Wars
Wars are big bad news – so I will start with those. In the powder-keg that is the Middle East, the war against Israel spread to Lebanon. Yet again, activists conflate the violent actions of a small group of people with entire nations and religions, sparking hate-filled rhetoric and yet more violence.
There seems to be no solution. So I guess the Israeli objective is to just wipe the whole problem off the face of the Levant. The big question is what happens then?
The axis of evil appears to be the mad mullahs of Iran. It is now common knowledge that Iran gave the ANC the vast sum needed to wipe out its legacy debt and fund its 2024 election campaign. As a quid pro quo it required our government to use our muppet lawyers as useful idiots by reporting Israel to the International Court of Justice – and leading antiIsrael protests. You couldn’t make this stuff up.
The paroxysms of the Middle East eclipse the long-playing tragedy of the Russia-Ukraine war, which I fear will only end with a rancorous stalemate with chunks of eastern Ukraine having been given to Russia as its reward for the invasion of a neighbouring state. When will Putin be hounded out? Can Trump complete the Abrahamic accords? If he did, would he deserve a Nobel Peace Prize? No wonder the humble banana has become a unit of measurement in the Starship.
South African Aviation
That’s enough of big picture angst. Back home, in our own little general aviation (GA) cabbage patch, what’s been going on?
This story is from the January 2025 edition of SA Flyer Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2025 edition of SA Flyer Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
LIVING THE DREAM Part 2: Planning and Pax
Part 2: Planning and Pax
QUEEN AIR TALES
In the early seventies Esquire Airways acquired a pre-owned Beechcraft Queen Air. This top of the range 8,800 lb MAUW model had nine forward facing commuter seats and I flew it as a single pilot operation for several months.
HELICOPTER PILOTS SHOULD UNIONISE
Helicopter pilots are stuck in a 12-month flying cycle. While they will have periods of rest and active rest (performing ground-based tasks and planning ventures) within their work source campaigns, it's not a good situation. They need programmed periods to catch their breath.
AFTERMATH of the Engine Fire
Iris McCallum continues her stories about her early years with Air Kenya. This month she tells us about the immediate aftermath of her dramatic engine fire and crash, and her subsequent 'getting back onto the saddle'.
LARGEST EVER RHINO RELOCATION
Specialist air cargo operator ACS mobilised all its skills to successfully complete a very challenging project – the translocation of 39 White Rhino from Namibia to the USA.
NOVEMBER 2024
November sees strong growth in aircraft registrations with 16 additions, but 10 aircraft are cancelled as exported. The Type Certified additions are a mixed bag.
TWINCO FUEL
AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT
RON WHEELDON'S HUNTERS
RON WHEELDON is a Johannesburg based trademark and IP attorney. He writes, \"My love affair with Hawker Hunter jet fighters started in approximately 1963 when the Rhodesian parliament opening was marked by a fly-by of nine recently acquired Hawker Hunters in diamond formation.
FLYING THE HAWKER HUNTER
Flying a Hunter starts hours before actually walking out to the aircraft. This machine is a legend, but it is first of all about the highest performance machine that it is feasible for a civilian to fly. Flying it is not to be taken lightly.
RIGHT SEAT RULES NO. 25 SLOW FLIGHT
Most of us feel a bit edgy when the ASI creeps down within 10 KIAS of the stall. Jim Davis has some hints on how to be comfortable and in control - even when the airspeed is 20 KIAS below the stall.
