SACRIFICE

John continues his anecdotes about the sacrifices he has had to make in the course of his helicopter bush flying career.

KENYA - SAA PARTNERSHIP DELAY

KENYA AIRWAYS AND South African Airways announced the establishment of a highly anticipated Pan-African Airline Group three years ago.

TO PARIS FOR LUNCH

One morning I arrived back at Lanseria from a two day charter to a dreary Northern Cape iron mine. Entering the terminal, I removed my wings and epaulets, thrust them into my flight bag, and headed for the restaurant.

IRIS GOES TO SOMALIA

Having spent the last couple of years flying to a rota, I was thoroughly enjoying the freedom and randomness of flying charters at Sunbird Aviation.

TELEPORTATION

One of the best clients for whom I ever flew was BP, the British oil giant. I was with them in Algeria for about seven years, from the very start of their large gas projects, right in the heart of the Sahara Desert, near the small towns of In Amenas and In Salah.

RIGHT SEAT RULES NO. 16 FUEL SYSTEMS WHY SO COMPLICATED?

You know those aggranoying people who say, “Oh I wouldn't fly in one of those little things - you can't just pull over and fix it if something goes wrong\"? What makes this particularly irritating is that the bastards are right.

WHY CAN AEROPLANES FLY UPSIDE-DOWN¿

In 1945, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, precursor of NASA and source of much of our knowledge about practical aerodynamics, published a hefty compendium of aerofoil data, NACA Technical Report 824, which later appeared in book form under the title Theory of Wing Sections.

TRAVOLTA'S CROOKED PILOTS?

TWO PILOTS ARE CHARGED with embezzling close to $800,000 from John Travolta.

STELLENBOSCH AIR SHOW

The Western Cape does not get as many airshows as the Joburg area - which is a shame as it has great airshow performers and one of the best venues in the world for a flying club airshow.

PIPER'S COMANCHE 180 - IT TICKS ALL THE BOXES

The Comanche is a fabulous plane - that was frankly just too good to be a Piper.

THE WAR AGAINST CYBERATTACKS

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

IRIS - HER EARLY YEARS.Air Kenya

Laura McDermid continues her stories about Iris McCallum in East Africa.

ROBBIE ROBINSON

\"Hello. I am your Examiner...I am here to help you!\" Oh yeah...Really?

AOPA BRIEFING IS IT ABOUT THE MONEY?

Chris Martinus: President Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association South Africa

Blackhawk's 150th CARAVAN ENGINE UPGRADE

Blackhawk Aerospace has completed its 150th Cessna Caravan engine upgrade.

EL TAIL WAGS DOG

‘Hinge moment’ is the technical name for the force required to deflect a control surface. In small, relatively slow aeroplanes hinge moments are not very large; pilots move the controls with ease. But as control surfaces get larger and speeds get higher, hinge moments grow rapidly.

How the FAA is Fixing Recreational Flying

We often forget that South Africa still has some world class institutions that make our country a much better place than that supposed paragon of excellence the USA. The American banking system is archaic compared to South Africa and our restaurants and food are better and cheaper.

INDIAN OCEAN ISLAND ODYSSEY (OR FIASCO)

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

MERCY MAKAU INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME

Mercy Makau founded the non-profit organisation in Nairobi called Young Aviators Club of Africa (YACAfrica).

SAVING THE GIANT SABLE IN ANGOLA

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

IRIS - HER EARLY YEARS.Air Kenya

Laura McDermid continues her stories about Iris McCallum in East Africa.

TAAG ADDS FOUR 787S

TAAG Angola Airlines is adding the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to its fleet with an order for four of the wide-body jets.

ROBBIE ROBINSON

\"Hello. I am your Examiner...I am here to help you!\" Oh yeah...Really?

KEEPING TIME

Sometimes, late at night, I pass the time by searching for the names of friends and acquaintances on the Internet.

QUESTION BANK

Status Aviation has consolidated its position as the leading provider of theoretical knowledge to the aviation sector by acquiring the industry's most popular teaching and examination aid: Question Bank.

JUNE 2023

June has been quiet with only seven TCA aircraft (five fixed wing and two helicopters) being registered.

Saved from the Scrap Heap

It would be nice to think that the basic trainers we learned to fly on have the hopes and dreams of thousands of pilots grafted into their metallic DNA.

WHY IS THERE A SHORTAGE OF AIRLINE PILOTS?

I was looking for a job with a major airline and had finally got my shot at a selection board interview. It was my big opportunity.

REFLECTIONS ON INKWAZI

Inkwazi, the South African Air Force’s Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) used for VIP transport, has been reliably racking up the flying hours this year. In just the past two weeks before writing this column it flew President Ramaphosa tens of thousands of kilometres in back to back trips to Switzerland, Poland, Russia, and now France without a single hitch or serious snag and quick turnarounds between missions.

WILLIE WALSH BERATES POLITICIANS

IATA DIRECTOR GENERAL Willie Walsh took the opportunity of the organisation’s AGM to rebuke the governments that will play a crucial role in ensuring airlines’ hard work and investments are not in vain.