BOEING MAX 7’S APPROVAL DELAYED

The FAA is asking more questions about Boeing’s 737 Max 7 aircraft, increasing the likelihood that the company will be unable to complete the certification process by late December and have to undertake a costly redesign.

FACE TO FACE JAMES GELDENHUYS

Nedbank’s Aircraft Finance head James Geldenhuys answers Guy Leitch’s questions about the state of post Covid aviation finance in Africa.

THE COVID ADVENTURE CONTINUES - HYENAS OF THE LIMPOPO

Smuggling of cigarettes, contraband, vehicles, humans and equipment to and from Zimbabwe into South Africa through illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River has become a normal daily business, but increased dramatically from the beginning of April 2020 when South African lockdown regulations banned cigarette sales.

FLYING A NAVION RANGEMASTER FROM LAGOS TO NAIROBI

Laura McDermid continues her stories of Iris McCallum’s flying exploits.

WHY DO WE NEED FIGHTER AIRCRAFT?

With the South African Air Force’s Gripen fleet steadily returning to operational status after a year-long grounding as a result of budget cuts and delays in negotiating anew supportcontract, there were once again claims by politicians, journalists, civil society, and members of the public that the country has no need for fighter aircraft at all.

HUGH’S FIRST FLIGHT EVER

Some of my friends say that am a slow reader and a late developer. Maybe they are right, but I find that when I read something, I tend to remember it better than some of the high-speed readers of my acquaintance do, and when, a bit later in life than some of my contemporaries, I spot some new enthusiasm I tend to fall for it, big time.

FLYING FOR FREEDOM

AS THE FOUNDER and driving force behind his registered and approved non-profit organisation, Flying For Freedom SA (FFFSA), Tokkie Botes has donated over 1,000 hours of flying in his Bell 206 to the service of conservation in Southern Africa.

AVIATION COMPANY PROFILES GUIDE 2023

AVIATION COMPANY PROFILES GUIDE

PARAMOUNT QUALIFIES ENGINEERS

Addressing the pending skills shortage, Paramount Aerospace Systems PAS), has qualified fifteen students as aircraft technicians and engineers.

TECNAM’S P2012 STOL

Tecnam has introduced the new P2012 STOL dedicated to Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) operations.

SEPTEMBER 2022: This month, although not quite as exciting as last month, nevertheless contains a few delicious items.

FIRST OF ALL, there is an Embraer 145 added to the register which was seen operating in Russia with her South African registration, ZS-ABB, applied in the last month. Unfortunately, nobody that I know has been able to photograph her as yet. This Embraer takes up the former registration of an Avro Avion which was written off in 1947.

CESSNA 206 CFIT

AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT

ZS-VCE - A PERSONAL HISTORY

In 1949 an Ercoupe, the 415-E model, with the serial number 4975 was born. I'm not exactly sure how she got into South Africa, but she started her life as ZS-BSJ as early as 1950. As with all Ercoupes of the time, she had no rudder pedals and was fitted with the Continental C-85 85 hp) engine.

ERCO ERCOUPE A WONDERFUL LITTLE PLANE!

With its low wing, tricycle gear and safe car-like handling, the Ercoupe was a genuinely revolutionary aircraft.

FROM THE WAODANIS To WEAPONS WAR.

What have a missionary with a bucket and a fisherman with a Bonanza, got to do with the future of military drone technology?

AIRLITE PRO

It’s been a while coming but finally we have a handheld radio scanner with GPS.

SHORT FINALS

Inthe October 2018 edition of SAFlyer, regular readers of the magazine would have noticed a new Heli Ops” column appear on page 46. In that first column, introduced myself, The Silver Fox,” as well as several themes that would build on as the magazine moved from its printed version, through a Covid-19 induced lockdown, to where it is now, online.

REVISITING A PC-12 CRASH

Sometimes it's not the speed that breaks aeroplanes, it's the slowing down.

CORSIA, SAF & Poppy Mania

Who wudda thought it? According to ICAO, the biggest crisis facing the airline industry today is not the sky-high price of fuel or the problems of actually getting it to the airports when gas pipelines are being blown up and tankers get caught in storms.

SOLAR-POWERED DRONE CRASHES

The Airbus Zephyr's 'unexpected termination' comes after 64 days in the air. The Zeyphr surpassed all known uncrewed aircraft endurance records.

STARLITE TRAINING'S VALUE CHAIN

IN ADDITION TO THIS LATEST MISSION training system, Starlite Academy's full value chain is now able to provide training on the full range of Airbus helicopters in the Starlite holding company SAF Group's fleet.

THE GLIDING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

South Africa produced an outstanding all-round performance at the 37th FAI World Gliding Championships, held in Szeged, Hungary in August.

LIQUID EIGHT

I am now 60 years old, so I am out of Part 135 operations. However, there is still some fire left in the hearth and so there may still be some sparks which I could offer to the Part 121 side of the aviation industry, if required.

AAD 2022 PREVIEW

The Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition is taking place between 21 to 25 September 2022, and will once again bring together aviation suppliers from across the world to South Africa to exhibit the latest technological innovations in the aviation and defence sectors.

JULY 2022

For the first time in many years a brand-new Cessna 172 has been registered in South Africa. How things have changed.

HEART TRANSPLANT!

Upgrading a C182 to a 300hp Conti 10-550.

ZS-NJX AND ZU-MMI MOUNTAIN CRASH

AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT

BOMBARDIER GLOBAL 6000 - SMOOTH OPERATOR

The market for large business jets in Africa is fiercely contested. Bombardier has done particularly well in this tough environment with its Global 6000. We look at its features - and what its operators like, and dislike, about it.

THE KNYSNA TRIANGLE

Knysna is a very odd place - there's no airfield near the town. But when I was there, there were three active ones in walking distance of the CBD. And all within a few hundred yards of each other.

HI HO SILVER, AWAY!

Some helicopters are more memorable than others. For instance, the Hughes 500 has an acute feeling of claustrophobia in its cosy cockpit, while a Squirrel almost always has a way of humbling even an experienced pilot with a wiggle of its skids on landing.