SA Flyer Magazine
WHAT ARE FRENCH CESSNAS?
IN THE LATE 1950S GENERAL AVIATION WAS BOOMING IN THE UNITED STATES. CESSNA HAD EMERGED AS A LEADER IN THE LIGHT AIRCRAFT MARKET, RIDING THE SUCCESS OF THE CESSNA 140 AND 170 SERIES INTO THE EVEN MORE POPULAR CESSNA 172.
5 min |
December 2024
SA Flyer Magazine
ORYX MEDICAL EVACUATION MISSION
ON SUNDAY, 10 NOVEMBER, a 22 Squadron SAAF Oryx helicopter was mobilised for a critical offshore medical evacuation mission. A German tourist had encountered a sudden medical emergency while aboard a cruise liner off Cape Agulhas.
1 min |
December 2024
SA Flyer Magazine
VAN CELEBRATES HIS 85TH BIRTHDAY
RICHARD “DICK” VAN GRUNSVEN celebrated his 85th birthday by flying the RV-15X. This event was a celebration of decades of passion, innovation, and dedication to aviation.
1 min |
December 2024
SA Flyer Magazine
LANSERIA AIRPORT implements E-Gates
As air travel continues to grow, pressure mounts on the check-in process, resulting in frustration and often leading to missed flights.
1 min |
December 2024
SA Flyer Magazine
MARK TIERNEY'S CAFE PROPOSAL
One of the many challenges faced by African airlines is access to cost effective finance.
6 min |
December 2024
SA Flyer Magazine
ENGINE FIRE!
Iris McCallum's continues her stories about her early years with Air Kenya, and we get to revisit one of her more dramatic moments.
6 min |
December 2024
SA Flyer Magazine
FLYING AROUND THE KZN AIRFIELDS
In less time than it takes to drive from one side of Johannesburg to the other, you can fly to beautiful KZN to experience amazing scenery and some fantastic airfields and hospitality.
5 min |
December 2024
SA Flyer Magazine
GOING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
I'm sure you are familiar with the 'Leave Bug'. It's a little worm which lives in calendars. It hatches in cycles of two. Just before you are due to go on leave it grabs the last five days of duty and makes each one last for 48 hours.
9 min |
December 2024
SA Flyer Magazine
OCTOBER 2024
The end of the year is fast approaching and so spare a thought for airline staff as this is one of the busiest times for them!
4 min |
December 2024
SA Flyer Magazine
EXERCISE VUK'UHLOME 2024
The South African Army's Exercise Vuk'uhlome 2024 Distinguished Visitors (DV) Day took place on 21 November at its Lohatlha Combat Training Centre. Although an Army exercise, the event combines SAAF squadrons for ground support.
1 min |
December 2024
African Pilot
Continental Aerospace Technologies Avgas engine workshop
Over a period of two weeks Tim Owen from Continental provided engine technical training within the Cirrus South Africa's Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO) at Lanseria International Airport for a selected group of individuals working within piston engine aircraft overhaul shops.
2 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
FK 9 Mk vi - RAPTOR
The FK9 Mk VI has just landed in South Africa.
1 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
An aviation photographer's experience at the Presidential inauguration
Witnessing the helicopter formation for the Presidential Inauguration in Pretoria on 18 June 2024 was an incredibly unique and exhilarating experience, an opportunity that does not come around very often.
3 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
EAA Chapter 322 Young Eagles 2024
The Experimental Aviation association (EAA) has a long history of engendering the passion for flying amongst its members as well as the youth of the world. EAA is a worldwide organisation with its most well-known event being the annual gathering in Oshkosh for a week of aviation as the largest aviation event in the world at the end of July each year.
4 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
Jabiru South Africa
Ask the aviation industry about Jabiru aircraft and you will find that they have an excellent reputation.
2 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
Bat Hawk Aircraft
Based in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, Micro Aviation SA (SACAA M-628) is the manufacturer of the most affordable Rotax 912 ULS powered light sport aircraft in the world.
1 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
Tech designed to prevent runway collisions tested in Washington
One Friday morning, the pilot of a Boeing 757 airliner approached Yakima Airport in Central Washington and lined up to land. On the threshold of the runway below, a Falcon 900 business jet was set for take-off, directly in the path of the Boeing 757.
7 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
Aviation industry improves baggage handling
SITA announced an improvement in the air transport industry's rate of mishandled baggage. The newly launched SITA Baggage IT Insights 2024 reports the number of bags mishandled by the industry falling from 7.6 to 6.9 per 1,000 passengers in 2023.
1 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
Textron's Cessna 408 SkyCourier
The Cessna 408 SkyCourier is an American utility aircraft designed and built by the Cessna division of Textron Aviation. It was launched on 28 November 2017, with an order for 50 aircraft from FedEx Express, with the aircraft designed for the needs of its FedEx Feeder service. It made its first flight on 17 May 2020 and was type certified on 11 March 2022, whilst FedEx took delivery of the first production model on 9 May 2022.
3 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
ExecuJet MRO Services! South Africa Set to Achieve New Record for Airframe Heavy Checks
JOHANNESBURG - ExecuJet MRO Services South Africa, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, is poised to set a new record this year for airframe heavy maintenance checks. The company's previous annual record was seven, but this year it will complete at least 11 thanks to additional work on Dassault Falcon aircraft.
1 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
Maputo airshow 2024 What a treat!
On Sunday 16 June Christine and I returned from attending the Maputo airshow and what a fantastic experience this was not only for estimated 15 000 spectators, but also the members of the media present. As always Brian Emmenis and his team were on top form with a great selection of music. The grand finale with the Puma Energy Flying Lions T6 Harvards was simply beautiful and I saw several spectators with tears in their eyes as they expressed their happiness for the airshow.
6 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
Single-pilot operations and lemon juice
Psychology researchers have found that some of the dumbest criminals and the cockiest pilots may have something in common: a hazardous cognitive bias, the Dunning–Kruger effect that hinders self-perception, clouds judgment and leads individuals to overestimate their ability. However, new psychological discoveries may provide a cure.
6 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
Sun City plans for sustainable solar energy
Sun City is going to great heights in its bid to one day take the resort completely off the grid. With all available space on the roof of Sun Central now covered by solar panels, the resort lifted its sights to the roof at The Palace and the Sun City hotel.
2 min |
July 2024
African Pilot
Belgium chposes Airbus H145M for Armed Forces and Federal Police
The Kingdom of Belgium will procure 15 multi-role H145M helicopters for the army and two helicopters plus three options for the Federal Police. The contract was signed between the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), on behalf of Belgium and Airbus Helicopters.
1 min |
July 2024
Future Flight
Walmart's retail renaissance brings better to life with innovation, integrations
At Walmart, the customer has always been at the center of everything. Helping people live better is not a mantra, it has been part of the company since day one.
2 min |
June 2024
Future Flight
Drone manufacturer AATI claims first-of-its-kind FAA approval
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) developer American Aerospace Technologies Inc. (AATI) says it has received an FAA exemption for commercial beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations of a drone weighing more than 55 pounds and flying above 400 feet. The FAA says the exemption is the first for a drone with those specifications that does not require human observers to directly monitor flights.
2 min |
June 2024
Future Flight
How AI drones have fizzled in Ukraine (so far)
Last year, both Russia and Ukraine boasted of fielding drones that tracked targets using AI algorithms. Now new expert analysis suggests that neither side managed to get this to work well enough for war but the US and China might.
4 min |
June 2024
Future Flight
Airbus partners with Avincis on AAM
Airbus and Avincis have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to partner on the development of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). The companies will collaborate to explore opportunities for operating electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft throughout Europe.
2 min |
June 2024
Future Flight
Lilium, French Government in 'advanced' talks for eVTOL jet manufacturing hub
The German manufacturer says it is in ‘advanced discussions’ with the French government to add a high-volume aircraft production facility in France, citing it as an attractive market for its flagship Lilium Jet. The company plans for the aircraft to enter service in 2026.
1 min |
June 2024
Future Flight
Non-CO2 emissions measured in commercial aircraft 100% SAF test
Results from the world's first in-flight study of the impact of using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on both engines of a commercial aircraft show a reduction in soot particles and formation of contrail ice crystals compared to using conventional Jet A-1 fuel.
2 min |