INDIAN OCEAN ISLAND ODYSSEY (OR FIASCO)

THEY WERE AWARE of the Coelacanth discovery near the Comoros Islands, and the proliferation of exotic fish and turtles that enjoyed the warm waters surrounding the French dependency of Mayotte in the Comoros archipelago, which featured one of the largest lagoons on Earth.
The fishing club chartered a Douglas DC-6 freighter from Inter Ocean Airways at Lanseria. The freighter had been converted to passenger status by installing several rows of seats.
Whether the aircraft carried passenger oxygen outlets, a galley or other normal amenities found on passenger aircraft, I don’t know. These items are normally removed from freight aircraft to reduce weight to increase the cargo capacity.
The installation of the seats and other passenger amenities took a few days longer than expected, so the passengers had to seek overnight accommodation. Some slept on seats at Lanseria airport and some in the squash court.
Once the aircraft was nearly ready, a Belgian pilot arrived to command the flight, aided by an American DC-3 Dakota owner and operator (Captain Fantastic in an earlier story) as co-pilot. The Belgian used to be a flight engineer and he sported a worn-out navy blue uniform with faded gold braid which made him look like a head waiter.
Once the DC-6 was deemed more or less ready for flight, work was suspended to allow the pilots to familiarise themselves with the aircraft during daylight hours. Then cosmetic finishes to the passenger installations were continued during the night.
During the afternoon the two pilots and a flight engineer started the engines. When the normal clouds of thick grey oil smoke cleared, they taxied out for a familiarisation flight watched by several passengers who had hoped to have been in the Comoros a couple of days previously.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 2023-Ausgabe von SA Flyer Magazine.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 2023-Ausgabe von SA Flyer Magazine.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 9.500 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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PIPISTREL'S ELECTRO VELIS
THE FUTURE IS HERE!

LIVING THE DREAM-HEADING OFFSHORE
I dearly miss the mountains of the Western Cape, but I'm soon reminded that my \"office\" offers one of the best views, regardless of where I happen to be located on this planet. Today is no different, as ocean, clouds, and sunrise all conspire to produce a breathtaking vista while we settle down in the rhythmic gallop of the big Sikorsky.

CANADIAN C152 spin
Jim’s Note: The SACAA seem to have lost all but the newest and oldest accident reports. This is not a bad thing because I have found Canadian reports are excellent and have selected this one, because it deals with issues very relevant to South Africa – particularly density altitude, spinning, and post maintenance test flight

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I remember back in 1960 being in Nairobi West (where Wilson Airport is situated) standing with my mother watching a train pass by, filled with refugees from the Belgian Congo. The train was full, with many of the people dressed in pyjamas, or whatever they could find to wear in their haste to leave.

EVACUATOR
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JANUARY 2025
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