CATEGORIES

PILATUS UPDATES PC-24

For 2024, Pilatus has extended the payload-range capability of it PC-24 to give a maximum range with six passengers of 2,000 nautical miles.

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.

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.

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.

AKBAR AL BAKER RETIRES - NEW QATAR CEO ANNOUNCED.

Qatar Airways controversial CEO, Akbar Al Baker, is stepping down after 27 years.

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.

LANSERIA FLIGHT CENTRE - BUILDING A GLOBAL REPUTATION

As private flying becomes increasingly expensive for South Africans, many of the better flight training organisations (FTO) have shifted their marketing focus to international students.

JUNE 2023

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

RIGHT SEAT RULES NO. 8 - THE PREFLIGHT BRIEFING.

If I were a fisherman, which I'm not, I would exhort fellow piscators, via the Best Bait Buyers' Bulletin, to use the right worms. As an instructor, I now beg you to use the right words - always.

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.

POOLEYS AIR PILOT'S MANUALS

In 2022 the world-class Pooleys Air Pilot Manual series launched the first of their Southern African Series. They have now expanded the African series to include three more titles.

AVIATION'S GOT THE CAREERS - BUT ARE YOU READY?

Now that Covid is receding into being a bad dream and the aviation industry is bouncing back strongly, the aviation press, blogs and websites are abuzz with predictions that we’re facing a massive skills shortage. The only way to address this is by dramatically ramping up training to ensure an ongoing flow of new professionals into the industry.

A ROTAX POWERED RV-9

KITPLANES MAGAZINE REPORTS from Oshkosh AirVenture that there is “a Van’s RV-9A with an impressive nose job on display.”

AERO SOUTH AFRICA EXPO - 2023

The third edition of AERO South Africa took place on 6-8 July 2023 at Wonderboom Airport in Tshwane Pretoria.

THE FUTURE IS HERE

The star at this year’s Aero Expo South Africa, held at Wonderboom, was the Diamond DA-62. The demo aircraft was flown out to South Africa especially for the event – showing the easy capability of this latest generation piston twin.

KUMBULULUKA KWA BAFANA 2023 - ZAMBIAN CHILDREN'S FLIGHT

In 2016 musician, Michael Ferguson and commercial Pilot Felix Gosher joined forces to offer underprivileged children the opportunity to experience the joys of flight, a privilege that many of us take for granted. The initiative was inspired by a song by Michael, “Paper Plane” about a young boy with a dream to fly. Through hard work and dedication, his dream is realised.

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.

I REALLY THOUGHT I KNEW HOW TO FLY AN AIRCRAFT....NOT

There comes a time in one's life when it feels like it's time to re awaken the sparkle and wonder of flight by trying something new. There is nothing quite like the sobering snotklap you get as you begin as a fresh student all over again. I had to try to convince myself that, \"you're not crazy, John\".

IRIS - HER EARLY YEARS - Tanzania Game Tracker Safaris

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

YVONNE MANZI MAKOLO CHAIRS IATA BOARD OF GOVERNORS

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that RwandAir CEO Yvonne Manzi Makolo has assumed her duties as Chair of the IATA Board of Governors (BoG) for a one-year term, effective from the conclusion of the 79th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Istanbul, Türkiye on 5 June.

POL

In Part 1 of this two-part story, Hugh Tells how his engineer Pol got lost in the Libyan desert.

Maputo airshow KHANIMABO!!!

After a four-year hiatus, the Maputo Airshow returned on 17 June 2023 - and it maintained the high standard of the earlier show.