SA Flyer Magazine
HEART TRANSPLANT!
Upgrading a C182 to a 300hp Conti 10-550.
5 min |
September 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
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.
3 min |
September 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
ZS-NJX AND ZU-MMI MOUNTAIN CRASH
AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT
6 min |
September 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
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.
4 min |
September 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
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.
6 min |
September 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
JULY 2022
For the first time in many years a brand-new Cessna 172 has been registered in South Africa. How things have changed.
2 min |
September 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
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.
1 min |
September 2022
African Pilot
L3HARRIS SKY WARDEN ATTACK PLANE WINS SOCOM’s ARMED OVERWATCH PROGRAMME
L3 Harris could produce up to 75 AT-802U Sky Warden aircraft to replace US Special Operations Command’s U-28 Draco.
2 min |
September 2022
African Pilot
AIRVENTURE 2022 - A RECORD YEAR
The 2022 edition of EAA AirVenture, the first full-scale gathering of the General Aviation world's biggest party post-pandemic, kicked off with strong storms, rocking the wings of many of the planes gathered in Oshkosh. However, the damage was minimal as many of the tens f thousands of aircraft on the campgrounds and around the airport were tied down to weather the severe weather. Fortunately, this was the only severe weather for the entire week, which was blessed with blue skies painted with fluffy white clouds, ideal for airshow photography. I have tried to recapture the immense size and spectacle of AirVenture in words, pictures and videos, but as I have said before, one needs to visit the Mecca of Aviation at least once in a lifetime in order to appreciate the vastness and excitement of this the 'World's Greatest Aviation Celebration'.
10+ min |
September 2022
African Pilot
BREAKING INTO BACKCOUNTRY FLYING: KITPLANE STYLE
Building your own airplane is an adventure in itself, but for backcountry-bound kitplane owners, the journey has just begun.
2 min |
September 2022
African Pilot
INTERVIEW WITH RODGER FOSTER CEO AIRLINK
This year represents Airlink’s 30 years of being a southern African regional airline and I used the opportunity to interview Rodger Foster who has been at the helm of the company for all of those years.
6 min |
September 2022
African Pilot
THE INVISIBLE SNARE
Synopsis SACAA On 18 March 2022, a pilot and a passenger on-board a Bell 206B helicopter with registration mark ZS-HJJ were engaged in an aerial search flight along the Crocodile River in Koedoeskop Farm, North West province. The flight was conducted in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) by day and under the provisions of Part 91 of the Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) 2011 as amended.
10+ min |
September 2022
African Pilot
PROFLIGHT ZAMBIA
I was extremely fortunate to have the flights for my recent excursion to Zambia sponsored by ProFlight Zambia. Arriving at the check-in counter I had a friendly greeting from the staff on duty and my check-in processed efficiently. After a quick milk shake (hey, I was early and wanted to prevent any potential issues during check-in / immigration) I passed through customs and immigration to the departure hall.
1 min |
September 2022
African Pilot
B-52H TO BE UPGRADED AGAIN
Boeing’s B-52 Stratofortress is the world’s oldest, in-service, military aircraft. Affectionately referred to as BUFF by the crews who fly it, the B-52 has existed in five iterations, designated A through H. Boeing built a total of 744 B-52s between 1952 and 1962, of which 76 remain in active service with the United States Air Force. With the possible exception of the 707-derivative KC-135, no aircraft in the USAF fleet has been so continuously and extensively modified, upgraded and modernised as the B-52.
2 min |
September 2022
African Pilot
US NAVY UNMANNED HELICOPTER IMPRESSES
Northrop Grumman's MQ-8C Fire Scout is an unmanned helicopter based on Bell's 407, itself a derivative of the hugely successful 206L-4 Long Ranger. The autonomous vehicle provides reconnaissance, situational awareness, aerial fire support and precision targeting support for the ground, air and sea forces of its primary user, the US Navy.
1 min |
September 2022
African Pilot
F/A-18E/F SERVICE LIFE MODIFICATION PROGRAMME UNDERWAY
The F-18 Hornet is a great many wondrous and worthwhile things. The twin-engine, all-weather, fourth-generation fighter is fast, manoeuvrable, tough, battle-proven, eminently upgradable and a symbol of American Naval airpower. However, the Hornet is not young.
2 min |
September 2022
African Pilot
UAVIONIX AV-30-C, STC NOW INCLUDES LIGHT TWINS AND HIGH-SPEED PISTONS
Last month uAvionix announced it has received FAA approval to expand the Approved Model List (AML) for its AV-30-C Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS), by more than 190 light twin and higher performance single-engine models. This expansion significantly extends the availability of AV-30-C in the general aviation market to include a large portion of popular aircraft from Beechcraft, Piper, Tecnam, Air Tractor, Cirrus, Extra, Howard, Taylorcraft, Cessna and many others.
2 min |
September 2022
African Pilot
MCC AVIATION'S FIREFIGHTING AIRBUS H125 HELICOPTERS IN ACTION
The assignment was to capture one of three MCC Aviation owned Airbus H125 helicopters fighting a deliberately set grass fire in the southern Highveld area of Mpumalanga on a brisk winter's day.
3 min |
September 2022
African Pilot
WHY EMIRATES THINKS AIRBUS SHOULD BUILD BIGGER PLANES
Following its unique relationship with the Airbus A380, Emirates has stated its wish for Airbus to continue to build larger aircraft. Speaking at a media roundtable in Doha, the airline's CEO, Tim Clark, made clear his thoughts on the need for larger aircraft in the future as demand for travel bounces back following the pandemic.
2 min |
September 2022
African Pilot
ALSIM WINS BIG
ALSIM, the innovative Nantes (France) based Flight Training Device manufacture, has recently had two big successes in North America.
1 min |
September 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
THE SECOND AERO SOUTH AFRICA EXPO
The second edition of AERO South Africa took Wonderboom Airport in from 7 - 9 July 2022 at Tshwane (Pretoria).
3 min |
August 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
ULTIMAX AVIATION - EVERYTHING ABOUT HELICOPTERS
ULTIMAX AVIATION is a Cape Town based Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO), renowned for its top-level experience in helicopter maintenance.
2 min |
August 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
CAPE TOWN SUPPLEMENT
Aviation in and around Cape Town is bouncing back strongly after the Covid lockdown and associated restrictions of travel.
4 min |
August 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
SLING HIGH WINGS - Epic Adventure to Oshkosh
The intrepid entrepreneurs of the Sling Aircraft Factory have done it again.
10+ min |
August 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
JET-A DIESELS - NOW A MATURE TECHNOLOGY
As Avgas prices head for R40/ litre the need for an alternative to Avgas powered planes becomes ever more pressing. The good news is that, for the past 16 years, Jet-A diesel piston engine technology has been quietly maturing. It has now become a well-developed aero engine that is a serious contender to compete in the piston market.
9 min |
August 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
THE TRUTH ABOUT EXPERIENCE
"Money lost - nothing lost; health lost - little lost; spirit lost - everything lost." - Igor Sikorsky The key to a long career in any chosen profession is to never fall out of love with the work you do. Because, as the quote attributed to the father of the helicopter, Igor Sikorsky, intimates, if you lose your spirit, you lose everything. Evangelist Billy Graham took the quote a step further, saying he believed the loss of character was the greatest loss a person could experience.
3 min |
August 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
BRAVE PILOTS, YELLOW ARCS
A dozen or so years ago, after the trend toward very powerful and fast turbocharged singles had begun, competition between the Lancair Columbia and the Mooney Bravo shed a fleeting light upon some odd quirks in the rules under which such aeroplanes were certificated.
6 min |
August 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
Van's RV-15 too little, too late?
There is a lifecycle in owner-run businesses. The dynamic founder gets old and steps back, and the business becomes professionally managed - which means cumbersome, with slow decision making. Such a fate may have befallen the iconic Vans Aircraft.
7 min |
August 2022
SA Flyer Magazine
VNAV LEATHER FLIGHT BAGS
Finding the right flight bag has always been a tricky undertaking and has deterred my wife from trying to buy me one.
3 min |
August 2022
African Pilot
A CENTURY OF OPERATIONS: THE 10 OLDEST AIRPORTS IN EUROPE
Can you believe that some airports in Europe are significantly older than the grandparents of those who work there? Here is a list of the oldest airports in Europe, all of which are still in operation.
7 min |