CATEGORIES

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.

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.

GRAVITY SUCKS

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

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.

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.

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.

IRIS GOES TO KHARTOUM - Laura McDermid continues her stories of Iris McCallum's flying exploits.

In Part 1, Iris introduced us to the American Congressman and diplomats she was flying with three planes from Nairobi to Khartoum.

FACE TO FACE - CEO MERCHANT WEST GROUP: BRAAM VILJOEN

Guy Leitch has 10 questions.

AIRLINK TO LAUNCH NAIROBI - JNB

Airlink will become the first private sector airline service, from to offer a daily Johannesburg-Nairobi 24 April 2023.

TURKEY'S DRONES FOR AFRICA

There are few greater recent success stories in military UAVs than Turkey's rapid transformation over the past twenty years into one of the world's key suppliers, mirroring a huge advancement in the rest of its indigenous defence industry.

The SAA V2.0 Fantasy

There is rapidly mounting evidence that we are being conned by the government about the real chances of success for the new SAA version 2.

RIGHT SEAT RULES NO. 4 - PREPARATION FOR FLIGHT

Instructors, you instruct with your mouth, not your hands and feet. And the only things you have in your toolbox are words.

BOSE NEW A30 HEADSET

It's always a big thing when Bose announces their next generation aviation headset. Their last big launch was 13 years ago with the A20.

STICK TO THE RULES

Try listen to your gut, follow the POH, be ready for the unexpected...and pray.

FEBRUARY 2023

anuary is usually the slowest month for the aircraft register, but perhaps reflecting the decline in the aviation industry, this year February has it beaten by quite a bit. There were only four Type Certified aircraft registered two fixed wing and two helicopters.

AIRBUS H125

We have said it before the French make the best helicopters. In the light helicopter series the original AS350 Écureuil (or Squirrel) has been a huge success and it was natural that the giant Airbus would continue to develop it only now called the H125 after the takeover of Aerospatiale, (which gave it the AS prefix).

HAI HELIEXPO 2023: EXPLORING THE WORLD'S LARGEST HELICOPTER INDUSTRY GATHERING

South Africa may have the largest and busiest general aviation sector in Africa, but when we look worldwide, over 80% of flights occur in North America alone. A substantial number of these flights are helicopters.

CAPE TOWN HELICOPTERS' - NEW EXPERIENCE FOCUS.

Cape Town Helicopters has adopted a specific focus on tourist operations particularly in the Cape Town area which is world-renowned as 'the Fairest Cape in all the world'.

PETER AND NICK'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

A phalanx of Restricted and Military Operating Areas confronts pilots heading north out of Los Angeles. Between sprawling Edwards Air Force Base and the Naval Air Weapons Station situated at water-free China Lake, a pilot studying the chart for the first time must think the way impassable.

TRUSTY TWIN

I don't know if you are familiar with the workings of the De Havilland (Canada) Dash 6, otherwise known as the Twin Otter, but they're surprisingly complicated for what has become one of the classic bush aircraft of all time.

FUEL PUMP F-UP

AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT

MISSION FLYING IN AFRICA - THE BEST AND WORST OF HUMANITY

Child rape is tragically all too common in places like South Sudan where justice isn't often delivered. Mission Aviation Fellowship comes to the rescue.

NEW STRUCTURE STOPS EAST LONDON ILS/VOR

The ILS and VOR approach to the primary East London Runway Runway 11 has been NOTAMed as \"permanently closed\" due to a structure having been erected on the approach to Runway 11.

ZEROAVIA HIGH TEMPERATURE FUEL CELL TESTING

On 9 March 2023 ZeroAvia announced that it has achieved record-breaking performance in testing of its High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) systems. Early testing of the pressurised 20kW HTPEM stack power module in ZeroAvia’s UK R&D location has demonstrated a record 2.5 kW/kg specific power at the cell level, paving the way for 3+ kW/kg system level densities in the next 24 months.

DASH-8 FLIES ON PARTIAL HYDROGEN POWER

On the morning of 2 March 2023, Universal Hydrogen, the California energy concern about the commendable endeavour of making hydrogen-powered commercial flight a near-term reality flew its Lightning McClean, a De Havilland Dash 8-300 regional airliner under partial, hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion.

SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL

Aviation has a very high impact on the planet, accounting for over two percent of global CO2 emissions, and nearly double that warming impact through non-CO2 effects. For this industry to persist in a zero-carbon world, we must find ways to reduce its impacts through new technology, operational efficiency, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and carbon offsets.

AUSTRALIA TO DEPLOY AIRSPACE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT IN 2025

On 27 February Airspace Australia said it has completed prototyping on its Flight Information Management System (FIMS) for UAS and is now focused on delivering a product in 2025.

BAE UNWRAPS STRIX VTOL STRIKE DRONE WITH 800KM RANGE AT AVALON

BAE Systems Australia used the first day of the biggest Avalon Air Show in history to unveil its new Strix long-range strike and ISR drone.

DO CONSUMERS TRUST THE IDEA OF DRONE DELIVERY?

While a stunning 90% of all Americans surveyed indicate that they are interested in ordering products for drone or driverless delivery, there are obvious concerns with safety, privacy and logistics.

WORLD'S FASTEST EVTOL TAKES PILOTS ONBOARD: THE AIRSPEEDER MK4 FLYING RACING CAR

Alauda Aeronautics has unveiled the Airspeeder Mk4, the first crewed version of its flying racing car.