July 2021 by Flyer & Aviation Publications

FlightCm African Commercial Aviation

Edition 306 July 2021 Cover: Bruce Perkins

FLIGHT TEST:

SLING

HIGH WING - A HIGHER PLANE!

DE HAVILLAND ANNIVERSARY FLY-IN CESSNA HIGH WING FUEL PERILS 1

SAA’S THOMAS KGOKOLO AND THE SEP.

JIM: ARE FLYING CLUBS

DEAD?!

July 2021 MAINTENANCE , REFURBISHMENT & AVIONICS GUIDE

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POSITION REPORT AS A GENERAL AVIATION MAGAZINE SAA arguably gets more than its fair share of attention in these pages. But the hard truth is that this airline has cost the South African taxpayer around R50 billion in the past 20 years. Hundreds of billions may be wasted by corrupt local authorities without much rancour, beyond a ‘This is Africa shrug’. But SAA is the repository of much of our collective first world hopes and dreams. The (false) perception exists that proper countries have airlines, which is why so many African governments treat them as essential vanity projects and drive their populations into dumb penury for the sake of pointless flag waving. As I have to keep saying – no one cares about, or even sees, the flag of an airline anymore.

‘Deja poo’ indeed. The emperor has no clothes – the lessons are writ large It is fraudulent of Pravin Gordhan to try make us believe that the new SAA can ever be profitable and not dependent on the fiscus for more bailouts. If he was honest, he would admit that imposing the burden of a transformation and development mandate on the airline is anathema to bottom line profitability. But he persists with the lie that the airline will be profitable. And because this lie is not sustainable, the airline will once again crash and burn. I am not pessimistic enough to agree with those who say SAA will never fly again. The government says it has billions of rands to get the remains of the once proud airline back in the air. But to do that they have to resolve the pilots’ strike – and that is subject to the interminable pain of waiting for a reserved judgement to be handed down by the labour court.

‘DEJA POO’ INDEED.

But for the South African general aviation community, SAA was the pinnacle of their aspirations. Almost all the starry-eyed young pilots starting out on a professional flying career eventually imagined themselves flying command on an SAA long haul airliner. The airline’s wanton ruin by the destructive children who are incompetent cronies has been agonising to watch. And now the sad reality of the much hoped-for bailout by a strategic equity partner is slowly unravelling to reveal itself as once again the government forcing us to eat more of the shame old shit – just with a different flavour.

The destruction of the livelihoods of 500 of South Africa’s best pilots will for ever be a blight on the attractiveness of piloting as a career. Those who may have dreamed of flying for the airlines will now seek jobs where they have more control over their destiny. It is this destruction of the image of professional flying as a career that concerns us at SA Flyer. Already the younger generation does not view flying as an attractive career choice. This will make it even harder for the airline to attract quality young people. I suppose the only good news is that the much anticipated pilot shortage is likely to be even greater.

July 2021

Guy Leitch

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Edition 306

CONTENTS COLUMNISTS SA FLYER

10 20

Bush Pilot - HUGH PRYOR Airlines Ops - MIKE GOUGH

FC 06

16 Guy Leitch - ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE 22 George Tonking - HELI OPS 28 Peter Garrison - LITTLE AEROPLANES 32 Jim Davis - PLANE TALK 38 Johan Walden - A SLIM LOGBOOK 56 Jim Davis - ACCIDENT REPORT 68 Ray Watts - REGISTER REVIEW

FLIGHTCOM

FLIGHT TEST: SLING HIGH WING

July 2021

FLYING CLUBS

MAINTENANCE REFURBISHMENT AND AVIONICS

FC 14

ZIM AIR RALLY

July 2021

Edition 306

CONTENTS FEATURES SA FLYER

46 FLIGHT TEST: Sling High Wing 64 AERO CLUB: Eagles Creek FC 76 SAVAGE SAFARI: Part 2 88 CHIPMUNK 75th ANNIVERSARY 93 MAINTENANCE, REFURBISHMENT

& AVIONICS GUIDE

FLIGHTCOM

06 Thomas Kgokolo - Here to fly the flag 14 The 2021 Zimbabwe Air Rally 24 Defence - Darren Olivier 30 Sling to the Rescue

REGULARS 14 Opening Shot 72 AFS Register Review 75 SV Aviation Fuel Table 86 Aviation Direct Events Calender

FLIGHTCOM

28 Starlite Flight School Listing 29 Atlas Oils Charter Directory 35 AME Directory 36 AEP AMO Listing 38 Aviation Directory 10

July 2021

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July 2021

The former SAAF Harvards have ended up in the hands of proud collectors all over the world. 7660 was imported into New Zealand in 1996 and has been refurbished and retained locally as an example of the iconic WW2 trainer.

July 2021

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For such a small and remote place New Zealand has a truly astonishing collection of classic World War 1 and 2 fighters – and produces photographs of the highest quality of these rare aircraft. This image was published by Warbirds over Tanaka and was taken by Gavin Conroy of Classic Aircraft Photography. Camera and exposure details are unfortunately not available.

ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE: GUY LEITCH

The

Dangers of English

One of the more spectacular crashes was that of Helios Airways Flight 522 Boeing 737 which flew on with a dead cockpit crew until it crashed into a Greek mountainside. The root problem was a breakdown in communication in the cockpit.

ATC in one language with pilots in another language.

July 2021

THE HELIOS 522 CRASH is a good example of how having crew of different languages on the flight deck can have fatal consequences. The Captain was German, the First Officer Greek and the ground engineer British. With that polyglot, the crew did not effectively troubleshoot a warning horn and did not notice a pressurisation switch set to manual instead of automatic, resulting in 121 deaths. The report concluded that; “Language difficulties prolonged resolution of the problem.”

had been producing silent movies, which had subtitles in whatever language. But with the arrival of ‘talkies’ made in Hollywood; the almost universal language of movies became English. It was this attachment of English soundtracks to films that did more than anything else, including the entire British Empire, to make English the universal language. The spread of English through movies coincided with the development of airliners capable of flying between different countries, and thus the need for a common aviation language. The demands of World War II with the rise of plane builders such as Boeing and Douglas meant that aviation was intrinsically an Englishspeaking industry. The adoption of English was no doubt helped by the aircraft operating manuals being written in English, as were flight instruction programmes.

“ Any conf licting traffic please a d v i s e .”

In theory the Helios crew should have been speaking English on the flight deck. But it is an absurdly difficult language for non-English speakers to use. I have been writing about things aviation for 30 years and I still don’t know for sure how to spell takeoff, (take off?) taking-off, taxiing and many others. People who should know better write that planes sleep in hangers (not hangars). The litany of difficulties is endless. So why is English the universal language of aviation? The key reason is surprising. 100 years ago, in a little appreciated technological breakthrough that was to change the world, an American called Freeman Harrison Owens invented the first effective way of adding a synchronised soundtrack to movies. Before that Hollywood

And then in 1946 the Chicago convention was held – where else? – but in an English-speaking country, and that gave rise to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). And so aviation came to be Anglicized. What this means is that you can fly anywhere in the world using English. Even though everyone else may be using their local language with ATC, you can demand to converse in English.

Did the pilot ask the co-joe to pull the gear up - or just to cheer up?

July 2021

This is not very nice for people who have been brought up in a non-English speaking country and I’m grateful to have been born into an English-speaking environment. Still, it took me some wrangling at CAA to get a Level 6 English Proficiency rating. The difficulties of integrating non-English speakers into the aviation environment is nowhere more evident than flying VFR around Oudtshoorn or Beaufort West. There the airwaves are filled with Chinese student pilots massacring Yinglish. This, and the quasi-military style, makes forming an image of what’s going on around you, more than difficult. Recognising the threat to safety from bad English speakers, ICAO was somewhat reluctantly forced to develop SARPs for language proficiency standards in the early 2000s. Yet even 20 years after English language testing requirements for pilots and air traffic controllers were introduced by ICAO, the challenge of using English continues to threaten global aviation safety. The hazards of English miscommunication are legion – like the Captain who asked the co-joe for takeoff power so the Co-joe took off the power by pulling the power levers back. Another possibly apocryphal story is of a DC3 captain who, during the takeoff roll, looked across at his co-joe who was a bit glum. “Cheer up” the captain said. So the co-joe pulled the gear up.

Similarly, the cockpit voice recorder of the 1990 crash of Avianca Flight 52 in New York revealed that the pilot did not declare an emergency when critically low on fuel. The co-joe said “we’re running out of fuel” instead of declaring a Mayday or at least calling Pan Pan. In her book Aviation English, Dr Estival says, “While in plain English, “we’re running out of fuel” may sound like a declaration of emergency, in the context of controller-pilot communications, where there is a specific prescribed phraseology for the declaration of an emergency, this statement would not be interpreted as such.” When the crew of American Airlines Flight 965 got themselves completely disoriented trying to reprogram their 757’s flight management system, the ATC did not know enough English to tell the crew that he did not understand their problem. The 757 impacted a mountain top above Bogota. Even within English speaking countries there is plenty of scope for screw-ups due to different conventions, phraseology or practices. South African pilots visiting Maun (myself included) incur the wrath of ATC and the local Maun pilots when they confuse takeoff instructions as issued by Maun, (eg: “Alpha Bravo Charlie, Runway 08. Straight ahead to 4500 feet, turn right onto heading. Report zone outbound”) with a takeoff clearance as issued in SA: (eg “Alpha Bravo Charlie, Cleared takeoff 08. Straight ahead to 4500 feet, turn right onto heading. Report zone outbound”). The one word difference is small but crucial to safety. Being used to receiving after takeoff instructions in the takeoff clearance, the South Africans just go ahead and takeoff. Yet

By most reckonings the worst case of miscommunication was the Tenerife disaster. KLM Captain Jacob van Zanten and his crew had almost reached their time and duty limit and were keen to get going. This impatience is seen to The Tenerife disaster is the classic example of mis-communication. have contributed to his rash mistake when he received the communication, “You are not cleared for take-off” from ATC. Hearing just the word “cleared’’ he accelerated down the runway – while the Pan Am 747 was still trying to find the exit taxiway in the heavy fog.

July 2021

Pacific Southwest Flight 182 is a good example of making sure you really do have "the traffic in sight".

Maun ATC has not yet issued the actual takeoff clearance. If there is someone on short final, it is an accident waiting to happen. One of the most spectacular failures of mis-communication happened between supposedly proficient English speakers and is a common hazard in busy VFR skies such as under the JHB TMA. In 1978, Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182, a Boeing 727, had a mid-air collision with a Cessna 172. Initial communication kept the planes apart even though it is reported that communication between the crew and ATC “sounded nervous prior to the crash.” Then, in the transmissions between ATC and Flight 182, the crucial word “passed” appears to have been misheard as “passing,” causing the controllers to believe that the Boeing crew had seen the Cessna go past. In fact, they had lost sight of it. The Cessna hit the 727’s right wing and both aircraft fell into a San Diego suburb, killing all 135 onboard on the 727, seven people on the ground, and both the Cessna pilots. It was concluded that if the crew of Flight 182 had managed to clearly communicate to ATC that they had lost sight of the C172, the crash would have been averted.

advise.” A completely pointless broadcast that clutters already bursting TIBA frequencies. The ICAO language proficiency standards were an important first step. Yet many challenges remain. There are no ICAO language standards for maintenance technicians, and there are no ICAO reading proficiency requirements for pilots, ATC or maintenance technicians. Yet aeroplanes are increasingly complex machines. Pilots and technicians learn to operate, maintain and repair aircraft with English signs by studying complex manuals not written for an English as a foreign language audience.

The spread of En g l i s h t h r o u g h movies

This one sends chills down my spine. How many times have I hopefully told ATC that I have the other traffic in sight while I am still looking for it? The impact of limited English proficiency is insidious and sometimes difficult to discern. It doesn’t help when the sky is filled with weekend warriors using bad phrasing. One that drives many nuts is “This is Piper Cherokee Alpha Bravo Charlie on 124.8, with a QNH of 1015, currently abeam XYZ,” and then further aggravated by, “Any conflicting traffic please

ICAO language specialist Elizabeth Mathews says that improving safety in aviation requires the difficult task of improving human performance. “Raising the English language proficiency level of pilots, ATC and maintenance technicians through global access to safety focused aviation English curricula is the single most effective measure the industry can take.” No industry has done more to make the world smaller than aviation. Whether we are flying a Pappa Charlie or a Boeing, we share a single airspace. Language in aviation is a worldwide problem that can be solved through global collaboration to raise standards. So for now, I don’t see any threat to the dominance of English.

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July 2021

HELICOPTER OPS: GEORGE TONKING

When I first signed up to be a pilot, I dreamed of flying to exotic place where I might alight in jungle clearings or land on deserted, silvery shores. HOWEVER REALITY SOON KICKED IN, and I found myself shuttling clients to work, tracking stolen vehicles and chasing crooks in the concrete jungle that is Gauteng. Every so often though, I do force adventure to find me. Like recently, when my dad mentioned how sad he was that he couldn’t jet off on his annual pilgrimage to the coastal town of St. Ives, in Cornwall, England, because of Covid-19 travel restrictions. I immediately started scheming.

but it would have been a slow, much more expensive jaunt compared to a plank ride. Fortunately, I had a Cessna P210 available to get us to Mazeppa Bay, from where an Eastern Cape local’s Robinson R44 would ferry them across to their end destination. It didn’t take much to persuade a good friend, Jacques Mouton, to co-pilot the 210 on our little escapade. He has flown everything from the Cessna 150 to the Gripen, so was the perfect pilot for the slippery 210.

Ma z e p p a ’ s 5 0 0 -o d d m e t r e -l o n g r u nw a y w a s inte r es ting

Second to St. Ives, his favourite place is a small fishing spot on the Wild Coast called Kob Inn, a quaint resort that caters to ‘real’ fishermen. By road, it would be at least an arduous two-day journey from the Lowveld for the old man, who is approaching 85 in the shade.

“Why don’t I fly you, dad?” I suggested, with images of a beach landing firmly in mind. He loved the idea. I initially planned to chopper him all the way down,

July 2021

Part of the plan involved surprising my dad with a companion for his twoweek-long fishing holiday, my nephew, Colbyn. The flight down from Grand Central (via White River where we picked up my dad) was uneventful, barring some weather avoidance typical of late summer operations. Fortunately, the pressurisation on the P210 allowed us to avoid most of it comfortably at level two-zero. The landing on Mazeppa’s 500-odd-metre-long hill-crested runway

was nothing short of interesting but the STOL (short take-off and landing) capable 210 didn’t disappoint.

hydraulics. But a sweet little personality, which I remember fondly! Just don’t tell my wife.

No sooner had we landed, than David Maguire arrived in the R44, packed in my dad, his fishing kit and the grandson and flew them across the bay from Mazeppa to Kob Inn, a four-minute flight that would otherwise, according to Google Maps, have taken three hours by road in a sturdy vehicle. Most convenient, these helicopters are.

Our base, the beautiful Cremorne Resort on the Mzimvubu River, was chosen for its spacious, helicopter-friendly lawns. Upon arrival, we immediately removed the 22s’ doors and took off down the coast in search of our first adventure. Soon we saw a beach, reminiscent of a scene from “Cast Away,” with a deserted green field up the hill in which to land.

The smell of the air and sea breeze on my face reminded me of a similar trip to the area at the beginning of my flying career. Two fellow rookies and I, tired of building hours “around the patch” out of Grand Central, had decided to fly in formation down to the Wild Coast. Obviously, we skimped on costs as much as possible, being the poor young pilots that we were, which meant each flying a tiny Robinson R22, the cheapest string bags we could find. And oh, did mine teach me valuable lessons, with her cramped space, limited power and no

No sooner had we landed than an old Land Rover appeared over the horizon, bumping towards us. “What now,” we wondered, as we shut down our buzzing bees and waited for trouble to step out of the vehicle. Well, it turns out that the old salt, uncle Rod, was anything but trouble. And he was only too happy to welcome us to his corner of paradise. He promptly loaded us into his rust bucket for a short ride down to the beach. Or so we thought.

The P210 ready to takeoff in a 30kt tailwind at Mazeppa. 23 July 2021

Dad and his catch.

July 2021

Just before the bottom of the hill though, we turned off to a cottage where uncle Rod’s elderly wife was waiting for us with cake and tea! Over snacks, uncle Rod regaled us with stories from his childhood. Like how, during World War II he had headed out on his bicycle at night, a paraffin lamp strapped to the handlebars, to spy for German U-boats sneaking up the rivers in search of fresh water replenishment. A tall tale maybe? Apparently not. The SAAF actually did have a Lockheed Ventura squadron stationed not far from there with torpedoes ready.

fetching mission, a nice surprise for both the old man and her eldest. We arrived to a hair-raising 35kt wind blowing the wrong way down the one-way strip. After loading everyone and their luggage, and with the main wheels scraping the white marker stones on the edge of the strip, we turned the now heavy 210 around for a 500-metre downhill, downwind, balls to the wall, take-off.

he was happy to welcome us to his corner of paradise

Oh – and we did have that idyllic swim in the end too. But I almost forgot about my dad. After two weeks of fishing, he and the boy were ready for their return home. I had arranged for my sister to join us on the

“When I say put flaps 20, put flaps 20!! Okay?” Jacques instructed in no uncertain terms. I nodded nervously. If nothing else, I know how to follow instructions. My sister was whiter than normal, as were we all in fact, as the 210 begrudgingly got airborne. I added 20 degrees flap at the right time, following the curve of the hill down to the bay with a stall warning blaring at us. We could breathe again. And I look forward to many more adventures, even if I have to go out and help them find me.

R44 packed for Mazeppa to Kob Inn.

July 2021

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July 2021

PETER GARRISON

GET TI NG TO K NOW YOU You may have noticed, if you follow the adverts in American aviation magazines, a sudden multiplication of the number and variety of angle of attack (AoA) indicators on offer for smaller general aviation aircraft. THIS BURST OF ACTIVITY was triggered by a new FAA policy allowing AoA instrumentation to be installed in certificated aircraft without a burdensome STC process, as long as it is independent of the existing pitot-static plumbing. The systems on offer are relatively cheap – $1,500 or so, though some aimed at the homebuilt market cost as little as $350 – and include offerings from major names like Garmin, Safe Flight and Bendix/King, so they stand a pretty good chance of being adopted.

needle points to the left and behaves, again, like an angle of attack indicator, moving up when the nose is high and down when it’s low. Airspeed indicators and altimeters aren’t intended to be AoA indicators, of course. They are merely analogous to AoA indicators under certain conditions, namely one-G flight at a particular weight. Under any excess weight or G loading, the AoA is greater than the indicated speed would suggest. With two-G acceleration in a 60 degree-banked level turn, an aeroplane stalls at an indicated airspeed 40 percent higher than in straight-and-level flight – 84 KIAS, for example, rather than 60. To make matters more confusing, it’s the G, not the bank angle, that affects the stall; in a wingover you may have 90 degrees of bank, no G, and no danger of stalling. Even at one-G, however, indicated airspeed is deceiving, because the heavier the aeroplane the greater the angle of attack must be at a given speed. A direct reading of angle of attack, unrefracted by the prism of speed, is therefore really the only way to know accurately how hard the wing is working and how close it is to the stall.

Pe o p l e w i l l get impaled on it

Speed is a very accurate and sensitive indicator of AoA, provided that the aeroplane is at a typical weight and not pulling any G. The late Jon Karkow of Icon once pointed out to me that the design of the round airspeed indicator, with zero at the top of the instrument rather than at the lower left as on most dial indicators, may have been intended to make the needle act like an angle of attack indicator in the low speed regime. By the same token, Karkow added, a test pilot’s trick for helping to maintain a steady altitude is to fly at one of the thousands plus 750 feet – 7,750, 8,750, etc. – so that the altimeter

July 2021

The ASI has zero at the top so that it acts as an angle of attack indicator at low speed.

the big selling point of AoA systems, what we need to know is how far we are from the stall, whether we’re getting closer to or farther from it, and how rapidly our AoA is changing.

In flight testing, AoA is measured by a pivoting vane on the end of a long pole that sticks out ahead of the aeroplane into undisturbed air. In everyday use, that arrangement won’t do: People will either get impaled on it or knock it off the aeroplane. A vane placed on the aeroplane itself – on the side of the fuselage, for instance, as in most jets – requires a computer to convert the local airflow angle, typically about twice the actual AoA, to a real value and to make corrections for sideslip and flap position. Such a precise and sophisticated system is complex and costly to calibrate and certify. Unlike test pilots, most of us don’t need exact numerical values. For stall avoidance, which is

Discarding precise angles makes building an AoA system much easier. Various types of sensors can be used. One kind, found on the Icon amphibian, uses pressure differences at small holes in the upper and lower surfaces of the wing itself. Others locate the pressure ports in the nose of a special pitot tube or in a separate protruding probe mounted on the wing outside the propeller slipstream. A third type – a Safe Flight product that was on the market decades before the others, disappeared, and is now being resurrected – looks just like a stall warning tab, but rather than trigger a simple on-off switch and an audio stall warning, the spring-loaded tab sends a progressive signal reflecting the condition of flow near the leading edge. Yet another style uses a pivoting vane on the wingtip. As far as I can tell none of the inexpensive systems provides flap compensation, but at least the resulting inaccuracies are on the safe side. Cockpit displays are far from standardised. Several of the new systems present the pilot with an illuminated pattern of coloured lights or of stripes, chevrons and dots. The leading edge tab system has an analogue display with a moving pointer, as do the Icon and one or two others.

An Angle of Attack Indicator mounted on the glareshield.

July 2021

A simple and easy to understand Angle of Attack display.

I have had one of the old Safe Flight SC-150 leading-edge tab systems, which I acquired in 1974, in two homebuilts and flown more than 2,800 hours with it. Like some other systems, it provides, in addition to stall warning, targets for three flight conditions: slow approach, approach, and climb. I routinely monitor it, rather than airspeed, while manoeuvring in the pattern. It is particularly valuable for short-field approaches and for the occasional situations where low-speed manoeuvring is required, for instance when you are asked to make S-turns for spacing on final, have overshot the base-to-final turn because of a crosswind, or need to make a best-angle climb.

indicator: If the needle went up, it meant the nose was going up. That seems to be the interpretation implied by most of the new vertical displays, which have the red part on the top; but some of them incorporate a bit of the flight director-style cuing by making the red part into several downward-pointing chevrons. Most of the round dial displays are set up so that the needle points to 3 o’clock in the approach regime, like an airspeed indicator, but even this arrangement is not universally agreed upon. The Icon instrument, which replaces the dial pointer with an aerofoil, reverses the picture. And one product uses a quarter-scale round dial with the red zone on the left, a scheme that seems to have no relation at all to other instruments or to the aeroplane’s attitude. Pilots who have flown their entire careers without AoA instrumentation and never inadvertently stalled will naturally ask why an AoA indicator should suddenly be considered necessary. They’re right; it isn’t necessary, it’s just useful. What it provides that a stall warning horn does not is trend information. You see, well before the horn goes off, that you are nearing the stall; you see how rapidly you are approaching it; and you see how effective your correction has been. The information is presented – particularly on an analogue display – at a level of detail that a conventional stall warning lacks, and it is valid regardless of weight, speed, angle of bank and G loading.

I m o u nt e d my i n s t r u m e nt upside down

The SC-150 uses a rectangular meter that is intended to sit, like most AoA instruments, on top of the glare shield, so that it is near the pilot’s line of sight. The factory-recommended presentation – this was back in the 1970s – had the stall zone at the bottom because the company, whose business was mostly in highend equipment like autothrottles for turbine aircraft, conceived the instrument as a flight director. If the needle moved downward, toward the stall, it was telling you to get the nose down. I mounted my instrument upside down, because as a little-plane guy I saw it as an attitude

July 2021

Like all safety improvements, this one will get a few pilots into trouble. They will think they can flirt more boldly with the stall now that they know so much more about it, and they will end up stalling anyway. But for the great majority, and certainly for student pilots, an AoA indicator will supplement airspeed in a genuinely helpful and instructive way. And remember – you may not have experienced an inadvertent stall yet, but it only takes one. j

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July 2021

PLANE TALK - JIM DAVIS

FLYING CLUBS A little while ago a gloomy bunch on interweb forum www.avcom.co.za declared, seemingly with some pleasure, that flying clubs were a thing of the past. I’m delighted to tell you they are wrong - many are thriving and new ones are popping up here and there. FLYING CLUBS ARE THE HEART for GA’s fun fliers. If they are well run they set the culture for the pilots and the tone for the industry. Unfortunately, that’s a big IF. I’ll tell you a bit later about the things that can go wrong. But first let’s look at their anatomy, and see why they exist, and how they work. Perhaps the reason that many are thriving right now is partly as a reaction to Covid’s social distancing, and partly because of the antisocial atmosphere at the big flying schools. Or maybe it’s because of the affordability of little floppy aeroplanes.

trees waving gently in the cooling breeze. The weather couldn’t be better – and there are no mosquitos. Now think of something that you really, really want a mansion with spectacular gardens, fountains, French antique furniture, Persian carpets and Rembrandts on the walls. Or would you prefer a Ferrari or Maserati that never needs maintenance, and the Nürburgring to play with? How about a Lear jet with unlimited fuel? If you are into photography, have the ultimate camera and lenses. You fancy skiing? Boom - there you have it - a snow covered mountain with perfect slopes. You want a yacht? Will Onassis’s one, Christiana, be okay for you?

– and t he r e ar e no mos quitos

Actually I think it’s quite simple - the bottom line is that us humans are far more dependent on socializing than we like to admit. Somerset Maugham put it neatly into a nutshell when he said, “…pleasures are only pleasures because they are enjoyed in common.” I reckon he got it right.

You need a little convincing? Then help me with mind experiment - welcome to Jim’s Magic Island. This is a place where everything is perfect. It’s a beautiful, lush, tropical island with pristine white beaches and palm

July 2021

On this Magic Island, you can have whichever one of these wonders you want. There’s only one snag - there’s no one else there, and there never will be. You have no contact with the rest of the world, and neither your yacht nor your aeroplane can get to outside civilizations. So you can live in the mansion, or sail your yacht, or drive your fancy car round the race track, or fly your ideal aeroplane, or ski those glistening slopes as much as you like, but remember there’s no one to share your fun, or admire your skills. And there’s not

July 2021

Flying clubs are far from dead - and they provide a great place to share the pleasures of flight - and to learn.

even an internet connection - so there are no virtual get-togethers.

Of course it’s no longer possible at major airports, but it still happens at many country flying clubs.

Briefly, we have the toys, but no playmates. Do we really want the things of our dreams, or do we actually crave the community that goes with them?

It was also not long ago that the flying club was the only place you could learn to fly. It was the cornerstone of all fun flying, as well as being the launch pad for commercial pilots, who also flew for fun. Well, except for the occasional one who became a 20,000 hour airline pilot and now enjoys bitching about the inadequacy of his $100 a mouthful meal allowance.

It’s the people who put the fun and sparkle into our toys. That’s why flying clubs will always thrive - they are the magnets that bring people and planes together. Okay - now back in the real world, picture the scene: you rock up at the airfield to find a whole bunch of people enjoying the sun while they laze or stand on the grass and watch light planes taking off and landing. There are a couple of guys with flags, handheld radios, and a long tape measure. It’s a full-on flying competition with spot landings, forced landings, flour bomb dropping, paper cutting and even a short nav. It’s all organized by the local flying club. These people are having fun playing aeries. Pupils and licensed pilots are all involved, in fact the pupes are likely to win the forced landing competition and do well with the flour bombing. And where is all this happening? Well, it wasn’t so long ago that the Algoa Flying Club organized this sort of thing as a monthly event at the main airport at Port Elizabeth. No fences, security passes or hi-viz jackets - anyone could just walk out across the airfield and join in the fun. ATC trusted the club to keep their members toeing the line.

July 2021

Then came the dedicated flying schools, and particularly the live-in ones, which dealt a massive blow to the humble flying clubs. I have to confess to being the leader in this movement. When my little flying school in George needed more pupils, I attracted them by advertising pilot training courses which included accommodation in a seaside cottage. It worked like a strap and eventually I moved to Port Alfred and started 43. However, I can’t accept all the blame for the demise of flying clubs - at 43 we went out of our way to create a club atmosphere. We opened the pub every evening around sunset and the instructors mixed with the pupes for a couple of beers before everyone went off for dinner. Once a month we had a braai and solo party complete with the traditional tiecutting followed by all manner of pub games which were often injury free. Pupes would be required to push each other round an imaginary circuit in a

wheelbarrow while doing their checks and making their radio calls. Sound a bit childish? Maybe, but it’s encouraged in most of the world’s air forces. This socialising was not only fun, it was an informal way to introduce the discipline that’s part of being a safe pilot. Pupes quickly learned that bragging or talking crap in the pub was not how proper pilots behave. However, asking questions and discussing flight safety was admired and encouraged. We even had a “Line Book” - an old RAF tradition. This never left the pub and was open for anyone to read. It contained confessions from pilots and instructors who had stuffed up in one way or another. Perhaps they had got their radio procedures tangled, or failed to put a fuel cap on properly, or taken off on one mag. And they were encouraged to confess and were generally applauded for their integrity. Thus pilots learned that they would be publicly praised for doing a go-around and quietly corrected for bragging or poor airmanship. This is what the social side of flying clubs should be all about. And it’s sadly not part of full-time flying schools anymore. Let me tell you about one of the guys who had to be brought down to earth. Captain Ray Tailpipe (maybe not his proper name) was a retired SAA 747 captain who came to do his instructor rating. I would like to report that he was a fun guy to have around, but if I did so it would be far from the truth. Right from the start Ray made it clear that he was accustomed to a

The Algoa Flying Club used to have great flying competitions at PE airport.

fair amount of grovelling respect. He was also something of an I specialist – as in; ‘I did this and I did that’. We all got the feeling that the captain needed a little humility. Fortunately CXC, my faithful little Piper Colt, rushed to our rescue the very first time Captain Ray and I went flying. Those of you who have spent a bit of time around jets will remember that they don’t have rudder pedals

- they are fitted with adjustable footrests. The reasons for this is a bit complicated but it’s mostly to do with having no propellor, and therefore no slipstream and no asymmetric blade effect - that sort of stuff. The fact is that for the last 30 years Captain Tailpipe hadn’t done any real flying - he had spent his days pushing buttons and bullying first-officers. CXC demanded basic handling July 2021

Flying Clubs also provide a great excuse for fly-aways - here are members from Morningstar in Cape Town visiting the eastern Cape.

skills and an understanding of what the controls do. The business of using one’s hands and feet was a foreign concept to our hero. I didn’t have to tell him that he had forgotten how to fly an aeroplane - my little Colt left him in no doubt about it. To Ray’s credit he immediately admitted that he was floundering and had a lot to learn. He then put his heart and soul into becoming the best instructor he could. I admired him hugely for that and we got on extremely well. But that was in the aeroplane. On the ground, amongst my instructors and the other pupes he was still an impossible bastard. Now some of you will know Stuart Mackay - the boss of MackAir, probably the best charter company in Southern Africa. At that time Stuie was a pupe with a wicked sense of justice. He was the instigator of

two events which brought the big captain to his knees - literally. Captain Ray liked to carry his SAA flight bag with him as a symbol of his eminence. It was a splendid, black leather monster with a brass plate on it stating the owner’s name and specifications. It was designed to last 100 years and to carry six or eight hefty manuals that Boeing pilots needed before Steve Jobs designed the iPad for them. Of course this was a ridiculous affectation for someone learning to fly a baby aeroplane. So, one day when the captain and I were flying, Stuie established that the massive bag was completely empty. It was the work of moments for him to fill it with building bricks from a next-door plot. Of course everyone made sure they were around Jim Davis - in the middle with the plane and mates at a flying club piss-up.

July 2021

A mock-up plane that made noise and smoke was a great ice breaker.

when Tailpipe was about to pick it up and go home. To say that the Captain was not amused would to tergiversate with the truth. He was seriously dischuffed. His first move was a casual two fingered attempt to pluck it from the floor. When this failed he took a firmer grip of the handle, but success eluded him. It was interesting to note how his cool-guy expression was briefly replaced by one of bafflement before he realized he was the butt of a demeaning practical joke. His faced turned red as he swung round to see a bunch of youngsters sniggering behind their hands, while others laughed out loud. Stuie, always the gentleman, rushed up to help Ray debrickify his bag. Unfortunately this incident didn’t really do the trick. Captain Tailpipe still needed a little more humble pie before he became one of the boys. Stuie had to extend his talents and to this end he enlisted the aid of one of my instructors, Deon Joubert. Deon was a really naughty bugger whose specialty was hot-seating motor cars. Allow me to explain this simple procedure in case you need to employ it at short notice Simply attach a piece of insulated wire to a spark plug then feed it through any convenient hole into the cabin. Then it must go under the carpet, to avoid detection, and finally up under the driver’s seat and attach to any metal part - preferably a spring. When the victim starts the car they become an electrical conductor. They get an initial jolt as a

spark travels through their bum and out of their finger onto the ignition key. Naturally they let go of the key and all is well until they touch anything metallic. The key and the door handle are definite no-go zones so they can’t switch off the engine, and they can’t get out of the door. A cool-headed participant will eventually put the car in gear and stall the engine but of course that doesn’t work with an automatic. Readers with a sensitive nature will be pleased to hear that Stuie and Joubes decided against subjecting Ray to this rather extreme cure for egotism. They settled on a complicated party trick which we sometimes employed at solo-parties. I won’t go into detail but the punch line comes when the victim is voluntarily lying on his back on the floor with his eyes shut and one leg sticking up almost vertically. It’s then a simple matter to pour a jug of water down his trouser leg while everyone falls about laughing. Again hat’s off to Captain Ray Tailpipe, after an initial bit of red-faced spluttering he saw the joke and joined in with the hilarity. I would like to think that these incidents helped him in the rest of his flying career. He went on to join the DCA as a flying inspector, and I think he did a pretty good job. To get back on track, flying clubs pretty much revolve around training, however it seldom works if the club owns the aircraft because… Oops - the Gleitch tells me I have overshat my word count. There is much more to say about flying clubs – but that will have to wait till next month.j July 2021

A SLIM LOGBOOK - JOHAN WALDEN

GOLDILOCKS

HITS THE BOOKS

It strikes me as odd that we student pilots spend around 70 to 80% of our time engaged in the lowest form of learning – Reading. I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER MET anyone who has climbed out of a cockpit and rushed straight home excited to read endless paragraphs about haemoglobin. Just doesn’t happen. Reading text is passive, and one of the least effective learning methods. In fact, we only retain as little as 10% of what we read, according to a thingy I found in a book called Dale’s Cone Of Experience (there’s always a cone). Second in the firing line is the good old fashioned lecture (or ‘death by powerpoint’) which The Cone puts at just 20% effective.

cry. But there is hope. First thing is to find the right books. And a good ground-school course will make the learning as interactive as possible. When you start a course, your flight school may already have a preferred set that they like to work from. So the students and instructors are always on the same page (pun intended). But there are several book options for the CPL: in no particular order, there are the Avex, Jeppesen, Central Flying Academy, and the Air Pilot’s Manual sets, and probably more.

A GOOD GR OUNDS CHOOL C OUR S E WI L L MA K E T HE L E A R NI NG A S I NT ER AC T I V E A S P OS S I B L E

Simulations, playing games, participating in group discussions, and actually doing the thing you’re trying to learn are active forms of learning and by far the most effective.

Slumped in the chair and staring at the pile of PPL or CPL books, “active learning” seems a far

July 2021

Like Goldilocks and the Three Bears some sets of books will have too much information, some too little, and one or two you’ll find just right. Personally, I like pictures. I remember pictures. My heart despairs when I turn a page and find a striped lawn of paragraphs without a hint of colour or life in them.

The Jeppesen ATPL books are (as the name implies) for the airline licence and contain information above and beyond the scope of CPL. If you get a printout of the CPL syllabus from CAA’s website you can sift out the information that isn’t applicable to you. But the downside is that it takes considerable time and energy to comb through thousands of pages. And sometimes the information can be so intertwined it’s like separating milk from

tea. So Goldilocks may find Father Bear’s encyclopaedia a bit too heavy. And encyclopaedias don’t come cheap. I found the Central Flying Academy notes (from Infinite Aviation) much more manageable. I chose these books because they seemed to have just the right amount of information to thoroughly cover the syllabus – and only the

If you're up for the task, Jeppesen's ATPL books go above and beyond.

July 2021

The CFA notes are easy to work with and leave out the fluff.

syllabus – without crashing an avalanche on me. They were ‘to the point’ and left out most of the fluff. I needed to know Newton’s Laws, yes, but not the year he was born.

S I NK I NG I NT O YOUR CHA I R T O WAT CH S OME ONE TA L K F OR T HR EE HOUR S I S P OI NT L E S S

Last month I spoke about how important a good ground-school course is, so I won’t beat it to death again here. But one thing I will repeat is my instructor’s saying, “We often fail CPL exams because of PPL theory, and ATPL exams because of CPL theory”.

July 2021

After the PPL exams I never felt the same animosity towards my study notes that I did towards my school notes. Passing a subject was more of an accomplishment than a chore. So, much to my relief later on, my study notes escaped the customary tribal dance round the roaring fire of books and papers. Instead, I kept them safe in a file that I often referred back to whenever I felt like pulling my hair out. If there was any concept too mind bending for me to understand, my PPL summaries often contained the ‘back to basics’ info I needed.

(www.firstthingsproductivity.com) Dale's Cone of Experience puts passive learning as the least effective.

So, armed with a pen, paper, and enough books to literally bend the shelf, I was ready to start my 20% learning and join ground-school. The classes were still a month or so away but I decided to start studying anyway: I began with Principles Of Flight and Aircraft Technical & General (which, in CPL, are combined into one exam). By the time classes started, I had already been through most of the subject, so I knew exactly which things I didn’t understand and knew what questions to ask. In contrast, whenever my studying fell behind the classes I often ended up staring at the powerpoint with glazed eyes and the attention span of a goldfish. I still learned stuff, but I could pick up way more if I was familiar with the content first.

Just sinking into your chair to watch someone talk for three hours is pointless – not to mention boring. But asking relevant questions forces you to think. And don’t think the instructor won’t catch you napping; they’ll ask you questions too! Certainly it’s not always practical to have read the book before the lecture. But showing up prepared for the lesson is just being a good student. Whether you’ve opened it or not, bring your book, pencils and paper, take notes, and ask questions. And if your preparedness can include your familiarity with the content, you’ll get the best for your buck. j

July 2021

Text and Images: Guy Leitch • Air to Air Pictures: Bruce Perkins

FLIGHT TEST: SLING HIGH WING 42

SLING

HIGH WING – A HIGHER PLANE

July 2021

The most anticipated version of the phenomenally successful Sling series is the Sling High Wing. The High Wing – or just Sling HW – was first proposed as a high wing version of the Sling 2 at the same time as founder Mike Blyth started work on the original Sling 2 back in 2005. The final product has come a long way from the early Sling 2s.

The Sling High Wing was supposed to be an easy development of the Sling TSi - turns out it was not so easy to get it right. July 2021

WITH MORE THAN 90% of the Sling Aircraft factory’s production now sold outside South Africa, the Sling 2 and 4 range have been a phenomenal success. The demand for three new aircraft each week kept the factory too busy to be readily distracted into designing and building the long-awaited High Wing. But it was always bubbling away in the background and for a number of years the Airplane Factory (as it was then called) employed former Boeing aeronautical engineer Mel Verrity to work on the fuselage modelling. I reckon the Sling TSi is unique in that it is the only aircraft that comes in almost identical low wing and high wing versions. (Write to guy@ saflyermag.co.za if you know any others!) For this reason the comparison with the low wing Sling TSI is particularly interesting. The rationale for developing both a low wing and a high wing are many. Mike Blyth provides the following reasons: “The engine–airframe combination of the Sling TSi is so perfect that to fail to exploit it in a high wing model would feel like a crime. Also, there’s a real gap in the market as there is no other aircraft in that space. And you can see really well out of a high wing when flying straight, and it can be a great camera and/ or surveillance platform.” Mike reckons that “We’ve learned so much in developing the Sling LSA, 2, 4 and TSi, that we can get it even more right in the next model. We can make the most beautiful light high wing aircraft ever seen! Also, high wings, especially taildraggers, are great for camping trips and

we can guarantee that it fits bicycles, dogs, braaivleis, tents etc!” James Pitman, the base jumping, skydiver, cyclist, and all-round adventurer says, “High wings are good for skydiving out of! Also - the rich buy aircraft. And the rich are often fat or old, so high wings are easy to get into and out of! And high wings are better for people in wheelchairs!” This last is significant because James is partnering with Matt Cohen, who has no use of his legs, to fly the High Wing all the way to Oshkosh. Finally, Sling Aircraft CEO Andrew Pitman says, “The market is looking for a light, robust, economical four seat, high wing aircraft and Sling is perfectly positioned to supply it. We’ve got a developmental capacity in place and it must earn its keep! And perhaps most tellingly; “Our American distributors want it.” What was known as ‘The Airplane Factory’ has morphed into just ‘Sling Aircraft’ and after the 2009 flight around the world in the Sling 2 LSA they committed to the Sling High Wing. However, following the success of the Sling 4, it was clear that the HW would also be a four-place aircraft and not the originally planned high wing version of the Sling 2. Then in 2018, the arrival of the Rotax 915 iS engine with its turbocharged 141 hp available up to 15,000 feet was the final impetus the Sling Aircraft factory needed to push the high wing project all the way to completion, now based on the top of the range Sling TSI. The Sling HW made its first flight as promised

The wing has zero dihedral on the top surface.

July 2021

The high wing meant a 200mm increase in fin height over the TSi.

before the end of 2020. That development and construction had continued through the Covid lockdown is testimony to the dedication and commitment the Sling team brought to the project. It has taken six months before the Sling Aircraft factory decided that the High Wing was developed enough for us to review, and Sling Aircraft Director James Pitman insists it is still a prototype.

HIGH WING DEVELOPMENT Nothing in aviation is ever as easy as it first appears. Reflecting the complexities of converting a low wing to a high wing, the Sling HW has had an unusually long gestation. In the past The Airplane Factory has shown itself able to create an all-new plane and then just roll it out the hangar and fly it around the world. They accomplished this with the high wing’s progenitor, the Sling 4, which launched on its round-the-world flight a mere 20 days after first flying. The big step change was the advent of the Rotax 915iS in 2018. Unlike Rotax's first attempt at fuel injection – the underwhelming 912iS, the 915 really was a big step forward. The first time

I flew the 915iS engine was as a guest of Rotax in Austria. I was able to sample the engine in a number of different airframes and it was clear that it was a game changer. But it was a bit confusing with a mix of metric and US parameters and some prototype cockpit displays (see SA Flyer June 2018). Now three years later, it has been thoroughly integrated into the Slings. To match the new engine, Sling Aircraft took another huge leap for the development of the Sling TSi – they gave it an all new wing – replacing the NACA 4415 aerofoil with the slimmer, shorter (9.54m) and thus faster NACA 2414. This wing is used unchanged on the High Wing, albeit with a lower dihedral due to the high wing configuration’s natural roll stability.

ON THE GROUND I met the HW in the flesh for the first time at Sling’s Tedderfield factory. It was a typical cool highveld winter morning with smoke haze, but still a great day to fly a prototype, state-of-the-art, aeroplane. A major design departure from the low wing series is that Sling Aircraft have used a July 2021

composite structure to handle the loads and compound curves required for a smoothly shaped high wing cabin. James says, “We decided to make the centre fuselage out of composites for two reasons: The first is technical – the composites allow us to make a stronger (strength vs weight) and fatigue resistant structure particularly because the High Wing is strutless with a cantilever wing. The second reason is so that we could easily get the aerodynamic and aesthetic shape that we wanted.”

it is t he onl y air craft t hat comes in almos t ide ntical low w ing and high w ing ve r s ions Parked on the apron, it looks bigger and somehow more substantial than the Low Wing TSi – and it is. As a six-footer I can walk beneath the wing. The wing has zero dihedral along the top – but it tapers in width and thickness, so technically it has a little. The absence of dihedral – as will be explored in the flight test – contributes to the much-admired Sling balance between lateral stability and control responsiveness. Mike Blyth points out that stability in roll is naturally there because of the high wing pendulum effect, so the dihedral is less than on the Low Wing, for the same outcome. However, this led to unexpected challenges in designing the fuel system for the standard 99 litre fuel tanks in each wing. For its Oshkosh journey, ZU-SHW has two additional outboard 25 litre wing tanks. (Co-incidentally Jim Davis deals with the high wing fuel tank challenges in this month's accident report.)

July 2021

Each of the outboard tanks requires a pump to transfer fuel to the standard, inboard tank. And then there’s a third “feeder” pump to feed fuel from the standard tanks to the six-litre header tank, which is mounted to the inside of the firewall. Unfortunately, as things stand the ‘head’ of fuel from the standard tanks is insufficient to gravity feed fuel from the standard tanks to the header, but there is a hope that with improved angling of the breather outlet, this will pressurise the tanks to a greater degree and serve this purpose. James explains that, together with the two high-pressure Rotax fuel pumps which feed the injectors, the ‘long range’ Sling High Wing accordingly has a total of five fuel pumps (though in standard format there are only three). Fully equipped with the ‘rear of cabin’ third additional ferry tank, a minimum of five fuel pumps is required, but for full redundancy over the long ocean legs, the aircraft will be fitted with no less than eight. It is also hoped that the inclusion of a further one degree of dihedral in all future Sling High Wings will improve the reliability of fuel flow from the wing to the header tank and perhaps further reduce reliance upon electrically operated feeder pumps. A readily noticeable difference between the Low Wing and High is that the high has a vertical fin and rudder a full 20 cm longer than the Low Wing. Given the High Wing ‘nosedraggers’ high stance, this may make getting the tail under a low hangar door opening something to watch. The Sling HW and TSi are immediately distinguishable by the large NACA duct on the right side of the cowl which feeds air into the engine’s high-volume intercooler. Sling Aircraft has done a great job integrating this duct into the Sling’s distinctive shark nose cowling – far better than many of the bodge jobs I have seen with cowl scoops on other 915 installations. Unlike the Low Wing with its gullwing doors, the HW has doors that are conventionally hinged at the front. Unlike far too many light aircraft, Sling gives both the pilot and the front pax their own doors. I’m always surprised by how much room there is within the compact dimensions of the Sling 2 and 4 and in particular, what a great sense of space there is in a Sling cockpit. The HW is even bigger

ABOVE: Front hinged composite doors have a single latch. Gear legs the same as Sling TSi. BELOW: Cockpit features Garmin EFIS and standby G5. No old round gauges.

July 2021

– thanks to its composite cabin shell. During the test flight, although James is a skinny fellow, there was no shoulder rubbing between us. The rear seaters should now have more headroom, however the prototype’s rear seats were thickly padded and I was surprised to find the headroom not as good as I had hoped. This is however easily fixed by lowering the seat squab and perhaps reclining it more – like a Cessna C182 where the back-seaters are essentially sitting on the floor. The view out from the back is excellent thanks to the large windows. Being an NTCA, James assured me I could have opening rear windows – which would make this a great camera ship! The composite doors close can be slammed with reassuring firmness but there is a need for further development to stop the top of the door bulging out at cruise speeds. To avoid the complexity of dual latches (like a Cherokee) they ingeniously tried magnets on the prototype, but what that will do to the compass is anyone’s guess! It had been hoped that building the High Wing would involve just a new centre fuselage section but things are not that simple. At higher angles of attack the high wing blanks the empennage so the horizontal tail, and in particular the vertical fin,

have been made significantly larger. The bowed composite main undercarriage legs are standard Sling – and attached to the bottom of the monocoque fuselage with minimal change. The nosewheel is also unchanged, allowing the same firewall forward installation as the low wing TSi. Despite ZU-SHW (Sling High Wing… geddit?!) being a protype, the rest of aircraft retains the smooth finish and flush rivets on the wing leading edge, which give the Sling TSi an almost composite-smooth look. There is a large tear-out panel on the rear turtle deck with slotted rivet holes for the ballistic parachute. FLYING THE SLING HIGH WING Getting into the cockpit is easy. I placed my foot on the far side of the control stick and then hoisted myself up and onto the seat. However it may have been more elegant to have used the little step on the undercarriage leg. I had been expecting a 4-point harness, but the seat belts are conventional 3-point car type, with a single inertial reel. Starting the 915iS is simple. Flip on the two ignition lane switches and the two fuel pumps

In search of excellent handling - the elevator has a balance tab.

July 2021

Fuel selector is now in the roof.

and turn the ignition key. The Rotax 915 springs readily into life, and with less clatter from the prop gearbox, thanks to its larger impulse damper. Despite the weight of the complex engine, turbo and intercooler in the nose, and the forward CofG as we were two-up with lots of fuel and no baggage, the Sling HW is still light and easy to taxi with its tricycle gear and nose wheel steering. I far prefer a steerable nosewheel to a castoring one that relies on differential braking. I was pleased to see that both seats have toe brakes. At the holding point, testing for full and free movement of the controls revealed a potential problem – with full back stick the full left and right movement of the stick was limited by the V of my legs. James says that they are working on the bend in the stick and reducing the amount of stick throw movement required for full aileron deflection. The electrical unslotted flaps have a rotary knob with pre-marked positions being: Up, 1, 2, 3 and Down. With the flaps set 1 down we launched down Tedderfield’s Runway 29. I held it against the brakes which were powerful enough to hold the straining 141 horses with ease. At high power settings the 915 goes to auto rich and has a huge thirst for such a small

engine, sucking 48 litres per hour. On brake release acceleration was good, without excessive right rudder, and at the recommended 55 knots rotation speed she felt ready to fly. And this is where there was a significant difference with the Low Wing as the High Wing does not produce the same amount of ground effect as the low wing. So there was no gradual float into the air, rather it required a light back pressure on the stick and then we were airborne with a bit of a lurch, thanks to my rough hands, and the stall warning bleeped briefly in disapproval. We were almost instantly at Vy (best rate) climb speed of 75 knots, indicating a healthy 1200 fpm over the runway end. It was natural to lower the nose to 95 KIAS and still be climbing skywards at over 750 fpm. It was a turbulent midday, so it was hard to get clear vertical speed numbers. The graphics on the large Garmin G3X EFIS make situational awareness a treat. The large 10.6 inch screen dominates the instrument panel. It easily has enough space to display all the instrument and navigation requirements. There is even an option for TCAS and a satellite phone has been bluetoothed in as a spare radio. I am always amazed at how much capability there is in the new glass panels.

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A huge benefit for the pending epic journey to Oshkosh, or just for its standard 7-hour endurance, is the intelligent and smooth Garmin integrated auto-pilot that can be programmed to maintain altitude, direction and attitude, and even fly a coupled approach. A particularly useful trick James had was to simply push the blue ‘level’ button when he wanted to explain something. One of the big challenges the design team faced with the high wing was how to preserve the Low Wing’s crisp control response with the low breakout forces what comes from having almost frictionless pushrods to the ailerons and elevator. Having to route the aileron controls through the floor and up the door pillar necessitated control cables that drive pushrods once in the wing. Yet it was immediately apparent that the breakout forces are still commendably low and the response is still crisp yet without twitchiness. Even though we were 7000 feet, which is far below the aircraft’s best operating altitude, I explored the Sling HWs speed capability. The EFIS displays power as a percentage of total rated power and at around 82% it changes the engine management from producing best power to best efficiency. Thus, at 83% power the fuel

burn is 35lph while at 82 % the fuel burn drops to 28lph, even with the propeller set to climb. Thanks to the large intercooler, a typical cruise with the HW is 38 inches of manifold pressure at 5400 rpm which gives the desired 82% power. James says he works on 145 KTAS at 30 lph at FL095. And this seems to be very realistic. It’s also about 3 knots slower than the Low Wing TSi. As we flew over smokey Soweto my spirits lifted with the responsiveness of the aircraft, the smooth and plentiful power and great view out. You really do feel at one with the plane in a Sling. And the cabin is tall enough so that you do not have to wind your neck in to see out the side window, beneath the wing. Naturally though, the visibility in a turn is not as great as from the low wing with its side windows that curve over the front seats. I tested the control harmony and roll response by cranking it over into about a 70 degree bank. It effortlessly maintained height, even though the stall warning beeped occasionally. With a full throw of the stick, a 140 degree roll reversal was smooth with little tail wag, although my feet

Rear seat headroom still a little tight for six footers.

July 2021

The Rotax 915iS is good for 141hp to 15,000 feet.

needed practice on how little lead with the rudder it needed. A few practice rolls around a point would make a smoother transition. I pulled the power back, thankful that liquid cooling vastly reduces the chance of shock cooling the engine. With the flaps up and the nose surprisingly high, the stall break came at 57 knots – 2 knots faster than I had seen in the TSi – but then it was a bumpy day. I held the wing in a deep stall and tried to keep it straight with aileron until it would take no more abuse and gently dropped the nose. The recovery just required relaxing the back-pressure on the stick.

impossible to get it into an unintentional spin. I could easily hold the stick almost all the way back and just wallow down at about 600 fpm at about 46 knots – a survivable escape from IMC. Nonetheless, a factory parachute is an optional extra. We recovered with barely 500 ft height loss.

Not hing in av iation is eve r as eas y as it f ir s t appear s

With full flap and power off, the nose stubbornly clawed for the sky and the airframe shook until the stall break came at 47 knots – with a still gentle nose and wing drop. It should be

Even deep in the stall, the elevator authority is excellent at full forward C of G. Unique to the High Wing, Sling have fitted an anti-balance tab to the right hand elevator to lighten the stick force when full up elevator is needed, such as on landings. Returning to the Tedderfield circuit we joined a Right Downwind for 11. Trim changes with flap were so small I hardly noticed them and rolling out Flap 3 caused a slight nose up pitch which could easily be compensated for by reducing the power for the glideslope. July 2021

Fuel tank breathers - are as tricky as Cessna's breathers.

We tracked down final at an easy 75-80 knots – a bit fast but a speed I and the plane felt comfortable with. Pulling the remains of the power as I crossed the fence I rounded out too high and the stiff crosswind tried to blow us off the narrow runway – making for a messy arrival. But the Sling’s excellent manners made light of my rusty pilot ham-handedness. FOUR SEATS, BAGS AND FULL TANKS? There is ample space for four occupants, and a generous sized baggage compartment – large enough to take a Sling bicycle.. Empty weight of the plane we tested, ZU- SHW, is 570 kg with a 1050 MAUW so there is a 470 kg useful load. Full standard fuel of 198 litres weighs 142 kg, so with the large fuel tanks filled you can put 340 kg of people and stuff in the cabin. It’s a genuine fill the tanks, fill the seats, add bags and go plane – a rarity indeed. With the additional structure of the composite centre fuselage and larger empennage and other changes, the Sling HW weighs about 60 kg more than the low wing. However this is more than compensated by the Maximum All Up Weight having been increased from the TSis 950 kg to 1050 kg. Mike Blyth says that due to the uninterrupted high wing area, there is more lift than on the low wing, which has allowed the 100kg increase in MUAW.

July 2021

The Sling HW put a smile on my face for the entire day. This is a fantastic aircraft that delivers a simple and rugged design paired with Rotax’s very impressive 915iS engine. CONCLUSION The Slings have come a long way since the early D6 prototype of the Sling 2. One of the most impressive aspects is the quality of finish, even for a prototype. The panels fit well, the paint job has a deep lustre and the standard of the interior finishes, such as seats, are worthy of a supercar. And it is the performance numbers that really blow you away. It is a true four-seater with a cruise speed of 145 knots at just 30 litres per hour. In comparison, a Cessna C182 will struggle to do 135 knots burning 45 litres per hour. The Sling HW is a fantastic all-rounder – rewarding to fly, with astounding flight instruments and responsive yet delightfully light controls that make you feel at one with the machine. And best of all – at about R3 million ready to fly with a high specification, it’s a worthy competitor to type-certified four seaters that are three times as expensive to buy and run. j

SLING HIGH WING SPECIFICATIONS

Rotax 915iS 141hp/105kW (Turbo) 9.56m 7.202m 2.689m 46in | 1.17m 570kg 480kg 1 050kg

Maximum Speed (Vne) Cruise Speed - 9500ft Stall Speed - Clean Stall Speed - Full Flaps Max Demonstrated Crosswind Takeoff Ground Roll - Concrete Landing Distance - Braked Rate of Climb - Sea Level MAUW Maximum Operating Altitude Endurance Range: 75% Power, 45 min Res.

155 KIAS 145 KTAS 57 KIAS 48 KIAS 15 KTS 720ft/220m 492ft/150m 1 000ft/min 18,000ft 8 Hours 880nm/1 630km

PERFORMANCE

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Engine Horsepower Wingspan Length Height Cabin Width Typical Empty Weight Useful Load Max Takeoff Weight

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JIM DAVIS

CE S S NA 1 8 2 NO F UEL AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT

Aircraft Registration: ZS-KXJ Date of Accident: 22 November 2012 Time of Accident: 1300Z Type of Aircraft: 1981 Cessna 182R Type of Operation: Fire Fighting Pilot-in-command Licence Type: CPL Age: 27 Licence Valid: Yes Flying Experience: Total Flying 335 Hours

• This report is to promote aviation safety and not to establish legal liability. • The CAA’s report contains padding, repetition, poor English and incompetence. So, in the interest of clarity and readability, I have had to correct and paraphrase extensively ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, on 22 November 2012 at approximately 0455Z the pilot accompanied by a passenger took from Ulco mine for a fire fighting operation near Koopmansfontein. The entire morning was spent working on the fire with aerial resources and farmers that were available. Arrival time over the fire was 0520Z. The pilot mentioned that he was operating overhead for approximately four hours and was about to depart when he experienced engine problems. This was at approximately 0918Z. The engine surged and the pilot levelled out to execute a

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Hours on Type: 94 Last point of departure: Ulco FAUC Next point of intended landing: Kimberley Location of the accident: 6km North West of Ulco mine. Met: Surface wind: South Westerly at 5 to 10 knots. Temp: 25 C to 30 C. Visibility: Fair Number of people on board: 1 + 1 No. of people injured: 1 No. of people killed: 0 forced landing onto the gravel road. Whilst heading for the gravel road he put the mixture on rich and the engine began to run smoothly again. The pilot then decided to head for the nearest landing strip which was Ulco mine. He slowly climbed at about 95KIAS to reach the airfield as soon as possible and to gain enough height. At approximately 3 minutes en-route to the runway the engine surged again and the pilot suspected a dry fuel tank and changed to the left fuel tank.

As he was heading to the runway the engine surged again he selected the fuel tank selector to “BOTH”. In addition, the pilot suspected carburettor icing and applied the carburettor heat to “ON” and kept it there for a minute and put it back to “OFF”. The engine continued surging again. The pilot had the runway in sight but was too far to make it and the tar road was too busy. He opted to land on an open farm which was clear of trees but had two sets of power lines running perpendicular to the aircraft’s path. The pilot aimed to make it over the power lines but only had enough speed and height to make it over the first set of power lines and turned left.

JIM’S COMMENTS A young, inexperienced pilot runs out of fuel – yawn and turn to the next page. Woah – not so fast – there’s a lot more to this than meets the eye. I have noticed that single engine Cessnas run out of fuel a lot more often than Cherokees. My guess is that the ratio is about five to one against Cessna. There must be good reasons, and there are indeed – three main ones: dihedral, aerofoil section and tank breathers.

The e nt ir e mor ning was s pe nt wor k ing on t he f ir e

The pilot tried to restart the engine again but to no avail and elected to shut down the engine. He then applied flaps and landed the aircraft. The aircraft skidded for approximately 150m to 200m before it collided with the tree on its right wing and another tree with a left wing which swung the aircraft to the left before it came to a stop. The aircraft sustained extensive damage to the wings, fuselage, left hand undercarriage and the nose undercarriage broke off. The fuel tanks were confirmed to be empty and although the left hand wing was ruptured there was no fuel spillage around the aircraft wreckage.

I have no idea why this particular Cessna ran out of fuel, but the problem is so common that it’s worth devoting this accident discussion to explaining why you have to keep your fuel wits about you when flying single engine Cessnas.

Have a look at the two main diagrams and we can run through the differences and see why Cessnas run into trouble. Dihedral This is the upslope of the wings. Designers use it for lateral stability. High-wing aircraft have good lateral stability because the lift is at the top and the weight is below it.

Just another high wing Cessna out of fuel - but there's lots to learn July 2021

Low-wing aircraft use dihedral for lateral stability. This has an unintended benefit – It makes the fuel tanks slope in towards fuselage, so that the fuel pools at the inboard ends of the tanks. You can see where this is going. Because high-wing aircraft have almost flat bottom tanks, the fuel can easily move away from the outlet – so the engine starts sucking air instead of fuel, with obvious consequences. This condition is called unporting. The main reason for fuel to move away from the outlet is… no, not banking, but flying with the ball out of the middle. Let’s give this a bit more thought. If the aircraft is parked on a lateral slope – say left wing down – you can understand that the fuel in the right tank will move towards the fuselage, while fuel in the left tank will go towards the wingtip, and away from the outlet pipe. Now, where is the ball if the left wing is down? It

Cessna's fuel feed with the crossfeed between the tanks that can cause unexpected silences.

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will be to the left of centre. So now we have a rule which ALWAYS applies: The fuel goes where the ball goes. Remember this rule – we will keep coming back to it. So if you fly straight but left wing low, the fuel in both tanks moves to the left. And you will notice that the ball is out to the left. But if you do a balanced turn to the left, where will the fuel go? The answer is nowhere – it will stay right where it is meant to be – because the fuel goes where the ball goes. Even in a steep turn – the fuel stays in the bottom of the tanks as long as the ball is in the middle. In a low wing aircraft – with more dihedral – the fuel is much less prone to moving away from the outlets.

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The many differences between the Cessna and Cherokee fuel systems.

Aerofoil section

Breather system

Cherokees have a fat laminar-flow wing – with the thickest part, where the main spar is, well back. Piper put their fuel tanks in this huge volume ahead of the spar. Cessna uses a shallower, more traditional aerofoil with the spar further forward. So they have to use long thin tanks that fit between the main and aileron spars (see diagrams).

Fuel tank breathers are designed to let air into the tanks to replace the fuel that leaves them. But as soon as you let air in, you also are likely to let water in – particularly if you fly in rain. Now Cessnas have a strange way of doing this. First they have a pipe that connects the two tanks (see diagram). This means that they only need to fit

July 2021

a breather to one tank – it’s that thick pipe that comes out of the bottom of the wing and points forward. It sits immediately behind the strut. Both types of aircraft have breathers in their fuel caps. Piper got it right first try, but Cessna have been struggling with fuel cap design for more than 50 years. They have brought out mod after mod after expensive mod in their attempts to let the air in and keep the water out. If you wash your Cessna, or leave it out in the rain, you are likely to get water in through the caps. The latest caps have a red top to them – to indicate that they are the latest ones, and I think they have got it right at last. You may be wondering why I am waffling on about breathers when we are talking about running out of fuel. Patience dear enthusiast – we are nearly there, the breather problem is very relevant, and I’m about to show you why. The heart of the problem is Cessna’s stupid interconnect between the tanks. Now it’s time to see how all this technical stuff comes to haunt the unwary pilot on a daily basis. Parking. Let’s say you are planning on an early start, as

A Cherokee fuel tank forms the leading edge July of the2021 wing in front of the main spar.

this pilot obviously was, so you probably refuel the evening before. Now, if the surface is not dead level, the fuel in the higher tank migrates through the interconnecting pipe to the lower tank and then overflows on to the ground. You may spot this on the concrete, but then again you may not. In the hot, dry climate of the Kimberley area, where this guy was operating, you can easily lose half an hour’s fuel as it evaporates on the hot dry surface. If you park on the dirt, the same applies, and if you park on the grass – well you are just not going to see the overflowed fuel at all. And you don’t need to be at much of an angle – a soft tyre can cause the problem, and as the fuel imbalance increases that will cause the aircraft to lean more towards the lower tank. So how do you know if the aircraft is dead level? Well the ball will tell you – beautiful, you have a built in spirit level. But wait, who says the ball was mounted level in the aircraft? No, I’m not splitting hairs (see photo), the instrument has to be levelled in the panel. Can you be sure it’s been done right on a 20 or 50 year old aeroplane? And if it’s not right when the aeroplane is parked, it’s not going to be right in the air. So my infallible rule, that the fuel goes where the ball goes, is only infallible if the instrument has been fitted dead level.

Dihedral causes the aircraft to behave as if it were suspended from a point above it.

The fuel always goes where the ball goes – regardless of bank.

This can also account for aeroplanes that, because they are flying slightly sideways, just don’t feel right in the air, or are a bit slow, or use a bit more fuel than usual. This is apart from the fact that fuel is venting overboard because of imbalance. And while we are thinking of parking overnight, aircraft are becoming an increasingly tempting target for fuel thieves. And locking caps don’t help. There is usually plenty of time to drain the fuel from the under-wing drains. But even if fuel is not stolen – the fact you checked both tanks were full to the brim in the evening doesn’t mean they will still be full in the morning. And the reverse applies. If you refuel in the cool of the morning and only depart in the cool of the evening, the fuel will have expanded during the heat of the day and vented out, so the tanks will not be full for your night flight. Of course this applies to low wings as well. Refuelling So let’s say you refuel when the aircraft is parked with the left wing down – even slightly – and you fill the right tank to the brim. The right tank is not going to stay full while you mess around and fill the left tank. It is going to drain through the vent pipe, across to the left tank. This means that when you have finished refuelling and seen each tank filled to the brim, the right tank will not actually be full.

Preflight and checking for water Slight imperfections and wrinkles in the floor of fuel tanks make ideal spots for water to form little puddles. This doesn’t happen on Cherokees because of the dihedral, but it does with the flat bottom Cessna tanks. The result is that when you drain from what is supposedly the lowest point, you are probably not going to pick up all the water. Cessna realised this some years ago and came out with a mandatory mod that called for the fitting of five fuel drains per tank. The original single drain point was at the back of the inboard side of the tank. It assumed the aircraft would sit slightly tail low, so the water should collect at the back. But this doesn’t necessarily happen. If you park facing down a slight slope, or if the nose oleo, or tyre, are flattish, then water will collect at the front of the tank and not be at the drain point. To drain the tanks properly you need someone to hold the tail down, by draping themselves over the fuselage, not by sitting on the tail plane – this can damage it. Then you need to rock the wings so any puddles of water will migrate to the drain points. Only then should you start draining. In Cessna’s defence, they position the exit pipe above the bottom of the tank so it won’t pick up water. But this means that most Cessnas have a couple of gallons of unusable fuel (or water) at the bottom. Finally, I believe that many fuel shortages are caused by pilots being too lazy, or insufficiently agile, to climb up and look in the tanks. July 2021

Taxying It’s unlikely that you will lose a noticeable amount of fuel taxying, but beware what the yanks call a “rolling takeoff.” This is when you do a cowboy turn onto the runway and open the taps. Let’s say the turn is to the left. In the turn your body gets pushed to the right by centrifugal reaction, and so does the ball – and so does the fuel. This means the fuel in the right tank may unport and the engine will lose power or stop during takeoff. Beechcraft handbooks specifically warn about this. And being low wing they are less prone to the problem than small-dihedral high wings. The turn and slip indicator is mounted on slots so that it can be levelled after maintenance.

Climbing During a long climb it’s possible to use a lot more fuel than expected by simply running too rich. Obviously this is not specifically a high wing problem. Forget what your instructor told you about not leaning out in the climb – just do what the POH says. Straight and Level

Cherokee fuel caps have a floppy red rubber valve that allows air into the tank but will not let fuel out. The air, but not water, enters through two slots.

The latest modified Cessna fuel caps are painted red.

July 2021

Again, I’m afraid Cessna’s breathers – and their fuel selector, let them down badly. Let’s look at the breathers first – more specifically the interconnect pipe. This allows fullish tanks to crossfeed, which means that you can never be sure how much fuel you have used from either tank. So it’s no use timing fuel usage on one tank and expecting to get the same from the second tank. If you try this you will come short by up to one whole hour. For instance, if you selected the left tank for takeoff, climb and cruise, and you got say three hours out of it before the engine begins to splutter, it would be reasonable to expect three hours out of the right tank – correct? The deadly truth is that you will be lucky to fly another two hours before the engine stops. I have spent years bitching about this, writing about it and warning pilots about it, but it still happens. I believe this crossfeeding in flight is the main reason that Cessna pilots keep running out of fuel. The situation is compounded by the selector having a BOTH position. If you select BOTH it increases the

This diagram is mounted on the floor of the C150, but it refers to a vertical selector. So is the OFF position up or down.

Cessnas mount their fuel tanks between the two spars.

potential for crossfeeding and fuel management means nothing – you become totally dependent on dodgy gauges. I admit to being a Piper man and perhaps this is just one of the reasons for my bias. If a Cherokee gives you two and a half hours out of one tank – you will get exactly that out of the other one. By the way, the POH for early Cessna 172s cautions you about flying on both tanks when cruising at altitudes over 5000 ft. They say that doing so may cause “power irregularities.”

shown on the gauge. The only aeroplane I have flown with dead accurate gauges – down to half a gallon – is the Beagle Pup. I don’t know how they achieved this, but it was a superb feature on a magnificent aeroplane. Deliberate sideslipping If you plan to sideslip, either for a crosswind landing, or to lose height, make sure you select the ‘upper’ tank. So if you are going to sideslip to the left – you need to select the right tank before you start.

The cap With a high-wing, if the cap is not put on properly, or if the gasket leaks, you won’t see the fuel being sucked out inro the low pressure area above the wing.

C150s and C152s Beware the flat mounted selector diagram which represents the position of the vertically mounted selector. I can’t get my head around it – which is the OFF position – up or down?

Inaccurate Gauges Everyone asks why aircraft fuel gauges are notoriously inaccurate. It’s partly because of fuel sloshing in turbulence, partly because you must expect different readings while climbing, flying level and descending, but largely because of the shape of the tanks. You can see from the main diagram that a long thin tank only allows a small deflection of the float and this means inaccurate readings. The bigger the movement the more accurately this movement of the sender can be

I’d love to give you my normal list of snappy takehome points – but there are simply too many to be memorable. So let me leave you with just this one – which is perhaps at the bottom of most Cessna fuel woes: Beware fuel migration from one tank to the other – both on the ground and in the air.

July 2021

CLUB EVENTS

The Eagles Creek Flying Club is continuing the long tradition of flying clubs around South Africa of sharing the joy of flight with the underprivileged. The Children and their pilots at the Eagles Creek Flipping Day.

With masks on and strict Covid distancing the children and minders wait for their flights.

July 2021

The flights went all the way to the north face of the Magaliesberg and then around Hartebeespoort Dam and back.

EAGLES CREEK AIRFIELD is the well-known

and fast growing tarred airfield with shiny new hangars alongside the R24 Krugersdorp highway north of Johannesburg. On Saturday 29 May the Eagle Creek Flying Club organised introductory flights for 20 children from the Abraham Kriel Bambanani Children’s home. Three busses arrived bringing children from as far afield as the Langlaagte home. The Flying Club members responded magnificently with many members happily giving up their Saturdays to provide the 22 children with a lifetime’s memory of their first flight. The

pilots went out of their way to make the flights especially memorable by flying past the red and white radio mast and then on over the north range of the Magaliesberg mountains and all the way around Hartbeespoort Dam. Once all the children had been flipped, they enjoyed a ‘boerrie roll braai’ sponsored by the Club members with mustard and tomato sauce smiles all round. The event's main organiser Shaun Barron said, “It was an absolute pleasure and an honour to be able to use our passion for flying with these kids. The smiles on their faces from their big adventure made it all worthwhile. We are planning to make it an annual event.” j

Look - I can fly!

Four up for the ride of their life in an RV-10.

Pieter Cilliers with passenger in his Sling 2.

July 2021

EAGLES CREEK HANGARS FOR SALE TWO HANGARS FOR SALE AT

R 395,000

EACH

PHASE THREE STARTING SOON

RESERVE YOUR HANGAR NOW Contact Armand on 082 490 1659 66www.eaglescreek.net July 2021

BUMPPPFFF: A former Singapore Airlines A380 being cut up for scrap.

My plane has a gun!

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

PORTABLE VHF LONG RANGE LARGE BATTERY VERY RUGGED www.pjaviation.co.za

+27 83 265 0581 SA Flyer 2021|07

July 2021

MAY 2 0 2 1

Reflecting the dead market for old airliners, ZS-OAG B737-400 has now been scrapped. Photo Ray Watts.

THE REGISTER THIS MONTH is a bit quieter than it has been over the past few months. Only five type certified aircraft were added: three fixed wing and two rotary wing aircraft.

The NTCA register is still growing at a rate of knots with another nine aircraft added this month. The types vary greatly showing the fantastic diversity of aircraft available in this sector.

One of the fixed wing aircraft ZS-FRJ takes up the registration of an old Comair DC3 that went to the Rhodesian Air Force as R7310 in June 1977 and subsequently 7310 with the Zimbabwe Air Force. I’m not sure what has happened to the DC3, but I suspect it’s one of the aircraft now stored at Wonderboom.

We continue to lose aircraft to the export market with another nine leaving our shores this month. They have gone to Bolivia, Argentina, Australia, the USA and even Russia. To me this indicated that the general aviation market is quite vibrant all over the world.

The Bombardier CL600 ZS-IGC is a 1992 model and takes up the registration once used by a Douglas DC4 which went to Zaire in May 1977 as 9Q-CAM. I have no idea of her fate.

We c o n t i n u e to los e aircraft to the ex por t mark et

The rotary wing aircraft presented a bit of a conundrum as the CAA got the type wrong for ZT-RFJ. They had it as a Robinson R44 but thank goodness they had the serial number correct. It is actually a Robinson R66 and comes from Nigeria.

July 2021

Two other deletions are for aircraft that have been scrapped locally. One is a Cessna 172 ZS-CZE and the photo I have shows her operating in Lesotho in the snow. I’m not sure where and when this photo was taken. It comes from the Dave Becker collection housed at the SAAF Museum. The other one scrapped is a Boeing 737-4H6 which started out life in Malaysia in 1993 before going to India and Japan. She arrived here in 2008 and flew with Comair before being bought by Safair. I’ve flown in her with both airlines between Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.

ABOVE: There is huge demand for C172s, but ZS-CZE is now scrapped. Photo Dave Becker. BELOW MIDDLE: Bell Jetranger ZS-RBV has been exported to the USA. Photo Ray Watts. BELOW BOTTOM: This Sling 2, ZU-TSF was exported to Australia. Photo Ray Watts.

July 2021

ABOVE: King Air B200, ZS-FRJ, takes up the registration of an old Comair DC3. Image Brian Spurr. BELOW MIDDLE: The old DC3 7310 is ex Zimbabwe Air Force and ex ZS-FRJ with Comair. BELOW BOTTOM: Going far - C206 ZS-ABL was exported to Bolivia.

July 2021

ZS-MET is a Bonanza 33, now exported to Argentina. Photo Dave Becker.

We have also lost three TCA aircraft to the export market with them going to Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Australia. The drone section has increased by thirty-seven machines and another six have been withdrawn from use. TAIL PIECE In the month of May I experienced just how active

our recreational aviation sector is. I attended some events at Brakpan Airfield and Springs Airfield and had a great time at both. Even though there were some Covid restrictions – like having to wear a mask – the folks had a great time and there was plenty of flying. The event at Springs was to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the DHC Chipmunk. Keep flying safely folks. j

join • the • leader

Cape Town Flight Training Centre Private, Commercial & Advanced Pilot Training

+27 21 976 7053 or +27 84 440 7922 www.cape-town-flying.co.za | ATO 1115 July 2021

African Fuel Services are the sponsors for our Register Review Page

MAY 2021

REG

MANUFACTURER

TYPE NAME

SERIAL NUMBER

PREVIOUS IDENTITY

New Registrations ZSZS-FRJ

BEECRAFT CORPORATION

B200

BB-1480

N1559G

ZS-IGC

BOMBADIER INC

CL-600-2B16

5114

2-ATO, VR-BOA, C-FOSK, C-GLYA

ZS-TKK

CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

206H

20608256

N24573

New Registrations ZUZU-IUI

SANDRA GODDARD

RAZZO 180L

R180L

ZU-IUJ

SAREL JACOBUS VAN DER WALT

SAFARI 3

SN-056-08-20-SAF3

ZU-IUK

MICRO AVIATION SA

BAT HAWK R

0086

ZU-IUL

ADVENTURE AIR (PTY) LTD

STOL CH 750 SUPER DUTY

AA-750SD-001

ZU-IUM

JOHANN TREDOUX

KITFOX 5 VIXEN

ADV-027

ZU-IUN

SAVANNAH AFRICA

SAVANNAH S

19-10-54-0696

ZU-LFF

JABIRU

J430

981

ZU-UAC

ROBIN COSS AVIATION (PTY) LTD

RV 8

83786

ZU-WAY

THE AIRPLANE FACTORY

SLING 4 TSI

272S

New Registrations ZT-R ZT-RFJ

ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY

R66

0075

5N-GAJ, NAF-576, N7033V

ZT-RLN

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS

AS 350 B3

4979

N234JV, PR-MTP

Aircraft Deleted ZSZS-ABL

CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

U206F

U20603168

BOLIVIA

ZS-ADA

BOMBADIER INC

DHC-8-402

4491

UNTED ARAB EMIRATES

ZS-CZE

CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

172D

172-50172

SCRAPPED

ZS-MET

BEECH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION

F33A

CE-1521

ARGENTINA

ZS-NAU

BEECH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION

TH-1648

AUSTRALIA

ZS-NKM

BEECH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION

TH-1664

AUSTRALIA

ZS-OAG

THE BOEING COMPANY

737-400

27168

SCRAPPED

ZS-OJP

PIPER AIRCRAFT CORPORATION

PA-28-181

2843239

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ZS-RBV

BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON

206B

4188

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ZS-SSL

CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

182S

18280428

RUSSIA

ZS-XZD

ATR-GIE AVIONS DE TRANPORT REGIONAL

ATR 72-212A

1047

NIGERIA

Aircraft Deleted ZT-U ZU-ICA

SHADOW LITE CC

J430

853

ZIMBABWE

ZU-RMT

AIRBUS HELICOPTER

GAZELLE AH MK1

1510

MOZAMBIQUE

ZU-TSF

THE AIRPLANE FACTORY

SLING 2

036

AUSTRALIA

African Fuel Services is based at Groutville Airﬁeld just North of Ballito. AFS has Avgas and Jet-A1 available as well as oﬀering a range of services.

For any information please call Willie Erasmus on 084 623 4879 or email to willie@africanfuels.co.za / accounts@africanfuels.co.za

July 2021

African Fuel Services AFS is based at Groutville Airfield just North of Ballito.

AFS has Avgas and Jet-A1 available as well as offering a range of services.

Services: • • • • •

Night Flying operations Radio Work Sling operations Hoist operations Berg flying operations and training • Fly in • Hot refueling

Deliveries areas: • Passenger handling and briefings for (hoisting, slinging, off shore and many more) • Cleaning of aircraft • Topping up lubricants and preflight’s on a number of aircraft • Any other assistance you need.

• • • • • • • • •

Margate Airport Ulundi Airport Hluhluwe Airport Vryheid Airport Ladysmith Airport Newcastle Airport Bergville Area Umtata Airport Port St Johns

CESSNA CARAVAN 208B AIRCRAFT ON AUCTION ForA any information on0084 UC TION please DATcall E:Willie 8 JErasmus ULY 2 21623@4879 11:00AM or email to willie@africanfuels.co.za / accounts@africanfuels.co.za

WONDERBOOM NATIONAL AIRPORT - PTA

CESSNA CARAVAN 208B AIRCRAFT • REGISTRATION NUMBER: ZSOWC • ENGINE SERIAL NR: PCE-19303 8B AIRCRAFT ON AUCTION • COMPLETE OVERALL BY JULY 2021 @ 11:00AM VECTOR AEROSPACE: JUNE TIONAL AIRPORT - PTA 2016 CESSNA CARAVAN 208B AIRCRAFT • YEAR MODEL: 1996 • REGISTRATION NUMBER: ZS• REDONE – NEW PAINT, NEW OWC ENGINE & INTERIOR • ENGINE SERIAL NR: PCE-19303 • HOURS: 15389.1 AIRFRAME • COMPLETE OVERALL BY VECTOR AEROSPACE: JUNE HOURS 2016 PROP, • YEAR MODEL: CE1996 SSNA CARAVAN 208B• AFULLY IHANGARED RCRREVERSABLE AFT O N A UCTION MOST OF IT’S LIFE, • REDONE – NEW PAINT, NEW HEATER AUCTION DATE: 8 JULHOUR Y 20 21 @METER, 11:0GPS, 0AM ENGINE & INTERIOR • HOURS: 15389.1 AIRFRAME BELLY POD, ROSEN WONDERBOOM NATION AL AIRRADAR PORT - PTA HOURS SUNVISORS, • FULLY REVERSABLE PROP, CESSNA CARAVAN ALTEMETER, 208B AIRCR AFT PILOT ON AUCTION AUTO CESSNA CARAVAN 208B AIRCRAFT HANGARED MOST OF IT’S LIFE, 150 AUCTION DATEBENDIX/KING :8 JULY 20KFC 21 @ 11:00AM HOUR HEATER METER, GPS, • REGISTRATION NUMBER: ZSBELLY POD, ROSEN WONDERBOO•M ENGINE: NATOWC IONPRATT&WHITNEY AL AIRPORT -/ PTA SUNVISORS, RADAR MODEL: PT64-114A /NR: 675208B HPAIRCRAFT • ENGINE SERIAL PCE-19303 CESSNA CARAVAN ALTEMETER, AUTO PILOT • REGISTRATION NUMBER: BENDIX/KING KFC 150 • ENGINE HOURS: 30 • COMPLETE OVERALL BY ZS•

ENGINE: PRATT&WHITNEY / MODEL: PT64-114A / 675 HP ENGINE HOURS: 30

OWC

VECTOR AEROSPACE: JUNE • ENGINE SERIAL NR: PCE-19303 2016 • COMPLETE OVERALL BY GPS COORDINATES: -25.661261,28.210941 • VECTOR AEROSPACE: JUNE • YEAR MODEL: 1996 2016 • REDONE – NEW PAINT, ENQUIRIES: BIANCA: 071 439 2189 / 082 784 0341 EMAIL: bianca@rootx.co.za • YEAR MODEL: 1996 NEW S: -25.661261,28.210941 ENGINE & INTERIOR • REDONE – NEW PAINT, NEW & INTERIOR 082 784 0341 EMAIL: bianca@rootx.co.za • HOURS:ENGINE 15389.1 AIRFRAME • HOURS: 15389.1 AIRFRAME HOURS HOURS PAYMENT: R100 000,00 REFUNDABLE REGISTRATION FEE –CARD MACHINE AVAILABLE • FULLY REVERSABLE PROP, • FULLY REVERSABLE PROP, ON SITE. ROOT-X RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REMOVE OR ADD ANY ASSETS WITHOUT RATION FEE –CARD MACHINE AVAILABLE HANGARED MOST OF IT’S LIFE, REMOVE OR ADD ANY ASSETS WITHOUT HANGARED MOST OF IT’S LIFE, ANY NOTICE PRIOR OR ON THE AUCTION DAY. HOUR HEATER METER, GPS, 73 July 2021 ON THE AUCTION DAY. HOUR HEATER METER, BELLY POD, ROSEN GPS, SUNVISORS, RADAR BELLY POD, ROSEN

FUEL TABLE www.sv1.co.za

SA Flyer 2021|07

Fuel Prices at 03/05/2021 Fuel as Prices as at 03/05/2021

Fuel Prices at 01/06/2021 Fuel as Prices as at 01/06/2021

Pri ces i Pri nclude VAT butVAT exclude any servi ceservi fees ce fees Pri ces i Pri nclude VAT butVAT exclude any servi ceservi fees ce fees ces i nclude but exclude any ces i nclude but exclude any Ai rfi eldAi rfi eld Avgas Avgas Jet A1 Jet A1 Ai rfi eldAi rfi eld Avgas AvgasJet A1 Jet A1 Baragwanath R21.50R21.50 Baragwanath R21.50R21.50 Baragwanath Baragwanath Beaufort West West R21-50R21-50 R14.70R14.70 Beaufort West West R21.50R21.50 R14.70R14.70 Beaufort Beaufort Bethlehem R 22,97R 22,97 R 15,62R 15,62 Bethlehem R 22,97R 22,97 R 15,62R 15,62 Bethlehem Bethlehem Bloemfontei n R18.15R18.15 R10.42R10.42 Bloemfontei n R18.20R18.20 R10.81R10.81 Bloemfontei n Bloemfontei n Brakpan R20.80R20.80 Brakpan R20.80R20.80 Brakpan Brakpan Brits Brits R18.96R18.96 Brits Brits R19.10R19.10 Cape Town R23.67R23.67R9.05 R9.05 Cape Town R23.67R23.67 R9.64 R9.64 Cape Town Cape Town Eagles Creek R23.12R23.12 Eagles Creek R19.75R19.75 Eagles Creek Eagles Creek East London R19.46R19.46 R10.29R10.29 East London R19.46R19.46 R10.29R10.29 East London East London ErmeloErmelo R20.01R20.01 ErmeloErmelo R19.55R19.55 Fi santekraal R20.01R20.01 Fi santekraal R20.01R20.01 Fi santekraal Fi santekraal Fly-In Fly-In R19.50R19.50 Fly-In Fly-In R19.50R19.50 Gari ep Gari Damep Dam R21,50R21,50 R14,80R14,80 Gari ep Gari Damep Dam R20.70R20.70 R13.80R13.80 GeorgeGeorge R20.64R20.64 R11.37R11.37 GeorgeGeorge R20.39R20.39 R11.20R11.20 Grand Central R20.70R20.70 R13.80R13.80 Grand Central R20.70R20.70 R13.80R13.80 Grand Central Grand Central Hei delberg R20,50R20,50 Hei delberg R20.60R20.60 Hei delberg Hei delberg Hoedspruit Not Avbl R14.06R14.06 New New Hoedspruit R14.31R14.31 Hoedspruit Not Avbl Hoedspruit Ki mberley R18.39R18.39 R10.65R10.65 Ki mberley R18.42R18.42 R11.50R11.50 Ki mberley Ki mberley Kitty Hawk R21.50R21.50 Kitty Hawk R22.00R22.00 Kitty Hawk Kitty Hawk Klerksdorp R20.13R20.13 R14.80R14.80 Klerksdorp R21.75R21.75 R14.80R14.80 Klerksdorp Klerksdorp Kroonstad R19.09R19.09 R12.08R12.08 Kroonstad R19.09R19.09 R12.08R12.08 Kroonstad Kroonstad Kruger Kruger Intl Nelspruit R19.50R19.50R1.95 R1.95 Kruger Kruger Intl Nelspruit R19.50R19.50 R12.95R12.95 Intl Nelspruit Intl Nelspruit Krugersdorp R19,60R19,60 Krugersdorp R19.80R19.80 Krugersdorp Krugersdorp Lanseri Lanseri a R20.70R20.70 R14.10R14.10 Lanseri Lanseri a R21.05R21.05 R13.66R13.66 a a Margate R24.13R24.13 R14.89R14.89 Margate R24.13R24.13 R14.89R14.89 Margate Margate Middelburg R20,70R20,70 New New Middelburg R20.70R20.70 R13.80R13.80 Middelburg Middelburg Morningstar R20.55R20.55 Morningstar R20.00R20.00 Morningstar Morningstar Mosselbay R22.90R22.90 R13.05R13.05 Mosselbay R22.56R22.56 R11.65R11.65 Mosselbay Mosselbay Nelspruit R19.44R19.44 R12.88R12.88 Nelspruit R20.24R20.24 R12.94R12.94 Nelspruit Nelspruit Oudtshoorn R19.05R19.05 R12,50R12,50 Oudtshoorn R19.05R19.05 R12.50R12.50 Oudtshoorn Oudtshoorn Parys Parys R20.19R20.19 R12.80R12.80 Parys Parys R20.19R20.19 R13.05R13.05 Pietermaritzburg R21.70R21.70 R14.10R14.10 Pietermaritzburg R21.50R21.50 R13.90R13.90 Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg Pi etersburg Ci vi l Ci vi l R20.10R20.10 R12.75R12.75 Pi etersburg Ci vi l Ci vi l R20.10R20.10 R12.65R12.65 Pi etersburg Pi etersburg Port Alfred R21.40R21.40 Port Alfred R21.40R21.40 Port Alfred Port Alfred Port Elizabeth R23.95R23.95 R13.74R13.74 Port Elizabeth R23.95R23.95 R13.74R13.74 Port Elizabeth Port Elizabeth Potchefstroom R20.19R20.19 R12.80R12.80 Potchefstroom R20.19R20.19 R13.05R13.05 Potchefstroom Potchefstroom Rand Rand R20.73R20.73 R13.86R13.86 Rand Rand R20.25R20.25 R13.63R13.63 Robertson R18.70R18.70 Robertson R19.85R19.85 Robertson Robertson Rustenberg R19.10R19.10 R14.10R14.10 Rustenberg R19.20R19.20 R14.10R14.10 Rustenberg Rustenberg Secunda R18.98R18.98 R12.19R12.19 Secunda R18.98R18.98 R12.19R12.19 Secunda Secunda Skeerpoort *** Customer to collect R17.95R17.95 R10.56R10.56 Skeerpoort *** Customer to collect R10.81R10.81 Skeerpoort *** Customer to collect Skeerpoort *** Customer to collect R17.95R17.95 Springbok R20.50R20.50 R12.65R12.65 Springbok R21.00R21.00 R13.15R13.15 Springbok Springbok SpringsSprings R20,50R20,50 R11,50R11,50 SpringsSprings R21.00R21.00 R13.00R13.00 Stellenbosch R19.50R19.50 Stellenbosch R20.70R20.70 Stellenbosch Stellenbosch Swellendam R18.90R18.90 R11.40R11.40 Swellendam R20.40R20.40 R11.40R11.40 Swellendam Swellendam Tempe Tempe R19,73R19,73 R11.85R11.85 Tempe Tempe R19,73R19,73 R11.90R11.90 Thabazimbe R20.69R20.69 R13.30R13.30 Thabazimbe R20.69R20.69 R13.55R13.55 Thabazimbe Thabazimbe Ultimate Heli (Midrand) *** *** No Upington R19.11R19.11 R11.73R11.73 Ultimate Heli (Midrand) No ContactContact Upington Upington R19.08R19.08 R11.34R11.34 VereeniVereeni gi ng gi ng R20.12R20.12 R10.32R10.32 Upington VereeniVereeni gi ng gi ng R19.31R19.31 R10,22R10,22 Vi rgi ni aVi rgi ni a R22.98R22.98 R13.74R13.74 Vi rgi ni aVi rgi ni a R22.98R22.98 R13.74R13.74 Welkom R19.09R19.09 R12.08R12.08 Welkom Welkom R19.09R19.09 R12.08R12.08 Wi ngs Park ELPark EL R21.25R21.25 Welkom Wi ngs Wi ngs Park ELPark EL R21,25R21,25 Witbank R19.50R19.50 Wi ngs Witbank Witbank R19.50R19.50 R18.45R18.45 R10.81R10.81 Wonderboom Witbank Wonderboom R17.95R17.95 R10.56R10.56 Worcester R21.70R21.70 Wonderboom Worcester Wonderboom Worcester R21.79R21.79 *** Heli*** copters only only Worcester Heli copters *** Heli*** copters only only Heli copters

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 74 GPS July 2021 Import/Export no. 21343829

SA Flyer 2016|11

• SKEERPOORT • THABAZIMBI • PARYS AIRFIELD • ULTIMATE HELIPORT, MIDRAND • POTCHEFSTROOM AIRPORT

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

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July 2021

The morning fog reluctantly gave way to patches of blue sky and the promise of a good flying day. We said our good-byes to the Wardle family and started up for what was going to be a long day.

A striking night image of the Bobber.

July 2021

TEXT CRAIG LANG. PHOTOS SHANE DOYLE

2 0 2 1 PA R T 2 :

July 2021

Four of the five Savages flying low and slow across the flooded salt pans of the Northern Cape.

HEADING NORTH TOWARDS Gariep Dam, we routed low level along the picturesque eastern Cape mountain ranges, skirting Queenstown to the east and passing over the Stormberg near Molteno, eventually landing at Burgersdorp airfield for a break and a stretch. By the time we reached Burgersdorp, tummies were rumbling and Jason phoned ahead to Jaco at Gariep, who would be meeting us with fuel, and asked him to bring out some burgers and chips for the hungry crew.

July 2021

A little while later, some glistening reflection on the horizon signalled our arrival at the massive Gariep Dam, South Africa’s largest water reservoir along the Orange River. Soon we were overflying herds of wildebeest, impala and hartebeest as we made our way across the dam to the Gariep airfield on the north-western shore. Interestingly, this would be the first time Cullen and Patrick had ever landed their Savages on an asphalt runway, not an easy task with large bush wheels that grip the tar surface.

Spectacular scener y unfolded ahead of us

Soon we were racing (it’s relative, ok!) our way over the flatlands of the Karoo, weaving between rocky koppies and over ridges, absolutely loving the freedom and open space this area offers, flying low, loving the sensation of the rush of the ground just below our wheels. This is what I live for - the sense of utter freedom, the focus on nothing but the flying, and the pure joy of keeping

loose formation with four other like-minded pilots revelling in the open spaces Africa has to offer.

Both landed like old pro’s and soon we were munching our burgers while we filled up our planes with go-juice. Fuel burn on our aircraft averages 18lph, depending on how hard we push it, making for really economical flying at 85-95mph TAS.

Happy campers - the Savage safari team.

Fed and fuelled we continued along the Orange River at mid-day, aware of the need to push on to our destination near Groblershoop, some 40 miles short of Upington along the Orange River. There are numerous small powerlines crossing the river, so we flew along at a safe height until we entered the Vanderkloof Dam gorge, a long and narrow spectacular stretch of river that winds its way into the enormous Vanderkloof Dam, the second massive reservoir along the Orange. Flying in formation up the narrow gorge was spectacular, and great practice for the pilots in our group. Formation flying is a subtle art that really improves your finer flying skills, and is also incredible fun - and something, in my opinion, all pilots should aspire to learn.

the outskirts of town. Having landed there regularly over the past 10 years, I have watched the decay of the runways and the growth of the informal settlement that is now threatening to completely overrun the airfield. This in my opinion is the greatest threat to GA in South Africa at the moment - the complete and utter disregard of our national general aviation infrastructure by a disinterested government and dysfunctional municipalities around the country.

the enormous full moon shining down o n our li tt le camp and aircraft

Soon after Vanderkloof there is the little town of Petrusville with what used to be a great airfield on

Wherever we fly in the backcountry, we see the decay of airfield after airfield, to the extent that in most cases, the fields are not safe to land on due to broken bottles, overgrown runways, and crowds of ‘squatters’ now living on no cost state land. Petrusville is no different, and soon after landing we were surrounded by a hundred curious young onlookers with signs of poverty clearly to be seen July 2021

wherever you looked. Forgotten people in a largely forgotten part of South Africa, and a government uninterested in the genuine plight of its poorest citizens. Flying on a direct track for Prieska, we routed away from the river and into a strong headwind that at one stage slowed us down to 45mph across the ground. Luckily this didn’t last too long, and soon the green crop circles and silos of Prieska came into sight. We landed for a final break before our last leg into a private airfield called Skerpioenpunt near Groblershoop. As the late afternoon calm descended on the northern Cape, we took off into beautiful soft light, and what would be for many of us on the trip, the most incredible 90 minutes of flying we had done. Spectacular scenery unfolded ahead of us as we flew low level along the river; forests of quiver trees on the rocky ridges along our path, beautiful reflections of subtle sunlight on the dark waters of the Orange. With soft light bathing the beautifully coloured Savages we flew in alternating loose and close formation along the snaking river. Shane made a meal of the experience, taking some

of the most beautiful photos of the trip that evening, including some spectacular shots of Jason washing the dust off the Bobber’s wheels… Landing at Skerpioenpunt at sunset was special, and soon we had the planes tied down and our team set up in the empty hangar that owner Stoffel van Zyl had kindly offered us for the night. With our beds and chairs set up we started a braai fire and watched the pyrotechnics of the approaching thunderstorm, which rained down briefly on us. An early start the next day was hampered by the discovery during pre-flight of another crack on an exhaust, this time Cullen’s. Luckily the helpful farm manager Hannes was quickly at hand with his portable welder and some stainless rods. With a rather crude but effective repair done, we were ready to set off for the deep Kalahari by late morning. Heading further west, we bypassed Upington to the south, and followed the snaking Orange River to Augrabies, where we landed at Dundi lodge and were met by Berto van Zyl who helped us fuel up with Avgas. Patrick taxied in at Dundi with a flat tailwheel, his Alaska Baby Bushwheel not really an ideal candidate for backcountry flying in Africa. Thin soft rubber is probably great on the tundra and

Night time at Koppieskraalpan - photos takes in Night Mode on an iPhone.

July 2021

ABOVE: The four Savages along the Orange River. BELOW: Broken exhausts again - "n boer maak n plan".

July 2021

Unforgettable fun following the winding Orange River.

riverbeds of Alaska, but not made for the devil thorns and sharp stones of the Kalahari. We did a quick makeshift repair using some hellishly strong superglue and wrapped the tyre in duct tape, before setting off for Koppieskraal Pan near the Namibian border where we planned to spend the night. Soon after takeoff we climbed out over the Augrabies falls, which though it had a decent amount of water going over, was not the spectacular sight of the Orange River in flood of a few weeks prior to our visit. Rocky hills and valleys opened up to undulating sand dunes as we headed due north, the late afternoon sun slowly slipping towards the western horizon. The Kalahari was spectacularly green, after a very high rainfall season. The massive salt pans in the area were all under water, but luckily the farm owner Hans, where we planned to spend the night, had kindly offered for us to land and camp on dry land adjacent to the pan. He’d sent a couple of pin-drops showing likely landing spots, and we made our way to the first spot after overflying his house to make him aware of our arrival. The first site chosen was ideal, with about

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100m of dry gravel serving as a makeshift runway. With the sun about to set, we landed and marvelled at the remote beauty of this amazing place. With the rest of the crew setting up camp, I had the chance to fly with Hans over his beautiful farm, and a section of the Koppieskraal pan. Hans farms and milks Dromedary camels, amazingly supplying markets as far afield as Cape Town and Johannesburg with frozen camel milk. This was something totally new to me and not what I expected to find in the furthest corner of South Africa’s dry Kalahari! Hans had kindly brought us a bag of firewood and joined us for a beer and dinner as we settled down around the “kuiervuur” with the full moon rising over the flooded salt pan to our east. It was a surreal and incredible experience being out in the absolute isolation of the furthest corner of South Africa, with not a light to be seen in any direction bar the enormous full moon shining down on our little camp and aircraft. This was bush flying in its absolute purest form, and a night none of us will forget in a hurry.

With just a hint of light on the eastern horizon, we were up and pre-flighting for a dawn flight over the pans - the Koppieskraal and nearby Hakskeenpan, the largest in the area. Soon after takeoff we assembled in formation, and flew out over the pans, the glow of the rising sun threatening to break over the dunes on the far side of the pan. We flew directly at the sun, getting some spectacular video footage of the formation low level over the pans. Shane’s camera shutter must have been hot after the flight, with some incredible photo opportunities of the Savages low over the water of the pans, colours reflected on the glass-like surface. We landed again an hour later, back at camp, and after coffee and some breakfast, broke camp, said our goodbyes to Hans, and set off on the short flight to the Kgalagadi Lodge, just outside the Kgalagadi National Park. The lodge runway lies in the dry Nossob riverbed in front of camp, and after landing we were met by a vehicle from the lodge which helped cart our camping equipment to the top of the dunes where the campsite was situated. Each campsite has its own spotless bathroom and shower, and we took full advantage

of the facilities to wash off the Kalahari dust of the past few days. The afternoon was spent in and around the swimming pool and we enjoyed some cold refreshments in the evening. The restaurant dinner was a pleasant change from the camp-cooked meals we’d enjoyed so far. The next morning we rented a 4x4 from the lodge and spent the bulk of the day in the Kgalagadi National Park, which provided some great game-viewing, including a sighting of a family of cheetah. The late afternoon was spent refuelling the Savages with containers supplied by the lodge and visits to the nearby Twee Rivieren petrol station inside the park. The start of our second-last day of the trip saw us takeoff soon after 8:30am, and following the dry Nossob riverbed past Askham we stayed low-level over the red dunes of the Kalahari, and with the help of a gentle tailwind, chewed up mile after mile before making a fortunate stop at Postmasberg, where we discovered yet another crack in the Bobber exhaust. Jannie Visser, one of locals involved at Postmasberg soon rustled up some help and we quickly had the offending exhaust tube off and were escorted to a

Low and fast over the pans is exhilarating.

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welding works in town, where the necessary repairs were promptly and kindly executed. Soon we were back in the air and heading for Jacobsdal, where we would spend the night at a friend, Andrew Conroy’s airfield. The Conroy’s have a small rustic cottage adjacent to the strip, with all the basic amenities including a hot shower and Weber braai, which was well utilised that evening with some fantastic local delicacies and hospitality. Some rather sore heads greeted the morning sun as we loaded up the planes for the last day of our trip, via Bethlehem to Hilton. We set off into another spectacular autumn day, continuing low level across the Free State, skimming sunflower fields and winging around the numerous windmills scattered across this part of South Africa. A day we thought may be dull turned out to be one of the best. It’s amazing how you can amuse yourself and pass hour after hour of flying by playing around low level, flying formation, following little river valleys or skirting small features like koppies or windmills. Soon after mid-day we landed in Bethlehem and it was here that Patrick’s ailing tailwheel decided it was beyond repair. After roping in the refuelling staff and their 4-wheeler, they kindly towed the Black Bobber from the runway to the fuel bay. The wheel would

make it home though, with just one more takeoff and landing needed. Once refuelled, we set off for the sandstone escarpment of the Drakensberg, over which we descended from 7000ft down to 3500ft as we followed the winding Tugela River valley out onto the Woodstock Dam. With the coolness of the approaching evening, we cruised home over the evergreen dairy farms of the KZN Midlands, landing just after 5 pm at our base at Eva’s Field. The trip had been an incredible experience, and a true testament to the rugged capabilities of the Savage aircraft. Other than the minor exhaust problems and a badly punctured tailwheel, the aircraft and their Rotax engines had purred along for a combined 180 hours on the trip. The camaraderie and teamwork of the guys on the tour was wonderful, and the incredible warmth and hospitality shown to us throughout the trip was again a reminder of how small and interconnected our aviation community is, and how hospitable our South African folks, especially those in the rural and far-flung areas are. Again, a great thank you to Patrick Warnking, Shane Doyle, Jason Beamish, Cullen Lang and Tyron Gibbs for joining me on this amazing adventure. There will be many more in time to come!! And to all the folks along the way who helped us, way too many to mention, thank you again for your kind hospitality and warmth. Until next time… j

July 2021 Heading home - practicing formation flying back to Eva's Field.

LETTERS TO THE ED

K I T T Y HAWK

DOWNDR A F T S ? I WOULD LIKE to make a cautionary observation about Kittyhawk airfield. A few weeks ago I landed there in my Grob 109 motor glider on runway 01. When the time came to depart the moderate wind had swung and was coming straight down runway 19, so I used this runway. Several years ago I changed the old Limbach motor on the Grob for a UL 350i. This improved the rate of climb at 5000 ft on a warm day at 65 knots from very little to a more than acceptable 550 ft/min with full load. After take-off I noticed that I was not out-climbing the hill beyond the end of the runway and saw that the rate of climb indicated was negligible. Just as I was about to turn away from the slope the climb improved to an acceptable rate and I continued safely. I remembered reading about a Piper Turbo Arrow which had crashed on this hill some time ago and looked up the article in your April 2007 edition. This

article implied that the Arrow had insufficient power to outclimb the slope, which is clearly true, but I always thought there must have been an additional factor. I am convinced that with a southerly wind there is a downdraft coming over the hill which, under certain circumstances, is strong enough to cause an aircraft with a moderate rate of climb to fail to clear the hill. From experience gained gliding in the Drakensberg I surmise that there is a relatively shallow laminar stream of air flowing down the hill which could cause serious difficulties for many aircraft. Once above it the climb rate will revert to normal. It would be interesting to put a smoke pot on the hill when there is a southerly wind and observe what happens. I hope this may help some pilots using Kittyhawk. Best Regards Richard Becker

July 2021

Events by EAA TAILDRAGGERS 9 to 11 July Contact Richard Nicholson Email: ﬂybenchmark@gmail.com Cell: 082 490 6227 Postponed: 8-10 October 2021

EAA SILVER CREEK GORGE FLY-IN 17 to 18 September Pancake Day and movie evening. Camping. Contact: Neil Bowden Tel. 084 674 5674 or Jeremy Woods 082 883 0436

BETHLEHEM AIR SHOW AT BETHLEHEM AIRFIELD 20 & 21 August Contact Stephan Fourie E-mail: fouriesj1491@gmail.com Cell: 072 344 9678

Postponed until 2022

AVIATION AFRICA EXPO 14 & 15 October 2021 Kigali Rwanda www.aviationafrica.aero Alison Weller: alison@accessgroup.aero

RV DAY FLY-IN 11 September Kitty Hawk Contact: Dawie Pretorius 082 804 6979

SAPFA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS 14 to 19 November Stellenbosch Contact Mary de Klerk: maryd@expandingbranding.co.za

Cell: 084 880 9000

Flying in Africa – that’s what we love

July 2021

Flying in Africa that’s what we love!

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TEXT AND IMAGES - RAY WATTS

CHIPMUNK 75TH

ANNIVERSARY DHC-1 Chipmunks were basic trainers for the SAAF and ZS-COX's colours were the forerunner of the Harvard.

THE MUCH LOVED DE HAVILLAND Chipmunk celebrated its 75th anniversary with a splendidly nostalgic gathering of De Havillands at Springs airfield on 22 May 2021. The DHC-1 Chipmunk was designed by De Havilland Canada as a replacement for the DH82A Tiger Moth, which was still in use as a basic trainer after World War 2. The ‘Chippie’ as she was affectionately known, was designed by Wsiewołod Jakimiuk, a Polish engineer. Jakimiuk served as the principal designer in the development of the new aircraft, which became known as the Chipmunk. He designed a cantilever monoplane that incorporated numerous advances over the typical trainer aircraft then in widespread service. These included: an enclosed cockpit complete with a rear-sliding canopy, as well as various

aerodynamic features to manage the aircraft’s flight performance. Strakes were fitted to deter spin conditions and stall breaker strips were added along the inboard leading edges of the wing to ensured that a stall would originate in this position as opposed to the outboard section. The Chipmunk was the first indigenous aircraft design to be produced by de Havilland Canada.

T h e ‘ Ch i p p i e ’ was designed b y a Po l i s h engineer

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The Chipmunk prototype, CF-DIO-X, first flew on 22 May 1946 at Downsview, Toronto, piloted by Pat Fillingham, a test pilot who had been seconded from the parent de Havilland company. The prototype was powered by a 145 hp (108 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major 1C air-cooled reciprocating engine, this was replaced on the production version of the Chipmunk by a 145 hp (108 kW) inline de Havilland Gipsy Major 8 engine.

The first Chipmunks to be brought into South Africa were ZS-BOA & ZS-BOB which were Canadian-built aircraft. These were brought in for evaluation by the SAAF to replace the Tiger Moths as basic trainers, but the type wasn’t chosen as the SAAF decided to start basic training on the Harvard. The first in South Africa - DHC-1 Chipmunk ZS-BOA photo - Bill Teague

ZS-BOA was production number 4 and BOB was production number 5. ZS-BOA was written off at Dunnottar on 3 June 1950 and ZS-BOB was sold in Rhodesia as VP-YKC in June 1952, having been operated by Transvaal Aviation Club. The type was well represented with a total of nine Chipmunks being present to celebrate the type’s 75th anniversary and it was exciting to see six of the nine aircraft present, painted up in their air force and civilian liveries.

ZS-LJU is the oldest surviving South African Chippie.

ZS-LJU is the oldest Chipmunk in the country, being serial number C1-0033. Three of these aircraft flew over to Rand Airport in the early morning to escort South Africa’s only DH Dragon Rapide (ZS-JGV) to the gathering at Springs. This aircraft belongs to Mark Sahd and is normally based in Queenstown. There were nine Tiger Moths present and three of them were painted in their WW2 SAAF liveries. Also present was a contingent of military re-enactors with their various well-maintained vehicles. To end off the day, all nine Chipmunks did a formation flypast. As far as we can ascertain this was the largest formation of Chipmunks ever flown in South Africa.

The De Havilland Dragon Rapide made the journey all the way from Queenstown.

With free breakfast provided for all the people present this turned out to be a fantastic although cold day for all concerned and I must thank the organisers who put on a fantastic day – well done folks. There was a large crowd present and I think that they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. j

The 3 Chippies escorting the Rapide.

July 2021

NEWS

HOEDSPRUIT AEROTEL

GE T S B 72 7

ZANDSPRUIT Aero Estate in Hoedspruit is the brainchild of visionary property developer Martin den Dunnen. Two years ago, Martin took delivery of a Boeing 737 ZS-BIL (see SA Flyer December 2019) which, after a marathon transport operation, was cleverly converted into an innovative up-market hotel with six en-suite rooms and a splendid common area of deck with swimming pool plus reception and dining rooms. The Aerotel opened on 10 October 2021 and despite the absence of big spending foreign tourists looking for an experience with a difference, the six-room Aerotel has been a success. So much so that Martin den Dunnen took the plunge again and this time purchased a Boeing 727 (the one with 3 engines) to provide an additional three VIP rooms. Martin points about that as the 727 fuselage is longer than the 737 and there are half as many rooms, each room will be almost two and a half times larger than the first Aerotel. The new suites will be a true VIP experience. The conversion to a VIP hotel is made far easier by the 727 already being in a VIP configuration. Its last operator was the Djibouti government who used it as a VIP presidential transport – under the registration J2-KBA. It last flew in 2012 – after which it was left to ‘rust in peace’ at OR Tambo. Given the reduced amount of conversion work required and the existing support infrastructure, Martin is hopeful that he will have the VIP suites open for business by 10 October – just a year after the 737 Aerotel opened. j

July 2021

Transporting the Aerotel's second aircraft - this time a Boeing 727 - from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit was a major logistical excercise.

Picture: Guy Leitch The wings are attached as it faces the magnificent Lowveld escarpment.

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July 2021

MAINTENANCE, REFURBISHMENT & AVIONICS GUIDE

July 2021

Introduction

Aircraft Maintenance Refurbishment and Avionics Thanks to the weakness of the rand compared to the mighty US Dollar, it is not uncommon to find 50-plus yearold airframes being refurbished to genuinely better than new condition. This is thanks to engine improvements and in particular; updated avionics, since ‘glass cockpit’ instrumentation has become far more affordable and easier to install – even in type certified aircraft. THE REFURBISHMENT INDUSTRY has made it possible to own 65-year old aircraft that are as good as new. And you can also add a lot of sexy new avionics kit, such as terrain avoidance systems that a 1966 C182 would have lacked – because those systems had not yet been invented. These days a decent used Cessna 182 with perhaps a midlife engine can be bought for around R1 million – which is almost a tenth of the price of a new 182. Not only have you saved R9 million but your insurance is much cheaper. Of course, maintenance will be a bit – but not that much – higher. And this is where a good AMO comes in. SA Flyer owned a Cessna 182, ZS-FPI for around seven years and then a complex turbocharged retractable Piper Saratoga ZS-OFH for four years. What we

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learned is that the differences in maintenance between a good and poor AMO is very noticeable in terms of aircraft availability and reliability. This was evident when we switched from the Rand Airport based agents to Ferreira Aviation in Bloemfontein.

ENGINE UPGRADES The leader in engine upgrades to the ubiquitous turboprops that are so popular in Africa is Blackhawk. The company has specialised in upgrades to the engines of the King Air range in particular, but also handle Cessna Caravans and Piper Cheyennes. In a key new development – Blackhawk has acquired Columbia Avionics & Aircraft Services, an avionics company. This means that avionics upgrades to modern glass

South Africa is endowed with a repository of aviation skills - and companies like Starlite helicopters are continuing to develop new talent.

panels such as the popular Garmin G1000 NXi EFIS can now be handled by Blackhawk as part of their upgrade packages. The engine upgrade that put Blackhawk on the map is its Beechcraft King Air 200 engine replacement. Blackhawk offers no less than three engine upgrade packages for King Air 200s. The three upgrades are the XP42, XP52 and XP61 and they all generate important performance and savings benefits, yet each package has distinctive characteristics to benefit specific flight requirements and profiles. Some of the key benefits include: an increased rate of climb, higher single engine service ceiling and faster cruise speeds resulting in reduced time on airframe and engines and higher resale value (according to Vref). Blackhawk’s XP52 engine upgrade exchanges the B200’s original PT6A-41 or PT6A-42 engines for factory-new Pratt & Whitney PT6A52 engines. No major airframe modifications are required and some of the key benefits are for Africa’s hot and high operations: the extended maximum operating ITT to 820 C with a higher horsepower flat rating of more than 1346 shp which enables it to reach higher altitudes more quickly, fly higher and faster and thus reduces specific fuel consumption. It is calculated that

this typically saves around $38,000 per year in reduced operating costs. Bizjets, which tend to age quicker due to higher utilisation and faster obsolescence, due to jet engine designs becoming more fuel efficient, are excellent candidates for refurbishment. This is especially evident in the re-engining of older airframes such as the HS125-400 with modern high bypass fan jets. Even the basic jets with OEM fanjets such as Cessna’s Citation 501-SP are able to benefit enormously from engine upgrades. New engines such as the Williams FJ44-2As, which put out 2,300 pounds of thrust a side, provide a much needed performance improvement. At better than 400 knots TAS (50 knots faster than the original) and with a full fuel payload of 1,670 pounds, the Williams engine upgrade takes a well-loved aircraft and makes it faster, stronger and gives it a 1,400 nm IFR range.

AVIONICS Avionics are the field where the most progress has been made and this makes older charter aircraft excellent candidates for an avionics upgrade. Particularly popular are STCs for the installation of the industry standard Garmin July 2021

G1000 NXi suite and for those aircraft that have the performance – the installation of altimetry to meet RVSM requirements. Specialist avionics installers such as Century at Lanseria pioneered the installation of the industry standard Garmin G1000 into King Air 200s and these have now become a very popular upgrade across the industry. Typical installations include a dual air data attitude heading reference system, dual PFDs, a centre MFD with moving map, FMS, navcoms and WAAS GPS, radar display, and a pedestal-mounted FMS keyboard. Popular too are also numerous electronic engine instrument displays and a battery powered all-in-one standby PFD.

60-year old airframes such as this Beechcraft Bonanza make excellent refurbishment investments.

A typical avionics selection for the upgrade of older piston singles involves a Garmin G600 glass-panel with synthetic vision as a PFD for the pilot’s side. This gets its data from a WAAS capable, TAWS-B certified Garmin GNS 530W and GNS 430W GPS/navcom that fits in the centre radio stack. On the right side of the panel a JPI EDM 930 engine-monitoring screen that displays all engine parameters including fuel

Even extremely old and neglected aircraft may be worth refurbishing.

flow, rpm, manifold pressure and electrical output is an ideal partner for GAMI injectors for better temperature control and lean of peak operation for fuel injected engines.

With a bit of creative flair from a designer such as Darren Edward O'Neill you too can have a unique aircraft.

July 2021

Blackhawk has now acquired a specilalist avionics upgrade facility.

PAINT AND INTERIORS It’s not just about engines and avionics – refurbishment customers want their planes to look like new. All good paint shops start with a complete paint strip and prime, followed by three coats of base paint with additional coats for the colour. Decals are becoming an increasingly popular option. Specialist can do you custom paint schemes as was the case with the yellow extremities we had for better visibility on our C182 and the ‘heart attack’ ECG scheme on our Saratoga. This scheme was done by our artist Darren Edward O’Neil and we were so pleased with the result we added his signature. Darren will propose a sketch layout and then, with painstaking attention to detail and proportion, make sure it is applied as intended to the physical requirements of the actual aircraft. His pricing for a unique design is very reasonable. You can contact Darren on 084-285-4835.

A key point to remember when repainting aircraft is that it must be done by an approved maintenance organisation as the control surfaces have to be removed and then professionally rebalanced before installation. Interiors are another essential cosmetic item – most owners elect to use wool carpeting, and new padding and leather covering for seats. For aircraft use all material must have a fire certificate – so this is not a job for non-aircraft approved suppliers, even if they are much cheaper. Another popular aftermarket option are airbags – built into the seat-belt for the front two seats, as well as new LED lights and new plastic window reveals. South Africa is blessed to still have such a deep legacy of aircraft refurbishment skills and it is the anti-dote to increasingly unaffordable new aircraft prices. j July 2021

COMPANIES

208 AVIATION AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE Established in 2007, 208 Aviation cc is a South African privately-owned company that strives to provide a broad range of maintenance and inspection services. Now in our twelth year of operation, we have become a key player in aviation operations on the African continent. Our speciality is the Cessna 208 Caravan, Beechcraft King Air series, Quest Kodiak, Daher TBM and Eclipse 500 aircraft maintenance and technical support.

consider it our responsibility to go above and beyond when it comes to aviation safety and customer satisfaction. 208 Aviation is also an authorised Quest Kodiak and Daher TBM Service Center as well as a very proud Blackhawk® installation facility. Contact Ben Esterhuizen +27 83 744 3412 Email: ben@208aviation.co.za j

Over the years, we have earned a reputation for providing superior quality and workmanship. Doing things right is how we do business. We

AEROCOLOUR CC AIRCRAFT REFURBISHMENT Aerocolour cc. was founded in 2005 and has been based at Lanseria Airport, Hangar M5, South Africa since. We are a privately owned Aircraft Refurbishment facility in Southern Africa and have the confidence of a wide variety of Aviation Customers. Our hard-won reputation is built on excellent workmanship, after service and product support as well as personal customer relations, which have earned the confidence of manufacturers and customers alike. Our core business is made up of private and corporate general aviation aircraft owners as well as aviation service providers and

July 2021

sales companies to whom we provide aircraft refurbishment. We proudly provide the service that our clients have come to expect from Aerocolour cc. Aerocolour cc’s broad base of customers stretches throughout South Africa and Southern Africa, as well as UAE and certain Northern African countries. Aerocolour is a trusted service provider throughout the aviation industry for Respray of Complete Aircraft Exterior as well as panels / parts, touch up and repair of parts or specific areas on aircraft and various other refurbishment requirements. Please contact Alfred Maraun on 082 775 9720 for any queries and quotes. j

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AEROSPACE ELECTROPLATING Aerospace Electroplating, SACAA AMO 506, has been operating at Rand Airport, Germiston since 1965 and has served the aircraft industry with distinction, producing high quality surface finished products.

Aerospace Electroplating offer a wide range of services for aircraft owners and general industry. Through the company’s partnership with Mistral Aviation Services, it is able to offer engineering and Non Destructive Testing services.

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

Aerospace Electroplating looks forward to the future with a range of innovative services to continue servicing the aircraft industry.

Aerospace Electroplating’s qualified team are available to advise clients on the perfect solution to all electroplating plating needs and solutions to perfectly re-finish aircraft components to the manufacturer’s specifications.

Aerospace Electroplating is based at 30B, Building 98, Chapmans Road Germiston. For more information call: 011 827 7535. Or Email: petasus@mweb.co.za j

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

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SA Flyer 2021|07

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We are situated at 30B, Building 98, Rand Airport. Next to Fields Ai Call Des on 011 827 7535 or 063 150 1533 or Peter on 081 775 2434 or 083 208 7244 or all your Aircraft and Allied Electroplating and queries. admin@aerotric.com or richard@aerotric.com

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SA Flyer 2021 | 07

AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENT PANEL REFURB & PRINTING IN HOUSE

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BUMPPPFFF:

WINTER PROMOTION Get a free set of Bose Sport Earbuds or a SoundLink Revolve II Bluetooth® speaker an up to R5 500 value when you purchase a Bose aviation headset.

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July 2021

SA Flyer 2021|06

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

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COMPANIES

Atlas Aviation Lubricants Year-round protection for your Aircraft

Whether flying is your profession or your passion, engines always need the best protection they can get. Atlas Aviation Lubricants is the proud macro-distributor for AeroShell, stocking a range of world class lubricants and greases. Contact us today and enquire about our range of AeroShell Products.

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SA Flyer 2021|07

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AVTECH AIRCRAFT SERVICES AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE Avtech Aircraft Services based at Wonderboom National airport maintains Beechcraft, Piper, Cessna, Bellanca and Aerostar aircraft. With over 28 years of operation, the family-owned business has a vast experience in aircraft maintenance and meets the highest standards, still under the guidance of Riekert, Sr. Avtech Aircraft Services component shop specialises in the overhaul and repairs of continental fuel systems, carburettors and constant speed units, which include Woodward, McCauley, Hartzell & PCU5000. This division is run by Andre Botha, AKA Proppie, who also has many years’ experience in his field.

BUMPPPFFF: The mid air that ended well - The Swearingen airliner after a mid-air collision with a Cirrus SR22.

The Avtech team have collectively over 170 years of experience, between just four people. Avtech is therefore a wise first stop for all your general aircraft maintenance requirements. For more information contact PJR Stroh, Sr, on 082 555 2808 or PJR Stroh, Jr, on 082 749 9256. Visit them at Hangar 6 Wonderboom Airport. Email: avtech1208@gmail.com

THE USED RAPTOR ENGINES FROM SPACEX SN15'S SUCCESSFUL LANDING. THE COMPLEXITY, DESIGN FOR HUGE PRESSURES AND THE SIGNS OF THERMAL STRESSES ARE EVIDENT.

After hitting the airliner, the Cirrus was saved by its parachute. There was no loss of life at all.

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COMPANIES

CERAMIC PRO AVIATION The guys who make protective coatings for virtually everything on the planet have just upped their game. After two painstaking years, and with a global pandemic wedged in between, its finally official! Ceramic Pro’s signature coating material, simply called 9H is now the only Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approved aviation coating available on the market. So, while there are many out in the marketplace that claim such an achievement, there is only one company that can legally offer this service to the discerning aviator. Ceramic Pro. But the question is… WHY?

“Ceramic Pro 9H has been tested to Boeing and Airbus standards and they have reported that when the fuselage of a plane is this slick, cleaning cycles are extended by up to 6 months. Wind tunnel tests have shown the super slick coating reduces drag by upwards of 3%.” “We decided to take this seriously and enlisted the help of Challenge Air, who have walked this road with us every step of the way. It is important to realize that a Ceramic Coating is considered a modification and cannot be undertaken by companies that are not using certified products. The fact that Ceramic Pro 9H passed all seven of the Airbus/Boeing tests speaks volumes for our product and we are very proud of this achievement.”

Why spend money on a full fuselage clean, polish and coating and what is the benefit really?

A coating consists of four layers of Ceramic Pro 9H which has various warranty periods attached to each package.

Well, as Chief Operations Officer of Ceramic Pro South Africa Lein Schutz points out “why wouldn’t you?”

It seems that the aviation sector has some exciting times ahead…

“Savings on fuel and cleaning costs should answer the question emphatically!”

So, if you are ready to “Get Coated” give the guys at Ceramic Pro a call on 087 700 4024 for more info. j

Ceramic Pro Aviation Nanoceramic Technology No other paint coating offers this level of slickness, protection and durability

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The only approved Ceramic Protective Coating for the Aviation Industry! July 2021 www.ceramicpro.co.za 087 700 4024 info@ceramicpro.co.za

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GENERAL MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT ON LIGHT AIRCRAFT

COMPONENT WORKSHOP We specialize in CSU’s, carburettors and TCM Fuel System overhauls and repair of Continental and Bendix. Re-assembly and import of CofA inspections. Aircraft Sales.

NOW APPROVED FOR BENDIX (PRECISION) FUEL SYSTEM OVERHAULS &REPAIRS

Hangar 6, Wonderboom Airport. AMO1208 Tel: Riekert (SR) 082 555 2808 | Riekert (JR) 082 749 9256 | Andre (Proppie) 082 974 9713 avtech1208@gmail.com | proppie@avtechcomp.co.za July 2021

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FAX

BENVEROY – KHUBENKER ENERGY BENVEROY – A DIVISION OF KHUBENKER ENERGY (Pty) Ltd – BIOBOR AFRICA. Experience Counts Hammonds Fuel Additives, Inc. is an innovative, industry leading manufacturer of fuel biocides and additives serving some of the largest fuel users and industries worldwide. We as Benveroy have the privilege to represent and distribute Hammonds Biobor products here in Africa and Indian Ocean Islands. Our flagship product, Biobor®JF, continues to be one of the most trusted and widely used fuel biocides for preventing microbial growth and preserving fuel quality. With over 56 years of proven reliability in aviation, refineries, terminals, fleets and diesel end users. Our extensive pedigree of OEM approvals and effective use continues. Hammonds Biobor also offers a comprehensive line of aviation, gasoline and diesel fuel products to address all of your fuel quality needs and ensures that your equipment, aircrafts, vehicles, engines and facilities operate at peak efficiency, with the highest quality fuel.

Premium Products, Unmatched Pedigree Since 1965, we are proud to have earned a laundry list of recommendations and approvals from some of the largest turbine engines manufactures, airframe manufactures, diesel engine manufactures, and fuel users across the globe. Biobor®JF is mentioned specifically in numerous operation manuals for solving fuel contamination issues and is one of only two biocides approved for use in aviation jet fuel! The complete line of Biobor® products continue in this pedigree and provide the same level of trust and proven performance as expected from its long track record with Biobor®JF. So, when you are choosing a fuel additive, don’t take our word for it… trust the products proven at 36,000 feet and recommended by OEMs worldwide. Contact Benveroy for all BIOBOR family of fuel additives on: Tel: 011 726 7162 vernon@benveroy.com – 079 524 1461 ben@benveroy.com – 071 453 1517 www.benveroy.com / www.khubenker.co.za

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COMPANIES

C.W. PRICE AND COMPANY AIRPORT SUPPORT EQUIPMENT C.W. Price and Company has been involved in aviation and meteorological instruments for over 71 years. They also import aircraft ground power units and aircraft towing and push-back equipment. Based in Midrand, C.W Price are the appointed agents for airport support equipment from aircraft ground power to man portable rugged Redbox power packs for aircraft starting. They are also agents for Eagle All Wheel Drive aircraft tow tugs for regional, corporate and military applications.

They are also importers of Precision Airmotive fuel injector parts and overhaul kits along with some starter generator spares. Weather stations stand alone for regional airports or their well established online VitalWeather system for remote or sms monitoring of small airports is a specialty of theirs. Contact Kelvin on: Tel: 011-805-4720 Email: cwp@cwprice.co.za Website: www.cwprice.co.za

C W Price & Co Start Power Units

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

Hybrid Start and Continuous Power 28V DC

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

Tel: (011) 8054720 • Fax: (011) 315 6275 • Email: cwp@cwprice.co.za 114

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D.M. AVIATION SPARES AIRCRAFT PARTS AND CONSUMABLES

make life easier for the smaller AMOs at the airport by holding D.M. Aviation Spares is situated fast moving stock. on the north side of Lanseria, Daniella goes out of her way Unit 2, next to Century to source parts that others Avionics, Gate 5. The company say are not available. D.M. stocks aircraft parts, aircraft Aviation imports parts as well consumables and general as sourcing hard to find aircraft consumables. components. They provide clients with the best prices and D.M. Aviation Spares was service possible. Furthermore, started in 2011 by Daniella they are agents for Aircraft Mawson who has been in Spruce and others. aviation since 1980 and in the aircraft parts industry since 1990. She therefore has extensive knowledge of parts and their sourcing.

Tel: 082 576 8853 Email: dmaviationspares@ gmail.com j

m haWe ov v ede !

D.M. Aviation Spares’ aim is to

For more information, contact Daniella Mawson on:

“We Keep you Flying” 4 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. 4 Locate “Hard to Find” Aircraft Parts & consumables 4 Handle Component Repairs & Exchanges 4 Distributor for Professional Tooling 4 Agent for Aircraft Spruce 4 Based next to Century Avionics, Lanseria International Airport Contact: Daniella Mawson Mobile no: 082 576 8853 E-mail: daniellamawson@telkomsa.net / dmaviationspares@gmail.com

UNIT NO 2, GATE 5 LANSERIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

HANGAR ONE EXECUTIVE AVIATION SERVICES MAINTENANCE EXCELLENCE & EFFICIENCY

Hangar One welcomes you to a world of maintenance excellence and efficiency. We operate in a strict quality driven environment. We ensure quality workmanship and customer experience through a vigorous quality control system and auditing guidelines. Our world-class engineers are at your service 24 hours a day and have proven to go the extra mile. OUR SERVICES INCLUDE Aircraft maintenance Beech 1900, King Air 200 and 90 Full range of piston aircraft King Air series Landing Gear overhauls PT6A Hot Section Inspections Aircraft Recovery Aircraft re-weighs Pressurization checks PrePurchase Inspections Import and Export C of A Hangarage. Allow us to keep your aircraft in the sky, so you can excel beyond!

HANGAR

@NE EXECUTIVE AVIATION SERVICES

Hangar 1 Rand Airport Germiston Tel: 011 824 2680 / 1 renier@hangarone.co.za July 2021

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DIEPKLOOF AMO AMO, AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE With 70 years of experience, Diepkloof Aircraft Maintenance (AMO SACAA 1398) are one of the leaders in aircraft maintenance as well as the preferred choice for many clients. Based at Cape Winelands Airport Durbanville, Diepkloof Aircraft Maintenance is a South African Civil Aviation Authority approved AMO. It is your one-stop AMO facility that offers a wide range of services that include general aviation aircraft maintenance, Non-Type Certified maintenance as well as specialized services. General Aircraft Maintenance: • All single engine Piper & Cessna & Beechcraft series • All Air Tractor, Thrush, Dromader, AG Cat, Piper Brave & Piper Pawnee • All Lycoming, Teledyne Continental engines

• All Pratt & Whitney -Turbine & Radial engines. Non-Type Certified (NTCA): • All NTCA Aircraft work - Homebuilt, Ultralights etc… Specialist Services: • Hartzell & Mc Cauley Propellers • Licenced for complete rebuilds • Specialised Sheetmetal work • Fabric covering and interiors • Aircraft weighing • Welding • Propeller balance Contact details: E-Mail: diepkloofamo@gmail.com Nick Kleinhans: +27 83 454 6366 Pieter v Aswegen: +27 82 784 7133

E1 nger a H : t r ADD Airpo s d NEW n a l Wine e p a C t us a

Visi RESS:

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE Approved SACAA AMO 1398

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

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DYNAMIC PROPELLERS PROPELLER SPECIALISTS

Dynamic Propellers’ repair services are performed both in-house in a state of the art aviation engineering workshop, or in the field.

Established in 2008, Dynamic Propellers specialises in the overhauling, repair and maintenance of propellers for commercial and privately owned aircraft.

Highly skilled engineers will travel domestically or to neighbouring countries and abroad to cater for customers’ propeller requirements.

With a staff compliment with a total of around 130 years propeller overhaul experience, Dynamic Propellers overhaul and maintain all

Dynamic Propellers is an SACAA Authorised Service Centre, AMO 1150, and is the sole McCauley Authorised Service Centre for the African continent.

Hartzell, McCauley, MT, Hoffmann, Sensenich and Hamilton propellers and is the only enterprise in South Africa that provides comprehensive

Contact Details: Andries Visser Tel: +27 82 445 4496 Email: andries@dynamicpropeller.co.za j

repair and maintenance services on Dowty and Whirlwind propellers. All of which is done to the highest standards as stipulated by the various propeller manufacturers.

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

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

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

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E-mail: andries@dynamicpropeller.co.za Tel: +27 11 824 5057 Fax2mail: 086 548 2651 Andries: 082 445 4496

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www.dynamicpropellers.co.za

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F. GOMES UPHOLSTERS AIRCRAFT UPHOLSTERY F. Gomes Upholsters is a family based upholstery company. Established in 1979, the company specialises in aircraft, as well as motor vehicle, boat and furniture upholstery. F. Gomes Upholsters will refurbish your aircraft interior to look like new, giving it the class it deserves. They use only the best quality materials, and their craftsmanship is outstanding. Mr Gomes, the founder of F. Gomes Upholsters, has been in the upholstery business for close on 40 years and as such brings many years of experience and professionalism to the company. F. Gomes Upholsters provides an expert re-upholstery and upholstery service that caters

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

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

to any upholstery need. No job is ever too small or too large. F. Gomes Upholsters is based in Johannesburg. For exceptional craftsmanship at the best prices, contact F. Gomes Upholsters on: Tel: (011) 614 2471 Fax: (011) 614 9806 Email: gomesuph@netactive.co.za j

M AND N ACOUSTIC SERVICES M and N Acoustic Services (Pty) Ltd is a SANAS accredited laboratory and specialises in calibrations on acoustic, human vibration, vibration and DC/LF measuring equipment. The laboratory also operates according to the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Specification for the competence of calibration laboratories. Our electrical calibration capabilities include:

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• • • • • • • • •

Acoustics Noise Exposure Meter Sound Level Meters Integrating Sound Level Meter Dose Badges Noise Dosimeters Vibration Human Vibration Meters Vibration Meters

• • • •

DC Low Frequency Multi-Meters Clamp Meters Insulation Testers

With a dedicated team, they will ensure excellent turn-around times and affordable prices, while never compromising on delivering an outstanding service. Your Calibration is our concern! For more information, contact: Amanda Naudé Tel: 012 689 2007 Email: admin@mnacoustics.co.za

usticLtd o c A M & Nices (Pty) Serv SANAS Ac credited 1302 & 14Laboratory 8 We perform SANAS certifications on all your: Acoustics ( eg. CEL 350 ) Vibration ( eg. Rion VA -11) Human Vibration ( eg. Quest Hav Pro) Electrical DC/LF Equipment – inhouse or on site (eg. Fluke Multimeters, Insulation Testers)

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

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IN T H E B U X P E R IE N C E

• SA341 ries • AS350/ 355 se es ri se 5 13 0/ • EC120/13 es ri se 5 • BO10 ouglas • McDonald D 22/R44 • Robinson R ble service availa • Hangarage

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g engines. n and Lycomin so lli A , ca ec Turbom d Lesotho Zimbabwe an aintenance on a, m bi e lin am Z nd of co 0, Republic First and se s : SACAA # 83 CAA approval

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Hangar 56, 10 Viking Way, Rand Airport Tel: 011 827 8632  Tino: 083 458 2172  Office: 083 446 0066 Email: technical@heli-afrique.co.za and info@heli-afrique.co.za

AMO 1427

www.skysourcesa.com

South Africa

Skysource International SA, Hangar 203, Lanseria International Airport

WE BUY, SELL, LEASE AND MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT. PERIOD.

USA Worldwide Aviation Resources Aircraft Sales, Purchasing, Maintenance and Consulting.

skysource1@aol.com +1 406-206-7978

SOUTH AFRICA Aircraft Maintenance based at Lanseria International Airport South Africa. With Full Aircraft Refurbishment, Paint, Upholstery, Defect rectification, Pre-purchase Inspection Capabilities. Decades of experience!

info@skysourcesa.com CALL US NOW FOR ALL OF YOUR AVIATION NEEDS! July 2021

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+27 10 900 4300 • +27 72 036 3433

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STANDARDAERO StandardAero is one of the world’s largest independent providers of engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, providing OEM-authorized support for leading aeroengines and APUs, including the AE 3007, APS 2300, CF343/-8, CFM56-7B, GTCP36, JT15D, PT6A, PW100, PW150A, RB211-535 and RE220. In 2021, StandardAero has further established its position as a leading MRO provider through the acquisition of Signature Aviation’s Engine Repair and Overhaul (ERO) business, which expands our offerings on the CF34, JT15D, PT6A, PW100, GTCP36 and RE220, while adding new capabilities on the Spey, Tay and PW901. StandardAero’s facility at Lanseria International Airport near Johannesburg is a fully authorized Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF) for the PT6A engine family, and the world’s only independent service provider authorized to overhaul the PT6A-140 variant. In addition, the facility provides full support – up to and including overhaul – for 41 other variants of the engine. The Lanseria facility also offers service center and mobile repair team (MRT) support for the PW100 turboprop and JT15D turbofan. With more than three decades of experience in repairing and overhauling P&WC engines, StandardAero has developed a reputation for quality workmanship, industry leading turn-around times, exceptional customer service and competitive pricing. j

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PT6A FLAT RATE OVERHAUL (FRO)

No surprise pricing

No surprise pricing No compromise on quality No sweeping exclusions No sweeping exclusions

No compromise on quality

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 operators across Africa with designated overhaul facility (DOF) and the 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.

BIGGER. BETTER. BOLDER. www.standardaero.com

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

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

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

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

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Leonardo

South Africa

European helicopter maker Leonardo has strengthened the level of support and maintenance services offered to its customer base in South Africa with the acquisition of Precision Aviation Services (Pty) Ltd.

THE SITE HAS BEEN OPERATING as an Authorised Service Centre for Leonardo’s helicopters in the country over the last 25 years and is the first Leonardo Excellent Service Centre on the Continent. This state of the art service centre demonstrates Leonardo’s long-term commitment to the region and its customers, improving support to a fleet of more than 120 helicopters mainly operating in Sub-Saharan African civil market. This is in line with Leonardo’s Industrial Plan focus on stronger customer support services and proximity. The Wonderboom facility comprises 2275 m2

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of floor space, 450 m2 of workshop and store, and an equivalent amount of office space. The service centre includes maintenance hangars, a bonded warehouse, workshops and other services, and provides maintenance, product support and engineering services. The facility reinforces spares availability for a range of models including: the AW119 single engine, AW109 light twin series, the AW Family including the AW139, AW169 and AW189. Leonardo plans to extend these capabilities to all future products. With the team’s extensive experience acquired while operating as an Authorized Service Centre

for Leonardo Helicopters over the past 25 years, it was a natural progression to become the first Leonardo Excellent Service Centre on the African continent. The “Excellent” rating is assigned to selected Service Centres focused on maintaining third party fleets and having the largest scope of service capabilities, all the while guaranteeing the continued achievement of Leonardo’s customers’ stringent expectations, and considering specific market requirements. The first area of the service enhancement implemented by Leonardo compared to previous services will be spare parts availability, which will be greatly expanded.

Leonardo’s enhanced services will contribute to maximise the helicopter fleet mission effectiveness and safety of operations to the benefit of operators, and clients. With over 100 helicopter service and maintenance centres worldwide, Leonardo plans to establish at least one ‘Excellent’ centre in all strategic markets. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Leonardo delivered continued support through its global network and leveraged digital technologies for remote maintenance services. Leonardo South Africa: AMO 090 Hangar 109 Wonderboom Airport Phone +27 12 543 0371

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AVIONICS NEWS

B L A CK HAWK

I NT O AV I ONI C S BLACKHAWK AEROSPACE HAS expanded its portfolio of products and services to include avionics. A new business entity; Blackhawk Aerospace Technologies (BAT), has been formed to acquire all assets from Columbia Avionics & Aircraft Services. Columbia Avionics has been in business since 1995, working to develop new STCs using avionics packages for Citations and other business jets. Blackhawk plans to expand on Columbia’s success and add a new focus on creating STCs for the turboprop market, which their global network of certified dealers can provide to aircraft owners and operators. Additional capabilities include maintenance, airframe modifications, and avionics installations. “Blackhawk Aerospace Technologies is a great addition to our family of companies,” said Jim Allmon, Blackhawk Aerospace President & CEO. “The avionics STC development capabilities of the

company will not only provide our dealers with more offerings for their customers, but it will also help Blackhawk to certify engine-to-avionics integrations more quickly and efficiently. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome this new team to the family.” BAT President Mark Wilken brings 30 years of experience including the development of more than 50 STCs for installing the latest avionics on Beechcraft models including the King Air, Beechjet, Premier, and Hawker. “I am very excited to be part of the Blackhawk Aerospace family,” said Wilken, President of BAT. “Blackhawk Aerospace’s long-standing reputation in the King Air series aircraft along with the extensive Citation avionics, STC, and maintenance capabilities at our Columbia facility is a perfect match. Blackhawk Aerospace Technologies will bring King Air and Citation owners and operators the personalized customer attention, quality, and technical experience they have been looking for.”

Blackhawk conversions are now including avionic upgrades in their upgrade packages.

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FlightCm African Commercial Aviation Edition 152 | July 2021

THE ZIM

NAVEX

LOCKDOWN

– a Sling to the rescue

SAA’S THOMAS KGOKOLO AND HUGH PRYOR –

BUFFALO IN A SNOW STORM? 1

FlightCom Magazine

THE SEP.

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 2021|06

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

Better solutions and services for your World. From state-of-the-art trip support to payment card programmes and reliable into plane fuel delivery, MH Aviation Services, based in Johannesburg, is Africa’s most innovative aviation services partner. Join the 8,200 flight departments who depend on our bespoke global solutions and local expertise to take their success to new heights. Fuel | Trip Support | Card and Reward Programmes | Logistics | Planning

Discover our Flight Operation Solutions 24/7 Support: +27 82 940 5437 Office: +27 11 609 0123 tsopsafrica@wfscorp.com mhaviation.co.za

CONTENTS

TABLE OF

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 Patrick Tillman

JULY 2021 EDITION 152

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

06 10 14 20 24 28 29 30 35 36 38

Thomas Kgokolo - Here to fly the flag Bush Pilot - Hugh Pryor The 2021 Zimbabwe Air Rally Airline Ops - Mike Gough Defence - Darren Olivier Starlite Directory Atlas Oil Charter Directory Sling to the Rescue AME Doctors Listing AEP AMO Listing Backpage Directory

© FlightCom 2021. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without the express permission of the copyright holders.

A NOTE FROM

THE EDITOR: Airline operations in Africa are characterised by a high level of political interference. Two of the most obvious examples of this are the persistence of ‘closed skies’ with restrictive bilateral air service agreements due to the resistance by many countries to the Single African Air Transport Market – (SAATM). Then there is also the very high percentage of state ownership of airlines – with the result that the national airlines are underfunded, under-skilled and poorly run and therefore need protection by their state owners through closed skies. All of this makes the African airline industry inefficient, expensive and unable to provide the air connectivity essential for economic growth.

and its being forced to land in Minsk to ‘kidnap’ a journalist critical of the Belarus government. Fortunately, despite the interception by a MiG 29, there was no loss of life. On 2 June EASA replaced its recommendation (Safety Information Bulletin) for European airlines to carefully assess the risk of flying in Belarus airspace with a blanket prohibition (Safety Directive) on European aircraft entering Belarus airspace. Arising from this, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has now called on the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to maintain the separation between politics and aviation safety issues.

national airlines are underfunded, under-skilled

However, the one thing we the participants in African aviation, can be grateful for, is that we do not have the state-sponsored piracy that plagues airline operations in eastern Europe and Asia.

Iran has now admitted that it shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 after takeoff from Tehran in January 2020, killing 176 people. The Iranian government blamed a “disastrous mistake” by forces on high alert during a confrontation with the United States. Canadian investigators said they “found no evidence that Iranian officials ordered the shoot-down or that it was premeditated.” However, they added: “This in no way absolves Iran of its responsibility for the death of 176 innocent people.” The Canadian team also complained that Iran’s official explanation did not answer many important questions. Perhaps the most flagrant disregard for ICAO SARPS is the Ryanair FR4978 interception in Belarus airspace

“Aviation safety must never be politicized. IATA condemned the actions of the Belarus government and called for an independent investigation. Backing up its call to not politicise airline operations, IATA has come out surprisingly strongly against EASA’s ban on airlines operations over Belarus. IATA says that “Banning European aircraft from using Belarusian airspace with a Safety Directive is also a politicization of aviation safety. This is a retrograde and disappointing development. EASA should rescind its prohibition and allow airlines to manage safety as they do each and every day—with their normal operational risk assessments. Two wrongs do not make a right. Politics should never interfere with the safe operation of aircraft and politicians should never use aviation safety as a cover to pursue political or diplomatic agendas,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. This is a lesson it seems African politicians have yet to learn. 

AIRLINES

- HERE TO FLY THE FLAG Despite the controversial arrival of a strategic equity partner for SAA, Mr Thomas Kgokolo is still the CEO, albeit only an interim one. Guy Leitch asks him how he is managing a job many consider impossible.

AA HAS HAD 20 ACTING or supposedly permanent Chief Executives in the past 10 years – and Thomas Kgokolo is the fifth in the past five years. Is this job not the ultimate ‘hospital pass’? After all, a well-qualified and experienced South African airline CEO turned the job down – twice.

After all, SAA is a business like any other and I have significant business transformation experience which will enable me to relaunch the airline.” THE MAIN TASK

the mix of SAA pilots should be representative

Kgokolo hedged his bets by accepting the job only as an Interim CEO. He says, “I told myself that I will apply my experience in business and skills to contribute to the airline’s turn around, as the success of the new SAA is a reflection on all of us as South Africans, so I am here to rebuild SAA into an airline that all South Africans can be proud of.

FlightCom Magazine

Kgokolo says his biggest challenge is the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the airline. “My main task is to get SAA back where it belongs – in the skies and flying the South African flag high with the intent of recapturing the hearts of our customers.”

In the absence of a detailed strategic plan, he says his main aim is “to stabilise SAA during this transition, so that the airline is on a sound footing for the takeover by the new Strategic Equity Partner (SEP). The closure

SAA's new Interim CEO Thomas Kgokolo shares his plan for the embattled airline. Image supplied by SAA.

of borders continues to have a negative impact on the revenue and cash flow of the business. This situation is also making it difficult to plan for a sustainable restart,” he explains. “The aviation industry is not in a good state; however, the long-term sustainability of the airline will be enhanced by the newly announced SEP.”

members of the SAA Pilots Association (SAAPA) and they have been in a fight to the bitter end with the airline to enforce their Regulating Agreement. At time of writing judgement has been reserved in the labour court matter between SAAPA and the airline. Regarding the race and seniority composition of the pilot body, Kgokolo says, “Naturally, the mix of SAA pilots should be representative, in line with both their experience and the demographics of the country.”

as a flag carrier, SAA is a tool for nation building and national identity

Kgokolo’s says that the next challenge is to meet the regulatory requirements. Kgokolo acknowledges that, “this will require a massive amount of work – just in terms of getting the airline back into a regulatory compliant condition.”

An immediate challenge is dealing with the long running pilots’ strike. 89% of SAA pilots were

Regarding the continued absence of a business plan, Kgokolo regards the timeous resolution of the deadlock with SAAPA as essential to enable the airline to do proper planning; “SAA’s main interest is for this issue to be resolved speedily, as it

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Thomas Kgololo hopes to have SAA return to flying domestic routes in early August 2021. Image ACSA.

negatively impacts planning for the restart.” A late May Labour Court decision dismissing an interim relief application by SAAPA preventing SAA from engaging ‘scab’ pilots and flight trainers/services during the strike means the airline can now proceed with its plans for a relaunch. Kgokolo says, “While we welcome the Labour Court decision, we remain committed to finding a workable solution to end the impasse with SAA pilots. But we are also resolute in pursuing our goal of getting SAA back in the skies in the third quarter.” Kgokolo says, “With the announcement of the SEP, there is a palpable sense of excitement and optimism among all staff as we collectively look towards new horizons in SAA’s proud history. It would be our

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fervent wish that all staff, including our pilots, as well as passengers, be part of this process.” THE SUBSIDIARIES A further key challenge for Kgokolo as the SAA Group’s Interim Chief Executive is the airline’s three loss-making subsidiaries: Mango, SAA Technical, and Air Chefs. Kgokolo says, “One of my tasks at SAA is to support our subsidiaries until they receive the R2.7 billion Rand that has been allocated to them by the government.” Mango was grounded at the end of April 2021, for the non-payment of fees to the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA). 3500 passengers were left stranded.

“We are concentrating on making sure that we have improved communication with Mango’s guests so that we are all clear about the way forward,” he says. At the same time, SAA Technical is reported to be retrenching 1200 of its 2000 staff. A key question is whether that will leave enough capacity for the support and maintenance of the SAA and Mango fleets when it relaunches? Kgokolo says that the demand for these companies’ services has changed. “They cannot keep doing the same thing while the market has radically changed due to Covid-19. We have to reposition the businesses to align them with the current challenges. But I must emphasise that we regard our employees as significant stakeholders and we are doing everything within our power to safeguard their jobs. Fortunately, we have excellent support from the SAA Board and from the DPE, as our shareholder.” THE FLEET

SAA AS A FLAG CARRIER Despite all these challenges, plus the less tangible need to rebuild staff morale and trust in the brand from its once loyal customers, Kgokolo clearly believes that the airline has an important role as a flag carrier. “SAA is a tool for nation building and national identity. More importantly, it is a good instrument for promoting both economic and social development, especially in relation to the tourism industry, since one will have to look at the value chain when accessing the success of the national airline carrier,” he says. “My immediate action is to rebuild trust and identity to the remaining SAA employees who have gone through a difficult period. I intend leading by example and being transparent. Since we are a customer-facing entity, it is key to ensure that we have motivated staff.”

to ensure that SAA has an appropriate fleet for the airline’s restart

There is a pressing need to rebuild SAA’s fleet. During the rescue process, the Business Rescue Practitioners negotiated the return of most of its aircraft, particularly the newer one, to the lessors. The result is that the airline is left only with a few older planes no one wanted. The remaining fleet consists of three A319s, two A320s, one A330300, four A340-300s and four A340-600s. The Airbus A340s have out-dated in-flight entertainment and being four engine ‘quads’ they are fuel inefficient compared to modern twins such as the A350 and B787. Kgokolo says “Negotiations are underway to ensure that SAA has an appropriate fleet for the airline’s restart, at affordable cost. Thanks to the experience of Global Aviation with its existing fleet and flight operations capacity as a partner in the SEP, we are expecting the role of the SEP to be pertinent in the final fleet configuration.”

Kgokolo acknowledges that SAA has lost much of its pre-COVID market share. “The longer SAA remains on the ground the more challenging it will be to gain momentum, particularly on regional routes. However, I still believe SAA is a good African brand, judging by social media. Our customers want us back, for the proudly South African hospitality that only SAA can provide in the market. We were once Africa’s favourite airline, and with loyal support from our customers, we are optimistic about claiming this title back.” When asked if he would be available for a permanent job as CEO at SAA, Kgokolo replied, “My task currently is to get SAA on good ground, so the SEP has the maximum chance of success. Once I accomplish this, it will be up to the SEP to make permanent appointments. Personally, it has always been my intention to start my PhD and I look forward to be able to do that in the years ahead.” 

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BUSH PILOT HUGH PRYOR

The DHC-5D Buffalo is a medium-weight, fixed-wing, two engined tactical transport aircraft. It can carry forty fully equipped paratroopers or a couple of 4x4s in the cabin and it can chuck them out of the back all in one go.

The Buffalo's big black radome is an excellent snow accumulator.

HE BUFFALO HAS QUITE extraordinarily

short takeoff and landing capability for such a large aircraft.

On the ground, it looks ungainly and uncomfortable with its stalky undercarriage and the angular sweep of the back end up to the impossibly high ‘T’ tail. Then there are its bulldog features, set off by the large, black, round snout... surely only its mother could love it? So that’s the Buffalo for you...or is it? Start the auxiliary power unit and power up the electrics and hydraulics and you are ready to fire up the big boys and find out. As the whistle of the turbines increases in volume and pitch, the great blades of the enormous propeller begin to turn like the sails of some massive metallic windmill. Slowly the prop gathers speed until the blades become a blur and the engine settles down into a comfortable

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snuffling rhythm, which gives no hint of what is to follow. Final pre-take off checks completed, the beast is lined up and as power is gently increased the snuffle becomes a low rumble and the aircraft begins to accelerate. The rumble increases to a growl and the airframe begins to quiver in sympathy. All temperatures and pressures in the green, speed is building...go for maximum power. Now the growl becomes a deep, full-throated roar as the last three inches of each propeller blade break the sound barrier. The acceleration is spectacular, thrusting the flight crew back into their seats. Coils of condensation stream back from the props as the aircraft surges forward and then suddenly the nose lifts into the air. The stalky, uncomfortable-looking waddler transforms itself into a powerful but strangely elegant flying machine with an unmistakable booming voice.

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A DHC5 Buffalo making vapour trails with its supersonic prop tips.

Any comparison between the portly Buffalo and svelte Concorde would appear to be absurd, but I was tempted to do just that some years ago during a Buffalo trip from the UK to Oman. I was flying with a very experienced old friend called John. He had flown Bristol Brigands with the Royal Air Force during the ‘Confrontation’ with Burma. He had been shot down and bailed-out and on his way out he collided with one of the tail fins during his evacuation. That cost him a kidney which gave him a Medical Discharge from the RAF.

they fell into the hole. This would cause my eyes to jerk nervously to the engine instruments, but they just stayed rigidly glued to their normal parameters as though there was nothing which worried them about flying through thick, thick snow.

the growl becomes a deep, fullthroated roar

We stopped at Larnaka in Cyprus for fuel and then took off for Bahrein. As we approached Beirut we encountered a giant curtain of solid cloud, topped out by an angry-looking roiling pelmet at about 25,000 feet above sea level. I was only on my fourth UK trip in command and I turned to John and said, “Well, I don’t know about you, John, but if I was on my own, I would probably turn round and go back to Larnaka to wait until this lot goes somewhere else.” “Mmmmm...” said John. “Let’s have a look at the radar.” He turned the range up to two hundred miles. “Mmmmm...” he said again, “Well there’s nothing on the radar, so why don’t we just stick our noses in there and have a quick look-see?” So that’s what we did. I was hand flying the aircraft, in case there were some serious lumps up ahead. As we approached it became evident that the cloud was not actually cloud at all, it was snow...heavy, heavy snow. As we flew along in flat calm air white moustaches of snow built up over the tops of the engine intakes. Every so often

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Then suddenly there was a rumbling thump as though we had bumped into something large and soft. My heart leapt into my mouth and I shot a nervous glance at John for reassurance. “How about doing the ‘SADIE’ checks?” he said.

I nodded and worked my way through as I said them out loud; ‘Suction, Amps, DI to Compass, Icing, Engine temperatures and pressures in the green.’ I checked the outside air temperature gauge probe, to see how much ice had built up on it. The probe was mounted just forward of the central windscreen pillar and I had to lean forward in order to get a good look at it. It was then that I became aware of something so unexpected that it took me some seconds to take it in. The Buffalo seemed to have grown an enormously long, pointed, white nose. It was as though the old girl had decided that she wanted to be Concorde for a while. Then, as I watched, the Concorde nose disappeared – accompanied by that rumbling thump which had caught my attention just minutes before as the snow-snoot tumbled back down under the fuselage. So yes - a Buffalo can indeed pretend to be a Concorde, even if it’s only for a short time, while flying in a snowstorm over Beirut! 

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Magazine 13 Contact: Nicola +27 83 449 5868 |FlightCom nicola@penguinpalace.co.za

GENERAL AVIATION COMPETITION FLYING

THE 2021 ZIMBABWE AIR RALLY

Story and pictures by Chris Sheppard Imagine flying low level over the Zambezi River on a cold, clear winter’s morning with a bright sun lighting up spectacular water and land views in front of you? Sharply delineated water separated from a brown shore edged with green trees and strangely shaped pans where there was once water but now only cracked mud remains. 14

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ZS-MRO with Colin Rhodes and Jack Brotherton eases into the sky at Fothergill at the start of the second day of flying the ZAR2021 Rally.

ITH ALL THIS GOING ON you have to fly at a certain speed and navigate to a specific point all exactly on time, knowing your progress is tracked by an unemotional GPS logger. “On track, on time all the time” are the words associated with the Zimbabwe Air Rally. This is not a race, rather a navigational and piloting skill exercise. As the Rally notes state – “Rally objective - To fly from turning point to turning point using a map, a master clock, the plane’s compass/DI and its airspeed indicator to arrive at turning points at a pre-calculated time.”

The international competitors arrived on the Tuesday prior to briefing which was held in Harare the following day, Wednesday. Rally Organiser Marion Kalweit started the briefing with a warm welcome to everyone and followed with basic housekeeping rules and guidelines. She mentioned that the use of artificial navigation and flying aids was forbidden and against the Rally ethos. There is a lot of trust involved in this event as the Competitors are asked to blank off all these gauges and dials by whatever means necessary. Air Rally stalwart John Reid-Rowland was tasked to coordinate this exercise as best as possible – he went from aircraft to aircraft on Wednesday and early Thursday morning to inspect the cockpits.

Great revelry followed

This year saw 33 competitors vying for the Southern SunTrophy. Three nations participated, with 13 aircraft from South Africa, 3 from Zambia and 17 from Zimbabwe. The fastest plane was a Beechcraft Baron (Rally Speed 150kts) and the slowest a Savannah (Rally Speed 78kts). Of interest is the entry of six Cirrus aircraft, not normally considered suitable for such flying.

Route planner Peter Sheppard followed Marion with a pilots’ briefing on what to expect, observing International Airspace, heights, what to do if lost, and so on. Pete and Marion carried a huge load this year with

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Fothergill Island airstrip with the Navex competitors. Image Peter Sheppard.

the added COVID pandemic pressure as well as an unscheduled closure of Victoria Falls airspace on the Friday necessitating another day at Kariba. Shuffling of people, bed arrangements, extra house boats and more food and drink had to happen within 24 hours. Ever adaptable aviators on the Rally took everything in their stride and used the spare day to relax and enjoy the camaraderie that goes with flying with other likeminded people. Day one was 256 NM with 18 turn points, routing north west out of Harare from Charles Prince Airport. Flying initially over farmlands, then down into the Zambezi Valley, then left at Chikwenya along the Zambezi River over Mana Pools, past Chirundu up to the Kariba Gorge ending just short of Kariba Dam Wall. Competitors were urged to fly over the wall, turning left around Kariba Town to land at Kariba Airport to refuel. Once fueled up to fly the short leg over

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Kariba to land at Fothergill Island where the aircraft were secured, loggers handed in and lunch and drinks sponsored by Absolute Aviation were laid on at Fothergill Island Lodge. The opportunity to fly over this expanse of water and to land on an actual island was something everyone enjoyed. Great revelry followed as competitors compared notes on the route and how they felt they had done against the clock and the track. Friday was an “Off Day” with everyone taking in the beauty of the lake and surrounds. Many competitors used the time to go over maps by making use of Google Earth to get an image of each turning point. The 1:250,000 maps are considered the best to fly on. As everyone found out, no matter how much preparation you do, you still have to fly and navigate on point to feature and both days had a quartering tail wind to contend with.

Flying an SF260 of the Air Force of Zimbabwe, pilot Angeline Bosha, Zimbabwe’s first woman jet pilot, and navigator Suprise Mariwati, leave Fothergill Island.

BELOW: Some exceptional flying by the crew of Z-JSB as evidenced by the score sheet and flight track.

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Finally Saturday and the last flying day arrived. Strong winds overnight had created an angry lake and big waves threatened to swamp the ferry boats taking competitors from Spurwing Island to Fothergill. Some soggy aviators arrived at the airstrip. Once again Craig Davenport and Stewart Judson led the Rally start in their Beechcraft Baron, lifting off 1 hour earlier than the original plan at 07.30hrs. A strong south easterly wind necessitated takeoff on 09 which meant all the aircraft had to taxi in batches down to a holding point before taking their turn every two minutes to takeoff.

It was another spectacular visual spectacle that found many looking at the scenery and not their maps and so losing time and marks in the process. Prize Giving was held at Illala Lodge, Victoria Falls. Pilot Hamish Rudland, in his first ever Rally, and Navigator Jim Brown flying a Cirrus were the winners, Andrew Brown and Meina Ferreira (Cessna 210) came in second and third, also in their first Rally was another Cirrus with the South African team of Pilot Andre Senekal and Navigator Rocco Holl.

Full credit and appreciation is due to the Zim Air Rally A few minor mishaps with brakes and magnetos were Team for their incredible efforts in organising such a solved and all aircraft completed the 248nm route, which wonderful, fun and safe event.  again had 18 turn points. This followed the south shore of Lake Kariba and the Zambezi River to Victoria Falls. All the results.

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TOP: The winners of the Zimbabwe Air Rally 2021 - Hamish Rudland (Pilot) and Jim Brown (Navigator) in a Cirrus SR22. LEFT BELOW: Second Place - Andrew Brown and Hermien Ferreira flew Cessna 210, Z-JSB. RIGHT BELOW: Third Place - Andre Senekal (Pilot), Rocco Holl (Navigator and Kurt Stock (Crew) flew ZS-DEV a Cirrus SR22.

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AIRLINE OPS MIKE GOUGH

SPLIT SECOND DECISIONS

“This will be a go-orientated takeoff. However, in the event of a decision to stop before V1, I will call STOP, close the thrust levers and apply full reverse thrust. You will monitor and call DECEL, Reverse Green and notify ATC. I will bring the aircraft to a stop, set the park brake, and tell the cabin crew to Standby or remain seated.”

HIS WAS A PART OF EACH and every working day for me and my colleagues until the industry, and specifically my current employer, (up till this point) went to hell in a handbasket. The ‘sing song’ was performed during the preparation for the first flight of the day, and for subsequent sectors (flights) we were permitted to simply mention ‘Standard RTO’, to save a bit of time and verbiage. This is how we were to prepare ourselves for that one-in-three-thousand chance of having to decide that it was safer to stay on the ground than to continue with the take-off, in a worst case scenario, at around 260 kilometres per hour.

flights per day globally (pre-pandemic) that means we should be seeing at least one or two rejected takeoffs per day. The statistic for runway over-run events (being unable to stop and barrelling off the end of the runway) as a result of a high-speed RTO happens once every 4 500 000 takeoffs, which is somewhat more reassuring that the calculations we make actually work. I have been fortunate that within the 25 years of airline operations that I have been exposed to, I have had one, low-speed, RTO.

spectacular deceleration, with scant regard for passenger comfort

A quick look at that statistic – one in three thousand – is a little scary. That is the average of rejected takeoffs (RTOs) in commercial transport aircraft versus normal takeoffs, globally. Considering the entire industry does around 5670 20

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My situation occurred during a training flight in an Airbus 319. It was literally a dark and stormy night at Johannesburg, departing for Maputo, with a trainee First Officer in the right hand seat. It was his sector, so he was Pilot Flying for the take off.

As per the RTO briefing, the Captain is responsible not only for the decision to stop, but also for the actions to initiate it, irrespective of whose sector it is. The FO in this case stabilised thrust (as per Standard Operating

Procedure) to ensure even spool up of the IAE V2500 engines. Then the thrust levers are then advanced through the Climb detent into the Flex / MCT detent. Click Click. At this point, the Captain is required to forcibly remove the FO’s hand

from the levers, and be ready to close them should the need arise. This handover should be done no later than 80 knots, which is the “Thrust Set” call by the Pilot Monitoring – in this case me. At around 50 knots, I heard one of

the Generator Control Units (GCU) relays open with an audible clunk, situated behind the FO’s seat, and knew that trouble was about to be visited upon us. A few seconds later, the Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitoring system (ECAM) pinged to life, illuminating the master caution light, and displaying an amber electrical warning indicating an AC Bus 2 Fault. Simultaneously, some display information on the FO’s side disappeared. “Stop” said I, reverting to ‘simulator’ mode, and thumped the thrust levers closed and into reverse. My somewhat bewildered right-hand-man turned to me and asked “Why?” Definitely not as per script and SOP, but I had my attention elsewhere. I should have heard ‘Decel’ and ‘Reverse Green’, and then a call being made to the control tower. As the actual stop occurred above 72 knots, the spoilers automatically deployed, triggering the Autobrake system into maximum RTO effort. This causes a spectacular deceleration, with scant regard for passenger comfort. In our case, being low-speed, we were at a near standstill before the next runway exit, and I disengaged the Autobrake to keep us moving. I made a quick call to ATC, and they too wanted to know why we were stopping. I ignored that for the interim and vacated on the next left, and got my FO back on track with changing to the ground frequency for taxi instructions.

The American Airlines Boeing 737Max hard on the brakes after rejecting takeoff at - or past - V1.

We cleared the runway, reassured the passengers, did a computer reset for the GCU, waited for the

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brakes to cool with engines running (we had extra correctly. GIGO, and this has resulted in several major tankering fuel on board) and after phoning the boss, we incidents and accidents. were on our uneventful way. There is always a trade-off between commercial In this case, we were nowhere efficiency in terms of near any of the limiting using reduced thrust for factors that would make this each takeoff to save engine a scary event. These limits costs, and being on the depend on a multitude of limits of performance in aspects, and can obviously terms of being able to get quite complicated and stop on the remaining technical. runway. Often, these calculations may show a First, of course is runway stop margin of one metre, length, and its condition which is acceptable, and (dry, wet contaminated, snow etc). This essentially if everything is done properly, will be accurate. This dictates the maximum weight that the aircraft can be, at means that if the decision to stop is made at V1 speed, the commencement of the take-off run. Most operators there will be one metre of runway remaining when the utilise a computerised application that provides accurate aircraft comes to a stop. speeds (specifically that all important Decision Speed, V1), and thrust settings. Tight margins to say the least, but legal and safe when done correctly. Provided, of course, that the crew input the data In some situations, the runway is in excess of the accelerate – stop distance (ASD) required by a particular aircraft type. There may well be other limitations that need to be considered, for example an obstacle beyond the airport environment that requires a certain amount of minimum energy for the aircraft to clear it by a certain height, if one engine should fail at or beyond V1.

things would be safer if kept on the ground

A video clip of a Boeing 737 departing an island runway in the USA has done the rounds recently, showing what appears to be a high speed RTO, with what looks like the rotation to become airborne having been started. As I have yet to see any factual reporting on this, it is pure conjecture to assume that the stop was initiated after V1. It is, however, a fantastic display of the effectiveness of the RTO braking / reverse thrust system, and has the aircraft stopped with ample runway to spare. It looks like it hit a flock of birds at high speed and the Captain elected, in literally a split second, that things would be safer if kept on the ground. A screengrab of a passenger video of some of the large birds that caused the rejected takeoff. A good decision by the Captain.

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For what reasons would we want to stop on the runway? This, for decision making is divided into two main categories: Low speed (below 100kts) and High speed (100kts to V1).

Passenger comfort is not a priority, smoking brakes and tyres showing the maximium effort stop.

The Low speed scenario (as per my situation) is more Captain’s discretion, and influenced by the manufacturer’s operating instructions. In the case of Airbus, it is recommended that any warning that is annunciated must be considered and acted on appropriately. Above 100kts, it becomes more defined, but every possible scenario cannot obviously be predicted and anticipated. For Airbus and Boeing, the obvious reasons are fire warning or severe damage (the latter was probably the case with the Boeing video), sudden loss of engine thrust, and the wonderful line of ‘malfunctions or conditions that give unambiguous indications that the aircraft will not fly safely’. When training in the Airbus simulator, I like to use the simple concept of anything held in your left hand (side stick which is flight controls) and anything held in your right hand (thrust levers, which is everything engine related). This covers the Airbus information that sidestick fault, engine fail, reverser unlocked, reverser fault, and thrust lever fault are rock solid reasons for a decision to stop beyond 100 knots and before V1.

While doing the take-off calculations, we are given a diagrammatic display of the runway and stop margins available, as well as a choice of minimum and maximum V1 speeds. The reasons for a V1 split get pretty technical, and is a bit much for this discussion. A long runway, with a low V1, can easily result in the ability to reject a take-off beyond V1 and still remain safely on the tarmac, although the reasoning for that has to be that the aircraft has been rendered incapable of flight. Considering the debris seen flying from an on-board view of this abort, I think the Captain took a wellinformed decision that resulted in a safe outcome. That is what is important here, and each RTO adds to the data base of knowledge that continues to give us an operational insight as to how well (or poorly) the critical high-speed decisions turn out, within the context that the calculations are made and the actions executed. Well done that crew.



FlightCom Magazine

DEFENCE

The YC-130 first flight in 1954.

DARREN OLIVIER

NEW AIRBORNE COMPUTING SYSTEMS

Open source architecture makes it far easier to transfer data in flight.

For decades, combat aircraft have had their capabilities held back by an inability to keep up with the state of the art in electronics. 24

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VEN AS THE DEMAND for onboarding processing, analysis, and storage has grown exponentially, fed by ever more capable and numerous sensors and more dire threats, it has still been largely impossible for even the newest combat aircraft to enter service with anything newer than ten to twenty year old chips and other technology deep inside its onboard computers. The reason for this is simple: The harsh operating environment, long required service life, extremely high reliability, and high risk levels of traditional avionics could only have been fulfilled by older and less efficient designs that had undergone hardening and rigorous years-long testing regimes to ensure they could not fail at a critical moment and cause either mission failure or aircraft loss. Similarly, writing software for traditional avionics systems is a painstaking, expensive, and very slow process that requires a huge amount of verification and testing.

designed for extreme reliability over years, but rather for cheap manufacturing, redundancy, and a relatively short service life. Just as important, it means that mission-specific software need no longer be developed using highly constrained real-time embedded programming techniques and languages, such as C or Ada, and can instead be developed with more modern and high level languages like Java, Rust, Go, or Python while relying on the supporting infrastructure to handle resource management and scheduling. Software development can therefore be much quicker than the traditional DO-178B/C-compliant approach for avionics. Software can also be written in a generic fashion without needing to customise it for a specific hardware implementation.

It seems like a small thing, but the potential benefits are huge

If recent experiments by the US Air Force (USAF), Saab, and others are anything to go by, though, we may have reached an inflection point that will soon allow for the safe and rapid installation of much more modern and capable computers and software onboard combat aircraft. In short, hardened military avionics and data exchange protocols have advanced to the point where they have enough computing power and bandwidth to support proper isolation at both hardware and software levels, meaning that new and relatively untested hardware and software can safely be installed to communicate with an aircraft’s core avionics without being able to harm the integrity of those systems. It seems like a small thing, but the potential benefits are huge. Combat aircraft mission systems will no longer be held back by the need to develop at the same pace as the most critical onboard components, and being able to quickly install, test, and remove both hardware and software means a much faster iterative improvement process. Full use can also be made of recent advances in electronics, especially in chip design, because mission-specific hardware need not be

There is some similarity to CubeSats and other cheap very low orbit satellites in this regard, as they too have embraced consumer electronics rather than traditional hardened systems, and with it, high level languages, because their intentionally short lifespans in orbit and extreme low cost make it economical. That development has revolutionised the satellite industry, and we should expect similar advances in combat aircraft. As Saab described it during a presentation on the Gripen E’s modular open avionics system, it’s somewhat like a highly secure smartphone: The operating system is like an aircraft’s core avionics, with slow and careful development often in a low-level language, but mission software can be like apps with rapid development, testing, and deployment and an easy mechanism to install and remove different ‘apps’ for different mission types without harming the underlying operating system. One very interesting possibility of all this though is being able to update the software on an aircraft midflight over secure data links, to add new capabilities in response to mission data while still on the same mission. Chris Roper, the one-time US Air Force acquisition chief, made it a goal for every aircraft to be able to ‘land with better code than it took off with’.

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Kubernetes are a new way to transfer data to planes and back.

Of course in one sense this isn’t new, as we’ve had the ability to remotely update the software on satellites, space probes, and Mars rovers for decades. However, each of those updates is a risky endeavour that is planned months in advance and tested hundreds of times over before it’s attempted. The USAF’s approach is different, as the updates are to hardware and software that’s not flight-critical so updates can be developed and sent rapidly without any compromise to safety. That’s a game-changer. Most remarkably, the US Air Force actually demonstrated this in the real world last year when it updated the target recognition software of a U-2 mid-flight. It also later demonstrated the ability to shift raw sensor data from the aircraft in real-time to processing centres on the ground which then returned the processed data to the aircraft’s computers, massively increasing the effective computing power available for a mission. This remarkable historical feat was accomplished thanks to three key factors: Open Mission System (OMS) protocols, the Kubernetes container orchestration system, and Lockheed-Martin’s Enterprise Open System Architecture Mission Computer (EMC2). OMS is the USAF’s new approach to Open Architecture avionics, defining a set of standards and protocols that regulate the interaction of both avionics and segregated mission software to a much higher degree than protocol standards like MIL-STD-1553 and IEEE 1394. Amongst its elements are definitions for both an

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Abstract Service Bus (ASB) and Critical Abstraction Layer (CAL) for delinking OMS-compliant software from underlying hardware dependence and details, along with requirements for the effective isolation of the aircraft’s core avionics system from inadvertent modification. In theory, hardware and software that are OMS-compliant can be implemented almost anywhere in any USAF system which has the resources to handle it. So an automated target recognition module could work without modification in an F-35, U-2, or C-130, even though all three carry different base sensors. One of the first practical implementations of OMS in the real world was the Universal Command and Control Interface (UCI) subset, intended specifically for ground-based control of unmanned systems and to replace what was previously a hodgepodge collection of proprietary systems and protocols with a single open standard. That meant that the same base station could control both a Reaper and Global Hawk, despite them being made by different manufacturers. Obviously this is a huge cost and efficiency improvement as the same infrastructure can be reused. The second key factor is the open source Kubernetes container orchestration system, originally developed for and still heavily used by the enterprise. Containers are effectively wrappers around software applications which abstract away application-specific functionalities by producing a standardised set of interfaces to control resource usage, security, networking, and other runtime factors, and Kubernetes is the most popular and well-developed solution to manage, schedule, update,

restart, restrict, and otherwise control those containers. So it means that OMS-compliant mission applications can be delivered in a standardised container form and automatically managed by the Kubernetes system on board an aircraft. Without this sort of system things like reliable and safe in-flight updates just aren’t possible. In 2019 the USAF demonstrated a Kubernetes installation on board an F-16, and later installed it on U-2 aircraft for the test flights that led to the real-time in-flight software update and off-board processing demonstration. The final piece of the puzzle is the EMC2 installed on the U-2, informally called the ‘Einstein Box’. It’s an early implementation of both an OMS-compliant computer and a protocol gateway that can translate between a large number of data protocols including data links like Link-16. It’s what allows for mission applications running in the Kubernetes cluster aboard an aircraft to be able to process data from the aircraft’s onboard sensor without them having to know about the specific data protocols and implementation details of the sensor itself, and for far more complicated payloads to be shared over existing data links. In time, the USAF’s vision is to have EMC2-like computers, OMS, and Kubernetes (or a future equivalent) become standard on all of its aircraft, to finally fulfil the goal of each type being able to land with better code than what it took off with.

Another fascinating possibility that using Kubernetes onboard aircraft has introduced is that those aircraft can be treated as nodes in a broader network that includes large Kubernetes clusters in server farms on the ground, with applications moving between both environments and seamlessly sharing data as necessary. In fact, that’s the basic concept behind the U-2’s distributed data processing experiment described above. Eventually, the USAF hopes this will all become a distributed ‘combat cloud’ with workloads and sensor data being shared to the best location to fulfil each mission’s requirements. Of course, when it comes to technology and war, it’s never quite that simple and there’s still some way to go from tech demonstrators to real and robust combat capabilities. As attractive as the ‘combat cloud’ concept is, it’s going to bring with it a whole new level of complexity and radio spectrum demand to handle the high levels of data transmission. Left unspecified, too, is how this will all stand up to a war against a peer competitor like China with good enough electronic warfare capabilities to substantively degrade or disrupt data communications. Nonetheless, for now at least the potential upsides seem to clearly outweigh the downsides, with the huge improvement in capabilities introduced by these new approaches justifying the additional risk they bring. We should, as a result, expect the rest of the world to follow before long. 

Potential OMS-compliant architecture.

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Edmund Farmer

With at least two direct flights a day on Kenyan Airways, or the option of a three-day scenic drive along the rift valley, what could be easier than travelling from Nairobi to Lusaka? Then along came the Covid-19 lockdown! Preparing to leave Lusaka with Spats on.

FlightCom Magazine

Passing Mt Kilimanjaro.

N UNFORTUNATE ZAMBIAN lawyer was on a three-week trade mission to Nairobi in March 2020 when the shutters came down.

All international flights were suspended, borders closed, and inhabitants confined to one-quarter squares of Nairobi. Repeated signals and rumours that restrictions “would lift soon” failed to materialise with KQ opening flights then cancelling again. This was when I was approached in my capacity as an air charter operator to quote for a repatriation charter flight in a Cessna twin; but as you might imagine, the cost at around $11,000 came in a bit steep, even for a lawyer.

his plane was already allocated to another flight, and there was the same issue as with the Cessna option: Inadequate range to make the 1000 nm from Lusaka to Nairobi in one hop. This would add all the complications of a stop in Northern Zambia or Tanzania at a time when most international airports were closed. The solution came in the substitution of the Sling owned by a Zambian consortium, Sling 4 no 003, formerly known as ZU-TAD, now 9J-YUM, and featured on the cover of the Sling 4 POH! The advantage of this machine is that she was built with an expedition around the Antarctic in mind, which saw her fitted with an extra 60 litres per wing in leading edge tanks outboard of the standard ones. This provides an impressive 300 litres total fuel, or 11+ hours endurance!

an impressive 300 litres total fuel, or 11+ hours endurance!

After the unfortunate lawyer had been stranded for three months, the managing partner of a Lusaka law firm offered the use of his beautiful Sling 4, 9J-YAZ, to get the lawyer back. However,

So it came to pass that I set off on the longest

FlightCom Magazine

single sector of my 8,000-hour odd flying career, from Lusaka to Nairobi direct. The flight took exactly 8 hours 36 minutes. Back home with my passenger the next day took 8 hours 30 minutes. At 990 Nautical Miles that gives an average of about 116 Knots. For this trip we had re-fitted the wheel spats (or “pants” as the Americans like to call them!) They The direct route is almost a full 1000 nm.

FlightCom Magazine

make a healthy 5-10 knots difference on the Sling 4, but like all spats they fall apart on Zambia’s bumpy grass runways and prevent daily safety inspections of the wheels, brakes and tyres, so they are usually dispensed with here. It was not actually my first flight to Nairobi in a Sling 4, having flown the same route in 9J-YAZ with 4 healthy sized guys on board in 2017 for the

Sling 4 No 003 - now working hard in Lusaka, was perfect with its big fuel tanks.

Kenyan Rhino Charge event, but at that time, we had to stop in Kasama for a top-up of fuel in each direction and just made Kasama to Nairobi with about 45 minutes reserve.

my aged and tormented spine would feel after 8.5 hours in the seat without a chance to shift position, but it was fine, even after two successive days of the same.

Weather can be a big issue around Northern Tanzania and Kenya all year-around, and with terrain up around 10-15,000 feet, you must think twice before plunging into cloud! It’s easy to be relaxed about it during our long dry season of dependable conditions and scarcity of threatening terrain in Zambia, but on this mission, I was lucky and could remain genuinely legally VFR the whole way there and back.

The range of this plane was a life saver, but even the regular tanked Sing 4, a couple of years before, was impressive and could take a top up of the Mogas available in Kasama. Cost was a really important factor which made this mission possible. Burning 26 litres per hour for 116 Knots block average coupled with the ability to run on MOGAS where suitable quality is available, is the real winner of such a trip. At Nairobi, the only fuel available was Avgas at an exorbitant cost of around $2.50 a litre, (compared to little more than half that cost in Lusaka at that time!) but I had a fair bit of Zambian Avgas still in the tanks to reduce my need.

there is no automatic right to cross borders in nontype certified aircraft

I passed some great scenery including Mt Kilimanjaro sticking up out of the clouds, and had a comfortable, easy flight. 9J-YUM is even fitted with cockpit holes for discharge tubes to safely carry away any overflow fluids on long sectors! There were some really great features of the Sling for this mission. I was rather dreading how

We operated this Sling 4 in a syndicate contributing US$ 100 per flight hour, take-off to landing, which covered Avgas, all routine and unplanned

FlightCom Magazine

Mountain flying is the most challenging, especially with Cape Town winds.

Edmund Farmer's son Thomas imitating James Pitman skydiving off a Sling.

maintenance as well as hangarage, and it builtup a reserve for engine overhauls as we flew along. Another life saver (I must have been impersonating a cat!) was the autopilot. I cannot imagine steering a legacy plane without autopilot for that long by hand. 9J-YUM still has the characterful old MGL Odyssey ‘glass panel’ (now scratched plastic!) which has very wisely been supplanted by a Garmin kit, as standard in the later planes. The autopilot function has given some trouble over the years but with careful setting up and tightening of screws on servos, we had it working very well. As for the challenges faced on the mission, none came from the aircraft per se. Slingers should always bear in mind that there is no automatic right to cross borders in non-type certified aircraft, and that all operations, into and over countries other than that of registration, are at the discretion of the other countries. However, I have never faced any difficulties getting

FlightCom Magazine

clearances to fly Sling aircraft over borders if a little time is allowed for obtaining permissions. I have always applied for clearance in the usual way clearly stating the aircraft type, and once cleared, I accept that as my permission to fly a NTC aircraft! In the case of the Kenyan rescue mission, I was assisted by our Zambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get the clearance, as the passenger to be rescued was on a diplomatic duty. The Kenyans are usually quite sticky though, demanding lots of paperwork in advance for plane and pilot. Tanzanians on the other hand just seem to care about collecting money from you for everything you do! Despite the Covid situation, Wilson Airport, Nairobi’s no 2, was still surprisingly busy. There were cargo flights mainly, carrying PPE etc around the region and critically, the airport was open for international flights. However, as usual, it was a huge run around to fill in about 20 forms and pay about 10 different fees at different

Although we are still dealing with Covid-19 and lockdowns, restrictions and the partial collapse of the aviation sector, 2021 does not feel at all like 2020. Airports fell almost silent last year and there was a sense of fear, drama, and the unknown everywhere.

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Britz

Rudi

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AME Doctors Listing

Off-site Specialist tests

That Sling mission in 9J-YUM will remain one of the more memorable entries in my logbook. 

On site Specialist tests

The rules at that time were very strict for Covid in Kenya and I was originally told I would need to “bring two sets of crew and rotate directly back to Lusaka”. It took some explaining that this was not really a practical option in a day VFR 4-seat NTC aircraft! So, when I reached the health and immigration check, they started saying I must

“Can’t do”, I explained, “I’m returning, and ceasing to be your problem tomorrow and even taking another problem away with me!” This rather confused them and eventually they told me to just get a taxi and go to any nearby hotel. This is exactly what I did and even managed to catch up over a Tusker or two with an old buddy who happened to live in the same quarter sector of town.

Senior Class 1, 2, 3, 4

I strongly recommend finding and paying a handling agent at Wilson! Having said that, there were plenty of friendly people to give guidance and considerable admiration for the beauty of the Sling parked amongst the endless Caravans and squat cargo machines that frequent Wilson, as well as universal surprise that it had flown from Lusaka in one hop!

isolate for 10 days at one of the hotels on their list!

Regular Class 2, 3, 4

windows including some at the bank, which was closed, so “Okay in that case you can just leave the money with me.”

✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

✗ ✗

✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

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•Overhaul Engine; Components; •Overhaul and supply of Hartzell / McCauley and Fix pitch Propellers 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 AMO No: 227

FLIGHT SAFETY THROUGH MAINTENANCE

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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

Algoa Flying Club Sharon Mugridge 041 581 3274 info@algoafc.co.za www.algoafc.co.za

Chem-Line Aviation & Celeste Products Steve Harris 011 452 2456 sales@chemline.co.za www.chemline.co.za

Adventure Air Lande Milne 012 543 3196 / Cell: 066 4727 848 l.milne@venture-sa.co.za www.ventureglobal.biz AES (Cape Town) Erwin Erasmus 082 494 3722 erwin@aeroelectrical.co.za www.aeroelectrical.co.za

Alpha One Aviation Opelo 082 301 9977 on@alphaoneaviation.co.za www.alphaoneaviation.co.za Alpi Aviation SA Dale De Klerk 082 556 3592 dale@alpiaviation.co.za www.alpiaviation.co.za

Comporob Composite Repair & Manufacture Felix Robertson 072 940 4447 083 265 3602 comporob@lantic.net www.comporob.co.za

AES (Johannesburg) Danie van Wyk 011 701 3200 office@aeroelectrical.co.za www.aeroelectrical.co.za

Apco (Ptyd) Ltd Tony/Henk + 27 12 543 0775 apcosupport@mweb.co.za www.apcosa.co.za

FlightCom Magazine

Flying Frontiers Craig Lang 082 459 0760 CraigL@fairfield.co.za www.flyingfrontiers.com

Corporate-Aviators/Affordable Jet Sales Mike Helm 082 442 6239 corporate-aviators@iafrica.com www.corporate-aviators.com

Flying Unlimited Flight School (Pty) Ltd Riaan Struwig 082 653 7504 / 086 770 8376 riaan@ppg.co.za www.ppg.co.za

C. W. Price & Co Kelvin L. Price 011 805 4720 cwp@cwprice.co.za www.cwprice.co.za Dart Aeronautical Jaco Kelly 011 827 8204 dartaero@mweb.co.za

Foster Aero International Dudley Foster 011 659 2533 info@fosteraero.co.za www.fosteraero.co.za

Aref Avionics Aerocore Hannes Roodt Jacques Podde 082 462 2724 082 565 2330 arefavionics@border.co.za jacques@aerocore.co.za www.aerocore.co.za Atlas Aviation Lubricants Dart Aircraft Electrical Aero Engineering & PowerPlant Steve Cloete 011 917 4220 Mathew Joubert Andre Labuschagne Fax: 011 917 2100 011 827 0371 012 543 0948 Sales.aviation@atlasoil.co.za Dartaircraftelectrical@gmail.com aeroeng@iafrica.com www.atlasoil.africa www.dartaero.co.za Aero Services (Pty) Ltd ATNS DJA Aviation Insurance Chris Scott Percy Morokane 011 463 5550 011 395 3587 011 607 1234 0800Flying chris@aeroservices.co.za percymo@atns.co.za mail@dja-aviation.co.za www.aeroservices.co.za www.atns.com www.dja-aviation.co.za Aeronav Academy Aviation Direct Dynamic Propellers Donald O’Connor Andrea Antel Andries Visser 011 701 3862 011 465 2669 011 824 5057 info@aeronav.co.za info@aviationdirect.co.za 082 445 4496 www.aeronav.co.za www.aviationdirect.co.za andries@dynamicpropeller.co.za www.dynamicpropellers.co.za Aeronautical Aviation BAC Aviation AMO 115 Clinton Carroll Micky Joss Eagle Aviation Helicopter Division 011 659 1033 / 083 459 6279 035 797 3610 Tamryn van Staden clinton@aeronautical.co.za monicad@bacmaintenance.co.za 082 657 6414 www.aeronautical.co.za tamryn@eaglehelicopter.co.za Blackhawk Africa www.eaglehelicopter.co.za Aerotric (Pty) Ltd Cisca de Lange Richard Small 083 514 8532 Eagle Flight Academy 083 488 4535 cisca@blackhawk.aero Mr D. J. Lubbe aerotric@aol.com www.blackhawk.aero 082 557 6429 training@eagleflight.co.za Aircraft Assembly and Upholstery Centre Blue Chip Flight School www.eagleflight.co.za Tony/Siggi Bailes Henk Kraaij 082 552 6467 012 543 3050 Elite Aviation Academy anthony@rvaircraft.co.za bluechip@bluechip-avia.co.za Jacques Podde www.rvaircraft.co.za www.bluechipflightschool.co.za 082 565 2330 info@eliteaa.co.za Aircraft Finance Corporation & Leasing Border Aviation Club & Flight School www.eliteaa.co.za Jaco Pietersen Liz Gous +27 [0]82 672 2262 043 736 6181 Enstrom/MD Helicopters jaco@airfincorp.co.za admin@borderaviation.co.za Andrew Widdall Jason Seymour www.borderaviation.co.za 011 397 6260 +27 [0]82 326 0147 aerosa@safomar.co.za jason@airfincorp.co.za Breytech Aviation cc www.safomar.co.za www.airfincorp.co.za 012 567 3139 Willie Breytenbach Era Flug Flight Training Aircraft General Spares admin@breytech.co.za Pierre Le Riche Eric or Hayley 021 934 7431 084 587 6414 or 067 154 2147 Bundu Aviation info@era-flug.com eric@acgs.co.za or hayley@acgs.co.za Phillip Cronje www.era-flug.com www.acgs.co.za 083 485 2427 info@bunduaviation.co.za Execujet Africa Aircraft Maintenance @ Work www.bunduaviation.co.za 011 516 2300 Opelo / Frik enquiries@execujet.co.za 012 567 3443 Celeste Sani Pak & Inflight Products www.execujet.com frik@aviationatwork.co.za_ Steve Harris opelonke@aviationatwork.co.za 011 452 2456 Federal Air admin@chemline.co.za Rachel Muir Aircraft Maintenance International www.chemline.co.za 011 395 9000 Pine Pienaar shuttle@fedair.com 083 305 0605 Cape Aircraft Interiors www.fedair.com gm@aminternational.co.za Sarel Schutte 021 934 9499 Ferry Flights int.inc. Aircraft Maintenance International michael@wcaeromarine.co.za Michael (Mick) Schittenhelm Wonderboom www.zscai.co.za 082 442 6239 Thomas Nel ferryflights@ferry-flights.com 082 444 7996 Cape Town Flying Club www.ferry-flights.com admin@aminternational.co.za Beverley Combrink 021 934 0257 / 082 821 9013 Fireblade Aviation Air Line Pilots’ Association info@capetownflyingclub.co.za 010 595 3920 Sonia Ferreira www.@capetownflyingclub.co.za info@firebladeaviation.com 011 394 5310 www.firebladeaviation.com alpagm@iafrica.com Capital Air www.alpa.co.za Micaella Vinagre Flight Training College 011 827 0335 Cornell Morton Airshift Aircraft Sales micaella@capitalairsa.com 044 876 9055 Eugene du Plessis www.capitalairsa.com ftc@flighttrainning.co.za 082 800 3094 www.flighttraining.co.za eugene@airshift.co.za Century Avionics cc www.airshift.co.za Carin van Zyl Flight Training Services 011 701 3244 Amanda Pearce Airvan Africa sales@centuryavionics.co.za 011 805 9015/6 Patrick Hanly www.centuryavionics.co.za amanda@fts.co.za 082 565 8864 www.fts.co.za airvan@border.co.za Chemetall www.airvan.co.za Wayne Claassens 011 914 2500 wayne.claassens@basf.com www.chemetall.com

Fly Jetstream Aviation Henk Kraaij 083 279 7853 charter@flyjetstream.co.za www.flyjetstream.co.za

Gemair Andries Venter 011 701 2653 / 082 905 5760 andries@gemair.co.za GIB Aviation Insurance Brokers Richard Turner 011 483 1212 aviation@gib.co.za www.gib.co.za Gryphon Flight Academy Jeffrey Von Holdt 011 701 2600 info@gryphonflight.co.za www.gryphonflight.co.za

Guardian Air 011 701 3011 082 521 2394 ops@guardianair.co.za www.guardianair.co.za Heli-Afrique cc Tino Conceicao 083 458 2172 tino.conceicao@heli-afrique.co.za Henley Air Andre Coetzee 011 827 5503 andre@henleyair.co.za www.henleyair.co.za Hover Dynamics Phillip Cope 074 231 2964 info@hover.co.za www.hover.co.za Indigo Helicopters Gerhard Kleynhans 082 927 4031 / 086 528 4234 veroeschka@indigohelicopters.co.za www.indigohelicopters.co.za IndigoSat South Africa - Aircraft Tracking Gareth Willers 08600 22 121 sales@indigosat.co.za www.indigosat.co.za

Integrated Avionic Solutions Gert van Niekerk 082 831 5032 gert@iasafrica.co.za www.iasafrica.co.za International Flight Clearances Steve Wright 076 983 1089 (24 Hrs) flightops@flyifc.co.za www.flyifc.co.za Investment Aircraft Quinton Warne 082 806 5193 aviation@lantic.net www.investmentaircraft.com Jabiru Aircraft Len Alford 044 876 9991 / 044 876 9993 info@jabiru.co.za www.jabiru.co.za Jim Davis Books Jim Davis 072 188 6484 jim@border.co.za www.jimdavis.co.za Joc Air T/A The Propeller Shop Aiden O’Mahony 011 701 3114 jocprop@iafrica.com Kishugu Aviation +27 13 741 6400 comms@kishugu.com www.kishugu.com/kishugu-aviation

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

Kzn Aviation (Pty) Ltd Melanie Jordaan 031 564 6215 mel@kznaviation.co.za www.kznaviation.co.za

Skyhorse Aviation Ryan Louw 012 809 3571 info@skyhorse.co.za www.skyhorse.co.za

United Flight Support Clinton Moodley/Jonathan Wolpe 076 813 7754 / 011 788 0813 ops@unitedflightsupported.com www.unitedflightsupport.com

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

Skyworx Aviation Kevin Hopper kevin@skyworx.co.za www.skyworxaviation.co.za

Legend Sky 083 860 5225 / 086 600 7285 info@legendssky.co.za www.legendsky.co.za

PFERD-South Africa (Pty) Ltd Hannes Nortman 011 230 4000 hannes.nortman@pferd.co.za www.pferd.com

Southern Energy Company (Pty) Ltd Elke Bertram +264 8114 29958 johnnym@sec.com.na www.sec.com.na

Litson & Associates (Pty) Ltd OGP, BARS, Resources Auditing & Aviation Training karen.litson@litson.co.za Phone: 27 (0) 21 8517187 www.litson.co.za

Pipistrel Kobus Nel 083 231 4296 kobus@pipistrelsa.co.za www.pipistrelsa.co.za

Southern Rotorcraft cc Mr Reg Denysschen Tel no: 0219350980 sasales@rotors-r-us.com www.rotors-r-us.com

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

FlightCom Magazine

A GREAT FLIGHT DESERVES AN ENCORE

▼

Records video, audio, and GPS position

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Makes an excellent training tool, maintenance aid, or souvenir

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Robinson’s New 4K Cockpit Video Camera

Standard on R66 helicopters Optional on R44 and R22 helicopters

FlightCom Magazine

July 2021

Articles inside

CHIPMUNK 75th ANNIVERSARY

SAVAGE SAFARI: Part 2

AERO CLUB: Eagles Creek FC

FLIGHT TEST: Sling High Wing

Jim Davis - PLANE TALK

Guy Leitch - ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE

George Tonking - HELI OPS