African Pilot - April 2023

In this issue

The April edition of African Pilot featuring Piston Powered aircraft types, Propellers, Piston Engines and AMOs. In addition to the main feature, African Pilot always publishes news from around the world and this edition also contains the Middel East IDEX exhibition feature and a feature on Australia’s Avalon exhibition. We also take a look at the Russian invasion of Ukraine one year on and what this devastating war is doing to most of Europe.

SAUDIA ANNOUNCES MAJOR BOEING ORDER

On 14 March 2023 Boeing and Jeddah-based Saudia announced that the Saudi national flag carrier will add up to 49 787 Dreamliners to its long-haul fleet.

1 min

VIP AIRCRAFT: HOW DO PRESIDENTS, PRIME MINISTERS AND HEADS OF STATE TRAVEL?

While some of the world's leaders and heads of state arrive at regional and international meetings on massive four-engined planes, others travel on smaller airliners or business jets.

5 mins

AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW AT AVALON AIRPORT

The AMDA Foundation Limited is an Australian not-for-profit corporation established to promote the development of aviation and Australia's industrial, manufacturing and information / communications technology resources in the fields of aviation, aerospace, maritime, defence and security. AMDA achieves this goal by delivering Australia's most prominent and respected world-class biennial industry expositions as platforms for interaction between industry, defence, government and academia.

5 mins

INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE EXHIBITION (IDEX)

The International Defence Exhibition & Conference, or IDEX, is a biennial arms and defence technology sales exhibition. The exhibition is the largest defence exhibition and conference in the Middle East and takes place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

5 mins

GARMIN UPDATES

Upgrade your avionics with the GTN™ Xi series navigator

1 min

EMIRATES SELECTS DIAMOND AIRCRAFT DA42-VI FOR FLIGHT TRAINING

Emirates Flight Training Academy (EFTA), operated by Emirates airline, is bolstering its current fleet with an order for three state-of-the-art twin engine training aircraft DA42-VI and its corresponding flight simulator from Diamond Aircraft.

2 mins

GRAVITY SUCKS

Well, I always wanted to talk about this thing called gravity.

10+ mins

Airbus Helicopters and International SOS join forces

Airbus Helicopters has partnered with International SOS to launch a next generation emergency medical system improvement programme, LifeSaver, which enhances healthcare systems to improve patient outcomes.

2 mins

LEONARDO'S AUSTRALIAN AW139 FLEET GROWS

Leonardo has announced further growth in presence of the AW139 intermediate twin engine helicopter in Australia with orders for a total of six aircraft by three different prime operators: Babcock Australasia, RACQ CQ Rescue and StarFlight Australia. All six aircraft will be delivered from Leonardo's Vergiate final assembly line facility in Italy during 2024.

3 mins

PISTON ENGINE AIRCRAFT 2023

Over the past fifteen years South Africa, which mirrors other countries in the world, has seen a steady decline in the number of 'certified piston engine' aircraft sold as 'new' to the market.

1 min

AVIAT AIRCRAFT

Get behind the stick in an Aviat Aircraft and you will experience the difference.

2 mins

SPANISH AIR FORCE PURCHASE ANOTHER 16 PC-21s AND SIMULATORS

The Spanish Air Force, Ejército del Aire, decided to purchase 24 PC-21s in early 2020. The final PC-21 of this order was delivered to Spain in mid-2022. The Spanish Air Force has now decided to purchase another 16 PC-21s. The contract signed with the Dirección General de Armamento y Material (DGAM) makes Spain the largest PC-21 operator in Europe.

7 mins

TWO-SEAT PROTOTYPE OF SOUTH KOREA's KF-21 FIGHTER JET CONNDUCTS MAIDEN FLIGHT

The test flight took place on 20 February 2023. The prototype stayed airborne for about 34 minutes flying from the 3rd Flying Training Wing of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) based in Sacheon Airport (HIN), South Korea.

4 mins

AFTER ONE YEAR WILL UKRAINE BE VICTORIOUS OVER RUSSIA'S INVASION?

On 24 February when Russian forces first crossed Ukraine's borders there were few who believed Kyiv would even last a week, let alone have any chance against Russia's overwhelming military. Yet when US President Joe Biden made a surprise and morale-building visit to Kyiv on 20 February he did so with a startlingly different assessment than defence planners would have given him a year ago.

7 mins

BLACKHAWK AEROSPACE UPDATES

Blackhawk Aerospace is adding the PC-12 to its roster of aircraft for aftermarket engine upgrade Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs).

2 mins

AERO CLUB OF SOUTH AFRICA'S AIRWEEK AT MIDDLEBURG

Once again, the annual AeCSA weekend fly-in staged at Middleburg airfield over three days Friday 3 to Sunday 5 March was an outstanding success. I drove to Middelburg on Friday morning and by 10h30 my tent office was set up so that I could report directly from this very important aviation event.

6 mins

SPORTS AEROBATIC CLUB TRAINING CAMP AT KITTY HAWK

Once again, the superb Kitty Hawk airfield was the venue for the SAC's aerobatics training camp over two days, Friday 10 and Saturday 11 March 2023. I drove to the venue on Saturday morning to spend some time watching the aerobatics training taking place.

2 mins

RARE WWII TARGET DRONE TO BE DISPLAYED IN A USA MUSEUM

On 28 February 2023, Idaho's Spirit of Flight Foundation museum announced that a rare WWII era Culver target drone has been donated to the museum's collection.

2 mins

BEST OF THE BEST DUTCH KINDEBERGER

James Howard 'Dutch' Kindelberger was an American aviation pioneer. He led North American Aviation from 1934 until 1960. As an extroverted character, Kindelberger was famed for his emphasis on hard work, orderliness and punctuality.

3 mins

DOUGLAS's A-26 INVADER ONE AIRCRAFT, THREE US WARS

The Douglas A-26 Invader was a World War II era, American, twin-engined light-bomber and ground attack aircraft designed to meet a 1940 US Army Air Corps (USAAC) requirement for multi-role light bomber optimised for low-level and medium-altitude precision bombing attacks.

7 mins

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African Pilot Magazine Description:

African Pilot is a niche market specialist aviation magazine that has been publishing uninterrupted for the past eighteen years. Subscribers to the magazine can expect glossy layouts with a modern ‘coffee table’ look featuring South African, African and world aviation events, interesting facts about aviation, historical features and general news within aviation. African Pilot is the only South African aviation magazine that strives and is most successful at covering most southern African aviation events. The magazine provides a platform for the organizers of airshows and specific aviation events to market their particular event to members of the public.