News - SAA – SAAF Retires its Daks
Laura McDermid - Iris flies across Sudan Pt2
John Bassi - When Things Fall Apart Pt2 News - Denali In Certification Flight Testing
Jeffery Kempson - Okavango Dreaming Pt2
MIL’s Amazing Helicopters - Steve Trichard
News - Cessna SkyCourier combi
Hugh Pryor - Ugly is Pretty The SAAF Museum 2024 Airshow
Superior Pilot Services: Flight School Directory
After lagging the world’s post-Covid recovery, the African airline industry is finally catching up.
ALMOST UNIVERSALLY across the continent, with the exception of South Africa, airline operations have exceeded pre-Covid levels, both in terms of demand and revenue.
Africa has long laboured under the burden of poor air connectivity. The good news is that the supply of seats increased by 12.6%, from 14.3 million in March 2019 to 16.1 million in March 2024, thanks to new routes and frequencies. Over the same period, Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) also exceeded March 2019 by 7.7%.
African carriers accounted for 49.5% of the international seat capacity and 35.9% of the intercontinental capacity. The African Airlines Association, (AFRAA), estimates that about 98 million passengers will be carried by African airlines in 2024.
Making it hard to plan, the price of Jet A1 continues to be volatile, and to hold above the $100/barrel level. As fuel is the biggest input into a well-run airline, this high fuel price is a significant constraint to African airline growth. The challenge is to make air travel more affordable – especially for the emergent middle class.
This return to pre-Covid levels translates into demand for new airliners. According to Boeing’s Commercial Market Outlook for 2021-2040, Africa will require more than 1,100 aircraft, with an estimated value of $160 billion by 2040.
In terms of the capacity split between African and nonAfrican operators, on both regional and intercontinental routes, AFRAA estimates a 50.7% and 49.3% split respectively. However, a further analysis of capacity on only the intercontinental routes reveals a much lower share of 35.7% for African airlines, as against 64.3% for non-African operators. Thus are African airlines continuing to have their lunch eaten by foreign operators. This despite government protection, the lack of ‘Open Skies’ liberalisation, and the iniquity of blocked funds.
The increased demand has increased revenue. AFRAA’s estimated revenue for January 2024 was US$ 1.83 billion compared to US$1.56 billion in November 2023, – a revenue growth of 14.75%.
The challenge then is for African carriers to secure competitive financing. At the air finance conference held in Johannesburg in May, Mauritian lawyer Vijay Poonoosamy expressed the view that, “Our continent’s national leaders must …. allow government-owned African airlines to be effectively and efficiently run by professionals.”
“Countries that can create such a conducive environment for their airlines will allow them to have better chances of securing fair and reasonable terms for aircraft and financing, both of which are crucial for providing the intra- and inter-continental air connectivity Africa desperately needs.”
“Financial institutions and investors play a crucial role by providing the necessary funding and support to those airlines demonstrating good governance and leadership. This, in turn, will drive the socio-economic development that is essential for the continent’s overall progress,” he said.
When you go to a party where you don’t know anybody, you should always go for the ‘Ugly’ girl, because she will be happy that you chose to spend time with her.
MORE THAN LIKELY , you will enjoy a splendid evening full of laughter and genuine friendship, and you will meet her at later venues, where you will enjoy each other’s company. There is none of the hassle which you get if you are escorting a racy blonde bombshell.
Similarly, the Pilatus Porter PC-6 is ugly, but fun and a great friend in difficult circumstances.
In comparison, Lear Jets and in particular the Lear 25, looks racy and sexy, but like many beauties, she can be cantankerous and occasionally extremely dangerous.
Based on a failed Swiss jet fighter, the Lear Jet was born in the days before supersonic flight became the norm for fighter aircraft.
Wikipedia describes how Mack Tuck affected even the piston powered fighters of WW2, noting that “The fastest World War II fighters were the first aircraft to experience Mach Tuck. Their wings were not designed to counter Mach Tuck because research on supersonic aerofoils was just beginning; areas of supersonic flow, together with shock waves and flow separation, were present on the wing. This condition was known at the time as compressibility burble and was known to exist on propeller tips at high aircraft speeds.
Aeronautical engineers then did not really understand the problems of compressibility in trans-sonic flight. Notably, pilots did not appreciate that, as the wings approach the speed of sound, a shock wave builds up, rather like the bow-wave of a ship, above and below the wing, more above than below. As the speed increases, the shock wave moves back across the chord of the wing.
The P-38 Lightning was one of the first 400 mph fighters, and it suffered more than the usual teething troubles. It had a thick, high-lift wing, distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament. It quickly accelerated to terminal velocity in a dive. The short stubby fuselage had a detrimental effect in reducing the critical Mach number of the 15% thick wing centre section with high velocities over the canopy adding to those on the upper surface of the wing.
Mach tuck occurred at speeds above Mach 0.65; the air flow over the wing centre section became transonic, causing a loss of lift. The resultant change in downwash at the tail caused a nose-down pitching moment and the dive to steepen (Mach Tuck). The aircraft was very
stable in this condition, making recovery from the dive very difficult.
The lift in the sub-sonic air behind the shock-wave is much greater than the lift in front of it and eventually, for the early Lears, at precisely .87 of the speed of sound, (Mach 1,) the horizontal stabiliser ran out of authority to keep the nose up.
When the wing stalls, it does it so viciously that the subsequent nose-over imposes negative Gs on the airframe, powerful enough to eject the passengers and crew through the roof with their seats and to cause the wings to fail downwards.
To prevent this, they installed a ‘Mach Limiter’ to pull the nose up at .84 Mach in order to prevent the plane from nosing over into ‘Mach Tuck’.
During the year when I was a co-pilot on the aircraft, seven Lear 25s fell out of the sky in similar circumstances. The violence of the destruction spread the remains over such a wide area that it was difficult to identify the primary reason for the disintegration and it was not until investigators recovered two of the primary circuit breaker boards that they discovered the probable cause of the disasters... on each of the circuit breaker boards, the Mach limiter circuit breakers had been pulled.
If you saw a Lear 25 crew walking down the street, how would you know which one was the Captain and which was the First Officer? The Captain will have his head resting on his right shoulder and the co-pilot’s head will be on his left shoulder, because that is how they have to sit on the small cramped round flight deck.
The fuel tanks were installed like torpedoes on the tips of the wings and if you were refuelling an empty aircraft, it was necessary to half fill one tank and then fill the other one, before topping off the first one, because if you filled one tank with the other one empty, the plane would fall over.
Then there were the leading-edge de-icing strips on the wings. In order to work efficiently, they had to be spotlessly clean. There was a joke among the engineers; What has more finger prints than the FBI? The answer was the Learjet de-icing strips.
And did I mention the windscreen? It was made out of Perspex, more than an inch thick and it was difficult to polish without introducing distortions and scratches, so it was tempting just leave it until it was virtually opaque and then cleaning and polishing it would take an age.
On further investigation, after talking to other Lear 25 crews, it turned out that there was an ongoing competition among Lear 25 crews to see who could get from San Francisco to Las Vegas quickest, and if they pulled the circuit breaker, they could operate at .86 with literally a couple of knots between ‘winning’ and losing everything.
There were several other details which I found vaguely annoying about the Lear 25. The type-rating involved a course in gymnastics in order for the flight crew to gain access to the cockpit, without breaking any switches or bones.
Okay, the Lear may turn heads with its sleek lines and sexy figure, but give me the good old Porter any day! We go back a long while together and she gave me more than six thousand hours of trouble-free friendship.
Maybe I am just an old Bush Bumkin, but I prefer to fly aeroplanes which can take me to places where there are no officials trying to justify their existence by giving me a lot of ‘up-hill’, through airspace unmolested by unintelligible controllers and air-trafficjams of enormous flying hotels, flown by pilots who spend their lives being told what to do by computers.
AFTER 81 YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE in South Africa, the DC-3 Dakota and C-47TP Turbo Dakota is being taken out of SAAF service.
The C-47 Dakota entered SAAF service in 1943. In the 1980’s, the SAAF operated the largest fleet of Dakotas in the world. In the early 1990s, nine airframes were upgraded to turboprops, by replacing the piston engines and adding a fuselage extension.
The grounding of all eight remaining C-47TPs in the SAAF’s inventory was confirmed by Armscor. The primary challenge has been securing a maintenance provider, a task made difficult by the absence of support from the OEM.
The Dakotas’ service extended beyond transport as they were pivotal during the Angolan War, performing troop transport, resupply, medical evacuation, paratrooping, and other ancillary activities.
Post-war, the fleet size was reduced, and in the early 1990s, several Dakotas were converted into ‘TurboDaks’ under Project Felstone, enhancing their capabilities with modern turboprops and avionics.
35 Squadron, based at AFB Ysterplaat, has been home to the Dakota since 1985. Despite the retirement of the piston-engined Dakotas in 1994, the squadron continued to operate the C-47-TP Dakota in various roles, including maritime surveillance, transport, electronic intelligence gathering, and training.
Currently, only five C-47TPs remain in service, with three configured for maritime surveillance and two for transport. The future of 35 Squadron remains uncertain, but it is expected to continue operations with another SAAF platform to maintain pilot proficiency.
Iris – her early years:
Laura McDermid continues her stories about Iris McCallum’s early years in East Africa and the Sudan. In part 1 of this story she recounts how she had to fly a bunch of Belgian Missionaries to Aweil, a city in northwestern South Sudan, from Wilson in Nairobi in her old mate ‘ARN’, the Piper Aztec 5Y-ARN.
WAS A LONG DAY'S
AS , in order to clear customs and refuel, we had to fly to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, a distance of 489 nm, and then a further 343 nm to Aweil.
We departed Juba at 13h30 local time for Bor. The soft, superheated air rising from the runway offered so little body for the wings that we ascended reluctantly, seeming actually to sag when the wheels broke ground and sometimes barely surmounting the oncoming trees.
The Nile held an excitement and allure when viewed from the air. This river had so much history that, regardless of how many times I laid eyes on it, it was like seeing it for the first time.
I landed at Bor and offloaded the supplies that I’d bought with from Nairobi for the local mission, and topped ARN up with avgas.
grass sharp enough to slice though a person’s skin
As expected, the flight was rough. I heard one of my passengers vomit noisily into an air-sick bag.
This part of the trip was still easy, I just followed the White Nile North for about 40 minutes to find Bor airstrip.
We spent 40 minutes on the ground and got airborne at 16h00 for Aweil via Wau.
Thinking of my old instructor’s briefing for this flight I said out loud to nobody in particular, ‘Here we go Dicky Bird.’
My heading was NW and I climbed to FL105, high enough to have reasonable visibility and to cool off.
My love of history paid off, as within no time at all, I was on the west bank of the Nile.
It was flat and there was nothing but elephant grass, which I knew from reading old hunting books, could be anything from 12 to 15 feet high and was sharp enough to slice though a person’s skin as if it were wet tissue paper.
This was the start of the dreaded Sudd. From my bird’s eye view it looked like a mosaic of floating islands, water lilies and tangled reeds occasionally interspersed with pools of water. No wonder it took explorers until the late 19th and early 20th centuries to navigate.
I estimated that I would reach the railway line in about 1 hour and 50 minutes with a further 15 minutes to Aweil based on the line Dicky Bird had drawn on the ONC map back in the board room.
This was the part of the route that I had been anxious about. The map on my knee pad read “Relief Data Incomplete” and was just white.
I found myself getting annoyed at my anxiety; I’m like a two year old clutching their blankie for comfort.
As the sun slid lower and lower to the horizon, my pulse rate rose higher and higher.
I looked around, my passengers were all soundly asleep, Mr Chunder still gripping his packet as though it were something of great value.
Wonderful, I shall have to be scared all on my own.
I looked ahead, something glinted. My hopes rose in anticipation of seeing a railway line. As I drew nearer I realised it was just another pool of water reflecting the last of the sun’s rays.
My heart sank and I tried to swallow, but the back of my throat was really dry. Both my hands were welded to the yoke, my knuckles white with the strain.
I’m sitting ram-rod straight in my seat, straining forward as though I could will the ground features into the cockpit. I look at my watch.
My time is up.
I had no idea what effect the wind had had, whether I was left or right of track, but I knew for sure that the railway line was up ahead…unless of course the wind had blown me so off course that I had passed to the north of Wau where there is no railway line.
Doubt was no longer creeping its way into my mind but clawing wildly – like a honey badger trapped in a box.
‘Keep the faith Iris’ I hear Dicky Bird’s voice echoing in my head.
I keep going for another ten minutes and it crosses my mind that if I don’t find the railway line before the sun sets, I may have to execute a precautionary, but no doubt crash land, in the swamp.
I didn’t fancy that at all.
I see another shining river ahead… it’s not water, this time it IS the railway line.
Relief floods through my body. I feel as though I have been holding my breath for hours. I turn right, following the railway line to Wau. I’ve descended to FL85 and soon overfly the small village.
I identified a clearing that would serve and flew overhead, ensuring the area was clear of obstacles.
I thought I’d test what Dicky Bird said about passengers not knowing where they are. I turned to Mr Chunder, who was by now awake but still clutching his spew, and asked if this village beneath us was Aweil.
He looked out the window squinting hard and turned back to me, his brow furrowed with confusion ‘I don’t know.’
I am back over the Sudd, but now I know where I am, and 15 minutes later I see a tendril of smoke curling in the sky and a village. This had to be Aweil.
As the sky changed from magenta, to purple and mauve, the last sliver of sun slipped below the horizon. I flew over the village looking for an area that would suffice as an airstrip.
I turned onto final approach and thanked the gods that I was in an Aztec, as I could slow ARN right down. I took the full 45 degrees of flap and landed with ease on the short field.
I taxied to a large mango tree, thinking it would make a good hangar for the evening. As is the case in these remote villages, people spilled out of every home, curious about the strange flying contraption.
A little girl peered at me shyly around her mother’s legs, her eyes wide with awe at the spectacle of this white woman with a mass of unruly hair.
The flight from Bor to Aweil had taken me 2.5 hours, a little longer than planned, so a head wind it was! I closed up ARN for the night, patting him affectionately and thanking him for delivering us safely.
I looked around, noticing for the first time that the airstrip was also used as a soccer field, as evidenced by a goal post at the far end of the ‘runway’.
A driver arrived in a clapped out Toyota to drive us to the mission station where we were given a very warm welcome. I was shown to an amazing room at the back of the building that opened onto a veranda, and then I was given a grand tour of the ablutions.
Forget WC, this was a throne room. I had to climb eight steps onto a stage on top of which sat an ornate ceremonial chair carved from indigenous mahogany.
This was positioned over the toilet hole and was without a doubt, the most elaborate loo I’d ever had the pleasure of sitting on.
Following my arduous day in the cockpit, I had a comfortable night and a good rest, and even recall sharing a dumpy Tusker with Mr Chunder who, sans his bag, was quite a pleasant guy.
Following the passengers’ ordeal yesterday, we took off at 07h30 the following morning and this time no one was late.
of the bottle for ease of travel. Now that’s what I call civilized!
Another 3.5 hours flying to Wilson and soon I was home enjoying a cold frosty.
Knowing what to expect, I headed off to Bor feeling a lot more relaxed. I still played it safe and routed back via Wau. This time we had a tailwind, and the flight was a bit quicker.
Pilots in the 1980s think fondly about Juba for one thing only. Duty free. When leaving, we would stock up on our favourite vices. It was one of the few places that actually sold duty free scotch in 5 litre glass bottles. Some even had wheels attached to the base
Looking back, having flown these trips by dead reckoning, without proper maps or any GPS aids, was hard work. Forever searching and searching and eventually finding what you were looking for played tricks on the mind and took guts.
All the East African pilots I knew at the time had strong personalities, but there was no place for pride or shame. We pioneered together, and most importantly helped one another. Paying attention to the advice which was so freely shared was invaluable, and had saved my bacon more than once and helped me thrive.
The shared experiences forged a wonderful camaraderie, one that remains indelibly etched on my heart.
AFTER A PROTRACTED PERIOD, Textron’s Beechcraft Denali has entered certification flight testing.
The Denali is both an all-new airframe and has an all-new engine, making the certification process more complex by a multiple.
Textron is also continually making developmental changes to the new commuter/cargo platform.
The company says it has accumulated more than 2,000 hours on three test articles of the big single-engine turboprop that will compete squarely against the Pilatus PC-12.
Designed to cruise at 285 knots with a full fuel payload of 1,100 pounds, the Denali claims a range of 1,600 nautical miles at high-speed cruise. The 1,300 horsepower engine has full FADEC and a single power and propellor control.
GE Aerospace’s Catalyst engine is claimed to provide better fuel efficiency compared to the PC-12’s PT-6 engine. Further, it claims to be able to use sustainable aviation fuel. However the engine is blamed for much of the certification delay.
Beech recently completed the first certification flight of the Garmin G3000 avionics system, which is being fitted with Garmin Autoland as a standard feature.
Standard G3000 features include a 10-inch weather radar, Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS-B), and dual transponders with automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) capabilities.
The Denali uses the new Catalyst turboprop, which Textron says is more efficient than other comparable engines.
The plane can be configured for passengers or cargo.
Final FAA certification is hoped for during 2025.
Textron's Denali is finally nearing certification in 2025.
JEFFERY KEMPSON
THE NEXT MORNING, I flew to Maun to clear immigration and refuel before returning empty to Rand Airport in Germiston. However, the aircraft’s left engine could not be primed for starting. I checked the fuel pump circuit breakers, but all was well. So I called the maintenance company in Joburg, who advised that they would send an aircraft with an engineer to rectify the problem on Monday. It was now Friday morning, so the weekend loomed large.
I got a lift to the convivial riverside Crocodile Camp and, preparatory to booking in for the weekend, walked into the bar area, where I noticed a local bush pilot acquaintance with his arm around the shoulders of a very attractive blonde, blueeyed girl.
climbed aboard the Cessna. After explaining some of the features I fiddled with the fuel pump circuit breaker again, then gave the breaker panel a sharp tap. To my delight the fuel pump came On, so I started the engine, then the other one. Having done a recent pre-flight, I took the girls on a game flight over the Okavango.
Back on the ground, I established sideband radio comms with the Sitatunga, and it was arranged that we could all fly to Shakawe and spend a couple of free nights on the luxury houseboat.
I was cohabiting with a highly intelligent lady
I struck up a conversation with them, and she told me that she had a private pilot’s licence, but had driven her VW Kombi from Johannesburg to Maun, accompanied by a medical student lady friend. She then expressed an interest in seeing my Cessna 320, so we got into her Kombi, drove back to the airport, and
The girls checked out of Croc Camp, I cancelled the Joburg based engineer, and flew back to Shakawe. There we spent two pleasant nights on the beautiful houseboat cruising the Okavango River.
I dropped the girls back at Maun on the Monday morning, bade them goodbye after exchanging phone numbers, and promised to call when back in town.
Hearing that the Kombi was to now travel home via the indifferent dirt road through Ghanzi and Lobatse,
I cautioned them on this routing. The blonde gave me an innocent smile, and we embarked on our separate journeys.
I did not know then that Christine, the blonde, together with three friends, had driven her Pinetown registered Kombi, complete with ZA sticker, overland from Durban through Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia - thence the Middle East, Iran and Pakistan to Northern France, then shipped it across the channel to her parents’ home in Kent England. This occurred during the rule of our ostracised White government. Later the Kombi was shipped back to SA.
We lived together for eight years. She acquired her Commercial Licence and instrument rating and accompanied me on the delivery flight of a Rally 180 GT from the factory in France to Lanseria. (This article was printed in SA Flyer as “A Scratch in Time.”)
Shortly after that she was offered a flight delivering a Rockwell 112TC to Northern Italy. I accompanied her as far as Nairobi, then she flew the rest of the way herself. I was very proud of her.
I arrived home without incident, and a few days later phoned the blonde English rose to arrange a lunch. She had a job with an estate agency at that time. We got on well, and a couple of weeks later she moved in with me at my Inanda cottage. At this juncture I began to realise that I was cohabiting with a highly intelligent lady with an adventurous spirit.
We treated the initial part of the Rockwell ferry as a bit of a holiday, routing via Blantyre, then spent a couple of days at the Mombasa Beach Hotel, then on to charming Malindi. While she was wearing a brief yellow bikini, we walked along the beach until we came to a seaside Mosque. Unconcerned, Christine walked inside, innocently displaying her voluptuous charms to the congregation of disapproving worshippers. She had entered out of friendly curiosity, but a fearsome hissing sound emanated from the kneeling devotees. I can’t remember if it was a Friday or not, but we made a run for it, with
several furious worshippers in pursuit, some feigning picking up and throwing non-existent stones from the beach, doubtless to mimic a fervent stoning of the infidels. This event occurred prior to our future awareness of Islamic conservatism. Once clear, my lovely companion exclaimed; “What’s the matter with them? I was only smiling and waving to be friendly.”
We returned to our beachside hotel by an alternative route. Then we flew to Nairobi, where I left her to continue her solo flight to Italy, as I returned by airline to Johannesburg, and more mundane freelance charter flying.
A few days later she landed safely at her northern Italian destination, surprising the owner when she told him that she now had a total of only 290 flying hours.
Thereafter, she undertook several successful solo ferry flights including the delivery of several 210s from the UK to Lanseria. Later she also flew several fights to Okavango guest lodges, but was somewhat discomfited by the chauvinism of some opiniated South African male pilots passing disparaging comments about female pilots.
One day, after flying a Cessna 182 to Delareyville and spending an uneventful day sitting in a roadside café awaiting her returning passengers, she declared that the excessive ground time wasted in much charter flying was a dreary, unproductive waste of time. So we formed an aircraft sales company called Professional Aviation Services and took an upstairs office at the old Lanseria Airport terminal building.
Shortly after, I persuaded a personable pilot acquaintance to consider replacing their company Piper Cheyenne with a larger, more comfortable, Beechcraft King Air 200.
Based in Ficksburg, this prosperous Afrikaans company ran an insurance scheme for farmers in the Orange Free State. I interested them in stepping up and we liaised via telephone and telex with an enterprising Scandinavian Beechcraft franchise owner whose managing director was also an active and very proficient pilot.
In due course an almost new Danish registered King Air 200 arrived at Lanseria, which we then flew to Ficksburg and performed an impressive demonstration for their pilot Tanner Harris, and company executives while operating from the rudimentary Ficksburg grass airstrip.
Negotiations proceeded well, and a few days later the contract was signed. Their Piper Cheyenne was not traded in, but sold privately, which was a relief.
An interesting aside was that the King Air had standard gear, which in SA has mostly been supplanted by High Float Gear utilising larger main wheels to accommodate unpaved airstrips. Interestingly, Beechcraft stated that unless their aircraft were operated on unpaved airstrips more than fifty per cent of the time, the standard gear should suffice. At considerable expense the High Float gear was later installed, whereafter Captain Harris lamented the consequent decrease in cruising speed.
Anyway, we made some reasonable money on this deal, and stepped up from KFC cuisine to steak dinners. We were also invigorated at the angst exhibited by the local Lanseria Beechcraft Agents, who also refused to service this King Air. So we made a plan with the
outfit that had the original Canadair Challenger agency at Lanseria and paid their licensed King Air endorsed engineer half his salary on the basis of him giving preference to servicing the Ficksburg based King Air when necessary.
These were the pre-internet days. Our office comprised of Christine, a secretary, Diane, and me, two phones and a telex machine. Sometimes the clattering telex machine was so busy, and got so hot, that I considered keeping a bucket of water handy in case it caught fire.
During this period I followed a drinking regimen that delayed imbibing until five pm. This principle was developed from operations in the Okavango tourist lodge era.
American clients had occasionally been heard to complain that should one of their number suffer a medical emergency, the pilot may not be in an airworthy condition to casevac them out to Johannesburg for first world medical attention. I made a concession to sobriety until five o clock, then added a minute for watch error, telling them after that they would be on their own. I also jokingly cautioned them not to provoke the wildlife with excessively large camera lenses during late afternoon game drives.
trying to close the passenger door, I fell out onto the floor. “I should just leave you here,” she said. I was too incoherent to answer, and opened the window in case a half digested prawn tried to surface.
Things at Professional alternated between being really good, and worryingly dire. I managed to sell a CL44, a very large, four turboprop swing tail freighter, unseen, in Miami to an operator in the Congo. Sadly, it had an engine failure during the delivery flight, and the American owner reduced our commission.
Shortly after this an attractive and affable lady pilot named Gay Russell approached us with a view to the Malawi based company, Limbe Leaf Tobacco, purchasing a Cessna Citation business jet to facilitate their African travels. Gay and Christine hit it off very well, so I left most of the negotiations to her, particularly as she had more business acumen, and a warmer smile than me.
On one embarrassing occasion we had entertained prospective aircraft buyers to a seafood dinner at an expensive Sandton City restaurant but later, entering the car park, I noticed that the back right wheel of Christine’s Kombi was flat.
Being inebriated, I collapsed against the left rear wheel. A youthful gentleman who only had eyes for Christine arrived but did not notice me slumped there in the shadows. He chivalrously changed the Kombi wheel, though when replacing the flat wheel and Jack in the boot he heard my slurred mention of “seafood poisoning,” and I gave him an uncoordinated wave of thanks, to which he uttered a furious expletive, and drove away.
Christine was very embarrassed, then became downright angry. After I had seated myself and while
At this time Gay introduced us to the other lady pilot, the pleasant ex-Kenyan aviatrix, Iris McCallum, whose interesting articles appear regularly in SA Flyer.
The sale was completed, and Gay travelled to America where our associate arranged an independent inspection, and subsequently carried out her jet conversion. Gay flew the jet home with an experienced ferry pilot.
This was another feather in our cap, and irritated the then local Cessna agent, who believed that they had an exclusive monopoly on Cessna jet aircraft sales.
In due course, the Citation came to be maintained by Billy Cochrane, the highly qualified and dependable Chief Engineer of the recently opened Comair Jet Centre at Lanseria. I came to know Billy and his vivacious, multi-talented wife Mich very well, and can attest to Billy’s reputation as one of the very best general aviation, and later corporate jet engineers in Africa. His talent had initially been recognised by an earlier employer, the reputable Westair in Windhoek, who promoted Billy to the position of Chief Engineer, the youngest ever in Southern Africa at the time.
In earlier Lanseria days, I frequented the often-rowdy Lanseria pub after arriving back from flights. I fell in with a crowd of hard drinking GA pilots who knew that the pub only closed when the last patron left. However, we mostly maintained the 8 hours between bottle and throttle dictum.
I recall one evening, having run out of ready cash, I sold my slightly defective Breitling Navitimer watch to a local aircraft engineer for R10, then I bought a round of drinks.
One unhappy post pub evening, while Christine was in the UK visiting her aging parents, I drove her recently acquired Alfa Romeo, bought from George Leach, the then Chief Pilot of Anglo American. The little green Alfa was her pride and joy. Before she flew off to the UK to visit her parents, I suggested that she leave the keys with me so that I could drive it occasionally to keep the battery charged. She reluctantly agreed, provided I drove it sober, and in daylight hours.
Sad to relate. One inebriated evening, I left the Lanseria pub and drove the Alfa away into the dark, moonless night. All went well, until I entered a long rural road in the countryside, heading for a cottage we had moved into.
article I now believed that I was under attack and accelerated to get away, but the car was performing sluggishly. I looked up, but could see no attacking aircraft.
At the next road junction, I turned ninety degrees to escape, but I was still being trailed by burning patches on the road. After a while the car cut out and would not restart. I climbed out, fell over, picked myself up and opened the bonnet, to be met by a minor inferno. I collected a few handfuls of sand from the roadside and threw them into the engine compartment, to no avail. Then the hooter came on. I managed to stop that by prising a battery connection loose. Then I extracted my flight bag from the boot, moved to sit on a fallen log nearby, lit a cigarette and watched the Alfa burn. Thereafter; it was a long walk home to a bad hangover.
There had recently been a newspaper article alluding to a suspected terrorist shootout in the Hekpoort area. Mindful of this snippet, I was on the lookout for dubious rural criminals. However, I must briefly have been resting my eyes when I felt a shuddering movement through the car. Opening my eyes it seemed that I was in a right banking manoeuvre, so I instinctively moved the wheel to the left to bring the wings level, then realised I was not actually aloft, and over corrected to the right to exit the grassy bank I had mounted. I regained the road with a shuddering thump. After straightening out, the car began to run roughly. Added to this, a small burning patch appeared behind me in the rear-view mirror, then extinguished, only to be followed by another burning patch on the road like a small funeral pyre. Mindful of the recent newspaper
It appears that when the car had ascended the bank, one of the dual carburettor bowls had fallen off and petrol had fallen onto the hot exhaust, ignited, then dropped onto the road as a briefly burning finale.
This unhappy event took some fanciful explanation when Christine returned, and marked the deterioration in our relationship. Christine and I continued living together for a while, then started drifting apart, moved to separate bedrooms, and occasionally went out with other partners.
One New Year’s Eve I was away on a night stop, while Christine and my soon to be new lady friend attended a new year’s eve party. The next day an urbane fair haired, articulate, well-spoken gentleman came to call on Christine. Ironically they had been introduced by my pending new lady friend.
Thereafter, Robert Garbett appeared at our Lanseria office quite frequently and took an interest in our business affairs. We were going through a bad financial patch at that time, and Bob and Christine were attracted to one another, so our relationship took on a decidedly frosty aspect.
There were some bitter recriminations. Then, taking our secretary with me, I moved out and joined the then Mooney agent, Hugh Hodgson, who also owned a maintenance outfit at Lanseria. Interestingly, he was also in the process of negotiating a franchise for the new Mitsubishi Diamond business jet.
I conceitedly reckoned Professional Aviation wouldn’t last six months without me. However, I had underestimated the rather obvious appeal of a well-educated businessman who could read an aircraft manual, wore good suits with double cuff long sleeved shirts, cufflinks, and silk ties. This made a favourable impression on potential corporate customers who, during boardroom discussions regarding the acquisition of expensive turboprop or business jet aircraft, expected the conversations to also include the comprehensive aspects regarding peripheral insurance, financial considerations, and relevant matters pursuant to corporate practice.
for cash, which I then flew on charters and made more money than flying someone else’s aircraft.
Tiring of long-distance cut-rate flying in the Arrow, which seemed to attract permanent headwinds, and not being able to afford to pay cash for a 6-seater Cessna 210, I bought a Comanche 250 with tip tanks. This move up to a 155 knot, 4-seater charter machine with eight plus hour’s fuel endurance was extremely practical and affordable. Operating my own aircraft also gave me some leverage with the ‘charter queens’, and induced in me a much greater satisfaction than flying some other aircraft with a dubious maintenance history.
In time Bob married Christine, and we buried the proverbial hatchet. I subsequently both sold aircraft to Professional Aviation Services and bought several from them as well.
After a while I returned to freelance flying for several more years and gave up drinking, which saved me so much money that I was able to buy a used Piper Arrow
Little did I suspect that the Mopani tree region of Northern Botswana held a further romance for me, together with the launching of an exotic new aviation venture.
JOHN BASSI
ONCE AIRBORNE, and still oblivious as to the disorganization on the ground, we attempt to establish communications but to no avail. In such large mountainous places communication is often our biggest challenge.
We decide to fly towards an area where we thought the rhino could be, scouting along a scrub filled riverline, hoping to get a visual of the trackers and an update. With no trackers in sight, we continued crawling along above the drainage line at around 120 feet agl and a steady 40 knots, upstream towards the mountains.
Miraculously we found the rhino.
And then the fun began, as we soon discovered the chaos on the ground. We were reluctant to leave the rhino for fear of losing him, but we had no choice since we could not get hold of the trucks or rangers or trackers on radio and there were no cell phone coms.
We glimpsed the recovery truck in the far distance, estimating they were an hour away from the closest place where we could dart the rhino, but still with no communication. Quickly returning to where we found the rhino, I orbited high making sure he was still
resting in shade before we left him to find the rangers and recovery team.
After 20 minutes flying around we eventually found one team of rangers, but they too did not respond to our radio calls and stared up at us blankly. I landed near to the vehicle, sending one of our crew over to them to find out what was happening and to update them, only to discover they did not have a radio.
We lifted off again to go to the recovery truck and update them, and again no response from any of them by radio.
Once again, I landed near the truck and sent a crew member to find out what was happening and to tell the driver to get going. We discovered that they did have an air to ground radio but were on the wrong frequency. We then tried to describe where the rhino was so they could move to the location, knowing this would take time since the road was barely two tracks and, in many places, could only be negotiated at a snail’s pace.
Now that we think everyone is on the same page, we are in a dilemma because we cannot risk darting the rhino until everyone is very close. But we also
Bat Hawks have been very successfully used in wildlife operations.
don’t want to lose sight of the rhino in case he does a Houdini. But if we risk flying around the rhino to monitor him, he will start running and overheating, and head into the hills. Not only is it too hot for the animal to lie immobilized for more than 20 minutes, but the vet does not have enough drugs to keep it safely sedated if there is any delay in the vehicles arriving.
We return to the rhino and thankfully find him motionless in the shade. But he spooks, and immediately starts running. Not a good thing to happen with the heat already at 32 deg C.
From a distance of around 500 metres, I gently pressured the animal, herding him away from the rugged gullies, rocks and hills towards the track where he would be easier to load into the crate.
Descending gradually and lining up onto his path, I made my approach to level-off five metres above and behind the now galloping rhino, matching his direction and speed, holding the helicopter stable for the vet to place a perfect dart.
We weigh up the situation. The running rhino will soon overheat and then it will be too risky to dart him anyway. It was running towards mountains and rocks where it would be impossible to recover if we did not stop him. We estimated that the truck was still 45 minutes away. The vet was low on drugs to keep the animal down longer than 20 to 30 minutes and would need to wake him up fully by then, if the truck was not with us.
We made the decision to dart rhino, praying that the truck would reach us before the vet’s drugs ran out, or if the animal responded badly to the drugs, the vet would need to wake the rhino due to overheating and/ or a weak pulse.
The moment the dart embedded, I pulled away, climbing as high as possible so as to not stress the already terrified beast, all the while carefully monitoring his every move, to stay one step ahead of him and do everything in my power to keep him where I wanted him to be.
It is vital to keep the darted rhino in the open, close to the track, and guide him away from rocks when he goes down.
After a few minutes the rhino began to show the effects of the drug and slowed into a disorientated wobbling walk, followed by a most ungraceful stumble in a cloud of dust. I immediately descended, landing a few metres from the rhino to drop off the vet so that he could monitor, stabilise and secure him.
My first job completed, I could then focus on looking for the truck and capture team, guiding them onto the correct roads.
Turning away and climbing towards my last known position of the truck, through my peripheral vision I suddenly see something move below me. I am relieved to see the LSA flashing past, seemingly on its way towards the rhino’s location. I immediately try to establish radio contact, but there is no response.
Ignoring the LSA, which is now safely moving away from us, flying north, I focuss on finding the capture team who I easily spot from a few kilometres away. They were on the move, with no idea where to go and were at least 2 kms ahead of the truck, racing along in a cloud of dust. I managed to get coms with them to tell them where to turn off ahead and assumed they had coms with the truck with the rhino crates and crane. We returned to check on the vet and rhino, getting a thumbs up that all was well and whilst in the hover, watched the dust of the vehicles in the distance.
We noticed the recovery team heading towards us with speed but no truck. I managed to get a strength one unreadable voice from the LSA as I attempted to ask the pilot to guide the truck, but realizing this was a problem due to bad comms, I dropped the helicopters nose and sped towards the recovery team. The quality of many LSA radios is so often problematic.
Meanwhile the LSA is buzzing around in the distance. We landed close to the Land-Cruiser to ask them if they told the truck where to turn off. The bewildered reply is no, and that they have no comms with the truck.
We tell them to turn around and show the truck where to turn off, then hurriedly, I lifted off to get back to the vet and rhino to make sure all was still well. As expected, the vet anxiously warned us that we were running out of time and that he would soon need to decide to wake up the rhino.
With extra stress in my head, I flew straight back to locate the recovery team and truck, only to find the truck going in the wrong direction. Once again, I landed to explain the route, then lifted off back to the recovery team to tell them AGAIN to drive fast back to the turn off to show the truck where to go. Looking down below, the Bat-hawk appeared under the helicopter and eventually after endless attempts to establish contact, responded with a strength 2 garbled message that was unreadable due to poor quality RT equipment as he once again flew in the direction of the rhino.
Now it was simply a waiting game as to what the final outcome would be. We returned to the rhino and I established a hover at 200ft agl, watching the vet, the rhino and the recovery team heading towards us. In the
distance, dust from the truck trailed off away from the wind. There was nothing more that I could do to ensure success.
While the time seemingly stood still, we watched the Bat-Hawk flying low to our right in what appeared to be a final approach. All of us in the helicopter just sat there staring mesmerized by the certain, but surreal unfolding event that had a certain outcome.
Aghast, I sat watching, the Bat-Hawk was going to land in a flat area 100m from the rhino but that had many small rocks. I wanted to scream, “Abort! Do not land!” but my voice somehow couldn’t come out my of my brain.
Like watching a movie in slowmotion the Bat-Hawk skidded about 40 m and then gracefully flipped upside down in a cloud of dust. The nose wheel had hit a rock and broken off. Thanks to the robust construction, no one was hurt. I found myself just hovering there trying to take all this in, and then as I was about to go and help, two beings crawled out of the wreckage, shaking their heads and dusting themselves off. I said nothing.
During all the commotion the truck had arrived and the recovery team were at the rhino which was alive and well, albeit a little hot.
We noticed the vet looking ruffled and dusty and ask what happened. He rolled his eyes saying, “After you left me, as I got to the rhino to put a blindfold on, he got up, horned me and threw me into the air a couple of metres away, but after all the other crap happening I decided it was a non-event”.
Once we had taken all the samples and got the rhino onto his feet ready to load, we noticed a snake had
been lying under the rhino all that time – a horned adder.
The rhino eventually got offloaded many hours later in his new home and we all returned safely back to base, except for the trashed LSA.
The poor rhino died ten days later from complications related to stress and a viral infection, as a result of not having immunity to a tick that is prevalent where he was offloaded.
The Soviet Union has had the most amazing history of building huge, yet very successful helicopters, that dwarf the biggest the West has ever produced.
THE MI-26 (NATO reporting name
“Halo”) is the biggest, heaviest, and most powerful helicopter ever to have gone into production. It created a new category in helicopter classification, known as super heavy-lift.
The sheer size and capabilities of the Mil Mi-26 are difficult to put into perspective. The Halo is effectively a C-130 Hercules with rotors as the cargo holds of the C-130 and Mi-26 are almost identical in size, with the Mi-26 being marginally bigger. The max payload of the Mi-26 is almost 1,000 kg more than that of the C-130.
Mil Mi-26 next to a Boeing 737.
In 1922, with the founding of the Soviet Union, a massive country was created. It was three times the size of the USA, and with extreme climate and inhospitable terrain. The average monthly temperatures in Yakutsk in Siberia (population of 350,000), are +20°C in July and −37°C in December.
Almost 65% of the Soviet Union is covered by permafrost (frozen subsoil). The construction of roads and railways in many areas was uneconomical, impractical and, in some cases, impossible. Air travel therefore played a crucial role in linking population centres separated by huge distances.
To address this limitation of fixed wing aircraft, rotorcraft were identified as a game changer. However, the worldwide experience and expertise of developing rotorcraft were minimal.
To develop aircraft the Soviets created Opytno Konstruktorskoye Byuros (OKBs). These “experimental design bureaus” were independent and unique, designing and constructing prototypes in a specific area of advanced technology. The OKBs were identified through a numbering system. The system followed no logical order or structure, creating intentional confusion.
To cater for air travel needs, by the end of the 1930s, Aeroflot had over 4,000 pilots and operated 3,000 aircraft. There were few airports, most with unpaved runways. This had a significant impact on the size and payload of fixed-wing aircraft that could be employed.
The rotorcraft design bureaus included OKB-3 (Bratukhin), OKB-115 (Yakovlev), OKB-329 (Mil) and OKB-938 (Kamov). It is interesting to note that there were multiple OKBs dedicated to a specific technology.
Engine service doors are used as work platforms, and to access the tail rotor there is a passageway inside the tail boom.
The most successful rotorcraft design bureau was OKB-329. It was established in 1947 under the leadership of Mikhail Mil, who was also the lead designer. Informally the bureau was known as OKB Mil. Mil’s design philosophy was “make it simple, make it reliable, make it rugged, and make it work”.
OKB Mil designed the Mi-1 “Hare” helicopter which entered service in 1950. It was quickly followed by the Mi-4 “Hound” in 1953. Initially, the Soviets built most of their transport helicopters to move civilian personnel and equipment to remote areas of the Soviet Union. It provided Aeroflot with the means to assist in the exploitation of undeveloped regions.
In the early 1950s a joint civilian and military requirement was identified for a large transport helicopter. Specifications for this helicopter stated a range of 130 nm (240 km) with an 11,000 kg payload.
The requirements were at the furthest end of “possibility”. The OKB Mil team had to design and then direct the development of groundbreaking technology and products to satisfy the requirement. The design work began in 1952 and in June 1957 the Mil V-6 made its maiden flight.
When the Mil Mi-6 “Hook” went into production, it was powered by two Soloviev D-25V turboshaft engines producing 4,100 kW each (designed by OKB-19) and a five-blade main rotor with a 35-meter diameter.
The Mi-6 was the world’s first twin-turboshaft helicopter and the first to exceed 300 km/h (162 knots) in level flight, a speed that was assumed to be beyond the capability of helicopters. With a maximum payload capacity of 12,000 kg (or 70 troops) and a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 42,200 kg, the Mi-6 was the world’s first heavy-lift helicopter.
Its most notable feature was stub wings, which were mounted high on each side of the fuselage. It provided 25% of the lift required during cruise flight. But during hover the stub wings increased the vertical drag, known as rotor blockage. As a result, the negative impact on the payload was close to 800 kg. For heavy-lift operations, the wings could be removed. Rolling take-offs and landings became operational procedure during flights at high All Up Weight (AUW).
In 1957 the Mil Mi-6 was the largest helicopter in the world, far out-sizing helicopters built in the West. But for the Soviet Union, the need to build a helicopter even bigger than the Mi-6 was a matter of national security.
The cold war was in full swing. Nuclear weapons guaranteed a tense but stable global peace based on the concept of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD). This is a “strategic situation in which both sides possess the ability to inflict unacceptable damage upon the opponent at any time during the course of a strategic nuclear exchange, even after absorbing a surprise first strike.” (oxfordreference.com).
By the time the production line was closed in 1981, 924 Mi-6s had been manufactured. The Mil Mi-6 remained in operational service until 2002 when the type certificate was withdrawn.
To absorb a first attack and strike back, the missile launch sites had to be secret. The Soviet military deployed their land-based Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) all over the country. The enormous size of the Soviet Union was ideal for hiding missiles, but the massive first-generation missiles had to be transported to launch sites by train. Railways were built with the sole purpose of transporting the missiles.
By 1960, American U-2 spy planes conducting highaltitude reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union were beginning to uncover the location of Soviet ICBM sites. It was relatively easy as the U-2 used the purpose-built railways to pinpoint the missile launch sites.
The Soviets could no longer hide their land-based nuclear weapons so they devised a plan to airlift the missiles into the Soviet wilderness. This would make it almost impossible for spy planes to track down missiles hidden in over twelve million square kilometres of forests. But to make the plan work, the Soviets needed a giant helicopter.
to a remote airfield, from which the helicopter could transport the missiles hundreds of kilometres into the vastness of Soviet territory.
OKB Mil started design studies in 1959 for the giant helicopter, after receiving a directive to develop a helicopter that can airlift a 30,000 kg payload over 270 nm (500 km). It was specified that the height and width dimensions of the cargo bay must be similar to that of the Antonov An-22.
The concept was to use the Antonov An-22 “Cock” turboprop 80,000 kg payload transport aircraft in combination with a 30,000 kg payload helicopter. The An-22 would transport the missile over long distances
Mil’s solution was a transverse rotor design, in which the complete main gearbox, uprated engines and rotor assemblies of the Mi-6 were located at the tip of extensively braced fixed wings. The flight deck layout was split, with the pilots in the lower cockpit and the navigator in the upper cockpit.
Mil V-12 “Homer”. The flight deck was split, with the pilots in the lower cockpit and the navigator in the upper cockpit.
The Paris Airshow 1971 static display. The C-5 Galaxy (not in the picture) is to the right of the Mil V-12.
Construction of the first prototype started in 1965, designated Mil V-12. During the first test flight in 1967, a hard landing damaged the left main landing gear. The second test flight took place a year later, having addressed the oscillation issues experienced during the first test flight.
In 1971, the Mil V-12 was displayed at the Paris Air Show, much to the surprise of the world.
Although an engineering success, acceptance by the military was not forthcoming. With the development of spy satellites and lighter ICBMs, the requirement for a 30,000 kg payload helicopter lost its relevance.
NATO was caught unawares. They were not sure what the Soviet Union planned to do with the massive helicopter.
The helicopter exceeded all design specifications, setting numerous world records which still stand. The Mil designers received the American Helicopter Society’s Sikorsky Prize for “outstanding achievements in helicopter technology”.
With a crew of six, the Mil V-12 “Homer” had a capacity of 196 passengers or a payload of 40,000 kg. It was huge, with a length of 37 m and a wingspan of 67 m across the rotors. It was as high as a 4-storey building.
Maximum take-off weight was 105,000 kg.
The Mil V-12, the largest helicopter ever built, never went into production, with only two prototypes constructed.
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IN MAY TEXTRON AVIATION announced the FAA has granted certification of a new Combi interior conversion option for the passenger variant of the twin-engine, Cessna SkyCourier turboprop.
The Combi option enables operators to transport nine passengers and cargo simultaneously.
Deliveries of Cessna SkyCourier passenger units with the Combi option included are slated to begin later this year.
Cessna says, “This additional option for the aircraft builds on the available gravel kit to pave the way for further use in global markets by a variety of customers, including government agencies, law enforcement and militaries, corporations and humanitarian organisations. The aircraft is highly adaptable and can easily adjust configurations to effectively complete virtually any mission, supporting a significant return on investment.”
AirInsight’s Adison Schonland notes, “The turboprop combi market has been lukewarm for some time. DHC has seen no interest in its Dash-8 combi turn into orders. ATR won EASA combi certification in 2015 and won a few orders. The Skycourier might be different, though. The main reason is its size – smaller is likely to be better.
“Operators in the combi segment need flexibility, and while the larger models offer this, the conversion probably takes too much time. Moreover, the Skycourier competes primarily with the Viking Twin Otter. Textron has an order of magnitude more resources than Viking to support their aircraft. Operators in this segment are highly risk-averse, and having Textron as the OEM lowers perceived risk.”
Cessna's Skycourier has been aprroved for mixed cargo and pax operations.
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The SAAF Museum’s airshow at AFB Swartkop is the annual highlight for many of the country’s aviation enthusiasts, who come from all corners to see the SAAF’s old and new in action.
featured a staged race between a classic Alouette II and the Gautrain. Unsurprisingly, the winner was the SAAF museum’s Alouette II, flown by Col. Dave Keijer.
The show opened with a low-key flypast by a gaggle of paramotors before the Chief of the Air Force, Lt Gen Wiseman Mbambo gave the welcoming address with a prayer led by Chaplain Ndlala. This was followed by the now traditional cavalcade of emergency response vehicles.
An unusual mixed formation of SAAF Museum aircraft then flew past. Later another mixed formation of two Aloutte III helicopters flew in formation with a Cessna 185. Mixing rotor and fixed wing aircraft requires special planning and skills.
in the air for vapour trails to form off the wings in high-G manoeuvres.
Back from his marathon flight to display the olive green Alouette III in Stellenbosch, Juba Joubert put ZU-RFA through a very impressive display. More modern helicopter action was provided by Lt. Col. Sloan from 15 Squadron, who demonstrated the Augusta AW109.
Maj. Corrie Oberholzer beautifully displayed the BK117 with a second BK117 making a two-ship formation for intricate aerial ballet moves.
At the lighter end of the rotor wing spectrum, Andre van Zyl flew his Magni Gyro through what seemed like wild gyrations.
For those hungry for jet action, Lt. Col Scott “Prowler” Logie, the OC of 85 Combat Flying School, flew the Gannet-themed Hawk Mk120. The photographers were thrilled to find that there was sufficient moisture
An airshow staple is Andrew Blackwood-Murray in his Nashua sponsored Extra 300 who is certainly giving his sponsors value for money. More Extra action was provided by the vastly experienced pair of Nigel Hopkins (who now flies for Boeing) and Jason Beamish who flew a breathtaking demonstration in their newly sponsored Master Power Extra 330s.
Part of the estimated 30,000 crowd at the SAAF Museum show.
ABOVE: The Hawk Mk 120 flown by Lt Col Logie was a star of the show. BELOW: Bomb explosions were a feature of the show thanks to the SAAF Museum.
ABOVE: The lone Silver Falcon. BELOW: The AeroSud Mwari made a welcome appearance.
Tristan Eeles is another relative newcomer to the Extra airshow circuit, having earned his spurs representing South Africa at the 15th FAI World Advanced Aerobatics Championships in the USA.
Perhaps reflecting the very tight budget constraints, the Silver Falcons formation team was a formation of just one aircraft! Kind of like one-handed clapping?
Private owners were key elements of the air show displays. Notably the Classic Flying Collection from Springs airfield brought five Tiger Moths. Springbok Classic Air brought their beautifully polished long-nose Beech 18 with its two radial engines to add to the atmosphere of the glamour of the post-WW 2 years.
The SAAF Museum still has the resources to stage a mini-war, with ear-numbing explosions from stun and smoke grenades. The crowds love it. Additional drama was created by the SAPS Airwing with Tilanie Neethling flying an Airbus H125 helicopter and Rob Siegrist flying a Pilatus PC-6 Porter to deploy and recover taskforce members.
Menno Parsons is another private stalwart of the airshow circuit, bringing his beautiful P-51 Mustang Sally as well as a Bell 205 Huey to the show. The music of the Mustang’s 12-cylinder Merlin and the thwacking of the Huey’s main rotor are what making memories are all about.
The newest display team on the circuit is a matching pair of North American Navions flown by Mike George and Reyno Coetser. These are based in Krugersdorp and have been fitted with crowd pleasing smoke systems.
A welcome return to air shows was the RV Raptors team led by Nigel Hopkins, with Trevor Warner, Dion Raath and Johan von Solms in tight formation.
The colourful Aero Vodochody L29 Delfin, in Austrian Eagle livery, was flown by Grant Timms as one of three displays he flew in different types.
ABOVE: Grant Timms was very versatile - here in the L-29 Delfin. BELOW: Menno Parsons also displayed his tiger-striped Huey.
ABOVE: Maj. Corrie Oberholzer displays the BK117.
BELOW: The SA Police Pilatus PC-6 in action.
ABOVE: The SAPS Airbus H125 in action.
ABOVE: Heliopters - old - and older, an Aloutte 2 and 3 and Oryx. BELOW: The 15 Squadron AW109 impressed.
Big Irony - a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 flying SAAF missions to the DRC flies overhead.
A notable appearance was made by the Paramount (formerly AeroSud) Mwari patrol aircraft, flown by Mark Berg.
The two Pitts Special teams of the Goodyear Eagles and Hired Gun Coffees are airshow regulars.
The Puma Flying Lions Harvards are another pillar of South African air shows. The four-ship team of Scully Levin, Arnie Meneghelli, Ellis Levin and Sean Thackwray flew two displays, including the beautiful evening show.
There was a record crowd – estimated to be as large as 30,000. Commentary and sound logistics were provided by that great institution Brain Emmenis and his Capital Sounds team.
The verdict was that the SAAF achieved much with a small budget, even if the full Silver Falcons team could not be there, and the only Gripen was part of a formation.
- a SAAF CASA 212 Aviocar demonstrates an air drop.
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Ascend Aviation Marlo Kruyswijk 079 511 0080 marlo@ascendaviation.co.za www.ascendaviation.co.za
Atlas Aviation Lubricants
Steve Cloete 011 917 4220 Fax: 011 917 2100 sales.aviation@atlasoil.co.za www.atlasaviation.co.za
AVDEX (Pty) Ltd
Tania Botes 011 954 15364 info@avdex.co.za www.avdex.co.za
Aviatech Flight Academy Nico Smith 082 303 1124 viatechfakr@gmail.com www.aviatech.co.za
Aviation Direct Andrea Antel 011 465 2669 info@aviationdirect.co.za www.aviationdirect.co.za
Avtech
Riekert Stroh 082 749 9256 avtech1208@gmail.com
BAC Aviation AMO 115
Micky Joss 035 797 3610 monicad@bacmaintenance.co.za
Blackhawk Africa Cisca de Lange 083 514 8532 cisca@blackhawk.aero www.blackhawk.aero
Blue Chip Flight School Henk Kraaij 012 543 3050 bluechip@bluechip-avia.co.za www.bluechipflightschool.co.za
Border Aviation Club & Flight School
Liz Gous 043 736 6181 admin@borderaviation.co.za www.borderaviation.co.za
Bona Bona Game Lodge
MJ Ernst 082 075 3541 mj@bonabona.co.za www.bonabona.co.za
Breytech Aviation cc 012 567 3139 Willie Breytenbach admin@breytech.co.za
Celeste Sani Pak & Inflight Products Steve Harris 011 452 2456 admin@chemline.co.za www.chemline.co.za
Cape Town Flying Club
Beverley Combrink 021 934 0257 / 082 821 9013 info@capetownflyingclub.co.za www.@capetownflyingclub.co.za
Century Avionics cc Carin van Zyl 011 701 3244 sales@centuryavionics.co.za www.centuryavionics.co.za
Chemetall
Wayne Claassens 011 914 2500 wayne.claassens@basf.com www.chemetall.com
Chem-Line Aviation & Celeste Products
Steve Harris 011 452 2456 sales@chemline.co.za www.chemline.co.za
Clifton Electronics cc CJ Clifton / Irene Clifton 079 568 7205 / 082 926 8482 clive.iclifton@gmail.com
Comair Flight Services (Pty) Ltd Reception +27 11 540 7640/FAX: +27 11 252 9334 hello@flycfs.com www.flycfs.com
Corporate-Aviators/Affordable Jet Sales
Mike Helm 082 442 6239 corporate-aviators@iafrica.com www.corporate-aviators.com
CSA Aviation – Cirrus South Africa Alex Smith 011 701 3835 alexs@cirrussa.co.za www.cirrussa.co.za
C. W. Price & Co Kelvin L. Price 011 805 4720 cwp@cwprice.co.za www.cwprice.co.za
Dart Aeronautical Pieter Viljoen 011 827 8204 pieterviljoen@dartaero.co.za www.dartaero.co.za
Dart Aircraft Electrical Mathew Joubert 011 827 0371 Dartaircraftelectrical@gmail.com www.dartaero.co.za
Diepkloof Aircraft Maintenance cc Nick Kleinhans 083 454 6366 diepkloofamo@gmail.com
DJA Aviation Insurance 011 463 5550 0800Flying mail@dja-aviation.co.za www.dja-aviation.co.za
Dynamic Propellers
Andries Visser 011 824 5057 082 445 4496 andries@dynamicpropeller.co.za www.dynamicpropellers.co.za
Eagle Flight Academy Mr D. J. Lubbe 082 557 6429 training@eagleflight.co.za www.eagleflight.co.za
Execujet Africa 011 516 2300 enquiries@execujet.co.za www.execujet.com
Federal Air Rachel Muir 011 395 9000 shuttle@fedair.com www.fedair.com
Ferry Flights int.inc. Michael (Mick) Schittenhelm 082 442 6239 ferryflights@ferry-flights.com www.ferry-flights.com
F Gomes Upholsters
Carla de Lima 083 602 5658 delimaCarla92@gmail.com
Fireblade Aviation 010 595 3920 info@firebladeaviation.com www.firebladeaviation.com
Flight Training College Cornell Morton 044 876 9055 ftc@flighttrainning.co.za www.flighttraining.co.za
Flight Training Services Amanda Pearce 011 805 9015/6 amanda@fts.co.za www.fts.co.za
Fly Jetstream Aviation Henk Kraaij 083 279 7853 charter@flyjetstream.co.za www.flyjetstream.co.za
Flying Unlimited Flight School (Pty) Ltd Riaan Struwig 082 653 7504 / 086 770 8376 riaan@ppg.co.za www.ppg.co.za
Flyonics (Pty) Ltd Michael Karaolis 010 109 9405 michael@flyonics.co.za www.flyonics.co.za
Gemair
Andries Venter 011 701 2653 / 082 905 5760 andries@gemair.co.za
GIB Aviation Insurance Brokers Richard Turner 011 483 1212 aviation@gib.co.za www.gib.co.za
Guardian Air 011 701 3011 082 521 2394 ops@guardianair.co.za www.guardianair.co.za
Heli-Afrique cc Tino Conceicao 083 458 2172 tino.conceicao@heli-afrique.co.za
Henley Air Andre Coetzee 011 827 5503 andre@henleyair.co.za www.henleyair.co.za
Hover Dynamics Phillip Cope 074 231 2964 info@hover.co.za www.hover.co.za
Indigo Helicopters Gerhard Kleynhans 082 927 4031 / 086 528 4234 veroeschka@indigohelicopters.co.za www.indigohelicopters.co.za
IndigoSat South Africa - Aircraft Tracking Gareth Willers 08600 22 121 sales@indigosat.co.za www.indigosat.co.za
International Flight Clearances Steve Wright 076 983 1089 (24 Hrs) flightops@flyifc.co.za www.flyifc.co.za
Investment Aircraft
Quinton Warne 082 806 5193 aviation@lantic.net www.investmentaircraft.com
Jabiru Aircraft
Len Alford 044 876 9991 / 044 876 9993 info@jabiru.co.za www.jabiru.co.za
Jim Davis Books
Jim Davis 072 188 6484 jim@border.co.za www.jimdavis.co.za
Joc Air T/A The Propeller Shop
Aiden O’Mahony 011 701 3114 jocprop@iafrica.com
Johannesburg Flying Academy
Alan Stewart 083 702 3680 info@jhbflying.co.za www.jhbflying.co.za
Kishugu Aviation +27 13 741 6400 comms@kishugu.com www.kishugu.com/kishugu-aviation
Khubenker Energy (Pty) Ltd T/A Benveroy
Vernon Bartlett 086 484 4296 vernon@khubenker.co.za www.khubenker.co.za
Kit Planes for Africa
Stefan Coetzee 013 793 7013 info@saplanes.co.za www.saplanes.co.za
Kzn Aviation (Pty) Ltd
Melanie Jordaan 031 564 6215 mel@kznaviation.co.za www.kznaviation.co.za
Lanseria Aircraft Interiors
Francois Denton 011 659 1962 / 076 810 9751 francois@aircraftcompletions.co.za
Lanseria Flight Centre
Ian Dyson
Tel: +27 11 312 5166, F: +27 11 312 5166 ian@flylfc.com www.flylfc.com
Lanseria International Airport
Mike Christoph 011 367 0300 mikec@lanseria.co.za www.lanseria.co.za
Leading Edge Aviation cc
Peter Jackson Tel 013 741 3654 Fax 013 741 1303 office@leaviation.co.za www.leadingedgeaviation.co.za
Legend Sky 083 860 5225 / 086 600 7285 info@legendssky.co.za www.legendsky.co.za
Litson & Associates (Pty) Ltd
OGP/BARS Auditing & Advisory Services & Aviation Safety Training
Email: Phone:enquiries@litson.co.za 27 (0) 8517187 www.litson.co.za
Litson & Associates Risk Management
Services (Pty) Ltd
eSMS-S™/ eTENDER/ e-REPORT / Aviation Software Systems
Email: Phone:enquiries@litson.co.za 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
Maverick Air Charters
Lourens Human 082 570 2743 ops@maverickair.co.za www.maverickair.co.za
MCC Aviation Pty Ltd
Claude Oberholzer 011 701 2332 info@flymcc.co.za www.flymcc.co.za
Mistral Aviation Services
Peter de Beer 083 208 7249 peter@mistral.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
North East Avionics
Keith Robertson +27 13 741 2986 keith@northeastavionics.co.za deborah@northeastavionics.co.za www.northeastavionics.co.za
Orsmond Aviation 058 303 5261 info@orsmondaviation.co.za www.orsmondaviation.co.za
Owenair (Pty) Ltd
Clive Skinner 082 923 9580 clive.skinner@owenair.co.za www.owenwair.co.za
Par-Avion Exclusive Catering
Jakkie Vorster 011 701 2600 accounts@par-avion.co.za www.par-avion.co.za
PFERD-South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Hannes Nortman 011 230 4000 hannes.nortman@pferd.co.za www.pferd.com
Plane Maintenance Facility
Johan 083 300 3619 pmf@myconnection.co.za
Powered Flight Charters
Johanita Jacobs Tel 012 007 0244/Fax 0866 66 2077 info@poweredflight.co.za www.poweredflight.co.za
Powered Flight Training Centre
Johanita Jacobs Tel 012 007 0244/Fax 0866 66 2077 info@poweredflight.co.za www.poweredflight.co.za
Precision Aviation Services
Marnix Hulleman 012 543 0371 marnix@pasaviation.co.za www.pasaviation.co.za
Propeller Centre
Theuns du Toit +27 12 567 1689 / +27 71 362 5152 theuns@propcentre.co.za www.propcentre.com
Rainbow SkyReach (Pty) Ltd
Mike Gill 011 817 2298 Mike@fly-skyreach.com www.fly-skyreach.com
Rand Airport
Kevin van Zyl Kevin@horizonrisk.co.za +27 76 801 5639 www.randairport.co.za
Dr Rudi Britz Aviation Medical Clinic
Megan 066 177 7194 rudiavmed@gmail.com Wonderboom Airport
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
Savannah Helicopters De 082Jager 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
Signature Flight Support Cape Town
Alan Olivier 021 934 0350 cpt@signatureflight.co.za www.signatureaviation.com/locations/CPT
Signco (Pty Ltd)
Archie Kemp Tel 011 452 6857 Fax 086 504 5239 info@signco.zo.za www.signco.co.za
Skytrim Rico Kruger +27 11 827 6638 rico@skytrim.co.za www.skytrim.co.za
SleepOver Michael Richardson 010 110 9900 michael.richardson@sleepover-za.com www.sleepover-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
Southern Energy Company (Pty) Ltd
Elke Bertram +264 8114 29958 johnnym@sec.com.na www.sec.com.na
Southern Rotorcraft cc Mr Reg Denysschen Tel no: 0219350980 sasales@rotors-r-us.com www.rotors-r-us.com
Starlite Aero Sales
Klara Fouché +27 83 324 8530 / +27 31 571 6600 klaraf@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com
Starlite Aviation Operations
Trisha Andhee +27 82 660 3018/ +27 31 571 6600 trishaa@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com
Starlite Aviation Training Academy Durban: +27 31 571 6600 Mossel Bay: +27 44 692 0006 train@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 0118050605/2247Rensburg info@superiorair.co.za www.superiorair.co.za
Swift Flite
Linda Naidoo Tel 011 701 3298 Fax 011 701 3297 info@swiftflite.com / linda@swiftflite.com www.swiftflite.co.za
The Aviation Shop Karel Zaayman 010 020 1618 info@aviationshop.co.za www.aviationshop.co.za
The Copter Shop
Bill Olmsted 082 454 8555 execheli@iafrica.com www.execheli.wixsite.com/the-copter-shop-sa
The Pilot Shop Helen Bosland 082 556 3729 helen@pilotshop.co.za www.pilotshop.co.za
Titan Helicopter Group 044 878 0453 info@titanhelicopters.com www.titanhelicopters.com
Top Flight Academy Nico Smith 082 303 1124 topflightklerksdorp@gmail.com
Turbo Prop Service Centre 011 701 3210 info@tpscsa.co.za www.tpscsa.co.za
Ultimax Aviation (Pty) Ltd Aristide Loumouamou +27 72 878 8786 aristide@ultimax-aviation.com www.ultimax-aviation.com
United Charter cc Jonathan Wolpe 083 270 8886 jonathan.wolpe@unitedcharter.co.za www.unitedcharter.co.za
United Flight Support Clinton Moodley/Jonathan Wolpe 076 813 7754 / 011 788 0813 ops@unitedflightsupported.com www.unitedflightsupport.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
Vortx Aviation Bredell Roux 072 480 0359 info@vortx.co.za www.vortxaviation.com
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
Colin Blanchard 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