, and yet still able to cruise at over 180 knots and have at least 200 knots dash speed. In 2020 the US Army down-selected the FARA contenders to two options, one conventional and lower-risk and the other far more revolutionary in its approach. These will fly off against each other beginning in 2022, with a final selection to be made before 2028. One is the Bell 360 Invictus, a conventional design with two crew in a tandem configuration, a single General Electric T901 engine, four-blade articulated rotor system, stub wings providing 50% of the lift at high speed, and a shrouded tail rotor. It’s based on Bell’s 525 Relentless civilian helicopter. The other, arguably more interesting, competitor is the Sikorsky Raider X, a compound helicopter with two crew in a side-by-side configuration and a single GE T901 driving a coaxial counter-rotating rigid rotor system and a pusher propeller. Sikorsky claims that the Raider X’s max speed will be in excess of 250 knots, as a result of testing conducted on the basic design during the preceding S-97 Raider and X2 demonstrator projects.
Traditionally, helicopters have been prevented from reaching speeds of around 250 knots by retreating blade stall on the one hand and the risk of blade tips going supersonic on the other. The Raider X (and S-97 & X2) solve this problem through an ingenious mechanism that reduces the rotations per minute (rpm) of the main rotors down to around 85% of maximum. Not only does this reduce the onset of retreating blade stall and supersonic tip travel, but it reduces fuel used during cruise. The same technique can be used at low speeds too, in order to reduce the acoustic signature of the helicopter during scouting missions, when it can also switch off its pusher propeller to be even quieter. It seems beyond doubt that the Raider X is the more impressive, and probably more capable, of the two contenders, but that is not what’s going to determine the winner of the FARA competition. If Bell can prove that its conventional 360 Invictus can meet the FARA requirements while offering low enough risk and cost, it’ll win the day against the faster and more technically-ambitious Raider X. But whichever design wins, it’s clear that the Future Vertical Lift programme as a whole is bringing about a revolutionary set of changes in the way the US Army uses helicopters in combat. This is the way of the future: Integrated and mutually supporting hightechnology systems with a high degree of manned/ unmanned teaming, AI decision-making, mesh-based sensor networks, and a focus on rapid mobility and precision over brute force firepower. The Sikorsky Raider X is far more innovative and has the speed required.
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Airlines M orne B ooij -L iewes
Liftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first departure from OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday 10 December.
lif t
LIFT-OFF FOR
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The launch of a new low cost carrier (LCC) in South Africa â&#x20AC;&#x201C; by someone who has a track record of success in LLC startups is a big story. And notably, the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic would seem to be the worst time to launch a new airline.
T
he pandemic has decimated the airline and hospitality industry worldwide, but this is exactly what business maverick Gidon Novick did with Lift, by commencing scheduled services on 10 December. The launch takes advantage of the busy festive season travel period in South Africa. The new lowcost carrier links Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport with Cape Town and George, with more routes to be added in due course. Services are operated with a fleet of three Airbus A320s fitted with a 174-seat single-class interior. These planes are operated by Global Aviation Operations (Pty) Ltd. t/a Global Airways who also supply the flight and cabin crew.
The carrier’s name was decided through a social media campaign, launched in October, that attracted more than 25,000 entries. The winning name ‘Lift’, apart from capturing the marvel of the physics of flying‚ also encapsulates its owners’ view of the world and South Africa. It aims to leverage the anticipated increase in demand for domestic air travel as the COVID-19 pandemic abates and vaccines become available. But with the socalled ‘second wave’ hitting South Africa in December 2020, it is anticipated that this increased demand will only be realised in 2021. Winston Churchill famously said; “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” And it is exactly this sentiment that prompted Gidon Novick to embark
“Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
Lift CEO Gidon Novick being interviewed by SABC TV news.
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Lift has two versions of its livery, one with a yellow tail and the other with a black tail as shown here.
on launching a new airline. Novick has aviation in his blood, with his father being one of the founders of Comair, while he was responsible for launching the airline’s low-cost subsidiary Kulula.com in 2001. He explains that the inspiration for launching Lift came with the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a new airline offering flexibility as the world is changing. He returns to the South African airline industry after a ten-year absence with business partner Jonathan Ayache, who is the former head of operations for Uber in sub-Saharan Africa. They hope to position Lift as an “Uber-thinking” airline operation. 34
FlightCom Magazine
Ground staff getting ready for lift-off.
“Lift will provide value and flexibility and not just low prices,” says Gidon. “We plan to offer some unique products with flexible booking options including penaltyfree cancellations, if done within 24 hours of your flight’s departure. “If the fare for your newly selected flight is higher‚ you’ll just need to pay the difference. If it’s lower‚ we’ll credit you. Need to change traveller name details? No problem. No charge.” All onboard drinks and snacks are provided by catering partners Vida e Cafe while ground and cabin crew uniforms are supplied by the online fashion retailer, Superbalist. Lift has also partnered with the top wine-producing farms in the country to create a wine tasting experience onboard late afternoon and evening flights.
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CONTACT: bookings@safarimoon.co.za 083 449 5868
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THE CAA DOSSIER – SERIES 2
Fallout from the DFE Saga A few years ago I ran a series of articles I called ‘The CAA Dossier’ which articulated the frustrations of the aviation community at the manifold problems within the SACAA. WORDS: GUY LEITCH
The CAA's Senior Manager did not know who the PIC is on a flight test.
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I
T is a great pity that I am now
compelled to resurrect the series. It appears that the CAA is unable to learn from its mistakes. And even more worrying is that elements of the CAA are using its legal muscle to wage personal vendettas. It is deeply concerning that the old practices persist, despite what previous judgements have described as the CAA’s ‘legal frolics’ having been slapped down by the Department of Transport’s Civil Aviation Appeal Committee (CAAC) – and now the CCMA. Back in May 2018, in #4 of my series of the CAA Dossiers, I covered the battle between the CAA’s inspectorate and Designated Flight Examiners (DFEs) who are responsible for the maintenance of flying standards in the real world. It’s often said that, while the wheels of justice grind slowly, they grind very finely. It has taken almost two years, but the toxic fallout from the CAA’s attack on the DFEs has returned to once again shine a light on the regulator’s failures – which are now laid bare. In 2018 I de-identified the key players in the battle over DFE oversight. Now the battle has been waged in public, in the labour arbitration courts, and the key protagonists’ names are in the public domain. Mr Christopher Beavitt was the Senior Flight Inspector involved in DFE oversight in the CAAs action against Captain John Campbell. After the award of damages to John Campbell, Chris Beavitt was made the scapegoat in that he was suspended and then terminated. He appealed to the CCMA and a protracted arbitration (that seemed like a war of attrition over a year and 12 court days) was held. Finally, over 2 to 4 November 2020 it drew to a close.
It is noteworthy that Chris Beavitt was represented by Mr. E Pio of the Solidarity Trade Union. It is also heartening that the pilots stood together, in that Beavitt was supported by Captain John Campbell, a (former?) Senior Captain and DFE at SAA – and an attorney. Beavitt argued that his dismissal had been both substantially and procedurally unfair. From the judgment it is apparent that the CAA went to the most extraordinary lengths to justify its dismissal of him. At times the legal wrangling degenerated into farce with arguments as basic as whether Pietermaritzburg has a VOR, who the PIC is on a training flight and whether an IF renewal needs an
Chris Beavitt was made the scapegoat aircraft with a constant speed prop. Perhaps not surprising to the cynics, it turned out that the senior CAA investigator into the legal action did not know what a VOR was. No wonder the CAA appeared to be blundering about, like a blind bull in in the proverbial china shop. In an extraordinarily damming finding, the CCMA commissioner concluded that the CAA’s ‘investigation’ of Chris Beavitt began the week after John Campbell had won his suit against the CAA. The CCMA commissioner noted that both Chris Beavitt’s career and good name were sacrificed as collateral damage in a retributive attack on John Campbell. Para 81 of the judgment lays the vindictive nature of Beavitt’s dismissal clear: “Mr. Campbell was previously accused by
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CAA Inspector Chris Beavitt - in pensive mood.
Mr. Devan Venter of breaching the CARs. Mr. Campbell had sued CAA and won, and CAA was ordered to pay him R96,000. ….. the investigation against him [Beavitt] was started 3 or 4 days later.” Knowing that in this toxic environment, everything he did was likely to be used against him, Beavitt obtained written approval from the acting licensing manager [Ms Amanda Haverkamp], as Beavitt’s direct manager, Mr Pule Ramolefi was in jail (for murder!). So Beavitt had requested and obtained approval. Yet another inspector [Eric Mataba] who conducted a DFE oversight shortly thereafter, had not had to obtain approval. This would indicate unfairness and double standards. Inevitably – when the chips are down and the veneer of civility is pulled back, race entered the mix. Eric Mataba, in a rambling hour-long rant,
took umbrage that Beavitt used the allegedly pejorative name, ‘Goffel’ on www.avcom.co.za. Mataba unilaterally decided that the term was derogatory, even though Beavitt had happily chosen to use his long standing nickname. The situation further degenerates into the classic South African mess, in para 92: “….. [Beavitt’s] wife was attacked in 2016 and was badly beaten; she was affected mentally. In 2017 he was involved in a fatal car accident ……... He was on medication. He had said a number of times that he wanted to stop the interview …. Mr. Powrie had subsequently told him that he was “collateral damage” indicating that the real target was Mr. Campbell. He also threatened to charge him and Mr. Campbell under the corruption act.” Para 108 of the judgment astoundingly notes
the classic South African mess
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that the CAA did not know who the pilot in command is when there is a student being tested by a qualified instructor. Para 116 lays bare the extent of the CAA’s determination to extract vengeance on Captain Campbell, who had received “a scathing judgment” in his favour [see SA Flyer WUCAA#4 May 2018]. The commissioner struck all of these allegations down and noted; “Despite this past failure, the applicant [Beavitt] was charged with the same allegations. In the disciplinary hearing Powrie acknowledged that if he had known earlier what he then knew, he would not have proceeded with many of the charges. They also admitted to lying to him about the source of the complaint (Devan Venter). He said that Venter, Eschmann and Van Niekerk had been charged with conflict of interest, but this was not true.” The 36 page judgment is filled with unrelenting criticism of the CAA. Procedural error after procedural error are noted in paragraphs 131 and 132. Para 133 starts off, “As a former CCMA commissioner, Mr. Hlongwane [for the CAA] should have known better. The procedural errors as well as some inexplicable decisions made in the absence of any evidence whatsoever give rise to a perception that Mr. Hlongwane is biased in favour of the respondent.” On the basis of these serious procedural errors, the commissioner found that the dismissal of the applicant [Beavitt] was procedurally unfair (and went so far as to describe Hlongwane as an embarrassment). The CCMA commissioner then examined the fairness of the dismissal, point by point, finding that the CAA had been unfair. Of particular note
is that Chris Beavitt had been charged for; “gross dishonest behaviour and misrepresentation or supplying incorrect or falsified information.” Again, the commissioner had no hesitation in a finding the applicant not guilty on all of the charges. The commissioner makes the bold statement that; “My findings as set out above are premised on an acceptance that the applicant and Mr. Campbell were generally credible witnesses whose evidence completely corresponded. The same could not be said for some of the respondent’s witnesses, for example Mr Baloye’s evidence that there was no VOR Beacon in Pietermaritzburg, which he only retracted when shown a photograph of the beacon.” Amazingly Baloye still argued about the existence of the VOR and drove to Pietermaritzburg at CAA expense to see for himself whether or not there was a VOR transmitter. [He could have looked on Google Earth]. Another point was CAA’s Executive Head of Aviation Safety Operations, Mr. Simon Segwabe’s insistence that the applicant was the Pilot in Command, when this was manifestly not the case. Further, Mr. Mataba’s evidence of having attended workshops “in the boardroom” was highly suspect and despite the respondent being requested on numerous occasions to present proof of such workshops, no such proof … was forthcoming. The CAA’s claim that Mr. Mataba was a qualified instructor in South Africa was disproven when Mr Mataba conceded that he had no South African instructor’s rating. (In fact not only had the CAA’s Mr Mataba claimed that he had been a South African instructor, but he claimed he had been a Captain at Nationwide and Airlink, yet he had been
the vindictive nature of Beavitt’s dismissal
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just a co-pilot. He also made the extraordinary claim that he had a Master’s degree and PhD – on the basis of an ALTP licence.) In the next paragraph the commissioner concludes that “the unavoidable inference is that the applicant [Beavitt] was singled out over others for disciplinary action.” Also of note to anyone who engages in online social media is that the commissioner dealt at some length with Beavitt’s participation in the www.avcom.co.za internet forum. In para 166 the commissioner writes; “this brings us to the posts by Goffel in January, February and March 2020. The applicant did not dispute that he wrote these posts. [but] ….., they should be seen in the context of an unfair dismissal dispute in which
The VOR Transmitter at Pietermaritzburg Airport.
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arbitration had already commenced in December 2019 as well as the grossly unfair nature of the applicants dismissal. The Applicant did not criticise any particular individuals. I do not regard these comments as constituting grounds for refusal to reinstate the applicant.” And so the CAA was ordered to reinstate Chris Beavitt with effect from 1 December 2020 and not only that, but it was ordered to pay backpay of R1,258,537 plus bonuses and increases. This award of more than R1.25 million is huge, particularly given the size of the CAA’s current financial problems due to the lack of passenger levies from the Covid-19 lockdown. In addition, it is reckoned by Campbell that the CAA’s own legal expenses for this protracted legal wrangle could
amount to around R4 million. This is good money wasted after the award of the original R97,000 to John Campbell. A loss this big will hopefully serve as a lesson to the regulator not to embark upon legal retribution frolics at the behest of middle managers with personal vendettas.
not been paid for 18 months, and like the SAA SAAPA pilots, has now been locked out of his job. In a bullying tactic, the CAA is using its almost limitless institutional resources to apply crushing financial pressure on Beavitt. >>>>>
UPDATE:
Despite the harshly critical judgment of the CCMA against it, the CAA is ‘doubling down’ and continuing to pursue the "lawfare" route against Beavitt. The CAA has therefore submitted notice to appeal the judgement. This then effectively freezes Chris Beavitt’s pay-out of R1.25m and, adding insult to injury, the CAA has also instructed Beavitt to not return to work. Chris Beavitt has
PETER GARRISON’S NEW BOOK! Acclaimed SA Flyer (and Flying magazine) columnist Peter Garrison has just released a book of noteworthy accident analyses, and lessons to be learned, from his ‘Aftermath’ series. He writes: “I’ve put a bunch of slightly used but still serviceable Aftermaths into a book called “Why? Thinking About Plane Crashes”, which is for sale on Amazon Books as both a Kindle ebook and a paperback.” Guy Leitch highly recommends it; “I downloaded it for just US$5.75 on kindle and the profound insights to be gained from these accidents will make us all better pilots. From the risks of ‘taking a look’ at dubious VFR conditions, to showing-off in front of our friends, there are 32 invaluable lessons. This book should be part of every pilot’s prescribed reading list.”
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THE CAA DOSSIER – SERIES 2
SOME THOUGHTS ON RACE AND MIDDLE MANAGERS
W
HILE this CAA Dossier
is once again critical of the CAA, I feel it opportune to note that despite the judgement’s discussion of the race of ‘Goffel’, what is noteworthy about these ‘lawfare’ battles is that they are almost always driven by a toxic white minority within the CAA. Allow me to go out on a limb and state that the leadership of Ms Poppy Khoza is to be recognised and indeed congratulated in that the three key challenges faced by state organisations in South Africa are largely absent within the CAA. These three challenges are: racism, maladministration and corruption. The question of why the small minority of white middle managers within the CAA are behaving so badly intrigues me, and I offer again the speculative insights I shared in my May 2018 article. I wrote; “There has been much speculation as to what the real problem with these TSO inspectors is. There is a school of thought that believes the problem is that these inspectors are classic flightless ‘turkeys’. They stand accused of being failures as pilots, and so ended up as flightless ‘turkeys’ in the CAA. (One of the inspectors reportedly crashed a Beechcraft Duchess at his first attempt at multiengine instruction and will now no longer fly in general aviation aircraft! This accident was written up by our Jim Davis in his February 2016 accident review.)
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Their lack of success as pilots is then compounded by the position they find themselves in at the CAA and in the ‘new’ South Africa. [An] insightful pilot friend, who has the time to contemplate these things, reckons that these dinosaur white males feel that they have gone from being ‘die baas van die plaas’ to marginalised and unwelcome relics that are neither liked nor appreciated by the new younger and blacker talent in their organisations. Feeling disempowered and frustrated, these old guard relics tend to lash out in frustration at anyone perceived to be more successful than themselves. And they have the power vested in them by the CAA to do this. “Part of the challenge faced by Ms Poppy Khoza as Director of the CAA may be: “Decisions of import are being made on the ground by officials with an axe to grind, and there is no oversight of them. This leads to incorrect decisions placing undue liability stress on the CAA. There is a reason they keep losing the court battles. The solution is simple: require all disciplinary and enforcement matters to be heard by a committee comprising CAA senior officers and two outside non-executive people of sufficient standing in the aviation community. This would save the CAA an awful lot of time and money.” It’s a great pity that what I wrote 18 months ago still seems more relevant than ever.
Industry Update:
PILATUS DELIVERS
PC-24
T
HE Swiss plane maker delivered its first
PC-24: I’m very encouraged by such high demand. We’re already sold out for 2021, but the order book is open for deliveries from 2022 onward. Investment in the PC-24 helps us to secure jobs at our Swiss site on a long-term basis. We are also working on further optimisations.” The PC-24's flat-floored cabin measures 501 cubic ft and can seat up to 10 passengers. Pilatus now offers an in-flight catering insert as an option on new PC-24s. The single-pilot-operable jet is powered by two Williams FJ44-4A turbofan engines, and it features a unique double-slotted flap system, helping to provide its short-and-rough-field capability. Deliveries in 2020 and 2021 carried a base price of $10.7 million.
PC-24 in February 2018, and the now 100-strong fleet has logged more than 33,500 hours globally. Four PC-24s have now been delivered in Southern Africa from agents Pilatus PC-12 Centre based at Rand Airport. The fourth PC-24, ZS-NIO, arrived in South Africa in January 2020, and goes to Newcastle based Ni-Da Trucking company – the ideal aircraft to support their 500 vehicle trucking operations across Southern Africa. Ni-Da has a wide variety of business interests including; property development, retail, hospitality, tourism, entertainment and farming. The company has a long history of successfully operating a PC-12, ZS-NID, and the upgrade to the PC-24 reaffirms their commitment to the Pilatus range. With the ability to utilise Pilatus 100th PC24. unimproved airstrips, fly steep approach profiles, and deliver a 2,000-nm range and cruise speed of 440 ktas—the PC-24 has earned the approval of operators such as the Royal Flying Doctors Service in Australia. The 100th PC-24 was delivered to Jetfly, which already operates 40 PC12s—based in Bournemouth, UK. Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman of Pilatus Aircraft, said in a press release, “We hit the bullseye with the
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USAF DRONE FORCED LANDING
A
U.S. Army MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAV ‘drone’ successfully force landed in Niger in West Africa. U.S. Africa Command said the remotely piloted aircraft conducted an emergency landing in the vicinity of Agadez, Niger, on 23 January. “The aircraft experienced a mechanical malfunction while conducting a routine mission in support of operations in the region,” the command said in a
pictures circulating on social media shows that a U.S. Army drone was armed with at least one AGM-114 Hellfire missile. The MQ-1C Gray Eagle is manufactured by General Atomics. It is the latest version of the Predator series of drones, retooled and upgraded for Armyspecific needs. The Arme website said the MQ-1C has an endurance
of 25 hours, speeds up to 167 KTAS, can operate up to 29,000 feet, and carries 1,075 lb (488 kg) of internal and external payload. The aircraft can carry multiple payloads aloft, including Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/ IR) with laser designation, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), communications relay, and four Hellfire missiles.
The Gray Eagle drone after its forced landing in Niger.
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Twitter post. According to a tweet from U.S. Africa Command, an investigation into the cause of the malfunction will take place. The aircraft is under observation. Details are still limited, but
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WORLD AIRLINE OUTLOOK FOR 2021 IATA's Alexandre de Juniac says that the airline industry will take years to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“
WHILE we still see airlines turning cash positive within the year, the nearterm picture is bleak. Instead of a boost from the year-end holiday period, we got even more restrictions. Governments tightened borders in a knee-jerk response to a virus mutation. Canada, UK, Germany, Japan and others added testing to their COVID-19 measures without removing quarantine requirements. In other words, they have chosen policy measures that will shut down travel.” “This approach tells us that these governments are not interested in managing a balanced approach to the risks of COVID-19. They appear to be aiming for a zero-COVID world. This
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In a media briefing in January, IATA’s Alexandre de Juniac said that the world airline industry’s situation is still perilous. is an impossible task that comes with severe consequences—the full extent of which it would be impossible to calculate. But, with this approach, we know for sure that: • The travel and tourism economy will not recover. • Jobs will continue to disappear. • And the lockdown’s toll on people’s mental health will continue to grow—particularly on those who are separated from loved ones. “A more balanced public policy approach is needed—one that is based on testing as a replacement for quarantines so that we can begin addressing the severe side-effects of COVID-19 policies. “Science tells us that travellers will not be a significant factor in community transmission if testing is used effectively. But most governments have tunnel-vision on quarantine and are not at all focused on finding ways to safely re-open borders—or alleviate the self-imposed economic and mental health hardships of the lockdowns.” De Juniac concluded by repeating a quote from the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. He emphasized the urgent need to re-start flying by saying that: “Aviation is an important engine of our world and will play a critical role in lifting the world to recovery from COVID-19. Let us ensure it receives the support it needs to keep the world’s nations connected and united.”
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BACKPAGE DIR DIRECT ECTORY ORY A1A Flight Examiner (Loutzavia) Jannie Loutzis 012 567 6775 / 082 416 4069 jannie@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za
Alpi Aviation SA Dale De Klerk 082 556 3592 dale@alpiaviation.co.za www.alpiaviation.co.za
Adventure Air Lande Milne 012 543 3196 / Cell: 066 4727 848 l.milne@venture-sa.co.za www.ventureglobal.biz
Apco (Ptyd) Ltd Tony/Henk + 27 12 543 0775 apcosupport@mweb.co.za www.apcosa.co.za
Comporob Composite Repair & Manufacture Felix Robertson 072 940 4447 083 265 3602 comporob@lantic.net www.comporob.co.za Corporate-Aviators/Affordable Jet Sales Mike Helm 082 442 6239 corporate-aviators@iafrica.com www.corporate-aviators.com
Flying Frontiers Craig Lang 082 459 0760 CraigL@fairfield.co.za C. W. Price & Co www.flyingfrontiers.com AES (Cape Town) Aref Avionics Kelvin L. Price Erwin Erasmus Hannes Roodt 011 805 4720 Flying Unlimited Flight School (Pty) Ltd 082 494 3722 082 462 2724 cwp@cwprice.co.za Riaan Struwig erwin@aeroelectrical.co.za arefavionics@border.co.za www.cwprice.co.za 082 653 7504 / 086 770 8376 www.aeroelectrical.co.za riaan@ppg.co.za Atlas Aviation Lubricants Dart Aeronautical www.ppg.co.za AES (Johannesburg) Steve Cloete Jaco Kelly Danie van Wyk 011 917 4220 011 827 8204 Foster Aero International 011 701 3200 Fax: 011 917 2100 dartaero@mweb.co.za Dudley Foster office@aeroelectrical.co.za Sales.aviation@atlasoil.co.za 011 659 2533 www.aeroelectrical.co.za www.atlasoil.africa Dart Aircraft Electrical info@fosteraero.co.za Mathew Joubert www.fosteraero.co.za Aerocore ATNS 011 827 0371 Jacques Podde Percy Morokane Dartaircraftelectrical@gmail.com Gemair 082 565 2330 011 607 1234 www.dartaero.co.za Andries Venter jacques@aerocore.co.za percymo@atns.co.za 011 701 2653 / 082 905 5760 www.aerocore.co.za www.atns.com DJA Aviation Insurance andries@gemair.co.za 011 463 5550 Aero Engineering & PowerPlant Aviation Direct 0800Flying GIB Aviation Insurance Brokers Andre Labuschagne Andrea Antel mail@dja-aviation.co.za Richard Turner 012 543 0948 011 465 2669 www.dja-aviation.co.za 011 483 1212 aeroeng@iafrica.com info@aviationdirect.co.za aviation@gib.co.za www.aviationdirect.co.za Dynamic Propellers www.gib.co.za Aero Services (Pty) Ltd Andries Visser Chris Scott Avtech Aircraft Services 011 824 5057 Gryphon Flight Academy 011 395 3587 Riekert Stroh 082 445 4496 Jeffrey Von Holdt chris@aeroservices.co.za 082 555 2808 / 082 749 9256 andries@dynamicpropeller.co.za 011 701 2600 www.aeroservices.co.za avtech1208@gmail.com www.dynamicpropellers.co.za info@gryphonflight.co.za www.gryphonflight.co.za Aeronav Academy BAC Aviation AMO 115 Eagle Aviation Helicopter Division Donald O’Connor Micky Joss Tamryn van Staden Guardian Air 011 701 3862 035 797 3610 082 657 6414 011 701 3011 info@aeronav.co.za monicad@bacmaintenance.co.za tamryn@eaglehelicopter.co.za 082 521 2394 www.aeronav.co.za www.eaglehelicopter.co.za ops@guardianair.co.za Blackhawk Africa www.guardianair.co.za Aeronautical Aviation Cisca de Lange Eagle Flight Academy Clinton Carroll 083 514 8532 Mr D. J. Lubbe Heli-Afrique cc 011 659 1033 / 083 459 6279 cisca@blackhawk.aero 082 557 6429 Tino Conceicao clinton@aeronautical.co.za www.blackhawk.aero training@eagleflight.co.za 083 458 2172 www.aeronautical.co.za www.eagleflight.co.za tino.conceicao@heli-afrique.co.za Blue Chip Flight School Aerotric (Pty) Ltd Henk Kraaij Elite Aviation Academy Henley Air Richard Small 012 543 3050 Jacques Podde Andre Coetzee 083 488 4535 bluechip@bluechip-avia.co.za 082 565 2330 011 827 5503 aerotric@aol.com www.bluechipflightschool.co.za info@eliteaa.co.za andre@henleyair.co.za www.eliteaa.co.za www.henleyair.co.za Aircraft Assembly and Upholstery Centre Border Aviation Club & Flight School Tony/Siggi Bailes Liz Gous Emperor Aviation Hover Dynamics 082 552 6467 043 736 6181 Paul Sankey Phillip Cope anthony@rvaircraft.co.za admin@borderaviation.co.za 082 497 1701 / 011 824 5683 074 231 2964 www.rvaircraft.co.za www.borderaviation.co.za paul@emperoraviation.co.za info@hover.co.za www.emperoraviation.co.za www.hover.co.za Aircraft Finance Corporation Breytech Aviation cc Jaco Pietersen 012 567 3139 Enstrom/MD Helicopters Indigo Helicopters +27 [0]82 672 2262 Willie Breytenbach Andrew Widdall Gerhard Kleynhans jaco@airfincorp.co.za admin@breytech.co.za 011 397 6260 082 927 4031 / 086 528 4234 www.airfincorp.co.za aerosa@safomar.co.za veroeschka@indigohelicopters.co.za Bundu Aviation www.safomar.co.za www.indigohelicopters.co.za Aircraft Maintenance @ Work Phillip Cronje Opelo / Frik 083 485 2427 Era Flug Flight Training IndigoSat South Africa - Aircraft Tracking 012 567 3443 info@bunduaviation.co.za Pierre Le Riche Gareth Willers frik@aviationatwork.co.za_ www.bunduaviation.co.za 021 934 7431 08600 22 121 opelonke@aviationatwork.co.za info@era-flug.com sales@indigosat.co.za Celeste Sani Pak & Inflight Products www.era-flug.com www.indigosat.co.za Aircraft Maintenance International Steve Harris Pine Pienaar 011 452 2456 Execujet Africa Integrated Avionic Solutions 083 305 0605 admin@chemline.co.za 011 516 2300 Gert van Niekerk gm@aminternational.co.za www.chemline.co.za enquiries@execujet.co.za 082 831 5032 www.execujet.com gert@iasafrica.co.za Aircraft Maintenance International Cape Aircraft Interiors www.iasafrica.co.za Wonderboom Sarel Schutte Federal Air Thomas Nel 021 934 9499 Nick Lloyd-Roberts International Flight Clearances 082 444 7996 michael@wcaeromarine.co.za 011 395 9000 Steve Wright admin@aminternational.co.za www.zscai.co.za shuttle@fedair.com 076 983 1089 (24 Hrs) www.fedair.com flightops@flyifc.co.za Air Line Pilots’ Association Cape Town Flying Club www.flyifc.co.za Sonia Ferreira Beverley Combrink Ferry Flights int.inc. 011 394 5310 021 934 0257 / 082 821 9013 Michael (Mick) Schittenhelm Investment Aircraft alpagm@iafrica.com info@capetownflyingclub.co.za 082 442 6239 Quinton Warne www.alpa.co.za www.@capetownflyingclub.co.za ferryflights@ferry-flights.com 082 806 5193 www.ferry-flights.com aviation@lantic.net Airshift Aircraft Sales Capital Air www.investmentaircraft.com Eugene du Plessis Micaella Vinagre Fireblade Aviation 082 800 3094 011 827 0335 010 595 3920 Jabiru Aircraft eugene@airshift.co.za micaella@capitalairsa.com info@firebladeaviation.com Len Alford www.airshift.co.za www.capitalairsa.com www.firebladeaviation.com 044 876 9991 / 044 876 9993 info@jabiru.co.za Airvan Africa Century Avionics cc Flight Training College www.jabiru.co.za Patrick Hanly Carin van Zyl Cornell Morton 082 565 8864 011 701 3244 044 876 9055 Jim Davis Books airvan@border.co.za sales@centuryavionics.co.za ftc@flighttrainning.co.za Jim Davis www.airvan.co.za www.centuryavionics.co.za www.flighttraining.co.za 072 188 6484 jim@border.co.za Algoa Flying Club Chemetall Flight Training Services www.jimdavis.co.za Sharon Mugridge Wayne Claassens Amanda Pearce 041 581 3274 011 914 2500 011 805 9015/6 Joc Air T/A The Propeller Shop info@algoafc.co.za wayne.claassens@basf.com amanda@fts.co.za Aiden O’Mahony www.algoafc.co.za www.chemetall.com www.fts.co.za 011 701 3114 jocprop@iafrica.com Alpha One Aviation Chem-Line Aviation & Celeste Products Fly Jetstream Aviation Opelo Steve Harris Henk Kraaij Kishugu Aviation 082 301 9977 011 452 2456 083 279 7853 +27 13 741 6400 on@alphaoneaviation.co.za sales@chemline.co.za charter@flyjetstream.co.za comms@kishugu.com www.alphaoneaviation.co.za www.chemline.co.za www.flyjetstream.co.za www.kishugu.com/kishugu-aviation
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Kit Planes for Africa Stefan Coetzee 013 793 7013 info@saplanes.co.za www.saplanes.co.za
MS Aviation Gary Templeton 082 563 9639 gary.templeton@msaviation.co.za www.msaviation.co.za
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North East Avionics Keith Robertson +27 13 741 2986 keith@northeastavionics.co.za deborah@northeastavionics.co.za www.northeastavionics.co.za Landing Eyes Gavin Brown Orsmond Aviation 031 202 5703 058 303 5261 info@landingeyes.co.za info@orsmondaviation.co.za www.landingeyes.com www.orsmondaviation.co.za Lanseria Aircraft Interiors Owenair (Pty) Ltd Francois Denton Clive Skinner 011 659 1962 / 076 810 9751 082 923 9580 francois@aircraftcompletions.co.za clive.skinner@owenair.co.za www.owenwair.co.za Lanseria International Airport Mike Christoph Pacair 011 367 0300 Wayne Bond mikec@lanseria.co.za 033 386 6027 www.lanseria.co.za pacair@telkomsa.net
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Plane Maintenance Facility Johan 083 300 3619 pmf@myconnection.co.za
Sport Plane Builders Pierre Van Der Walt 083 361 3181 pmvdwalt@mweb.co.za
Precision Aviation Services Marnix Hulleman 012 543 0371 marnix@pasaviation.co.za www.pasaviation.co.za PSG Aviation Reon Wiese 0861 284 284 reon.wiese@psg.co.za www.psg aviation.co.za
Starlite Aero Sales Klara Fouché +27 83 324 8530 / +27 31 571 6600 klaraf@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com
Rainbow SkyReach (Pty) Ltd Mike Gill 011 817 2298 Mike@fly-skyreach.com www.fly-skyreach.com Rand Airport Stuart Coetzee 011 827 8884 stuart@randairport.co.za www.randairport.co.za Robin Coss Aviation Robin Coss 021 934 7498 info@cossaviation.com www.cossaviation.co.za
Starlite Aviation Training Academy Durban: +27 31 571 6600 Mossel Bay: +27 44 692 0006 train@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com
Litson & Associates Risk Management Services (Pty) Ltd. eSMS-S/eTENDER/ eREPORT/Advisory Services karen.litson@litson.co.za Phone: 27 (0) 8517187 www.litson.co.za Loutzavia Aircraft Sales Henry Miles 082 966 0911 henry@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za Loutzavia Flight Training Gerhardt Botha 012 567 6775 ops@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za Loutzavia-Pilots and Planes Maria Loutzis 012 567 6775 maria@loutzavia.co.za www.pilotsnplanes.co.za Loutzavia Rand Frans Pretorius 011 824 3804 rand@loutzavia.co.za www@loutzavia.co.za Lowveld Aero Club Pugs Steyn 013 741 3636 Flynow@lac.co.za Marshall Eagle Les Lebenon 011 958 1567 les@marshalleagle.co.za www.marshalleagle.co.za Maverick Air Charters Chad Clark 083 292 2270 Charters@maverickair.co.za www.maverickair.co.za MCC Aviation Pty Ltd Claude Oberholzer 011 701 2332 info@flymcc.co.za www.flymcc.co.za MH Aviation Services (Pty) Ltd Marc Pienaar 011 609 0123 / 082 940 5437 customerrelations@mhaviation.co.za www.mhaviation.co.za M and N Acoustic Services cc Martin de Beer 012 689 2007/8 calservice@mweb.co.za Metropolitan Aviation (Pty) Ltd Gert Mouton 082 458 3736 herenbus@gmail.com Money Aviation Angus Money 083 263 2934 angus@moneyaviation.co.za www.moneyaviation.co.za
SAA Technical (SOC) Ltd SAAT Marketing 011 978 9993 satmarketing@flysaa.com www.flysaa.com/technical SABRE Aircraft Richard Stubbs 083 655 0355 richardstubbs@mweb.co.za www.aircraftafrica.co.za SA Mooney Patrick Hanly 082 565 8864 samooney@border.co.za www.samooney.co.za Savannah Helicopters De Jager 082 444 1138 / 044 873 3288 dejager@savannahhelicopters.co.za www.savannahhelicopters.co.za Scenic Air Christa van Wyk +264 612 492 68 windhoek@scenic-air.com www.scenic-air.com Sheltam Aviation Durban Susan Ryan 083 505 4882 susanryan@sheltam.com www.sheltamaviation.com Sheltam Aviation PE Brendan Booker 082 497 6565 brendanb@sheltam.com www.sheltamaviation.com
Sky-Tech Heinz Van Staden 082 720 5210 sky-tech@telkomsa.net www.sky-tech.za.com Sling Aircraft Kim Bell-Cross 011 948 9898 sales@airplanefactory.co.za www.airplanefactory.co.za Solenta Aviation (Pty Ltd) Paul Hurst 011 707 4000 info@solenta.com www.solenta.com
Unique Air Charter Nico Pienaar 082 444 7994 nico@uniqueair.co.za www.uniqueair.co.za Unique Flight Academy Nico Pienaar 082 444 7994 nico@uniqueair.co.za www.uniqueair.co.za Van Zyl Aviation Services Colette van Zyl 012 997 6714 admin@vanzylaviationco.za www.vanzylaviation.co.za Vector Aerospace Jeff Poirier +902 888 1808 jeff.poirier@vectoraerospace.com www.vectoraerospace.com Velocity Aviation Collin Pearson 011 659 2306 / 011 659 2334 collin@velocityaviation.co.za www.velocityaviation.co.za Villa San Giovanni Luca Maiorana 012 111 8888 info@vsg.co.za www.vsg.co.za
Starlite Aviation Operations Trisha Andhee +27 82 660 3018/ +27 31 571 6600 trishaa@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com
Status Aviation (Pty) Ltd Richard Donian 074 587 5978 / 086 673 5266 info@statusaviation.co.za www.statusaviation.co.za Superior Pilot Services Liana Jansen van Rensburg 0118050605/2247 info@superiorair.co.za www.superiorair.co.za The Copter Shop Bill Olmsted 082 454 8555 execheli@iafrica.com www.execheli.wixsite.com/the-coptershop-sa Titan Helicopter Group 044 878 0453 info@titanhelicopters.com www.titanhelicopters.com TPSC Dennis Byrne 011 701 3210 turboprop@wol.co.za Trio Helicopters & Aviation cc CR Botha or FJ Grobbelaar 011 659 1022
Vortx Aviation Bredell Roux 072 480 0359 info@vortx.co.za www.vortxaviation.com Wagtail Aviation Johan van Ludwig 082 452 8194 acrochem@mweb.co.za www.wagtail.co.za Wanafly Adrian Barry 082 493 9101 adrian@wanafly.net www.wanafly.co.za Windhoek Flight Training Centre Thinus Dreyer 0026 40 811284 180 pilots@flywftc.com www.flywftc.com Wings n Things Wendy Thatcher 011 701 3209 wendy@wingsnthings.co.za www.wingsnthings.co.za Witbank Flight School Andre De Villiers 083 604 1718 andredv@lantic.net www.waaflyingclub.co.za Wonderboom Airport Peet van Rensburg 012 567 1188/9 peet@wonderboomairport.co.za www.wonderboomairport.co.za Zandspruit Bush & Aero Estate Martin Den Dunnen 082 449 8895 martin@zandspruit.co.za www.zandspruit.co.za Zebula Golf Estate & SPA Reservations 014 734 7700 reception@zebula.co.za www.zebula.co.za
stoffel@trioavi.co.za/frans@trioavi.co.za
www.trioavi.co.za Tshukudu Trailers Pieter Visser 083 512 2342 deb@tshukudutrailers.co.za www.tshukudutrailers.co.za U Fly Training Academy Nikola Puhaca 011 824 0680 ufly@telkomsa.net www.uflyacademy.co.za United Charter cc Jonathan Wolpe 083 270 8886 jonathan.wolpe@unitedcharter.co.za www.unitedcharter.co.za
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MAINTENANCE Star Air Maintenance Pty Ltd (SAM) is a subsidiary company of Star Air Cargo Pty Ltd, that provides all the AOCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maintenance requirements up to C check. We are based at O R Tambo International Airport and our team of highly qualified engineers offer line maintenance to third parties. Boeing 737-200 Boeing 737 Classics Based at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg South Africa. Contact: lieb@starcargo.co.za or peter@starcargo.co.za Tel: 011 395 3756 and 011 973 5512 52
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