SA Flyer August 2025

1

MAGAZINE

DHC Chipmunk

why it’s Guy’s Favourite!

JIM: REAL FORCED LANDINGS PETER: PLANES THAT CARRY PLANES CPT. VUYO WAKABA – AGAINST ALL ODDS EDITORIAL: WHY CAN’T WE HAVE MOSAIC? IRIS: CHARTER PILOTS SLEEPING ROUGH

IT’S AIRSHOW SEASON - THREE REPORTS

SA Flyer May 2 0 2 5

Edition 353 | AUGUST 2025 Cover: Frans Dely | R80,00

S A F l ye r AU GU S T 2 0 2 5

Features

08 OPENING SHOT 36 FLIGHT TEST: THE FABULOUS CHIPMUNK 56 IRIS MCCALLUM: SLEEPING ROUGH 68 PEOPLE: VUYO WAKABA 80 TAILDRAGGERS WARMBATHS 2025 88 AERO EXPO 2025 ROUNDUP 92 CHILDREN'S FLIGHT 2025

DIRECTORIES

30 AERO ACADEMY FUEL TABLE 49 MONT BLANC AVIATION CONSULTANTS DIRECTORY

61 EXECUTIVE AIRCRAFT REFURBISHMENT EVENTS CALENDER

69 AME DIRECTORY 77 M&N ACOUSTIC REGISTER REVIEW 79 S UPERIOR PILOT SERVICES: FLIGHT SCHOOL DIRECTORY

84 AEP AMO LISTING 86 HELICOPTER SERVICES DIRECTORY 99 MERCHANT WEST CHARTER DIRECTORY 100 CLASSIFIEDS 102 AVIATION DIRECTORY

EDITION 353 - AUGUST 2025

Columns 10.

10. Gu y L e i t ch

Attitude for Altitude

16. Pe t e r Ga r r i s on Leading Edge

22. Ji m D a v i s Plain Talk

30. hu gh Pr yor 50. Ji m D a v i s Accident Report

74. M or ne B ooi j-L i e w es Register Review

70.

8

POSITION REPORT In the ongoing rot of ‘ineptocracy’, we often forget that South Africa still has some world class institutions that make our country a much better place than that supposed paragon of excellence – the USA. The American banking system is archaic compared to South Africa’s, and our restaurants and food are

that more than half the plane had to have been built by the owner/pilot. Exactly how to define what constitutes more than half a plane is hard to define (weight or part count?) and resulted in factories having builder-assist programmes to nominally have the new owner build half.

MOSAIC brings many welcome changes: Notably it eliminates the 600kg weight limit and instead, maximum weight is determined by stall speed.

And most usefully, it increases the maximum stall speed to 62 knots which enables planes like C172s to qualify as LSAs.

better and cheaper.

O

NE of the big surprises is that South Africa’s regulation of non-type certified aircraft (NTCA) has until now been far better than the Americans. But that has ended and South Africa has once again ben left behind. This has happened because the FAA has now

implemented its hugely significant MOSAIC rules for non-type certified and homebuilt aircraft.

Recognising that their LSA and Sport Pilot regulations did not work well, the FAA has published the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) for NTCAs. Because the FAA sets the standards for so many regulators around the world, this is of great importance to us in South Africa.

The question of what constitutes a homebuilt aircraft has long vexed the regulators. Before MOSAIC the USA used the 51% rule – which meant

Electric motors, FADEC and fly-bywire are allowed It also removes the 120 knot max speed limit, permitting LSAs to reach 250 knots. And it allows variable pitch props, retractable gear, and even multi-engines. It allows IFR and night flying.

It includes helicopters, gyrocopters, and electric VTOL aircraft. This will spur innovation in VTOL, autonomy and advanced technology.

An embarrassing omission in the original LSA rules was electric motors, which were never considered and so were not allowed. This set back

electric aviation by probably a decade. Electric motors are now allowed, as is FADEC and flyby-wire controls. This flexibility should finally allow for real engine innovation, which has lagged avionics badly over the past two decades. Light planes will become easier to start, quieter, and more reliable.

Sling Aircraft now sell about 80% or their production into the huge American market.

Sling Chairman James Pitman says, “the new proposals are just what we need as it will create a proper space for our four-seater planes and has removed the clumsy 51% rule.”

SALES MANAGER Kerry Matthysen sales@saflyermag.co.za 082 572 9473 TRAFFIC Kerry Matthysen traffic.admin@saflyermag.co.za ACCOUNTS Bella Leitch bella@taxfinaccounting.co.za EDITOR Guy Leitch guy@saflyermag.co.za PUBLISHER Laura McDermid laura@saflyermag.co.za

PRODUCTION & LAYOUT Emily-Jane Kinnear design@saflyermag.co.za CONTRIBUTORS Jim Davis Peter Garrison Hugh Pryor John Bassi Morne Booij-Liewes Laura McDermid Darren Olivier Iris McCallum ILLUSTRATIONS Darren Edward O'Neil Joe Pieterse WEB MASTER Emily-Jane Kinnear

The MOSAIC rule is a huge worldwide breakthrough for general aviation. We can only

Guy Leitch

hope that the SACAA will have the confidence to follow the American’s lead.

© SA FLYER 2025. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without the express permission of the copyright holders.

MAGAZI NE -1 3 / 1 6

OPENING SHOT

9

DURAN DE VILLIERS

Duran de Villiers flies everything from paragliders to a Bell 204 ‘Huey’ and he has been a prolific supplier of magnificent Opening Shots.

This picture is particularly noteworthy because it captures the wide open space feeling of being suspended under a paraglider – especially one heading towards the famous Knysna Heads.

Duran captured this remarkable image with his iPhone cell phone while flying west along the coast towards Knysna.

ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE

Flying

Purposefully In July I wrote a 1000 word op-ed for the general media (Why is the CAA grounding planes) on the CAA’s resurrection of the idiotic 12 year rule. In it I felt I had to note that general aviation is not just a hobby for the rich.

The Living Vertically button that led to an epiphany.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

I

said, “General aviation may be perceived by some as a rich “weekend warrior” hobby – but the industry is far bigger than that. It trains airline pilots, its enables food security by crop spraying, it fights forest fires, it provides lifeor-death helicopter rescue – the list is endless.”

I felt I needed to say this partly because a somewhat jaded pilot friend of mine once said that; ‘General Aviation is a solution – looking for a problem.’

Which all made me think about why we fly.A while ago I had a minor epiphany about flying – it gives us the freedom to move vertically.

The ability to move readily in three dimensions is extraordinarily rare – being limited almost exclusively to flying and scuba diving. Personally I prefer the freedom that flying gives, as scuba diving is wet, cold and claustrophobic. But then I’m biased.

Too many people set themselves the goal of getting a private pilot’s licence, but then once they have it, they lose interest. They get tired of pounding around the circuit or going for ‘$100 hamburgers’.

A while ago I was strolling down the

11

COLUMNS

a solution looking for a problem main road in Kalk Bay looking forward to a large vanilla ice cream with a Flake in a chocolate cone. I bumped into a chap who had given me a lapel badge that said, ‘Live Vertically’. I asked him what he meant by living vertically.

He said the problem with living on Earth is that we are essentially living our lives in two dimensions. We can go forward and back, and left and right.

But we seldom if ever take the time to stop and drill down to experience the richness of life.

He shared how he had taken a road trip of just a hundred kilometres to Greyton. He did not just get in his car and drive there, he took the time to explore as many of the side roads as he could. The experiences he gained are much deeper and thus richer, than those who simply get in and go, with a destination fixation.

He pointed out the obvious; if you unpack or unravel the experience lines of having lived vertically, they add up to

far more than the linear existences of those who hurry from one immediate goal or destination to the next.

I thought somewhat guiltily about my own infrequent driving between Hoedspruit to Joburg, where getting to the destination as fast as possible is the over-riding objective.

On a trip down to the Cape, Jim Davis reproached me for pushing from Grahamstown to Kalk Bay instead of taking the time to explore all the little airports and flight schools and aviation businesses along the way. (My excuse was that it was a Saturday and noone was at work.)

Anyway, back to my pavement conversation with Mr Living Vertically. He had owned a restaurant and he had painted a couple of slogans on the walls. The one that had made an impression was: ‘Live purposefully’.

I pressed him to explain more about what he meant by ‘purposeful living’.

As he warmed to his subject, I noticed SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE

the glint of the proselytiser in his gaze.

I nodded my head and said that was why I was so sold on flying. It’s something that has to be done deliberately and consciously, with all our wits about us. If we do not bring this mindset to flying, it will turn and bite us. As the well-known poster says, ‘Flying is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect’.

Flying is demanding. It demands that we do it properly, without shortcuts, with a properly maintained and checked aircraft. It requires discipline and commitment.

Commitment especially is required to deal with the seemingly endless bureaucratic obstacles that the regulator, the “Commission Against Aviation” puts in the way of the simple enjoyment of our aircraft. And yes, it costs a lot compared to living passively by watching sport on TV. So why do we do it?

The big reward is that it enables us to move freely, for thousands of feet, in the vertical. And then I had my minor epiphany as I realised the problem with flying.

I might like to think that it gives us freedom in three dimensions – but does it really?

I realised that the problem with my flying is that I mess up the vertical freedoms we tend to take for granted. Just as I get in the car and hammer it down

the road, ignoring the vast richness of the landscape, so with flying, even more do we insensately pass over the myriad experiences that are to be had on the ground.

When flying in the flight levels we sit in our noisy cocooned boxes, cut-off from the experience of the landscape below us. The three dimensional part of flying is reduced to the minor irritation of descent planning, which I discovered my old Garmin 430 can do effortlessly anyway.

We cannot stop and take in the sights, the sounds and especially the smells. It is the smells that give me my biggest experiences. I remember the fragrance of the veld after rain, the fecundity of the forests and the first sniff of the saltiness of the ocean. These are all lost to us as pilots.

It may be a hangover from flying navigation rallies, but even when I’m driving I take what now seems to me a perverse and somewhat childish pleasure in calculating ETAs. What’s the point? The journey’s the thing. If I had any sense I would fly as low and as slow as possible, going round the mountains and up and down the valleys, rather than flying obliviously over the top. Maybe that’s why slow high-wing ‘backcountry planes’ have become so popular.

I used to sneer at those who fly slow planes. But now, thanks to this epipha-

I noticed the glint of the proselytiser

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

13

ny, suddenly I understand why people still fly Piper Cubs with the doors open.

And now I understand why people pay so much money and make so much noise to fly choppers. The ability to just land anywhere to explore the countryside is priceless. Up to now I used

The helter skelter rush of flying to think of helicopter pilots as conspicuous consumers who flaunted their money by clattering along at an entirely unnecessary low level, kicking up dust and noise wherever they land, be it serene wine farms or remote mountain tops. Now I envy them their freedom.

Then there is another class of pilots who really enjoy the three dimensions. It’s those who fly aerobatics. The thrill of powering upwards and then the stomachturning swoop downwards with the hard earth rushing up to meet you is a direct face-to-face confrontation with living vertically.

No wonder putting the maximum power in the lightest aircraft is such a

COLUMNS

passionate ideal. These are the pilots who really do know about living vertically, even if it is a bit hectic for those of us who prefer the exquisite tension of gliding. (But then I enjoy the almost timeless existentialism of five day cricket, punctuated as it is by the frisson of each ball bowled.)

So as the sign on the wall says – Live Purposefully. As pilots we need to make the mental gear change to celebrate to the utmost the privilege and freedom which the fantastic invention of flight has given us. Go and explore places. Fly low and slow, or go and play amongst the clouds.

The hectic and at times helter skelter rush of flying is about the journey, not the destination.j

Everyone needs a purpose.

What's yours?

NEWS

AIRBUS CELEBRATES

AND OPENS NEW CUSTOMER SUPPORT BASE In a high-level celebration in July, Airbus celebrated 30 years of helicopter sales and support, and at the same time launched a key fixed wing aircraft support hub.

President of Airbus for Africa and the Middle East Gabriel Semalas.

T

HIS latest Airbus investment in

Southern Africa drives the company’s aim of supporting aviation connectivity, industrial growth and innovation across the key divisions of commercial aviation, helicopters, defence, and space.

Airbus says that it currently has over 260 fixed wing aircraft, more than 500 helicopters and around 100 military aircraft operating across Africa. Airbus’s regional footprint extends unbroken from South Africa to Egypt and westwards to Algeria. The Airbus Centre at Grand Central offers full maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities, plus logistics and spares.

Airbus Helicopters Grand Central supports more than 300 helicopters in service across southern Africa, supporting. Helicopter Emergency Medical Evacuation (HEMS), law enforcement, tourism, and a multitude of other roles.

Further investment in helicopter development in Africa is that the first H125 flight simulator has been launched. This is a levelC full-motion simulator featuring state of the art, visuals and dynamics.

The new fixed wing facility will provide technical assistance, maintenance, engineering, training, and on-site support for Airbus airliners —including the A220, A320, A330, and A350 families.

The key development is that Airbus has

15

BELOW: Cutting the ribbon on the new Airbus Customer Support Hub.

now opened a customer service support hub in Johannesburg, which is its first in the Southern African region. At the ribbon cutting ceremony, Airbus President for Africa and the Middle East Gabriel Semalas said, “This milestone highlights Airbus’ nearly five-decade partnership with Africa, a region poised for major growth with 14,000 new pilots and 21,000 technicians needed over the next 20 years. It also coincides with 30 years of Airbus Helicopters in Southern Africa and ongoing contributions from Airbus Defence and Space across the continent."

With 180+ African suppliers in its global supply chain, Airbus continues to drive skills development, job creation, and aerospace innovation across Africa.

Semalas says that the airline fleet in Africa is projected to grow to 1460 new aircraft deliveries by 2043. This includes an 81% single aisle increase and a 19% wide body increase.

The Airbus Global Market Forecast for 2024 projects a need for 21,000 additional engineers, 14,000 pilots and

INDUSTRY

28,000 cabin crew.

Airbus’s says its commitment to Africa is based on the key values of proximity and responsiveness. The new on-the-ground hub offers faster support to African operators. An additional component is skills development. The customer support centre will provide training, technical assistance and knowledge sharing.

Semalas says, “Airbus aims to drive home-grown connectivity, resilience and inclusive growth across the continent. To this end, we are working with more than 180 African suppliers to feed our global value supply chain." He says Airbus purchases more than 1 billion U.S. dollars from Africa each year.

Airbus also has a corporate social responsibility programme through the Airbus Foundation, which focuses on humanitarian missions in targeted countries. Additionally, over 9,000 students have been reached through STEM initiatives over the past 15 years.j Airbus now has a full-motion H125 simulator based at Grand central.

SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - AUGUST 2 0 2 5

PETER GARRISON

Piggybacks & Parasites One good aeroplane deserves another.

BELOW: The Short-Mayo Composite.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

17

COLUMNS

T

HE first aeroplane to cross the Atlantic was a war surplus Vickers Vimy bomber with a wingspan of 21 metres. The Spirit of St. Louis had a 14-metre wing. In 1975 I made the 3,200-kilometre trip from Gander, Newfoundland to Shannon, Ireland, by then a commonplace for single-engine planes with optimistic pilots, in a homebuilt of 7-metre span. In 1998 a pilotless aeroplane of 3-metre span did it, only to be surpassed in smallness, a few

an even more critical factor in orbital rocketry years later, by The Spirit of Butts’ Farm, a model plane of 2-metre span that arrived in Ireland with 40 grams of fuel remaining.

It is an unexpected fact of aeronautics that the range of an aeroplane is unaffected by its size. For all practical purposes, only three

factors govern range. They are, first, aerodynamic efficiency, represented by the lift-drag ratio and governed, mainly, by streamlining and wingspan; second, propulsive efficiency, the product of the amount of fuel the engines require to produce their power and their effectiveness in converting that power into thrust; and, finally, the fuel fraction, or how much of the takeoff weight consists of fuel. An aeroplane of ordinary efficiency requires a fuel fraction of around one third to cross the Atlantic.

Unfortunately, there’s a catch. An aeroplane with a sufficiently heavy fuel load might be able to fly a great distance once airborne, but it might be unable to get off the ground or out of ground effect.

These facts were not unknown in the 1930s, when airlines began to eye the commercial possibilities of hauling passengers and cargo over longer and longSA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

PETER GARRISON

er distances and across oceans. Fast mail service was particularly attractive; already in 1932 a couple of German passenger ships had been equipped with compressed-air catapults from which single-engine Junkers floatplanes were launched while the ships were still hundreds of kilometres from their destination. The mail beat the ship to land by 24 hours, an advantage evidently considered worth the trouble. The spectacular launchings, which jerked the roaring aeroplanes to 70 knots in a space of 60 metres, must at any rate have been a treat for weary passengers.

Lufthansa took the principle a step further, launching twin-engine Dorniers to Brazil from a catapult-equipped ship parked on the coast of Africa. Twins were considered unequal to the weather of the North Atlantic, however, and the German shipbuilding firm of Blohm & Voss, which had an active aeroplanemanufacturing component, produced a S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

BELOW: The amazing coupling of fighters to a B-29.

four-engine floatplane, designated Ha 139, with a takeoff weight of 18,000 kg of which – you guessed it – about a third was fuel. It too was catapultlaunched from a ship.

Meanwhile, in England, the boffins of Short Brothers, a firm specialising in flying boats, were meditating the same problem when Robert H. Mayo, Technical Manager at Imperial Airways, suggested a novel solution. Why not launch a transatlantic aeroplane not from a shipborne catapult, but from a larger aeroplane already in flight?

Thus was born Mercury/Maia, also known as “the Short-Mayo Composite”.

It consisted of a 7,000-kg, 23-metre wingspan aeroplane (“Mercury”) with four 365-hp, 16-cylinder, dual-crankshaft engines, planted atop an Empire flying boat (“Maia”) of about three times the size and horsepower. The unusual arrangement attracted a lot of welcome press attention, and it did succeed, but not to the point that more than one was built.

Air launch offered several advantages, principally that the heavily laden aeroplane did not have to get airborne under its own power. Others were less obvious. Since in theory Mercury would not alight until its fuel was largely exhausted, its pontoons did not have to support its laden weight and so could be relatively small. (The same was true of the Ha 139.) Lightweight fixed-pitch

19

propellers could be used, since the low-speed, high power task of getting off the water and to cruising altitude was eliminated – though, just to be safe, Mercury/Maia did take off with all eight engines running. The long-range aeroplane could be made smaller than would normally be expected for its outsize fuel load.

But there were also disadvantages, one of which was that it is harder and costlier to build two aeroplanes than one.

The scheme also suffered from an inability to get back. Lacking a second mothership on the American side, Mercury was humiliatingly obliged to island-hop from New York back to England by way of the Azores. On the other hand, with every empty cubic inch carrying fuel, Mercury did set a distance record for floatplanes, 9,678 km, that has never been surpassed.

The idea of one aircraft carrying another was not new with Robert Mayo.

It had already been tried, using both a dirigible and an aeroplane as carriers, in 1916. Sopwith Camels slung beneath gigantic airships resembled flies on watermelons. (It’s unclear to me how those aeroplanes, which had to be hand-propped, got their engines started in flight.)

Fast-forward to the 1950s, and we

COLUMNS

find a rash of experiments involving so-called “parasite fighters” carried by long-range bombers. One scheme, fathered by the inventive ex-Blohm & Voss designer Richard Vogt, creator of the Ha 139, involved hooking fighters to a B-29’s wingtips to increase its span. The fighters had to navigate the white water of the B-29’s tip vortices to get clamped on, and, when attached, were hand-flown, using their elevators rather than ailerons for roll control.

Apart from conceiving this idea, Vogt showed no other symptoms of insanity.

Many of NACA’s jetand rocketpropelled X-planes, which investigated supersonic flight between 1947 and 1968, were carried aloft by motherships, from B-29s to B-52s. Rocket propulsion in particular benefited from air launch, because a rocket’s fuel load includes its oxidizer, while a jet harvests oxidizer from the atmosphere.

Fuel weight, and the amount of fuel required just to lift the fuel itself, is an even more critical factor in orbital rocketry than fuel fraction is in longdistance flight.

It was with this fact in mind that Burt Rutan, eyeing the ten-million-dollar X Prize for space flight by a privately

Vogt showed no other symptoms of insanity

SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

PETER GARRISON

developed vehicle, decided to use a big gangly mothership to carry a tiny rocket plane aloft. The system worked; SpaceShipOne, a plastic homebuilt, surpassed the height reached by its precursor spaceplane, NASA’s hypersonic X-15. (Incidentally, in the Department of Belated Errata, I once reported that Rutan named that mothership White Knight after two X-15 pilots, Robert White and Pete Knight. He later told me that the connection had never occurred to him.)

ABOVE: The enormous Roc plane Burt Rutan built to launch orbital rockets.

The $25 million development bill for SpaceShipOne was paid by Microsoft’s late co-founder Paul Allen. Evidently gratified by the result, Allen then funded a new project called Stratolaunch, nicknamed Roc, which Rutan had sketched out before his retirement. The idea was that orbital rockets, no less than suborbital spaceplanes, could be smaller and more efficient if launched S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

from an aeroplane at 35,000 feet than if they had to reach that altitude and speed under their own power. Besides, launches would be freed from the constraints of weather, geography, and elaborate ground launching facilities.

Roc took shape in a gigantic purpose-built hangar at Mojave. Intended to lift a 250,000-kilogram payload, it is powered by six 747 engines and, with a wingspan of 117 metres, is, at least in that respect, the largest aeroplane ever built. It made its first flight in April, 2019. Allen did not see it; he had joined the innumerable caravan the previous October. It has since made a dozen or so flights, some for revenue, but has yet to lift the orbitbound 250,000 kg rocket for which it was intended.

During the seven years of its design and construction, Roc was associated with various space launch enterprises, including SpaceX and Orbital Sciences, and with various potential space vehicles, but in the end no solid linkages were formed. Shortly after the maiden flight, the parent company ceased operations and put the portentous machine up for sale at an asking price of $400 million.

It is said that space entrepreneur Richard Branson offered, somewhat unkindly, to buy it for one dollar. j

Innovative Firsts and Aviation’s Future For 120 years, our engines have helped shape this industry, with landmark innovations that put pilots first. The first Jet-A engine for GA, FADEC, fuel injection, turbocharging—advancements in performance and quality.

Together with you, we celebrate aviation’s pioneers, and our shared journey toward the future of flight.

Continental®: Powering Legacies Forward.

Continental® W-670

Continental® CD-300

www.continental.aero © 2025 Continental®. All rights reserved.

JIM DAVIS

23

RIGHT SEAT RULES #32 L REAL FORCED LANDINGS PART 2

ARE REAL FORCED LANDINGS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT? JIM HAS OVER A DOZEN OF THEM WITHOUT SCRATCHING AN AEROPLANE SO HE HAS A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT WORKS ON THE DAY.

COLUMNS

AST time I said I’d tell you about seven things you can fiddle with that may restore some, or all of the power, plus the main things to look for when you choose a field.

CAN YOU FIX IT? THE PRIMER - Confirm it’s in and locked. If the engine has died completely, you may get a bit of power to stretch your descent by pumping the primer. It’s worth a shot.

MIXTURE - Try smoothly enriching and leaning – either may restore the power. I met a guy recently who did a forced landing because his engine failed as he descended to land at the coast. He admitted he had always flown up-country and didn’t realize he had to richen the mixture as he came down into the denser coastal air.

If a turbocharger fails this may cause the mixture to become so rich SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

JIM DAVIS

that the engine dies. Simply leaning way back can restore most of the power. Twenty-five years ago a heavily loaded Piper Chieftain crashed just after takeoff on the reef, killing all ten on board. Investigators found a failed turbocharger. Had the pilot pulled the mixture back a couple of inches he would have saved nine lives - plus his own.

Narrow fields look longer than they are PITCH - Try fiddling with it. It’s very unlikely to restore power, but pulling it into coarse will make a real difference in stretching the glide. I’d be inclined to leave it until your final approach and only use it then to adjust your glide path if you need it.

Fuel Selector - Try every position – and give it time to take effect – at least ten seconds. Yes even the off position might give you fuel. I read of a Partenavia P68B that crashed because the selector body, behind the upholstery, had sheered a bolt and swivelled such that the apparent OFF position would S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

actually have been ON. FUEL PUMP – Generally switch it on – but know your aircraft. If you have a fuel injected Continental engine the POH has very specific instructions about when to use the HI or LO position and you can easily cause an engine failure by getting it wrong.

CARB-HEAT – Yep to melt – or prevent – any build-up of ice in the carb.

But it can also be used to restore power if the normal air-intake gets blocked by a bird or by a collapsed elephant trunk (those big red hoses).

THE THROTTLE - Try it from time to time to see if your actions have restored the power.

WHICH FIELD? Okay dear instructors, I’m sure you know how to choose the best field, but let’s run through some of your options: Wide fields are a thinking pilot’s delight. Simply fly your base leg parallel to the long side of the field and then turn final when it looks about right.

Narrow fields, including roads, look longer than they are. Don’t be deceived by them Cane fields are often not the nice soft landing places that they look like from the air. Young cane might be okay but if you land in tall cane it’s like hitting a wall. The stalks all pack up against each other to make a solid barrier.

Roads are great for precautionary landings when you have the power to

25

BELOW: Enriching or leaning the mixture may restore the power.

avoid last minute traffic, road signs and wires. Next time you drive somewhere out of town just count the wires that cross the road – you are in for a shock. I’d rather touch down in my selected piece of veld at 45 mph than fly into wires or a car at twice that speed.

And think about this – if you choose a piece of road and then have to abandon it at the last second, you then don’t have a choice of where you’re going to land – you will hit whatever happens to be beside the road.

Perhaps the ideal place would be a nice wide, straight country road with a good field running next to it – with no wires to hop over if you change your mind at the last moment. But don’t count on finding that field.

When you are training a pupe, if he selects a road, let him go down far enough to see what he would be committing to.

This is a bit of a hobbyhorse of mine.

COLUMNS

I have had over a dozen engine failures in single engine aircraft – none of them on a road, and none of them even scratched an aeroplane.

But that shouldn’t be a consideration. Your job as an instructor it to be sure your pupil makes safe decisions – not ones that save money for insurance companies.

Wind. Even a light wind makes a massive difference. Eight knots behind you rather than on your nose makes a difference of 30km/h to your touchdown speed – that difference on its own is more than enough to kill you.

OBSTACLES. Trees or wires on the approach dramatically shorten the usable length. We sensibly tend to give them too much clearance. Solid obstacles at the far end hold obvious hazards.

GRADIENT. It’s difficult to judge slope from the air but it makes a massive difference. Rivers or stretches of green vegetation often give you some idea of the lower ground, so do farmers’ contours. Landing downhill is a terrible idea.

SUN. A dirty windscreen can kill you if you land into the morning or evening sun – you simply can’t see what you are going to hit.

I must tell you about a mate of mine – Bill Fortuin. This happened many years ago. He was about to depart Heathrow for Johannesburg as co-pilot on a BOAC (British Overseas Airways SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

JIM DAVIS

Corporation) DC4. It was his duty to ready the cockpit half an hour before the captain arrived. When the great man eventually entered the flight-deck, he completely ignored Bill and busied himself with hanging his jacket and cap exactly straight on a coat-hanger.

As they would be sharing a cockpit for three days, Bill introduced himself to the captain. The response was, “Mr Fortuin, in this cockpit you may address me as ‘sir’. Outside the cockpit refrain from addressing me at all.”

He then sat down, pulled on some white kid-skin gloves, looked straight ahead and said. “Mr Fortuin, this aircraft is unserviceable. I’ll thank you to have my windscreen cleaned.

After a while a man in a brown coat, carrying a ladder, a bucket and a chamois was summonsed and the windscreen was cleaned.

Not great CRM, but I think I would like to fly behind such a captain. An aeroplane with a dirty windscreen is unserviceable.

And one more story – because I feel strongly about this.

When I was a young second lieutenant in 109 Commando Squadron I had to fly a general to the military airfield at de Aar. As we approached I realized we would touch down shortly before sunset and that runway 30, which was the runway in use pointed exactly at the setting sun.

There was no wind and no other traffic so I requested 12. “Negative, negaS A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

tive, Charlie Mike Victor. Call on final approach for 30.”

It’s no use arguing with the military mind so I told him I would hold to the south of the field until after sunset. I could almost see a massive question mark hovering over the tower. And I could certainly hear the abuse coming from the right hand seat where my moustache-pulling pax was about to blow a fuse. Actually I think he needed to pee.

HABITATION. Land near habitation or a road – a ten-mile glide to a farm house is more fun than a ten mile walk in the desert.

SURFACE. An airfield is first prize, then a cultivated field with a young

understand the speed squared rule crop. Cultivated is important because it means the farmer has removed big stones and filled in holes and ditches.

Grazing country looks tempting but often has hidden depressions and rocks.

FLAPS. If nothing else sticks in your pupe’s head, he must understand the speed squared rule. It says if you double the speed you will suffer four

27

times the damage. Think of a C172. You can throw it on to the ground at 80 mph, break the nosewheel off, go on your back and possibly be trapped in the cabin while fuel runs everywhere. Or you can use full flap, touch down at 40 mph and start planning how you will fly the aircraft out of there.

The choice is yours – it’s that big handle between the seats.

Wheels up or down?

There are no rules – only guidelines, so here’s stuff for you to think about now – not at the last minute.

You want the aeroplane to decelerate positively but not suddenly.

You do not want a fire.

You want it to stay shiny side up.

So let’s think how your aircraft will handle each of those requirements. If it’s a high-wing, fixed gear aircraft like a C172 you want a hard surface where the brakes will work well – that will look after all three of these requirements. Antbear holes, marshy areas and soft sand can put you on your back with a potential for fire as the fuel leaks from filler caps.

Fortunately you have huge flaps – use them all for the slowest possible nosehigh touchdown.

A low-wing, fixed-gear aircraft would also enjoy a hard surface for max braking. But antbear holes, marshy areas and soft sand will not put you on your back even if the bigger nosewheel digs in, so long as you again use full flaps and touch down at stall speed.

Now let’s think about aircraft with

COLUMNS

retractable gear like the C210, Bonanza, Comanche, Arrow and the Saratoga family. There are two schools of thought.

The first is favoured by the Air Force.

They suggest gear down regardless of the surface. If the gear holds up that’s all well and good. And if the gear gets broken off, well at least it helps the deceleration, and if it keeps the low-wing tanks off the ground for a while, that’s also good.

For water landings, low wings are definitely preferable – they are prone to staying the right way up so you can open the door and move out on to the wing and curse your luck while you wave to passing marine craft.

The famous Max Conrad dumped a 250 Comanche in the Atlantic while ferrying it. He sensibly followed shipping lanes – which is much the same as following roads across the desert. He alerted a ship that he was running out of fuel and would be obliged if they could deploy a rowing boat to avoid any discomfort.

This all happened as planned and Max didn’t even get his socks wet while stepping from the wing of the Comanche into said craft. In fact the US navy had to open fire on, and sink, the aeroplane two days later as it was considered a danger to nautical endeavours in that lump of ocean.

Finally, if you are good at sideslipping, that makes forced landings so much easier.

Right, that buttons up forced landings. j SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

Bespoke Medical Commercial hospitality Architecture

ARCHITECTS J O H A N N E S B U RG

( P T Y )

L T D

www.a3architects.co.za

HUGH PRYOR

THE CONCRETE TRAWLER

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

31

The Mussandam peninsular, on the southern side of the straights of Hormuz, is impressive for its barrenness. The intimidating temperatures during the summer months seem to deny the possibility of life in the area.

J

AGGED yellow cliffs and mountains, which climb directly from the sea to over six thousand feet, come out of some celestial crushing plant, a geological scrap heap of all the bits of rock He couldn’t find a use for.

The sea which surrounds the peninsular, on the other hand, is some of the richest in the world. The FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, had to admit after an intensive survey, that if fishing levels were maintained, they could see no limit to the harvest from the coastal waters of Oman. High sea temperatures encourage a cornucopia of abun-

COLUMNS

dant marine life where the extremes above the water surface challenge the very existence of life itself.

During the ongoing Iran/Iraq conflict, a lot of governments are interested in what is going on in the Gulf, because oil supplies to both Eastern and Western countries were threatened by the hostilities.

James Bond really was right about the Russian sense of humour Many Very Large and even Ultra Large Crude Carriers have been destroyed or severely damaged and crew members killed or wounded, either caught in the crossfire or deliberately targeted.

SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

HUGH PRYOR

The Gulf is not a holiday camp for shipping during. However during the many previous hostilities the oil prices made a gamble well worthwhile if it paid off. Salaries offered to those willing to try and get through with a load of oil out of the Gulf provided almost irresistible motivation to men willing to put their necks on the line for cash.

Interested governments invaded the area. Bahrain became a warren full of spooks, spies and “advisors”.

we roared by, below the level of their wheelhouse An old deep-sea side-trawler suddenly materialised, bang in the centre of the one square mile of International Waters right in the middle of the main shipping lanes into and out of the Gulf. These were routed through the straights of Hormuz, between Oman and Iran. The red flag of the ship’s nationality, with the gold hammer and sickle in the corner of it, was almost completely black with funnel soot, and the Murmansk port of registration was indecipherable unless you were within fifty yards of the ship’s dented stern...

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

and familiar with the Cyrillic alphabet.

If you looked carefully you could see where rust-holes in the ship’s hull had been patched up with cement, a common practice particularly among those members of the Soviet fishing fleet who seldom saw the fishing grounds except in transit. The trawler’s battered and rusty condition was in marked contrast to the forest of highly sophisticated radio antennae which adorned its superstructure. Even so, it looked like a bit of a punishment posting for its unfortunate crew. To have to sit for months on end, hoping not to be run down by a charging super-tanker, must be nerve-wracking stuff.

Oman was given the responsibility of policing the Straights by the security council, and we, the pilots and observers of the Royal Oman Police Air Wing, therefore found ourselves on frequent patrols in the area. We built up a nodding acquaintance with the pilots of the Iranian Navy whom we passed as we carried out airborne sentry duty along our respective maritime borders.

Occasionally we would pay a purely social call on the Russians, cooped up in the rusting little trawler, stretching their electronic ears to pick up snippets of information from the ether.

They would glare suspiciously at us through massive Russian binoculars.

As far as they were concerned our visits were anything but social. They didn’t even return our cheery waves as

33

COLUMNS

ABOVE: In peace time the Mussandam Peninsula is a key attraction.

we roared by, below the level of their wheelhouse.

Maybe James Bond really was right about the Russian sense of humour.

They must have done something seriously antisocial to have earned themselves a posting to this inhospitable and frankly dangerous corner of the world.

And then, suddenly, one day, we went to say hello to the Russian ‘fishermen’ and they weren’t there anymore.

Instead, there was a large patch of oil and some bits of floating debris, with a ship’s lifeboat full of people in the middle of it. This time they waved as if they were trying to win the waving competition when we flew by!

So what happened? – if I may digress a moment.

British designers definitely have a knack with wings. My more jingoistic instincts tell me that this comes from our maritime and agricultural roots...to be more precise, before wings, we had sails. Boats had sails and the British still make some of the best sails in the world. Ploughs have sails too and the British, in the shape of a certain Mr. Ransome & Co, made and in fact still make, the best ploughs in the world.

Sails are vertical wings and British Aerospace make the wings for the Airbus.

They are probably the cleverest airliner wings in the world and the main secret behind the Airbus’s extraordinary econSA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

HUGH PRYOR

omy of operation. Propellers are simply rotating wings, and the British make some of the most sophisticated propellers in the world.

That’s why British hunter-killer submarines are the quietest in the world.

Their secret lies largely in the design of their propellers. They can sneak up on you so quietly even the dog won’t know.

The crew of the Russian spy ship never heard them coming either- the British submarine crept up so quietly behind them.

Luckily for them, our bombs were Meals Ready to Eat In fact the first indication that anything sinister impended was when the crew of the trawler suddenly heard the unmistakable ring of a sonar transmitter turned to maximum amplitude. The whole bulbous bow of the hunter-killer submarine is one enormous sonar transmitter, and the little Russian fishing boat was receiving the full benefit. Every rivet and weld vibrated and hummed with the power of the sonar’s pulse. The calm waters around the S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

rusty hull shivered in sympathy.

Cement doesn’t like shivering in sympathy and within seconds it began to crumble. Water sprouted in through the rotten walls of the Russians’ hull and before the Captain could even assess the situation fully, the inevitable happened. There was only time to sound the alarm and evacuate everybody to the lifeboat as the last antennae sank below the surface.

When we arrived on the scene, the Russians were initially elated to see us.

Hence, presumably, the waving. Their elation, however, turned to panic when they saw us curving in for what they must have interpreted as an obvious bombing run.

Luckily for them, our bombs were MRE’s...Meals Ready to Eat, and rubber dinghies, which we dropped to them so they had something to do while the bosses decided who was qualified to rescue them.

I don’t think that borsch was included on the menu, but the hot dogs were fine. I’ve tried them myself.

I never found out who picked up the ‘fishermen’.j

QUOTE OF THE

MONTH:

PT6A FLAT RATE OVERHAUL (FRO) StandardAero Lanseria, a Pratt & Whitney PT6A designated overhaul facility (DOF) and the sole independent DOF approved for the PT6A-140, is pleased to support operators across Africa with Pratt & Whitney’s Flat Rate Overhaul (FRO) program for PT6A engines which combines OEM-level quality with guaranteed “not to exceed” capped pricing. Meaning that you can plan your maintenance expenses with confidence, and without any compromises.

The FRO program does not incur extra charges for typical corrosion, sulphidation or repairable foreign object damage (FOD), and PMA parts are accepted.

As the industry’s leading independent aero-engine MRO provider, StandardAero is trusted by airline, governmental and business aviation operators worldwide for responsive, tailored support solutions.

In his Attitude for Altitude column this month, Guy Leitch trotted out one of his favourite sayings:

“General Aviation is a solution – looking for a problem.”

years of PT6A MRO Excellence

RAISING THE STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE www.standardaero.com SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

GUY LEITCH

The Fabulous Chipmunk My favourite plane

I m a g e s : V a r ious un k n ow n source s

37

FLIGHT TEST

Jason Beamish displayng the timeless Chipmunk.

GUY LEITCH

I have been privileged to have flown the most fantastic variety of planes – from the Denel Cheetah for an air-to-air refuelling mission, to a ninety-year-old Tiger Moth. So I suppose it’s natural that I occasionally get asked an impossible question by a young bright-eyed aviation enthusiast: What’s your favourite plane?

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

IMAGE: GARY SHEPARD

A

truthful answer usually requires lots of umms and ahhs. Do you mean - the biggest thrill? – or the most satisfying? - or the most enthralling big jet? – or the mixed pleasure of flying the one that I own?

But if I stop and think about the nicest plane I have ever flown, the answer is easy but perhaps surprising. It’s the de Havilland Chipmunk.

It is of some comfort to me that the venerable Jim Davis agrees.

Why do I like the Chippy above all others?

Here are my random top six reasons: • Because it’s got the most beautifully harmonised controls. The breakout forces are low and the response is brisk, proportional and smooth. The only plane that approaches the Chippy in control feel is the Sling 2.

• Because it’s got a low wing. Yes, I prefer low wings because: You can see out better, they are not as claustrophobic as having your head in the wing, the wheels attach in a sensible place, it’s easier to get in and out of, etc etc – and they just look better.

• Because it’s got tandem seating with a spacious glass house sliding canopy that lets you see out left and right equally – and that makes you feel like you could be flying a Spitfire. As you taxy in, you can slide the canopy back and wave to the many admirers (of the

39

F LIGHT TEST

Actually, three hands are only just enough.

ABOVE: Inverted 4-cylinder in-line Gypsey Major engine.

BELOW: The Chippy is a great Spitfire trainer.

•

•

•

plane – not your flying).

Because it’s an icon. It’s an eighty year-old design with curmudgeonly systems appropriate to its age. Its inverted four-cylinder engine looks like it comes from the railways with its huge green handles and brass knobs.

It has trained thousands – if not hundreds of thousands – of neophyte pilots and is capable of gentleman aerobatics yet, thanks to its clean design, has a reasonable turn of speed for a 145hp engine and fixed pitch prop.

And … the Gypsey Major engine is not subject to the idiotic 12-year rule.

SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

GUY LEITCH

BELOW: Wide track landing gear protects wingtips in a groundloop

DEVELOPMENT The de Havilland Canada Chipmunk was conceived immediately after the Second World War to replace the aging Tiger Moth, an 1920’s era wooden biplane. The Chipmunk was designed as an all-round military

of that period, built a ‘Super Chipmunk’ by mounting a 260hp Lycoming on a Chipmunk airframe to compete in international competition.

The Chipmunk represented the latest technology of that time, incorporating many

ON THE GROUND In a paean of praise a few years ago, Jim Davis said, “As you approach the Chipmunk you can see why it is called the poor man’s Spitfire.

Unlike the Harvard and Provost, the Chippy is sleek – there’s no blunt

trainer, which amongst its many other virtues is fully capable of aerobatics. In fact its aerobatic capability was so well regarded in the 1960s and 70s that Professor Art Scholl, the aerobatic ace

design features from WWII fighters, such as an all metal airframe, enclosed cockpit, flaps, and ‘blind flying’ instruments, amongst other ‘high-tech’ refinements over the Tiger.

radial to butt through the airflow. The long greenhouse cockpit lets you know it’s a military aircraft with fore-and-aft seating.

You wear an overall, no nancy-pants or skirts.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

41

You are flying a manly aeroplane and you will get manly oil on your hands and clothes.

If it looks good, it flies good.

First check that there are chocks in position, then slide the canopy back and make sure the mags and master are off, the throttle is closed and the brake is on. There is good reason for this caution, which I will tell you about in a minute. Then you untie the harness which is looped round the stick as a control lock.

If you plan on some aerobatics, and that’s half the point of flying a Chippy, then you must check that the parachutes that form the seat cushions have recent date tags on them.

Most of the pre-flight is standard,

Unmistakable de Havilland fin and rudder.

F LIGHT TEST

but when you get to the front you need to understand machinery. Open the cowls on both sides to inspect the big oily lump of ageing British agricultural engineering. It has some curious features like the scraper on the oil filter.

You have to dig into the dingy mass of pipes and cables behind the engine to find a T-handle that must be turned through at least 360 degrees. It is extremely awkward and very stiff, and you are sure to puncture your arm on a split pin or piece of locking wire. Due to its unpleasantness, this procedure is glossed over by most pilots, which makes it all the more important that you do it.

Next, unscrew the massive brass oil cap and dipstick. There’s no need to check it – it definitely needs oil, simply pour in straight 100 – not ‘W’ – and keep pouring until it’s full. Mr de Havilland is happy for it to drink two pints (1 litre) an hour.

Then there’s the impulse mag, on

GUY LEITCH

The front cockpit has typically British non - ergonomics.

the right. Those who have flown behind Gypsy engines will recognise this antique device by the scars and dents at its base, where it has been pounded with various objects, including hammers, picketing pegs and tyre levers. The problem is that the impulse mechanism often sticks; and has done so for 80 years. Why fix it when you can easily make it work by belting it with something heavy?

Ah! And how do you know it needs belting?

Well you turn the prop and listen for a clonk.

If there’s none, this means the thing has stuck again, so you need pound it – preferably with the handle of a hammer, but if nothing else comes to hand, a rock is fine. Then you pull S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - AUGUST 2025

the prop through another compression and listen. Keep repeating until you get a clonk.

On each side of the engine you will find a Bakelite magneto cap that has a thick earth wire attached. If you have any interest in mechanical things, you will be tempted to unclip and remove the cap to admire the points and the magnificent brass mechanisms within. DON’T DO IT. I mean really don’t do it, because if you do, you break the connection to earth – which makes that mag live. You are now one short inquisitive step from pulling the prop through to watch how the cam ring opens the points, and beheading yourself as the engine fires.

On the left-hand side you will find two mechanical fuel pumps, one has a lever which allows you to pump fuel to the carburettor, provided, of course, that the camshaft is in the correct position. If it is not, you can pump, but nothing happens. You only know if it’s working if you pull a ring on the end of a piece of wire while pumping. The wire pulls a series of levers which depress the tickler on the carburettor float on the other side of the engine, and you only know if this is working when fuel comes dribbling out of an oily pipe at the bottom. No dribble – no start.

If the above is too technical for

43

F LIGHT TEST

RIGHT: The sliding canopy has a great cool factor.

you, either learn quick, or fly a Wichita spam-can.

Once you have confirmed the clonk and the fuel dribble, close the cowls quickly and leap aboard before the fuel you have pumped dribbles out or evaporates. Put your size nines on the seat parachute and slide deep down inside the aeroplane.

Buckle your five-point parachute on first, and then the harness. If you are doing aerobatics you will want the harness as tight as you can get it. And then a bit tighter.

Taxiing a Chippy is very easy – as long as you have three hands. You need your left hand on the throttle, your right hand holding the stick back, and your other hand juggling the brake. The problem is that to turn the aircraft you often need brake and throttle at the same time. It’s all to do with the weird steering system. When you use full rudder, nothing happens – and I mean

nothing, unless you have a lot of power.

And if you do have a lot of power this means that you will go too fast – so you will need the brakes.

It’s a sort of horse-and-buggy braking system. There is a handbrake on the left. If you pull it well up while the rudder bar is central, it brakes evenly on both wheels. However, if you pull it halfway you get no brakes at all unless you use rudder, in which case it brakes only on the wheel where the rudder is applied. In theory, you pull on a couple of notches of brake and just taxi. When you need to turn, use enough rudder to apply brake to that wheel.

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple because you also have to use the brakes to control the speed. You might be using the brake to turn but that slows you down too much, so you have to use power as well. Actually, three hands are only just enough.

SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - AUGUST 2 0 2 5

GUY LEITCH

FLYING THE CHIPPY A Chippy is the definitive example of, ‘If it looks good, it flies good’. There’s very little that looks, or flies, better than a Chippy. In fact, anyone who has flown a Chippy will tell you that the most impressive thing about it is its silky smooth control harmony. Everything is balanced so you always have exactly the right amount of aileron, rudder and elevator to make it do whatever you are thinking.

“The controls seem to run on needle sharp taper roller bearings; there’s none of that porridgey feel that you get on Yankee cable-operated controls. On the ground, you can put a finger lightly on the top of the stick and move it all the way in any direction and there’s no resistance at all.

Jim says, “Your first take-off is a surprise. If you simply open the throttle, as you would in a Cherokee, you will sail straight into the grass on the right-hand side of the runway. You BELOW: Fuel may be 24 Imp Gallons or a very limiting 16 Imp gGallons.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

have to add power s-l-o-w-l-y and let the airspeed give the rudder some bite.

The problem is that initially there isn’t enough rudder authority to counteract the slipstream effect. And it goes right because it’s a pommy anti-clockwise engine.

You will soon get the hang of it, she is a forgiving lady, and tolerates fools graciously, but only those who treat her with respect.

she is a forgiving lady...

I like to lift the tail as soon as possible, it reduces drag and lets you see where you’re going. At 53 knots she flies gently off the ground. Keep her level to 70 knots and then climb magnificently into the sky.

Now she’s in her element – you’re in a real aeroplane that cuts through the air with silky precision. She knows what you are thinking – she’s a dream machine. Visibility is wonderful, you can do anything you like. You are the king, or queen, of the sky.

Steep turns are embarrassingly easy, but don’t get cocky, if you pull it too tight, she will shudder and flick – which is brilliant for training. Stalls are a nonevent, but there is no stall warning device. She shudders slightly and breaks

45

at 49 knots clean, and a bit more enthusiastically at 43 knots with full flap.

Take your HASELLL checks seriously. Under A for Airframe think brakes.

Make sure the hand brake is fully off otherwise it limits rudder travel, which can prevent spin recovery. The first turn of a spin is slow, then you get two quick ones, after which she settles into a steady, comfortable rotation with the nose about 45 degrees down. Recovery is normal, taking about one-and-a-half turns. For aerobatics you enter a roll at 110 knots, a loop at 120 knots and start a roll off the top at 135 knots.

Tigers use the same numbers but in mph.

One of the reasons you will love the feel of a Chippy, apart from those superb controls, is that you sit bang on the centreline. Everything is sym-

FLIGHT TEST

ABOVE: The first in South Africa - DHC-1 Chipmunk ZS-BOA photo - Bill Teague.

metrical – turns feel exactly the same in both directions. You don’t perch on a lounge-chair, you sit deep in the aeroplane and become part of it. Your right hand rests lightly on that satin smooth stick, and your left falls comfortably on the throttle.

Everything about it feels like a proper aeroplane.

You glide at 70 knots and approach with full flap at 65 knots. When you do your BUMPPFF checks, make sure that the brakes are off. Landings are standard for taildraggers, there are no nasty surprises in three-pointers or wheelers and the nice wide undercarriage gives pretty good protection against digging a wing in if you happen to ground loop her.

SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - AUGUST 2 0 2 5

GUY LEITCH

AEROBATICS Someone who has competitively flown aerobatics in the Chippy is Elton Bondi, who says, “When I wrote an SA Flyer article about the Chipmunk, I commented at how ‘well balanced, light and responsive’ the controls were. Contrary to what one may expect, basic aerobatics are easier to fly in the Pitts than in the Chipmunk, for a number of reasons.

First, the Pitts has an inverted fuel and oil system, along with a dramatically improved power to weight ratio over the Chipmunk. This means that in a stall turn for example, with the Pitts you have time to set up and draw an accurate vertical line before waiting for that ideal moment to yaw the aircraft over with the effective rudder. With the Chipmunk one barely has enough energy to get the aircraft nearly vertical before the speed runs out. And one dare not get perfectly vertical or else the engine may quit because it has no inverted fuel feed. Because of its slow roll rate, a pilot has to use plenty of rudder in a Chipmunk to ensure a coordinated

roll or else you will ‘scoop the roll’ and loose height.

On landing the Chipmunk is extremely well mannered; it floats placidly to earth and all but the most pronounced of bounces will be discreetly hidden by the generous oleos, which make the most ham-fisted of pilots feel great.

The entire Chipmunk experience is languid , from the moment of start-up where the vibration of the engine is absorbed by the relatively large airframe, through to the taxi where the oleos ensure a smooth ride on the most uneven of surfaces.

The Chipmunk is the ultimate gentleman’s carriage, perfect for a quiet stroll amongst the clouds on a balmy Sunday afternoon, old chap!

Jim Davis concludes; “In a nutshell: This is an honest aeroplane, probably the best trainer ever made, and a delight in the air. The worst thing about flying a Chippy is its tiny fuel tanks which all too soon force you to call, “Final for a full stop landing …” j

A Chipmunk with a 180hp Lycomning.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E -AUGUST 2025

DHC-1 Chipmunk

SPECIFICATION Engine Gipsy Major Power 145hp @ 2,550rpm Propeller Fairey Reed fixed-pitch Length 25ft 5in Height 7ft 1in Wingspan 34ft 4in Wing area 172 sq ft Empty weight 1425lb Useful load 675lb aerobatic 589lb Wing loading 12.21 lb/sq ft Fuel capacity 24 imp gal G-limits +6/-4 PERFORMANCE Vne 173kt (or 153kt) Cruise 95-110kt Stall, clean 45kt Stall, full flap 38kt Take off dist 400m Landing dist 350m Rate of climb 840fpm Max range 300nm

47

FLIGHT TEST

Tigers use the same numbers but in mph.

BUMPPFF

STAY SAFARI GO SAFARI GO FOODIE GO HOEDSPRUIT DISCOVER ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST SOUGHT AFTER SAFARI DESTINATIONS LOCATED IN GREATER KRUGER.

+27 72 900 2023

book@safarimoon.co.za

safarimoon.travel

JIM DAVIS

The Jetprop crashed on final.

WHAT DOES THAT BUTTON DO? This report is to advance safety – not to assign fault or liability

ACCIDENT REPORT – PRECIS AND ANALYSIS A/C: PIPER PA-46-350P, N5EQ PLACE: GOOSE BAY AIRPORT, NEWFOUNDLAND DATE: 14 DECEMBER 2022

HISTORY OF THE FLIGHT

At 0820, the privately registered Piper PA-46350P (with the JetPROP DLX conversion) departed SeptÎles Airport, Quebec, on an IFR flight to Goose Bay with the pilot and a passenger on board. They were returning the aircraft to its home in Europe, following avionics upgrades in the U.S. According to the ADS-B, at 0928, when the aircraft was about 85 NM from Goose Bay, it began a descent from flight level 230 and was cleared for the RNAV approach to runway 08.

51

ACCIDENT REPORT

The Piper Jetprop's CofG envelope is tight.

At 0958, the aircraft crossed the final approach fix FAFKO at 2800 feet ASL, at a ground speed of 104 knots, and began the final descent.

Although the descent remained steady on a 3° profile, the ground speed decreased continuously for about 60 seconds.

At 0959:50, it was on a 7 mile final at 70 knots. The groundspeed then decreased to 67 knots before increasing again however it remained on a steady 3° approach profile.

At 1000:31, the pilot reported at waypoint SATAK, and the ground speed increased to over 80 knots. The tower reported the wind as 050° magnetic at 16 gusting to 22 knots. and cleared the aircraft to land on Runway 08. The pilot acknowledged at 1000:49.

Two minutes later the ground speed decreased to 51 knots. The aircraft departed controlled flight and impacted terrain when it was about 2.5 NM southwest of the airport.

The ELT activated, and a helicopter arrived three minutes later and took the occupants to hospital. The pilot died of his injuries and the aircraft was destroyed.

PILOT INFORMATION

The pilot had 2260 hours, 594 of which were IF and 1046 hours were in single-engine turbine aircraft.

He held an FAA CPL and Instructor rating and a valid medical certificate.

There was no indication that his performance was degraded by fatigue.

WEATHER

The CYYR 1000 met report indicated: • wind 030° at 16 – 22 knots; • visibility 15 SM; • overcast ceiling at 1000 feet AGL; • temp 1 °C and dew point of −1 °C; • altimeter 30.52

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The aircraft was a Piper PA-46-350P modified with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A35 turboprop engine . The aircraft is known as a JetPROP DLX. It is certified for single-pilot operation in IFR and in known icing conditions. It has a stall speed of 69 knots clean and a 58 knots in the landing configuration.

SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - AUGUST 2 0 2 5

JIM DAVIS

The STC brought the fuel capacity from 120 to 151 USG. The aircraft had flown 12.3 hours since the last MPI and the avionics upgrades, which included installing a Garmin GFC 600 autopilot system, dual electronic flight instruments, and a Garmin GI 275. An Alpha System AoA angle of attack indicator and upgrading the primary flight display Aspen Avionics EFD1000 to enable synthetic vision.

Both EFI units could retain air data, attitude, and heading reference system logs.

Why on earth specify any number of degrees?

AIRCRAFT WEIGHT AND BALANCE

The maximum take-off weight was 4300 pounds, with CoG limits from 143.3 to 147.1 inches aft of datum.

The aircraft departed with full fuel.

The weight and balance report listed the useful load as 1217 pounds.

With full fuel, there would have been 160 pounds available for occupants and baggage.

The actual takeoff weight was 4775 pounds and the CoG was 141.4 inches aft of datum. At the time of the accident the weight

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - AUGUST 2025

was 4348 pounds and the CoG was 141.2 inches aft of datum.

It could not be determined whether these figures contributed to loss of control.

An overloaded aircraft will have degraded performance. Increased takeoff and landing runs, increased stall speed, decreased rate of climb, decreased cruise speed, and reduced range.

The weight distribution is critical - it affects both stability and performance.

A forward CoG increases the stall speed.

To keep the mass and balance within limits, pilots must plan for reduced fuel loads when carrying pax and baggage.

The AFM says: Although the airplane offers flexibility of loading, it cannot be flown with the maximum number of adult passengers, full fuel tanks and maximum baggage. With flexibility comes responsibility. The pilot must insure that the airplane is loaded within the envelope.

APPROACH SPEED

According to AOPA Pilot magazine the key to a stabilized approach is to slow the pace of the critical final segment. If you’re doing it right and stabilize early, it seems that there is nothing left to do. At this time on the approach you are primarily monitoring, not manipulating, and that is better for situational awareness.

The accepted method of controlling an aircraft’s descent profile to achieve a stable approach is by using the elevator to control pitch, which in turn controls airspeed, and engine power to control the rate of descent.

53

ACCIDENT REPORT

The unstable final approach may have been autopilot driven.

However, the Garmin GFC 600 controls airspeed with power.

The investigation found that the autopilot was engaged for the approach; however, it could not confirm this for the last 60 seconds.

The AFM calls for a final approach speed of 90 KIAS with full flaps or 100 KIAS flapless.

Two companies that train in the JetPROP DLX suggested that the final approach be flown at a minimum of 120 KIAS for better pitch stability.

IMPACT AND WRECKAGE INFORMATION

Strike damage on trees indicates a final descent angle of 37° at a wingslevel attitude and a low-speed loss of control.

The landing gear was down and the flaps were between the 0° and 10°.

Significant power was being produced at impact. There was no sign that a component or system failure contributed to the accident.

There were no signs of ice accumulation.

EFI data for the last 60 seconds could not be recovered so the investigation could not determine what led to the loss of control.

JIM’S COMMENTS

I don’t know exactly what happened, but that doesn’t matter – this accident points to stuff that could be dangerous to us. So I went through the report with a yellow highlighter and here’s what jumped out at me: Avionics upgrades. These are extremely smart boxes with many buttons that can kill you if you don’t understand SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - AUGUST 2 0 2 5

JIM DAVIS

them. There were four of them newly installed in this aircraft. So there was much to puzzle the pilot.

Imagine they had installed a dirty great brass lever with a red handle labelled DANGER. You and I would be extremely hesitant to move it, but we are happy to push buttons that we don’t fully understand.

The pilot was obviously a clever guy – he had well over 2000 hours, including 600 of IF and over 1000 hours on singleengine turbines.

However, there is no requirement that he understands a single feature on any of these new boxes. Are they interconnected? Do they supply redundancy?

Which external sensors or aerials feeds which box?

And those are the easy questions.

Here’s one that possibly killed him.

Did he know that the Garmin GFC 600 calls for airspeed control with throttle, and rate of descent with attitude. This is opposite to the normal way of flying a light aircraft. Did the Garmin GI 275 command the autopilot to do things in this unusual way? Did it take the pilot unawares.

The graph shows a steady 3° approach profile while the airspeed (actually the groundspeed) varied enormously. This suggests the pilot was battling to keep speed and glideslope under control. This should have been easy for a pilot of his experience unless he was fighting Mr Garmin’s thinking.

It takes any pilot a while to learn new equipment, and a lot longer to burn that knowledge into his soul so he would automatically do the right thing under pressure.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - AUGUST 2025

The Gleitch tells me he read that it takes at least ten hours of dual to settle down with a new black box. So would four boxes call for a 40 hour ‘conversion’? Legally no conversion is mandated – you can blast off into the muck with no dual at all.

Would I be happy to sit in the back of an aeroplane in IF conditions with a pilot who wasn’t familiar with all these clocks?

NOPE. Fatigue. The report says the pilot’s performance was not degraded by fatigue at the end of a nine hour flight.

Mine would be.

Weight. At takeoff the aircraft was close to 500 pounds over-gross.

Balance. At takeoff the CoG was 1.9” ahead of the forward limit. When it crashed this had increased to 2.1”.

Approach speed. The POH calls for 90 KIAS with full flap. This makes sense as it’s just over 1.3 times the 58 KIAS in the landing configuration.

It seems incredible that two schools which convert pilots to these aircraft both call for a minimum approach speed of 120 kts. That’s 30 kts faster than the POH figure.

TAKE HOME STUFF •

•

Heed the POH warning about balancing fuel capacity against payload: With flexibility comes responsibility.

Beware having your aircraft better equipped than you are; just as fitting lights to your aircraft does not make you night rated.j

25 YEARS

OF THINKING INSIDE THE BOX

In the more than two decades since we introduced the GNS 430, we’ve continued to develop even more advanced capabilities to enhance your flying. The GTN™ Xi series, our fourth-generation GPS/ NAV/COMMs, leads the way with Smart Glide™ technology, coupled VNAV and missed approaches1, intuitive traffic displays1, terrain and more. See the upgrade advantage at Garmin.com/Navigators.

GTN XI SERIES Additional hardware required. © Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.

1

IRIS MCCALLUM

ANYONE CAN BE UNCOMFORTABLE As aviators, we often make the mistake of thinking that we will be coming home at the end of the day.

ABOVE: Iris in the Mara with Piper Navajo 5Y-IHC.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

S

OMETIMES the Universe has a sense of humour. I remember flying 5Y-IHC, our Piper PA31 Navajo to El- Wak very close to the Somali border with a couple of civil engineers who were inspecting the roads.

We flew via Wajir in the North of Kenya to top up with fuel as the routing was Wilson, Wajir, El-Wak, Rhamu (on the border with Ethiopia) and back to Wilson.

On arrival at El-Wak I parked off the runway on to the murram parking area. There wasn’t much to do in El-Wak and really nowhere to wait for your passengers except in the aircraft, which was very hot and uncomfortable.

I was therefore very pleased when the two engineers kindly invited me on the road trip to inspect the roads up north.

I jumped at the opportunity as I loved seeing new places and experiencing a safari whenever I can.

We drove south towards the Sukela Hugla where the road mainte-

57

COLUMNS

nance camp had been set up. As we drove, the mother of all storms fell on us and when it rains in the desert, it really makes up for the usual lack of rain.

that the weather had flooded the roads and dry river beds were now too dangerous to cross, to get back to El Wak or anywhere else.

After long discussion it was decided that we would spend the night at the maintenance camp, which was made up of four containers, consisting of a kitchen (partly open to the elements for an open fire to cook on) In my logbook that day, stores, bathroom and I noted that we had six very little else. inches (150 mm) of rain.

Our meal that evenJohn and Dave called up ing was made up of stiff the other maintenance maize meal (Ugali) red camps using the UHF ra- kidney beans and probdio and it was confirmed ably goat stew. Very ac-

the Navajo was parked in a foot of mud

The vast emptiness of northern Kenya.

SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

IRIS MCCALLUM

ceptable under the circumstances.

The two civil engineers opted to sleep on the floor in the main office and mess area. A very kind Somali gentleman offered me his room which had a perfectly good bed in it with a pillow included.

I can remember looking at this, knowing full well the bed sheets had not been washed in a long time and neither the pillowcase. I took off my shirt and wrapped it around the pillow and opted to lie on top of the sheets. Fortunately, it was warm enough not to worry about covering up. I had a reasonably good

We were soon on our way after a cup of hot sweet tea, heading back north to El Wak. On our arrival we found that the Navajo was safe, but now parked in a foot of mud. It was going to be a challenge to get it on to the runway. I had no intention of running up the engines and damaging the propellers and airframe.

Manpower was needed. The Police Commander at the fort was very helpful, and I soon had as many, and more men, than I needed to push us out of the mud.

red kidney beans and goat stew

ABOVE: El Wak airport Kenya.

night and was only bothered by the smell of my own shirt. I definitely needed to up the deodorant next time.

My last thoughts were about my aircraft. I was praying that she was safe in the awful weather.

Early the next morning we were greeted by sunshine and very wet roads.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

The tricky thing was placing the men in the best place to push so they didn’t bend the elevators or flaps. Added to that, there wasn’t much room for them around the wheels. I had to be in the aircraft to steer it on to the runway, using only the brakes. Fortunately, on the Navajo the pilots door/window could be opened, so I could shout out to them when to “Skuma”(push in Swahili).

Needless to say, there was a lot of backing and forthing, left side of aircraft not pushed at the same time as the men on the right were pushing. Eventually after using the old Kenya mantra of everyone shouting “Harambee” (pull/ push together) we managed to get the

59

aircraft on to the dry part of the bitumen runway.

Having set the park brake, I got out to thank everyone. What I have always loved about Africa is the joy that is shown when a seemingly impossible task has been successfully done. We all shook hands and laughed at our predicament. I did a very methodical preflight, cleaned the wheels and brakes to make sure there was no mud or sand caught up there and checking that nothing was bent. Right aileron up left was down etc. I cleaned myself as best as I could, removing mud from my trousers and safari boots (velskoens).

Getting the plane out the mud had taken us a good hour and a bit.

Satisfied all was well, I loaded up my passengers and we were soon airborne on our way to Rhamu, heading due north. Rhamu at that time was hardly a village, but it had an airstrip running east/west and the winds favouring the east. There was no windsock, so I checked the grass for guidance if there was any wind blowing. It is a beautiful spot right by the Galana Daua River that looks into Ethiopia.

I dropped my passengers there and took off heading back to Nairobi, landing back at 1600 local. It had turned out to be two long days, instead of just the one day.

What I learned from this experience was invaluable and made my life easier in the future for unexpected night RIGHT: The Northern Frontier, Wajir, Elwak, Mandera, Rhamu.

COLUMNS

stops. I had a small canvas bag made that could carry a lot, but not take up much space in the aircraft. (I still use it to this day). I keep the necessary items I need, change of shirt etc, book to read, a torch and medications. I used it on every flight.

Later, when I was flying for UNICEF in Sudan, I had more canvas bags made for Stanley flasks dry noodles, tea, coffee, a hip flask, sleeping bag, etc. I had to use them all on more than one occasion. I was at times more comfortable sleeping in the Caravan or Twin Otter than my passengers in some Tukal (hut) in a village.j

IN AIRCRAFT INTERIOR & EXTERIOR REFURBISHMENT.

GLOBAL Best Bespoke Aviation Solutions Agency 2024 - Africa

Best Custom Aviation Design Agency 2024 - Africa

EXTERIOR PAINT LAYOUT - PROPOSAL TO PILATUS PC-12 NGX MSNTBD AIRCRAFT PURCHASE AGREEMENT

DISTINGUISHED

EXCEPTIONAL

Craftsmanship

Design

Version: 03 | Designline: TBD | QSF 415.292 / G | Created by: Sabrina Lauber, FOS Copyright by Pilatus Aircraft Ltd P.O. Box 992 6371 Stans Switzerland Phone: +41 41 619 67 00 www.pilatus-aircraft.com

Crane

Date: March 26th, 2024 Page 3

EXCEPTIONAL

GLOBAL Best Bespoke Aviation Solutions Agency 2024 - Africa

Design

Best Custom Aviation Design Agency 2024 - Africa

COLORS NOT CONFIRMED, ARTIST’S IMPRESSION. FINAL COLORS TO BE CHOSEN AND DETERMINED

Arctic White

STEEL BLUE

ANTHRACITE

FINE SILVER

ROSSO RED

Base

1st Trim

2nd Trim

3rd Trim

Accent

Citation ll 551 Exterior Concept

COMFORT, QUALITY & PERFECTION We have a global reputation for quality and attention to detail for aircraft refurbishment – inside and out.

Our expert team will advise you on all aspects of the aesthetic and technical refurbishment process – from beginning to end, and nose-to-tail.

Tel: +27 (0)10 900 4149 | Mobile: +27 (0)82 547 8379 Yolandi@earefurbishment.com | Francois@earefurbishment.com Hangar 24 (Interior Shop) and Hangar 31 (Paint Shop).

Lanseria International Airport, South Africa, Gate 5 North Side.

EVENTS

CALENDAR 02/August/2025

Wonderboom Air Show

Note - unable to confirm this show

09/August/2025

Bethlehem Air Show

Note - unable to confirm this show

30/August/2025

Botswana Air Show Francistown

airbosssa@gmail.com

10 - 14 September 2025

National Air Races (was Reno)

Note - unable to confirm this show

20/September/2025

Rand Air Show

Rand Airport -Note held on Sunday

27/September/2025

Polokwane Air Show

Note - unable to confirm this show

01/November/2025

Newcastle Air Show

Note - unable to confirm this show

17-21 November 2025

Dubai Air Show UAE

https://www.dubaiairshow.aero/

07/December/2025

ICAD Air Show

https://www.caa.co.za/

3 - 8 February 2026

Singapore Air Show

https://www.singaporeairshow.com/

17 - 19 July 2026

RIAT Tattoo RAF Fairford

https://www.airtattoo.com/

17 - 27 July 2026

EAA Airventure Oshkosh

https://www.eaa.org/airventure

20 - 24 July 2026

Farnborough Air Show

https://www.farnboroughairshow.com/

16 - 20 September 2026

AAD Expo

https://www.aadexpo.co.za/

27/September/2025

Polokwane Airshow

04/October/2025

Krugersdorp Air how

01/November/2025

Newcastle Airshow

17-21 November 2025

Dubai Airshow UAE

07/December/2025

ICAD Airshow

25 July 2025

Polokwane Airshow

Polokwane Limpopo

21 - 27 July 2025

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

Contact Neil Bowden: 084 674 5674 info@airadventure. co.za

20 September 2025

Rand Airshow

Rand Airport Germiston

17 - 21 November 2025

Dubai Airshow UAE

https://www.dubaiairshow.aero/

https://www.dubaiairshow.aero/

Tel: +27 (0)10 900 4149

|

Mobile: +27 (0)82 547 8379

Yolandi@earefurbishment.com

|

Francois@earefurbishment.com

Hangar 24 (Interior Shop) and Hangar 31 (Paint Shop).

Lanseria International Airport, South Africa, Gate 5 North Side.

GEORGE TONKING

THE TIGER SAGA It’s been a while since I put pen to paper (or finger to screen) about flying. And considering my rollercoaster career as a helicopter pilot—equal parts Top Gun and Mr. Bean—I thought it a crime not to share some recent escapades from the wild blue yonder.

Y

OU know how a classic joke starts with a priest, a rabbi and a nun walking into a bar? Well, I figure a proper aviation story should kick off just as absurdly. Something like: “A Robbie, a Mooney, and a Tiger Moth fly onto a farm…”

It’s not quite that, but stay with me…

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

The day began ordinarily enough. I was out on patrol in my beloved, slightly wheezy Robinson R44—my trusty-rusty chopper that rattles more than a maraca in a mariachi band.

Since it was school holidays and solo flying can get about as lonely as a Cessna parked

63

at a fuel strike, I invited my son Ethan to ride along in the back seat for a day out with Dad. Riding shotgun was Carin, a young commercial pilot from Sweden. We called her the “Stockholm Bombshell” not just because she looked like she’d stepped off the set of a Scandinavian action movie, but because her wit had more bite than an angry Ratel. A fierce blonde with a big laugh and a bigger passion for rotorcraft, she’d joined us to log some operational time and liven up the heliport with her Nordic charm.

AVIATION IN SOUTH AFRICA: WHERE DREAMS NEED EXTRA FUEL To paint the backdrop: general aviation in South Africa isn’t what it used to be. Once a bustling community of Cessnas, Beechcraft, and Bells buzzing over the bushveld, it’s now more of a sepia-toned postcard of the glory days—faded by rising fuel costs, regulatory red tape and an economy that’s been driven like a rental car with no deposit.

These days, the 125.8 MHz frequency is so quiet it might as well be the call line to a landline number in Lesotho. So when two pilots recognise each other’s voices mid-air, it’s like running into your best mate at the pub on a

HELICOPTER OPS

Friday. In this muddy watering hole of fading dreams and heroic hangar stories, we all know each other.

ENTER THE MOONEY AND THE MOTH Somewhere near Bapsfontein, just after exiting OR Tambo’s airspace, I switched frequencies and heard a familiar voice crackling over the comms.

her wit had more bite than an angry Ratel “Is that you, Phil?”

“Ja, Georgie, I’m up from White River to fetch my Tiger…”

Now that got my attention. Phil, a serial aircraft smous extraordinaire, had finally realized his lifelong dream: owning a de Havilland Tiger Moth.

SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

GEORGE TONKING

Checking the fuel tank supply.

driven like a rental car with no deposit For those unfamiliar, the Tiger Moth is a 1930s-era biplane that looks like it should come with goggles and a scarf.

An aviation classic. A flying fossil. A Spitfire’s adorable granddad.

But moving antique aircraft around is no small feat—it takes logistics, luck, and ideally, a healthy respect for spontaneous combustion. Phil had somehow managed to secure both a pilot and a plan.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

The pilot he found is the sort of guy who’s flown everything from crop dusters to things that shouldn’t have flown at all. With a fifty-year career and more stories than the control tower at Lanseria, he’s a legend in the South African flying world. He even trained most of us, usually with a raised eyebrow and thinly veiled disappointment.

Back to the skies. About two hours later, flapping along near Vereeniging, I heard Phil again.

“Georgie, you seen a little yellow biplane come past.”

“I lost him. He left Vereeniging an

65

hour ago with a dicey radio.”

Turns out the Tiger Moth had parted ways with the Mooney’s brisk 150 mph cruise speed leaving the 80 mph biplane behind like Ouma’s bicycle in a hurricane.

SPOTTING ON A HAZY DAY It was a hazy day—not ideal for looking for a canary-coloured antique. But sure enough, a speck on the horizon eventually grew into a wobbly yellow silhouette hugging the tree line.

I planned a join and slid my R44 in formation next to him. The pilot turned his head, saw me, and gave the kind of stare you’d expect if he’d just seen a giraffe piloting a Boeing. I gave him the thumbs up. He didn’t look thrilled.

Five minutes later, the Tiger began to

HELICOPTER OPS

descend. Gently, gingerly, the biplane landed on a secluded farm road south of Brakpan. No warning. Just plop—like a duck in a pothole.

I set the Robbie down beside him, ran over and yelled, “What now?”

He pulled off his headset and shouted over the ticking engine, “It just died!”

Classic.

THE FIX Soon enough, we had ourselves a scene: a stricken Tiger, a stranded pilot, a Robbie parked in a field, and a Swedish bombshell trying to swat flies with a map. I radioed around and, miraculously, we located a Tiger Moth mechanic back at Brakpan-Benoni airfield.

Within the hour, I ferried out the mechanic, his tools, and some extra

The Tiger roars once again.

GEORGE TONKING

The Tiger's vane air

speed indicator - 80

mph top speed.

the 80-year-old warbird had a blocked artery Mogas in my R44. Diagnosis: a rusty steel tank had blocked the gravityfed fuel line. Basically, the 80-yearold warbird had a blocked artery.

Typical.

After a bit of coaxing, cursing, and carb cleaning, the Tiger fired up and flew home for the TLC it so desperately needed.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

THE PUNCHLINE Like I said, a good joke starts with a priest, a rabbi, and a nun walking into a bar.

In our case? A helicopter pilot, a Tiger Moth mechanic, and a Swedish bombshell did exactly that—after the job was done.

And yes, the beer was cold, the laughs were loud, and the story got at least 20% more dramatic with each retelling. j

Belinda

Valhalla

079 636 9860

churchbs@live.com

Du Plessis

Alexander

Athlone Park

031 904 7460

dex.duplessis@intercare.co.za

Erasmus

Philip

Benoni

011 849 6512

pdceras-ass@mweb.co.za

✗ ✗

Feinberg

Rodney

Lyndhurst

011 882 6010

rodneyfeinberg@gmail.com

✗ ✗

Govender

Deena

Umhlanga Rocks

031 566 2066/7

deena@drdg.co.za

✗ ✗

Head

Brandon

Sandton

010 448 0900

reception@drbradonhead.joburg

✗ ✗

Maneli

Lumka

Sandton

083 471 2051

lumka@doyioccuhealth.co.za

✗ ✗ ✗

Toerien

Hendrik

White River, Nelspruit

013 751 3848

hctoerien@viamediswitch.co.za

✗ ✗ ✗

BOOKS

by Peter Garrison

TEL NO

E-MAIL

✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

Other countries

Church

LOCATION

EASA registered

FIRST NAME

FAA registered

SURNAME

Off-site Specialist tests

On site Specialist tests

Senior Class 1, 2, 3, 4

Regular Class 2, 3, 4

AME Doctors Listing

GUY LEITCH

PEOPLE: VUYO WAKABA Against huge odds, Vuyo Wakaba fulfilled his dream of becoming an SAA Captain

Captain Vuyo Makaba.

VUYO WRITES: I grew up in a middle class family in Bloemfontein. What stands out to me about growing up was my desire to fly for South African Airways (SAA) from the age of 8.

My perceptions of flying being very specialised and sophisticated drove me to doing my best in school and developing the leadership skills I felt would one day be necessary in the flight deck.

My flying career really began in 2001 while I was in secondary school as I used to attend the annual President’s Trophy Air Races at New Tempe Airport outside Bloemfontein.

Reading about different aircraft types and memorising the biographical information on some of the country’s prominent pilots made it easy for me to make a positive first impression on everyone I met. My initial interactions with general aviation and military pilots led me to being introduced to three gentlemen who were instrumental in sourcing the sponsorships that get me to my CPL.

69

PEOPLE

Where it all began -

a humble Westline C172.

Image: Jan van der Linde

how impressed he was by my passion The first of these gentlemen was the late Les Daily, the owner of Westline Aviation in Bloemfontein. A pilot participating in the PTAR told Les of my desire to be a pilot. As busy as Les was, he took an hour of his time talking to me about possi-

ble career paths and encouraged me to keep believing in my dreams.

While I don’t remember saying much during our first meeting, I remember him telling me several years later of how impressed he was by my passion for aviation and my commitment to my dream. What I didn’t know was how that meeting impressed him enough to speak to his peers on my behalf and advocate for the need for a sponsorship that would open the doors for me to go to flight school.

At the same air race I met Lt Col. Charlie Marais who was the Officer Commanding 16 Squadron (Rooivalk squadron) at Bloemspruit. I told him of my dream to command big aeroplanes and fly around the world. Fortunately for me, Les told Charlie all about me before we even met.

I continued attending every air race and

SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

GUY LEITCH

visiting New Tempe but wound up studying physics at UOFS. Then my mom got a call from the niece of a pilot I befriended and told her of a potential opportunity for me to learn to fly.

The next day, I snuck out of class to meet my potential sponsor, the late Andrew Scholtz. Happily I impressed Andrew enough to convince him to sponsor me. I convinced my parents to let me drop out of my degree to focus on flying, on condition that I pursue alternative university programmes in future.

My flight training began in January 2005 and I committed myself to not

phoning every airline in South Africa only completing my CPL but eventually flying the Airbus (A340-600) for SAA. During my training, I used every free minute to download pictures off websites like Airliners.net, visiting aviation chat rooms, developing detailed career plans for the next 20-30 years, and phoning every airline in South Africa to see what their entry requirements were.

I was very fortunate to have mentors

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

like Charlie and Les who listened to my ideas and provided advice on the professional pathways ahead while my parents provided the support and confidence I needed to succeed not only in my career, but in life.

Doing chores at home provided me with the thinking space to think of which aeroplanes I wanted to fly and the different companies that would lead me to SAA. I also used to think about the academic programmes I would pursue and how I would complete my Master of Business Administration degree shortly before getting command on the Airbus 319 at SAA. My plans were that detailed.

I managed to complete my CPL with my Instructor’s Rating in 2007 with the help of Andrew, Charlie, Les, the Transport Education and Training Authority and the assistance of two members of the Bloemfontein Flying Club. The path that led me to my CPL also included working for Westline Aviation as a gopher, followed by stints as the Flight Operations Manager and Deputy Airport Manager for New Tempe Airport. Fortunately Charlie hired me as an instructor immediately after completing my Instructor’s course.

While giving instruction, I was hired

by SA Express (SAX) as a first officer on the Dash-8. The training was a challenge as flying an airliner was a huge jump, but fortunately for me, I had phenomenal instructors who I admire

71

to this day. I spent three years flying for SAX before completing my Airline Transport Pilot’s License (ATP) and joining SAA as a second officer (P3) on the Airbus 340 in October of 2011.

Flying around the world as a P3 on the A340 and A330 was a complete blast but my drive to move up the professional ladder drove me to bidding for a promotion to the domestic fleet as a First Officer (P2). After bidding for every fleet in SAA’s inventory, I got my last bid which was a position as a First Officer on the Boeing 737-300 Freighter resulting in my being a second officer for only 15 months. I always joke that I did three conversions in my first 15 months at SAA. The Freighter was amazing to fly.

My love affair with Boeing resulted in me avoiding Airbuses for the rest of my career before SAA’s Business Rescue related restructuring and getting involved in matters affecting my colleagues from a union perspective.

As I became increasingly involved in union matters, I also began my academic pursuits and earned a BCom in Strategic Management from Varsity College in Pretoria.

In 2020, during SAA’s suspension of operations, I completed my Post Graduate Diploma (PG-Dip) in Management Practice through Henley Business School.

My initial MBA courses coincided with the relaunch of SAA in September

PEOPLE

2021 and my conversion on to the Airbus 320. I flew the Airbus 320 for two years and transitioned on to the Airbus 330 before beginning my command course on the Airbus 320.

It was during my command course that I was reminded of how life seldom works out the way we hope it would.

This is due to the fact that I submitted my MBA thesis on the 3rd of July 2024 and only got signed out as a captain on July 19, 2024. I submitted my thesis in the middle of my command course!

This requires perseverance I must admit however that completing my MBA and getting my command on the Airbus 320 as I had aimed for in 2005 felt amazing.

While I have held many flying and non-flying roles over the years, my experiences have taught me a variety of life lessons: Take judicious risks. Opportunities often manifest as dilemmas. Deep down we often struggle with the need for safety (risk avoidance) and juxtapose that need with the desire for selfactualisation. Understand the tradeoffs where but don’t halt your progress due to fear of the unknown.

Surround yourself with the right peo-

SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - august 2 0 2 5

GUY LEITCH

ple. In the 1600s, the poet John Donne wrote that ‘no man is an island’. No matter how driven you are to succeed, you always need to have good family members, mentors, and friends in your corner. They can provide you with the advice you may need during crucial times and may speak up for you when opportunities for your advancement arise.

Allow yourself to fail. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin and failure will always present itself, irrespective of the choices we make.

What is important is not to allow the fear of failure to stop us from doing what we know is necessary for our lives - and reaching for the stars.

Ask the right questions: One of my biggest regrets was wasting time asking myself what I would do if I failed. That error led to my procras-

tination in key areas. What I should’ve spent more time asking myself was, what I would do if I succeeded - as success brings its own obligations and requires us to keep projecting our evolving intentions into the future.

Show up for yourself. Beginning a journey is far easier than pursuing it to completion. The key ingredient to finishing what you started is showing up daily. This requires perseverance in the face of considerable difficulties, plus consistency, humility, and hard work.

You will never feel like doing certain things every day, but you do them because you know they are in your best interests in the long run.

I always joke that when God handed out luck, I stood first in line as I have had amazing people in my life and enjoyed amazing opportunities that made it possible for me to realise my dreams. Luke 12:48 states, ‘To whom much is given, much will be required.’

This verse perfectly encapsulates my current desire to give back to the community that gave me so much. At this stage it is through inspiring young people in the hopes of hearing many more stories like mine. j

LEFT: Vuyo promised his folks he would not only be a pilot.

He now has a Henley MBA.

G1000 NXi Glass Cockpit Garmin Upgrade Beech C90A King Air

Let's Get Started

Upgrading Your Panel!

+27 11 701 3244 | support@centuryavionics.co.za | salesadmin2@centuryavionics.co.za SA CAA AMO: 0003

CAAB AMO: F30

SADO D688

CAAZ AMO: 176 / 182

KCAA AMO: 114

NCAA AMO: 036

MORNE BOOIJ-LIEWES

Register Review June 2025 June was a bit slower than the past few months with just ten additions and eight cancellations from the register.

BAe Jetstream 41 ZS-NRG in 2004 in early Airlink colours.

T

HIS month we only have one regional jet, a former Mesa Airlines operated Bombardier CRJ900 ZS-CAU (41051) registered to Cemair. It is interesting that, if this is a new Cemair operated plane, it is not using their usual ZS-CM* registration block. Unfortunately we are not given ownership details due to POPIA Act constraints but will soon see if my assumption is correct.

Two Cessnas are the only other type-certified planes registered this month: A Cessna 185F Skywagon II, ZS-YOO (18503954) and a Cessna 182T ZS-KLV (18283293). ZS-KLV is a brand new plane delivered to Lanseria recently and mentioned in the S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E -august 2025

May Register Review.

Three helicopters were registered this month, including a Robinson R44 Raven II and a 1994 model AS350B2 Squirrel imported from the UK where it was registered G-SDII. However, it would seem to be no ordinary Squirrel but instead a Soloy converted AS350 D2 model, powered by an upgraded Lycoming LTS 101-700 engine. This engine upgrade offers better hot and high capabilities from the base B2 model, with the added benefit of reduced fuel burn.

A Schweizer 300C helicopter is also registered as ZTRLO. These distinctive looking helicopters used to be the game capture industry’s first choice of aerial platform but their number have dwindled over time so it’s great to see another being registered in SA. Four new aircraft join the Non-Type Certified category.

These include two very interesting ones: the first is a four seat SAAB 91D Safir ZU-SWE (91436). This Safir was previously American based and registered N91SB but painted in the livery of the Dutch Rijksluchtvaartschool with large Dutch registration PH-RLY applied. It is not clear if this

75

plane then took up this Dutch registration as it was apparently cancelled from the American civil aircraft register as exported to Belgium. Perhaps the new owner can contact SA Flyer and clear up its recent history prior to it being imported into South Africa.

A batch of former Ethiopian Air Force SAAB Safirs were imported into South Africa in the early 1990s by a local aircraft collector. Several of these were subsequently restored and flown in South Africa, but few seem to still remain airworthy so it’s great to see a new one gracing our skies!

I am also pleased to see another Antonov An-2, ZU-JCA (1G22025), being registered in South Africa. More than 13,000 An-2s and derivative models were assembled at the WSK-PZL Mielec plant in Poland between 1959-2002 making it one of the most produced aircraft types ever built. Many of these big, graceful biplanes remain in service to this day in both civilian and military applications and a few are operated by local owners that can afford the An-2’s 1000 hp nine cylinder Shvetsov ASh-62 radial engine’s thirst for fuel – and oil!

The remaining fixed wing this month is a Johan Strydom RV-10, ZU-JCC. This is clearly a kit-built example with a nod to its builder’s name, as per SACAA custom.

Finally, another AS341G Gazelle helicopter, ZU-RJG (1012) is registered. These firstgeneration Aerospatiale-built helicopters are very popular in South Africa as private transports while several have also been sold on to military users, including Libya. This particular example was manufactured in 1973 and delivered to a Japanese client before being exported to the USA and finally the UK where it flew as G-ZLLE until its recent arrival in South Africa.

REGISTER REVIEW

BELOW: ZS-IOC was the only Dornier 328 Jet in South Africa.

G-SDII is now ZT-HBZ and features an unusual Lycoming engine.

Listed as a Sling 4, but probably a TSi - ZU-IYL has been exported to the USA.

Velocity ZU-DZU has been cancelled as scrapped.

MORNE DU PLESSIS

LEFT: Seen in Malta with its interesting ferry registration, this is ZS-KLV on its ferry to SA. BELOW: ZS-KDV was a Cessna C182RG now exported to Zambia. Image: Bruce Perkins.

Eight aircraft were cancelled from the register in June. Zambia is a popular destination for South African aircraft and this month three aircraft have been transferred to Zambian registry. The first is a former Airlink Jetstream 41 ZS-NRG that was sold to Proflight Zambia following its retirement from service with the South African regional carrier. The plane was delivered new and handed over by Queen Elizabeth to Airlink in 1995. It was retired in late 2023 and now gets a second lease on life as part of Proflight Zambia’s steadily growing fleet.

The other two cancellations to Zambia are an elderly Cessna 172, ZS-CFE and a Cessna 182RG, ZS-KDV (R18200418).

A bit of house cleaning sees the former Anglo American operated Dornier 328 ZS-IOC (3219) being cancelled as “destroyed”. This turboprop was withdrawn from use several years ago after running a shuttle service to the Northern Cape mining town of Sishen, in support of its iron ore mining operations there.

The last four letters of the registration was a nod to its ownership – Sishen S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

Iron Ore Company. The airframe was stripped for spares and I was told still remains somewhere in the Denel complex at OR Tambo International Airport.

A third turboprop cancelled this month is a Beechcraft Kingair 200, ZSPPZ (BB-419), which was exported to Mauritius. Perhaps our readers can let me know its new Mauritian registration?

The last type-certified cancellation this month is one of the world class, homegrown, Jonker Sailplanes, ZS-GIY (1C039) that has been exported to the USA. A Sling 4 ZU-IYL (263SK) has also been cancelled as exported to the USA. The last entry this month is the cancellation from the register, due to scrapping, of a Velocity ZU-DZU (DMO 370). It would seem plans to restore her to flying condition were finally scrapped.

This brings to a close the June Register Review and I look forward to seeing what new types next month’s updates bring.j

tic s u o c d t A L ) N y M & ices (Pt Serv

REG

MANUFACTURER

REGISTER REVIEW

JUNE 2025

TYPE NAME

PREVIOUS IDENTITY / EXPORT COUNTRY

SERIAL NUMBER

NEW REGISTRATIONS ZS- TCA ZS-YOO

6/26/2025

CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

A185F

03954

ZS-CAU

6/6/2025

BOMBARDIER INC

CL-600-2D24

15038

ZS-KLV

6/4/2025

TEXTRON AVIATION INC.

182T

18283293

NEW REGISTRATIONS ZUZU-SWE

6/26/2025

SVENSKA AEROPLANE

SAAB 91D SAFIR

91,436

0195

ZU-JCC

6/12/2025

JOHAN STRYDOM

RV-10

42487

AS 350 B2

ZU-JCA

6/10/2025

WSK PZL MIELEC

AN-2

1G22025

14861

ZU-RJG

6/6/2025

AEROSPATIALE INDUSTRIES

SA 341 G

1012

EXPORTED ZS-REGISTRATIONS (TCA) ZS-CFE

6/2/2025

CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

172

29802

ZAMBIA

ZS-GIY

6/25/2025

JONKER SAILPLANES CC

JS1C 18/21

1C-039

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ZS-IOC

6/3/2025

DORNIER DEUTSCHE AEROSPACE

DORNIER 328-300

3219

DESTOYED

ZS-KDV

6/5/2025

CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

R182

R182-00418

ZAMBIA

ZS-NRG

6/9/2025

JETSTREAM AIRCRAFT LAT

4100

41051

ZAMBIA

ZS-PPZ

6/11/2025

BEECH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION

200

BB-419

MAURITIUS

ZU-REGISTRATIONS ZU-DZU

6/6/2025

VELOCITY/GESSL AM

173 RG-E

DMO 370

SCRAPPED

ZU-IYL

6/10/2025

GLEN OLIVER

SLING 4 TSi

263SK

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

SANAS

We perform SANAS certifications on all your: Acoustics ( eg. CEL 350 ) Vibration ( eg. Rion VA -11) Human Vibration ( eg. Quest Hav Pro) Electrical DC/LF Equipment – inhouse or on site (eg. Fluke Multimeters, Insulation Testers)

Contact: Marianka Naude Tel: 012 689 2008 I Cell: 076 920 3070 Email: admin@mnacoustics.co.za

Accredit ed L 1302 & 1 aboratory 48

news AI R L I N ER S ALES :

BOEI N G S TI L L L A G S Boeing received 116 new aircraft orders in June 2025, significantly less than its European rival Airbus, which secured 203 orders during the same period – many of which were announced during the Paris Air Show.

T

HESE new orders represent a notable decrease of 187 aircraft compared to May 2025, when Boeing recorded 303 new orders, marking the sixthbest month in the company’s history for orders.

According to Boeing’s orders and deliveries report, the 116 aircraft ordered in June 2025 included 54 737 MAX, 32 787-10s, and 30 787–9s. The company has a backlog of 6,590 unfilled orders.

Meanwhile, Airbus had a successful June 2025, securing 87 new aircraft orders, many of which were announced at Paris Air Show 2025. To achieve this Airbus announced no new orders in May 2025, holding back so they could be made during the event.

So far in 2025, Boeing has reported a total of 668 new orders, which include 343 737s, 242 787s, and 83 777s.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

Regarding deliveries, Boeing delivered 60 new aircraft in June 2025, just three fewer than Airbus, which delivered 63 new aircraft to 35 customers during the same period. Boeing deliveries mainly consisted of 737 MAX models, with a few single orders for aircraft like the 777F, 787-10, 787-9, and 767-2C. These deliveries represent an increase for both companies compared to May 2025, when Boeing delivered 45 aircraft and Airbus delivered 51 aircraft to 32 customers.

So far this year, Boeing has delivered a total of 280 aircraft, which includes 209 737s, 37 787s, 20 777s, and 14 767s.

When it comes to Airbus’ overall deliveries, the manufacturer has so far completed 306 deliveries to 65 customers in 2025.j

Airbus continues to widen the gap with sales.

Accommodadtion Aircraft/Heli Sales Club Facilities Drones

Microlights & Ferry Flights

FAX NO

Single Engined Multi Engine Night Rating IF Rating Instructors Rating Simulator Training Conversions CPL Theory CPL Practical Helicopter Training Tail Draggers Pilot Shop Conferences Hire and Fly Charters Aerobatic Training Beginners/Advanced Gyro-Copter Training

CODE TEL NO

Turbine - GS Training Ab-Initio Training

NAME OF SCHOOL BEAUFORT WEST AIFA

(044)

272 5547

info@aifa.co.za

(011)

914-5810

083-292-0978

571-6600

www.starliteaviation.com

(043)

736-6181

086-516-8475

AIFA

(044)

272 5547

info@aifa.co.za

Savannah Helicopter Training

(044)

876-0096

Superior Pilot Services

(011)

805-0605

Info@superiorair.co.za

Alpi Flight Academy

(082)

556-3592

086-605-8948

j j jjjjjjj j j

BRAKPAN BENONI FABB Titanium Air

DURBAN Starlite Aviation Training Acad(031) emy

j

j

j

j

j j jjjjjjj j jjjjj j jjj

jjj j

EAST LONDON Border Aviation Club

j jjjjjjj j jj

j

j

j

j

GEORGE AIRPORT j j jjjjjjj j j jjj

j

j

j

jj

jj

j

GRAND CENTRAL KRUGERSDORP

LANSERIA AIRPORT / RANDBURG

j j jjjjjjj j jj j jjjjj

jjj

jj

j

jj

j

jj

j

j j j

j jj

j j

j jj

Aeronav Academy CSA Aviation Skyhawk Aviation MOSSEL BAY Starlite Aviation Training Academy

(011) (011) (011)

701-3862 701-3835 701-2622

701-3873 www.cirrussa.co.za 701-2623

j j jjjjjjj j j j j jjjjjjj j j j j jjjjjjj j j

(044)

692-0006

www.starliteaviation.com

j j jjjjjjj j jjjjj j jjj

Johannesburg Flying Academy

(064)

756 6356

Algoa Flying Club

(041)

581-3274

086-461-7067

Johannesburg School of Flying U Fly Training Academy

(011) (011)

827 9827 824-0680

info@jsf.co.za 390-1738

Bird Aviation

(016)

556-1007

info@birdaviation.co.za

Desert Air (PTY) LTD

+264

61 228101

+264 61 254 345

j j jjjj

j

j

Blue Chip Flight School Loutzavia Legend Sky Powered Flight Training Vortx Aviation Training

(012) (012) (083) (078) (072)

543-3050 567-6775 860-5225 460-1231 480-0359

543-1826 543-1519 086-600-7285 086-666-2077 086-524-0949

j j jjjjjjj j jj j j j j j jjjjjjj j j jj j j j jjjjjjj jjj j j

j j j

jjj jjj jj j

jjj jjj

j j

j

PANORAMA

PORT ELIZABETH RAND AIRPORT

VEREENIGING AIRPORT

WINDHOEK - EROS AIRPORT

jj

jjj

jjj

j

jjj j

j

j jjjjjjj j j

jj j

j

j jjjjjjj j j j j jjjjjjj j j

jj j j jj

j j

j

jj

jj

WONDERBOOM AIRPORT / AEROPARK / RHINO PARK - PRETORIA

jj

j

jjjjj j jj jjj j jj

jj

j

jjj jj

j j

j

j jjjjjjj j j

j

j

j

j j

j j

Tel: +27(0)11 805 0605 • www.superiorair.co.za • info@superiorair.co.za

IMAGES: LAURA MCDERMID AND FANIE KEMPEN

Cessna 185, Boeing Stearman, DHC Chipmunk and Helio Courier fly-by.

Image: Fanie Kempen.

T a il d r a g g e r s War mb ath s 2025

South Africans are known worldwide for their hospitality, and none more so than the farmers and aviators of the vast Springbok Flats, stretching from Pretoria to the Waterberg.

T

HE cold winter highveld days north of Pretoria are usually cloudless and thus a great opportunity for pilots from Gauteng to get air under their wings.

Thus, the so-called “Taildraggers Fly-in” became one of the most

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

popular and well supported fly-ins.

Organised by the Nicholson family of Nylstroom, (now Modimolle) the South Africanisation of general aviation has resulted in the Nylstroom airfield being invaded by squatters and thus a key transport mode for the town was lost.

Undeterred, Richard Nicholson and his family moved the fly-in to the next town south; Warmbaths (Bela Bela).

For pilots arriving at the fly-in on a cold winter’s morning, the first point of call was naturally the coffee stall, followed by a ‘boere sized’ fry-up breakfast. This year there were around 100

81

FLY-INS

A very smart new Sling High Wing taildragger arrives.

Image: Fanie Kempen.

Ex-SAAF Kudu is a great people carrier.

fly-in arrivals and the ‘tannies’ in the kitchen hangar were kept frantically busy.

One of the great things about Taildraggers is that many rarely seen homebuilts and classics

an impressive team of marshals and volunteers get pulled from their hangars for their infrequent outings. Many builders use the fly-in as a target to get their long gestation home-build projects completed.

And needless to say - the event is not just for taildraggers.

There are lots of Wichita ‘spam

Octogenarian flyin stalwart Derek Hopkins with Laura McDermid's Seamus.

IMAGES: LAURA MCDERMID AND FANIE KEMPEN

Even helicopters were welcome - this is a popular Aerospatiale Gazelle.

cans’ and a notable presence of retired SAAF ‘converters’ being Bosboks and Kudus, which ‘convert avgas to decibels’.

Special mention must be made of the intrepid microlights, including the ‘Potties Patrollie’ who flew in from Potgietersrus.

For the serious party animals who camped out on the airfield on the Saturday night, the party gets going as the sun goes down and continues long into the early hours of the Sunday.

Given the increasingly limited constraints on ATC support from ATNS for these busy fly-ins, Karen Matthews from ATNS, supported by stalwart Nigel Musgrave, did sterling work in the tower and there was an impressive team of marshals and volunteers keeping things orderly and safe on the ground.

Despite the success of this year’s event, the costs and difficulties of organising a fly-in have quenched even the enthusiasm of Richard Nicholson, and so the 2025 event is slated as being the last.j

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

An intrepid Bat Hawk pilot tries to keep out the cold.

The EAA's Sean Cronin shows his loyalty.

AMO 227

FLIGHT SAFETY THROUGH MAINTENANCE

Overhaul / Shockload / Repair of Continental and Lycoming Aircraft engines Overhaul Engine Components Overhaul and supply of Hartzell / McCauley and Fix pitch Propellers Hangar no 4, Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria PO Box 17699, Pretoria North, 0116 Tel: (012) 543 0948/51, Fax: (012) 543 9447, email: aeroeng@iafrica.com

AMO 227

Aero Engineering and Powerplant AMO LISTING F L I G HT S A F E T Y

Fixed Wing Helicopter Avionics Piston Engines Turbine Engines Propellers Weight / Balance Paint Interior Sheet Metal Rebuilds Overhauls Electrics NDT Testing Refurbishments Structural Repairs Inspections NTCA Aircraft Seat Belts Instruments

T H R O U G H M A I NT E N A NC E

FAX NO NAME OF AMO TEL NO FLIGHT SAFETYCODE THROUGH MAINTENANCE CAPE TOWN Erwin Electrical Solutions t/a AES

(021)

934 5373

ExecuJet South Africa

(021)

934 5764

Ultimax Aviation (Pty) Ltd

(072)

878 8786

(035)

797 3610

797 5341

Astwood Aircraft Electrical

(011)

315 9605

315 0094

Superior Rotorworx

(076)

595 2120

(082)

346 0150

Erwin Electrical Solutions t/a AES

(021)

934 5373

ExecuJet South Africa

(011)

516 2300

Gem Air

(082)

905 5760

Guardian Air Maintenance

(011)

701 3011

Lanseria Aircraft Interiors

(011)

659 1962

Plane Maintenance Facility

(011)

659 2204

SkySource International SA

(011)

900 4300

The Propeller Shop

(011)

701 3114

086 543 7988

Tynay Aviation

(082)

088 6663

011 659 1157/8

(083)

454 6366

(013) (013)

741 8221 741 5582

(051)

451 1682

jjjjj

934 2087

j

j

jj

j

j

jjjjjj

jjjjjj

j

jj

j

jj

j

j

jj

jjjj

jjj

DURBAN BAC Aviation

jj

jj

jj

j

GRAND CENTRAL AIRPORT j jjjj

jjjjjjjjjjj

jj

KRUGERSDORP Skyworx Aviation

086 697 9096

j

j

jjjjj

jjjj

LANSERIA AIRPORT jjj

j

jj

j

j

011 659 1071

j

jjjjjj

jjjjjj

j

011 701 2653

j

jj

jj

j

jj

j

j

jj pmf@myconnection.co.za

jj

j

jjjj

j

j

j

j

j

jjj

j

j

jjjj

jjjjj

j

jjj

j

j

j

jj

j j

j

j

j

j

CAPE WINELANDS AIRPORT Diepkloof Aircraft Maintenance

jj

jj

082 787 0415 741 8188

jj

jj

451 1683

j

manager@nevergreen.co.za

j

973 4761

j

jj

jj

jj

jjj

j

jj

jjjj

NELSPRUIT Aircraft Maintenance International Leading Edge Helicopters cc

j

jjjj j

j

NEW TEMPE BLOEMFONTEIN Ferreira Aviation

jj

jj

jj

jj

jj

OR TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Nevergreen Aircraft Industries Star Air Maintenance

(010) (011)

003 3747 395 2201

jj j

RAND AIRPORT Overhaul / Shockload / Repair of 1

Aerospace Electroplating Aviation Rebuilders CC Clifton Electronics Dynamic Propellers Skytrim

j

jj

j

jj

j

Continental

jj jjj j (011) 827 7535 827 9896 and Lycoming Aircraft engines j j (011) 827 2491 lyn@aviationrebuilders.com j j (011) 383 2024 086 689 5645 j (082)Engine 445 4496 086 Components 548 2651 Overhaul jjj (011) 827 6638 www.skytrim.co.za j

jj jj j

j j

Overhaul and supply of Hartzell / McCauley and Fix pitch Propellers Hangar no 4, Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria PO Box 17699, Pretoria North, 0116 Tel: (012) 543 0948/51, Fax: (012) 543 9447, email: aeroeng@iafrica.com

AMO 227 AMO 227

Fixed Wing Helicopter Avionics Piston Engines Turbine Engines Propellers Weight / Balance Paint Interior Sheet Metal Rebuilds Overhauls Electrics NDT Testing Refurbishments Structural Repairs Inspections NTCA Aircraft Seat Belts Instruments

Composite Manufacturing

Aero Engineering and Powerplant AMO LISTING

RAND AIRPORT CONTINUED Emperor Aviation

(082)

497 1701

FLYONICS (Pty) Ltd

(082)

686 2374

jjjj michael@flyonics.co.za

jjjjjjj

j

jjj

j

j

j

j jj jjj jj j j Heli-Afrique cc (011) 827 8632 086 503 1870 FLIGHT SAFETY THROUGH MAINTENANCE

SPRINGS AIRFIELD

jj jjjj jjjjjjjjjj Legair Maintenance SAFETY (083) 736 3969 086 508 6010 jMAINTENANCE FLIGHT THROUGH

WONDERBOOM AIRPORT - PRETORIA

208 Aviation Aerocore Aircraft Maintenance @ Work Pty Ltd Aerotric Aero Engineering & Powerplant AviSys Aviation Systems Avtech APCO Pty Ltd

(012) (012) (087) (012) (083) (082) (012)

110 4033 567 3443 802 1347 543 0948 442 5884 749 9256 543 0775

Breytech Aviation cc

(012)

567 3500

Propeller Centre cc

(012)

567 1689

083 744 3412 082 565 2330

j

jj

j

j

j

j

jj

j

j

aerotric@aol.com

543 9447 086 618 6996

jj

j j

j

j

j

j

j

jj

jj

j jj

j

jj

j

j

jj

567 3630 086 643 0122

jj

jj j

j

jjj

j

jjjj

j

jjjj j

NIGERIA - MURTALA MUHAMMED INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ExecuJet Aviation Nigeria Ltd

+2341 295 5110

j

j

j

j

jj

jjj

jj

JOHANNESBURG F Gomes Upholsters

(011)

614 2471

614 9806

jj

(012)

689 2007

086 211 469

jjjjjjj

j

AMO 227

j

j

j

PRETORIA M&N Acoustics Services Pty (Ltd)

j

jj

AMO 227

FLIGHT SAFETY THROUGH MAINTENANCE Overhaul / Shockload / Repair of Continental and Lycoming Aircraft engines

Overhaul / Shockload / Repair of Continental and Lycoming Aircraft engines Overhaul / Shockload / Repair of Continental and Lycoming Aircraft engines Overhaul Engine Components Overhaul and supply of Hartzell / McCauley Overhaul Engine Components and Fix pitch Propellers Overhaul and supply of Hartzell / McCauley and Fix pitch Propellers

Overhaul Engine Components Overhaul and supply of Hartzell / McCauley and Fix pitch Propellers Hangar no 4, Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria PO Box 17699, Pretoria North, 0116 Tel: (012) 543 0948/51, Fax: (012) 543 9447, email: aeroeng@iafrica.com

Hangar no 4, Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria PO Box 17699, Pretoria North, 0116 Tel: (012) 543 Hangar 0948/51, (012) 543 9447, email: aeroeng@iafrica.com noFax: 4, Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria PO Box 17699, Pretoria North, 0116 Overhaul / Shockload / Repair of (012) Continental Tel: (012) 543 0948/51, Fax: 543 9447, email: aeroeng@iafrica.com and Lycoming Aircraft engines

j

FLIGHT SAFETY THROUGH MAINTENANCE

HELICOPTER SERVICES www.saflyer.com

SERVICES

Sales Maintenance Training Charter FBO HEMS Offshore Wildlife Tourism Other

Airbus Bell Robinson Leonardo Sikorsky Enstrom Other

AGENCIES

CAPE TOWN NAC

(021)

425-3868 www.nachelicopterscapetown.com

Cape Town Helicopters

(021)

418-9462 www.helicopterscapetown.co.za

(044)

878-0453 www.titanhelicopters.com

(011)

267-5000 www.nac.co.za

aa

aaaa

a

(013)

741-3654 www.leadingedgeaviation.co.za

aa

a

a

(011)

345-2500 www.nac.co.za

aa

(031) (031)

569-1531 www.bachelicopters.com 944-1678 www.nac.co.za

a a

a

GEORGE Titan

a

aaa

a

LANSERIA NAC

a

NELSPRUIT Leading Edge

a

a

aaaa

a

aaa

aaaa

aaa

a

aa

aaaa

a

RAND NAC

VIRGINIA BAC NAC

SA Flyer Magazine Helicopter Services Directory

airbus.com

HCARE IS MISSION LIKE NO OTHER

Helping to keep the world a beautiful place, Airbus HCare portfolio offers the best combination of support and services for every customer. Starting the moment an Airbus helicopter is delivered, we’ll make sure your operations are carried out efficiently, safely and cost-effectively. Because when your focus is on the mission, our focus is on you.

GUY LEITCH

AERO Expo 25 Roundup

The 2025 edition of the AERO Expo South Africa took place from 25 – 27 June 2025 at Lanseria Airport.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - August 2025

Lanseria CEO Rampa Ramopo hosted this years Aero Expo.

89

M

ESSE Frankfurt South Africa presented the event in partnership with Fairnamic – organisers of Europe’s largest general aviation show, AERO Friedrichshafen – and for the first time the event was hosted at new venue partner, Lanseria International Airport.

Most of the key general aviation companies at Lanseria participated and this made the expo appear larger than 2024’s. The expo is primarily Business to Business and so there is no actual airshow and children are not permitted.

the one event they could not afford to miss

EVENTS

BELOW: Michael Dehn of Aero Freidrichshafen and Lanseria CEO Rampa Ramopo tour the expo

Critics of the expo argue that it is just aviation businesses marketing themselves to each other and not significantly growing their market. However, the exhibitors also admitted that it was the one event of the year that they could not afford to miss, even if as

The CAA stand was quiet - at the height of the 12-year crisis.

one said, 'it was a grudge purchase.’

One of the features of this year was the Smart Skies, Smart Cities Conference, in partnership with GGDA, GTA, the City of Johannesburg and Aeronautical Aviation. It brought together leaders in aviation, government, and tech to explore the future of smart mobility. The programme focused on urban air solutions, smarter infrastructure, and innovation shaping connected cities and skies.

This year, the Presentation Theatre was hosted in the hangar sponsored

by ExecuJet, featuring a packed programme of SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - AUGUST 2 0 2 5

GUY LEITCH

RIGHT: Drone exhibitors were prominent.

MIDDLE: Cirrus was there with its popular Visionjet.

BELOW: The static park featured this pristine diesel Cessna 172.

engaging talks from local and international exhibitors. Highlights included Air Lovers sharing their Africa Bush Tour after flying in to AERO, and the AfBAA Safety Workshops, which focused on critical aviation safety topics.

The Business Matchmaking Programme saw a significant increase in meetings compared to previous years. By tailoring matches to individual business profiles and specific interests, the programme facilitated more targeted and

meaningful connections. A total of 327 meetings were scheduled during the event.

The AERO South Africa Youth Development Programme sponsored

by ATNS was said by the organisers to have been “a standout success this year. Enthusiastic students with a strong interest in general aviation attended inspiring talks led by industry experts. The programme focused on youth-centric topics, including exciting career opportunities in aviation.

Girls Fly Africa also played an active role in the day’s activities, which ended on a lively note with a fun and spirited paper plane challenge.” j

The Loutzavia team with partner Pooleys.

Youth development - here making paper planes - was a key component.

ABOVE: By the Numbers AERO Expo overview.

WORDS: GUY LEITCH | IMAGES: TREVOR COHEN

T he Ch i l dr en’ s Flig ht 2025

Part of the crowd of enthralled children.

The indomitable Felix Gosher has done it again. In July, Felix organised his tenth Children’s Flight, sharing the thrill of flight with over 1000 deserving children under the banner of: Fly, Feed, Love & Inspire.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

V

ERY few people could have overcome the odds required to put on just one Children’s Flight. Yet each year Felix Gosher winds up the huge machine and inspires volunteers to invest the massive amounts of money and manhours required to make it bigger and better. To successfully manage this huge effort takes unbe-

93

EVENTS

Wonderboom hosted the huge 2025 Children's flight.

lievable effort and discipline.

The net result is 1000 children with the unforgettable experience of real flying.

This year’s Children’s Flight was at Wonderboom Airport, Felix Gosher leads the kids out for an earlier flight.

the power of kindness and belief in the future

Hot FM added vibe.

and the level of support was astounding. From Cemair providing a Dash-8 airliner for the day to the many two seater planes whose pilots gave of their time and passion to do single child flips. And in the background, there was the unforgettable SA FLYER MAGAZI NE - AUGUST 2 0 2 5

WORDS: GUY LEITCH | IMAGES: TREVOR COHEN

thunder of helicopters – especially the iconic Huey.

Sponsorship was evident at every level. Everyone received a T-shirt, and all the children were entertained and fed – and then sent home with goodie bags.

There were a multitude of volunteers – notably the ground marshals who were unflagging for the eight hours it took to fly all the kids. It required continuous concentration to keep an eye on all the activity on the apron as children were upload to aircraft and then deplaned safely after their flight.

And behind all this was the massive preparation – from securing insurance to the legal formalities of indemnities and organising toilets, emergency services and entertainment. The list is endless.

Brian Emmenis of Capital Sounds provided the key ingredient of commentary and keeping the vast throng of children excited and entertained.

A notably smart idea was vision and hearing screening booths to catch undiagnosed learning difficulties.

Pilots Post summarised this astounding day best; “The Children’s Flight is more than an event. It is a living testament to the power of kindness, collaboration and belief in the future.

Felix Gosher and every individual involved-whether sponsor, pilot, volunteer, or silent helper-deserve the highest praise. Because, for 1,000 children on this day, the sky wasn’t the limit... it was just the beginning.j

Springbok rugby's Grant Esterhuizen as a marshal high-5s a happy child.

It's cool to be cool in all the excitement.

Jet action was provided

by Grant Timms flying Menno Parsons' L-39.

The huge SA flag skydive.

S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

2026 Lead Partner

www.caasa.co.za

PPL TO ATPL TRAINING AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

T R A I N O N O N E O F T H E M O ST M O D E R N F L I G HT S I M U L AT O R S I N S O UT H A F R I C A WITH NEW VFR LEVEL TERRAIN GRAPHICS GRAPHIC S • Now certified for TCAS training .

• R N AV a n d G N S S C e r t i f i e d o n a l l f l i g h t m o d e l s f r o m s i n g l e e n g i n e t o t u r b i n e .

CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tel: 011 701 3862 E-mail: info@aeronav.co.za Website: www.aeronav.co.za SACAA ATO No: SACAA/1110/ATO

Prices include VAT but exclude any service fees Prices include VAT but exclude any service fees Airfield Avgas Jet A1 Airfield Avgas Jet A1 CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR Baragwanath R32,50 Baragwanath - FASY R33,00 MOREWest INFORMATION: Beaufort West FABW R32,25 R 26,70 Beaufort - FABW R32,25 R 25,85 Bloemfontein R33,53 R20,86 Bloemfontein - FABL3862 R32,00 R20,30 Tel: 011 701 Brakpan R35,00 Brakpan - FABB R34,00 E-mail: info@aeronav.co.za Brits R30,45 Brits - FABS R29,20 Website: www.aeronav.co.za Cape Town R34,04 R21,39 Cape Town - FACT R33,35 R19,50 SACAA ATO No: SACAA/1110/ATO Cape Winelands FAWN R33,00 Cape Winelands - FAWN R34,00 Eagles Creek R33,00 Eagle's Creek R30,50 East London R32,41 R21,37 East London - FAEL R35,84 R20,37 Ermelo R31,51 R25,18 Ermelo - FAEO R30,94 R24,73 Gariep Dam R33,50 R23,00 Gariep Dam - FAHV R35,50 R23,00 Fuel as at George 23/06/2025- FAGG Fuel Prices as at 18/07/2025 as at Prices 18/07/2025 George Fuel Prices as at 23/06/2025 R33,08 Fuel Prices R20,69 R36,31 R19,49 Grand R33,98 R21,78 Grand Central R33,98 R24,67 Prices VAT but any fees - FAGCPrices include VAT but exclude any service fees PricesCentral include VAT but exclude any service fees Prices include VATinclude but exclude anyexclude service feesservice Avgas Jet A1 Airfield Avgas JetR21,50 A1 Airfield Avgas Jet A1 Jet A1 Heidelberg R34,50 Airfield Airfield AvgasHeidelberg - FAHG R31,00 Airspan / Kroondal R26.32 R17.90 Airspan / Kroondal R26.49 R18.29 Airspan / Kroondal R26.32 R17.90 Airspan / Kroondal R26.49 R18.29 Hoedspruit R33,04 R23,44 Hoedspruit Civil - FAHT R31,66 R27,90 Baragwanath - FASY R30.50 R31.00 Baragwanath - FASY R30.50 Baragwanath - FASY R31.00 Baragwanath - FASY Beaufort West - FABW R29.10 R- 20.40 R29.10 R 20.40 Beaufort West - FABW R29.10 R 20.40 Beaufort West - FABW R R29.10 20.40 Kimberley R33,40 R15,65 Kimberley FAKM Beaufort West - FABW R31,95 R19,22 Bloemfontein - FABL R28.90 R20.70 R28.90 R20.70 Bloemfontein - FABL R28.90 R20.70 Bloemfontein - FABL R28.90 R20.70 Bloemfontein - FABL Kitty Hawk R37,70 Kitty Hawk FAKT R34,80 Brakpan - FABB R29.90 R19.05 Brakpan - FABB R29.90 R19.05 Brakpan - FABB R29.90 R19.05 Brakpan - FABB R29.90 R19.05 FABS R27.10 R26.00 Brits - FABS R27.10 Brits - FABS Brits -R24,22 R26.00 Klerksdorp R32,86 Klerksdorp - FAKD Brits - FABS R31,65 R28,09 R33.93 R19.96 Cape Town - FACT R33.89 R19.92 Cape Town - FACT R33.93 R19.96 Cape Town Cape - FACTTown - FACT R33.89 R19.92 Kroonstad R34,04 Kroonstad - FAKS Cape Winelands - FAWN R32,32 Cape -Winelands - FAWNR31.63 R31.63 R31.63 Cape Winelands - FAWN R31.63 Cape Winelands FAWN Eagle'sR25,15 Creek Eagle's Kruger Intl Nelspruit R29.00 R33,95 Kruger Mpumalanga IntlCreek -FAKN R33,95 R28,37 R29.00 R29.00 Eagle's Creek Eagle's Creek R29.00 London - FAEL East London - FAEL R35.48 R18.42 R34.44 R17.97 East London - FAEL East LondonEast - FAEL R35.48 R18.42 R34.44 R17.97 Krugersdorp R32,50 Krugersdorp FAKR R30,00 Ellisras Ellisras R27.48 R18.66 R29.25 R19.05 Ellisras Ellisras R27.48 R18.66 R29.25 R19.05 Lanseria R34,04 R23,00 Lanseria R34,73 R24,84 Ermelo - FAEO R28.64 - FALA R23.58 Ermelo - FAEO R28.64 R23.58 Ermelo - FAEO R28.64 R23.58 Ermelo - FAEO R28.64 R23.58 Gariep Dam FAHV R29.00 R21.00 Gariep Dam FAHV R29.00 R21.00 Gariep Dam FAHV R29.00 R21.00 Gariep Dam FAHV R29.00 R21.00 Margate R34,04 R23,06 Margate - FAMG NO FUEL NO FUEL George - FAGG R34.83 R18.38 George - FAGG R34.65 R17.93 George - FAGG R34.83 R18.38 George - FAGG R34.65 R17.93 Middelburg R37,95 R23,00 Middelburg - FAMBGrand Central - FAGC R33,00 R25,99 Grand Central - FAGC R31.86 R32.49 R22.28 R31.86 R21.36 Grand Central - FAGC R32.49 R22.28 Grand Central - FAGC R21.36 - FAHG R28.80 R20.50 Heidelberg - FAHG R28.80 R20.50 Heidelberg - FAHG R28.80 R20.50 Heidelberg Heidelberg - FAHG R28.80 R20.50 Morningstar R34,56 Morningstar R32,25 NOFUEL FUEL NO FUEL Hoedspruit Civil - FAHT R31.00 NO FUEL Hoedspruit Civil - FAHT NO FUEL NO FUEL Hoedspruit Hoedspruit Civil - FAHT Civil - FAHT R31.00 NO Mosselbay R37,50 R20,50 Mosselbay - FAMO Kimberley - FAKM R37,50 R23,00 - FAKM NO FUEL R22.60 NO FUEL R22.60 Kimberley - FAKM NO FUEL R22.60 Kimberley -Kimberley FAKM NO FUEL R22.60 Kitty Hawk FAKT Kitty Hawk FAKT R28.90 R28.90 Kitty Hawk - FAKT Kitty Hawk - FAKTR28,44 R28.90 R28.90 Nelspruit R32,32 Nelspruit - FANS R33,41 R26,14 - FAKD R32.95 R22.43 Klerksdorp - FAKD R32.95 R22.43 Klerksdorp - FAKD R32.95 R22.43 Klerksdorp -Klerksdorp FAKD R32.95 R22.43 Oudtshoorn FAOH R35,19 R23,10 Oudtshoorn FAOH R35,19 R23,10 - FAKS R28.85 Kroonstad - FAKS R28.85 Kroonstad - FAKS R28.85 Kroonstad -Kroonstad FAKS R28.85 Kruger Mpumalanga -FAKN R34.54 R34.54 R24.23 Parys POAMpumalanga POA Parys - FAPYR24.23 Kruger Mpumalanga Intl -FAKNR28,99 R22,23 Kruger Mpumalanga Intl -FAKN R34.54 R24.23 Kruger Intl -FAKN IntlR34.54 R24.23 - FAKR R27.50 Krugersdorp - FAKR R28.00 Krugersdorp - FAKR R27.50 KrugersdorpKrugersdorp - FAKR R28.00 Pietermaritzburg R37,70 R24,32 Pietermaritzburg FAPM R34,00 R28,10 LanseriaCOME - FALA R30.25 R20.59 Lanseria - FALA R30.25 R21.39 Lanseria - FALA R30.25 R20.59 Lanseria - FALA R30.25 R21.39 AND Pietersburg R31,80 R23,70 Pietersburg Civil - FAPI R29,95 R24,45 Malelane - FAMN NO FUEL R20.97 Malelane - FAMN NO FUEL R19.52 Malelane - FAMNCivil NO FUEL R20.97 Malelane - FAMN NO FUEL R19.52 Margate - FAMG NOFUEL FUEL NO FUEL Margate - FAMG NO FUEL NO FUEL Margate - FAMG Bay NO FUEL NO FUEL Margate - FAMG NO FUEL NO Plettenberg R34,60 R25,00 Plettenberg Bay FAPG NO FUEL R25,00 TRAIN - FAMB R27.50 R19.00 Middelburg - FAMB R27.50 R19.00 Middelburg - FAMB R27.50 R19.00 MiddelburgMiddelburg - FAMB R27.50 R19.00 Port Alfred R33,50 Port Alfred FAPA R33,50 R31.25 Morningstar R31.25 Morningstar R31.25 MorningstarMorningstar R31.25 - FAMO Mosselbay - FAMO R34.00 R23.50 R34.00 R23.50 Mosselbay - FAMO Mosselbay -Mosselbay FAMO R34.00 R23.50 R34.00 ON THE Port Elizabeth R35,19 R24,84 PortR23.50 Elizabeth - FAPE R33,47 R23,46 Nelspruit - FANS R29.96 R20.13 Nelspruit - FANS R29.96 R22.20 Nelspruit - FANS R29.96 R20.13 Nelspruit - FANS R29.96 R22.20 Potchefstroom POA - FAOHPOA Potchefstroom R28,99 R22,23 - FAOH R29.36 R29.36 R21.78 - FAPS Oudtshoorn - FAOH R29.36 R21.78 Oudtshoorn - FAOH R29.36 R21.78 OudtshoornOudtshoorn R21.78 IMPRESSIVE - FAPY R26.90 R18.48 Parys - FAPY R28.67 R18.87 Rand R34,10 Rand - FAGM R35,75 R27,50 Parys - FAPY R26.90 R18.48 Parys - FAPYParys R23,98 R28.67 R18.87 Pietermaritzburg - FAPM R28.90 R19.50 Pietermaritzburg - FAPM R29.10 R20.10 Pietermaritzburg - FAPM R28.90 R19.50 Pietermaritzburg - FAPM R29.10 R20.10 Robertson FARS R33,00 Robertson FARS R32,00 ALSIM - FAPI R28.85 R20.85 R29.10 R20.85 Pietersburg Civil - FAPI R28.85 R20.85 Pietersburg Civil - FAPI R29.10 R20.85 PietersburgPietersburg Civil - FAPI Civil Rustenberg R31,30 Rustenburg FARGPlettenberg Bay - FAPG R31,00 R23,65 NO FUEL NO -FUEL NO FUEL R25.00 Plettenberg Bay -FARG FAPG NO FUEL NO FUEL PlettenbergPlettenberg Bay -R23,65 FAPG Bay - FAPGNO FUEL R25.00 Port Alfred FAPA R35.00 Port Alfred FAPA R34.00 Port Alfred FAPA R35.00 Port Alfred FAPA R34.00 Secunda R33,00 R25,88 Secunda - FASC R33,07 R25,88 ALX-65 Port Elizabeth - FAPE R30.59 R23.58 R30.69 R23.92 Port Elizabeth - FAPE R30.59 R23.58 Port Elizabeth - FAPE R30.69 R23.92 Port Elizabeth - FAPE Skeerpoort *Customer to collect POA POA Skeerpoort *Customer to collect R26,75 R19,99 Potchefstroom FAPS R26.32 R17.90 Potchefstroom FAPS R28.09 R18.29 Potchefstroom - FAPS R26.32 R17.90 Potchefstroom - FAPS R28.09 R18.29 Rand - FAGM R33.01 -R21.79 R34.16 R21.78 Rand - FAGM R33.01 R21.79 Rand - FAGM R34.16 R21.78 Springbok POA POAFLIGHT Springbok FASB Rand - FAGM R33,93 R27,03 - FARS R31.15 Robertson - FARS R31.15 Robertson - FARS R31.15 Robertson -Robertson FARS R31.15 Springs R33,70 Springs FASI R28,00 - FARG R29.00 R21.50 Rustenburg - FARG R29.00 R20.50 Rustenburg - FARG R29.00 R21.50 RustenburgRustenburg - FARGSIMULATOR R29.00 R20.50 Secunda - FASC R31.05 R20.70 R28.75 R20.70 Stellenbosch R33,20 Stellenbosch - FASHSecunda - FASC R35,00 Secunda - FASC R31.05 R20.70 Secunda - FASC R28.75 R20.70 to collect R16.05 R24.08 R15.66 Skeerpoort *Customer to collect R24.25 R16.05 Skeerpoort *Customer to collect R24.08 R15.66 Skeerpoort Skeerpoort *Customer *Customer to collect R24.25 Swellendam FASX R33,80 Springbok R22,50 Swellendam - FASXSpringbok - FASB R32,70 R22,50 FIRST - FASB AR29.50 R29.50 R23.50 R29.50 R23.50 Springbok - FASB R29.50 R23.50 Springbok - FASB FOR R23.50 Springs - FASI R24.32 Springs - FASI R27.97 Tempe R34,04 R25,33 Tempe - FATP R31,88 R23,69 Springs - FASI R24.32 Springs - FASI R27.97 - FASH R32.00 R32.00 Stellenbosch - FASH R32.00 Stellenbosch - FASH R32.00 Stellenbosch - FASHPOA CLASS Thabazimbe POA Stellenbosch Thabazimbi FATI R29,49 R22,73 - FASX R29.60 R20.60 Swellendam - FASX R29.30 R20.60 Swellendam - FASX R29.60 R20.60 SwellendamSwellendam - FASX R29.30 R20.60 Upington R34,00 Upington FAUP Tempe - FATP R35,19 R25,99 TempeR24,00 - FATP R28.70 -R20.87 R28.70 R20.87 Tempe - FATP R28.70 R20.87 Tempe - FATP R28.70 R20.87 TRAINING - FATI R26.82- FAVG R18.40 Thabazimbi - FATI R26.99 R18.79 Thabazimbi - FATI R26.82 R18.40 ThabazimbiThabazimbi - FATIR23,12 R26.99 R18.79 Virginia R35,19 Virginia R33,24 R23,58 Upington - FAUP R34.80 R27.30 Upington - FAUP R34.50 R23.50 Upington - FAUP R34.80 R27.30 Upington - FAUP R34.50 R23.50 Vryburg POA POA Vryburg FAVB R30,15 R22,99 Virginia - FAVG R30.02 R20.18 Virginia - FAVG R30.99 R20.36 Virginia - FAVG R30.02 R20.18 Virginia - FAVG R30.99 R20.36 EXPERIENCE. Vryburg - FAVB R27.48 R18.66 R29.25 R19.05 Vryburg - FAVB FAWA R27.48 R18.66 Vryburg - FAVB R29.25 R19.05 Warmbaths R30,30 Warmbaths - FAWAVryburg - FAVB R29,00 Vryheid - FAVY R26.32 R17.90 Vryheid - FAVY R28.09 R18.16 Vryheid - FAVY R26.32 R17.90 Vryheid - FAVY R28.09 R18.16 Welkom R34,04 R25,33 Welkom R32,09 R23,69 - FAWA R28.00 - FAWM Warmbaths - FAWA R30.00 Warmbaths - FAWA R28.00 WarmbathsWarmbaths - FAWA R30.00 Welkom - FAWM R28.85 Welkom - FAWM R28.85 R20.10 Wings R33,50 R23,50 Wings ParkR20.10 EL R33,50 R23,50 Welkom Park - FAWMEL R28.85 R20.10 Welkom - FAWM R28.85 R20.10 Park EL R30.75 R21.75 Wings Park EL R30.75 R21.75 Wings Park EL R30.75 R21.75 Wings Park Wings EL R30.75 R21.75 Witbank FAWI R33,00 R25,33 Witbank FAWI R33,00 Witbank - FAWI R30.00 Witbank - FAWI R30.00 Witbank - FAWI R30.00 Witbank - FAWI R30.00 R24.58 R16.16 - FAWB R24.75 R16.55 POA Wonderboom POA - FAWBR24.75Wonderboom R27,25 R20,49 Wonderboom - FAWB Wonderboom R24.58 R16.16 R16.55 Wonderboom - FAWB Wonderboom - FAWB Worcester - FAWC Worcester - FAWC R24.32 R27.97 Worcester FAWC Worcester FAWC R24.32 R27.97 Worcester R34,31 Worcester - FAWC R29,50

AERONAV ACADEMY FUEL TABLE

Fuel prices may change with every new delivery. Fuel prices updated courtesy of AviationDirect – Andrea & Kelly. Fuel prices and contact details can also be found in their products: EasyPlan and EasyCockpit – https://aviationdirect.co.za/ F r o m P P L t o AT P L a n d e v e r y t h i n g i n b e t w e e n , Aeronav can provide you with an approved course tailored to your needs.

news

VAN’S ENDS RV-3, RV-4, & RV-6 Van’s Aircraft has announced the retirement of its legacy models—the RV-3, RV-4, and RV-6—from active kit production.

V

AN’S Aircraft began its journey with the RV-3, a nimble single-seat sport aircraft introduced in the early 1970s. It was the embodiment of Richard VanGrunsven’s vision: a plane that combined speed, agility, and efficiency with the joy of hands-on building. The RV-3 set the tone for what would become the “Total Performance” philosophy—balancing aerobatic capability, cross-country comfort, and short-field performance.

Following the RV-3, the RV-4 expanded the concept into a tandem two-seater, offering more versatility while retaining the spirited handling of its predecessor. It became a favorite among aerobatic enthusiasts and backcountry flyers alike.

The RV-6, introduced in the late 1980s, marked a turning point. With side-byside seating and improved ergonomics, it broadened the appeal of Van’s kits to S A F L Y E R M A G A Z IN E - august 2025

Vans is no longer supporting its legacy RV-3, -4 or -6 models.

couples and cross-country adventurers. It quickly became one of the most popular kit aircraft in history, with thousands built and flown worldwide.

As the company focuses on modern aircraft like the RV-14 and RV-15, it has become increasingly difficult to justify continued production of older kits. However the company will continue technical support for existing builders and owners.

The announcement has stirred emotions across the RV builder community.

For many, these aircraft were not just machines—they were milestones. First solo flights, cross-country adventures, and countless hours in the garage or hangar were spent bringing these kits to life.

Builders who wish to start or complete an RV-3, RV-4, and RV-6 still have a window to act—orders can be placed until the end of September. j

CHARTER Dangerous Goods

V.I.P

CODE TEL NO FAX NO NAME OF CHARTER easury | Working Capital | Asset Management | Wealth

Hangarage

Export Docs & Clearing

Lodge Transfers

Line Inspections

Security Based (armed)

Aircraft Leasing

Aerial Photography

Maintenance

Surveys

Aircraft Sales

Contracts

Safari Charters

Special Events

Helicopter

Freight

Long-Range

Biz-Jets

> 20 pax

< 20 pax

DIRECTORY

BRAKPAN FABB Titanium Air

(011)

914 5810

083 292 0978

j

jjj

ExecuJet South Africa

(021)

934 5764

934 2087

jjjjj

jjjj

Streamline Air Charter

(011)

395 1195/8

jjjjj

jj

(031)

564 6215

564 6222

j

jjjjjj

(011)

805-0652/82

805-0649

j

j

Batair Cargo

(011)

659 2000

701 2253

Comair Flight Services (Pty) Ltd

(011)

540 7640

www.flycfs.co.za j j j j

ExecuJet South Africa

(011)

516 2300

659 2520

Majestic Air Charters

(018)

632 6477

Out of the Blue Air Safaris

(011)

701 2653

082 905 5760

Swift Flite (Pty) Ltd

(011)

701 3298

www.swiftflite.co.za

jjjjj

j

CAPE TOWN jjj

jjjj j

DURBAN KZN Aviation

j

j

jj

GRAND CENTRAL Pambele Aviation

j

j

LANSERIA AIRPORT j jj

jjjjj j j

j j

j

j

j

jjjjj

j

j

jjjj

j

j

jjj

j

j

j

j

jjj

jj

jjj

jjj jjjj

j

OR TAMBO INTERNATIONAL Fair Aviation (Pty) Ltd

(011)

395 4552

395 4244

jjjj

Federal Airlines

(011)

395 9000

086 667 1789

jjjjjjjjjj

jjj

Streamline Air Charter

(011)

395 1195/8

jjjjj

j

(012)

566 3019

j

jj

j

jj

RAND AIRPORT FlyFofa Airways

www.flyfofa.co.za

jj

jj

j

WINDHOEK - SWAKOPMUND Scenic Air (Pty) Ltd

(+264)

6440 3575

info@scenic-air.com.na

j

j

j

WONDERBOOM AIRPORT - PRETORIA Flyjetstream Aviation

(012)

543 0060

(083) 279 7853

jjjjjjjjjjjj

jjj

jjjj

Maverick Air Charters

(012)

940 0320

086 648 2690

jjjjjjjjjjj

jj

jjj

Powered Flight Charters

(078)

460 1231

086 666 2077

j

j

jjjjjj

jj

jj

j

AIRFIELDS & MORE

CLASSIFIEDS

AIRSPAN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, a dynamic, young, registered airport, just east of Rustenburg, NW. A tarred, lighted 900m runway, helipads, aprons, 1000+ people venue, restaurant, bar, accommodation. Extending the runway (1100m), registering a PPL school, building hangers, storage units, and an AMO. Looking forward to all fly-ins (no landing fees)!

FABB is located central in the Ekurhuleni, close to OR Tambo. It houses various Flight Schools and AMOs, and has a lit 1440m runway. Jet-A1 and Avgas are available.

The clubhouse has a restaurant, lounge, pub, DSTV, outside braai area, pool, kids play area, and ablution facilities for overnight stays.

Contact details: Renzia: 082 432 9228 / 083 229 5746, Fanie: 083 651 2254 Email: Airspan.fbf@gmail.com

BRITS FLYING CLUB

Fuel on airfield Avgas & Jet A1 FAHG 125.9 Contact – Andre Vorster +27 83 654 2793 Mail: Andre Vorster: andre@poxytech.co.za Brits Flying Club, Founded in 1952, Brits Flying Club is one of South Africa's most respected aviation clubs, producing world-class aviators. Home to Springbok colours, we've nurtured champions. Located at FABS, our 900m asphalt runway (02/20) supports top aviation.

Join us in honouring our rich heritage!

Telephone: 012 255 0155 E-Mail: info@britsflyingclub.co.za Website: britsflyingclub.co.za

Fuel on airfield Avgas & Jet A1 FAHG 125.9 Contact – Andre Vorster +27 83 654 2793 Mail: Andre Vorster: andre@poxytech. co.za

101

NPL/PPL Training Centre - SACAA accredited (SACAA1177ATO) NPL Part 62 and PPL Part 61 ATO in Ladysmith KZN (FALY) and we have been in business since 2009. Avgas sales are also available at FALY. Contact Larry: +27 83 788 2704

CLASSIFIEDS

FUSELAGE WINES Operating from: Diemerskraal Airfield R45 Wellington Danie cell: 0760 385 495 danie@fuselagewines.com

HIMEVILLE AIRFIELD

Himeville airfield is the gateway to Underberg and the southern Drakensberg surrounds. Sani Pass, Hiking, camping fishing, MTB biking, running trails, paddling the list of activities is long. Loads of accommodation options available Co-ordinates: S29"44.9 E029"30.2 Runway: 05/23 900m grass Frequency: 124.8 Contact: Jayson van Schalkwyk +27 82 322 5722

MAGALIES GLIDING CLUB Orient Airfield FAOI S26°02’24” E027°35’42” Situated 45km WNW of Johannesburg, the airfield features a 1.4km main runway, 36-18, 5100ft ASL. Training is provided in Gliders and TMG’s up to GPL level. The TMG’s are available for cost effective hour building for CPL and PPL Pilots.

Contact: http://mgc.org.za

OWN YOUR SLICE OF SKY AT TEDDERFIELD AIRPARK! Ditch the rent and land your dreams at our fly-in community! Secure your hangar or stand in a buzzing aviation hub with epic facilities, security, SLING Aircraft, and a like-minded crew of aviators.

SPACE IS LIMITED. INVEST NOW! https://tedderfield.co.za/home TedderfieldAirpark.co.za or contact Alan or Nic on +27 83 702 3680 or +27 82 900 4299.

FABB is located central in the Ekurhuleni, close to OR Tambo. It houses various Flight Schools and AMOs, and has a lit 1440m runway. Jet-A1 and Avgas are available.

The clubhouse has a restaurant, lounge, pub, DSTV, outside braai area, pool, kids play area, and ablution facilities for overnight stays.

BACKPAGE DIR DIRECT ECTORY ORY 208 Aviation Ben Esterhuizen +27 83 744 3412 / 83 820 1513 ben@208aviation.co.za info@208aviation.co.za www.208aviation.com A1A Flight Examiner (Loutzavia) Jannie Loutzis 012 567 6775 / 082 416 4069 jannie@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za AES (Cape Town) Erwin Erasmus 082 494 3722 erwin@aeroelectrical.co.za www.aeroelectrical.co.za AES (Johannesburg) Danie van Wyk 011 701 3200 office@aeroelectrical.co.za www.aeroelectrical.co.za Aerocolour cc Alfred Maraun 082 775 9720 www.aeroeng@iafrica.com Aero Engineering & PowerPlant Andre Labuschagne 012 543 0948 www.aerocolour@telkomsa.net Aerokits Jean Crous 072 6716 240 aerokits99@gmail.com Aeronav Academy Donald O’Connor 011 701 3862 info@aeronav.co.za www.aeronav.co.za Aeronautical Aviation Clinton Carroll 011 659 1033 / 083 459 6279 clinton@aeronautical.co.za www.aeronautical.co.za Aerospace Electroplating Oliver Trollope 011 827 7535 petasus@mweb.co.za Aerotel Martin den Dunnen 087 6556 737 reservations@aerotel.co.za www.aerotel.co.za Aerotric Richard Small 083 488 4535 aerotric@aol.com AIFA Sean Stopford +27 (23) 007 0100 seanst@aifa.co.za Aviation Rebuilders cc Lyn Jones 011 827 2491 / 082 872 4117 lyn@aviationrebuilders.com www.aviationrebuilders.com AVIC International Flight Academy (AIFA) Theo Erasmus 082 776 8883 rassie@aifa.co.za Air 2000 (Pty) Ltd Anne Gaines-Burrill 011 659 2449 - AH 082 770 2480 Fax 086 460 5501 air2000@global.co.za www.hunterssupport.com Aircraft Finance Corporation & Leasing Jaco Pietersen +27 [0]82 672 2262 jaco@airfincorp.co.za Jason Seymour +27 [0]82 326 0147 jason@airfincorp.co.za www.airfincorp.co.za Aircraft General Spares Eric or Hayley 084 587 6414 or 067 154 2147 eric@acgs.co.za or hayley@acgs.co.za www.acgs.co.za Aircraft Maintenance International Pine Pienaar 083 305 0605 gm@aminternational.co.za Aircraft Maintenance International Wonderboom Thomas Nel 082 444 7996 admin@aminternational.co.za

Air Line Pilots’ Association Sonia Ferreira 011 394 5310 alpagm@iafrica.com www.alpa.co.za Airshift Aircraft Sales Eugene du Plessis 082 800 3094 eugene@airshift.co.za www.airshift.co.za Alclad Sheetmetal Services Ed Knibbs 083 251 4601 ed@alclad.co.za www.alclad.co.za Algoa Flying Club Sharon Mugridge 041 581 3274 info@algoafc.co.za www.algoafc.co.za Alpi Aviation SA Dale De Klerk 082 556 3592 dale@alpiaviation.co.za www.alpiaviation.co.za Apco (Ptyd) Ltd Tony/Henk + 27 12 543 0775 apcosupport@mweb.co.za www.apcosa.co.za Ardent Aviation Consultants Yolanda Vermeulen 082 784 0510 yolanda@ardentaviation.co.za www.ardentaviation.co.za 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

Breytech Aviation cc 012 567 3139 Willie Breytenbach admin@breytech.co.za

Eagle Flight Academy Mr D. J. Lubbe 082 557 6429 training@eagleflight.co.za www.eagleflight.co.za

Celeste Sani Pak & Inflight Products Steve Harris 011 452 2456 admin@chemline.co.za www.chemline.co.za

Execujet Africa 011 516 2300 enquiries@execujet.co.za www.execujet.com

Cape Town Flying Club Beverley Combrink 021 934 0257 / 082 821 9013 info@capetownflyingclub.co.za www.capetownflyingclub.co.za

Federal Air Rachel Muir 011 395 9000 shuttle@fedair.com www.fedair.com

Cape Town Flight Training Centre Frans 021 976 7053 admin@cape-town-flying.co.za www.cape-town-flying.co.za

Ferry Flights int.inc.

Michael (Mick) Schittenhelm 082 442 6239 ferryflights@ferry-flights.com www.ferry-flights.com

Capital Air Tanya Vinagre 011 827 0335 / 083 928 7265 tanya@capitalairsa.com www.capitalairsa.com

F Gomes Upholsters Carla de Lima 083 602 5658 delimaCarla92@gmail.com

Century Avionics cc Carin van Zyl 011 701 3244 sales@centuryavionics.co.za www.centuryavionics.co.za

Fireblade Aviation 010 595 3920 info@firebladeaviation.com www.firebladeaviation.com

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

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

Cornerstone Sharon Muller 082 941 4018 sharon.muller@liblink.co.za

Flyonics (Pty) Ltd Michael Karaolis 010 109 9405 michael@flyonics.co.za www.flyonics.co.za

Aviatech Flight Academy Nico Smith 082 303 1124 viatechfakr@gmail.com www.aviatech.co.za

Corporate-Aviators/Affordable Jet Sales Mike Helm 082 442 6239 corporate-aviators@iafrica.com www.corporate-aviators.com

Gemair Andries Venter 011 701 2653 / 082 905 5760 andries@gemair.co.za

Aviation Direct Andrea Antel 011 465 2669 info@aviationdirect.co.za www.aviationdirect.co.za

CSA Aviation – Cirrus South Africa Alex Smith 011 701 3835 alexs@cirrussa.co.za www.cirrussa.co.za

GIB Aviation Insurance Brokers Richard Turner 011 483 1212 aviation@gib.co.za www.gib.co.za

Avtech Riekert Stroh 082 749 9256 avtech1208@gmail.com

C. W. Price & Co Kelvin L. Price 011 805 4720 cwp@cwprice.co.za www.cwprice.co.za

BAC Aviation AMO 115 Micky Joss 035 797 3610 monicad@bacmaintenance.co.za

Dart Aeronautical Pieter Viljoen 011 827 0371 pieterviljoen@dartaero.co.za www.dartaero.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

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

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

Rainbow SkyReach (Pty) Ltd Mike Gill 011 817 2298 Mike@fly-skyreach.com www.fly-skyreach.com

International Flight Clearances Steve Wright 076 983 1089 (24 Hrs) flightops@flyifc.co.za www.flyifc.co.za

Loutzavia Rand Frans Pretorius 011 824 3804 rand@loutzavia.co.za www@loutzavia.co.za

Investment Aircraft Quinton Warne 082 806 5193 aviation@lantic.net www.investmentaircraft.com

Lowveld Aero Club Pugs Steyn 013 741 3636 Flynow@lac.co.za

Rand Airport Kevin van Zyl Kevin@horizonrisk.co.za +27 76 801 5639 www.randairport.co.za

Maverick Air Charters Lourens Human 082 570 2743 ops@maverickair.co.za www.maverickair.co.za

Dr Rudi Britz Aviation Medical Clinic Megan 066 177 7194 rudiavmed@gmail.com Wonderboom Airport

MCC Aviation Pty Ltd Claude Oberholzer 011 701 2332 info@flymcc.co.za www.flymcc.co.za

SAA Technical (SOC) Ltd SAAT Marketing 011 978 9993 satmarketing@flysaa.com www.flysaa.com/technical

Mistral Aviation Services Peter de Beer 083 208 7249 peter@mistral.co.za

SABRE Aircraft Richard Stubbs 083 655 0355 richardstubbs@mweb.co.za www.aircraftafrica.co.za

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: enquiries@litson.co.za Phone: 27 (0) 8517187 www.litson.co.za Litson & Associates Risk Management Services (Pty) Ltd eSMS-S™/ eTENDER/ e-REPORT / Aviation Software Systems Email: enquiries@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

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 Mont Blanc Financial Services Devon Ford 0800 467 873 info@mbfs.co.za

www.mbfs.co.za

MS Aviation Gary 082 563 9639 gary.templeton@msaviation.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

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

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 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

Sheltam Aviation PE Brendan Booker 082 497 6565 brendanb@sheltam.com www.sheltamaviation.com

Ultimax Aviation (Pty) Ltd Aristide Loumouamou +27 72 878 8786 aristide@ultimax-aviation.com www.ultimax-aviation.com

Signature Flight Support Cape Town Alan Olivier 021 934 0350 cpt@signatureflight.co.za www.signatureaviation.com/locations/CPT

United Charter cc Jonathan Wolpe 083 270 8886 jonathan.wolpe@unitedcharter.co.za www.unitedcharter.co.za

Signco (Pty Ltd) Archie Kemp Tel 011 452 6857 Fax 086 504 5239 info@signco.zo.za www.signco.co.za

United Flight Support Clinton Moodley/Jonathan Wolpe 076 813 7754 / 011 788 0813 ops@unitedflightsupported.com www.unitedflightsupport.com

Skytrim Rico Kruger +27 11 827 6638 rico@skytrim.co.za www.skytrim.co.za

Velocity Aviation Collin Pearson 011 659 2306 / 011 659 2334 collin@velocityaviation.co.za www.velocityaviation.co.za

SleepOver Michael Richardson 010 110 9900 michael.richardson@sleepover-za.com www.sleepover-za.com

Villa San Giovanni Luca Maiorana 012 111 8888 info@vsg.co.za www.vsg.co.za

Sling Aircraft Kim Bell-Cross 011 948 9898 sales@airplanefactory.co.za www.airplanefactory.co.za

Vortx Aviation Bredell Roux 072 480 0359 info@vortx.co.za www.vortxaviation.com

Solenta Aviation (Pty Ltd) Paul Hurst 011 707 4000 info@solenta.com www.solenta.com

Wanafly Adrian Barry 082 493 9101 adrian@wanafly.net www.wanafly.co.za

Southern Energy Company (Pty) Ltd Elke Bertram +264 8114 29958 johnnym@sec.com.na www.sec.com.na

Windhoek Flight Training Centre Thinus Dreyer 0026 40 811284 180 pilots@flywftc.com www.flywftc.com

Southern Rotorcraft cc Mr Reg Denysschen Tel no: 021 935 0980 execheli@iafrica.com www.rotors-r-us.com

Wings n Things Colin Blanchard 011 701 3209 wendy@wingsnthings.co.za www.wingsnthings.co.za

Starlite Aero Sales Klara Fouché +27 83 324 8530 / +27 31 571 6600 klaraf@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com

Witbank Flight School Andre De Villiers 083 604 1718 andredv@lantic.net www.waaflyingclub.co.za

Starlite Aviation Operations Trisha Andhee +27 82 660 3018/ +27 31 571 6600 trishaa@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com

Wonderboom Airport Peet van Rensburg 012 567 1188/9 peet@wonderboomairport.co.za www.wonderboomairport.co.za

Starlite Aviation Training Academy Durban: +27 31 571 6600 Mossel Bay: +27 44 692 0006 train@starliteaviation.com www.starliteaviation.com

Zandspruit Bush & Aero Estate Martin Den Dunnen 082 449 8895 martin@zandspruit.co.za www.zandspruit.co.za

Status Aviation (Pty) Ltd Richard Donian 074 587 5978 / 086 673 5266

Zebula Golf Estate & SPA Reservations 014 734 7700 reception@zebula.co.za www.zebula.co.za

www.saflyer.com | April 2025

101

Cream contrast embroidery

GLOBAL

Design We elevate the art of aviation design to new heights.

Our innovative approach blends cutting-edge technology with timeless elegance, transforming aircraft into personalized sanctuaries of comfort and style. From bespoke seating & advanced cabin layouts to exquisite liveries, we craft every detail to ensure your journey is as extraordinary as your destination.

Bespoke Aircraft Completions Livery Design

Contrast edge stitch

Photorealistic 3D previews Photography

Intersection overlap

www.FlyMachineGlobal.com info@flymachineglobal.com