FlightCm African Aviation
Edition 145 | NOVEMBER 2020
Gen. Des Barker: Spitfire or Hurricane?
Real HELICOPTERS HAVE HOISTS SAAF denies its centenary!
HAS THE WORLD OVERREACTED TO COVID-19?
O B M
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CONTENTS
TABLE OF 08 12 18 24 32 36 37 38 40 51 53 73 88
Publisher Flyer and Aviation Publications cc Managing Editor Guy Leitch guy@flightcommag.com Advertising Sales Wayne Wilson wayne@saflyermag.co.za Layout & Design Emily-Jane Kinnear
NOVEMBER 2020 EDITION 145
Bush Pilot - Hugh Pryor
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A NOTE FROM
THE EDITOR: There seems to be no relief from the endless barrage of bad news about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly on African airlines. And now there is increasing evidence the whole world has over-reacted – prevention is worse than the disease?
I
N late October the International Air Transport
Association (IATA) downgraded its bellweather traffic forecast for Africa for 2020 to reflect a weaker-than-expected recovery. IATA now expects full-year 2020 passenger numbers in Africa to reach just 30% of 2019 levels, down significantly from the 45% that was projected in July. In absolute numbers, the region is expected to see around 45 million travellers in 2020 compared to the 155 million in 2019 The recovery will be even slower than hoped. In 2021, demand is expected to recover to 45% of 2019
levels to reach close to 70 million travellers. But a full return to 2019 levels is not expected until late 2023 – a full three years – just to get back to previous levels, and not to the additional 15% growth that had been expected. IATA reports that forward bookings for air travel in the fourth quarter show that the recovery continues to falter. While domestic travel is picking up across Africa as countries re-open their borders, international travel is heavily constrained as major markets including the EU remain closed to citizens of African nations. Currently, residents from only two African countries – Rwanda and Tunisia – are permitted to enter EU borders. Muhammad Albakri, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East notes that the further fall in passenger traffic in 2020 is more bad news for the African aviation industry. IATA had hoped that “demand of just 45% across the continent in 2020 compared to 2019 was as bad as it would get. But with international travel remaining virtually non-existent and a slower than expected pick up in domestic travel, IATA has revised its expectations downward to 30%.” As a consequence, more African airlines are expected to collapse unless they get large scale government support. South African Airways and three other airlines across Africa have already ceased operations due to the impact of COVID-19 and two are in voluntary administration, with many more in serious financial distress. IATA notes that “without urgent financial relief more carriers and their employees are at risk, as is the wider African
air transport industry, which supports 7.7 million jobs on the continent.” Assistance has been made available by some airline-owner governments, but it now appears to be insufficient – and maybe even too little too late. Rwanda, Senegal, Côte D’Ivoire and Burkina Faso have pledged a total of U$D 311 million in direct financial support to their airlines. A further U$D 30 billion has been promised by some governments, international finance bodies and other institutions
in severe distress to resurrection from bankruptcy,” said Albakri. IATA calculates that millions of African jobs and billions in GDP are at risk. Job losses include the 4.5 million jobs which will be lost in aviation and the industries supported by aviation. This is well over half of the region’s 7.7 million aviation related employment. In terms of direct job losses IATA estimates that 172,00 jobs will be lost in aviation alone in 2020. This is about 40% of the region’s 440,000 direct aviation jobs. More importantly IATA calculates the loss to the continent’s GDP at around $37 billion, which is almost 60% less
Over-reaction against the spread of Covid-19 will harm far more people than the actual disease including the African Development Bank, African Export Import Bank, African Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for air transport and tourism. However, most of this relief is yet to reach those in need. “Hundreds of thousands of airline jobs are at risk if there is a systemic failure in African aviation. And this is not just in aviation, but across industries that depend on efficient global connectivity. Much needed financial relief has been pledged, but little has materialised. The situation is critical. Governments and donor organizations need to act fast or the challenge will move from supporting an industry 6
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than pre COVID-19 levels. There are increasing calls from African airline chief executives, such as Miles van der Molen of CemAir, that the world has over-reacted to the threat of Covid-19. Their view is supported by data emerging that shows that the pandemic has a far lower death rate than was initially anticipated. Given the many millions of people that will be pushed over the edge into hunger and starvation, Van der Molen appears vindicated. It is becoming increasingly evident that worldwide – and specifically African – government over-reaction against the spread of Covid-19 will harm far more people than the actual disease.
BUSH PILOT HUGH PRYOR
CANADIAN PILOTS IN AFRICA Bob has asked me tell you about Canadian pilots who came to work in Africa and I was initially QWERTYjammed....I didn’t know any Canadian pilots who had worked in Africa. Then I thought back a bit.....and suddenly I realised that quite a lot of my mates were actually Canadians. So....here we go........
I
have spent most of my professional life in the wilds of Africa and the Middle East and, since flying has been my privilege, I have had the good fortune to have run into some really memorable characters of all shapes, sizes, nationalities, and genders...yes...and even one or two of ‘those’ too......but you’re bound to get the ‘odd’ one in any profession. Since most of my flying career
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has been in remote areas, the colleagues with whom I have worked have tended to come from the less sophisticated corners of the world, where self-reliance is a more important requirement than, say, an intimate knowledge of late nineteenth century preRaphaelite art. Canadians, I say with the greatest respect, fall comfortably into the first category. Having had to sort out their own problems,
frequently without direct access to the internet, they become more resourceful than your average city Walla. Bob’s books will tell you why. That’s not to say that all Canadian pilots are unsophisticated slobs, it’s just that their priorities put practicality on primary and politics on a very poorly placed secondary, in a two-horse race. So I have chosen a couple or six examples to attempt to illustrate the kind of qualities I have encountered amongst the Canadian pilots I have worked with here in Africa ART
Art is in no way a preRaphaelite painting. Art (full name Arthur) is enormous and I have known him for over twenty years. He has a lovely red-haired Syrian wife who has brought him a beautiful family. Art is a good cook and a good host and he shares his skills very
BUSH PILOT HUGH PRYOR generously. So if you are stuck in some dump like Khartoum, where any food is a luxury and relaxing beverages are considered by the country’s leaders to be an invention of the devil, you can rely on Art to keep the communal spirits from flagging. On the other hand, if you are in an aeroplane, half way across Africa and half way up to the top of a towering and intimidatingly turbulent cumulonimbus line squall, with rain and hail lashing the airframe and lightning flashing and exploding against the windows, you could not do better than to have Art sitting in the left hand seat. He’s much more worried about tonight’s menu. If, God forbid, you have a middle-aged female
with a thirty knot crosswind and the VHF’s dead and the GPS is on the blink French tourist who swears (in French) that she left her lipstick and sun glasses in the aft luggage bay and she’s not going on safari without them or her little coochy poochy poodle, then it would probably be better to leave Art in the driving seat and get somebody better qualified to handle the problem, unless of course you want to end up in jail, or alternatively in hospital. JIM
Jim’s different from Art, but you can spot the Canadian in him just like you can in Art. If, for example, you are planning to fly from Brussels in Belgium, to Lyon in France, at flight 10
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level two-one-zero, across the Paris Air Traffic Zone in an ATR 72 with dual EFIS and FMS. coupled to the IRS and the GPS and RNAV, it’s probably better to send Jim by train with somebody to shepherd him between the terminals in the city. He’s probably forgotten his glasses anyway. If, however, you are trying to get into TFT camp in the middle of the Algerian Sahara at night in a Twin Otter and the visibility’s one and a half kilometres, with a thirty knot cross-wind and the VHF’s dead and the GPS is on the blink, then Jim’s probably your man...particularly if he’s flying with that attractive little girl whom we just hired on as a co-pilot. Jim’s an incurable romantic. ERNIE
Ernie’s a bit different again. He rides around the Sahara with four turbo-props outside the windows and enough buttons and switches in the cockpit to confuse an astronaut. Sophisticated stuff indeed, but luckily a lot of it goes wrong on a regular basis, otherwise Ernie would lose interest, because at heart, he is a Fire Bomber Pilot and he would actually prefer to have the old R-2800’s banging away out there on the wing, rather than those smooth turbines. Call him old-fashioned if you like, but I know who I would rather be with when things unexpectedly start to depart from the Hollywood script. JONATHAN
Jonathan is ex-Canadian military and drives the same machinery. He knows more about those four turboprops than the manufacturer and he is generous with his knowledge to a fault. He’s also a brilliant and entrepreneurial cook, if you like your food thermo-nuclear. It is essential though that you keep more toilet paper than you thought you needed in the freezer, for the melt down which normally follows one of Jonathan’s tours de force.
He also has a wife who, to put it as politely as I can, keeps him on his toes. I well remember meeting Jonathan at the door of our company apartment in Geneva. He was wearing a knotted black nylon stocking tightly forced down over his head...and not much else except for a black T-shirt and a fairly cosy pair of underpants. Not sure whether I was prepared to risk my virginity for an evening with someone who was so bizarrely accoutred, I enquired what the game was. Jonathan, suddenly realising the reason for my reticence, burst into a gale of laughter and informed me that his wife had told him that, unless he got a decent parting in his unruly hair she would not be seen in public with him and this was his final attempt to satisfy her demands! Oh yes....and then there’s another Classic Canadian that I remember,.. VICTOR STIRLING MCGUIRE.
Tall, massively gentle, with white curly hair and shy to the point of almost total silence. Victor lost everything in Eritrea, which was part of the Ethiopian Empire when Emperor Haillie Selassie was murdered. The ‘Communist’ dictator, Mengistu Hailie Mariam, who replaced him and who still cowers under the protection of another dictator in Zimbabwe, took everything Victor owned, except for his Italian wife. Vic’s VIP, air-conditioned, (would you believe,) Beech 18 still sits in Asmara, where he left it when he was forced to run, at gun point. I saw it just a couple of years ago. It’s a bit ragged round the edges, but the props still turn. Fabric needs replacing for sure, but with the almost zero-corrosion climate that they have at that altitude, I’m sure that a fabricand-radial-engine-friendly engineer could make that aeroplane fly again. Vic’s Italian wife moved in when he got an apartment in Port Sudan while he was flying for the Port Sudan-Khartoum Pipeline Project. So did her
mother and father, grandmother and grandfather. The wife then produced a baby daughter who screamed so loud during the night that they had to put her out on the roof which was cooler and quieter.
the guys in the Mosque wrote a note to Vic Well, the Mosque across the street didn’t think so, even though they also traditionally scream in the night, with the aid of Bang and Olufsen. Anyway the
guys in the Mosque wrote a note to Vic complaining that the noise was disturbing the faithful in their prayers. Maybe they didn’t like the competition. Fairly soon after that the pipeline job collapsed along with almost everything else in Sudan, and Vic once again had to move, this time to Mombasa in Kenya, where he got a job flying for some multimillionaire who had businesses in the Comores Islands. Eventually the financial demands of the Italian side of the family became unsupportable and Vic finally sought a bit of peace and quiet back in Canada where, as far as I am aware, he still lives. That Beech 18 (air conditioned) is quite a tempting project, isn’t it…. As you can see, Victor is a comparatively detribalized Canadian, but he still exhibits that quality of calm in crisis which comes from having your roots buried in some remote corner of the world where the only person who is going to get you out of a jam is you. Sorry? You wanted to hear about Canadian Engineers in Africa too? Well, all I can say is that Canadian Engineers are the industry benchmark. But that’s another story.
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AIRLINES MIKE GOUGH
RE-INVENTING THE WHEEL Reinventing the wheel is something we tend to do here in South Africa when
it
comes
to
Civil
Aviation
Regulations – or CARs as we refer to them. We may not necessarily be outstandingly good at this, but we are doggedly determined, as Frank would have said, to do it our way.
T
country has never had Multicrew Pilot Licence (MPL) legislation included in our CARs, and to my immense disappointment, apparently does not consider this worthy of our time and effort. I have spent a considerable amount of my time researching this, mainly through the existing, somewhat amended, European legislation and it is absolutely light years ahead of where our 12
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1940s era training philosophy is. As always, when a topic is mostly disregarded and misunderstood in certain circles, it becomes associated with certain pre-conceived mindsets that tend to discount it in its entirety. This is most definitely the position that I pick up from those who should be championing this at our Civil Aviation Authority. I was informed it would possibly be detrimental to our training industry – a view point I have yet to encounter elsewhere.
The old school pilots and instructors here are (generally) of a similar opinion. The very process of having become ‘set in our ways’ is directly attributable to the rigidly regulated environment that exists in the civil aviation industry. Let’s re-wind all the way back to 1913, when public interest in aviation was gaining momentum. There was no plan for training aspiring aviators and certainly no form of licencing. A Mr. von Porat, while purchasing a flying machine and being shown how to operate it, was quoted in a New York publication as saying: “I was instructed to ascend and fly on a straight line along the runway, but I cannot recall any instruction on the hereafter necessary landing.” So much for early training techniques… As with many industries, the process of war forces massive advances in all technologies, and we all saw what the two
The massive new SACAA head office but the organisation is still stuck in outdated training programmes.
World Wars of the last century did for aviation. The requirement to train as many candidates as rapidly as possible led to the first basic lesson plans, some of which made their way into civilian training in the years between the wars. In 1926, the Air Commerce Act was introduced in the US as the regulation of the rapidly evolving technology of flight was recognised by the Federal Government as requiring some form of control. Prior to this, the Aero Club of America would issue ‘licences’ to those who wanted them, primarily as a symbol of prestige. In 1927, Private Pilot Licence (PPL) Number One was issued to Mr. William P. McCracken Jr. in the state of New York. McCracken did offer this first licence to be issued to Orville Wright, who apparently refused the honour as he was no longer actively flying, and also saw no need for such formality in the aviation world. Some years later it became apparent that the war machine was coming back to life in Europe, and this prompted the US Government to establish the Civil
Pilot Training Program (CPTP). This consisted of creating airfields close to 11 universities and financing these institutions to provide flight training to as many individuals who would sign up.
A complete lack of progressive thinking, or a case of “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it”…? This first formal course in the civilian world consisted of 72 hours of ground school, and 35 to 50 hours of flight training, of which 15 hours should be as ‘sole occupant of the airplane’. That, ladies and gentlemen, is where we get our current hour-based training outline from, and are still using it today, 82 years later. A complete lack of
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AIRLINES MIKE GOUGH
progressive thinking, or a case of “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it”…? Getting back to that early programme – it was a huge success, although viewed with a jaundiced eye by the military as they had little regard for a civilian programme, run by civilians. That all changed in
ABOVE: ICAO Annexure 1 sets the worldwide Personnel Licensing standards.
1939 when war broke out in Europe, and the US military took over the programme and renamed it the War Training Service. This was the main source of pilots and instructors during the first year of ramping up aviation preparations, which stood the US in good stead when they were forced to join the war effort in 1941. 14
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The end of the Second World War saw an even greater need for the world to manage this now highly developed, complex international aviation phenomenon. Through the United Nations, and as a result of the 1944 Chicago Convention, the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organisation (PICAO) was born. Canada inherited this new organisation, and decided in 1946 to headquarter it in Montreal, as at the time this was the most cosmopolitan city in the country, and it also happened to have the largest and most advanced airport. Our now-defunct national carrier, South African Airways, was one of the founder members of this organisation. As we know, to this day, this is where ICAO resides with the mandate to unify and harmonise aviation globally. In that year of 1946, four areas of expertise were established, namely: 1. Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) 2. Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS) 3. Regional Supplementary Procedures (SUPPs) 4. Guidance Material For those of us involved in commercial aviation, those titles should look familiar. The SARPs specifically gave rise to the ICAO Annexes, of which originally there were 12 and now total 19. These recommended practices have allowed world aviation to develop in a coordinated, internationally cohesive and safe manner. This essentially provided the foundation for the regulations that would allow an aircraft to take off from Johannesburg and land in New York, with everybody on the same page, so to speak.
Annex 1: Personnel Licencing, covers pilot training, and is primarily aimed at reducing, as far as possible, regional differences in standards and procedures. Their initial point of departure was informed by the success of the previously mentioned CPTP – the basic hours which have become to define the minimum for a PPL. All additional add-ons, such as the Commercial, Instrument and Airline Transport ratings were also defined internationally through this Annex 1. ICAO member states – which total 190 out of the world’s 196 countries – are obliged to comply with the content of all Annexes, or file a difference detailing the alternate regulation or procedure. Radical departures from any particular SARP would jeopardise the ICAO member status. An ICAO statement on their view of training regulations: “As long as air travel cannot do without pilots and other air and ground personnel, their competence, skill and training will remain the essential guarantee for efficient and safe operations.” The adoption of Annex 1 in 1948 by all ICAO states introduced the task-orientated, hour-based pilot training syllabus that we use to this day.
As far back as 1982 it was recognised that process changes would be required as Generation 2 (For example Boeing 747 Classic) aircraft started to give way to planned Generation 3 (747-400) and ICAO formed a panel to research the required changes, primarily from evidence contained in pilot training records and accident data.
first officer was ever widening. Similarly, the process of acting completely independently in a small cockpit compared to the multi-faceted processes in a heavy, fast turbine aircraft underscored the lack of ‘soft skill’ training in General Aviation. This was the birth of the Multi-crew Pilot Licence, and this completely revised process
Our now-defunct national carrier, South African Airways, was one of the founder members of this organisation. The recommendations produced from this panel in 1986 were not accepted by the ICAO Council, and the whole project lost momentum. This was revisited in 2000, as Generation 4 aircraft (Airbus 320) were now firmly part of the aviation landscape, and the gap between basic training in single crew, single engine piston aircraft and the target position of jet transport
was adopted by ICAO in 2006. The emphasis with this program is Competency Based Training (CBT) as opposed to ploughing through hundreds of relatively irrelevant piston single hours, simply to meet the outdated hourbased requirements. Significant research by a team of aviation and behavioural experts resulted in the identification of nine core
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AIRLINES MIKE GOUGH competencies necessary for the safe and efficient operation of a modern commercial airliner. These competencies can be divided into technical and nontechnical aspects, which further illustrates the major differences between this approach and good-old logbook filling exercises. The Technical Competencies are: • Aircraft Flight Path Management – Manual • Aircraft Flight Path Management – Automatic • Application of Procedures • Knowledge • Non-Technical Competencies: • Communication • Leadership and Teamwork • Situational Awareness • Problem Solving and Decision Making • Workload Management All the ICAO Annexures that control our lives.
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The first four are more in line with our traditional thinking: steep turns, using the autopilot, following manufacturer’s procedures and exhibiting knowledge of all aspects relevant to the operation. These are also fairly “black and white” to train and assess. The last five is where we are training for our airline environment from the outset of basic training. One cannot specifically teach Leadership, but it can certainly be developed in line with the future prospect of Command training. Similarly, assessing these soft skills requires new instructor and assessor ability. This competency-based philosophy was incorporated into a program that made significant use of simulators and reduced actual flight times. Typical values, depending on the program, requires 70 hours total flight time, of which 15 are solo,
Building hours to an ATPL by flying as a bush pilot is no longer the best way to the cockpit of an airliner.
and then between 170 and 200 hours on various simulators, culminating in a specific type rating in a Level D full flight simulator. Thus, the candidate is beholden to a particular operator and a particular aircraft type. A partner airline must be onboard with the programme, as the end recipient of the trained individual. The operator’s Procedures and Operations Manual, as well as the end-aircraft type philosophy is trained from day one, and all non-technical competencies are honed from the start. This individual, once the course is successfully completed, is truly an airline ready First Officer. A far cry from the 250 odd-hour CPL product we are currently producing in this country. I have done extensive work on this MPL project and have a potentially interested airline candidate in the wings (pun intended), only to have CAA do a complete 180 on their interest in this legislation and, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, to the
extent of receiving a comment that it could well be detrimental to training in South Africa. Good grief, people – let’s just stick with our 1938 concocted plan to produce airline pilots. Don’t get me wrong – the hour-based process can and does produce a competent PPL or CPL – depending on the individual concerned. However, a whole bunch of add-on modules and a complete type rating (which would be extremely difficult to complete successfully, from such a low skills base), would be required to get near any aircraft used commercially in a multi-crew environment. Now, I am adapting my Integrated ATP course to culminate in a type rating, with Multi-Crew Cooperation and all the core competencies integrated. Once again, a mish-mash of training procedures will need to be used to achieve a partially similar goal. Why do we continuously need to re-invent the wheel in this country?
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Defence - Darren Olivier Part of the impromptu 100th Centenary Celebrations.
NOTHING TO CELEBRATE? The SAAF’s Centenary non celebration This year, the South African Air Force (SAAF) turned 100. However you will find no mention of this remarkable milestone on any official websites or media releases, or at any official events, where instead there is only talk of celebrating the Air Force’s ‘Collective Heritage in 2020’. Even this, it turns out, was a compromise and a win against those in the military’s high command who wished for there to be no commemoration of the SAAF’s pre-1994 history at all. 18
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The unofficial SAAF Centenary badge.
H
did we get here, and is there any justification for the idea of a ‘clean break’ in the SAAF’s history after 1994? History is neither simple nor static. As a study of the world in all its complexities, it must constantly be revisited, re-examined, and revised in order to build on itself and slowly become a better reflection and analysis of what actually happened. Sometimes this involves adding more context by bringing in the experiences and views of those who may have been excluded before as a result of contemporary prejudices, closed archives, and similar restrictions. At other times it may involve using new modes of analysis on the same old material, such as applying new understandings of economics and other sciences to analyses of old wars. The most difficult task for historians is to unify a contested history, where two or more opposing sides must find a way to merge two completely separate and wildly different historical conceptions of the same events, and where each side’s understanding of that history forms a key part of their present identity and legitimacy. It takes immense courage for anyone to accept a challenge to their memory of the past. But it’s vitally important that we make the effort to do so, because without a shared history there is no shared future. Orwell was right when he said “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past”, because so much of the legitimacy of our parties, political identities, institutions, rules, norms, and all the rest, depend on our conception of the past. If we don’t agree at least mostly on the past, we can’t agree on what its effects mean in the present, and on how we want it to be in the future. This is most acute when it comes to commemorations or celebrations of past events or institutions. What is it that we are commemorating OW
or celebrating? For instance, after the Second World War, many Allied countries remembered the events through a mixture of commemorations for the fallen and celebrations of the victory. Over time though, as the world changed and the former enemies of Germany, Italy, and Japan became modern allies,
The SAAF had no trouble celebrating its 80th anniversary.
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those events shifted to become more sombre commemorations only, the triumphant aspects removed to create something that could be shared with former enemies and friends alike. We need to do something similar for the history of the South African National Defence Force’s constituent services and units, so as to create a way for us all to be able to commemorate their long histories, and the proud moments within them, while also making space to recognise that for most of the times those institutions actively excluded the majority of the population, and were at times responsible for severe hurt and harm to many who now form part of them. We can’t expect those to commemorate
Australian Air Force’s Air Power Development Centre once issuing a pamphlet claiming that van Ryneveld’s appointment did not create an air force truly separate from the army, and therefore the RAAF is older than the SAAF. It’s not the most credible argument as it doesn’t properly account for the loose structure of the Union Defence Force at the time, but it’s a great example of how even seemingly established facts can be open to legitimate challenge. Yet the SAAF is nonetheless one of the oldest air forces in the world, with a history that contains many proud moments such as its mammoth contribution in the East African, North African, and Italian campaigns of the Second World War,
the sterling performance of 2 Squadron during the Korean War, and numerous remarkable rescues and humanitarian aid missions ranging from the Berlin Airlift, through to the Oceanos rescue, and the response to devastating floods in Mozambique. It would be wrong of us though to ignore the moments that were less proud. The very first action of the SAAF, for instance, was to drop bombs on striking miners in Johannesburg, an action that would be considered unspeakably terrible today. And while for the most part, the SAAF’s actions during the Border War were legitimate, it did take part in several actions that were morally questionable such as reportedly playing a role in Dr Wouter Basson’s experiments on prisoners as part of Project Coast. For some countries, resolving that sort of a difficult history is considered more effort than it’s worth, and they’ve opted for clean breaks from the past and starting all over again. This means they have no obligation to celebrate or commemorate any history but that of the modern and untainted
The very first action of the SAAF was to drop bombs on striking miners in Johannesburg an uncomplicated and sanitised history of those institutions, just as we can’t expect those who were part of those services in the past to accept an overly simplistic view of their actions. THE SAAF’S FIRST HUNDRED YEARS
1 February 1920 is generally accepted as the formation date of the South African Air Force, as that was the date on which General Sir Pierre van Ryneveld was appointed as the Director Air Service with the task of creating an air force. Aptly enough, even this has been contested by some, with the Royal 20
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successor. Thus the German Air Force dates its arose as to whether to apply the same naming to the founding to 1956, when it was formed anew after arms of service. At the JMCC meeting on 13 April its predecessor had been disbanded at the end of 1994, the SAAF formally requested that it be allowed the war. While it might be argued that historical to retain its name, with the following recorded: discontinuity was necessary in that case given the “Gen Mortimer said that the South African Air 11 year gap, the Germans did it again when the Force (SAAF) has requested that the name saaf be East German Air Force was disbanded during the retained. The main reason was that the SAAF was country’s reunification and merely absorbed into the world’s second oldest air force and would loose West Germany’s Air Force without any of its history, [sic] its status if the SAAF is to be renamed, e.g. units or institutions preserved. So why didn’t South Africa opt for the same sort of historical discontinuity in 1994, with the changeover to a full democratic government? After all, the SANDF itself is officially a clean break from the SADF that preceded it as the country’s defence force, with the name intentionally Spontaneous 100th celebrations sprang up around the air forces bases. changed to reflect that. The clean break was not applied equally though, as the Air Force, Army, the South African National Air Force (SANAF). and Navy, along with all their units, were brought Although a discussion followed on the renaming across with full historical continuity. It wasn’t clear of the other arms of the service as well and a real why this was done, until Dean Wingrin unearthed difference in opinion occurred, the JMCC decided minutes from the Joint Military Co-ordinating that the name SAAF is to be retained, but that the Council (JMCC) meetings held in early 1994, where matter of the names of the remainder of the arms the question about the SAAF’s historical continuity of the service be deferred for later discussion and was explicitly addressed. decision taking.” The JMCC was part of the Transitional Executive The decision was sent up to the Sub-Council Council (TEC), a multiparty governance and on Defence, which unanimously agreed with the negotiation structure formed in 1993 to oversee decision being recorded in the minutes of the South Africa’s transition to its first democratic eleventh JMCC meeting on 22 April 1994: elections. The JMCC in turn was overseen by the “The SCD stressed the fact that it took pride in TEC’s Sub-Council on Defence, to which decisions the status of the SAAF as the world’s second oldest could be referred. air force and has decided to retain the name SA On 22 March 1994 at the seventh JMCC meeting, Air Force (SAAF), due to its status. The SCD has the proposal to use the name SANDF for the new strongly recommended that the name of the SA defence force was accepted, after which the question Army, SA Navy and SA Medical Service be retained,
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without the addition of the term “National” in front of the arm of the service.” There should therefore be no confusion over whether or not
and explicit explanations for why they’re doing it, but behind closed doors in secret where they can’t be openly challenged. It’s even more tragic that such
It is wrong for senior SANDF officers or politicians to pretend that the SAAF is not 100 years old the SAAF retains its pre-1994 history, because that question was decisively settled by the JMCC and SCD during the transition period. While those decisions can obviously be changed later, it would require an explicit action by the government to overturn them. In other words, it’s wrong for senior SANDF officers or politicians to pretend that the SAAF is not 100 years old, that it’s a continuation of its pre-1994 self, and to therefore ignore the centenary. In doing so they are explicitly ignoring the decisions and wishes of their predecessors. Worse, they’re not doing so out in the open with public statements 22
FlightCom Magazine
backroom dealing means that those within the SAAF who did want to see a commemoration of the centenary, including many who were formerly part of Umkhonto we-Sizwe and
other liberation movements, were unable to do so or speak openly. Lt Gen Msimang, who retired as Chief of the Air Force in October, evidently tried to tread the fine line between commemorating the centenary and respecting the wishes of his superiors. There had been rumours that he was trying to organise a much stronger celebration of the SAAF’s milestone at this year’s Africa Aerospace & Defence exhibition, but as that was cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ll never know what that may have looked like. With hope though, sense will one day prevail and it will become possible for the South African Air Force to commemorate its long history in a way that’s acceptable to all, and which neither shies away from nor downplays the difficult parts.
A C-130 Hercules painted to celebrate the SAAF's 75th anniversary.
A Message to All Our Loyal Readers The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown the aviation publication business into turmoil. QUESTION:
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T HE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS EFFECTIVELY FORCED ALL THE AVIATION MAGAZINES TO STOP PRINTING. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE IS NOW FAR MORE TO ENJOY!
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OVID-19 has brought the entire print publication industry to its knees. One of the impacts of this has been the closure of our retail distribution to shops and our inability to deliver subscriptions. For this reason, we have moved to a purely digital offering. Our new value proposition to you, our loyal reader: We now provide not just the magazine, but 3 different ways for you to get your flying fix – and not just monthly – but with new material every day! 1. Our all new digital pdf magazine - available for free on our website www.saflyer.com 2. Our Facebook page - with by far the biggest aviation following in Africa 3. Our brand-new state of the art website - visit www. saflyer.com And best of all! We provide all three of these platforms for free!!
The core our offering remains the magazines, which, as purely digital PDF publications use an excellent ‘e-zine’ reader. Click on: https://issuu.com/saflyermagazine for your free copy of SA Flyer and FlightCom. This very
powerful yet easy to use e-zine reader allows us to fully exploit the wonderful opportunities created by digital publishing in linking videos to our articles. And we have made the font and layout much easier to read on a tablet or computer monitor. So now – not only is SA Flyer and FlightCom available for free – it offers so much more! Our means of reaching our readers may have changed, but at SA Flyer and FlightCom we remain committed to our core principles of quality journalism and insightful thought-leadership. Our key objective is to inform and entertain our readers, which we do thanks to the world-class contributors we have nurtured. These include: •
Peter Garrison’s unrivalled insights into aerodynamics and accidents
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Jim Davis’s years of instructing experience
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George Tonking’s unique helicopter insights.
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At the same time we are nurturing young writers such as Johan Walden and the wonderful Dassie Persaud van der Westhuizen who qualified as an architect and then became a flight attendant to fund her flying training – all the way to the cockpit of an Airbus A320.
We are also the only magazine to do hands-on ‘from the cockpit’ flight tests where we actually fly the aircraft. And we bring our readers invaluable information, such as where to get the cheapest fuel – thus saving you thousands of Rands! We live in challenging times and it will be extremely interesting to see what the aviation publication market looks like in a year’s time. But in the meanwhile, we are confident that we are still by far the most liked and respected aviation magazine in Africa. Thank you for your support!
Guy Leitch
FlightCom Magazine
23
Helicopters S teve T richard
REAL
helicopters have hoists The S.A. Seafarer, with 75 people on board, ran aground near the Cape Town harbour in the early morning hours of 1 July 1966. The weather conditions were severe, with huge waves crashing into the ship. The force of the waves broke the ship in two.
T
hree South African Air Force (SAAF) Alouette III helicopters successfully rescued everybody by hoisting them to safety, working under extreme conditions. Monster Wilkins, piloting the first Alo overhead, wrote in his book “Chopper Pilot”, that “.... the spray from some waves crashing against the side of the ship would climb above 110 ft, to be blown over us by the gale force wind! That was not fun....” The rescue was completed in just over two hours. To many people, the most significant loss was the thousands of bottles of White Horse whisky that was on board! 24
FlightCom Magazine
THE OCEANOS The Oceanos rescue is one of the greatest and most successful maritime rescues ever undertaken – anywhere in the world. In August 1991, the SAAF was involved in the Oceanos passenger ship rescue when nine Puma helicopters hoisted 225 passengers and crew to safety. The Oceanos lost power near Coffee Bay along the coast of the Eastern Cape. Onboard an almost unbelievable situation developed. No alarm was raised, and passengers remained ignorant of any problems until the first signs of flooding in the lower
The NSRI book on the sinking Oceanos with SA Air Force helicopters.
FlightCom Magazine
25
decks. The captain abdicated his responsibilities, but to no one, and most of the crew abandoned ship, leaving the passengers to fend for themselves. The onboard entertainment team (consisting of band members and magicians) took charge of the situation and successfully dealt with all challenges that confronted them. Most passengers and crew were accommodated in lifeboats, but 225 were trapped on board the Oceanos. The first Puma helicopters arrived just before dawn. The before-takeoff briefing was sketchy, as no one knew exactly what the situation was. The Puma crews were not expecting what awaited them. The ship was listing at 30 degrees, with the bow so low in the water that the propellers were visible. The realisation that more than 200 people were still on the Oceanos came as a shock. The conditions were appalling with 60-knot winds, and 9 m swells. The flying operations and procedures were implemented and adapted as the very fluid situation
required. What was accomplished in the next few hours was beyond any expectations, a testament to excellent training of aircrew and divers and the determination of all involved. The last people were rescued less than 90 minutes before the ship sunk. THE FIRST REAL HELICOPTER Igor Sikorsky said “If a man is in need of rescue, an airplane can come in and throw flowers on him, and that’s just about all. But a direct lift aircraft could come in and save his life.” It is therefore fitting that the first hoist rescue was accomplished with a Sikorsky helicopter.
The rescue occurred on 29 November 1945, when an oil barge ran aground at Penfield Reef, during heavy weather, very near to the Sikorsky factory. The emergency services ran out of options to save the men on the barge, and they requested support from Sikorsky. Jimmy Viner, Sikorsky’s chief pilot, flew to the scene with the first available helicopter,
Dave Forney
Early success - a SAAF Alouette III rescues crew from the stranded Seafarer in Cape Town in 1966.
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FlightCom Magazine
but his attempts to land on the barge failed. Viner returned to the factory, where a R-5 had recently been equipped with an experimental external rescue hoist. The helicopter was quickly prepared for flight, which involved installing a main rotor blade! The hoist malfunctioned during the second rescue, but both men were brought to safety. Igor Sikorsky, born in Kyiv, Ukraine, is considered the father of helicopters. His innovative design, comprising a single main rotor and a single anti-torque tail rotor, remains the preferred configuration layout. In 1940 Sikorsky’s designs came together in the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300. The Sikorsky name will forever be linked to helicopters. However, he was a brilliant and versatile aviation designer and developer spanning a 50-year career. He is credited with many other outstanding accomplishments in the field of aircraft design. He designed and built the first heavy four-engine aircraft in 1913, before reaching the age of 30. The Sikorsky Ilya Muromets, the world’s first multiengine aircraft in production, was a revolutionary design, intended to be a multi-passenger luxurious airliner. With war inevitable, it evolved into the very successful Sikorsky S-25 heavy bomber. It was utilised during WW1 as a strategic bomber, a world first. Forty years after his death, Russia officially acknowledged the impact that Sikorsky had on Russian aircraft development. In 2012, the Tupolev Tu-160 “Blackjack” strategic bomber, tail number Red 14, received the name “Igor Sikorsky” (И́горь Сико́рский). It was controversial, and the official response was that “We can justly name Sikorsky the father of the Russian long-range aviation, because it was founded thanks to Ilya Muromets aircraft”. Red 14 disappeared from public view soon after and resurfaced in February
A Sikorsky R-5 performed the first helicopter hoist rescue in aviation history. Image - Sikorsky archives.
2020 as the extensively upgraded Tu-160M.
The Technical University in Kyiv was renamed “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, and in 2018 the Kyiv International Airport was renamed to “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv International Airport Zhuliany”. Sikorsky immigrated to America after the
Sikorsky piloting the VS-300 on its first flight, wearing his trademark Fedora hat he considered a lucky charm.
Russian Revolution, where he successfully designed multi-engine flying boats, notably the Sikorsky VS44. The VS-44 was a large four-engined flying boat, designed for the transatlantic passenger market. He then shifted his attention back to his dream of creating a direct lift aircraft. The success of the VS-300 led to the development
FlightCom Magazine
27
of the Sikorsky R-4, which became the world’s first massproduced helicopter in 1942. The Sikorsky S-51 was the first helicopter on SAAF inventory. It was a modification of the R-5, designed as a four-
“The S-51 however, had a very critical C of G movement, was top heavy and particularly prone to severe ground resonance. This led to all three S-51’s being badly damaged at one time or another when the aircraft took over
A volunteer being hoisted by a SAAF S-51, a real helicopter. (SAAF Museum).
place commercial helicopter, and a hoist was standard equipment. The three helicopters (with tail numbers A1, A2 and A3) were acquired in 1948 for spraying insecticides to control the Tsetse Fly in Northern Natal. The S-51s entered service with 12 Squadron, and, therefore, 12 Squadron became the first SAAF Squadron to operate helicopters! On the archived 17 Squadron website, edited by Crow Stannard, the following paragraph refers to the S-51.
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FlightCom Magazine
control from the pilot.” A private company bought Sikorsky S-51 A1 in 1964 and registered it as ZS-HBT. In 1976, a scrapyard in Cape Town offered A1’s wreck to the SAAF Museum. It was restored and is now on static display at the SAAF Museum in Pretoria. HUMOUR HOISTING No helicopter article is complete without relating the funny side of situations that helicopter crews encounters.
I had the enjoyable experience of working with Monster Wilkins in a staff post. First, some background and scene-setting. The SAAF received the first Alouette III helicopters, from France, in 1962. Monster was one of the first pilots to convert onto the Alo. The Alo 3, being a real helicopter, was fitted with a hoist. The rescue strop is a nylon webbing loop placed over the head of the ‘survivor’, positioned around the back and under the arms, with the hoist attachment above and in front of their face. That same year, in June 1962 Playboy magazine featured a bikini on its cover for the first time so in 1963 the bikini was still a very risky outfit, and in South Africa a rarity. Monster was flying low level along the coastline in Natal when he saw three girls with bikinis walking on the beach. The Alo 3, what a smart helicopter (!), went into an immediate steep turn and came to a hover next to the girls. The hoist went down, and to their astonishment, one of the girls got into the rescue strop. What else to do than to hoist her? They were in the hover for a while and then the flight engineer said on the intercom. “Luitenant al prang ons, nou moet jy kyk!” (Lieutenant even if we crash, now you have to
look!). Monster looked to his left just as the girl appeared “topless” in the door of the Alo. The strop pushed the bikini top all the way up to her neck. The next few seconds was probably the worst hover Monster ever did! And, as a final note - the Cambridge Business English Dictionary has a somewhat elementary “viewpoint”. It defines a helicopter as “A type of aircraft without wings, that has long flat parts on top that go round very fast. Helicopters take off and land vertically”.
A SAAF Puma lowering a SA Navy diver onto the Oceanos. The photo is not a true reflection of the conditions. The diver was banged against the superstructure.
RIGHT: The first time a bikini featured on a Playboy cover was June 1962. It places the Monster story in time-perspective! BELOW: Sikorsky Ilya Muromets – the in-flight access to the engines was unique.
FlightCom Magazine
29
S tory & I mages : G arth C alitz
The Chief of the South African Airforce, Lt Gen Fabian “Zakes” Msimang was bid farewell at a retreat parade held at AFB Zwartkop on Wednesday 30 September, eight years and two days after accepting command from Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano.
ABOVE: The Chief of the South African Air Force received a muted but warm retirement parade.
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FlightCom Magazine
T
retirement celebration was by Msimang’s own admission, fraught with “deliberate uncertainty.” Notably there was no announcement as to who would replace Msimang at the top position at the HE
SAAF. Lt Gen. Msimang was integrated into the SANDF in 1994 as a qualified helicopter pilot. He underwent his initial flight training in Frunze 1 Central Officers Training Centre in Kirghizstan in the USSR between 1986 and 1991. He graduated with a diploma in Command and Tactics of Military Aviation. In his early career, he flew Russian Mi8 and Mi25 helicopters. After joining the SAAF he flew Alouette III and Oryx Helicopters as well as completing a factory conversion on the A109E in Italy. Gen Msimang saw action in Angola, as a member of Umkhonto We Sizwe, in 1986. In 1994 he completed the Junior Staff Officer Course in Zimbabwe before being operationally deployed, as a directly commissioned
Major, in both maritime and inland helicopter was a light transport formation made up of a Pilatus operations in South Africa. After completing his PC12, two Beechcraft King Airs and five Cessna Senior Staff Officer’s Course at the Italian Air Caravans. Force War School, he was appointed as Officer A maritime patrol Douglas TP47 accompanied Commanding 87 Helicopter Flying School at AFB by a Casa 212 was followed closely by two Hercules Bloemspruit. The following year he completed the C130s in tight formation with four Pilatus PC7 Joint Senior Command and Staff Programme at the MkII trainers. The fly-pasts were closed off with South African National War College. a formation of two SAAB Gripens and four BAE Msimang was promoted to Colonel in 2005 and Hawk Mk 120s. assumed command of AFB Bloemspruit. After a A notable feature was the absence of senior two year tour as OC Bloemspruit, he was promoted military representation, the Chief of the SA Navy, to Brigadier General and Last flight - Gen Msimang lands an appointed as Director Alouette III to arrive at the parade. Helicopter Systems. Towards the end of 2010 he was once again promoted - to Chief Director Air Policy and Plans, as a Major General. In September 2012 he accepted the position as Chief of the South African Air Force, a position that carries the rank of Lieutenant General. Shortly after 17.00Z the General led the mass flypasts in the SAAF Museum’s Alouette III. He had regained Currency on the Allo III two months before the parade. While Gen Msimang was landing and disembarking the Alouette, the mass fly-pasts continued. The SAAF museum’s T55 Vampire was followed by a formation of two SAAF Museum helicopters, the Puma and an Alouette II. They were followed by an impressive formation of ten currently operational helicopters. The formation was led by the Rooivalk followed by Oryxes, A109’s and two Super Lynxes from Cape Town. Moving to the fixed-wing component of the SAAF, a formation of four Harvards from both the SAAF museum and The Harvard Club of South Africa growled through the skies. Next on the cards
Vice Admiral Samuel Hlongwane was the only head of a military arm that was present. One would have expected the Chief of the SANDF, General Solly Shoke and the heads of the SA Army and Military Medical Services to have attended this auspicious occasion, not to mention the Minister of Defence herself. Once the outgoing Chief of the SAAF had been welcomed, the guard of honour marched onto the parade ground accompanied by the SAAF Band. The National Anthem was then played followed by the “Retreat” accompanied by the symbolic lowering of the national flag. As is customary at military events, the SANDF code of conduct was recited as all uniformed members stood to attention. Chaplain
FlightCom Magazine
33
General Msimang salutes his Flight Engineer.
The helicopter formation.
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FlightCom Magazine
Martie Smit officially opened the event with scripture reading and prayer. Lt Gen Msimang then took to the podium and acknowledged the slow and fast march past by the guard of honour and colours group. The parade was then concluded with the marching off of the guard of honour and an “Upper Charlie” flare drop performed by a Gripen from 2 Squadron. Guests were then ushered
to Hangar 4 for a light meal and the speech by the outgoing CAF. Consensus was that Gen Buthelezi will succeed Gen Msimang. However the difficulties of the job were highlighted by a media relations failure which realised a draft of Gen Msimang’s speech – which controversially raised once again the expectation that the SAAF would acquire three of South African Airways now almost worthless Airbus A340s. There would be used for strategic troop transport and possibly for maritime patrol of the EEZ – a capability the de-funded SAAF sorely lacks. However Msimang made no reference to it in his address and so that possibility remains just an intriguing idea. Further, it was roundly repudiated by the SAA Business Rescue Practitioners.
The Gripen and Hawk formation was precise.
The SAAF museum's Vampie made a welcome flying appearance.
The flag lowering ceremony, with a non-SAAF Soviet era Mi-24 Hind behind - perhaps a reminder of his Umkonto we Sizwe days.
FlightCom Magazine
35
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FLIGHT SAFETY THROUGH MAINTENANCE
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Historic S tory : D es B arker
SPITFIRE vs HURRICANE Which is better?
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Even though the Hurricane was designed just a few years before the Spitfire, the more modern lineage of the Spitfire is evident.
The Battle of Britain was arguably the most important battle during WWII and the forerunner to the successes that routed the German forces and ended Hitler’s diabolical plans. Historians, aviation enthusiasts and air force officers on Staff Courses worldwide, have in their Air Power studies of the Battle of Britain, long debated which of the two aircraft contributed the most, the Spitfire, or the Hurricane. Des Barker offers his own subjective opinion.
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A wonderfully gritty image of pilots scrambling to their Hurricanes.
MISSION RELATION
The Battle of Britain was most probably the best time in history to be a fighter pilot. There was technological parity; guns only with no missiles, so pilots pitted their individual warrior skills against each other using an aircraft as a weapons platform. In 1940 there was no multi-role fighter capability; a fighter was designed to conduct air combat, and only that. In terms of aircraft evaluation, the performance must then be assessed against the mission design goals for air combat. In the specific case of the Battle of Britain, the Messerschmitt Bf109 was the opponent against which the Spitfire and Hurricane should be considered. A commonly used measure to argue the best fighter has been the number of kills. But that is not a fair criterion. At the commencement of the Battle of Britain Fighter Command fielded approximately two Hurricanes for each Spitfire, so it would not be fair to use number of kills. Also, the number of engagements differed vastly, so once again it would not be a fair metric. PILOTS
By design, fighter pilots were developed to be competitive and trained to be aggressive in pursuit; their lives depended on it. There is no second chance in air combat; get it wrong, and you’re dead! And air combat still remains one of the deadliest games in
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this lethal regime – very similar to Russian Roulette. Fighter pilots must be the best to survive in battle. But aggression, fighting spirit and courage are not
enough. They must have fine motor skills and the appropriate level of technology provided by the aerial weapons platform. In 1940 fighter tactics were not nearly as scientifically developed as they are today. There were no high and low speed yoyos, scissors, etc. There was no OODA Loop and Energy Management taught at
There is no second chance in air combat; get it wrong, and you’re dead! fighter training schools and with insufficient excess power to take the ‘fight’ into the vertical, air combat rather developed into a turning fight using spiral defensive turns in converting the potential energy to sustain the energy in the turn. Turning performance was thus a critical factor in combat manoeuvring. During one-against-one (1V1) engagements, the tactics of the day were lead pursuit curves for the attacker and defensive turning/circles for the defender, or high-speed disengagement runs.
To win in air combat, the essential elements required are superior training, equipment and tactics – it’s as simple as that. Considering the period of the Battle, the technological know-how of both Britain and Germany were essentially equal and there was not one of the Spitfire, Hurricane or Messerschmitt Bf109 that was technologically, significantly different from the others – they all had their weak and strong points. The secret was their utilisation within a specific optimum performance regime. From a fighter pilot’s perspective, the primary aim is to shoot down the enemy while simultaneously surviving the fight. Enhancing features that will facilitate the kill are aircraft performance, visibility from the cockpit, armament and the ability to bring the guns to bear on the target i.e. stability and control. LOCATION
Combat in defence of the homeland is most probably the biggest single motivator for any fighter pilot to ‘fight to the death’ – much greater than interdiction into a foreign country driven by political agendas. Being witness to the daily death and destruction inflicted on Britain would have made the RAF pilots extremely aggressive and persistent with a strong will to win and equally, to sacrifice their lives if necessary. One of the biggest challenges faced by Bf109 pilots was their limited persistence due to the 109’s limited endurance of just over an hour and, for the 109E, a 370 mile range with approximately 10 mins of loiter/combat time before leaving the bomber force undefended.
A 109 pilot had to keep an eye on a red ‘low fuel’ light because once this was illuminated, he was forced to turn back and head for France. With the prospect of two long flights over water, and knowing their range was substantially reduced when escorting bombers, the Jagdflieger coined the term Kanalkrankheit or ‘Channel sickness’. An advantage for RAF pilots was that being shot down over one’s own country enabled such pilots to be recycled back into operations as soon as they were physically and mentally able, which in many cases, was quite rapidly, whereas Luftwaffe pilots were taken prisoner of war with no further role to play in the Battle. In terms of losses then, a downed Bf109 constituted the loss of pilot and aircraft, whereas for the RAF, it could have been only the aircraft. Considering the rate of fighter production of the RAF at approximately 1,100 per month, the availability of pilots was critical; aircraft losses were less critical than pilot losses. AIRCRAFT
Force levels at any given point in the Battle varied on an hourly basis, but on 30 August 1940, 19 Hurricanes were more numerous than Spitfires which means they carried most of the workload.
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Spitfire squadrons (372 aircraft) and 33 Hurricane squadrons (709 aircraft) faced the overwhelming odds of the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe single-engine fighter was the Messerschmitt Bf109, of which there were more than 1000 available. The Hurricane was essentially a low wing Hawker monoplane developed from the biplane Fury with a rear fuselage of metal longerons, struts and tierods with wooden formers and stringers, covered in doped fabric. Technologically, it was between the old Fury biplane and the stressed metal skins of the Spitfire and the Bf109. This meant that the damage tolerance of a Hurricane to exploding cannon shells was superior to that of the Spitfire. The Hurricane could sustain significantly more structural damage than a Spitfire and could be repaired and turned-around quicker at squadron level than a Spitfire with the equivalent damage which required maintenance units’ skills. This was a huge bonus factor in the intense air combat in which the numbers game was so critical. The Spitfire was later technology, based on the streamlined Supermarine Racer. Its sleek
A key advantage that Britain had was fighting over it's own homeland - which meant that downed enemy aircraft and pilots could not return to battle
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lines created a large amount of ‘pop star’ status. Serviceability rates of the Hurricanes were always higher than the complex and more advanced Spitfire. The turn-around time, re-arm and refuel for the Spitfire, was 26 minutes, while the Hurricane’s was 9 minutes, which further increased its availability in the heat of battle. The wing loadings of both the Spitfire and the Hurricane were identical at 25 lb/sq. ft while the Bf109 with its considerably smaller wing area of only 174 sq. ft resulted in a relatively high wing loading of 34 lb/sq. ft. Wing loading translates into sustained turning capability. The Hurricane had an advantage over the Spitfire with a slightly greater turn rate, 26 deg/sec vs the 25deg/sec for the Spitfire and the 24deg/sec for the Bf109 which implied that in a turning fight, both the Spitfire and Hurricane could take on the Bf109. The question then became energy bleed during sustained turns. In air combat manoeuvring, maximum acceleration is obtained by ‘bunting’ the aircraft to zero ‘g’ at full power. The Merlin engine had a serious drawback by being equipped with a float-
type carburettor which cut out under negative ‘g’ forces while the fuel injected Daimler Benz DB601 engine gave the 109 an advantage over the carburettor-equipped engine. When RAF fighters attempted to “bunt” and dive away from an opponent as the Bf109 could, their engines would temporarily cut out for the duration of the negative-g forces, thereby facilitating the disengagement of the Bf109. Ergonomically, the pilot at the controls of a Hurricane, Spitfire or Bf109 was not the most comfortable person in the world, none of the aircraft were ever praised for comfort or luxury. The cockpits were narrow and shoulders brushed against the sides whenever ‘rubbernecking’ for enemy fighters; the wind noise levels even muffled the engine noise and the field of view was severely restricted. The all-round view from the ‘blown’ clear cockpit hood of the Spitfire was considered fair, however, the curved plexiglass windscreen caused considerable optical distortion which made long-distance visual scanning difficult. The Hurricane on the other hand, had a higher seating position which gave the pilot a better view over the nose than the Spitfire did. Douglas Bader commented that the Hurricane cockpit had more room and a better field of view and was easier to land than the narrow undercarriage tracked Spitfire. Both RAF fighters were armed with eight .303 Browning machine guns in the wings; the ‘point harmonised’, Hurricane’s twin batteries of four Browning machine guns was preferred to the paralleled harmonised guns of the Spitfire. The Brownings had a firing rate of 1150 rounds/ minute and a one second burst fired approximately 153 rounds. Although efficient against many aircraft, the small calibre bullets were often unable to penetrate the armour plating which was being increasingly used in Luftwaffe aircraft. An incendiary round, called the ‘De Wilde’ was provided which could do more damage than the standard ‘ball’ rounds.
The Bf109 Emil’s main armament depended on the subtype, but it was typically armed with four MG 17 7.92 mm machine guns. These were two cowl guns above the engine with 1,000 rounds per gun, and two in the wings with 500 rounds per gun. The E-3, E-4 and E-7s retained the fuselage armament of the E-1 but replaced the MG 17 wing guns with two MG FF/M 20 mm cannons, one in each wing with 60 rpg. Although the explosive cannon shells had great destructive power, the MG FF’s low muzzle velocity and the limited ammunition capacity of its drum
A Hurricane prototype shows its early 1930's design and thick wing The Hurricane was able to withstand considerably more battle damage than the Spitfire.
magazines meant the armament was not markedly superior to the RAF fighter’s eight machine guns. Three or four hits from the cannons were usually enough to bring down an enemy fighter and, even if the fighter was able to return to base, it would often be written off. For example, on 18 August a brand new Spitfire of 603 Squadron was hit by
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20 mm shells which exploded in the structure of the rear fuselage. Although the crippled aircraft was successfully landed back at its airfield, it was subsequently deemed to be unrepairable. Both the Spitfire and Hurricane were equally vulnerable to enemy guns and had 73 lbs of armoured steel plating in the form of head (6.5 mm thickness) and back protection on the seat bulkhead (4.5 mm) and covering the forward face of the glycol header tank. The problem of a fuel tank just behind the engine firewall in the Hurricane which could catch fire and within a few seconds incinerate the pilot was later partly solved by fitting a layer of “Linatex” fireresistant material to the tanks, and an armoured panel forward of the instrument panel. Another hazard was presented by the main wing root mounted fuel tanks of the Hurricane, which were vulnerable to bullets fired from behind, contrary to the main fuel tanks of the Spitfire, which were mounted in the fuselage forward of the cockpit and which were better protected than that of the Hurricane. The lower tank was self-sealing and a 3 mm thick aluminium panel, sufficient to deflect small calibre bullets, was wrapped externally over the top tanks. Internally they were coated with layers of “Linatex” and the cockpit bulkhead was fireproofed with a thick panel of asbestos. FIGHTER PERFORMANCE
The relatively limited technology of the day restricted the aircrafts’ performance and the handling qualities did not necessarily produce ‘care free handling’, while the ergonomics produced its own set of man-machine interface challenges that increased pilot workload. Air combat manoeuvres were therefore rather limited to basic 1v1 tactics in which the power to weight ratio and the specific excess power available were critical factors for air combat. These performance parameters directly influenced the ability to climb rapidly, accelerate, 46
FlightCom Magazine
maximum airspeed, and sustained turning capability, all critical elements of aerial combat. Both the Hurricane and the Spitfire shared the same Rolls Royce Merlin III 1030 hp engine in contrast, the 1150 HP Daimler-Benz powered the Bf109. The weight of the Hurricane at 6,600 lbs, was higher than the Spitfire’s 6,000 lbs and the Bf109’s 5,600 lbs MAUW. The power to weight ratio for the Hurricane at maximum all up weight was only 0.156 hp/lb, the Spitfire slightly higher at 0.171 hp/lb and the Bf109 significantly higher at 0.205. From the foregoing it is clear to see the performance advantage the Bf109 had over both the Spitfire and the Hurricane which was manifested in a time to climb to 20,000 ft of 8:30 for the Hurricane,
7:30 for the Spitfire and only 7 minutes for the Bf109. For combat in which potential energy had to be exchanged continuously to maintain corner velocity during manoeuvring, this was tactically critical, and attacks were always conducted from a height advantage. The attacking Bf109s were always at an advantage having established their ingress height mostly at approximately 30,000 ft providing escort sweeps for the bomber formations. Benefitting from their lower wing loadings, the Spitfires and Hurricanes could out turn the Bf109. Deighton noted that at 12,000 ft, the Hurricane had a tighter turn radius than the Spitfire, 800 feet compared to 880 ft for the Spitfire and 890 ft for the Bf109; the Hurricane could turn inside the Spitfire and the Bf109, a vital attribute in air combat. What was a concern at the time was that British testing in September 1940 revealed that some Bf109 pilots succeeded in keeping on the tail of the Spitfire, despite the latter aircraft’s superior turning performance, because several of the Spitfire pilots failed to tighten up the turn sufficiently. The gentle stall and good control under “g” of the Bf109 was important as it enabled the Luftwaffe pilots to get the most out of the aircraft in a turning dog-fight by flying very near the stall. The Bf109
used leading edge slats which automatically deployed at high angles of attack, but also made it much more difficult to accelerate out of the turn in a chase or disengagement. HANDLING QUALITIES
From a stability and control perspective, stick force per ‘g’, instantaneous turn rate, agility and high angle of attack were important parameters for controlling the trajectory and attitude of the aircraft in manoeuvring the aircraft to bring the guns to bear on the target. Equally important was the stability of the aircraft during gun firing. From a systems perspective, the gun calibre, gunsight, the command and control system, including early warning and fighter controlling, was critically
important. An eternal truth is that first visual acquisition is worth its weight in gold in enabling the pilot to assess the dynamics and geometry of the fight which directly affects the attack axis and the decision to engage or not to engage. The old adage “never take a knife to a gunfight” was as relevant then as it is today. In some cases, tactically it may be necessary to ‘take a rain cheque’ and live to fight another day. For attacking formations of bombers, the Hurricane offered better visibility to the pilot and a noticeably steadier weapons platform for gun firing. However, the Spitfire had a better rate of climb, was faster and was more responsive and agile than the Hurricane, which automatically led to it being utilised in the air defence role. Importantly, they
Britain's early warning system using radar and observers such as these provided a key homeground advantage.
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complemented each other; the Spitfire providing the high altitude combat capability and the Hurricane the medium altitude capability. Although, in handling, there was little to choose between the two, the Spitfire was praised by its pilots for its agility and the Hurricane praised for its stability as a gunnery platform, ideal for attacking less manoeuvrable bombers. According to pilots that had flown both types, the Hurricane’s control harmony was not at all as
their height, speed and numerical advantage but, provided the Spitfire pilots were aware of the threat axis and could visually acquire the Bf109s, the only counter would be to force the Bf109 to overshoot by breaking into the attacker at maximum g loading, a sort of ‘last ditch’ manoeuvre – the fight was now on! It is here where the Spitfire and the Hurricane came into their own. Although the Spitfires’ mission was to engage the enemy’s fighters and to draw them away from the German
Spitfire snobbery’ – no Luftwaffe pilot would admit that they had been shot up by a fabric and wood fighter
balanced as that of the Spitfire. The Hurricane was relatively stable while the Spitfire less stable about all axes and exhibited light, sensitive control forces, one of the reasons for the pilots referring to the Spitfire as ‘delightful’ to fly. Peter Townsend, who flew both Spitfires and Hurricanes operationally, felt that the Spitfire was more agile and faster, but that the Hurricane was more manoeuvrable at corner speed and undoubtedly, a better gun platform. At high speeds, the mechanical flight controls stiffened considerably, and the Bf109E needed more strength to manoeuvre than either of its main opponents. Of all three fighters, the Bf109E possessed the highest roll rate, with the aileron controls being brisk and responsive; the Spitfire had the highest aileron forces, but both the Spitfire and the Messerschmitt’s rate of roll suffered at high speed. TACTICAL APPLICATION
The dynamics of the Battle usually involved the Bf109s ‘bouncing’ the Spitfires from above due to 48
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bomber formations, this of course did not always happen. It was much a case of ‘cat and mouse’; the Hurricanes would attack the bombers while the Spitfires engaged the Bf109s. After the first merge between the outnumbered Spitfires however, the Bf109s would ‘blow through’ and attack the Hurricanes that were attacking the bombers; so, air combat between Hurricanes and Messerschmitts was as regular as for the Spitfires. The British used the tactically inflexible tight ‘Vic’ formation with weavers at the back. However the weavers often got caught which was not good at all and placed the Hurricanes and Spitfires at a tactical disadvantage; only after many losses did the RAF adopt the fluid ‘finger-four’ battle formation offering maximum visual coverage for the formation. It is here where early warning by the Home Chain radar was critical. It is doubtful whether the Hurricane or Spitfire would have had the successes they had if it were not for the early warning provided by radars. An air defence system is a system which includes the sensors, aircraft and Dowding’s
command and control capability which the British had created in the build-up to the Battle. The air defence network provided Fighter Command with a defining advantage since it unified four geographical Groups and sectors with a main fighter airfield in each Sector. The Hurricane with its relatively low power to weight ratio and its thick wing section and relatively higher zero lift drag, had the lowest performance which was also manifested in the maximum speed of only 325 mph versus the 350 mph for the Spitfire and the Messerschmitt. Maximum speed was especially important in both the attack phase during interceptions and then of course defensively, to disengage to ‘fight another day’. It is clear that the Hurricane’s role and employment regime would have to be optimised to attacking bombers, while using the Spitfire for interceptions – there really wasn’t another option. The lower power to weight ratio of the Hurricane meant that in a sustained engagement, the higher induced drag Hurricane was less effective than the elliptical wing design of the Spitfire; the energy bleed of the Hurricane was higher – also one of the reasons that the Hurricane pilots used a spiralling defensive turn to sustain energy; the Spitfire was generally able to maintain energy during high g turning at corner speed and as such, the Hurricane pilot was forced to be more defensive than a Spitfire pilot. Once Hitler dictated that the Bf109s were no longer to act as fighter sweep but rather bomber escort, the Bf109 pilots were unable to maximise their aircraft’s performance which played into the hands of the RAF pilots. This was another
catastrophic decision by the German High Command indicating a complete lack of strategic or operational understanding of ‘modern’ air power doctrine. Göring believed that not only the Hurricane, but also the Spitfire was inferior to the Bf109 and as such, wanted to engage, fighter to fighter. However, the RAF would not waste time doing this, quite correctly going instead for the bombers which posed the greater threat. A downside for the German bombers was that, caught by either a Hurricane or a Spitfire having burst through the protective German fighter screen, the bombers were easy targets. German pilots had a great deal more respect for the Spitfire than for the Hurricane but much of that was ‘Spitfire snobbery’ since no Luftwaffe pilot would admit that they had been shot up by a fabric and wood fighter. CONCLUSION
The Battle of Britain was a defensive victory for Britain. Ultimately, the Luftwaffe failed to achieve the primary objective of defeating the RAF by fighting a strategic battle with a tactical air force. This resulted in the postponing of Operation Sea Lion, the German invasion of Britain in October 1940. Instead of ‘annihilating’ Fighter Command, the Germans had to settle for bombing British cities. Overall, in the Battle, approximately 1,977 Luftwaffe aircraft were shot down compared to approximately 1,087 RAF aircraft in which 2,700 German airmen perished compared to 544 British airmen. Each aircraft had its own particular strengths and weaknesses and the RAF quite correctly employed them to optimise their particular capabilities.
Pilots were developed to be competitive and trained to be aggressive
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The Hurricanes to attack the slower and less manoeuvrable bombers and the more manoeuvrable and higher performance Spitfires against the equally manoeuvrable Bf109. Hurricanes were more common, and its stability and concentrated firepower allowed it to be a more effective bomber killer, whereas the Spitfire’s mobility and agility made it a better dogfighter. There is no doubt that the Hurricanes were the unsung aircraft of the Battle and are credited with shooting down more enemy aircraft than the Spitfire; the number of aircraft brought down by single seat fighters was in the proportion of 3 by Hurricanes to 2 by Spitfires. But it is necessary to note that the serviceability each morning was approximately 63% Hurricanes and 37% Spitfires - and without the Spitfires to fight off the Bf109s, the Hurricanes would not have had been able to inflict damage on the bombers. The differences between the
SO WHICH WAS THE BETTER FIGHTER?
Before the Battle of Britain, a practice air raid between a Spitfire squadron and a Hurricane squadron took place. The Hurricane’s would simulate the bomber force attacking RAF Kenley while 64 Squadron dispatched six Spitfires to intercept the incoming attackers. Predictably, the rivalry between the fighter pilots led to the simulated exercise developing into a full on ‘fight’; each squadron trying to prove a point; which fighter was superior? The exercise fell apart when the Hurricane ‘bombers’ countered the Spitfire attack – bombers
were not supposed to attack the attackers. The exercise proved futile as the ego driven fighter pilots tried to show off their respective aircraft’s performance, although neither side could claim a clear-cut victory over the other – and so the question remains unanswered. The Battle of Britain was lost by the Luftwaffe who failed to hand out the ‘knock out’ blow when Hitler’s emotive strategy changed to moving away from destroying the RAF on the ground and in the air, to the bombing of London. What is for certain though is that both the Hurricane and the Spitfire played the critical role of defending the RAF against the Luftwaffe against all odds. It took both to win the Battle, neither could have achieved it on their own.
Aircraft losses were less critical than pilot losses.
Spitfire and the Bf109 in performance and handling were only marginal, and in combat they were almost always surmounted by tactical considerations of which side had seen the other first, which had the advantage of sun, altitude, numbers, pilot ability, tactical situation, tactical co-ordination and the amount of fuel remaining. Historically, commentators romanticised the Spitfire’s graceful silhouette and romantic legend; glamour usually outshone performance in war. 50
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No matter how tough the times, at SA Flyer and FlightCom we remain committed to our core principles of quality journalism and insightful thought-leadership. • Our key objective is to inform and entertain our readers, which we do thanks to the world-class contributors we have nurtured. • We are also the only magazine to do hands-on ‘from the cockpit’ flight tests where we actually fly the aircraft. And we bring our readers invaluable information, such as where to get the cheapest fuel. Our value proposition to you, the advertiser: SA Flyer readers get great information and value from our articles – they trust the value and quality our publications. And this means that we can expose your products and services to the best of all markets.
We now provide not just the magazine, but 3 different ways for you to reach your market: 1. Our all new digital pdf magazine – available for free on our website www.saflyer.com 2. Our brand-new state of the art website – visit www.saflyer.com 3. Our Facebook page – with by far the biggest aviation following in Africa And best of all! – We provide these 3 platforms for just the price of the old print magazine!!
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This is truly a great value proposition! For more information call Wayne Wilson on 072-900-2023 or email him at: wayne@saflyermag.co.za FlightCom Magazine
FlightCm African Commercial Aviation
Bizjet & Commercial Jets REVIEW
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INTRO: Much like other sectors
of the aviation industry, business aviation is undergoing unique and unprecedented challenges arising from Covid-19.
ABOVE: Global Aviation's A320s were ACMI leased to replace Mango's grounded fleet.
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African flight activity, in every region, contracted considerably in late-March 2020 and remains well down as seen in year-over-year levels. International travel in particular remains severely restricted as many countries remain in various states of lockdown. In Southern Africa the crisis was somewhat ameliorated by the crisis at SAA which left the door open for private sector operators such as Global Airways to step in a operate routes for SAA subsidiary mango Airlines using ACMI leased Airbus A320s. EGIONAL
In addition private sector commercial operators such as Star Air Cargo have had to work at 100 percent capacity, and in some cases expanded their operations, to meet the demand for pure cargo flights in the absence of belly cargo space on airline flights. The question being asked is – how long with the industry take to recover? Honeywell forecasts business jet usage will recover to 2019 levels by the second half of 2021. In an industry survey they found that 80% of operators say purchase plans have not been affected by Covid-19. Notably, the 29th annual Global Business Aviation Outlook forecasts 7,300 new business jet deliveries over next decade valued at $235 billion. This indicates that the five-year purchase plans for new business jets are largely unchanged from a year ago. In a surprisingly optimistic outlook, Honeywell’s Global Business Aviation Outlook forecasts more than 7,000 new business jet deliveries worth $235 billion from 2021 to 2030. This is down 4% in deliveries from the same 10-year forecast a year ago. Despite the dip, 4 of 5 business jet operators in the survey indicate that purchase plans have not been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Short-term reductions in both deliveries and expenditures due to the pandemic aren’t expected to have a lasting impact on the business jet industry. “Business jet usage is expected to rebound to 80% to 85% of 2019 levels in the 4th quarter of 2020 and fully rebound by the middle of 2021, indicating demand for business jet travel is returning after the global pandemic caused a slowdown in the industry earlier this year,” said Heath Patrick, president, Americas Aftermarket, Honeywell Aerospace. “The information we gleaned from operators shows a less than 1% decline in five-year purchase plans, so despite the short-term effects of the pandemic, we don’t expect long-term changes to purchase plans or to the overall health of the business jet market.”
KEY FINDINGS:
• Key findings in the 2020 Honeywell Global Business Aviation Outlook include: • Five-year purchase plans for new business jets are down less than one percentage point compared with last year’s survey. Among those purchase plans of new business jets over the next five years, 30% are expected to occur in the next two years. This is 5 percentage points lower than last year’s survey, due mainly to near-term uncertainty. • Business jet deliveries in 2021 are expected to be up 13% from a Covid-impacted 2020. • Operators plan to make new jet purchases equivalent to about 16% of their fleets over the next five years as replacements or additions to their current fleet, in line with 2019 survey results. • Operators continue to focus on largercabin aircraft classes, from large cabin through ultralong- range aircraft, which are expected to account for more than 70% of all expenditures of new business jets in the next five years. The longer-range forecast to 2030 projects a 4% to 5% average annual growth rate of deliveries in line with expected worldwide economic recovery. This figure is higher than in 2019 due in part to Covid-related declines in 2020. Purchase plans for used jets show a moderate decline in this year’s survey. Operators worldwide indicated that 25% of their fleet is expected to be replaced or expanded by used jets over the next five years, down 6 percentage points compared with survey results from 2019. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON THE INDUSTRY:
• 4 of 5 operators in the survey said their buying plans have not been affected by COVID-19. Most of the operators who indicated their
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Star Air is a commercial operator with a fleet of 14 Boeing 737s for ACMI leasing - often under the client's own branding.
buying plans have been affected say they now plan to hold onto their current aircraft longer. • 82% of respondents in North America expect to operate their business jets less frequently in 2020 versus 2019. Other regions are seeing similar declines. Global business jet usage is expected to recover to 2019 levels by the second half of 2021. • Survey respondents did not signal sales of latemodel aircraft due to Covid-19. Specifically, only 10% of all respondents in the survey are planning to sell one or more aircraft without replacement in the next five years compared with 8% in last year’s survey. • Survey responses do not support the hypothesis that a decline in commercial travel has led 56
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to an increase in purchases of business jets. More than 95% of operators expect no change to fleet size due to a decrease in commercial travel. BREAKDOWN BY REGION
Middle East and Africa – Higher purchase plans were reported, following a five-year low in 2019. • 16% of respondents said they will replace or add to their fleet with a new jet purchase, up from 12% last year. • Respondents plan to schedule more new business jet purchases within the first year of the survey compared with 2019. About 26% of operators in this year’s survey plan to purchase new business jets within the next
than in last year’s survey. • Purchase plans for used jets are lower, down 8 percentage points when compared with last year’s survey but back to historical levels as last year saw a five-year high. • An estimated 64% of worldwide demand for new jets will come from North American operators over the next five years, up 4 percentage points compared with last year’s survey. Europe – Operators have slowly been replacing
year, up from 20% in last year’s survey. • The share of projected five-year global demand attributed to the Middle East and Africa is 4%, in line with the historical range of 4% to 6%. North America – Compared with last year, new aircraft acquisition plans in North America are flat. • New jet purchase plans remain unchanged in North America in this year’s survey. Over the next five years, 15% of the fleet is expected to be replaced or supplemented with a new jet purchase. • About 32% of operators responding to the survey plan to schedule their new purchases within the first two years of the five-year horizon. This is 4 percentage points lower
aging aircraft in the fleet. • Europe’s purchase expectations decreased this year to roughly 24% of the fleet, down 4 percentage points compared with last year’s results. • About 24% of operators plan to schedule their new purchases within the next two years, down 6 percentage points and below the worldwide average of 30%. • Europe’s share of global demand over the next five years is estimated to be 18%, 1 percentage point lower than last year. USED JETS
Plans to acquire used jets in the next five years dropped by about 6 percentage points from last year’s survey. Twenty-five percent of used business jets will trade hands over the next five years, compared with a five-year projection of 31% in 2019. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the Global Business Aviation Outlook reflects current operator concerns and also identifies longer-cycle trends. However, compared to the airline industry the Honeywell research is surprisingly positive.
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CARGO
Boeing 737-300 Cargo Aircraft available for wet (ACMI) lease.
SA Flyer 2019|08
Based at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg South Africa.
Contact: yvonne@starcargo.co.za or peter@starcargo.co.za Tel: +27 11 234 7038 www.starair.co.za
MAINTENANCE Star Air Maintenance Pty Ltd (SAM) is a subsidiary company of Star Air Cargo Pty Ltd, that provides all the AOCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maintenance requirements up to C check. We are based at O R Tambo International Airport and our team of highly qualified engineers offer line maintenance to third parties. Boeing 737-200 Boeing 737 Classics Based at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg South Africa. Contact: lieb@starcargo.co.za or peter@starcargo.co.za Tel: 011 395 3756 and 011 973 5512
EXECUJET MRO SERVICES
THE REGIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LEADING BUSINESS JET MRO PROVIDER ExecuJet MRO Services consists of group of companies specialising in Business and General Aviation maintenance services founded in 1991 with its headquarters at Lanseria International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa and with operating bases in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and the Middle East. ExecuJet MRO Services was acquired by Dassault Aviation in March 2019 and whilst it is wholly owned by Dassault, it retained and operates under the ExecuJet brand. 60
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EXECUJET has a world class maintenance hangar at Lanseria International Airport (FALA) encompassing 9,000m2 of floor space and associated workshops, capable of accommodating aircraft such as the Dassault Falcon 8X and Bombardier Global Series with ease. The company has been supporting international business jet travellers’ and regional aircraft owners for over 29 years, as an approved or authorised service centre for leading manufacturers such as Bombardier and Dassault. The Lanseria facility is also an authorised service centre for Honeywell avionics, engines and APUs, Rolls Royce BR710 and AE3007 engines and General Electric CF34 engines, in addition to being accredited as a Collins Aerospace Authorised Dealership amongst many others. The facility holds SACAA certification, various worldwide CAA accreditations as well as an EASA 145 approval. As a Honeywell and Collins Aerospace Authorised avionics facility, ExecuJet is capable of providing support for all large business jets equipped with their products. ExecuJet is also able to perform installations of glass cockpits, Jetwave Systems (Ka Band), ADS-B and any major Avionic system required by the 2020 Avionics Mandate requirement. The company also offers full electrical workshop facilities, sheet metal and composite repairs, as well as Honeywell TPE 331 Engine overhauls and TFE 731 engine Major repairs. ExecuJet’s Lanseria facility has the only authorised Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney Engine Turboprop test cell facility in Africa. Committed to providing the highest level of service excellence with uncompromised levels of safety and quality, the company’s workmanship is governed by stringent internal quality standards
and is regularly audited by the various aviation regulatory bodies. ExecuJet’s highly qualified, experienced and trained technical staff ensures specialised airframe, engine and avionics services that are performed to the highest exacting international industry standards. ExecuJet MRO Services South Africa Continues to Provide Exceptional Service During COVID-19 2020 has been a particularly trying year amid the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in a worldwide shift in how the company does business. ExecuJet has adapted and continues to provide an exemplary service whilst adhering to the international COVID-19 protocols and safety standards. ExecuJet has been able to complete a Scheduled
Phase inspection on a Hawker 900XP with defect rectification during the most extreme levels of lock down with minimal added downtime for one of our essential service customers. During lockdown levels 4 and 3, our Avionics engineers installed ADS-B on a Hawker HS125800XP, Dassault Falcon 900EX, Bombardier Challenger 604 and a Hawker HS125-900XP. This brings the total to 23 ADS-B installations since the mandate was announced with further installations expected in the near future. Our production team have been working hard
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to complete all maintenance events expeditiously without compromise to quality. A 96-Month inspection on an Embraer Legacy 650, absorbing in excess of 2,000 labour hours, was successfully completed during these trying times. Delivery of parts was more than challenging with freight companies experiencing difficulties due to COVID related restrictions. ExecuJet has also successfully completed maintenance and refurbishment of the cabin interior on a Dassault Falcon 900EX. This included the ADS-B Out (DO260B) compliance upgrade with WAAS capability, 12/24 months, B1/B2 and CAMP due maintenance inspections. ExecuJet offers the following high level quality services: • Line and Base Maintenance • Airframe, Engine, APU, Avionics and Warranty Repair • AOG Support and Mobile Repair Teams (MRT) • Spare Parts (Extensive stock levels for various aircraft types) • Modifications and Upgrades • Hangarage • Aircraft Cleaning, Polishing and Protecting • Component Maintenance (Wheels, Batteries and Emergency Power Packs, Artex and Kannad ELT Beacons) • Electrical/ Avionics Workshop • Sheet Metal services
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ExecuJet has also partnered with Flight Safety International and established an onsite maintenance training facility at Lanseria Airport. This service is provided to the aviation industry illustrating ExecuJet’s commitment to the future of aviation in Africa. “We pride ourselves in providing the customer with the best possible service, including the best options or solutions for their aircraft, in the shortest possible time. We consider our customers to be our partners and all efforts are focussed in supporting them to strengthen these relationships.” The company has a total of over 120 personnel at Lanseria with in excess of 60 type-rated licensed engineers, all of which have OEM accredited training and extensive experience on the product types supported. We also offer a 24/7 AOG hotline for unexpected maintenance services. In addition, ExecuJet is fully capable of extending our services to the ExecuJet Cape Town facility. The wider group has the expertise and resources to handle virtually any maintenance task, caring for business aircraft across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and the Middle East. ontact: Tel: 082 411 1746 C E-mail: lanseria@execujet-mro.com Website: www.execujet-mro.com AOG: lanseria.aog@execujet-mro.com
AIRLINK INTERLINES WITH QATAR South African regional carrier Airlink has formally changed its name from SA Airlink to just Airlink. A rebranding is also in progress. In addition, the airline has commenced replacing the codeshare and interline agreements it lost when it removed itself from the moribund SAA booking system.
I
N late October Airlink announced it had signed an interline agreement with Qatar Airways which provides passengers with seamless connectivity via Cape Town, and Johannesburg to more than 20 regional destinations in Southern Africa. Airlink's exceptionally good on time performance no doubt helped persuade Qatar that it was a reliable feeder carrier for its long haul flights. Airlink CEO, Rodger Foster said, “We are confident that the relationship will deliver enhanced travel options to customers given the designed interconnectivity that will be enabled at OR Tambo International Airport and Cape Town International Airport. Airlink’s offering of connectable destinations includes most key points within Southern Africa such as; Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein, Harare, Lusaka, Maputo, Gaborone, Windhoek, amongst many others”.
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Qatar Airways Vice President Africa, Hendrik Du Preez, said: “As the most connected airline during the pandemic with a network that never fell below 30 destinations, we strive to continue to offer more flexibility and options for our passengers. We are delighted to sign this interline agreement with Airlink to further expand our network in the region connecting passengers to more than 25 domestic and more than 20 regional destinations. With the borders in South Africa being closed for five months, we are thrilled to re-enter the market with additional connections in South Africa and beyond.”
Global 7500
The Industry Flagship Longest range | Largest cabin | Smoothest ride
Bombardier, Global, Global 7500 and Exceptional by design are registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. All information above is true at the time of publication. Š 2020 Bombardier Inc.
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PC-24 PROVES ITSELF IN AFRICA
A Pilatus PC-24 doing what it was designed to do on a rough dirt airstrip.
As the first business jet specifically designed to handle the vast number of short and austere airstrips in Africa, the Pilatus PC-24 is revolutionising access to many previously hard to reach places.
A
FRICA’S Rand Airport based Pilatus agents Pilatus Centre in Johannesburg have delivered three PC-24s into Southern Africa and delivery of the fourth is pending Covid-19 travel restriction relaxation. The PC-24 is the first jet aircraft from Pilatus – which has established a rock-solid track record on the back of its very successful PC-12 single engine turboprop.
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The PC-24 achieved European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification in December 2017. The first PC-24 was delivered to South Africa in October 2018 and has been dubbed the ‘Super Versatile Jet’ due to its flexibility and ability to operate in and out of short unpaved runways. With six passengers, departing Cape Town, the aircraft can reach Angola, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique. Flying from Lanseria International
>>>
p
D ESIGNED FOR PASSENGERS WHO COME WITH EXTRA BAGGAGE The world’s first Super Versatile Jet takes off! No other business jet features an enormous cargo door integral to its design, which is exactly why Pilatus made it standard in the new PC-24. Whether it’s a bulky prototype to show your top client or your favourite mountain bike, we just removed the words “it won’t fit” from your pilot’s vocabulary. Load whatever you want and fly PC-24 – contact us now! www.pilatus-aircraft.com Contact Pilatus PC-12 Centre Southern Africa, your nearest Authorised Pilatus PC-24 Sales Centre for further information on Tel: +27 11 383 0800 or Email: aircraftsales@pilatuscentre.co.za
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Airport in Johannesburg, the aircraft can reach DRC, Tanzania, Kenya and Mauritius, according to Pilatus. The PC-24 has been approved for ‘rough field’ approval to its basic type certification, which will enable it to land on gravel airstrips. The jet can operate out of runways as short as 820 metres (2,690ft) and that includes, grass, gravel or dirt surfaces. Pilatus has estimated that rough field capability opens up almost 2,500 austere airstrips in Africa, whereas the nearest competing jet aircraft can operate from just 815 African airports. A typical example of how the PC-24 will open up Africa’s unimproved airfields to pure jet operations is the Seronera airstrip in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. Seronera is a 2 km gravel airstrip 5,080ft amsl. A classic hot and high airfield, it is comfortably within the PC-24s capability and the undercarriage and engine design are designed to handle debris from a loose gravel surface. Of particular note is the large chine flange built into the nosewheel tyre to deflect stones and debris.
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Pilatus has built a great track record handling rough airfields – particularly with its iconic Porter PC-6 and PC-12 single-engine turboprops. Oscar Schwenk, chairman of Pilatus, explained how the company has achieved this. “This sort of mission would not be conceivable without the PC-24’s rugged landing gear, clever flap systems and special wing design,” he said. Pilatus Centre’s Gerry Wyss says that they have sold a total of five PC-24s, with three already delivered of which two are available for charter. “The aircraft is available for all charter operations, from VIP to government and tourist flights. The cabin lends itself to various layouts through quick change options. For example, if all eight seats are not required, two can be removed through the large cargo door at the back (as seen on the PC-12 turboprop), expanding the cargo area and thus its utility,” Wyss says. BELOW: The designer interior makes getting to the most hard to reach places a pleasure.
MAINTENANCE Star Air Maintenance Pty Ltd (SAM) is a subsidiary company of Star Air Cargo Pty Ltd, that provides all the AOCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maintenance requirements up to C check. We are based at O R Tambo International Airport and our team of highly qualified engineers offer line maintenance to third parties. Boeing 737-200 Boeing 737 Classics Based at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg South Africa. Contact: lieb@starcargo.co.za or peter@starcargo.co.za Tel: 011 395 3756 and 011 973 5512
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Guardian Air is a trusted aircraft management, maintenance and VIP air charter company. Providing a suite of specialised services to meet the discerning needs of aircraft owners, global business travellers, tourists and adventurers. GUARDIAN AIR, operating from Lanseria International Airport in South Africa, offers Global VIP charter, comprehensive aircraft management and maintenance solutions to aircraft owners and organisations alike, as well as air ambulance services to two major, private emergency medical care companies. Guardian Air (PTY) Ltd started as an aviation asset management company in 2009. Today through their subsidiary, Guardian Air Asset Management, have international and domestic operating licences issued by the South African Department of Transport as well as a non-scheduled Aircraft Operating Certificate which is endorsed for aeromedical transfers. As aircraft owners themselves, they can identify with their customers’ needs. Guardian Air aircraft is serviced by their own in-house maintenance division, Guardian Air Maintenance (PTY) Ltd. Aircraft types endorsed on the operating licence: Beechcraft King Air 200 Hawker 700A/800A Dassault Falcon 20 Dassault Falcon 50EX Dassault Falcon 900EX Please contact our 24/7 operations team for VIP charter, air ambulance services or any other enquiries.
Guardian Air lives by this motto: “Throughout the company, there has been a big push in being transparent.”
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Guardian Air is a trusted VIP air charter and aircraftmanagement company, providing a suite of specialised services to meet the discerning needs of global business travellers,tourists and adventurers. WeFlightCom work closelyMagazine with clients to find the best solutions for their needs.
loc Lanseria International Airport Tel +27 11 701 3011 27/7 +27 82 521 2394 Web www.guardianair.co.za lic CAA/I/N283, AMO1401GUARDIAN
Ascend
A LEADING AIRCRAFT SALES COMPANY IN AFRICA
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The return to flight of the Boeing 737MAX will be a much needed boost for Boeing deliveries.
NO NEW Airbus and Boeing orders in September The Seattle Times reports that, as the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to depress the aviation market, neither Boeing nor Airbus booked a single new jet order in September.
B
OEING delivered just 11 planes in September, while Airbus delivered 57, its highest monthly delivery so far this year. Boeing has delivered just 98 commercial aircraft for the year to September, a reduction of about two-thirds compared with the 301 delivered in the first nine months of 2019. So far this year, Airbus has delivered a total of 341 commercial aircraft, a reduction of around 40% compared with the 571 jets delivered in the first nine months of 2019.
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In addition to the hit from the pandemic, Boeing hasn’t been able, since March 2019, to deliver any 737 MAXes. For Boeing, the number of MAX orders that so far this year have been either cancelled outright or removed from the official backlog as doubtful, rose past 1,000 aircraft. The recent lifting of the grounding by the FAA and EASA will be a much-needed boost for Boeing’s deliveries.
INTERNATIONALLY ACCREDITED LEADING ACMI LEASING COMPANY
Specialists in providing ACMI leasing services for the Embraer E120 & ERJ145 Sahara Africa Aviation is a leading, internationally accredited ACMI leasing company who offer exceptional end-to-end services, allowing clients to focus on growing and managing their business
Sahara owns and operates the largest fleet of Embraer E120s in the world and has expanded their fleet to include the Embraer ERJ145 to meet client demand
Sahara has their own AMO and AOC with dedicated engineers, crew and operational support staff, ensuring an unprecedented 99.8% dispatch rate
Contact us to discuss your aviation requirements Trevor Brotherton +27 83 3054508 trevor@flysahara.co.za Lisa Constable +27 81 0107920 lisa@flysahara.co.za
www.flysahara.co.za
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Where romance meets nature
Located in South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Safari hub of Hoedspruit, Safari Moon is a boutique base from which to discover the wonders of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lowveld region. Explore a range of nearby attractions from the famed Kruger National park to the scenic Panorama Route, or simply chose to relax and unwind in nature, making the most of private piece of Wildlife Estate wilderness. 74 yourFlightCom Magazine
CONTACT: booking@safarimoon.co.za 083 449 5868
OR Tambo REVIEW
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OR TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Africa’s Biggest and Busiest
Despite the trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic, OR Tambo International Airport remains Africa’s biggest and busiest airport. At its peak it handled almost 20 million passengers a year, which is more than half of South Africa’s total air travelling passengers. With the resumption of both domestic and limited international flights OR Tambo is on the rebound but it is expected to take three to five years to recover to previous levels. 76
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ABOVE: The impressive new SACAA and ACSA head office as it will appear when complete.
O
is the commercial aviation hub for Southern Africa and serves as the primary airport for domestic and international travel to and from South Africa. Although it is only expected to handle around 10 million passengers this year, the airport has the capacity to handle up to 28 million passengers each year. It is also one of the few airports in the world to host non-stop flights to all continents (except R TAMBO
Antarctica, which Cape Town International does). In 1996, OR Tambo overtook Cairo International Airport as the busiest in Africa, and across the whole of the Middle East and Africa OR Tambo airport is the fourth-busiest after Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi Airports. In the 2015 World Airport Awards, OR Tambo was named the best airport in Africa, with Cape Town coming in second, and King Shaka in Durban finishing third. This is a tribute to ACSA – the Airport Company of South Africa, which operates these airports. Situated almost 1,700 metres (5,500 feet) above sea level and with temperatures often climbing above 30 degrees Celsius, OR Tambo, with its ‘hot and high’ conditions, is an ideal destination for airliners conducting weight and temperature (WAT) certification and proving flights. Notably, it was used as a test airport for the Concorde during the 1970s, to determine how the aircraft would perform while taking off and landing at high altitude. Similarly, on 26 November 2006, the airport became the first in Africa to host the Airbus A380. The aircraft landed in Johannesburg on its way to Sydney via the South Pole on a test flight. In 2014, Airbus returned to OR Tambo to test its next clean sheet design – the A350. As part of its certification flights for the A350, Airbus conducted hot and high performance as well as auto-landing trials on Runway 03R. Although the 4,4 km long Runway 03L/21R is one of the longest commercial international airport runways in the world, aircraft taking off from OR Tambo must often reduce weight by loading less fuel than they would otherwise. In particular, second segment climb performance for twin engine jets can be a limiting factor. On some of the longer routes, such as flights from Johannesburg to North America, some aircraft types have to refuel en-route, while for
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the return flight, because takeoff from New York is from a lower altitude airport, they can upload enough fuel to reach Johannesburg non-stop. AIRSIDE
There are two parallel north/south runways and a disused cross runway. Both runways are equipped with Instrument Landing Systems (ILS). Furthermore, all runways are equipped with Approach Lighting Systems with sequenced
expansion of the international terminal, with the new international pier (opened in 2009) increasing capacity and accommodating the Airbus A380. A new Central Terminal building was completed on April 1, 2009. An additional multi-storey parkade was built in January 2010, at a cost of R470 million, opposite the Central Terminal Building. Terminal A was also upgraded and the associated roadways realigned to accommodate more International Departures space.
OR Tambo GM Bongiwe Pityi-Vokwana has big plans despite Covid-19.
flashers, and touchdown zone (TDZ) lighting. The cross runway is now a taxiway. During busy periods, outbound flights use the western runway, 03L/21R, for takeoff, while inbound flights use the eastern runway, 03R/21L, for landing. Naturally wind direction is a determining factor; however, due to the prevailing conditions, on most days, flights takeoff to the north and land from the south. UPGRADE DEVELOPMENTS
The airportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most recent major development was done for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. These included 78
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This massive upgrade has proved to be sufficient to meet the growth in passenger numbers since the World Cup. The Central Terminal Building, which cost R2 billion, boosted passenger capacity at the landside of the terminal, additional luggage carousels were added and the terminal now allows direct access for both international and domestic travellers. The new International Pier, which cost R535 million to build, increased international arrivals and departures capacity in a two-storey structure and added nine airside contact stands, four of which are Airbus A380 compatible. To develop the key non-
airside revenue, the large duty-free mall has been extended into this area, and additional lounges and passenger-holding areas have been constructed on the upper level. There was a proposal for a second ‘midfield’ terminal to be built between the two runways, but this has been cancelled. It would have contained its own domestic and international check-in facilities, shops and lounges and was projected to cost R8 billion. The terminal would have been designed for power in power out operations for low cost carriers, thus reducing the costs of airport handling with air bridges and aircraft tugs for push back.
PENDING DEVELOPMENTS
Although under previous growth projections OR Tambo was scheduled for further expansion, these plans have been put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019 OR Tambo unveiled the first phase of a R4.5 billion mixed-use development that will form part of a massive seven-phase plan to revamp the airport. The first phase will see the construction of three six-storey office buildings with a floor area of 33,000 square metres. Construction began in February 2020 with an anticipated completion date for the first phase at the end of 2020. This
21R IS ONE OF THE LONGEST COMMERCIAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RUNWAYS IN THE WORLD To accommodate the increase in car traffic, a multi-story parkade was built and the airport now has more than 16,300 parking bays, when combining the parking available in the parkade, shade parking, carports and open parking. Although not airside development related a massive new building to house the ACSA head office and the Civil Aviation Authority is being completed in the airport precinct Terminals A and B host over 140 retail stores, with Duty Free stores based airside in Terminal A. The stores are open daily from 06h00 to 22h00. These extended hours include the banks, pharmacy, post office and bureau de change. There is a 24hour travel clinic, and the airport’s police station also operates around the clock.
has now been pushed out. OR Tambo GM Bongiwe PityiVokwana, said that the airport plans a further 180,000 square metres for a mixed-use development to be located on the northern precinct of the airport. She added that the mixed-use development will consist of a variety of buildings which are framed in such a way as to form a boulevard at the international departures level, where a variety of retail commercial and ancillary buildings each open onto a vibrant energetic ‘street’ environment serviced by lively restaurants, corner cafes and bars. It will also improve the airport’s connectivity from the Gautrain station and to existing hotels and facilities via pedestrian-friendly connections to the international terminal building. FURTHER BROAD DEVELOPMENT
In addition to this development, O.R Tambo International’s long-term infrastructure plan features midfield cargo and midfield passenger terminals, each requiring several billion Rands in further investment, said Pityi-Vokwana. These developments
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will accommodate growing passenger demand and expand the midfield cargo facilities at the airport to accommodate up to two million tonnes of air cargo annually, she said. “At the same time, airport users will start to see Covid-19 and the SAA debacle has reduced OR Tambo operations by approximately 50%.
upgrades to the existing terminal buildings,” she said. “So, we are entering a very exciting period in the life of our airport which supports about 38,000 jobs in and around the precinct,” said Pityi-Vokwana. “We are excited about the upliftment that the Western Precinct development which will act as a catalyst to create a new multi-functional node where big businesses will ultimately migrate in terms of office and hotel accommodation,” she said. “This node will be made more attractive by the intermodal connectivity offered by Gautrain and Bus Rapid Transport stations within a precinct, the ultimate development of which, will allow for easy access to hotels, restaurants, fast food facilities, outdoor seating, retail, offices and a world-class conference centre.”
AMO 1288
Your one-stop-shop for repairs and overhauls of aviation rotables and special processes. BNT International (PTY) Ltd. Unit D3, Denel Industrial Park, Denel North Entrance (off Atlas Road), Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa, 1619 Tel. +27 11 395 1677 Email: info@bnt-int.co.za Website: www.bnt-int.co.za
SA Flyer 2020|03
Aviation Services • Composites & Aircraft Structures • Wheel overhaul and Repair Services • Brake Overhaul and Repair Services • Non-Destructive Testing on Aircraft • Hydro Static Testing • Oxygen bottles • Fire Extinguishers • Safety Equipment • Aircraft Weighing o Small aircrafts up to larger B737, A320, L-382
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• Quality • Safety • Service Excellence • Honest Pricing
CARGO
Boeing 737-300 Cargo Aircraft available for wet (ACMI) lease.
SA Flyer 2019|08
Based at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg South Africa.
Contact: yvonne@starcargo.co.za or peter@starcargo.co.za Tel: +27 11 234 7038 www.starair.co.za
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Mistral Aviation Services Mistral Aviation was founded in 2002 with the aim of addressing the high cost of operating aircraft thousands of miles from the original equipment manufacturers. (OEM).
A
Mistral we believe that by utilising the favorable labor rate and local expertise within South Africa, the cost of importing the spares can be offset whilst producing a product comparable to that of the European and US facilities. Mistral Aviation is an independently owned T
Address Unit 2B,46 Kelly Rd. Jet Park, Gauteng South Africa ď&#x192;ź
SA Flyer 2017|07
company and has always traded as Mistral Aviation Services. We are in no way linked with Mistral Aviation, based in the DRC, or any other companies with similar names.
Contact Details Telephone: (27) 011 397 7Â 478 Fax: (27) 011 397 1143 E-Mail: Peter@mistral.co.za Website: www. mistral.co.za
WE OFFER THE INDUSTRY INTEGRITY, RELIABILITY, EXPERIENCE AND A DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE
We overhaul, repair, test and modify wheels, brakes and land ing gears
Safair North Perimeter Road, OR Tambo International Airport, Bonaero Park, 1619 Tel: 081 755 2534 Fax: 011 395 1291 Email: peter@mistral.co.za
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Fly
VICTORIA FALLS
Direct
MAUN
To your lodge
PAFURI WELGEVONDEN GAME RESERVE
WINDHOEK
MOZAMBIQUE
SINGITA PAMUSHANA
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OR TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
TIMBAVATI PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
SABI SANDS PRIVATE GAME RESERVE PHINDA
WEST COAST
Federal Airlines Bases Major Destinations
CAPE TOWN
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Shuttle Routes Chartered Routes
We’re for the journey Federal Airlines provides a direct flight service to Southern Africa’s most exclusive and luxurious lodges with shuttle and private charter flights. Choose Federal Airlines and enjoy the benefits of bespoke flight transfers, seamless connections, express check-in, our exclusive passenger lounge and direct airside boarding.
Flights can be booked through your travel agent or through one of our partner lodges.
shuttle@fedair.com | charters@fedair.com | +27 11 395 9000 | www.fedair.com
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Airlines Unable to Cut Costs Deep Enough to Save Jobs The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has presented analysis showing that the airline industry cannot slash costs sufficiently to neutralise severe cash burn to avoid bankruptcies and preserve jobs in 2021.
used the findings of its study to repeat its call for government relief measures to sustain airlines financially and avoid massive employment terminations. IATA also called for pre-flight COVID-19 testing to open borders and enable travel without quarantine. IATA has revised its earlier projections of recovery downwards. Total industry revenues in 2021 are now expected to be down 46% compared to the 2019 figure of $838 billion. The previous analysis was for 2021 revenues to be down around 29% compared to 2019. This was based on expectations for a demand recovery commencing in the fourth quarter of 2020. Recovery has been delayed due to new ‘second wave’ COVID-19
IATA
outbreaks, and government mandated travel restrictions including border closings and quarantine measures. IATA now expects full year 2020 traffic to be down 66% compared to 2019, with December demand down 68%.
remain in place. Without additional government financial relief, the median airline has just 8.5 months of cash remaining at current burn rates. And we can’t cut costs fast enough to catch up with shrunken revenues,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. Although airlines have taken drastic steps to reduce costs, around 50% of airlines’ costs are
Costs have not fallen as fast as revenues.
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“The fourth quarter of 2020 will be extremely difficult and there is little indication the first half of 2021 will be significantly better, so long as borders remain closed and/or arrival quarantines
fixed or semi-fixed, at least in the shortterm. The result is that costs have not fallen as fast as revenues. For example, the yearon-year decline in operating costs for the second quarter was 48% compared with a 73% decline in operating revenues, based on a sample of 76 airlines.
Parked airliners - the second Covid-19 wave has made IATA projections even worse.
Furthermore, as airlines have reduced capacity (available seat kilometres, or ASKs) in response to the collapse in travel demand, unit costs (cost per ASK, or CASK) have risen, since there are fewer seat kilometres to ‘spread’ costs over. Preliminary results for the third quarter show that unit costs rose around 40% compared to the year-ago period. Looking forward to 2021, IATA estimates that to achieve a breakeven operating result and neutralize cash burn, unit costs will need to fall by 30% compared to average CASK for 2020. Such a decline is without precedent. Factors contributing to this analysis include: • With international demand down nearly 90%, airlines have parked thousands of mostly long-haul aircraft and shifted their operations to short haul flying where possible. However, because the average distance flown has fallen sharply, more aircraft are required to operate the network. Thus, flown capacity (ASKs) is down 62% compared to January 2019, but the in-service fleet is down just 21%.
Aircraft lease costs have dropped less than 10% over the past year. • Around 60% of the world aircraft fleet is leased. While airlines have received some reductions from lessors, aircraft lease costs have dropped less than 10% over the past year. • It is critical that airports and air navigation service providers avoid cost increases to fill gaps in budgets that are dependent on pre-crisis traffic levels. Infrastructure costs have fallen sharply because of fewer flights and passengers. Infrastructure providers could cut costs, defer capital expenditures, borrow on capital markets to cover losses or seek government financial relief. • Fuel is the only bright spot with prices down
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42% on 2019. Unfortunately, they are expected to rise next year as increased economic activity raises energy demand. • While IATA is not advocating specific workforce reductions, maintaining last year’s level of labour productivity (ASKs/employee), would require employment to be cut 40%. Further jobs losses or pay cuts would be required to bring unit labour costs down to the lowest point of recent years, a reduction of 52% from 2020 Q3 levels. • Even if that unprecedented reduction in labour costs were to be achieved, total costs will still be higher than revenues in 2021, and airlines will continue to burn through cash. “There is little good news on the cost front in 2021. Even if we maximise our cost cutting, we still won’t have a financially sustainable industry in 2021,” said de Juniac.
Yields are not profitable
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“The handwriting is on the wall. For each day that the crisis continues, the potential for job losses and economic devastation grows. Unless governments act fast, some 1.3 million airline jobs are at risk. And that would have a domino effect, putting 3.5 million additional jobs in the aviation sector in jeopardy along with a total of 46 million people in the broader economy whose jobs are supported by aviation. Moreover, the loss of aviation connectivity will have a dramatic impact on global GDP, threatening $1.8 trillion in economic activity. Governments must take firm action to avert this impending economic and labour catastrophe. They must step forward with additional financial relief measures. And they must use systematic COVID-19 testing to safely reopen borders without quarantine,” said de Juniac.
MAINTENANCE Star Air Maintenance Pty Ltd (SAM) is a subsidiary company of Star Air Cargo Pty Ltd, that provides all the AOCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maintenance requirements up to C check. We are based at O R Tambo International Airport and our team of highly qualified engineers offer line maintenance to third parties. Boeing 737-200 Boeing 737 Classics Based at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg South Africa. Contact: lieb@starcargo.co.za or peter@starcargo.co.za Tel: 011 395 3756 and 011 973 5512
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BACKPAGE DIR DIRECT ECTORY ORY A1A Flight Examiner (Loutzavia) Jannie Loutzis 012 567 6775 / 082 416 4069 jannie@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za
Alpi Aviation SA Dale De Klerk 082 556 3592 dale@alpiaviation.co.za www.alpiaviation.co.za
Adventure Air Lande Milne 012 543 3196 / Cell: 066 4727 848 l.milne@venture-sa.co.za www.ventureglobal.biz
Apco (Ptyd) Ltd Tony/Henk + 27 12 543 0775 apcosupport@mweb.co.za www.apcosa.co.za
Comporob Composite Repair & Manufacture Felix Robertson 072 940 4447 083 265 3602 comporob@lantic.net www.comporob.co.za Corporate-Aviators/Affordable Jet Sales Mike Helm 082 442 6239 corporate-aviators@iafrica.com www.corporate-aviators.com
Flying Frontiers Craig Lang 082 459 0760 CraigL@fairfield.co.za C. W. Price & Co www.flyingfrontiers.com AES (Cape Town) Aref Avionics Kelvin L. Price Erwin Erasmus Hannes Roodt 011 805 4720 Flying Unlimited Flight School (Pty) Ltd 082 494 3722 082 462 2724 cwp@cwprice.co.za Riaan Struwig erwin@aeroelectrical.co.za arefavionics@border.co.za www.cwprice.co.za 082 653 7504 / 086 770 8376 www.aeroelectrical.co.za riaan@ppg.co.za Atlas Aviation Lubricants Dart Aeronautical www.ppg.co.za AES (Johannesburg) Steve Cloete Jaco Kelly Danie van Wyk 011 917 4220 011 827 8204 Foster Aero International 011 701 3200 Fax: 011 917 2100 dartaero@mweb.co.za Dudley Foster office@aeroelectrical.co.za Sales.aviation@atlasoil.co.za 011 659 2533 www.aeroelectrical.co.za www.atlasoil.africa Dart Aircraft Electrical info@fosteraero.co.za Mathew Joubert www.fosteraero.co.za Aerocore ATNS 011 827 0371 Jacques Podde Percy Morokane Dartaircraftelectrical@gmail.com Gemair 082 565 2330 011 607 1234 www.dartaero.co.za Andries Venter jacques@aerocore.co.za percymo@atns.co.za 011 701 2653 / 082 905 5760 www.aerocore.co.za www.atns.com DJA Aviation Insurance andries@gemair.co.za 011 463 5550 Aero Engineering & PowerPlant Aviation Direct 0800Flying GIB Aviation Insurance Brokers Andre Labuschagne Andrea Antel mail@dja-aviation.co.za Richard Turner 012 543 0948 011 465 2669 www.dja-aviation.co.za 011 483 1212 aeroeng@iafrica.com info@aviationdirect.co.za aviation@gib.co.za www.aviationdirect.co.za Dynamic Propellers www.gib.co.za Aero Services (Pty) Ltd Andries Visser Chris Scott Avtech Aircraft Services 011 824 5057 Gryphon Flight Academy 011 395 3587 Riekert Stroh 082 445 4496 Jeffrey Von Holdt chris@aeroservices.co.za 082 555 2808 / 082 749 9256 andries@dynamicpropeller.co.za 011 701 2600 www.aeroservices.co.za avtech1208@gmail.com www.dynamicpropellers.co.za info@gryphonflight.co.za www.gryphonflight.co.za Aeronav Academy BAC Aviation AMO 115 Eagle Aviation Helicopter Division Donald O’Connor Micky Joss Tamryn van Staden Guardian Air 011 701 3862 035 797 3610 082 657 6414 011 701 3011 info@aeronav.co.za monicad@bacmaintenance.co.za tamryn@eaglehelicopter.co.za 082 521 2394 www.aeronav.co.za www.eaglehelicopter.co.za ops@guardianair.co.za Blackhawk Africa www.guardianair.co.za Aeronautical Aviation Cisca de Lange Eagle Flight Academy Clinton Carroll 083 514 8532 Mr D. J. Lubbe Heli-Afrique cc 011 659 1033 / 083 459 6279 cisca@blackhawk.aero 082 557 6429 Tino Conceicao clinton@aeronautical.co.za www.blackhawk.aero training@eagleflight.co.za 083 458 2172 www.aeronautical.co.za www.eagleflight.co.za tino.conceicao@heli-afrique.co.za Blue Chip Flight School Aerotric (Pty) Ltd Henk Kraaij Elite Aviation Academy Henley Air Richard Small 012 543 3050 Jacques Podde Andre Coetzee 083 488 4535 bluechip@bluechip-avia.co.za 082 565 2330 011 827 5503 aerotric@aol.com www.bluechipflightschool.co.za info@eliteaa.co.za andre@henleyair.co.za www.eliteaa.co.za www.henleyair.co.za Aircraft Assembly and Upholstery Centre Border Aviation Club & Flight School Tony/Siggi Bailes Liz Gous Emperor Aviation Hover Dynamics 082 552 6467 043 736 6181 Paul Sankey Phillip Cope anthony@rvaircraft.co.za admin@borderaviation.co.za 082 497 1701 / 011 824 5683 074 231 2964 www.rvaircraft.co.za www.borderaviation.co.za paul@emperoraviation.co.za info@hover.co.za www.emperoraviation.co.za www.hover.co.za Aircraft Finance Corporation Breytech Aviation cc Jaco Pietersen 012 567 3139 Enstrom/MD Helicopters Indigo Helicopters +27 [0]82 672 2262 Willie Breytenbach Andrew Widdall Gerhard Kleynhans jaco@airfincorp.co.za admin@breytech.co.za 011 397 6260 082 927 4031 / 086 528 4234 www.airfincorp.co.za aerosa@safomar.co.za veroeschka@indigohelicopters.co.za Bundu Aviation www.safomar.co.za www.indigohelicopters.co.za Aircraft Maintenance @ Work Phillip Cronje Opelo / Frik 083 485 2427 Era Flug Flight Training IndigoSat South Africa - Aircraft Tracking 012 567 3443 info@bunduaviation.co.za Pierre Le Riche Gareth Willers frik@aviationatwork.co.za_ www.bunduaviation.co.za 021 934 7431 08600 22 121 opelonke@aviationatwork.co.za info@era-flug.com sales@indigosat.co.za Celeste Sani Pak & Inflight Products www.era-flug.com www.indigosat.co.za Aircraft Maintenance International Steve Harris Pine Pienaar 011 452 2456 Execujet Africa Integrated Avionic Solutions 083 305 0605 admin@chemline.co.za 011 516 2300 Gert van Niekerk gm@aminternational.co.za www.chemline.co.za enquiries@execujet.co.za 082 831 5032 www.execujet.com gert@iasafrica.co.za Aircraft Maintenance International Cape Aircraft Interiors www.iasafrica.co.za Wonderboom Sarel Schutte Federal Air Thomas Nel 021 934 9499 Nick Lloyd-Roberts International Flight Clearances 082 444 7996 michael@wcaeromarine.co.za 011 395 9000 Steve Wright admin@aminternational.co.za www.zscai.co.za shuttle@fedair.com 076 983 1089 (24 Hrs) www.fedair.com flightops@flyifc.co.za Air Line Pilots’ Association Cape Town Flying Club www.flyifc.co.za Sonia Ferreira Beverley Combrink Ferry Flights int.inc. 011 394 5310 021 934 0257 / 082 821 9013 Michael (Mick) Schittenhelm Investment Aircraft alpagm@iafrica.com info@capetownflyingclub.co.za 082 442 6239 Quinton Warne www.alpa.co.za www.@capetownflyingclub.co.za ferryflights@ferry-flights.com 082 806 5193 www.ferry-flights.com aviation@lantic.net Airshift Aircraft Sales Capital Air www.investmentaircraft.com Eugene du Plessis Micaella Vinagre Fireblade Aviation 082 800 3094 011 827 0335 010 595 3920 Jabiru Aircraft eugene@airshift.co.za micaella@capitalairsa.com info@firebladeaviation.com Len Alford www.airshift.co.za www.capitalairsa.com www.firebladeaviation.com 044 876 9991 / 044 876 9993 info@jabiru.co.za Airvan Africa Century Avionics cc Flight Training College www.jabiru.co.za Patrick Hanly Carin van Zyl Cornell Morton 082 565 8864 011 701 3244 044 876 9055 Jim Davis Books airvan@border.co.za sales@centuryavionics.co.za ftc@flighttrainning.co.za Jim Davis www.airvan.co.za www.centuryavionics.co.za www.flighttraining.co.za 072 188 6484 jim@border.co.za Algoa Flying Club Chemetall Flight Training Services www.jimdavis.co.za Sharon Mugridge Wayne Claassens Amanda Pearce 041 581 3274 011 914 2500 011 805 9015/6 Joc Air T/A The Propeller Shop info@algoafc.co.za wayne.claassens@basf.com amanda@fts.co.za Aiden O’Mahony www.algoafc.co.za www.chemetall.com www.fts.co.za 011 701 3114 jocprop@iafrica.com Alpha One Aviation Chem-Line Aviation & Celeste Products Fly Jetstream Aviation Opelo Steve Harris Henk Kraaij Kishugu Aviation 082 301 9977 011 452 2456 083 279 7853 +27 13 741 6400 on@alphaoneaviation.co.za sales@chemline.co.za charter@flyjetstream.co.za comms@kishugu.com www.alphaoneaviation.co.za www.chemline.co.za www.flyjetstream.co.za www.kishugu.com/kishugu-aviation
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Kit Planes for Africa Stefan Coetzee 013 793 7013 info@saplanes.co.za www.saplanes.co.za
MS Aviation Gary Templeton 082 563 9639 gary.templeton@msaviation.co.za www.msaviation.co.za
Kzn Aviation (Pty) Ltd Melanie Jordaan 031 564 6215 mel@kznaviation.co.za www.kznaviation.co.za
Skyhorse Aviation Ryan Louw 012 809 3571 info@skyhorse.co.za www.skyhorse.co.za
United Flight Support Clinton Moodley/Jonathan Wolpe 076 813 7754 / 011 788 0813 ops@unitedflightsupported.com www.unitedflightsupport.com
North East Avionics Keith Robertson +27 13 741 2986 keith@northeastavionics.co.za deborah@northeastavionics.co.za www.northeastavionics.co.za Landing Eyes Gavin Brown Orsmond Aviation 031 202 5703 058 303 5261 info@landingeyes.co.za info@orsmondaviation.co.za www.landingeyes.com www.orsmondaviation.co.za Lanseria Aircraft Interiors Owenair (Pty) Ltd Francois Denton Clive Skinner 011 659 1962 / 076 810 9751 082 923 9580 francois@aircraftcompletions.co.za clive.skinner@owenair.co.za www.owenwair.co.za Lanseria International Airport Mike Christoph Pacair 011 367 0300 Wayne Bond mikec@lanseria.co.za 033 386 6027 www.lanseria.co.za pacair@telkomsa.net
Skyworx Aviation Kevin Hopper kevin@skyworx.co.za www.skyworxaviation.co.za
Legend Sky 083 860 5225 / 086 600 7285 info@legendssky.co.za www.legendsky.co.za
PFERD-South Africa (Pty) Ltd Hannes Nortman 011 230 4000 hannes.nortman@pferd.co.za www.pferd.com
Southern Energy Company (Pty) Ltd Elke Bertram +264 8114 29958 johnnym@sec.com.na www.sec.com.na
Litson & Associates (Pty) Ltd OGP, BARS, Resources Auditing & Aviation Training karen.litson@litson.co.za Phone: 27 (0) 21 8517187 www.litson.co.za
Pipistrel Kobus Nel 083 231 4296 kobus@pipistrelsa.co.za www.pipistrelsa.co.za
Southern Rotorcraft cc Mr Reg Denysschen Tel no: 0219350980 sasales@rotors-r-us.com www.rotors-r-us.com
Plane Maintenance Facility Johan 083 300 3619 pmf@myconnection.co.za
Sport Plane Builders Pierre Van Der Walt 083 361 3181 pmvdwalt@mweb.co.za
Precision Aviation Services Marnix Hulleman 012 543 0371 marnix@pasaviation.co.za www.pasaviation.co.za PSG Aviation Reon Wiese 0861 284 284 reon.wiese@psg.co.za www.psg aviation.co.za
Starlite Aero Sales Klara Fouché +27 83 324 8530 / +27 31 571 6600 klaraf@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com
Rainbow SkyReach (Pty) Ltd Mike Gill 011 817 2298 Mike@fly-skyreach.com www.fly-skyreach.com Rand Airport Stuart Coetzee 011 827 8884 stuart@randairport.co.za www.randairport.co.za Robin Coss Aviation Robin Coss 021 934 7498 info@cossaviation.com www.cossaviation.co.za
Starlite Aviation Training Academy Durban: +27 31 571 6600 Mossel Bay: +27 44 692 0006 train@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com
Litson & Associates Risk Management Services (Pty) Ltd. eSMS-S/eTENDER/ eREPORT/Advisory Services karen.litson@litson.co.za Phone: 27 (0) 8517187 www.litson.co.za Loutzavia Aircraft Sales Henry Miles 082 966 0911 henry@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za Loutzavia Flight Training Gerhardt Botha 012 567 6775 ops@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za Loutzavia-Pilots and Planes Maria Loutzis 012 567 6775 maria@loutzavia.co.za www.pilotsnplanes.co.za Loutzavia Rand Frans Pretorius 011 824 3804 rand@loutzavia.co.za www@loutzavia.co.za Lowveld Aero Club Pugs Steyn 013 741 3636 Flynow@lac.co.za Marshall Eagle Les Lebenon 011 958 1567 les@marshalleagle.co.za www.marshalleagle.co.za Maverick Air Charters Chad Clark 083 292 2270 Charters@maverickair.co.za www.maverickair.co.za MCC Aviation Pty Ltd Claude Oberholzer 011 701 2332 info@flymcc.co.za www.flymcc.co.za MH Aviation Services (Pty) Ltd Marc Pienaar 011 609 0123 / 082 940 5437 customerrelations@mhaviation.co.za www.mhaviation.co.za M and N Acoustic Services cc Martin de Beer 012 689 2007/8 calservice@mweb.co.za Metropolitan Aviation (Pty) Ltd Gert Mouton 082 458 3736 herenbus@gmail.com Money Aviation Angus Money 083 263 2934 angus@moneyaviation.co.za www.moneyaviation.co.za
SAA Technical (SOC) Ltd SAAT Marketing 011 978 9993 satmarketing@flysaa.com www.flysaa.com/technical SABRE Aircraft Richard Stubbs 083 655 0355 richardstubbs@mweb.co.za www.aircraftafrica.co.za SA Mooney Patrick Hanly 082 565 8864 samooney@border.co.za www.samooney.co.za Savannah Helicopters De Jager 082 444 1138 / 044 873 3288 dejager@savannahhelicopters.co.za www.savannahhelicopters.co.za Scenic Air Christa van Wyk +264 612 492 68 windhoek@scenic-air.com www.scenic-air.com Sheltam Aviation Durban Susan Ryan 083 505 4882 susanryan@sheltam.com www.sheltamaviation.com Sheltam Aviation PE Brendan Booker 082 497 6565 brendanb@sheltam.com www.sheltamaviation.com
Sky-Tech Heinz Van Staden 082 720 5210 sky-tech@telkomsa.net www.sky-tech.za.com Sling Aircraft Kim Bell-Cross 011 948 9898 sales@airplanefactory.co.za www.airplanefactory.co.za Solenta Aviation (Pty Ltd) Paul Hurst 011 707 4000 info@solenta.com www.solenta.com
Unique Air Charter Nico Pienaar 082 444 7994 nico@uniqueair.co.za www.uniqueair.co.za Unique Flight Academy Nico Pienaar 082 444 7994 nico@uniqueair.co.za www.uniqueair.co.za Van Zyl Aviation Services Colette van Zyl 012 997 6714 admin@vanzylaviationco.za www.vanzylaviation.co.za Vector Aerospace Jeff Poirier +902 888 1808 jeff.poirier@vectoraerospace.com www.vectoraerospace.com Velocity Aviation Collin Pearson 011 659 2306 / 011 659 2334 collin@velocityaviation.co.za www.velocityaviation.co.za Villa San Giovanni Luca Maiorana 012 111 8888 info@vsg.co.za www.vsg.co.za
Starlite Aviation Operations Trisha Andhee +27 82 660 3018/ +27 31 571 6600 trishaa@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com
Status Aviation (Pty) Ltd Richard Donian 074 587 5978 / 086 673 5266 info@statusaviation.co.za www.statusaviation.co.za Superior Pilot Services Liana Jansen van Rensburg 0118050605/2247 info@superiorair.co.za www.superiorair.co.za The Copter Shop Bill Olmsted 082 454 8555 execheli@iafrica.com www.execheli.wixsite.com/the-coptershop-sa Titan Helicopter Group 044 878 0453 info@titanhelicopters.com www.titanhelicopters.com TPSC Dennis Byrne 011 701 3210 turboprop@wol.co.za Trio Helicopters & Aviation cc CR Botha or FJ Grobbelaar 011 659 1022
Vortx Aviation Bredell Roux 072 480 0359 info@vortx.co.za www.vortxaviation.com Wagtail Aviation Johan van Ludwig 082 452 8194 acrochem@mweb.co.za www.wagtail.co.za Wanafly Adrian Barry 082 493 9101 adrian@wanafly.net www.wanafly.co.za Windhoek Flight Training Centre Thinus Dreyer 0026 40 811284 180 pilots@flywftc.com www.flywftc.com Wings n Things Wendy Thatcher 011 701 3209 wendy@wingsnthings.co.za www.wingsnthings.co.za Witbank Flight School Andre De Villiers 083 604 1718 andredv@lantic.net www.waaflyingclub.co.za Wonderboom Airport Peet van Rensburg 012 567 1188/9 peet@wonderboomairport.co.za www.wonderboomairport.co.za Zandspruit Bush & Aero Estate Martin Den Dunnen 082 449 8895 martin@zandspruit.co.za www.zandspruit.co.za Zebula Golf Estate & SPA Reservations 014 734 7700 reception@zebula.co.za www.zebula.co.za
stoffel@trioavi.co.za/frans@trioavi.co.za
www.trioavi.co.za Tshukudu Trailers Pieter Visser 083 512 2342 deb@tshukudutrailers.co.za www.tshukudutrailers.co.za U Fly Training Academy Nikola Puhaca 011 824 0680 ufly@telkomsa.net www.uflyacademy.co.za United Charter cc Jonathan Wolpe 083 270 8886 jonathan.wolpe@unitedcharter.co.za www.unitedcharter.co.za
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