October 2020

FlightCm African Commercial Aviation

Africa’s Biggest Selling Aviation Magazine

FLIGHT TEST:

HUSKY – BETTER THAN A SUPER CUB?

JIM – ON DANGEROUS PASSENGERS! CESSNA 185 – A FATHER’S STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE!!

POLE TO POLE IN A SINGLE! AIRFORCE OR PRIVATE? Edition 298 October 2020

R49.50

GUY ON THE COVID ‘MISSION IMPOSSIBLE’ DES BARKER ON BATTLE OF BRITAIN TACTICS!

Namibia $N49.50 | Cover: Jim Raeder

M AINTENANCE , REFURBISHMENT 1

& AV I O N I C S G U I D E October 2020

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POSITION REPORT THE Covid-19 pandemic has thrown the aviation

journalism and insightful thought-leadership.

publication business into turmoil. The market was

Our key objective is to inform and entertain

already heavily overtraded with four print titles and

our readers, which we do thanks to the world-

at least two, if not four, online newsletters, as well

class contributors we have nurtured. These

as countless video channels.

include Peter Garrison’s unrivalled insights in

All of these publications and titles are

aerodynamics and accidents, Jim Davis’s years

competing for a share of a limited ad spend

of instructing experience and George Tonking’s

that has been even more constrained by the

unique helicopter insights. At the same time

harsh economic consequences of the COVID-19

we are nurturing young writers such as Johan

pandemic. We expected some of the weaker

Walden, who is sharing his journey of passion and

publications to simply close-up shop, however, this

hard work to become a professional pilot, and the

has not happened - yet.

wonderful Dassie Persaud van der Westhuizen

It would appear that almost all the publications

who qualified as an architect and then became a

are moving into the digital space and unfortunately

flight attendant to fund her flying training – all the

many are making wild claims about their success

way to the cockpit of an Airbus A320.

in this market. I would like to take the opportunity

We are also the only magazine to do hands-on

to caution our loyal supporters to accept digital

‘from the cockpit’ flight tests where we actually fly

claims with a truckload of salt. Quite simply, they

the aircraft. And we bring our readers invaluable

are not verifiable and to those who understand the

information, such as where to get the cheapest

market, the more outlandish claims from some of the publications are ridiculous.

At SA Flyer

fuel and the who is doing what in the Register Review.

With our commitment to exceptional and original content, we are able to deliver quality and informed insights to our readers. And as

and FlightCom

our readers invest time in the magazine they are

we remain

then also exposed to our advertisers’ products

committed to our

and services. The regard our readers hold for the

core principles

magazine rubs off on the advertisers.

of quality

Our approach is different to many of the other publications which focus primarily on the advertisers and provide superficial, usually second-hand, editorial content as an unwelcome necessity – to fill the space between the advertising. Some of the publications are also providing a ‘newsletter’. However, it is worth pointing out that this is almost always old news

4

October 2020

that is plagiarized off other, better websites.

It is an unfortunate reality that the Covid-19

a far wider audience. Just from publishing the magazine online means that the downloads

crisis has brought the entire print publication

have now reached six times more than the print

industry to its knees. One of the impacts of this

circulation did. For interest: one of the unintended

has been the closure of our distributor, RNA.

consequences of our focus on quality is that SA

The aviation industry is likewise under immense

Flyer is now the most pirated African aviation

pressure and loathe to spend money on marketing

magazine, with other websites around the world

and advertising. This means we are now faced

using it to bolster their own internet presence.

with the two-fold problem: of not having sufficient

By providing these three separate marketing

advertising revenue to justify the cost of a print

channels in one package, we are able to offer our

run, and neither do we have the means to

advertisers a multifaceted series of platforms to

distribute printed magazines. For this reason, we

enable them to reach their traditional market that

too are focusing on a purely digital offering.

still prefers the magazine format, as well as the

The great thing about digital is that it has many platforms, which enables us to reach far more

younger more digital oriented market.

We live in challenging times and it will be

people. We have invested in a whole new website

extremely interesting to see what the aviation

– with a new address. Take a look, if you have

publication market looks like in a year’s time. But

not already done so - there is always something

in the meanwhile, we are confident that we are

new on www.saflyer.com. Then there are our

still by far the most liked and respected aviation

Facebook social media platforms, where we have

magazine in Africa and are able to deliver by

by far the largest number of followers of all African

far the best value proposition to our advertisers.

aviation publications. But the core offering remains

Our advertising rates may be higher than our

the magazines, which, as purely digital PDF

competitors, but the old South African adage that

publications use an excellent ‘e-zine’ reader; click

‘goedkoop is duurkoop’ holds particularly true

on: https://issuu.com/saflyermagazine for your

when it comes to wild and unsubstantiated digital

free copy of SA Flyer and FlightCom. This very

marketing claims. Our savvy advertisers recognise

powerful yet easy to use e-zine reader allows us

this, which is why our advertising revenue is

to fully exploit the wonderful opportunities created

still larger than all our competitors combined.

by digital publishing in linking videos to our articles

For this honour I am very grateful to all our loyal

and advertisements as well as direct links to our

advertisers.

advertisers’ websites.

The net effect of the three digital platforms of the website, Facebook and the e-magazine is that we are able to offer our advertisers unparalleled reach into new markets – and create

Guy Leitch

EDITOR & PUBLISHER guy@saflyermag.co.za

a large global presence on the internet, where our investment in search engine optimisation enables our advertisers’ messages to reach October 2020

5

COLUMNISTS SA FLYER

12 18 22 32 36 42 46 64

Guy Leitch - ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE Peter Garrison - LEADING EDGE

8 12 18

Bush Pilot - Hugh Pryor Airlines - Mike Gough Defence - Darren Olivier

Jim Davis - PLANE TALK Dassie Persaud-van der Westhuizen George Tonking - HELI OPS Johan Walden - A SLIM LOGBOOK Ray Watts - REGISTER REVIEW Jim Davis - ACCIDENT REPORT

FC 38 6

FLIGHTCOM

October 2020

FC 18

Edition 298

CONTENTS

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October 2020

Edition 298

CONTENTS FEATURES

32

SA FLYER

50 78 81

Flight Test: Husky vs SuperCub The 19th Hole: Mark Holliday Maintenance,

Refurbishment

& Avionics Guide

84 Alpha One Aviation

REGULARS 10

FLIGHTCOM

24 29 30 38

MAF Founder Stuart King dies IATA - Quarantines Wilderness Search & Rescue

Opening Shot

48 Bona Bona Register Review 49 Aviation Direct Events Calender 62 SV Aviation Fuel Table

The Battle of Britain

FLIGHTCOM

8

October 2020

FC 12

33 Atlas Oils Charter Directory 34 Alpi Flight School Listing 36 AEP AMO Listing 37 AME Directory 48 Aviation Directory

October 2020

OPENING SHOT

G

ENERAL aviation (GA) has been under crushing pressure from the Covid-19 pandemic. So we selected this picture to remind us that GA plays a vital role in providing essential connectivity to remote places.

Prolific Opening Shot contributor Richard Maier was standing on the air stair of his King Air 200 when he saw the way the fuselage and engine framed this shot. He used his Canon 7D at 100 ISO, with a wide angle 24 mm lens at 200th second at F9.4 for good depth of field.

10

October 2020

Send your submissions to guy@saflyermag.co.za

October 2020

11

ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE: GUY LEITCH

P I LOT S , P L A NE S & T HE VA C CI NE

CRISIS

IN AMONGST ALL THE BAD NEWS ABOUT THE EVISCERATION OF THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY – AND INDEED ALL AVIATION – CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 CRISIS, A STARTLING NEW INSIGHT HAS EMERGED. THIS WILL FORCE AIRLINERS TO REVISE ALL THEIR ESTIMATES FOR THE POST COVID ‘NEW NORMAL’ PILOT DEMAND.

THE only long-term hope for mankind to get through the Covid-19 pandemic is for a successful vaccine to be developed. Research labs are working feverishly, and vaccine trial announcements are being made. But what no one seems to have thought about up to now are the overwhelming logistic challenges to transport a vaccine so that it can be administered to more than 7 billion people.

If there was a working airline industry, then the task may not seem quite so impossible. The passenger airline industry connects 24,000 city pairs, but the Covid pandemic has reduced that to just a few point-to-point repatriation flights.

There was hope that international passenger flying would resume in late 2020, but at time of writing there are signs that the much feared

12

October 2020

The mission of the Century.

www.saflyer.com

The shift of cargo in this 747 caused this crash at Bagram.

second wave of Covid infections is just beginning.

available? Our gliding ‘Outlandings’ columnist,

So the recovery of international travel will be

Doc Mark Holliday, says that a vaccine is not

delayed – especially while each country wrangles

expected until mid-2021. But importantly for

over Covid health declarations, tests and

the logistics of vaccine transport, he notes that

quarantine formalities.

a group of competing vaccine development

Passenger flights usually carry around half of the world’s air cargo in belly holds, but the Covid pandemic has cut 70% of world-wide passenger flights. The existing freighter fleet is being worked to death trying to make up for that lost belly capacity. It is probably safe to assume that international travel will not restart much before a Covid vaccine is available, so the question is: in the absence of passenger flights – how on earth is a Covid vaccine going to be distributed?

In what has been dubbed the “Mission of the Century” IATA reckons that it will require 8,000 Boeing 747s to transport the seven billion

I ATA R E CK ONS T HAT I T WI L L R E QUI R E 8 , 0 0 0 B OEI NG 74 7 s T O T R A NS P OR T T HE S E V EN B I L L I ON VA C CI NE S

vaccines – and that’s only if the vaccine turns

companies have signed a pledge to not release

out to need just one dose. A two or three dose

a vaccine unless rigorous testing standards

vaccine will naturally double or triple the number

have been met. Doc Holliday writes, “I suspect

of planes needed.

that this was in order to prevent presidential

When might we expect a vaccine to be

www.saflyer.com

pressure before the US election in November.

October 2020

13

Last week the Oxford/GSK group reported a case

a 747 evokes memories of the SAA Helderberg

of Transverse Myelitis halting its trial. Investigation

747B.

of this patient attributed the cause to underlying

Despite the lessons of the Helderberg, the

Multiple Sclerosis and the trial is back on track….

need to transport cargo in passenger cabins will

It’s instructive to remember the outcome of

never be more pressing than when the vaccine

rushing the 2009 Swine-flu vaccines to market

is mass produced. About 16,000 aircraft, or two

without adequate testing. This presidential decree

thirds of the passenger fleet worldwide, has been

backfired when over a 1000 cases of Guillain-

grounded. Without passenger flights to provide

Barre paralysis ensued.”

belly space, the need for pure cargo flights has

The conclusion then is that a vaccine will only

been desperate.

Carrying cargo in passenger cabins is fraught with safety and certification challenges.

be released once it has been thoroughly tested.

And that means it will probably be released in

the economy has been accentuated by the

bulk, which will create an unprecedented demand

Covid-19 pandemic. This makes SAA’s gross

for airlift capacity – which will require thousands

mismanagement of its once excellent cargo

of aircraft and pilots.

capability all the more tragic. SAA used to operate

IATA’s example using 747s as a gauge of

pure-cargo Boeing 747s – which by the time the

aircraft size is particularly poignant as Covid has

airline was placed in Business Rescue had been

been the death knell for the iconic 747 and the

reduced to two leased yet underutilised 737s.

A380 ‘Superjumbo’. Also, the reference to the 747

14

The essential role that air cargo plays in

Globally, air cargo is a lifesaver, transporting

as the aircraft of choice is particularly painful to

medical supplies across the planet. Yet under

South Africans as putting cargo in the cabin of

Covid, air cargo has had to deal with more than

October 2020

its fair share of bureaucratic

passenger deck. The cargo

the seats and in approved

and regulatory obstruction;

was in a compartment behind

storage areas.

most notably, crew quarantine

the passengers, but when

requirements. A particular

a fire broke out in the cargo

cargo transport in cabins it

problem during the lockdown

compartment it asphyxiated

will require modification and

was just getting ground workers

the passengers before burning

additional equipment with

to the airport to unload aircraft,

through the control cables which

possible recertification, which

especially the labour-intensive

run in the cabin roof. The 747

is why only about 150 aircraft

job of removing cargo from

then broke up and plummeted

out of those 2,300 converted

aircraft cabins through narrow

30,000 feet into the Indian

passenger aircraft have actually

doors.

Ocean.

been dedicated to pure cargo

However, for large scale

Other challenges relate to

These days belly cargo

flying to the extent that the seats

closed airspace and airports.

holds have very advanced

have been removed. To obtain

Aviation is a key part of the

fire extinguishing systems,

approval to remove the seats

supply chain for medical

plus smoke alarms and fire

they had to install specific fire

supplies, yet it has been a

detectors. But you cannot flood

warning systems and additional

huge challenge to overcome

a passenger compartment with

tie downs points to stop the

border restrictions. For African

halon or foam, so the regulators

cargo shifting, as happened with

operators, a key problem has

are naturally wary about

the tragic Bagram 747 crash.

been a widespread bureaucratic

allowing cargo onto passenger

inability to process overfly

decks. There is however already

If, as is expected, a vaccine is developed in mid-2021, it will

and landing rights and crew quarantine requirements for charter operators.

SAA used to operate pure freighter 747s now even those will not be enough.

The lack of cargo capacity is the biggest challenge that the industry has faced. To meet this challenge about 2,300 passenger airliners are already being used for cargoonly operations. This raises a variety of safety concerns; particularly for South Africans with the scars of the Helderberg

limited approval for cargo in

be essential to have aircraft

disaster still vivid in many pilots’

cabins as when an airliner is

cabins available to transport the

minds. The Helderberg was a

certified for passengers, it’s

vaccines – and the crews to fly

747 ‘Combi’ which carried both

approved to carry baggage in

them. This makes the current

passengers and cargo on its

the cabin overhead bins, under

SAA proposal to start 2021 with October 2020

88 pilots even more ludicrous. There’s going to

be produced in Africa or South America, so

be a massive surge in demand for pilots around

getting it to these under-developed areas will be

mid-2021 and SAA will have neither the aircraft

a huge logistics challenge. Customs and clearing

nor the pilots to handle the airlift demand. There

processes for cargo handling will have to be

will be a massive shortage of airlift capacity and

streamlined so the vaccines don’t languish in the

so South Africans will just have to wait until there

sun in a forgotten container on a cargo apron.

is transport to get their vaccines. This is another

The challenge is enormous. Without passenger

point in favour of those who would argue that

flights the air cargo industry is going to have to

South Africa still needs its own state-owned flag

rely on ad hoc charters and converted passenger

carrier.

aircraft. There can be no hold-ups for permit

T HE OL D J OK E A B OUT PA S S ENGER S B EI NG S EL F LOA DI NG CA R G O

applications or for border cargo clearance.

There is going to have to be enough ground handling staff at both the origin and destinations – particularly to do the labour intensive work of loading cargo into aircraft passenger cabins through narrow passenger doors. The old joke about passengers being self-loading cargo will never be more painfully true.

Given that the entire planet will need to be vaccinated and as soon as possible, the value

The logistics of transporting vaccines is not

of the vaccines will be incalculable, so theft will

easy. Like Africa’s two big air cargo exports, fish

be a real threat. When you consider that there

and flowers, vaccines are temperature sensitive.

are 200 countries and territories throughout the

They have to be transported in a range of between

planet with varying degrees of safety and land-

+2 and +8 degrees Celsius, which is a sizeable

based infrastructure, there will need to be some

challenge when you consider the temperature

highly collaborative solutions that will need to be

changes in processing cargo through an airport

implemented between otherwise truculent states.

cargo terminal, then onboard the plane, and then

The challenge is immense, and the airline

at the destination and during ground transport.

industry must start gearing up for it now. Most

When you add the scale of the distribution to the

immediately, in South Africa, SAA and the

magnitude and number of challenges, we can

Department of Public Enterprises must accept the

grasp why the industry needs to start preparing

SAAPA proposal to retain 200 pilots rather than

now, together with governments and the ground

cut to just 88 pilots and hope to find more and then

based transport industry as well.

get them current again when the need arises.

There are as many as 250 different vaccine

j

development programmes under development, and once a vaccine has been successfully tested, then distribution will be key. It is likely that given the low population densities, vaccines will not

16

October 2020

guy@saflyermag.co.za

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LEADING EDGE - PETER GARRISON

F L I GHT

P L A NNI NG ON A GLOB E I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN LONG-RANGE FLYING, AND WAS IMPRESSED TO READ IN 1993 OF THE EXPLOIT OF BILL HARRELSON, THE JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA PILOT WHO FLEW HIS LANCAIR IV NONSTOP FROM GUAM, IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC, BACK HOME TO JACKSONVILLE.

THE hop, if you can call it that, of around 8,000

is unturbocharged and has 10:1 pistons, which

statute miles took 38 and a half hours. If that

improve its specific fuel consumption.

weren’t enough, his positioning trip to Guam included a 20-hour leg from Indiana to Hawaii,

the slowly lengthening green lines of his

and he did the whole out-and-back journey in

progress, Harrelson planned 180 knots at 7,000

the course of a week. My parents, who spoke

feet. A Lancair IV is a pretty clean aeroplane,

German around the house mainly to keep

so I figured that he could probably manage 180

secrets from me, liked the term Sitzfleisch –

knots at 10 gallons an hour. Assuming some help

“sit-flesh” – as a synonym for patience or, more

from the prevailing westerly wind, he would have

literally, the ability to sit still for a long time.

to carry around 400 gallons, plus a bit more for

Harrelson has it.

taxi, climb and luck.

Naturally, I had to do the numbers to be

It turned out that the aeroplane was better

sure this wasn’t an elaborate hoax. Harrelson’s

than I thought. He took off with 361 gallons

Lancair (by the way, if you’re new to aviation,

and landed with six, for an average fuel burn

the c in Lancair, in defiance of the conventions

of 9.2 gph. His average true airspeed was 180

of English pronunciation, is soft) is the recip-

knots, with an overall tailwind – important to the

engined, non-pressurised version, with extra

success of the flight – of three knots.

tankage for long distance flying. Unlike those of most Lancair IVs, Harrelson’s Continental 550

18

According to FlightAware, on which I followed

October 2020

The Lancair IV’s landing gear retracts into the fuselage, and so most of its 98-square-foot,

30.5-foot-span wing could be

All aerodynamically clean

isn’t much higher than 15 – and

wet. I doubt the wing could hold

aeroplanes are about equal as

what it lacks in that department

much more than 100 gallons,

regards friction and pressure

it must make up in fuel fraction.

however – probably less – and

drag relative to their size, and

To go 8,000 miles in a Lancair

so at least 260 gallons had

so their flight efficiency is ruled

IV requires a fuel fraction of

to be in the fuselage. That

not by their streamlining, but

somewhere around 50 percent.

seemed like a lot, but actually

by their induced drag. Induced

With an empty weight of about

it’s only 35 cubic feet, which is

drag is principally affected by

2,000 pounds and an allowance

equivalent to a 39-inch cube

wingspan. The two aeroplanes

for the pilot and his survival gear

and, in a properly-shaped tank

that have flown nonstop around

and other life-support equipment

or collection of tanks, would

the world – Voyager and Global

like sandwiches, 2,200 pounds

obviously fit in a four-seat cabin

Flyer – both had very large

of fuel turns out to be about

next to, and behind, the pilot.

wingspans, with sailplane-like

right.

Setting human endurance

L/D ratios above 30. They

Lest it seem that extremely

aside – Dick Rutan and Jeana

also had unprecedented fuel

modern and sophisticated

Yeager’s nine-day Voyager

fractions. Nearly three-quarters

equipment is needed for such a

flight in 1986 showed it to be

of Voyager’s takeoff weight was

flight, let us not forget that way

almost limitless – the range of

fuel; of Global Flyer’s, more than

back in 1959 Max Conrad flew

an aeroplane is a function of

five-sixths.

7,668 sm from Casablanca to

its aerodynamic cleanness, the

The Lancair IV suffers, as

Los Angeles in a Comanche

efficiency of its power plant and

a long-range aeroplane, from

250 – against the prevailing

the fraction of its takeoff weight

a shortage of wingspan – its

wind. Then on 26 Dec 1964

that is fuel.

maximum L/D ratio probably

he improved on that by flying 7878sm from Cape Town to St Petersburg Florida USA, in a Twin Comanche.

Two concerns arise when a great deal of extra fuel must be packed into an aeroplane: structural strength and takeoff distance. Voyager and Global Flyer distributed their fuel spanwise and in outboard booms to relieve wing bending stresses. When you pack a lot of fuel into the fuselage of

Bill Harrelson in his tanked up Lancair.

a conventionally configured October 2020

19

aeroplane you increase the wing bending stresses

mainland Alaska to Japan, about 2,700 sm – in

a great deal. For special-purpose flying customary

the 1970s in a homebuilt with a wing area of 92

margins of safety are often ignored, however, and

square feet, a span of 23 feet, and a cruising L/D

you keep your fingers crossed that you won’t run

between 10 and 11. All of the fuel – 155 gallons

into severe turbulence.

– was carried outboard of mid-span. Despite a

Takeoff distance was a great problem during

takeoff weight of almost 2,900 pounds (and 500x5

the heyday of distance flying in the 1920s and

tires), a 210-hp Continental readily got us airborne

‘30s, when long paved runways were scarce

with a steady 500-fpm rate of climb. The most

and power loadings were high. Today it is not so Harrelson's polar route.

striking impression I remember is of the peculiar way the springiness of the wing, combined with the concentration of mass outboard at the start of the flights, caused the fuselage to bounce queasily up and down at the slightest disturbance.

On the other hand, things do sometimes go wrong on these overloaded takeoffs. Hans-Georg Schmid was a Swissair captain and distance-flying enthusiast who once flew around the world – not nonstop, of course – in his tanked-up Rutan Long-EZ, then immediately turned around and repeated the trip in the opposite direction. Talk about Sitzfleisch! In 2007 he attempted a flight from Basel, Switzerland to Oshkosh in a heavily modified Express 2000, a four-seat homebuilt broadly similar to the Lancair IV but with fixed gear. His takeoff weight was

difficult. With the Lancair’s 310-hp Continental,

more than half a ton greater than Harrelson’s. The

getting the 4,500-pound aeroplane up to

aeroplane became airborne but failed to climb,

rotation speed – somewhere north of 100 knots,

and it collided with a building a few miles from the

depending how cautious the pilot is feeling – on

runway, killing Schmid.

an unobstructed sea-level runway should require a roll of less than 4,000 feet.

20

Schmid’s flight to Oshkosh was intended as a shakedown cruise for a more ambitious scheme

With my pal Nancy Salter, I did some longish

he had in mind, that of flying around the world

flights – nothing like this, but one of them was from

by way of the poles. This is one of those “last

October 2020

remaining challenges” that always pops up after

has the advantage over Ushuaia-Perth of not

the previous last remaining challenge has been

requiring transit through China, Mongolia, and

disposed of, and Harrelson said, after his Guam

Siberia; but on the other hand the Cape Town

flight, that he intended to be the one to finally meet

route involves a dogleg to New Zealand, whereas

it. As far as I know, he has not yet done so.

the Ushuaia route can be an almost perfect great

As you discover when you turn to your globe

circle.

– the preferred tool for long distance flight

For pilots satisfied to overfly just one pole, a

fantasising – even an aeroplane with rather

flight from Barrow, Alaska to the Norwegian island

modest range, say 2,500 nm, can get from,

of Spitsbergen, or vice versa, requires a range

say, Hawaii to Cape Town by way of Alaska,

of only 1,900 nm, and has two other things to

Scandinavia, Europe and Africa.

recommend it. For one, the great circle passes

It’s here that trouble begins. There are airstrips

so close to the North Pole that almost no dogleg is required, so you get to visit the North Pole

Y OU GE T T O V I S I T T HE NOR T H P OL E NONCHA L A NT LY

nonchalantly, as it were. For another, you takeoff from, and land in, two places so distant from one another in imagination that you will feel you went much further, or faster, than you really did.

j

in Antarctica, but they don’t exactly invite transient

CUBBY

light aircraft. In fact, the obstacles to refueling in Antarctica – cost, weather, political sensitivities and general weirdness – are so daunting

RENEGADE KIT

that the ticket to a relatively hassle-free polar

Kit starting - R280,000 Factory Build Fly Away Starting at - R780,000

circumnavigation is to skip the place altogether.

To do so you need sufficient range for a nonstop flight from either Cape Town or Ushuaia, at the southernmost extremity of Argentina, to Australia or New Zealand. As it happens, the required range is about 7,000 nm – the same as the distance from Guam to Jacksonville.

Various teams claim to have done the polar circumnavigation already, but if you examine their routes you will balk at their claims. For my money, a true polar circumnavigation of the Earth ought from a great circle. Of the two routes that I regard as fulfilling this requirement, Hawaii-Cape Town

SA Flyer 2020|10

not to deviate by more than a few thousand miles Jean Crous, 0726716240 cubbyaircraftfactory@gmail.com

October 2020

21

PLANE TALK - JIM DAVIS

PA X P E T S OR P E S T S ?

WHEN YOU LOOK AT A BUNCH OF PAX - THOSE HAPPY SMILING PEOPLE WHO TAKE SELFIES BEFORE THE FLIGHT – YOU WOULD DO WELL TO REGARD THEM WITH MUCH SUSPICION. THEY ARE THE ENEMY.

ANY one of them, even the smallest and mildest

scale will lie to you about the weight of their

is capable of killing you. The things to watch

luggage so as not to upset you. While those who

out for are: unimaginable stupidity, plus any one

are disagreeable may try to bully you into doing

or more of the following characteristics which

things you know are unwise.

psychologists call the Big Five. Psycho theory reckons that personality can be boiled down to

do the least damage when they have a panic

five core factors, known by the acronym CANOE.

attack.

This means that all your pax, plus yourself,

Pax who are strong on Openness to

will have a score in each of the following

Experience are the parachutists and bungee-

categories.

jumpers of this world. They are the ones who,

1. Conscientiousness

while flying across the desert, will grab your arm

2. Agreeableness

and, with a sparkle in their eyes, suggest landing

3. Neuroticism

on that pan and camping under the wing for the

4. Openness to Experience

night. They are very persuasive and huge fun to

5. Extraversion

be with, but their ideas call for deep scrutiny.

We’ll have a quick look at them in that sequence: If a passenger is low on conscientiousness

Those at either end of the extraversion scale are also a potential liability. Aunt Minnie won’t tell you about the oil streaming from your left engine

do not trust them to even put on their seatbelt

because it’s not her business. While big, back-

properly.

slapping, boisterous Bert will arrive with half a

Ones who are high on the agreeableness

22

Neurotic pax are best seated where they can

October 2020

dozen cases of Black Label. Apart from taking

October 2020

23

I will explain them all, but let’s deal with the briefing first, because that’s the one you have complete control over. It’s particularly important with tandem cockpits where you can’t see what the enemy is fiddling with. And strangely, the trouble is most likely to come from the people you would least expect – other pilots. Trust them at your peril.

I was flying Leon Pappas, the new owner of The Dassault Rafale is a scary plane to be an unwilling passenger in.

to Phalaborwa. It was a fine day and we were enjoying the sight of hippos, elephants and buffalo.

you over gross weight, he will get everyone stuck

Although Leon was a pilot, and the new owner of

into the booze before you reach the holding point.

the Tiger, he had never even sat in one before. We

I know I am making light of this – but I really shouldn’t, because pax and low hour pupils have a surprising gift for anarchy – even without touching the controls.

You have three main lines of defence against them:

had collected it from its previous owner and were ferrying it back to base.

It suddenly occurred to me that Leon might like to do a bit of poling, so I handed it over to him with minimal instruction.

After a few minutes he complained that the

1. Brief them properly.

aircraft felt a bit nose heavy. No problem, I told

2. Treat them like talking cargo.

him to move the trim lever next to his left leg back

3. Don’t trust the buggers.

a notch or two. I watched the interconnected lever

The 3.7G pull up gave the passenger such a fright he accidently banged out.

24

a Tiger Moth, across the lowveld on our way

October 2020

in my cockpit and nothing happened.

He soon reported that the trim didn’t make any

make an engine start running after it has stopped.

Carb heat is automatic, so there is nothing to do

difference. I rather sarcastically pointed out that

there. And so is mixture richening. There’s no

it only makes a difference if you actually move it.

electric fuel pump – in fact there is no electricity –

Again I explained what to do and again I watched

no alternator, no battery, no starter, no lights – no

my trim lever. It didn’t even twitch. So we began a

nothing like that in the cockpit.

discussion on this interesting topic, and while we were doing so the engine stopped.

Aussies have a name for hostile territory –

The only electrical switches are external – four big brass magneto switches on the outside of the fuselage – two for the front cockpit and two for the

the sort of place where you would really, really

rear. They should all be pointing up, and it was the

like the engine to keep running. One thinks of

work of a moment to glance outside and confirm

mountainous areas, large expenses of water and

that this was indeed the case.

As there is only one fuel tank there is no need

The retiring 'grand fromage' businessman had the unexpected ride of a lifetime.

for a fuel selector – but there is an on/off lever – and that is located… you’ve got it in one – it’s near your left leg.

And so we regained our dignity and chuntered on to Phalaborwa, both a little stronger on the subject of preflight briefings.

But, of course it gets a lot worse than that. ***** In March last year a 64 year old Frenchman whom we will call Monsieur Retraité because the accident report doesn’t give his name, and refers to him only as a retiree, accidentally pinged himself out of a jet fighter.

It seems that Monsieur Retraité was ‘Le Grand Fromage’ - an extremely important personage, he

craggy boulder filled country, and of course places

was the boss-man of a contractor to the French

where wild animals roam. They call such territory

defence force. He had worked there for the past

‘Tiger Country’.

30 years. Upon his retirement, instead of slipping

Now, as far as I know, Kruger is a little short on actual tigers, but there is an abundance of the sort of animals that one would prefer not to be

him the customary gold watch, his colleagues decided to organise a surprise flight.

This was a pity because, had they consulted

amongst, and where we would soon be unless we

M. Retraité, he would have taken the gold watch

could repair the engine in the next two minutes.

like a shot. If there was one thing he really did not

For those who have not experienced the joys

want to do, it was to be flung around the sky in a

of Tiger flying I should explain that there are very

bloody jet fighter. An evening potter over fields of

few things to fiddle with in the cockpit that might

daisies and contented cows in a Piper Cub would October 2020

25

The rear cockpit of the L-29 Delfin with the horizontal instrument switch arrowed.

have suited his gentle nature far better, thank you very much.

surprise until the moment of

In a slightly watered down

the flight,’ had highly risky

But no, his team-mates had

protest, M. Retraité declared

consequences, especially

gone to considerable trouble to

that he really did not want to

as regards ‘preparation for

organise for him to be tossed

fly in the damn thing – he was

the flight’. This situation

about the atmosphere like a cat

frankly scared of it. I report

generated a feeling of stress

in a tumble drier in a thing called

that his opposition to the flight

for the passenger, and this

a Rafale-B.

was ‘slightly watered down’

was particularly felt during the

because he was a gentleman

ejection seat briefing where he

was either, but it turns out to

and sportingly didn’t want to

had to assimilate a large amount

be a pretty snazzy lump of

offend all those who had gone

of information in a very short

machinery made by Dassault. It

to so much trouble to organise

time. In addition, the stress of

costs a cool £70 million. It goes

it. Nonetheless he said he didn’t

surprise has been magnified

at almost twice the speed of

want to go. But his benefactors

by the complete lack of military

sound, is stressed to +9G, and

outvoted him.

aviation experience.

No, I didn’t know what it

will climb at a staggering 60,000

Because the flight was to

‘The passenger said he had

ft/min. This is pretty impressive

be a surprise no one wanted

a complete lack of knowledge

when you consider that if it

him to have time to get scared,

of the aeronautical environment

were to takeoff at the same

so briefing time was cut to the

and its constraints, having never

time as a Saturn V rocket, the

minimum. The official report

flown on a military aircraft.’

fighter would be passing 60,000

says:

ft while the rocket would be

26

struggling towards 20,000 ft.

October 2020

‘The need to keep the

After takeoff from the Saint-Dizier Air Force base in

north-west France, instead of

remained aboard and gently

going to a sedate 10-15 degree

guided his ship back to base,

nose high attitude that one is

not knowing whether Messrs

military procedure, I feel it’s only

accustomed to in a commercial

Martin and Baker were planning

good airmanship to welcome

airliner, the pilot yanked the

to fling him into the slipstream at

your pax aboard, explain what’s

nose to a horrifying 47 degrees

any moment.

going to happen, and give them

above the horizon.

Monsieur Retraité nearly shat

But, coming back to earth, so

onto.

Although it may not be

a couple of tips. In this case

to speak, we were talking about

l’aviateur preferred to leave

himself. He panicked, screamed

briefings. I understand that the

such niceties to his incompetent

and grabbed for anything he

French, in common with many

subordinate.

could find to support himself.

other air forces, keep a special

Unfortunately, the thing that fell

ground crew member who is

much to say on this subject,

comfortably to hand was the

meant to strap pax in and brief

and did a fair amount of finger

Martin Baker Mk16F ejection

them. Obviously this citizen

wagging.

seat handle.

wasn’t really up to job. The poor

THERE WERE TWO LOUD TWO BANGS AND HE WAS GONE

The court of enquiry had

*****

Even without doing aerobatics the pax must be briefed on what bits you shouldn’t fiddle with.

About 16 years ago in South Africa, ‘uber air show pilot’ Larry Beamish was No.4 at the back of a diamond formation of L29s, or Delfins, known as the Sasol Flying Tigers. They were

At 2,500 ft there were

pax’s helmet wasn’t tied on, his

ferrying the four jets back from

two loud two bangs and he

straps were loose, his G suit

Port Elizabeth and were over

was gone. The first took the

wasn’t on properly, and he had

the wide open farmlands of the

canopy off and the second

no idea what to expect.

southern Free State.

hurled Monsieur Retraité into

One of the most important

Suddenly Larry felt the

the cold blast of air outside

parts of a pre-aerobatic brief

aircraft jump vertically upwards.

the aeroplane. His helmet was

is to make sure the pax knows

He immediately dropped out

ripped off, because it hadn’t

what to do with his hands and

of the formation. When you

been attached to him properly.

feet. Obviously he will want to

are cruising at over 400 mph a

hang on to something – with

few feet away from three other

third bang which was meant to

negative G your limbs are

aircraft you can do without

bung the pilot out as well. But

inclined to flail, and there are

wobbly handling.

for reasons unknown the third

an awful lot of things you simply

bang failed to happen. The pilot

must not hang on to – or flail

There should have been a

Once clear, he started looking for the trouble and it October 2020

27

didn’t take long to find – the two under-wing drop-

tanks you have to deliberately break the wire, flip

tanks had departed.

the guard out of the way and then operate the

Now, these things don’t just fall off, they are very firmly attached. Each one holds 150 litres of

switch.

This is not the sort of thing that can happen

fuel – that’s ¾ of a drum. Looking at it another way

accidentally, it’s also not the sort of thing one

– in round figures each litre will take you about

would expect a passenger to do. But since this

one kilometre. So when the tanks are full they give

discussion is about pax being a potential pest, I

you an extra 300 km – close to 200 miles.

will leave you to guess what Larry’s passenger – a

Besides which, if they just dropped off whenever they felt like it, sooner or later someone on the ground would get beaned. To prevent

somewhat brash civilian magazine editor who fits the e of CANOE – actually did.

It seems this chap, who had bagged a ride back from an airshow, was in the rear cockpit

drop-tanks is not only protected by a red painted

and getting a bit bored with his jet formation

guard, but the guard is actually held in place by

ride. So he complained to Larry that some of his

a piece of copper locking wire. To get rid of the

instruments weren’t working. Larry explained that

Daniel Rybka

inadvertent jettisoning, the switch that drops the

The drop tank switch against the cockpit sidewall - and

coveredOctober with a security 28 2020 guard that is wired closed.

on the bottom right hand side of the instrument

Now, if you sit behind the co-pilot in one

panel there’s a silver switch that works

of these splendid aeroplanes and put your

horizontally. All the pax had to do was to move

hand down in front of the seat you will feel a

it to the right and the instruments would spring

little, spring-loaded, plastic hatch cover which

to life.

conceals a lever that can do at least as much

Need I say more? ***** And one more story; remember I said at the beginning that even the smallest and seemingly most harmless human being should

damage as a drop-tank jettison switch.

So, instead of putting your hand down there why not put your vile toddler there to play on the floor near your feet, and see what happens?

In order to give you a hint I need to sidetrack

be regarded with suspicion? Well I did – and let

slightly. You know that I am a dedicated Piper

me tell you why.

fan, but I am also scrupulously fair in my

Imagine that you are flying a Cherokee 235, or one of the Cherokee Six variants, and your friend, with his beautiful young wife and their

IT SQUIRTS FUEL, COMPLETE WITH CONTAMINANTS, STRAIGHT INTO YOUR SHOE

criticism of all light aircraft – regardless of their pedigree.

When you preflight a Cherokee you have to do a bit of crouching and bending to get to the fuel drains under the wings, but the drain on the left side of engine cowling could hardly be more convenient. You draw your sample and check for water, colour, crud and smell.

And you can clearly see when the drain switches off properly.

On a Cessna they think they are making fuel sampling easy for you by putting a square shaped white knob next to the place

2-year-old infant are coming for the ride. Your

you check the oil. All you have to do is pull

mate takes the right hand front seat and this

the knob and it squirts fuel, complete with

angelic, Madonna-like mother and child combo

contaminants, straight into your shoe. Worse

sit behind him.

still, there’s no positive indication that the damn

You know how young mothers in

thing has finished draining when you let the

supermarkets have this vague, slightly smiling,

white knob spring back. It could have stopped

almost bovine aura about them? They are in

draining because the fuel is switched off in the

another, pink, candy-puff world. They don’t

cockpit.

notice when their toddler pulls down a display

Not only is this a bad system but it can easily

of 500 cans of Bratto ‘the supplement no child

cause a fire – and has done so on a number

should be without’. As the tins clatter around

of occasions. The fuel that misses your shoe

them, they are oblivious of the day to day stuff.

forms a puddle pretty much directly under the

They constitute a walking nightmare.

exhaust pipe.

October 2020

29

Piper viewed this problem, and then took the whole fuel-draining experience to a new level.

“Why grovel around outside” they said, “when you can do the complete operation from the comfort of the cockpit?”

This could be a wonderful idea – but it isn’t. The whole point of draining fuel is for you, the supreme commander of all you survey, to be able to look at it and see if it contains the good things and not the bad stuff. So, if you are just going to dump the whole lot on the tarmac without looking at it – you have pretty much achieved nothing – other than melt a part of the hard stand. The only thing Piper

The fuel drain switch behind the spar on the Cherokee 6 family.

got right is that the puddle of fuel is a lot further away from the exhaust.

Anyhow the system they devised for the 235 and the PA32 variants works like this. You get yourself comfortably settled in the left hand seat.

You then select each tank one at a time and drain it onto the ground. And how do you actually drain

and toddlers.

This is not just theory, it has brought several of

it? Well you reach back to a spot low down just

these aircraft to their knees. There are even ADs

in front of the right hand passenger seat and flip

about it, but none of them is truly pax or brat-proof.

open a little plastic cover and lift the lever with one finger.

w w w.saflyer.com 30

The system is an absolute delight for fiddlers

October 2020

I have plenty more to tell you about pax, but

j

that will have to wait until next month.

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October 2020

31

DASSIE PERSAUD-VAN DER WESTHUIZEN

WHO IS

S TA R B UCK S ?

They have even made a TV series on 'Trolley Dollies'.

32

October 2020

‘DON’T BECOME A FLIGHT ATTENDANT,’ SAID EVERY PILOT GIVING ME CAREER ADVICE. I DIDN’T HEED THEIR WARNINGS. ‘DON’T BECOME A PILOT,’ INSTRUCTED ALMOST EVERY FLIGHT ATTENDANT DURING MY CAREER IN THE CABIN.

Dassie doesn't like to remember it, but she paid her way through flight school on her earnings as a flight attendant with Etihad.

I wondered what pilots and flight attendants have

by human factors - was therefore developed and

against each other. It didn’t take me long to solve

focussed solely on addressing mishaps caused by

this mystery; a Captain (who we had never met)

pilots. The first step involved breaking the news to

broke the ice in one of my first briefings full of

Captains that they were not gods. And once the

strangers by asking what became a typical pre-

shock wore off, pilots were encouraged to develop

flight question: ‘Who is Starbucks today?’

interpersonal skills for clearer communication.

So, let’s cut through stereotypes and ask

While this training did the world of good for

ourselves whether pilots and flight attendants

pilots (it reduced the likelihood of succumbing

value each other as colleagues and whether they

to avoidable human-induced accidents, such as

work well together? The answer isn’t straight

running out of fuel instead of openly addressing

forward - the plethora of trial and error approaches

the problem with a Captain who realised that

to creating a safe environment onboard is a tribute

he was neither all-knowing nor all-powerful), it

to this. And as more airlines (such as those in the

excluded flight attendants.

Middle East) become multicultural, the need to find common ground between the flight deck and cabin crew has grown into a more pressing matter.

AFT OF THE FLIGHT DECK DOOR ‘What about us? We’re also part of the team!’ objected the ladies working in the cabin. It

THE GOD COMPLEX After findings from a series of air crash

seems like the answer was ‘no’ for quite some time. The division between flight attendants

investigations between the 1940s and 1980s

and pilots widened and I imagine that carefully

indicated human error as the leading cause,

planned moments of revenge were executed to

airlines noticed that pilots lack interpersonal skills.

put pilots in their place - perhaps in the form of a

They ‘may fly a perfect instrument approach but

lukewarm coffee with one sugar instead of two.

cannot work in an interactive environment to

More significantly, since flight attendants felt that

effectively accomplish a task’. Cockpit Resource

their input was unwelcome, history books include

Management (CRM) - specialised training

fatal crashes that could have been avoided if the

designed to prevent aviation accidents caused

crew dynamic had been more inclusive. The 1989

www.saflyer.com

October 2020

33

Air Ontario crash is a classic

focussing on passenger

identified as a three-tier concept;

example: Flight attendants were

communication - exacerbated

national (including ‘behavioural

aware of ice on the wings but

feelings of separation.

norms, attitudes and values that

failed to inform the pilots.

‘Cockpit’ Resource

Despite changes to the CRM

represent the shared components

name and audience, pilots and

of national heritage’), professional

Management was therefore

flight attendants were generally

(‘the feelings of responsibility

scrapped and redubbed as ‘Crew’

separated during training,

and dedication to executing one’s

Resource Management and

occasionally (if ever) coming

job as effectively as possible’)

broadened to include training for

together for simulated emergency

and organisational (‘how the

all parties involved in the safety of

procedures. It became evident

organisation influences people

the flight - pilots, flight attendants,

that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach

through formal and informal

mechanics, flight dispatchers etc.

to airline CRM training could not

policies and behaviour’). CRM

The relationship between pilots

be adopted. For example, the

training needed to bridge the gap

and flight attendants improved

American crew’s shortcomings

between all three tiers.

Was it possible to combat inflight threats on days when ‘the only common ground that the crew members have is the job at hand?’ Could we convince an A320 crew comprising Svetlana from Russia, Fatima from Morocco, Prianka from India, John from the UK, Sipho

CRM studies recognise that flight attendants are not 'Trolley dollies' but key members of a CRM team.

from Argentina to put aside their differences to understand each other while dealing with an in-

as there was a layer of newfound

at Delta differed from that of

respect for each other’s jobs:

Japanese ANA flight crew as

cabin crew were now the ‘eyes

a result of their vastly different

FINDING A SOLUTION

and ears’ of the pilots in the

cultures. So, airlines were given

WASN’T EASY.

back of the aircraft. Yet the

the freedom to develop CRM

rivalry between pilots and flight

courses that suited their needs.

attendants was far from settled.

The division of genders on each side of the flight deck door and

34

from South Africa and Valentina

flight emergency?

The first means of addressing this multicultural challenge involved enforcing standardised

THE MULTICULTURAL SHIFT The emergence of modern

aviation terminologies - such as referring to stations and door

the differences of the nature of

multicultural airlines rattled

positions in the cabin or using

their jobs - pilots being technically

the world of CRM once again.

the standard call-outs in the flight

focused whereas cabin crew

By now, ‘culture’ was broadly

deck. (My asking a British co-pilot

October 2020

www.saflyer.com

to rather start the APU ‘now now’ instead of ‘now’

on the other side of the flight deck does in their

to save fuel, as I did in my MCC/JOC course, is

role; ‘Why do they get paid so much to push the

a classic example of cultural differences causing

autopilot button?’ wonder the flight attendants.

misunderstandings when not sticking to standard

‘How hard can it be to make a cup of coffee?’

call-outs). Advancements in technology - which

question the pilots. In the same way that a pilot

reduced workload in flight - was also a step in the

doesn’t know the struggle involved in dealing

right direction. Yet, despite these efforts and the

with an unreasonable passenger who is crying

subsequent progress, the divide between flight

because they didn’t get a chicken meal, a flight

attendants and pilots remained and it continued to

attendant cannot conceive of the challenges

cast a dark shadow over the momentum gained

involved in navigating through a thunderstorm with

from human factors developments. The tension

turbulence.

could no longer go on unaddressed.

So, how are some of these differences resolved?

COMING TOGETHER It became time to address the elephant in the

asking a cabin crew member what their name is instead of asking who the Starbucks is

Through mixed CRM training. Instead of training pilots and flight attendants separately, bringing them together allows the crew to learn about the roles on either side of the flight deck door. This opportunity to interact for more than a few minutes in the briefing room breaks down barriers. Openly discussing challenges faced on the job allows for insights into the different roles and simulating scenarios creates opportunities for cooperation and teamwork - both essential for safety onboard.

The good news is that many airlines have

room and so the reasons for the cabin crew vs.

already shifted to this form of training. So perhaps

pilot rivalry were finally explored. The findings

the hard work is already done. Maybe the only

were simple: pilots and flight attendants trained

step left is to tweak the edges - to examine how

separately and had different personality types. In

we talk to each other so each crew member

major multicultural airlines the crew are strangers

is respected, whether they’re a pilot or a flight

and meet for the first time in the briefing room.

attendant. For example, asking a cabin crew

Pilots interact with the cabin crew for a few

member what their name is instead of asking who

minutes while briefing, then lock themselves

the Starbucks is, is a better note to start a flight

behind a bulletproof door. Onboard, most

on. And I’m sure that once we have these edges

communication with the flight deck is achieved via

smoothed out, working together will be enjoyable

an impersonal interphone.

(and safer) for all.

j

In short, each set of crew operates in their own territory. They are left to use their wildest imaginations when wondering what the crew October 2020

35

HELI OPS: GEORGE TONKING

DI F F ER ENT R OUT E S T OWA R DS A C OMMON

Dream

EVER SINCE IGOR SIKORSKY FLEW THE FIRST HELICOPTER ON 14 SEPTEMBER 1939, THERE HAS BEEN A NATURAL ONE-UPMANSHIP RIVALRY BETWEEN THE ‘SWING WING’ AND THE ‘PLANK’ DRIVERS. IT RESONATES WITH THE MORE CONTEMPORARY RIVALRIES SUCH AS THOSE BETWEEN APPLE VS ANDROID, NIKON VS CANON AND BMW VS MERC.

I have to somewhat coyly admit that I have not

but blossomed into completely different flying

allowed myself to be dragged into this point

disciplines.

scoring rivalry. It’s probably due to my longstanding friendship with a plank driver: Peter

can remember, I wanted to become a pilot. I built

John (PJ) Norden.

many model planes and had a stack of Biggles

Our journeys into aviation began as teenagers

books, which I devoured. At every opportunity I

attending Pretoria Boys High in the 1990s. It was

would try to catch a glimpse of aircraft, whether

then that we discovered that we both loved flying

on TV or flying overhead my home. In my Form

and we became firm friends while launching our

One year (Grade 8) at Boys High, John Illsley,

home-built Goldberg radio-controlled gliders on

one of our teachers, started the Aeronautical

the school’s cricket and rugby fields. We were

Society. Talk about sheer bliss for a flying-

living the dream.

mad school boy! That’s where I met George

Little did we know how much bigger that dream would become.

This month PJ and I will tell the story of two career paths that started with a similar vision,

36

PJ says about his flying journey; “Ever since I

October 2020

and found in him a kindred spirit for anything aeronautical. As George said, we spent many wonderful Pretoria afternoons flying our RC gliders at the school.

PJ Norden and George Tonking with the PBHS Aeronautical Society in 1995 with the Red Arrows.

machines with such precision, just a few metres away from us.

That experience galvanised my resolve to join the Air Force and to become a fighter pilot.

Come my Matric year, I applied for the SAAF pilots’ course, along with thousands of other hopeful young men and women. After a few months, I received my results. I had only made it to number 10 on the

Then, in my third year of

event, but en-route to a training

high school, the Aeronautical

exercise, a flight of 1 Squadron

Society went on a flip in the

F1 Mirages formated on the

Becoming a pilot would just take slightly longer than anticipated SA Air Force’s Boeing 707

707 and actually conducted

Air-to-Air refuelling tanker.

air-to-air refuelling. I watched

We thought that was the main

in awe of the pilots flying those

reserve list, with 70 positions filled ahead of me. I was disappointed (but not deterred).

Becoming a pilot would just take slightly longer than anticipated, I figured.

The year after Matric, I did a gap year at a bible school and reapplied for pilot selection.

The second time around, my application was successful and I was drafted into the Air Force in January 1999.

My first year in the military was taken up by basic training

PJ Norden getting to experience a F1 Mirage refueling from inside a Boeing 707.

and the officers’ course in Pretoria, followed by the ground phase of pilot training at Central Flying School, AFB Langebaanweg. The second year saw the business-end of the course, with flying training conducted on the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II Astra. The course was broken up into different phases of general

October 2020

37

Christo Crous

Tight formation in a Hawk.

and instrument flying, followed by formation flying, low level and medium level navigation.

to AFB Langebaanweg, then on to 2 Squadron,

After completing the pilots’ course, I was posted

AFB Makhado, for an operational refresher on the

to 85 Combat Flying School (85 CFS) at AFB

Cheetah D, before settling at 85 CFS. I met my

Hoedspruit to undergo operational training on the

wife, Amelia, during this time and consider finding

Impala Mk I and Mk II. It was a really great time

her to be one of the most important reasons I am

but also intensely challenging. Part of operational

where I am today. Being married to a pilot means

training involved weapons aspects, which were

being married to the whole aviation package that

flown dry in the Mk I with an instructor. It was a

comes with him or her. For us as a couple, that

surreal experience to then climb into the single

meant being posted to the far reaches of the

seat Impala Mk II to deliver live weapons for the

country or the world, as well as Amelia having

first time. I still remember every sensation and

to deal with domestic crises without my help

smell as I squeezed the trigger on the control

whenever I was away on trips. She has been a

column, bringing the 30 mm cannon to life. I felt its

rock throughout.

vibration on the airframe and smelt the burnt nitro-

38

Over the next several years, I was posted back

In 2015, I was privileged to be the solo display

glycerine filter into the cockpit. I looked through

pilot for 85 CFS in the Hawk. That season, I took

the gun sight to see if I had any hits in the ‘sack’

part in Africa Aerospace and Defence in the solo

and started pulling out all in one seamless ritual.

display and Hawk four-ship display. I also flew a

Before I could pinch myself, the firing pass was

few other regional displays, all of which were a

over… Absolutely exhilarating!

major highlight of my Air Force career.

October 2020

Another highlight was the fact

the flight deck in Hong Kong,

at the psychometric evaluation

that I was able to sow back into

sunrise on New Year’s Day over

stage. However, I never lost

my alma mater’s aeronautical

the Pacific Ocean and then

my love of flying. I had been

society, both by organising for

sunset on New Year’s Eve again

working in the motorcycle

them to visit AFB Makhado, and

as we descended into San

industry for several years when

by being invited to speak a few

Francisco after having flown

some wise advice from friends

times at the society’s meetings.

over the international date line

saw me make the transition from

How amazing to see other

…

model aircraft to the real deal,

youngsters, much like I was once, becoming enthused and

Despite the many challenges we face because of the

training to be a pilot in a Cessna C172 at Grand Central Airport.

nurturing a vision to one day fly themselves!

After 17 years of Air Force life, I moved on to fly for Cathay Pacific, based in Hong Kong. On completion of initial training in Adelaide, Australia, I underwent the Second Officer conversion onto the Airbus A330 in Hong Kong and in 2017, I completed First Officer conversion on the A330. Regional operations in the A330 were never dull. Thunderstorm activity, typhoons, wind shear events and congested airports always

PJ as an A350 co-joe for Cathay Pacific.

kept work interesting, to say the least.

A year after I started A330

Coronavirus pandemic, I do look

Typically, the most restrictive

forward to many years of living

part of getting into a civilian

regional operations I got the

the dream that was birthed in

flying career is the cost of

opportunity to convert on the

my high school years!”

flight training. This hurdle was

Airbus A350, which saw me flying into some of the most iconic destinations in North

Back to my (George’s) story now.

PJ began his aviation career

overcome with the help of a generous inheritance after the passing of my mother, who had,

America and Europe. On one

a year after matriculating, but

incidentally, always encouraged

such trip, I was rostered for a

I had to wait until I was nearly

me to pursue a career in flying.

flight to San Francisco on New

thirty before I started flying. I too

Year’s Eve. We watched the

had applied to the SAAF after

Private Pilot Licence in 2008

sunset on New Year’s Eve from

school, only to be turned down

and started ground school to

I qualified with a fixed wing

October 2020

39

write my Commercial Licence. During this time, a friend in the industry suggested that I complete a 100-hour commercial helicopter license, in order to broaden my job prospects. After calculating the cost, I went for an intro flight in a Robinson R22, and never looked back. Within a year I was qualified as both a commercial fixed-wing and helicopter pilot.

I soon found a job on a Cessna C208 Caravan

ONE THING HAS SURVIVED THE TEST OF TIME, AND THAT’S OUR RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER

PJ flying with me on a visit to South Africa from Hong Kong.

Along the way, I too have had the privilege of encouraging many Boys High Aeronautical Society members. Countless friends have been made on my flying missions, with one of the after converting to the type. This lasted until I

closest, despite the fact that he’s a plank pilot,

managed to get a seat with Netstar, flying on a

being PJ. We may be worlds’ apart geographically

vehicle-tracking contract in the Robinson R44.

and in the types of machines we fly, but one

After about a year gaining experience in the R44,

thing has survived the test of time, and that’s our

I went for a job interview which I never imagined

respect for each other.

would lead to a 10-year career (at time of writing)

40

PJ and I took different roads in pursuing our

with Bidvest Protea Coin, becoming point man for

common dream to become pilots. We have had

their burgeoning air support operations. A further

very different experiences along the way, but

10 aircraft types have been added to my logbook

hopefully our stories will encourage some intrepid

along with 5,000 hours (including 600 night-hours)

youngsters out there to run hard after your

in the air.

dreams; to fly – regardless of the obstacles.

October 2020

j

STINSON 108-1

for sale

A vintage classic for sale. Manufactured post WW2 by the Stinson Aircraft Company in Wayne, Michigan, USA. The development of the MODEL 108 was a general aviation improvement on the pre-war model 10A Voyager. The Stinson 108 was a highly successful and popular production aircraft of which 5260 units came off the production line between 1946 to 1949. There are still 2500 still flying today.

This immaculate example ZS-WGF was produced in 1946 as a model 108-1, originally leaving the Wayne factory with a 150HP FRANKLIN power plant which was upgraded to the 165HP FRANKLIN 6 cylinder horizontally opposed unit during its distinguished life time. In 1949 Stinson sold its remaining stock of 325 aircraft to the Piper Aircraft Company who sold these classics off under the trade name Piper Stinson.

Founder Edward “Eddie” Stinson born 1893 learnt to fly at the Wright Brother School of Aviation becoming a renowned aerobatic pilot and aircraft designer. His “Twin Stinson” later become known as the “Piper Apache”. Piper sold the type certificate to Univair who continue ownership and supply of parts in modern times.

ASKING PRICE R520 000-00

Total time since overhaul 279 hours Classic 4 seater Type certified ZS-WGF King radio and transponder equipped 4 station intercom Tubular frame and fabric covered fuselage Aluminium tail fin, elevator, ailerons, flaps and cowling X-rayed 2016 and due again in 2021 Mc Cauley prop overhauled in 2016 and due again in 2022 Price includes a spare disassembled 165HP motor and a Mc Cauley cruise prop.

Aircraft will be sold with a fresh MPI

To view and for further information contact Paul Cormack 079 791 8692 or email paulcormack69@gmail.com This aircraft is hangered at Wings Park, East London. There are two Grade 2 instructors rated and available for differences training and /or a rating on this unique tail dragger.

October 2020

41

A SLIM LOGBOOK - JOHAN WALDEN

Christmas Tree

I’D SEEN MANY PICTURES OF NIGHT LANDINGS ON THE INTERNET AND WONDERED WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE HURTLING TOWARD A DAZZLING ARRAY OF APPROACH LIGHTS IN THE PITCH BLACK. AFTER TEN GRUELLING HOURS OF INSTRUMENT TRAINING FOR MY NIGHT RATING, I WAS ABOUT TO FIND OUT.

FOR the past ten hours of my young flying

walked over to the hangar where ZS-IRA waited.

career, I’d been flying a Cessna 172 whilst

It felt strange to be at the airfield so late and to

wearing a pair of ‘foggles’ which blocked out

feel the cool evening air on my face for a change.

my peripheral vision. This was so that I could

It was calm and relaxing.

practise flying the aircraft without any outside reference to the horizon – all I had were the

items in my pre-flight checks: the red cockpit lights

flight instruments. I learned to do stalls, timed

were working, and we each had our own torches

turns, recovery from spiral dives and many other

in case the “Grinch stole Christmas” and all our

manoeuvres while flying like this. It took a lot

lights went ‘zap’. The landing light was especially

of practise, but eventually I could do it without

important tonight as it would help me judge the

making things too exciting for my instructor.

landing height.

Because I flew wearing ‘foggles’, we were

Our flight was a short hop over to Cape Town

able to do all the exercises during the daytime.

International where we would do circuit training.

But some things just can’t be simulated, and night

By the time we lined up for takeoff the sun had

landings is one of them.

already set and official night was a few minutes

Finally the day came when it was time to leave the ‘foggles’ behind and go flying at night for the first time. I eagerly arrived at Morningstar and

42

I prepared the C172 and included a few extra

October 2020

away. Even after the sun had set there was still plenty of colourful light hanging in the air – dusk.

As I lowered the nose a little during climb-out,

I saw the shimmering lights of

instruments. The horizon was

to fade and the first stars peeped

Cape Town ahead and the fiery

crisp and visual cues plenty, so

out. We were cleared inbound, so

sunset clouds over the sea to

I spent most of the time head up

I started searching for the airport.

my right. We were in a different

instead.

During the day I would’ve looked

world.

We turned over the bay and

for the give-away radar tower in

towards

headed toward Ysterplaat to join

the shape of a giant golf ball. But

levelled

the VFR arrival route into Cape

it was nowhere to be seen. Cape

off at 1500ft. In all the previous

Town. The air was smooth, traffic

Town was a sea of light, except

exercises I’d flown completely on

was quiet... and for once I wasn’t

for a large rectangular ‘black

instruments. So I wondered how

hot. This was nice, very nice. All

hole’ smack in the middle. So I

I was supposed to combine the

around were lights, except for

aimed at that, until a short while

instrument scan and the ‘visual

a black diamond shape on our

later I could just make out the

part’ of night flying – looking

left with Ysterplaat’s lit runway in

main terminal.

outside. But the transition was

the middle. Table Mountain and

Everything was opposite – I

natural. A nice scan over the

Devil’s Peak loomed darkly on

was looking for an absence of

glittering city and across the

our right.

features to identify landmarks.

I

turned

Bloubergstrand

and

bay, then back inside at the

The colours in the sky began

By now the sky was pitch-

I was in a new world.

October 2020

43

black, and the cockpit quite dark except for

on the correct approach angle. If I dropped low it

the dim glow of red light. We joined the circuit

showed one white and three reds, and finally all

for Runway 19 and did the downwind checks.

four reds if I went even lower. Likewise if I was

I flew parallel to the dark rectangle, but it was

too high they would start turning white until all

extremely difficult to identify the runway itself.

four were white.

The approach and runway lights are aimed to be

Once established on the PAPIs it was easy to

visible to an aircraft on the approach, not from the side.

The glittering city gave a crisp horizon to fly by.

There were also other lights scattered around that made it harder to pick out.

Once the airport was at our 4 o’clock position on our downwind leg, I spotted the approach lights leading up to the threshold. I started the descent and turned towards the runway.

I rolled out onto final with a glittering ‘Christmas tree’

I saw the Christmas tree for the first time.

spread out in front of me.

Cool!

In

our

instructor

briefings and

I

my had

discussed the ‘black-hole effect’ – caused by a lit runway against a very dark featureless With

the

background. absence

of

surrounding visual cues it

44

can create the illusion of being too high, resulting

fly the approach with minor adjustments in power

in a lower than normal approach. Fortunately

while the brilliant threshold lights served up the

though, the airport designers at Cape Town had

runway to me. Eventually as the ground came up

thought of that.

to meet us, the PAPIs disappeared to my left and

Left of the runway, and about a quarter of the

it was time to look straight ahead for the flare. I

way down, I spotted the PAPI lights (Precision

raised the nose up to the horizon while keeping

Approach Path Indicator). The system has four

it in line with the centreline lights. I was surprised

lights; showing two white and two red when you’re

at how long it took before the landing light shone

October 2020

onto the runway, but once it did I saw that I was under-flared. So I eased it back a little more and waited for the “chirp, chirp” of the tyres.

We touched down quite smoothly on the mains before letting the nose-wheel down. I’d done it. My first night landing.

I raised the flaps and applied full power to take off again for another circuit. As I lifted the nose the lights suddenly dropped away beneath us and we entered an abyss. I could see nothing – this is what instruments are for. I immediately looked down at the Artificial and

Horizon

set

attitude, level. at

the

climb wings

A

glance airspeed

and I maintained runway

heading

on the Direction Indicator. By about

instructor said the next landing would be the last.

I touched down with a bounce and kept the speed up to reach the taxiway. I spotted the small yellow board glowing far ahead... and eventually the black “E” – Taxiway Echo. A set of green and amber ‘lead-off lights’ appeared on the runway, leading us off the centreline and onto the taxiway in a smooth curve. My instructor saw that I’d misjudged the speed and told me to get on the brakes if I was going to make the turn.

I slowed down and taxied onto Echo. As we

the lights suddenly dropped away beneath us and we entered an abyss

600 ft there was enough height to see the city properly and start flying visually once more.

Depth perception is a lot more difficult at night; on the next few landings I tended to under-flare a bit and land flat. But by the sixth time I’d got the hang of it!

Another issue with this whole new environment was spotting other aircraft in the circuit against the city lights. If I kept my gaze still for a few seconds it was sometimes

turned

the

landing light lit

up

grass

the on

the edge of the tar and I

realised

then just how easy it was to shoot off

the side of the taxiway if I was going too fast.

In the general aviation area, there were no more pretty lights to guide us. All we had was a pale yellow line to follow through the gloom. But the mood inside the cockpit was brighter; I’d been to another world tonight and seen things I’d never seen. A new place to explore, with new possibilities,

j

and new adventures. I’d seen the Christmas Tree.

The four PAPI lights on the left guided me down.

possible to spot the red pin light moving against the city. But once again depth perception was out the window – even a Boeing 737 on final looked like a C172.

I enjoyed every minute of our flight, but was glad when my October 2020

45

REGISTER REVIEW: RAY WATTS

S EP T EMB ER 2 0 2 0 LAST MONTH WE HAD A LOOK AT THE SAA FLEET (OR WHAT’S LEFT OF IT) AND I SAID THEN THAT WE’D LOOK AT THE OTHER AIRLINES OPERATING IN SOUTH AFRICA OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS – OR UNTIL THE CAA CAN AGAIN START SUPPLYING CURRENT AMENDMENTS TO THE REGISTER. IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING THAT THEY HAVEN’T PRODUCED ANY SINCE MARCH 2020.

THIS month we look at SA Airlink. This airline

were delivered from March 1995 to August 1995.

was formed in 1992 when the liquidated Link

These aircraft have served them well, and apart

Airways (including Lowveld Aviation Services,

from one that was lost on 27/9/2010 (ZS-NRM),

Magnum Airlines, Border Air and Citi Air) were

they are about to be retired this year after being

purchased. They joined SAA in a strategic

in service for twenty-five years.

alliance in 1997.

SA Airlink was the first airline to operate

airline very well is the Avro (BAe) 146-RJ85.

regular commercial flights to the island of St

Over the years they have operated a total of

Helena from 17 October 2017 on a once a week

twelve of these chubby airliners. They have now

schedule. They had done one flight before, on

also been phased out of service and are in the

3 May 2017, to pick up passengers who were

process of being sold.

stranded when the islands only contact with the

46

Another type of aircraft that has served the

SA Airlink’s current fleet consists of twenty-

outside world, the RMS St. Helena, suffered

seven Embraer 135s, three Embraer 170s and

propeller damage.

nine Embraer 190s. They also have two Cessna

Airlink began operations with a combined

208B Caravans on their fleet, which operate out

fleet of Piper Chieftains and Cessna 402s which

of Nelspruit carrying passengers to the various

they’d inherited from Link Airways. They ordered

game reserves around the area. There are

a fleet of eight BAe Jetstream 41s and these

another two aircraft that are in use: a Beech King

Airlink's first Embraer E-190.

October 2020

Airlink has been phasing out the Avro RJ-85s.

Airlink grew its business with the BAe Jetstream 41 - which was handed over when the Queen last visited South Africa in 1995.

One of Airlink's 27 ERJ 135s.

One of Airlink's two Cessna Caravans that service the Kruger Park game lodges.

Air 200 and a Beechjet 400.

Airlink route map.

Airlink currently operates to thirtynine destinations but is restricted to operating within the South African borders at the moment due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Let’s hope these restrictions get lifted soon so that they can resume their full services.

TAIL PIECE: On 15 August the first post Covid lockdown nav rally was held out of Brakpan airfield and was a great success. It was fantastic to be out and about on an airfield again after so long.

j October 2020

47

REGISTER REVIEW

SA Airlink fleet as at 1/5/2018 Reg ZS-ALF

48

Manufacturer EMBRAER

Model EMB-135 KL

FLY IN for breakfast, spa or stay-over.

We boast a 1300m tarred airstrip

OWNER

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

C/N

Notes

145544

ZS-ALG

EMBRAER

EMB-135 KL

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145624

ZS-ALJ

EMBRAER

EMB-135KL

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145579

ZS-ALL

EMBRAER

EMB-135 KL

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145538

ZS-ALM

EMBRAER

EMB-135 KL

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145543

ZS-ALN

EMBRAER

EMB-135 KL

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145613

ZS-ALO

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145569

ZS-ALP

EMBRAER

EMB-135KL

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145578

ZS-ALR

EMBRAER

EMB-135 KL

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145606

ZS-ALU

EMBRAER

EMB-135 KL

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145593

ZS-ALY

EMBRAER

EMB-145KL

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145619

ZS-OTM

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145485

ZS-OTN

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145491

ZS-OUV

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145493

ZS-SJX

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145428

ZS-SNV

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145551

ZS-SNW

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145720

ZS-SNX

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145620

ZS-SNZ

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145725

ZS-SUV

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145663

ZS-SWN

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145453

ZS-SWV

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145737

ZS-SYT

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145358

ZS-TCB

EMBRAER

EMB-135 ER

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145210

ZS-TCE

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145356

ZS-TFK

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145249

ZS-TFL

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145368

ZS-TGC

EMBRAER

EMB-135 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

145676

ZS-YBA

EMBRAER

ERJ 170-100 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

17000004

ZS-YBB

EMBRAER

ERJ 170-100 LTZ

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

17000005

ZS-YBC

EMBRAER

ERJ 170-100 LR

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

17000006

ZS-YAA

EMBRAER

ERJ 190-100 IGW

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

19000193

ZS-YAB

EMBRAER

ERJ 190-100 IGW

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

19000195

ZS-YAC

EMBRAER

ERJ 190-100 IGW

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

19000209

ZS-YAD

EMBRAER

ERJ 190-100 IGW

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

19000746

ZS-YAF

EMBRAER

ERJ 190-100 IGW

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

1900262

ZS-YAH

EMBRAER

ERJ 190-100 IGW

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

1900220

ZS-YAJ

EMBRAER

ERJ 190-100 IGW

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

19000755

ZS-YAP

EMBRAER

ERJ 190-100 IGW

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

19000162

ZS-MLR

CESSNA

208B

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

208B5147

ZS-MLT

CESSNA

208B

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

208B5155

ZS-RAF

BEECH

B200

RA FOSTER

BB-1673

ZS-XPH

BEECHCRAFT

Beech 400

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

RK-402

27

3

9

2

2

ZS-ASW

AVRO 146-RJ85A

RJ85

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

E2313

Out of serice - For Sale

ZS-ASX

AVRO 146-RJ85A

RJ85

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

E2314

Out of serice - For Sale

ZS-ASY

AVRO 146-RJ85A

RJ85

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

E2316

Out of serice - For Sale

ZS-ASZ

AVRO 146-RJ85A

RJ85

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

E2318

Out of serice - sold in the Maldives - left 31/8/2020

ZS-SSH

AVRO 146-RJ85

RJ85

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

E2285

Out of serice - For Sale

ZS-SSI

AVRO 146-RJ85

RJ85

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

E2383

Out of serice - For Sale

ZS-SSJ

AVRO 146-RJ85

RJ85

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

E2385

Out of serice - For Sale

ZS-SSK

AVRO 146-RJ85

RJ85

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

E2251

Out of serice - For Sale

ZS-SYO

AVRO 146-RJ85

RJ85

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

E2394

Out of serice - For Sale

ZS-SYP

AVRO 146-RJ85

RJ85

SA AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

E2393

Out of serice - For Sale

ZS-TCO

AVRO 146-RJ85

RJ85

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

E 2388

Out of serice - For Sale

ZS-TCP

AVRO 146-RJ85

RJ85

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

E2389

Out of serice - For Sale

ZS-NRE

BAE

JETSTREAM 4100

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

41048

To be phased out of service in 2020

ZS-NRG

BAE

JETSTREAM 4100

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

41051

To be phased out of service in 2020

ZS-NRH

BAE

JETSTREAM 4100

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

41054

To be phased out of service in 2020

ZS-NRI

BAE

JETSTREAM 4100

S A AIRLINK (PTY) LTD

41061

To be phased out of service in 2020

General October 2020

12

Info & Bookings: T: +27(0)18 451 1188 / 071 674 9969 www.bonabona.co.za E: info@bonabona.co.za

Events by NEWCASTLE AIRSHOW

EAA CHAPTER 322 MONTHLY MEETING

3 – 4 October Newcastle Johan@champ.co.za 082 923 0078

7 October Via Zoom Neil Bowden neil1@telkomsa.net

SLING AIRCRAFT BREAKFAST FLY-IN 17 October Tedderfield Airpark Shanelle McKechnie +27 (0) 11 948 9898

AVIATION MENA 2020

SAC NORTH WEST REGIONALS

AIRPORT SHOW, AIRPORT SECURITY & ATC FORUM

24 -25 October Venue TBC Annie Boon E-mail: chung@mweb.co.za

26 - 28 October Dubai Register for FREE https://bit.ly/2SnJ33S

18 - 19 October Hilton Cairo, Egypt alison@accessgroup.aero

SAPFA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS TRAINING WEEK

9 – 14 November Stellenbosch Airfield frank.eckard@mweb.co.za 083 269 1516

SAPFA SPRINGS SPEED RALLY 23 November Springs Airfield Jonty Esser 082 855 9435

IATA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & WORLD AIR TRANSPORT SUMMIT 23 - 24 November Amsterdam

Flying in Africa – that’s what we love October 2020

49

FLIGHT TEST: ALAN EVAN HANES

Husky vs

SUPERCUB THE HUSKY VS SUPERCUB DEBATE IS THE AVIATION EQUIVALENT OF THE LANDROVER/LANDCRUISER DEBATE, BUT HAVING FLOWN BOTH I CAN PROVIDE SOME INPUT.

I

must enter this debate by proudly stating upfront that I am a Piper man, and a Super Cub owner. My initial taildragger was a genuine 1945 Piper J-3 Cub and I think the Super Cub is the best aircraft in the world. Until now that is.

I have flown a PA-11 (a Cub with an enclosed cowling

and new paint scheme designed to help Piper sell its surplus production of Cubs), a PA-12, a J-5, four examples of Super Cubs and just the A-1 Husky variant; but hey, that’s sufficient to have an opinion.

I own a 1963 PA-18-150 Super Cub with 150hp and it seems to outperform all the other Super Cubs I have flown (except one with a seaplane prop) for some unknown reason (we think it is the locally made Denecker prop). It is this plane which forms the basis for very subjective comparison against a standard Christen A-1 Husky with 180hp. I note that later Huskies gained from the initial production experience and I

50

October 2020

The Husky is a modern recreation of Piper's venerable Super Cub. The big question is - is it better?

October 2020

51

ABOVE: Super Cub has rounded wingtips and is overall a bit smaller and narrower than the Husky.

LEFT: This Botswana based Husky sports an expensive three blade composite MT propeller - which is not much better than the plain metal two-blader.

OPPOSITE PAGE

ABOVE: Many Huskies and Super Cubs have a belly pod for much needed additional luggage space.

Brett Warren

RIGHT: Visibility over the nose on taxi is fair for both types.

52

October 2020

believe are much improved.

became Aviat Aircraft) based in a tiny hamlet of

The Super Cub is more than a Cub with a

Afton Wyoming interviewed every Super Cub

bigger engine, but not much more. It feels – and

pilot they could find and asked them what they

indeed is – slightly bigger, it has flaps and mine

should change to make a better Super Cub. They

has more than double the horsepower of the

reportedly received 2000 or more full responses:

original Cub. But the differences pretty much end

better crashworthiness, more power (for some

there. It’s the quadbike of the sky. They have been used and modified for every conceivable need in flying.

I believe Frank Christensen (of Christen Eagle fame) tried hard to buy the Super Cub line from Piper, who had stopped building them. Super Cubs company for Piper, and despite no production actually taking place at the time, an agreement with Piper was not

Brett Warren

were made in Texas by a subsidiary

forthcoming.

So Frank Christensen did the next best thing. If

150 was just not enough), a constant speed prop,

he was not allowed to build Super Cubs, he would

bigger fuel tanks, make it wider, decent brakes and

make an improved Super Cub. Christen Industries

give me more space - they clamoured.

(then it was called Christen Industries, which

Christen listened and then went ahead and did

October 2020

53

it all. Yet the end product is not a modified Super

the final product. You even get professional control

Cub. It was sufficiently different to be, well…

locks, pitot covers and tie downs, in a beautiful

properly different. Christen then amazed the world

carry bag.

by certifying their new design in just 18 months.

On paper, and from a hundred metres away,

Their professionalism is evident in every detail,

they look almost identical. And they are similar

from the aircraft documentation to every aspect of

enough to be much the same aircraft, except for two areas – range and useful load. The Husky

Tailwheels take a hammering, especially on long tar runways, and don't last.

has substantially bigger fuel tanks. The basic specification blurb says that the Husky does everything better, until you get to useful load. Big problem. Two persons with a toothbrush each (forget the toilet paper its too heavy) and half tanks equals MTOW. However, the reality is somewhat different, as I will explain later.

Look closely and it’s more evident that they are not the same. The first thing in comparing the two is the newness. The age of a 40 year later design is evident everywhere.

Modern instrument panel on the Husky - but still no room for GPS.

54

October 2020

A Husky is bigger inside and out. You only

find the hidden step in order to avoid placing any

notice most differences when parked alongside

weight on the lift struts. So both aircraft are equally

each other but the size does suit it. Getting in

difficult to access, but the Husky is maybe worse –

and out is still a major source of income for

because it is slightly higher off the ground.

chiropractors, but once settled in the front office, the Husky is more comfortable.

Professional design is evident throughout the Husky design and is absent in the Super Cub. The

For ground handling the Husky has well placed

Cub is what it is … … an excellent old workhorse.

handholds at the tail. The control sticks are tall

But whoever was in charge of the cockpit did

(they look exactly the same as those installed

a superb job until he went Moose hunting, (or

in a Christen Eagle) and there is Brett Warren

a proper trim wheel instead of a 1934 Oldsmobile window winder.

Throttle levers in the front and back have built-in PTT buttons.

The panel is twice as big and the radio stack is between your legs under the panel, offering even more acreage. The electrics are professionally installed, instead of being an afterthought hidden in the wing root next to the fuel tank. The flap lever is bent in a dogleg so you can actually input some left aileron movement with flaps selected, unlike a Super Cub. There are meaningful 5-point seat

A glass cockpit in a bush plane - the Husky A1C cockpit.

belt harnesses for both occupants which must make the Husky the most crashworthy

whatever else there is to do in the Wyoming

plane I have ever come across.

backcountry) and never came back. It looks like

The Husky cockpit is accessed via a clamshell

it was only partly completed. The undercarriage

door just like a Super Cub and it can be left open

bungees are fully exposed under the pilot’s seat,

up to Vne. This makes these aircraft wonderful

waiting for brake fluid, vomit, chocolate flakes, and

to fly in summer and for photography. The Husky

whatever else swirls around the cockpit to spill

door is beefed up and is a significantly better

on them. The floorboards do not cover the entire

design than the flimsy Cub frame. But still, getting

floor. It is akin to having Leonardo completing the

in and out of either aircraft probably results in more

last 5% of Mona Lisa in poster paint. A tiny bit of

back injuries and the premature retirement of pilots

extra energy here would have gone a long way to

than all other aircraft put together. It’s a torturous

making a good cockpit really great.

exercise and made doubly difficult by having to

The Husky’s instrument and control layout is October 2020

55

a significant improvement on the Cub, thanks to

they are all but impossible to access, let alone use

the bigger panel. Some of the poor ergonomics

in a hurry; not an ideal situation for a taildragger.

have been corrected in later models, such as

The Cub’s brakes are mostly useless. Even

having the ignition switch key above the throttle,

when in excellent working order they are barely

making starting a three handed affair (I have done

enough to hold it at run-ups; and if the wooden

crosswind circuits in a Chipmunk, so I am used to

floor board is cracked, they are useless in the front

playing the role of a nine armed cockpit octopus).

seat, which is where the pilot sits. I actually take

The fuel is either On or Off, drawing a

my feet off the rudder pedals and use my toes, so I

significant 190 litres simultaneously from both

might argue that a Super Cub has toe brakes, well

interconnected wing tanks. I personally would

every example I fly does!

The view over the nose and tailwheel response while taxing is much the same, but overall I prefer the slightly lighter feel of the Cub. The Husky has a very stiff undercarriage which gives it a bouncy ride, although in fairness it could be the brand new bungees installed on the immaculate example I get to fly belonging to Keith

Very basic - almost antique Piper Super Cub panel.

Begg.

The run-ups for a Husky are definitely more

prefer being able to select the tanks so that if I take

complex as it has so much more to do: Two Comm

a bullet (or have an errant fuel drain) in one tank I

radios, a Nav radio, a transponder, ELT and a

still can get home on the remainder. But I do not

controllable pitch propeller that is rather unusually

miss having to swap tanks every 30 min.

exercised at a different engine speed to the rest of the engine checks.

IN FLIGHT The Husky has toe brakes which are articulated

56

I do not have enough time flying my Cub at sea level nor the Husky at high airfield elevations, but

so that at full travel the brake pedal on the top is

the one takeoff at Baragwanath (Density Altitude

naturally positioned to be applied. This is a million

about 7,500ft) in the Husky suggests that they are

times better than the truly awful heel brakes in a

at least very similar in performance, with my Cub

Cub. A Cub’s brakes are hidden under the pilot’s

having the possible advantage. This is one area

seat and if you have oversize duck feet, like I do,

I would like to explore more and if at all possible,

October 2020

climb out of one and into the other for a better

operate a Cub due to the range required between

comparison. I am probably writing this article

Avgas stocked airports in northern Mozambique.

prematurely, but if given the opportunity to perform

The Husky fuel gauges are a plastic tube

more substantive tests, I will write a follow up

running inside the cockpit wing root with

article.

approximate quantity labels. They are calibrated

The takeoff ground handling is similar enough

for flight attitude only, which is pretty stupid. I

that if you can fly one you can fly the other without

say this as I found out the hard way that quarter

any problems. The authorities really should allow

tanks does not mean you have one quarter of

your conversion rating to include the other.

the fuel available on the ground. It would be

The climb rate is really dependent on how high you pitch the nose up before getting frightened.

my recommendation that the sight gauges be calibrated in 10 litre increments on one side for the

The late Col Andre Bekker was a demonstration pilot for the local Husky distributors CelAir, and no doubt a far better pilot than me, but he unfortunately got caught out at Wonderboom demonstrating an all-out maximum climb. I have no desire to test it to the limits as the basic performance exceeds what most pilots can handle while their mind catches up. However, the Husky does climb better than a Super Cub. The Husky’s cruise was a huge surprise for me.

There is absolutely no point in using the standard 75% power (about 25” MP at 2500 RPM) as all it

Sidewall of Super Cub holds fuel selector and trim plus carb and cabin heat.

does is use more fuel and wear the engine out to get about 115 mph. The POH suggests the best range speed is 20” MP and 2350 RPM which

three-point attitude, and the other for flight attitude.

gives 108mph. Despite not having a controllable

The sight gauges do not have a floating red ball

pitch propeller, my 150hp Super Cub with its fixed

indicator like the Cubs, nor a restricted upper

pitch Denecker wooden propeller is significantly

orifice to dampen the sloshing for more accurate

faster at the same RPM. The 180hp Husky burns

readings, so the fuel available can be a matter of

about 32L/h which is a tiny bit more than the

some guesswork.

150hp Super Cub. But it is the Husky’s bigger fuel

Like a Super Cub, the Husky has manual

tanks that make all the difference, as it gives a

flaps with three settings if one assumes that fully

no worry range between Avgas stocked airports,

retracted is not a setting. The flap lever is located

making a 600 nm leg achievable, something which

on the lower left cockpit wall next to your left leg.

is impossible in a Super Cub. This advantage is

The positioning allows for flaps to be selected

everything. The Niassa Lion Project (look it up

with the shoulder harness tight, which is not really

www.niassalion.org) would not have been able to

possible in a Super Cub. The effort to extend the October 2020

57

A Super Cub with the door open on a grass airfield - what could be better - maybe a Husky?

flaps is significantly greater in the Husky, which

just oodles of lift. I have never flown any plane that

has a pronounced pitch up when selecting the

is more reluctant to descend than a Husky. Even

last stage (maximum 30 degrees). The Super Cub

with full flaps it has to be flown like a glider without

may have easier flap selection, but it has a worse

spoilers in its approach, or else you will end up

problem if – flap lever gets in the way of full left

high or need to increase speed, which cannot be

stick.

done. The flap extended maximum speed is a far

The Husky has a different problem with the flap lever – the Moose hunting cockpit ergonomic

to a more sensible 80 mph. The secret is to

specialist’s apprentice decided to put the headset

descend early and if in doubt, rather be low, as she

jacks under the throttle levers, so when you select

climbs with minimal effort.

full flap, it tangles with them. The reverse happens

There is a noticeable minimum drag point at

when taking them away, although it flies very

63 mph with full flap. It sits happily at 65 mph but

happily with full flaps. So, you regularly have your

needs to be powered out at 60 mph. The problem

eyes in the cockpit trying to untangle your headset

being that there is precious little margin between

during high cockpit workload times.

a 65 mph loiter speed and exceeding VFE at 73

It seems the flaps provide absolutely no drag,

58

too low 73 mph. On later models it was increased

October 2020

mph. And the drag below 63 mph can reduce the

airspeed to the 43 mph stall in about

of the stabiliser up and down as you would find

three heartbeats.

in most jets. It works wonderfully, but you cannot

The Husky’s ailerons are awful,

attach handholds to the stabiliser leading edge

about as useless as those on a Tiger

as the ground handling loads would exceed that

Moth. I do not know how Christen got

allowable. So Christen sensibly installed handles,

it so wrong here. They even attached

but this has necessitated a fixed horizontal

head splitting aileron spades to create

stabiliser.

an enlarged aileron chord forward of

The Husky trim system is like that of a Tiger

the hinge points, And the designers

Moth which uses two opposing springs to hold the

increased the relative chord to reattach

stick where you want it. The only problem is that

the airflow and this still failed to make

when you manoeuvre the stick to any position out

them light and effective. I believe this

of trim, you fight the springs. And to stall a Husky

has been partially corrected in later models, but in the model A-1 they are heavy, have lots of adverse yaw and are not very effective. Although a Cub’s ailerons are near feather light by comparison, they are wonderfully effective. Nothing except a Falco is better than a Chipmunk here (maybe a Spitfire but I still need to fly one).

The rudder is fine for most work but I found that in a low power descending right turn I run out of right rudder. And a Husky will not sideslip. You can sideslip a Super Cub all the way to the ground. It behaves beautifully, like a textbook example, and this is one area where a

IT MUST HAVE THE WORST SIDESLIPPING CAPABILITY OF THE ALMOST 50 TYPES I HAVE FLOWN.

Tiger Moth also does superbly. Don’t bother in a Husky. I found that in a strong crosswind I had

for a 3-point landing, you need the stick all the way

to crab all the way down until just before a wheel

back, which despite the tall control sticks, calls for

touched and then try to kick her straight. This

a very serious pull, with both hands, even with the

and the lack of flap drag can make descending

trim fully aft. I have tried setting the trim fully nose

a problem. It must have the worst side-slipping

up and pushing the stick on finals, but this too has

capability of any of the almost 50 types I have

its problems as you can land up both very low and

flown.

very slow.

The elevator response is fine until we add in the

In the cruise the trim works fine, except that it

pitch trim. Then it is as awful as the ailerons. The

seldom leaves the neutral point, where it has one

Cub has a worm gear that moves the leading edge

inch nose up trim and about three inches of nose October 2020

59

down trim. This bias could have been made better.

For anti-poaching activity I typically fly at one

your eyes off THAT tree. The Husky is an excellent

of two speeds: either the optimal range cruise

plane for this mission, and the Super Cub would

speed which is 108 mph (0 flap, 2350 Rpm, 20”

be equally good except for having a smaller

MP, 30L/h), or a loiter speed of 65 mph (with 30

cockpit, not enough range and most importantly,

flap, 1900 rpm and 15.5” MP, which burns just over

being much less crashworthy.

22L/h.) Adequate control authority exists to do

You need to plan the vertical approach with

reasonably quick 45 degree bank reversal turns

a view to descending early. The Husky is so

(any more bank requires the addition of power).

reluctant to descend and as mentioned, essentially

Unfortunately 65 mph is awfully close to the

cannot be side-slipped at all. As previously stated,

73 mph Vfe and 60 mph where the drag becomes

the flaps add little drag so it is very easy to exceed

noticeably greater and calls for an immediate

the maximum flap speed. The only way is to be

THE END PRODUCT IS NOT A MODIFIED SUPER CUB. IT WAS SUFFICIENTLY DIFFERENT

firm in your throttle reduction and take maximum propeller rpm as soon as you dare. I am always worried about the effect on the engine cooling but I have faith in Lycomings (just ask the aerobatic guys).

The flare can be difficult due to the awful trim system which calls for a BIG pull to get the tailwheel down first.

The ground handling of the Husky is much the

increase in power. This can be difficult without

same as landing a Cub. There is little to separate

over–squaring the engine. I find that the immediate

them except that the Cub can be side-slipped

application of power to 19” then mixture, pitch

and has better aileron effectiveness, even if the

and then power restores things quickly. A better

application of left aileron is sometimes impeded.

alternative is to get to wings level, accept a slight

The brakes on the Cubs are awful and those on

height loss (even though I typically operate at

the Husky brilliant.

below 100ft agl) to increase the speed above the

The biggest problem with a Husky is its

minimum drag point. Once over the drag hump,

absurdly low MTOW of 1800 lbs. My Super Cub

normality can be restored quickly and confidently.

has an empty weight of 1073 lbs and a MTOW

This all calls for some pre-planning as most

of 1780 lbs. The Husky weighs in at 1261 lbs.

anti-poaching activity happens at absurdly low

The Husky has more wing area than a Cessna

altitudes and continuous steep turns. You have to

172 (which maxes out at 2,450 lbs depending on

exercise extreme caution to fly the plane first and

model) and enough power to take substantially

look at the target later, so it is near impossible to

more. This has been corrected in subsequent

do any detailed ground observation work without

Husky models which now sport a more sensible

an observer. I often have to overfly a target three

2200lb MTOW.

or more times to mark its position on the GPS as I lose sight of it in the turn. One tall tree can look

60

just like the ten thousand others once you take

October 2020

I do not believe for a moment that the Husky structure nor aerodynamic stability has anything

Specs of the Husky vs Super Cub Husky Super Cub SPECIFICATIONS Length 22ft 7in 22ft 7in Wingspan 35ft 6in 35ft 2.5in Wing area 183 sq ft 178.5 sq ft Empty weight 1275 lb 930 lb Max takeoff weight 1800-2200 lb 1750 lb Fuel capacity 50 US gallons 36 US gallons Powerplant: Lycoming O-360-A1P 180hp Lycoming O-320 150hp

PERFORMANCE Maximum speed 145 mph 130 mph Cruise speed 140 mph 115 mph Stall speed 53mph 43 mph

(flaps down/ power off) (flaps down/ power off) Range 800 mi @ 55% power 460 mi @ 55% power Service ceiling 20 000 ft 19 000ft Rate of climb 1 500 ft/min

960 ft/min

to do with the low MTOW, as it is built like the

considering. All I know is that to operate it within all

proverbial brick outhouse; and later models not

the legal boundaries is very hard work and spoils a

only had weight increases, but also more sensible

potential winner. It’s like having catalytic converters

C of G boundaries with no significant structural nor

on your Indy racer.

aerodynamic changes.

This means that to get any decent use out of a

I know you wanted from me a definite answer as to which is the better aircraft, but the truth is

Husky, it means applying “spirit of the law” instead

I still am unsure. Let the mission dictate which is

of “exact wording of the law” principles to the POH

better suited.

limitations (probably set by liability lawyers and

The range and crashworthiness of the Husky

enforced by insurance companies and the various

might beat the handling and useful load of the

authorities).

Super Cub. My overall leaning is towards the

Some years ago I had the pleasure of meeting

Husky, it’s newer and it’s bigger. I hope my Super

an Alaskan bush pilot (a vet) who told me about his

Cub, and Jim Davis, do not read this. But with a

new Husky. When we asked about the useful load

couple of minor modifications (like bigger tanks

his advice was to throw the book away, be sensible

and better brakes), I know my Cub can be an easy

and you will have the finest darned aircraft you

equal to the Husky. As long as we never crash into

can think of. Maybe his tainted advice was worth

anything.

j

October 2020

61

FUEL TABLE

SA Flyer 2020|10

www.sv1.co.za Fuel FuelPrices Pricesasasatat03/08/2020 03/08/2020

Fuel FuelPrices Pricesasasatat01/09/2020 01/09/2020

PriPrices cesi nclude i ncludeVAT VATbut butexclude excludeany anyservi servicecefees fees AiAirfirfield eld Avgas Avgas Jet JetA1A1 Baragwanath Baragwanath RR18,50 18,50 Beaufort BeaufortWest West RR18,85 18,85 RR14,85 14,85 Bethlehem Bethlehem RR21,97 21,97 RR15,62 15,62 Bloemfontei Bloemfonteinn RR14,09 14,09 RR7,61 7,61 Brakpan Brakpan RR19,50 19,50 Brits Brits RR16,65 16,65 Cape CapeTown Town RR22,32 22,32 RR7,88 7,88 Eagles EaglesCreek Creek RR16,40 16,40 East EastLondon London RR18,24 18,24 RR8,22 8,22 Ermelo Ermelo RR18,40 18,40 FiFisantekraal santekraal RR21,50 21,50 Fly-In Fly-In RR17,80 17,80 Gari GariepepDam Dam RR19,00 19,00 RR13,00 13,00 George George R19,34 R19,34 R9,26 R9,26 Grand GrandCentral Central RR19,32 19,32 RR13,57 13,57 Hei Heidelberg delberg RR18,50 18,50 KiKimberley mberley RR14,29 14,29 RR7,81 7,81 Kitty KittyHawk Hawk RR17,10 17,10 Klerksdorp Klerksdorp R21,64 R21,64 R14,80 R14,80 Kroonstad Kroonstad RR15,58 15,58 RR9,98 9,98 Kruger KrugerIntl IntlNelspruit Nelspruit RR17,39 17,39 RR15,70 15,70 Krugersdorp Krugersdorp RR16,98 16,98 Lanseri Lanseria a RR18,29 18,29 RR11,96 11,96 Margate Margate No NoFuel Fuel Avbl Avbl Morningstar Morningstar RR17,50 17,50 Mosselbay Mosselbay RR19,00 19,00 RR11,25 11,25 Nelspruit Nelspruit RR18,86 18,86 RR13,05 13,05 Oudtshoorn Oudtshoorn RR17,10 17,10 RR10,66 10,66 Parys Parys RR16,30 16,30 RR11,30 11,30 Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg RR17,30 17,30 RR14,30 14,30 PiPietersburg etersburgCiCivivil l RR18,50 18,50 RR11,00 11,00 Port PortAlfred Alfred RR23,17 23,17 Port PortElizabeth Elizabeth RR17,83 17,83 RR13,67 13,67 Potchefstroom Potchefstroom RR16,30 16,30 RR11,30 11,30 Rand Rand RR19,47 19,47 RR11,60 11,60 Robertson Robertson R18,25 R18,25 Rustenberg Rustenberg RR16,50 16,50 RR12,20 12,20 Secunda Secunda RR18,98 18,98 RR12,19 12,19 Skeerpoort Skeerpoort*** ***Customer Customertotocollect collect RR14,10 14,10 R9,00 R9,00 Springbok Springbok RR21,00 21,00 Springs Springs RR18,60 18,60 RR12,79 12,79 Stellenbosch Stellenbosch RR18,50 18,50 Swellendam Swellendam RR16,50 16,50 RR8,50 8,50 Tempe Tempe RR16,22 16,22 RR11,16 11,16 Thabazimbe Thabazimbe RR16,80 16,80 RR11,80 11,80 Ultimate UltimateHeli Heli(Midrand) (Midrand)*** *** RR17,50 17,50 RR12,50 12,50 Upington Upington RR14,79 14,79 RR8,31 8,31 Vereeni Vereenigigingng RR19,47 19,47 RR13,37 13,37 ViVirgirgininia a RR18,18 18,18 RR10,35 10,35 Welkom Welkom RR15,58 15,58 RR9,98 9,98 WiWings ngsPark ParkELEL RR18,75 18,75 Witbank Witbank RR16,25 16,25 No NoFuel Fuel Avbl Avbl Wonderboom Wonderboom Worcester Worcester RR17,70 17,70 *** ***Heli Helicopters coptersonly only

PriPrices cesi nclude i ncludeVAT VATbut butexclude excludeany anyservi servicecefees fees AiAirfirfield eld Avgas Avgas Jet JetA1A1 Baragwanath Baragwanath RR18,50 18,50 Beaufort BeaufortWest West RR18,85 18,85 RR14,85 14,85 Bethlehem Bethlehem RR21,97 21,97 RR15,62 15,62 Bloemfontei Bloemfonteinn RR14,24 14,24 RR7,56 7,56 Brakpan Brakpan RR19,50 19,50 Brits Brits RR16,65 16,65 Cape CapeTown Town RR22,32 22,32 RR8,41 8,41 Eagles EaglesCreek Creek RR19,55 19,55 East EastLondon London RR18,07 18,07 RR8,49 8,49 Ermelo Ermelo RR18,74 18,74 FiFisantekraal santekraal RR21,50 21,50 Fly-In Fly-In RR17,75 17,75 Gari GariepepDam Dam RR19,00 19,00 RR13,00 13,00 George George R19,17 R19,17 R9,52 R9,52 Grand GrandCentral Central RR19,32 19,32 RR13,57 13,57 Hei Heidelberg delberg RR17,80 17,80 KiKimberley mberley RR14,44 14,44 RR7,76 7,76 Kitty KittyHawk Hawk RR17,60 17,60 Klerksdorp Klerksdorp R21,64 R21,64 R14,80 R14,80 Kroonstad Kroonstad RR16,27 16,27 Kruger KrugerIntl IntlNelspruit Nelspruit RR20,00 20,00 RR15,90 15,90 Krugersdorp Krugersdorp RR16,98 16,98 Lanseri Lanseria a RR18,63 18,63 RR12,32 12,32 Margate Margate No NoFuel Fuel Avbl Avbl Morningstar Morningstar RR17,95 17,95 Mosselbay Mosselbay RR19,25 19,25 RR11,25 11,25 Nelspruit Nelspruit RR18,86 18,86 RR13,05 13,05 Oudtshoorn Oudtshoorn RR17,10 17,10 RR10,66 10,66 Parys Parys RR17,00 17,00 RR10,40 10,40 Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg RR18,00 18,00 PiPietersburg etersburgCiCivivil l RR17,10 17,10 RR11,00 11,00 Port PortAlfred Alfred RR23,17 23,17 Port PortElizabeth Elizabeth RR17,83 17,83 RR13,67 13,67 Potchefstroom Potchefstroom RR17,00 17,00 RR10,40 10,40 Rand Rand RR19,64 19,64 RR11,88 11,88 Robertson Robertson R17,45 R17,45 Rustenberg Rustenberg RR16,35 16,35 RR11,20 11,20 Secunda Secunda RR18,98 18,98 RR12,19 12,19 Skeerpoort Skeerpoort*** ***Customer Customertotocollect collect RR14,70 14,70 R8,10 R8,10 Springbok Springbok RR19,80 19,80 Springs Springs RR18,60 18,60 RR12,79 12,79 Stellenbosch Stellenbosch RR18,50 18,50 Swellendam Swellendam RR16,50 16,50 RR8,50 8,50 Tempe Tempe RR16,22 16,22 RR11,16 11,16 Thabazimbe Thabazimbe RR17,50 17,50 RR10,90 10,90 Ultimate UltimateHeli Heli(Midrand) (Midrand)*** *** RR18,20 18,20 RR11,60 11,60 Upington Upington RR14,94 14,94 RR8,26 8,26 Vereeni Vereenigigingng No No Contact Contact ViVirgirgininia a RR18,18 18,18 RR10,35 10,35 Welkom Welkom RR16,27 16,27 RR9,98 9,98 WiWings ngsPark ParkELEL RR18,75 18,75 Witbank Witbank RR16,75 16,75 No NoFuel Fuel Avbl Avbl Wonderboom Wonderboom Worcester Worcester RR18,80 18,80 *** ***Heli Helicopters coptersonly only

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SA Flyer 2016|11

• • • • •

ACCIDENT REPORT: JIM DAVIS

L I E S , P ER J UR Y &

C OV ER UP S – T HE CA A C OR R E C T S I T S EL F GUY LEITCH WRITES: Jim Davis inadvertently stirred up a hornet’s nest when he reviewed the accident report of a fatal Cessna 185 crash at Syferfontein 20 years ago.

At the time it seemed like another Cessna seat rail incident with a heavily untrimmed nosed-up pitch, and the report blamed the pilot. However, the pilot’s father, retired SAA captain Bill Jones, was outraged and he mounted a vigorous campaign to have the original report reopened and the facts set straight.

Under the guidance of senior aviation experts, the findings of the original report were overturned and the young pilot was indeed exonerated. But then, perhaps suspiciously, the revised report was never published – leaving the original and now thoroughly discredited report as the ‘truth’ – yet a truth contaminated by lies and perjury.

64

October 2020

THIS IS THE REVISED REPORT ON THE CESSNA C185 ZS-EFZ ACCIDENT AT SYFERFONTEIN ON 23/11/2000.

JIM DAVIS WRITES:

Worst of all, it seems the helicopter pilot

This is one of the most horrendous stories I

and one passenger, who both claimed to have

have ever heard. In fact, when I first heard it, I

witnessed the accident from a couple of miles

didn’t believe it. Let me explain.

away, were lying. In fact, it seemed that the

SA Flyer’s April edition published my commentary on this accident which was taken

helicopter had landed at Syferfontein earlier and had taken off directly in the path of the Cessna.

from the CAA website. I reported that the CAA

When this information came to light Bill

had held the pilot responsible for the accident

naturally wanted the investigation reopened to

which destroyed the aircraft and killed all three on board. It seemed that the aircraft had stalled and spun while climbing out after a touch and go landing.

Frankly, I thought it was one of the better accident reports, and the conclusion made sense.

The normal SAAF procedure was to do three point landings on dirt runways. In that case the C185 would be trimmed full nose up and it tends to pitch up strongly after a touch and go, however the aircraft is fully controllable. Landing on tar runways, as 31 at Syferfontein, were normally wheeler landings with neutral trim, and the trim was indeed found to be neutral in the accident aircraft.

Soon after my report was published, Captain Wally Waldeck called me to say that Bill Jones,

In memory of Lew Jones, Hansie De Lange and Johan Kotze who died through the carelessness of a fellow pilot.

a retired SAA pilot, and father of the deceased pilot, was extremely upset about it. It seems that after the initial accident report was published

clear his son’s name. My reaction was that Bill, as

by the CAA, it was learned that a number of the

a devoted father, was looking for ways to protect

witnesses had lied. It appeared that the airport

his son’s reputation.

manager, who had originally claimed he witnessed

Following the submission of the new evidence

the accident, was actually in the clubhouse

laboriously researched by Bill, the then Minister

drinking coffee with a worker.

of Transport ordered the reopening of the

Another witness claimed that he was not at the

investigation. This is a very big deal. I understand

airport that day, yet it turns out that he was indeed

that no original accident report findings have ever

there at the time of the accident, and even went to

been overturned before – not even the Helderberg

the scene.

report.

October 2020

65

RIGHT: Hansie De Lange.

A new investigation was opened roughly four years after the accident. And it was no whitewash - it turned out to be a massive document of 37,000 words spread over 101 closely typed pages.

The revised report completely exonerated Bill’s son, which is great, except for one thing. Either by design, or incompetence, it was never published,

NO ORIGINAL ACCIDENT REPORT FINDINGS HAVE EVER BEEN OVERTURNED BEFORE and the old, incorrect, report was left on the CAA’s website for almost 20 years. And that’s how I came to stumble on it. Naturally I based my article on the old fictitious version, never dreaming that this would become crucial in uncovering the truth.

As soon as Bill heard the original report was still on CAA’s website he asked them to take it down and replace it with the new investigation which exonerates his son. Happily, this has at last been done and Bill would like to thank Mr. Peter Mashaba and his team at the CAA for the friendly

Minister of Transport, Mr. Jeff Radebe in 2007 under the Chairmanship of Mr. G. D. van der Veer.

It consisted of: 1. Mr G.D. van der Veer (Chairman) - retired CEO of SAA. 2. Mr S.J. Coetzee - Airline Pilots’ Association of South Africa.

3. Mr M. Edwards - South African Weather Service.

4. General J. Kereeditse- South Africa Airforce.

5. Mr L. Mabaso - Department of Transport.

6. Adv. M. Malowa - Advocate in the High Court Chambers.

7. Mr S Odendaal - South African Civil Aviation Authority.

8. Mrs L. Thomas - Aviation Specialist, Private.

and efficient manner in which they handled this.

So here’s my summary of the newer report which I found to be fascinating reading: This new Board was appointed by the then

66

October 2020

PERSONS INTERVIEWED BY THE BOARD: Mr J. Raper: Security Officer in the helicopter.

The helicopter pilots claimed to have been away from the circuit - to the north of the airfield.

Mr I. Bantam: General Assistant at Syferfontein.

that the new evidence indicates the helicopter

Mr E. Bell: Airport Manager at Syferfontein.

could have been a probable cause of the aircraft

Mr J. Reeder: Witness.

accident.

Mr R. Koen: Manager for the security company.

He attributed the poor investigation to a lack

Mr S Bosman: Pilot of the helicopter.

of trained personnel, causing an excessively high

Mr R. Fenenga: Passenger in the helicopter.

workload.

Mr W.E. Jones: Father of the Cessna pilot.

Mr L. Visser: SACAA Inspection in loco.

2. MR I. BANTAM (WITNESS) Mr Bantam was a general worker at

1 . THE INTERVIEW WITH MR L. VISSER

Syferfontein for many years. He and Mr Bell, his

ON 6TH OF OCTOBER 2008

manager, were some of the first people to reach

Mr Visser was the SACAA lead investigator

the accident site.

at the time of the accident. He admitted that

Mr Bantam stated:

the investigation was not done in a satisfactory

• He was drinking coffee in the clubhouse

manner. More witnesses should have been called, and the ones that made statements should have been further investigated. He acknowledged

with Mr Bell when the accident happened.

• He heard a noise (like a “shot”) after which everything went quiet.

October 2020

67

• He and Mr Bell went immediately to the accident site.

• The helicopter was already there, with the rotor blades still turning.

• He also saw Mr Reeder at the accident scene.

• He stated that the ‘helicopter people’ approached him and proposed that ‘should he require anything ever in his life, he

coming from behind the hill.

• He and Mr Bantam immediately (this was emphasised) went to the accident site.

• A helicopter arrived while he and Mr Bantam were at the accident site. Later he admitted he was not sure whether the helicopter was already there or if it had subsequently arrived.

Referring to his initial statement made on the

should contact them’. He replied that he

evening of the accident, Mr Bell said, “I was under

merely ‘told them the truth and that he did

the influence [of alcohol]. We had a couple of

not require any money’.

drinks.” On being questioned as to whether he

ZS-EFZ in the camo colour scheme that would have been hard to spot from 4 km away.

The board considered him a reliable witness

had a beer during the morning he replied it was possible but could not remember.

3. MR BELL (WITNESS) Mr Bell, who was the Manager of the Syferfontein Airport refused to take the oath on religious grounds. He stated: •

He was in the company of Mr Bantam in

the clubhouse.

• He heard a noise like an aircraft engine revving after which everything went quiet.

• He went outside and saw black smoke

68

October 2020

“When we arrived at the accident there was no fire or flames.” This contradicts Mr Bantam’s statement.

Question: “Why did you refuse to do a lie detector test?”

Answer: “Because they just came in and took over and they were controlling me so I made a deal with them. I requested them to write it on paper, if I pass the lie detector test, then I don’t

have to go to court. I did the lie detector test, and I

to the Board, he stated that he was under the

passed it.”

influence of alcohol.

Mr Bell made two affidavits. In his first he states

The Board concludes that Mr Bell was not

that he saw the Cessna takeoff and go into a very

a witness to the accident itself. Mr Bell was

steep climb and then spin to the left and crash.

incoherent and evasive. He was not prepared to

In his second he says he did not see the crash because he was in the clubhouse, but he heard it. He and Mr Bantam went to the accident site

WAS BILL, AS A DEVOTED FATHER, LOOKING FOR WAYS TO PROTECT HIS SON’S REPUTATION?

assist the Board in its investigation The Board is of the opinion that Mr Bell is an unreliable witness.

4. MR REEDER (WITNESS) Mr Reeder is the owner of an aircraft, which is kept in a hangar at Syferfontein.

He is a licensed pilot and does occasional maintenance on his aircraft.

He initially denied he was at Syferfontein on the day of the accident, however he later admitted being there, but only after the Board confronted him with his own logbook.

and were there within 5 minutes. After arriving at

Mr Reeder initially:

the site he saw a helicopter landing and two men

• Denied having been at Syferfontein on the

walked over to himself and Mr Bantam. The pilot said he had just spoken to the Cessna as they were in their flight path.

Although he claimed he had passed a lie detector test, the record submitted by Mr Jones, indicated that he had failed.

Mr Bell stated that after seeing the smoke he immediately rushed to the aircraft accident scene, yet at another instance he claimed that on his arrival at the site there was no smoke or flames.

He stated that the helicopter was on the ground

morning of the accident.

• Denied having flown to Springs on the morning of the accident.

• Failed to produce his logbook after the Board requested it three times.

• Denied knowing anything about the accident.

• Denied having heard or seen any helicopter the morning of the accident.

• Denied visiting the accident site and having spoken to the helicopter pilots.

for only 2 minutes, all other witnesses stated that

He later admitted to all of the above.

the helicopter remained at the accident scene for a

Mr Reeder tried his utmost not to get involved

much longer period; until the fire brigade arrived.

Mr Bell states that other pilots in the club house

with any aspect of the accident. The Board concludes that Mr Reeder blatantly committed

influenced him when he made his first statement.

perjury on a number of occasions. The Board

It should be noted that that statement was made

concludes he is an unreliable witness and could

late afternoon at which time, in his later statement

be prosecuted for perjury.

October 2020

69

5. MR R. KOEN (WITNESS)

• He observed the Cessna doing circuits and landings.

Mr Koen was an experienced employee of the Security Company, SBV which operated the cash-

• He called the Cessna 185 pilot and was

in-transit vehicles and helicopters. His evidence

told that the Cessna was doing training

contains exact times and details of the movements

flights on runway 31 and doing right-hand

of vehicles and the helicopter. It contradicts much

turns after takeoff.

of the evidence of Mr Bosman (the helicopter

• Mr Bosman told the Cessna they were

pilot). Mr Bosman’s lawyers wanted Mr Koen to

accompanying cash in transit vehicles

confirm that he had seen the helicopter at the

along the N12 to Lenasia and that he would

N12 crossroad. He insisted he had not seen the

continue along the N12.

helicopter there and he refused this request. He

• Mr Raper, the security guard, was sitting in the left-hand front seat and Mr Fenenga in

told them he was not prepared to lie.

GETTING THE CAA TO REOPEN OLD ACCIDENT REPORTS IS A VERY BIG DEAL

the right-hand seat behind him.

• He briefly saw the Cessna taking off and climbing, and starting to turn towards him.

He continued flying and looking forward.

• Mr Fenenga then shouted at him from the back “My God they are crashing!”

• Mr Bosman saw the aircraft crashing from over his right-hand shoulder, and saw an explosion.

Mr Jones’ lawyers had to write a letter to Mr Bosman’s attorneys instructing them not to

•

He judged the distance to be 3 to 4 kms.

interfere with the witnesses.

The board had no reason to doubt Mr Koen’s evidence. He made a good impression on the Board.

6. MR BOSMAN (WITNESS) Mr Bosman was the pilot of the helicopter. He is an experienced pilot and had often accompanied security vehicles. He invited Mr Fenenga to come, as Mr Fenenga wanted to take over his job at Civair. He was an instructor and a personal friend of Mr Fenenga.

Mr Bosman stated that: • The helicopter had landed at the crossroads of the N12 and the road from Westonaria. Mr Koen insisted this was not true.

70

October 2020

Johann Kotze.

• He flew to and circled the crash scene, realised he could do nothing, and started

Syferfontein Airfield before the accident.

• It is clear that the helicopter could not have

flying to Lenasia, intending to find a fire

been flying over the N12 at the time of the

engine to assist.

accident, but must have been much closer

• He circled Lenasia and saw the security

to the airfield and the end of Runway 31.

vehicles coming from Lenasia. He also stated that the vehicles were going to Lenasia.

• He realised there was no Fire Brigade

7. MR FENENGA (WITNESS) Mr Fenenga was a pilot being instructed by Mr Bosman, but on this trip he was a passenger

in Lenasia. He then tried to get hold of

gaining exposure and knowledge of the type of

Grand Central Airport on the radio, but was

operation he might be doing should his application

unsuccessful.

for the position be successful. He would then take

• He then climbed to 6000 feet and reported

over from Mr Bosman.

the accident to Grand Central and

Mr Fenenga initially stated:

requested them to also report it to the

• The helicopter had landed at the

CAA.

crossroads of the N12 and the road from

• He then flew back to the accident site,

Westonaria. Mr Koen insisted this was not

landed and shut down the engine.

• They walked to the aircraft and noticed two

true.

• At a point approximately on the extended

EVEN THE HELDERBERG ACCIDENT HAS NEVER BEEN REOPENED

centreline of the Syferfontein runway he noticed the Cessna doing training flights on runway 31 with right-hand turnouts after takeoff.

• That Bosman made radio contact with the pilot of the Cessna.

people arriving in a Kombi • They all waited at the accident for the first emergency vehicle.

• That Mr Raper, the security guard, was sitting in the left-hand front seat and he, Fenenga, in the right-hand seat behind the pilot. This turned out to be a lie, Fenenga

COMMENTS:

was in the left-hand front seat.

• The similarities of Messrs. Bosman and

• He first observed the Cessna 185 at his

Fenenga’s statements are exceptionally

2 o’clock position as the helicopter was

precise, creating the impression that they

climbing through 350 - 400 feet. The

colluded with their evidence.

aircraft was starting a right-hand turn. The

• From 5 km it is impossible to see a camouflaged Cessna against the ground.

• It is obvious that either Mr Bosman or Mr Raper is lying about having landed at

helicopter was over the N12.

• He watched the Cessna during and after taking off, and guessed that the Cessna was a little higher than himself.

October 2020

71

• He admitted that the aircraft was 3 to 4 km away.

• He first said that he knew it was a military aircraft and saw it to be camouflaged. But later said it was a dark aircraft. He also

I exited the helicopter to see if we could render any assistance and we were joined by the Airport Manager and a general assistant.

• Mr Fenenga later stated he was seated in

initially stated that he could clearly see the

the back seat of the helicopter and heard

aircraft, but during questioning admitted

Mr Bosman call on frequency 122.60. Mr

that maybe one could not see it.

Bosman transmitted that they would remain

• He watched the aircraft from his 2 o’clock position and when it reached his 4 o’clock

clear of the airfield and would fly on the northern side of the highway.

position saw it stall.

• He stated that the Cessna had just started its right-hand turn.

• He saw it do 2 or 3 spins, before hitting the ground and exploding in a ball of fire.

• He confirmed that Bosman immediately flew to the scene, hovered around and then flew to Lenasia.

• They looked for a crisis centre, but could

Mr Fenenga states: “I witnessed the aircraft do 2 or 3 spins before hitting the ground”. Flight tests have shown that from a height of 350-400 ft a Cessna 185 will only do one spin at the most before hitting the ground.

The fear that there could be reprisals against the pilots if they were found to be guilty of having

not find anything, climbed to 6000 feet

been a contributory cause to the accident cannot

and called Grand Central and then went

be ignored, and must have influenced their

straight back to the accident site.

responses.

• He indicated that the time it took the

The fact that both Fenenga and Bosman were

helicopter to reach the accident site from

not prepared to appear before the Board without

the N12 was probably 2 minutes.

legal representation strengthens this impression.

• The roundtrip to Lenasia in his opinion would have been more than 8 minutes.

• At a second appearance before the Board,

In an aircraft accident where there is an explosion and a subsequent fire, the fire is usually over in less than 5 minutes, and more likely 2-3

Mr Fenenga and Mr Raper were made to

minutes. Mr Raper took the fire extinguisher to

face each other and Mr Fenenga stated as

assist fighting the fire, which means that the fire

follows:

was still raging. It would appear more likely that

• They had never landed at Syferfontein -

the helicopter had landed within 2 minutes after

neither before nor after the accident.

the aircraft impacted the ground and burst into

• He insisted that Mr Raper sat in the front left seat and not in the left rear seat.

• Fenenga’s lawyer then reacted by stating

flames and not 10 minutes later, as stated by Messrs. Fenenga and Bosman.

Every part of the helicopter pilots’ evidence

that the helicopter did not cross the path of

has been shown to contain anomalies and

the aircraft and did not cause the accident.

contradictions.

• Mr Fenenga later stated, “Mr Raper and

72

COMMENTS

October 2020

8. MR J. RAPER (WITNESS) Mr J. Raper is an ex-policeman and was an experienced employee of the Security Company, SBV. He was a passenger in the helicopter. Mr Raper knew Mr Bosman from previous flights. He was not called as a witness at the original CAA investigation.

Mr Pierre Naude, an attorney with Deneys Reitz

the site of the aircraft accident.

• At the scene he spoke a few words with a white male. A black male was also present.

• Mr Raper stated that he had seen Mr Reeder at the hangars.

• Mr Raper stated that Mr Bosman (the helicopter pilot) contacted him two years later by phone, and said that he, Raper,

Attorneys, took Mr Raper’s statement for the first

must state that at all times the helicopter

time 22 months after the aircraft accident. This

flew alongside the security vehicles. Mr

was done at the request of Mr Jones.

Raper refused to do this.

• Mr Raper stated that they had landed at Syferfontein approximately 20 minutes before the accident, when the pilots suggested they should buy cold drinks.

HE ADMITTED THAT THE INVESTIGATION WAS NOT DONE IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER. • Mr Raper, using a model aircraft and

Mr Raper later stated: • They proceeded to Syferfontein and landed in front of the Zeederburg hangar.

• The two pilots walked to the clubhouse to get cold drinks but were unsuccessful. Mr Raper did not accompany the pilots as he needed to guard the helicopter.

• He noticed the Cessna doing circuits and bumps, as well as a male person working on an aircraft some distance away in a hanger.

• The helicopter started and took off via the western side of the clubhouse, and then turned to the right when past the clubhouse. When it was approximately over the extended runway centreline he

helicopter, demonstrated the full sequence

suddenly noticed an aircraft slightly above

of events after the helicopter departed from

and to the left, in front of him. He saw the

Syferfontein.

underside, saw the aircraft dropping to the

• Mr Raper, on seeing the Cessna, immediately brought it to the attention of Mr Fenenga, who was sitting directly in front of him in the left-hand front seat.

Mr Raper stated that: • The aircraft passed in front of the

left over his left shoulder, hitting the ground and bursting into flames.

• The pilot Bosman turned the helicopter to the right, hovered above the accident and then landed.

• Mr Raper was handed a fire extinguisher

helicopter, at the same height as the

by Mr Bosman and hurried towards the

helicopter.

aircraft but could do nothing because of

• It took the helicopter 2 minutes to land at

the fire.

October 2020

73

COMMENTS: • Mr Raper was confident and sure of his facts and never flustered. He was merely an onlooker in the process that unfolded. and would have had no reason to lie.

• Mr Raper’s evidence about Mr Reeder’s

the whole truth about the events that happened that day.

10.

MR P. HANEKOM (WITNESS)

Mr Hanekom was the driver of the Mercedes Sprinter that day. He states that when they entered the Bank in Lenasia the helicopter was overhead.

aircraft substantiates Mr Bantam’s evidence

Board’s Conclusion:

and Mr Reeder’s eventual admission that

• The facts as presented to the Board by

he in fact was at the airfield.

• Mr Raper stated that after taking off from

the other witnesses have shown that Mr Hanekom’s evidence is in conflict with

Syferfontein he saw the Cessna and that

the realities. It is not known whether Mr

they (the helicopter) were close to the

Hanekom was influenced by anyone to

aircraft and that he saw it crash.

make his statement.

• The hangar area where Mr Reeder was working on his aircraft is clearly visible from the spot where the helicopter was parked.

• Mr Reeder would have seen and heard the helicopter on the day as it approached to land, as it was almost directly over his hangar.

• Mr Raper stayed close to the helicopter as the radio and rifles were on board.

CONCLUSION: • Mr Raper gave a very clear picture of what

• Mr Bosman and Mr Fenenga’s statements are not consistent and create the

happened at Syferfontein. The Board does

impression that they are not coming clean

not doubt the correctness of his evidence.

with what happened that day.

• Mr Raper had no vested interest in the outcome of this investigation.

• The Board therefore puts a high value on his observations.

• Mr Bell’s statements reflect inaccuracies and are inexcusably false.

• Mr Reeder’s statements are lies and are nothing less than perjury.

• Mr Raper left a good impression on the board.

BOARD’S CONCLUSION It is impossible for all the events the pilots

Mr Bosman did not understand the airspace and radio procedures around Syferfontein. If he

claim they performed after witnessing the accident

made a radio call it must have been on the wrong

to have occurred to still have landed within 2-3

frequency. In all probability he did not make radio

minutes of the accident occurring. The Board

contact with the Cessna.

therefore believes that Mr Fenenga was not telling

74

10. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

October 2020

Mr Fenenga was in the left front seat and not

the left rear seat as claimed by both pilots.

The original false evidence of Mr Bosman, Mr Fenenga, Mr Bell and Mr Reeder originally

and click on “Aircraft accident reports”. Select the year 2000 and it’s the very first report that comes up. It’s long, but it’s riveting.

obscured the true cause of the accident. The accident was caused by the helicopter cutting in

FURTHER COMMENTARY FROM THE

front of the Cessna, forcing the pilot of the Cessna

PILOT’S FATHER, MR BILL JONES:

to take evasive action that led to loss of control and the crash.

The original report was started in 2000 and was signed off in 2002. The accident investigator Mr Louis Visser was either exceptionally

11. CONCLUSION AND FINDINGS OF THE

incompetent or complicit in a cover up. Mr

ACCIDENT INQUIRY BOARD

Seboseso Machobane, as the Acting Head of

The Accident Inquiry Board into the aircraft

the CAA and his legal staff, were very quick to

accident of ZS-EFZ finds that the pilot of the

understand the above, and were instrumental in

Cessna, just after taking-off, was forced to take

obtaining approval from the Minister of Transport

drastic evasive action that led to the accident. No

to investigate the entire Visser report. The new

other reason can be found for this manoeuvre,

investigation cost much, and I am grateful that

except that the Cessna aircraft attempted to avoid

it was done. Further, Mr Peter Mashaba, the

a mid-air collision with the helicopter.

head of the CAA Accident Investigation unit was instrumental in getting the old report taken down

12. RECOMMENDATIONS That a permanent and independent Aircraft

and replaced by the new report. I am grateful for this.

Accident Investigation Board be established, as is

THE ORIGINAL INCOMPETENCE / COVER

required in South Africa, in compliance with ICAO

UP WAS:

Annex 13.

The Board is pleased to note that it has been

•

The Visser report.

•

The non-replacement of the old report with

decided that such an independent institution is in the process of being created. [Editor’s note:

the new one.

•

The non-compliance with the

However, ten years later this has still not been

recommendations – this is understandable

done and is now a key issue in the investigation of

because the old report was not replaced

the CAA’s own accident, being that of ZS-CAR –

with the new one until now. The CAA

the calibration aircraft that crashed at George.]

should now look at complying with the

Jim Davis writes: Much of the original document has been edited for clarity and brevity. For legal

recommendations.

---------------------------------------------

purposes the original document is the only complete and accurate source of information.

It can be found at www.caa.co.za Click the “Information for the industry” icon, then select “Accidents and Incidents”. Go to “Important Links” October 2020

75

Editor’s Addendum:

M

on the statement made by a single individual but

R John Reeder is painted in a

not one of all the others at the scene recall seeing

particularly harsh light in this

me. I was certainly doing a lot of work on my plane

report. I therefore afforded him the

at the time and spending a lot of time in my hangar

opportunity to respond – which he

but I reiterate I did not see or have any first-hand

has done as follows: Firstly, I am shocked by the accusations against

knowledge of the incident.

Those are the facts but let us take a moment to

me which are at best a distortion of the truth and

also apply some logic, reason and common sense

at worst outright lies. I assume that this report

to this incident.

is based on an inquest which I attended some seven years after the incident. My impression at the time was that I was considered reliable in my

There can only be two possible reasons for me to lie about anything to do with this: 1. I did not want to be involved as I knew

statement. What happened between then and the

nobody involved or some other inconceivable

written report I can only speculate on.

reason.

Let me start by setting out the facts. I neither saw nor had any knowledge about this accident

Or 2. I was trying to protect the helicopter pilot.

other than what was on the news.

Five or so years later I am contacted by someone claiming to be a friend of one Mr Jones asking if I had seen the accident. I replied in the

working.

Let us further assume the one percent chance

negative. There after Mr Jones and his mates

that I walked out and saw the incident. Then,

began to harass me claiming knowledge that I was

assuming the former, ‘I did not want to be involved’

at the scene of the accident. After trying reason

surly reason, logic and common sense denotes

to no avail, I requested a lie detector test. This

that my statement would be along the lines of “I

was done and proved a failure. Not sure what that

was there in my hangar but didn’t see anything”.

means but obviously was not what Mr Jones and

Assuming the latter, that statement would hardly

company wanted. I volunteered to do it again, but

be of much use to the helicopter pilot. A more

the result was the same.

logical statement would be along the lines of “I did

My log book was then requested which turned

see the incident but don’t believe the helicopter

out to record that I had made a flight to Springs

was close enough to have caused the accident”.

on that day. This is five years down the line, and I

Simply claiming not to even be on the airfield

don’t remember but conceded that it was probably

defies logic unless it is true.

correct. It may have been an early morning flight only or for the whole day either way I was not at Baragwanath at the time of the accident.

The “evidence” that I was at the scene is based

76

Let us assume that I was indeed in my hangar

October 2020

Not to mention that I have absolutely nothing to gain or lose either way.

j

John Reeder.

rrency test

Bumppff

sers recu Gym rat po

question.

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Private, Commercial & Advanced Pilot Training (021) 976 7053 or (084) 440 7922 www.cape-town-flying.co.za CAA/0188 October 2020

77

DR MARK HOLLIDAY

19 HOLE THE

IN THIS, THE FOURTH OF A SERIES OF ARTICLES BY DOC MARK HOLLIDAY, HE SHARES MORE OF HIS OUTLANDING STORIES AND THE LESSONS LEARNED.

78

October 2020

th

HE writes; “One of the inevitabilities of cross-

enough lift to get home safely. This too failed

country gliding is landing away from your home

because of the turbulent mixing by the strong wind

field from time to time. This is the equivalent of a

at low levels. It was time to pick a field.

forced landing in power flying, yet is considered

Potchefstroom is particularly lacking in fields for

normal operations by the gliding community. I

about 30 km to the west and I had two choices:

have had to land out over ninety times, and in their

a strip parallel to the highway which widened out

own way each has been a little adventure. I have

enough at the far end to accommodate a 15m

decided to record some of my experiences in the

wingspan glider, or the Stilfontein Golf Course.

hope that they may help aspirant pilots, both glider

The golf course proved more attractive because

and power pilots, in some of the planning and

as a casual golfer I know that they rarely have

decision-making processes they face.

obstructions such as telephone lines and have

At a regional contest in Potchefstroom a very

fairways that are usually at least 40 m wide. The

strong cross wind stopped the whole field from

layout almost always guarantees an into wind

being launched. I was lucky enough to have been

option and Stilfontein’s best option just happened

launched before the competition director cancelled

to be the 18th.

the day and so decided to do the task anyway.

I safely adopted a higher than usual approach

The sky was on fire with vigorous lift and

speed because of the strong surface wind and

I managed to fly the first 80 km leg into wind

unsurprisingly found a lot of turbulence at tree top

averaging 133 km/hr without thermalling. One

height. The landing was nevertheless short and

weak climb on the second leg convinced me that I

I rolled to the left of the fairway just short of the

should try and thermal only when I turned for home

water hazard guarding the green. I pushed the

on the downwind leg and although low, I achieved

glider off the fairway and strolled up to the veranda

the second turn point with an average speed of 168

to be greeted by a panic stricken club manager

km/hr. The SA record was in the bag!

who had been told that a plane had crashed. The

One strong climb would get me home at an

bar was open and I managed to placate her over

average speed of 200km/hr, so I disregarded the

several gins and tonic. When I called home to ask

climb of 800 foot /min on offer from a thermal and

for a crew, interest lit up when I explained that the

greedily ventured towards a strong looking cloud

manager was a gorgeous 28 year old who found

poised above a veld fire, my cruising speed, density

the nightlife in Stilfontein to be dull.

altitude and tail wind giving me a ground speed of 340 km/hr.

Alas, it was not to be. I arrived too low to connect

The retrieve was quick and the 19th hole was enjoyed for a few more rounds. Perhaps I should have called for a crew the next morning.

sweetly and connected nothing else over the next

Lessons: Greed makes you land out. Approach

30 km. The sun was behind me and the stormy

faster when windy and near trees. Even a blind pig

front shadowed my marginal final glide so I decided

can scratch up the odd acorn.

j

to abandon my risky endeavour and scratch for

www.saflyer.com

October 2020

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October 2020

Maintenance, Refurbishment & Avionics Guide

ALPHA ONE AVIATION: Gearing up for an Africanwide expansion.

October 2020

81

ALCLAD VIDEO

ALUMINIUM 2024, 3003, 6061, 7075 STAINLESS 301 15-5PH, 17-4PH, 17-7PH ALLOY STEELS 4130 ANNEALED AMS 6350 4130 NORMALIZED AMS 6345 TITANIUM 6AL-4V, CP1, CP2, CP3, CP4 IN ALL FORMS OF: SHEET, PLATE, COIL, ROD, BAR, TUBE, EXTRUSIONS ALL MATERIAL FULLY CERTIFIED TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, SUCH AS: AMS, QQ-S, QQ-A, ASTM, SAE, MIL

www.alclad.co.za I Ed Knibbs: +27 83 251 4601 I ed@alclad.co.za

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October 2020

October 2020

83

COMPANY PROFILES 208 AVIATION Established in 2007, 208 Aviation is a privately-

dealer and installation facility.

Over the years, we have earned a reputation

owned South African company that strives to

for providing superior, quality workmanship. Doing

provide a broad range of aircraft maintenance

things right is how we do business. We consider

and inspection services. With more than 13 years

it our responsibility to go above and beyond

of operation, we have become a key player in

when it comes to aviation safety and customer

aviation operations on the African continent.

satisfaction.

208 Aviation has a full SACAA Part 145 AMO

With sound growth and a proven track record,

(Aircraft Maintenance Organisation) approval with

we welcome you to experience the advantage

Category A, B, C and E ratings. We also hold CAA

of a dedicated team that brings unprecedented

approvals for Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia

commitment to our customers. Take a few minutes

and Ethiopia.

to discover what our expertise can do for you at

Our speciality is Cessna 208 Caravan,

www.208aviation.co.za

Beechcraft King Air, Kodiak, TBM and Eclipse aircraft maintenance and technical support.

We are a very proud approved Blackhawk

84

October 2020

Contact: ben@208aviation.co.za or call: +27 83Â 744 3412

SA Flyer 2019|07

ENGINE DIVISION

Complete overhaul facility with test bench

MACHINE SHOP

Machining, repair, modification o/h of cylinders and crankcases

TESTING

NDT, MPI, Dye Pen and Zyglo

COMPONENT DIVISION

Servicing, overhaul, repair

SUPPLIERS OF AIRCRAFT APPROVED ENGINE LUBRICANTS • SHELL • Phillips • AVBLEND and Camguard

PLATING SHOP

Cadmium Plating

Aircraft Powerplant Co. (Pty) Ltd

Tel: +27 12 543 0775 / 0181 • Fax: +27 12 567 3630 • Hangar 5A, Wonderboom Airport tonyrodrigues@mweb.co.za • Cell: +27 82 558 9388 henkjoubert@mweb.co.za • Cell: +27 83 258 5272 October 2020 www.apcosa.co.za

85

COMPANY PROFILES AVDEX AMP WILL ENSURE ACCURATE MAINTENANCE TRACKING AND RECORD KEEPING

cloud to facilitate storage and retrieval of vital maintenance related documentation at any future date to substantiate previous compliance.

PRA Oversight AMP has a PRA login to allow the checking of

Prebuilt Schedules AVDEX AMP is an online aircraft maintenance tracking program with prebuilt schedules and reporting, dedicated to being CAMO compliant.

AMP provides accurate tracking, which helps the operator and AMO with the planning and tracking of aircraft maintenance. This means less down time for the aircraft and more productivity for the AMO.

the aircraft status prior to flight.

Web Based Being internet based, oversight on all aircraft is possible from any web browser.

Advantages AMP offers a variety of helpful features: •

Generates full aircraft status reports

•

Generates work packs

•

Tracking of component movement

• SB’s, AD’s and Manual Revisions tracked

by Avdex and notified to client when the

Usage recording AMP provides full aircraft usage recording allowing the AOC to record all the flights of an aircraft. This ensures accurate date and flight hour recording of maintenance captured.

AMP schedule is updated •

Tracking usage of an aircraft

AVDEX Maintenance Planning can be contacted on 011 954 1536, cell: 073 454 7809 and via email at info@avdex.co.za

Document Storage AMP allows the digital upload of maintenance workpacks and compliance documents to the

ER UR 712 NOW SERVICING CT M A F E SPORT PLANE BUILDERS CC AMO 1189 NU CENC A WE ARE MOVING TO NEW PREMISES! LI AM Hangar 73 Wonderboom Airport CA OVED PR AP

SLING AIRCRAFT!

SPORT PLANE BUILDERS SERVICE MAINTAIN AND DEVELOP VARIOUS AIRCRAFTS AND COMPONENTS. Manufacturing, maintenance & repairs to various aircraft type certified and NTC aircraft.

We also have have a composite repair facilities for type and non type certified aircraft.

Landline: +27 87 230 8468 | Cell : 083 361 31818 | Email: pmvdwalt@mweb.co.za | Website: www.Spor tPlanebuilders.co.za

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October 2020

SA Flyer 2020|09

SPECIALIZING IN RAVIN 500, RV RANGE AND TECNAM’S.

DYNAMIC VIDEO

100 95

E-mail: andries@dynamicpropeller.co.za pero@dynamicpropeller.co.za Tel: +27 11 824 5057 Fax2mail: 086 548 2651 Pero: 079 492 0592 Andries: 082 445 4496

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25 5 0

SA Flyer 2019|12

At Dynamic Propellers cc we overhaul and maintain all Hartzell, McCauley, MT-Propeller, Hoffmann, Dowty, Sensenich, Whirl Wind and Hamilton standard propellers to include metal and composite blades. We do all maintenance procedures related to aircraft propeller overhauls as called for by the various propeller manufacturers including cadmium plating.

Everything is performed in-house, including cold compression rolling on Hartzell propeller blades, as well as dynamic balancing of propellers in the field.

Dynamic Propellers cc is an Authorised Service Centre for MT-Propeller and Whirl Wind. Dynamic Propellers cc is also appointed as the sole McCauley Authorised Service Centre for the African continent.

We carry a large stock holding of fast moving propellers, hubs, parts, de-icing parts, overhaul kits etc. in our inventory to cater for Hartzell, McCauley, MT – Propeller, Hoffman, Dowty, Sensenich, Whirl Wind and Hamilton standard propellers. We do a huge amount of travelling to local, domestic and neighbouring countries as well as abroad to cater for customer’s propeller requirements.

www.dynamicpropellers.co.za

October 2020

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�

l!J

Hangar64 Wonderboom National Airport

+27 11 014 1710 info@alphaoneaviation.co.za

88

www.alphaoneaviation.co.za www.flyhighaviation.co.za www.flyalpha.co.za

October 2020

October 2020

89

COMPANIES

ALPHA ONE AVIATION ALPHA ONE AVIATION IS GEARING UP FOR AN AFRICAN-WIDE EXPANSION.

African market builds on his company’s proven success in Niger and Burkina Faso. Yamoah has a solid experience base in the industry and is able to see both sides of an issue, thanks to his being both an experienced commercial pilot and an Operations Manager.

AMO APPROVALS

A SOLID BASE FOR GROWTH Building on its successful provision of

Yamoah’s maintenance team is fully licensed on almost all the key aircraft types used by African

maintenance to Africa’s general aviation contract

operators. This includes the Beechcraft 1900 and

and charter fleets, Alpha One Aviation is almost

King Air Series, as well as the ubiquitous Cessna

doubling the size of its operation at Pretoria’s

C208 Caravan. In terms of pure jets, the team has maintenance approval for the Cessna Citation 500

Alpha One's impressive new hangars at Wonderboom.

Series, Challenger 600 Series, and the Dassault Falcon 50 & 900, which is popular for Medevac operations.

Alpha One has a particularly strong reputation in turboprop engine maintenance. Licences include the entire Pratt & Whitney PT6A engine and JT15 Series, and the Garett TFE731 Series.

Alpha One’s maintenance engineers have earned a well-deserved reputation for successful technical field support in extremely challenging conditions across Africa and the Middle East.

Wonderboom Airport by expanding into a huge new hangar next to its existing facility at Hangar 64 on the east side of Wonderboom National Airport.

Alpha One CEO Emmanuel Yamoah explains that this new phase of expansion into the broader

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October 2020

AIRCRAFT RECOVERIES A further key core competency is Alpha One’s proven success in the extremely challenging process of recovering aircraft that have been damaged in remote locations – particularly in the

The pride of Alpha One's charter fleet, the Challenger 600 business jet ZS-TCW.

Maintenance - particularly of the hard working Beech 1900 fleet - is a core competency.

Alpha One is approved for all key turboprop engine types. Here a Cessna C208 Caravan is undergoing engine work.

The Challenger 600 Interior.

October 2020

91

demanding supply operations

global network allows them

for every need, ranging from

for the United Nations which

access to a varied fleet of

their Beechcraft King Air 200

often have to use austere and

aircraft and also offers them

corporate turboprop to their

unimproved airstrips.

global reach. Their in-depth

Challenger 600 business jet.

Alpha One’s aircraft recovery

knowledge of global air freight

A further arm of the

capability is supported by a

needs ensures the delivery of

diversified business is aircraft

global network of suppliers to

clients’ cargo timeously. No load

leasing which provides a turnkey

efficiently and cost effectively

is too big or too small for them

solution with the option of full or

source and secure aircraft

to move.

shared crew as well as branding

spares worldwide and to deliver

Their core business,

the aircraft to suit the client.

these to the client timeously,

however, remains technical

Given the range of turnkey

even in the most remote

field support on turbine and jet

aircraft leasing options and

locations in Africa or the Middle

aircraft under the brand Fly High

support services that Fly Alpha

East.

Aviation Pty Ltd.

offers, for those with the vision or the need to do so, a start-up airline can be up and running without the related challenges associated with aircraft, crew or maintenance.

COMPLIANCE The Fly Alpha aircraft

The Challenger-600 has the ability to service Nigeria non-stop and Europe with just one stop.

management team is acutely aware that owning and operating an aircraft can be a huge challenge as the

A BROAD RANGE OF SERVICES In 2018 Alpha One added

Fly Alpha Aviation is a

regulatory requirements are complex and time consuming.

charter operation which

Fly Alpha ensures your aircraft

a number services to their

recognises that a seamless

is compliant with Civil Aviation

offerings: Aircraft Charter,

passenger experience is

Regulations and maintained

under the brand Fly Alpha

essential and thus the business

to the highest standard. The

Aviation, and Drone Operations

prides itself on its ability to

Alpha One Aviation aircraft

under the brand Alpha

customise solutions which

management team will look after

Drones. A capability still under

provide all the comfort, security

the dog work, while the client

development is helicopter

and privacy discerning clients

enjoys the benefits of aircraft

operations under the name

have come to expect in aircraft

ownership.

Alpha Heli.

charter. The diverse Fly Alpha

Fly Alpha Cargo Movement’s

92

FLY ALPHA AVIATION

October 2020

Aviation fleet has an aircraft

j

For more information contact PJR Stroh, Sr, on

AVTECH AIRCRAFT SERVICES Avtech Aircraft Services based at Wonderboom National airport maintains Beechcraft, Piper, Cessna, Bellanca and Aerostar aircraft. With over

082 555 2808 or RGE Stroh, Jr, on 082 749 9256.

Visit them at Hangar 6 Wonderboom Airport.

Email: avtech1208@gmail.com

28 years of operation, the family-owned business has a vast experience in aircraft maintenance and meets the highest standards, still under the guidance of Riekert, Sr. Avtech Aircraft Services component shop specialises in the overhaul and repairs of continental fuel systems, carburettors and constant speed units, which include Woodward, McCauley, Hartzell & PCU5000. This division is run by Andre Botha, AKA Proppie, who also has many years’ experience in his field.

The Avtech team have collectively over 170 years of experience, between just four people.

Avtech is therefore a wise first stop for all your general aircraft maintenance requirements.

GENERAL MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT ON LIGHT AIRCRAFT COMPONENT WORKSHOP

We specialize in CSU’s, carburettors and TCM Fuel System overhauls and repair of Continental and Bendix .

SA Flyer 2019|03

Re-assembly and import of CofA inspections. Aircraft Sales.

NOW APPROVED FOR BENDIX (PRECISION) FUEL SYSTEM OVERHAULS &REPAIRS Hangar 6, Wonderboom Airport. AMO1208 Tel: Riekert (SR) 082 555 2808 | Riekert (JR) 082 749 9256 | Andre (Proppie) 082 974 9713 avtech1208@gmail.com | proppie@avtechcomp.co.za

October 2020

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COMPANY PROFILES

Our flight control cable assembly facility

AVIATION REBUILDERS Aviation Rebuilders is an SACAA approved

offers all standard MIL-SPEC cable and end

category B and X5 Aircraft Maintenance

fittings, ranging from 1/16” to 3/16”, with cables

Organisation, number AMO 188, based in the

assembled per sample or specification. Our

Showroom right that the entrance to Rand

welding facility offers weld repairs using TIG

Airport, Germiston. Established in 1997,

methods to aluminium alloys, carbon steel

Aviation Rebuilders is your competitive and

and corrosion and heat resistant steels. The

reliable option when it comes to of all your

Aviation Rebuilders sheet metal facility boasts an

sheet metal, welding and flight control cable

extensive range of tooling and equipment which

assembly requirements. No repair is too big

enables us to offer an excellent repair service to

or too small for our enthusiastic team who are

keep your aircraft flying.

always keen and up for a challenge. Our highly

Contact Aviation Rebuilders on:

experienced technicians provide excellent quality

Tel: +27 (0)11 827-2491

and turn-around times for your maintenance

Cell: +27 (0)82 872-4117

requirements.

Email: lyn@aviationrebuilders.com

SA CAA AMO 188

ASSEMBLY OF FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES • SHEET METAL REPAIRS • APPROVED AIRCRAFT WELDING

VISIT THE SHOWROOM @ RAND AIRPORT, GERMISTON

011 827 2491

082 872 4117

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October 2020

FAX

W

SA Flyer 2020| 07/8

N ond W EW e r e TE boo hav L: m e m +2 Air ov 7( por ed 83 t , to ) 4 Ha 42 nga 58 r 17 84

AviSys Aviation Systems is an established Maintenance Organization AMO 1089 with SA-CAA, and other African CAA accreditation to perform component maintenance and overhaul capabilities under its Category B rating. Currently, AviSys is equipped to cater for our Clients needs as per the SA-CAA Approved Capability List and Operational Specifications on the following: • Aircraft Braking Systems repair and full overhaul capability with SA-CAA Component Release to Service (Authorised Release Certificate) on the following OEM Makes; ABSC, Honeywell / Bendix, Goodrich and Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems.

• Aircraft main and nose wheel assemblies for the above makes, to repair and overhaul.

• Landing Gear Repair and Overhaul • Helicopter Servo Actuator Repair and Overhaul • Flexible Hose Build-up • Engine Fire Bottles HPT, Service, Fill and Re-charge AviSys Aviation Systems is committed to deliver Service Excellence and Quality Workmanship at market related prices, carried out with years of cumulative aviation experience in our field by means of dedicated hand-picked Staff Members.

AviSys looks forward to establish long and just relationships with our client base, in order to meet our high standards of customer satisfaction.

 

 

Email: dewald@avisys.co.za Phone: +27 (0) 83 442 5884 Fax: +27 (0) 86 618 6996 Web: www.avisys.co.za

October 2020

95

COMPANY PROFILES

DART AERONAUTICAL Dart Aeronautical was established in 2006 and is situated at Rand Airport.

DART AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL Building on the success of Dart Aeronautical and M&D Aircraft Electrical, Dart Aircraft Electrical

We are committed to providing excellent

has now established itself as a leading aircraft

service with the highest technical standard, not

electrical shop in the Gauteng Area situated at

only locally, but to surrounding airfields as well.

Rand Airport.

This division is headed up by Jaco Kelly and Pieter

Dart Aircraft Electrical (DAE) took over from

Viljoen. The team of 15 specialises in all aircraft

M&D and has acquired all M&Ds test and bench

types ranging from homebuilt to DC9 aircraft.

equipment, thereby maintaining M&Ds capabilities.

We are market leaders in instrument and

DAE has also retained the services of M&Ds

instrument panel refurbishments, which include

Matthew Joubert, and is therefore well equipped

the use of aircraft approved paint, router cutting

to cater to all aircraft electrical requirements.

and laser engraving.

Matthew has over 17 years’ experience and brings

Dart Aeronautical is an agent for all major

a high degree of professionalism to the aircraft

equipment suppliers such as Garmin, Mid

electrics trade. He specialises in fuel pumps,

Continent, Bendix-King, Sigma Tek, JP

magnetos, alternators and starters.

Instruments, Airtex, S-Tec etc. Our ability to

Sharing the premises with Dart Aeronautical,

purchase directly ensures our completeness

DAE is located on the ground floor of Aeronautical

and that our customers receive value for money

House at Rand Airport.

without any reduction in quality and safety.

We carry a wide variety of serviceable units in

DAE will be able to sell, overhaul, service and repair the following:

store that can be used as loaners while working

• Starters

on a customer’s unit or that can be purchased or

• Alternators

exchanged.

•

Fuel Pumps

Contact Pieter Viljoen on:

• Magnetos

Tel: +27 11-827-8204

•

Cell: +27 83-652-4421

• Aircraft electrical wiring installation and

Email: pieterviljoen@mweb.co.za Website: www.dartaero.co.za

Strobe Boxes repairs

•

Electronic components

Contact DAE on: Tel: +27 827 0371 Cell: +27 82 414 1641 Email: dartaircraftelectrical@gmail.com

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October 2020

DART AERONAUTICAL Pieter Viljoen +27 83 652 4421 pieterviljoen@mweb.co.za Jaco Kelly +27 84 498 4916 jacokelly@mweb.co.za

GI 275

Attitude Indicator (AI/ADI) DART AERO

Pieter Viljoen +27 83 652 4421 Jaco Kelly +27 84 498 4916

GFC 600 GFC 600

New Garmin Autopilot Options

GFC 500

G 5

N G A O

ï‚® CE N A FIN IONS T E OP ABL E AIL AV QUIR EN W! October 2020 NO 97

COMPANY PROFILES DYNAMIC PROPELLERS Dynamic Propellers, AMO No. 1150, specialises in the overhaul, repair and maintenance of propellers for commercial and privately-owned

blades, as well as dynamic balancing of propellers in the field.

We carry a large stock holding of fast moving

aircraft. Dynamic Propellers is an authorised

propellers, hubs, parts, de-icing parts, overhaul

service centre, approved to overhaul and

kits etc. in our inventory. This stockholding enables

maintain all Hartzell, McCauley, MT-propeller,

us to regularly realise very short turnaround times

Hoffmann, Dowty, Sensenich, Whirlwind and

for our overhaul and repair services.

Hamilton standard propellers, including metal and

Contact details:

composite blades.

Pero Visser

Our aircraft propeller repair services are

Tel: +27 79 492 0592

all performed in-house in our state-of-the-art

Email: pero@dynamicpropeller.co.za

aviation engineering workshop, and include Non-

Andries Visser

Destructive Examination, Cadmium Plating, cold

Tel: +27 82 445 4496

compression rolling, blade aerofoil and blade

Email: andries@dynamicpropeller.co.za

Building on the success of Dart Aeronautical and M&D Aircraft Electrical, Dart Aircraft Electrical opened its doors in January 2015.

Dart Aircraft Electrical (DAE) took over from M&D and has acquired all M&Ds test and bench equipment, thereby maintaining M&Ds capabilities.

DAE has also retained the services of M&Ds Matthew Joubert, and is therefore well-equipped to cater to all aircraft electrical requirements.

Matthew has over 17 years’ experience and brings a high degree of professionalism to the aircraft electrics trade. He specialises in fuel pumps, magnetos, alternators and starters.

Sharing the premises with Dart Aeronautical, DAE is located on the ground floor of Aeronautical House at Rand Airport.

DAE is able to sell, overhaul, service and repair the following: •

98

actuating pin shot peening on Hartzell propeller

Starters

•

Alternators

•

Fuel Pumps

•

Magnetos

•

Strobe Boxes

•

Aircraft electrical wiring installation and repairs

•

Electronic components

October 2020

No surprise pricing No compromise on quality No sweeping exclusions No wonder it’s so popular!

StandardAero Lanseria, a Pratt & Whitney (P&W) PT6A designated overhaul facility (DOF) and the sole independent DOF with approval for the PT6A-140, is pleased to support operators across Africa with P&W’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. Contact us today to learn more.

BIGGER. BETTER. BOLDER. www.standardaero.com

October 2020

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Pieter Viljoen +27 83 652 4421 pieterviljoen@mweb.co.za Jaco Kelly +27 84 498 4916 jacokelly@mweb.co.za

Master Tech Aircraft Maintenance cc

Aircraft Appraisals and Log Book Research Full aircraft rebuilds on all fabric and vintage aircraft Consultancy on all aircraft up to Beechcraft 1900 series Aircraft Maintenance Tracking & Planning Maintenance Advice All maintenance conducted solely by licensed engineer only We are a small AMO but with a huge scope on our licensing.

Landline: 011 614 2471 Mr. Gomes: 082 412 6669 Carla 083 602 5658

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October 2020

Master Tech Aircraft Maintenance Hangar 8 Robertson Airport Robertson Western Cape Tel: 083 4130131 AMO 1029

Gemair AMO 1003

YOUR PEACE OF MIND IN AVIATION MAINTENANCE Gemair is an SACAA Approved Maintenance

Organisation,

AMO

1003 with 5 other African AMO Approvals and has a team of 9 full time engineers who together have a combined total of over 50 years aviation experience. Gemair are able to perform all aviation maintenance requirements on a variety of NonType certiďŹ ed aircraft, light singles and twins up to turbo propellers and light jets. instrumentation approvals.

SA Flyer 2019|09

Gemair also holds electrical and

TEL: 011 701 2653 or 082 905 5760 Hangar 110, Gate 13, Turn right (old Pical hangar), located behind Spectrum Air Surveyors, Lanseria South Side, 1748

CAA No AMO 620

AND EXTERIORS

Tel: (011) 659-1962 Email: sales@lanseriarefurb.co.za Hangar 107 C and D Gate 13, Lanseria Airport

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COMPANY PROFILES

in installations and systems integration on many

FLYONICS (PTY) LTD

different types of aircraft, complex in-the-field

Flyonics (Pty) Ltd is an avionics design, consulting, servicing, and installation company

system troubleshooting and servicing, as well as

capable of supporting a variety of aviation

Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) design.

Flyonics (Pty) Ltd is fully capable of working

modification and certification projects as well as repairs and maintenance of a wide range of

with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs),

general, regional and business aviation aircraft.

Design Organisations and customers throughout

The depth and range of its resources enables

an entire installation process to ensure that the job

them to provide optimal solutions for operators,

is done technically correct and satisfies the intent

installers and maintainers as well as compliance

of the modification.

Hangar 14 Rand Airport

with regulatory requirements.

Germiston

Flyonics (Pty) Ltd was founded by Micahel Karaolis out of a need for professional experience

E-Mail: michael@flyonics.co.za

CONTACT MICHAEL KARAOLIS | MOBILE: 082 686 2374 | EMAIL: MICHAEL@FLYONICS.CO.ZA | WEBSITE: WWW.FLYONICS.CO.ZA | SACAA AMO 1421, HANGAR 30, RAND AIRPORT, VIKING WAY, GERMISTON

LYNX NGT-9000 TRANSPONDER

Large Inventory

For all your Avionic, Electrical and Installation needs

FEATURED

FOR YOUR FULL ADS-B SOLUTION FEATURING L3 LYNX - NGT-900 TRANSPONDER A transponder with a color touchscreen is a great idea.

But a single-unit Mode S Extended Squitter transponder with traffic, WAAS/GPS, datalink weather, and a color touchscreen display is a brilliant idea.

This is the Lynx NGT-9000. It’s a simple, certified, one-box replacement for your old transponder that delivers ADS-B compliance and a whole lot more, all for less than you might expect.

YOU’LL GET MORE CAPABILITY FOR LESS THAN YOU’LL PAY MIXING AND MATCHING MULTIPLE SYSTEMS.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED Touchscreen Weather Traffic Embedded WAAS/GPS ADS-B in/out Airport Databases, NOTMAS, TFRS ATAS Terrain vision OR ETAWS

CALL NOW FOR UNBEATABLE PRICES

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October 2020

Detailed Panel Refurbishments Exceptional Battery Shop

AMO 227

FLIGHT SAFETY THROUGH MAINTENANCE

Overhaul / Shockload / Repair of Continental and Lycoming Aircraft engines

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

SA Flyer 2019|12

Overhaul Engine Components Overhaul and supply of Hartzell / McCauley and Fix pitch Propellers

COMPANY PROFILES

F. GOMES UPHOLSTERS F. Gomes Upholsters is a family based

F. Gomes Upholsters provides an expert re-

upholstery company. Established in 1979, the

upholstery and upholstery service that caters to

company specialises in aircraft, as well as motor

any upholstery need. No job is ever too small or

vehicle, boat and furniture upholstery.

too large.

F. Gomes Upholsters will refurbish your aircraft

F. Gomes Upholsters is based in

interior to look like new, giving it the class it

Johannesburg. For exceptional craftsmanship at

deserves. They use only the best quality materials,

the best prices, contact F. Gomes Upholsters on:

and their craftsmanship is outstanding. Mr Gomes,

Tel: (011) 614 2471

the founder of F. Gomes Upholsters, has been

Fax: (011) 614 9806

in the upholstery business for close on 40 years

Email: gomesuph@netactive.co.za

and as such brings many years of experience and

104

professionalism to the company.

October 2020

A Boeing 737-800 BDSF showing the scale of the work required.

EXECUTIVE AVIATION SERVICES MAINTENANCE EXCELLENCE & EFFICIENCY

Boeing ramps up Freighter conversion

Hangar One welcomes you to a world of maintenance excellence and efficiency.

We operate in a strict quality driven environment. We ensure quality work-

AS DISCUSSED IN GUY LEITCH’S COLUMN THIS MONTH – THERE IS ALREADY A CRISIS IN AIR CARGO CAPACITY DUE TO THE LACK OF PASSENGER FLIGHTS WITH THEIR BELLY CARGO CAPACITY.

T

manship and customer experience through a vigorous quality control system and auditing guidelines. Our world-class engineers are at your service 24 hours a day and have proven to go the extra mile.

O meet this demand Boeing is opening additional passenger-to-freighter conversion lines at GAMECO in China for the 737-800 and at Singapore Technologies (ST) Engineering for the 767.

Boeing said it already has 134 orders and

commitments for the 737-800 conversion. GAMECO carried out its first 737-800 BCF conversion in June. ST Engineering’s second line will open by the end of the year, doubling its conversion capability.

The company now has seven 767BCF jobs scheduled through 2021.

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According to Boeing the conversion lines had been launched to meet strong demand in express traffic and e-commerce markets.

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Even the PT-6 is vulnerable to post-maintenance problems.

Infant Mortality in the PT-6A Pratt and Whitney’s PT6A turboporp is hugely popular in Africa and thus has numerous approved maintenance organisations rated on the engine for hot end or full overhauls.

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OWEVER the greatest risk in using overhauled PT-6s is the period immediately after an overhaul.

Every mechanical device has three distinct periods in its operating life. These three periods are characterised by significant changes in the

probability of malfunction/failure during the next hour of operation.

The first period is often called “infant mortality” and is characterised by a very high failure rate during the earliest operating hours. The second period is called “normal operation” and is characterised by the lowest failure rate, which remains constant over a very long period. The third period is called “old age wear out”, and is characterised by a very gradual increase in failure rate.

The infant mortality period is the easiest to identify and is contained within the first 150 hours of engine operation after engine assembly. The worst portion of the infant mortality period is the first fifty hours. It is for this reason that operators must be extra vigilant and conduct regular oil analyses and vibration and power tests on

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engines recently out of overhaul.

October 2020

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WHY SA FLYER IS THE BEST VALUE PROPOSITION?

Q: A:

HOW CAN YOU BEST REACH AND GROW YOUR MARKET?

BY ADVERTISING ON SA FLYER’S MANY DIGITAL MARKETING PLATFORMS!

No matter how tough the times, at SA Flyer and FlightCom we remain committed to our core principles of quality journalism and insightful thought-leadership.

• Our key objective is to inform and entertain our readers, which we do thanks to the world-class contributors we have nurtured.

• We are also the only magazine to do hands-on ‘from the cockpit’ flight tests where we actually fly the aircraft. And we bring our readers invaluable information, such as where to get the cheapest fuel.

Our value proposition to you, the advertiser: SA Flyer readers get great information and value from our articles – they trust the value and quality our publications. And this means that we can expose your products and services to the best of all markets.

We now provide not just the magazine, but 3 different ways for you to reach your market: 1. Our all new digital pdf magazine – available for free on our website www.saflyer.com 2. Our brand-new state of the art website – visit www.saflyer.com 3. Our Facebook page – with by far the biggest aviation following in Africa And best of all! – We provide these 3 platforms for just the price of the old print magazine!!

This is truly a great value proposition!

For more information call Wayne Wilson on 072-900-2023 or email 108him October 2020 at: wayne@saflyermag.co.za

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CONTENTS

TABLE OF 08 12 18 24 29 30 33 34 36 37 38 48

Publisher Flyer and Aviation Publications cc Managing Editor Guy Leitch guy@flightcommag.com Advertising Sales Wayne Wilson wayne@saflyermag.co.za Layout & Design Emily-Jane Kinnear

ADMIN: +27 (0)83 607 2335

OCTOBER 2020 EDITION 144

Bush Pilot - Hugh Pryor Airlines - Mike Gough Defence - Darren Olivier MAF Founder Stuart King dies IATA - Quarantines Wilderness Search & Rescue Atlas Oil Charter Directory Alpi Flight School Listing AEP AMO Listing AME Directory The Battle of Britain Back Page Directory

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has traditionally had the world’s weakest airline industry.

Thanks to the legacy of stateowned airlines with concomitant political interference and protection, and the lack of liberalisation and open skies, Africa’s airlines have been sheltered children.

It is therefore ironic that African airlines are now the best placed to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. African governments have been more relaxed than many European countries in their response to the pandemic, and some counties such as Tanzania have done their best to ignore it entirely.

Thus, African airlines are, broadly speaking, returning to the sky sooner than their European and American counterparts. Additionally, the benefits of state ownership means that African airlines can just put out their hands for shareholder bailouts which are far more readily available than having to scrounge money from banks, or private sector investors.

However, we must not lose sight of the massive social, financial and economic impact the pandemic has had on Africa. Mr Mikail Houari, Airbus’s President for Africa and the Middle East, points out that the grounding of flights has resulted in losses, not just to the airlines, but also to sectors dependant on aviation such as tourism and trade.

Houari points out that Covid-19 has also demonstrated the intrinsically vital nature of aviation. Due to poor ground-based transport modes, such as effective road and rail links, aircraft have been the only means of transport capable of delivering essential time-sensitive cargo. Thus, the FRICA

United Nations opened a humanitarian transport hub at Addis Ababa to move supplies and aid workers across Africa to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Prior to this pandemic, the outlook for air transport in Africa was positive. Airbus’s Global Market Forecast (GMF) for 2019 predicted that passenger traffic to and from Africa would increase by 5.4% yearly over the next twenty years. This was in line with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) predictions that Africa would be the second-fastest-growing aviation market in the 20 years leading to 2037, with passenger numbers expected to more than double — to 334 million — by then.

Over the past twenty years, out of the 20 top worldwide economic performers, more than ten were African economies. The increased demand for air transport is a reflection of that growth.

The impact that the aviation industry has had on the sustainable development of Africa cannot be overstated, and governments across the continent are leveraging the industry’s ability to bring about economic transformation. Houari points out that aviation not only gets people moving, but it also fosters regional integration, creates jobs and enables domestic, intra-African and global trade. According to IATA, the African air transport industry directly supports 6.2 million jobs and contributes $56 billion to the continent’s regional GDP. To generate further activity and improve the state of air transport in Africa, governments, regional bodies, and financial institutions have developed air transport-specific initiatives such as the Single

African Air Transport Market (SAATM). The African continent has also made significant strides towards the expansion and improvement of airport infrastructure and air traffic management. Countries such as Morocco, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Ethiopia are expanding existing airports or building new ones.

Aerospace manufacturing is also happening on the continent. In South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia, for example, more than 35 African companies are involved in the manufacturing of Airbus commercial aircraft in areas such as design, engineering, and the production of aerodynamic, structural, communications, control surface, electronics and

The impact that the aviation industry has had on Africa cannot be overstated cabin items. Such activities have enabled the creation of centres of learning, knowledge development, and innovation, thus supporting the creation of a pool of highly skilled aviation talent for the continent.

Although the real impact of the pandemic on Africa’s airline industry is still difficult to gauge, the Covid-19 crisis poses a threat not only to the current African aviation value chain, but also to the tremendous progress made to improve the entire airtransport ecosystem on the continent.

Considering the inherent and extensive nature of aviation and the boundless possibilities and opportunities it offers Africa’s socio-economic 6

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development - it seems necessary for all stakeholders to strongly support the sector. Indeed, the ability of Africa’s aviation industry to recover from this global crisis will depend on the level of collaboration and support invested by all stakeholders to mitigate the effects of this unprecedented crisis.

Support from governments and development finance institutions will be particularly critical, be it with direct financial support, loan guarantees, or tax relief. We already see governments in Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda and Uganda taking actions.

For airlines, being adaptable will be crucial; with the expected decrease in passenger numbers, airline fleet composition and aircraft versatility will be put to the test. Unsurprisingly Airbus points out

that more than ever, it will be about flying the right aircraft at the right time, with flexible approaches to business models while operating economically efficient aircraft. Post-Covid will require tailored market and fleet strategies.

Furthermore, concerted effort with airlines, airports, and the authorities will be required to reassure people who rely on air travel. Airbus points out that renewed air circulates in the cabin every 2-3 minutes through highly efficient HEPA filters that remove 97-99.95% of microbes, viral and bacterial particles from the air, including Covid-19.

With every crisis comes opportunity, and the current climate might encourage better collaboration and integration in Africa. African carriers could choose to join forces, thus increasing competitiveness, creating regional hubs, and ultimately speeding up the full implementation of initiatives such as SAATM. Airbus concludes that aviation connects people, countries and cultures, generates revenue, and improves the livelihood of millions of people. When the stakes are so high and the returns even higher, a successful and sustainable aviation industry in Africa should not be viewed as an option, but rather, as a vital sector, with immeasurable value. 

A Message to All Our Loyal Readers The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown the aviation publication business into turmoil.

QUESTION:

WHY CAN I NOT FIND SA FLYER ON THE SHOP SHELVES AND IN MY POST BOX?

ANSWER:

T HE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS EFFECTIVELY FORCED ALL THE AVIATION MAGAZINES TO STOP PRINTING. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE IS NOW FAR MORE TO ENJOY!

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OVID-19 has brought the entire print publication industry to its knees. One of the impacts of this has been the closure of our retail distribution to shops and our inability to deliver subscriptions. For this reason, we have moved to a purely digital offering.

Our new value proposition to you, our loyal reader: We now provide not just the magazine, but 3 different ways for you to get your flying fix – and not just monthly – but with new material every day!

1. Our all new digital pdf magazine - available for free on our website www.saflyer.com 2. Our Facebook page - with by far the biggest aviation following in Africa 3. Our brand-new state of the art website - visit www. saflyer.com And best of all! We provide all three of these platforms for free!!

The core our offering remains the magazines, which, as purely digital PDF publications use an excellent ‘e-zine’ reader. Click on: https://issuu.com/saflyermagazine for your free copy of SA Flyer and FlightCom. This very

powerful yet easy to use e-zine reader allows us to fully exploit the wonderful opportunities created by digital publishing in linking videos to our articles. And we have made the font and layout much easier to read on a tablet or computer monitor.

So now – not only is SA Flyer and FlightCom available for free – it offers so much more!

Our means of reaching our readers may have changed, but at SA Flyer and FlightCom we remain committed to our core principles of quality journalism and insightful thought-leadership. Our key objective is to inform and entertain our readers, which we do thanks to the world-class contributors we have nurtured. These include: •

Peter Garrison’s unrivalled insights into aerodynamics and accidents

•

Jim Davis’s years of instructing experience

•

George Tonking’s unique helicopter insights.

•

At the same time we are nurturing young writers such as Johan Walden and the wonderful Dassie Persaud van der Westhuizen who qualified as an architect and then became a flight attendant to fund her flying training – all the way to the cockpit of an Airbus A320.

We are also the only magazine to do hands-on ‘from the cockpit’ flight tests where we actually fly the aircraft. And we bring our readers invaluable information, such as where to get the cheapest fuel – thus saving you thousands of Rands!

We live in challenging times and it will be extremely interesting to see what the aviation publication market looks like in a year’s time. But in the meanwhile, we are confident that we are still by far the most liked and respected aviation magazine in Africa.

Thank you for your support!

Guy Leitch

BUSH PILOT HUGH PRYOR

ABDUL AZIZ

I have never thought of myself as being much of a magician, even less a ‘medium’ or spiritual intermediary, but there is a customs officer in Algeria who certainly thinks that I am one or possibly even both.

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reason he gave me this completely undeserved reputation was because he had been to Ethiopia and so had I. Abdul Aziz was there in the course of his duties, ‘something to do with drugs,’ he murmured, and left it at that. I was there during the great Ethiopian Famine of 1985/6/7, flying for the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Abdul Aziz was a compact little man with a thin moustache, which he obviously spent time on.

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The grey at his temples looked too good to have been put there by his creator. His uniform was always immaculately creased. The bill of his cap had been cut back so that he could look down his nose at people, in spite of his abridged stature. His badges of rank were worn with intent and beamed his authority to all and sundry. Given a different time and place, he could have been a world leader and probably a very dangerous one, too. As things turned out, he rose to be the chief of customs at Hassi Messaoud, the oil capital of Algeria, in North Africa.

His position had considerable influence on the local economy and his services were therefore much in demand by the many foreign oil-related companies which did business in the town.

He had a reputation for being particularly hard on people and organisations who tried to find alternative methods of moving materials in and out of the country, without going through

He could have been a world leader and probably a very dangerous one, too the normal customs procedures.

The basic principle by which he lived was that if you were straight with him, he would be straight with you.

Okay, it might take a little longer, but if he caught you trying

BUSH PILOT HUGH PRYOR to bypass the system, you stood a very good chance of not receiving your goods at all. And, of course, the next time you came through, Abdul Aziz would have no reason to suspect that you were telling him the truth, since you had lied to him before, and so you would have to jump through ALL the hoops, some of them more than once, before you would get your things out of customs. This could delay your project considerably and with an oil rig costing upwards of $25 000 per day, even sitting idle, it was definitely worth your while to make friends with Abdul Aziz.

Some time later I was relieved of my duties by the company which I had been working for, for the previous fourteen years. The ‘relieving’ smarted

Everybody thought that Pryor had left the fuel caps off quite a bit, partly because it was based on baseless accusations and partly because it was carried out on the telephone, while I was on leave. But that’s

another story, with which I may possibly bore you at a later date. Be warned!

Almost simultaneously with my firing, another company offered me employment. I have been blessed several times this way and it confirms all I have heard about ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’.

The new company was interested in me because they were picking up several of the contracts previously served by my ex-employers. One of these was with a very large American construction company, who had landed an enormous contract to 10

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build some big compressor stations on one of the gas pipelines feeding North African gas, from the middle of the Sahara, under the Mediterranean sea, into Europe.

I had the honour of bringing the first company aircraft into Hassi Messaoud, from Malta. I have to say that the aircraft was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a pristine example of its marque. Just because Twin Otters tend to visit the more remote corners of the world does not mean that they have to be shabby.

‘Charlie-Alpha’ was shabby. Twin Otters don’t see sophisticated airports very often, but that doesn’t

mean that the fuel tanks should leak. ‘CharlieAlpha’s’ tanks leaked so badly that I once left a fiftymetre contrail of fuel behind me as I flew off to a place called Zina, to the south of Hassi Messaoud, in Algeria. Of course, everybody thought that Pryor had left the fuel caps off, but they were wrong. I have only ever done that once in my long career, and this was not the occasion. When we landed at Zina, the caps were in place and a continuous stream of fuel was pouring from the belly of the aircraft.

So, obviously, we had to make a quick turn-around and get back to Hassi Messaoud before all the fuel leaked out. Luckily the trip was only 34 miles and there was a good black-top road all the way, in case the split in the tank got any bigger.

No, ‘Charlie-Alpha’ was a bit of an embarrassment, to be honest, and so it was just as well that it was dark when we landed that first time.

Being our first visit with the new company’s aircraft, there were various formalities which had to be complied with, before operations could commence, and Abdul Azziz was, of course, heavily involved. He was actually standing there, on the darkened apron, in full uniform, with the arc lights glittering off his insignia, as we taxied in and parked the aircraft. We shut down the engines and all the

remaining systems which still worked and while my colleague finished up the paperwork, I opened the cockpit door and jumped down onto the ground.

When Abdul Azziz saw who the driver was, he strode over with outstretched hands to meet me.

“Hello Abdul!” I said, grasping his hand, “Nice to see you again.”

“Welcome to Hassi Messaoud, Captain!” he said, shaking my hand vigorously. “So you bring a new aircraft with you this evening.”

“Well, Abdul, it’s not really new exactly. New to Algeria, yes. But it’s quite an old aeroplane, twentynine years old, in fact.”

“But it is bigger than the ones you were flying for your previous company, isn’t it?”

“No, Abdul, it’s the same type, a De Havilland DHC-6 dash 300. It’s exactly the same as theirs.”

I was tempted to add that theirs was probably in a lot better shape than ours, but managed to restrain myself.

“But you have bigger engines in yours, don’t you?”

“No, Abdul, we’ve got the Pratt and Whitney Canada PT-6A dash 27s in ours, and so have they.”

“Yes but you must have tweaked yours a bit, or something, surely.” Abdul insisted.

“No, Abdul, I promise you, we’ve got the same type of plane as they have. What makes you think ours is different?”

“Well your Fuel Control Units cost $22 000 each.”

“Yes, that’s right. I have the invoices with me, but I assume you already have them.”

“Well your previous employer’s Fuel Control Units only cost $150!”

Abdul suddenly realised he was onto a major scam, and he went for the throat. Two of the aircraft were impounded, pending the payment of $1 900 000 in back tax.

And, guess what? I got the blame! What a pleasure! 

PETER GARRISON’S NEW BOOK! Acclaimed SA Flyer (and Flying magazine) columnist Peter Garrison has just released a book of noteworthy accident analyses, and lessons to be learned, from his ‘Aftermath’ series.

He writes: “I’ve put a bunch of slightly used but still serviceable Aftermaths into a book called “Why? Thinking About Plane Crashes”, which is for sale on Amazon Books as both a Kindle ebook and a paperback.”

Guy Leitch highly recommends it; “I downloaded it for just US$5.75 on kindle and the profound insights to be gained from these accidents will make us all better pilots. From the risks of ‘taking a look’ at dubious VFR conditions, to showing-off in front of our friends, there are 32 invaluable lessons. This book should be part of every pilot’s prescribed reading list.”

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AIRLINES MIKE GOUGH

THE NEAREST ADEQUATE AIRPORT The choice between an adequate airport, as opposed to a suitable airport depends essentially on one’s level of desperation of getting on to the ground, what risks are involved and then the consequence management of dealing with the result of one’s decision.

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assume we are in the cruise, and everything is normal.

Anyone who has ploughed through the Airbus Computer Based Training aircraft technical course should have raised a smile at that one…

However. The unexpected happens. It could be as simple as a Level One warning – simply requiring crew awareness, for example the SATCOM might

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have gone on strike. Maybe a Level Two warning pings into our attention sphere. We would sit on our hands, take a look at it, discuss it, and then do something about it.

It is unlikely we would be considering a suitable airport to divert to, although it may be a possibility. ‘Suitable’ being engineering capability, company representation, onward connections and so forth.

The Level Three has our absolute and undivided attention.

This requires ‘immediate’ crew action. A fire warning, dual hydraulic failure, smoke in the cabin or the most extreme, all engine failure. Now, we are only concerned with an adequate airport where weather, runway length and strength are all that matter.

We are trained to leap into (appropriately measured) action and deal with the situation using all available resources. As soon as we have (hopefully) managed to stop the bleeding, we then need to assess the next, most appropriate course of action.

As one would probably have an elevated pulse rate and possibly that kick of adrenaline through one’s system, the chance of an uncoordinated and random decision-making process is a distinct possibility.

Being the fatally flawed human creatures that we are, we are taught that our mental processes are sometimes our own worst enemy. Confirmation Bias leads

Use the TFOReDEC process to consult - not argue.

us to seek only that information that supports our current mindset and leads us to discount alternate information. Heuristics assist our brains to shortcut the situation, and literally leap to a conclusion. We have seen something similar and thus we will do X. This has advantages and some pretty obvious disadvantages.

Thus, as much as our vivid thinking patterns can lead us down the garden path, the same thought processes respond in a gratifyingly child-like manner to simple mnemonics to get us out of a mental hole that we might find ourselves in.

We can probably all recall our elementary flight training (something I find myself busy with almost full time now, but we’ll get to that), and those epic complexities of dealing with a Cessna 172 immediately before takeoff. Variations of these themes exist throughout the ab initio training environment.

Immediately after start, “ROAMFRIES” (RPM, Oil pressure, Ammeter, Mixture, Flaps up, Radios, Instruments, Electrics, Safety), tells us the actions

and checks to accomplish when the quiet turns noisy and rattley.

“Too Many Pilots Go Fly In Heaven Early” – although not strictly a mnemonic, reminds us of the vital first letters to initiate certain before takeoff checks.

As far as single crew checklist philosophy goes, when a single-crew operation is literally in motion, one cannot safely consult a written checklist, while paying attention to the all- important ‘Aviate, Communicate, Navigate’ hierarchy of aviation needs. Thus, the simple mnemonic can assist with relatively complex tasks.

In my airline training, we have been taught to use ‘TFOReDEC’ as our go-to mnemonic when we need to declutter our decision-making process and consider all our options. Most airlines around the world use a similar process to assist crews to use a logical sequence as a Decision Making Model (DMM).

The ‘thinking’ part: Time. Do we have enough time to complete this

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process? How much time do we have? Normally fuel related, although many factors can affect this assessment.

Facts. What are the actual, underlying, causal facts of this situation? Are we both on the same page in terms of understanding this issue?

Options. What options – any and all options – are available to us? Continue. Turn back. Divert.

Descend. Enter a holding pattern.

Risks and Benefits of these various options. Play Devil’s Advocate and the ‘what if’ game to test the strength and weaknesses of each option.

The lower-case e is experience.

Have we seen this before, either in the simulator or on the line? If so, what did we do and what was the outcome?

Then comes the ‘acting’ part – putting the decision into action: Decide. Choose the most appropriate option / course of action.

Execute. Task delegation.

Who will do what, and when it will be done.

Check. What have we missed?

Is the decision achieving the desired outcome?

Start the TFOReDEC again.

Around two years ago, while I was undergoing the annual requirement to be observed by a 14

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company Check Captain on a twosector flight to assess how well we are complying with Airbus and company procedures, I had a minor issue that I had to take care of. Generally, something is bound to go south during a check flight…

After push-back, with both engines now running, the ground

it came from was somewhat irrelevant, but we could not depart in this state.

Options. We could pull back into the bay, shut down both engines, connect the airbridge, open the door and retrieve the rope. Or, we could shut down number 1 engine and open the door in the lane. Or, we could

Check Captain is also part of the decision making team.

engineer informed me that we had a green rope dangling out of

door 1 Left – the main entry door - and what am I going to do about it?

Time. We had plenty of time – engines running just meant we would start using our tankering fuel for the return sector from Maputo, but we could uplift some of their expensive fuel if need be.

Facts. Well, apparently there was a piece of rope hanging out the bottom of the door…where

simply disarm the door with both engines running and open it.

Risks and benefits. Option 1, minimal risks, but would definitely use some fuel reserves and we would lose our departure slot. Option 2, less ‘alarm factor’ for the passengers due to reduced noise when we opened the door, but caution in terms of losing one’s footing while retrieving the rope without the safety of a connected airbridge. Option 3, the quickest and simplest, but

possibly the noisiest and even though risk was relatively low, it was the riskiest.

Experience. Had we seen or done this before? No. Decide. I included the three of us in this brief discussion, as the Check Captain is still a usable resource on the flight deck.

Option 3 it was.

Execute. I decided the additional crew member would firmly hold the Purser’s belt while he knelt at the open door, and also double-check the door was disarmed before opening it. A quick announcement to the passengers about a sudden increase in jet-noise, and the first officer made a radio call to Ground to let them know why we hadn’t commenced the taxi.

The increase in noise level took us all by surprise and rendered any verbal communication between us hopeless. As we had properly briefed, additional discussion was unnecessary.

In ten seconds it was done, and it turned out to be part of the escape slide housed in the door bustle. I got a few Noddy points after the check ride for using what was then a relatively new procedure.

Allow me to look at the events of this year in terms of our Decision Making Model. In

February, the entire industry was fat and happy, in the cruise and not only was everything normal, but the future for all of us was looking positively rosy.

Then the shit-show called COVID-19 turned the entire world upside down. Airlines around the world were grounded in a flash, and tens of thousands of aircrew

students are able to get through our borders, I can continue for some time to come in the lifestyle to which my family and I are accustomed. Many are not so lucky.

Facts. The entire aviation industry globally is that allegorical battered boxer on his knees, reeling from a sucker

I expect this coming week to be my last in my airline were suddenly the target of bean counters’ attempts to maintain some form of solvency.

For the vast majority of crew in this country, the unexpected last salary was the end of March.

Retrenchments abounded. As I write this, I expect this coming week to be my last in my airline where I have made my career for the last 23 years.

Time. I am fortunate that I not only have holding fuel (financial resources), I also have a significant business in my flight school. Provided the pipeline of

punch out the blue. How long it takes for him to stand again and start ducking and weaving is the subject of much conjecture.

At this point, the facts get a bit foggy…

Options. For a lot of people, an alternate career is suddenly a necessity. Any employment in the worst recession in the history of the planet would probably be an option – much like that adequate airport. Some may be lucky enough to be re-employed by what is left of the respectable carriers, worldwide. Others are

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going to have to hold for about 18 to 24 months and that will take a heck of a lot of holding fuel.

Risks and benefits. I would wager that a lot of the more senior crew members exiting the flight deck at this point will not be coming back at all in the future.

For some, the risk of accepting any position in the interim may in itself be long term career-limiting, as licences lapse and recencies are lost. There simply are no benefits in this situation.

a lot of the more senior crew members exiting the flight deck will not be coming back Experience. Have we seen this before? Never on this scale, and that’s why it seems so overwhelmingly daunting.

Decide. I will be training ab initio students for the foreseeable future and doing some commercial licence testing and the occasional Airbus simulator session for those willing to use their resources to keep that ATP valid. It is not as straightforward for many.

Execute. The roles are allocated, the game plan in action.

Check. Monitor those reserves, refine the plan, check for changes around the globe and repeat the TFOReDEC frequently.

There will eventually be a suitable airport, with good weather and a choice of approaches.

All we need is Time. 

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TFOReDEC CONSIDERATIONS TIME- HOW MUCH TIME DO WE HAVE? Consider Land ASAP amber or red, is the fuel contained and balanced and agree on how much time is remaining. Consider starting a stopwatch. Ask how much time is available before the aircraft needs to land, are there any technical malfunctions that could change how much time is available? Consider time as either critical, available or required (i.e. buy time by holding or slowing down) FACTS- WHAT ARE THE FACTS? Identify and confirm the problem, gather all relevant facts.

Ask what is going on and what are the implications? Are there limitations we need to think about?

Can the problem be fixed (reset)? Seek information, look for a convergence of facts to point towards or confirm a problem is what you think it is.

Ask why something is the way that it is to probe understanding.

OPTIONS- WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS? Consider continuing, holding, diverting, or turning back to where you came from. Ask what options are available, what choices we have? The use of open questions can assist “What do you think…” Consider the opposite too “What are some reasons that my initial judgement might be wrong?”

RISKS AND BENEFITS- WHAT ARE THE (DIS)ADVANTAGES? Weigh up the risks and benefits or advantages and disadvantages of each option. Keep in mind that Risk = Severity x Probability. Consider any latent or overt threats, what can be said for and against the different options. Consider other aspects like if it is safe, legal and possible, does it take into account crew, passenger or company requirements too? experience - HAVE WE SEEN THIS BEFORE? When a solution is obvious to an expert this stage is meant to bring that aspect into the process. Exchange and share your experiences and solution approaches gained in the past concerning the situation.

EXECUTE - WHO DOES WHAT? Who shall do what, when and how? This step is part of assigning tasks and communicating, it is also part of an essential aspects of leadership: workload management. Consider providing a NITS briefing x 4 (within the flight deck, to ATC, to the Cabin Crew and to the Airline). Use all available resources.

CHECK - HAVE WE MISSED ANYTHING? Review and modify plans, follow-up to check that people are seeing and doing what is expected, if what is expected is not happening, change the plan. Ask if everything is still alright, this step should be repeated whenever workload permits. Encourage the team to state when the situation has changed.

JET & TURBINE SALES EXPERT Led by Maartin Steenkamp and his experienced team, the company has over 60 years of experience in providing the best advice and solutions to companies and individuals looking to operate corporate jets. From single engine turboprops to long range corporate jets and airliners, Ascend Aviation is able to provide the right solution for every need.

Contact Maartin Steenkamp: C +27 (0)82 807 6701 Pierre Kieser C +27 (0)82 577 7815 T +27 (0)11 064 5624 F +27 (0)86 673 9129 E sales@ascendaviation.co.za

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SA Flyer 2019|03

For our list of available aircraft head over to our website www.ascendaviation.co.za.

17

Defence D arren O livier

Canada's Icarus Tactical Aerial Vehicle (TAV) is a direct competitor to the AHRLAC.

THE POSSIBILITIES OF A ‘DIGITAL CENTURY’ STYLE APPROACH It’s becoming ever more difficult, and expensive, to maintain an air force. We are stuck in a vicious loop where higher aircraft acquisition and lifecycle costs result in fewer aircraft being acquired, meaning each aircraft has to do more and last longer, in turn driving up complexity plus acquisition and lifecycle costs.

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Augustine included a wry reference to this in Law Number XVI from his eponymous laws published in 1984: In the year 2054, the entire defence budget will purchase just one aircraft.

This aircraft will have to be shared by the Air Force and Navy 3-1/2 days each per week except for a leap year, when it will be made available to the Marines for the extra day.

While written with the US in ORMAN

mind, the principles are universal and affect all. More importantly, this trend has the potential to be devastating for African air forces that are already resourceconstrained and risk being priced out of the market for new and even second-hand aircraft.

While some have managed to stave off the problem for a few years by acquiring Russian and Chinese aircraft which remain significantly cheaper than their Western counterparts, that’s only a short-term solution as the same

cost and complexity increases are happening there too.

Clearly, a new approach is needed.

Fortunately, there are already a few intriguing new ideas and concepts being developed that hope to solve this problem, or at least reduce the rate of cost and complexity increases. Some are all new, possible now only because of advances in computeraided engineering (CAE), others are clever remixes of old methods.

Combined, they might just break

The modular approach adopted by AERALIS.

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us out of the cost/complexity loop and allow African air forces to remain capable on limited budgets.

So let’s look at some of the technological changes that have allowed for a new approach. Fair warning: This section will inevitably contain a number of hyped-up industry buzzwords, though I will attempt to cut through the hype to explain the actual value of each part.

First: end-to-end digital product lifecycle management (PLM), using the concept of digital twinning, has proven that if correctly applied, PLM can bring down design, development, engineering and service life operating costs by a substantial amount. It does this by reducing the number of

digital twinning is considered part of ‘Industry 4.0’ prototypes needed, the amount of rework, and both acquisition and lifecycle costs through being able to accurately model and therefore simulate every aspect of a manufactured item, from inception through to disposal. While its constituent components, such as computer-aided design (CAD), computeraided engineering (CAE) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) have been around in various forms for decades, it’s only in more recent years that it has become feasible to go a step further and not 20

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only model every system and sub-component, but to feed back into those models in real-time from builtin sensors incorporated into production systems.

To illustrate this let’s look at a typical air force tactical transport aircraft. Before the 1990s, even if the aircraft and many of its components were designed and built using CAD, CAE and CAM, usually only the prototypes were fully instrumented to test the validity of the models against the final system because the sensors were so expensive, bulky and heavy. Production aircraft typically only had relatively basic usage monitoring, such as engine hour meters, along with whatever information was written down by maintenance personnel working on

the aircraft.

From the 1990s onwards, this was improved by the adoption of health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) which collected more data and stored it digitally for alerting and later monitoring.

Even these, though, were limited in what data they could collect by the size and cost of sensors. In the past few years though, the size and cost of sensors has fallen so much that it has become possible to incorporate them into production components from the very beginning, so that nearly every component on an aircraft, and every aspect of its behaviour, can be instrumented. What’s more, with data processing getting cheaper and easier each year, those sensors can output data at a much higher resolution than a traditional HUMS and it can even all be collected and analysed in real-time during flight. That analysis, in turn, can run the data against near realtime simulations that incorporate the digital model of the aircraft in order to test how the stresses, the aircraft and its components experience will impact lifespan, maintenance costs and performance.

That data in turn is fed back into the model itself in order to continuously improve the basic component and system designs and reduce production and maintenance costs for the next set to come off the

production line. In brief, this is what’s referred to as expense of manufacturing, to how much maintenance digital twinning, and considered part of ‘Industry 4.0’ a design might require, and how even small changes or the fourth main wave of industrial manufacturing. to individual components affect all those over the Modern airline engine manufacturers like Rolls- life of an aircraft.

Royce, for instance, now offer maintenance services As a result we’re seeing a raft of new designs where they collect huge amounts of data in real-time for modular aircraft emerging, which are able to from the in-service engines of their client airlines fulfil a wide variety of roles through the swapping and run simulations to predict breakdowns or other of components and sub-assemblies, including entire issues, immediately recommending preventative wing sections, engine pods, payload bays, and so on, maintenance actions that are much, much cheaper around a common base core. This is a unique new than only acting once the part has failed. This is approach. Until now with multi-role aircraft, the another beneficial self-reinforcing cycle, as the goal has been to avoid too much variation in a design data collected further improves the accuracy of so as to avoid skyrocketing production and testing the simulations and costs, so aircraft their predictions manufacturers have over time. to over-engineer An intriguing each design for all side benefit of all the roles it might this is the way need to perform. it can interact If it’s now with additive possible to both manufacturing accurately simulate (aka 3D printing) thousands of design by using the datavariations which are enriched models also cheap and easy An example of a 3D printed part designed using generative in generative to manufacture, test design. The part on the right has the same mounting points design algorithms and strength as the traditionally-designed part on the left, and fly them, it opens but is both much lighter and cheaper to manufacture. to create unique up a world where a part geometries that common basic design minimise material, cost and weight without harming can lead to multiple specialised variants that each strength and longevity. The parts in aircraft are contain only the design elements needed to fulfil going to look increasingly organic, sometimes even their roles. alien, as a result of this process.

What’s more, they can be switched between roles Second, this level of product lifecycle management and functions by merely swapping out entire subdigitisation has made it feasible to take riskier bets assemblies, meaning that the aircraft does not fly on highly modular designs that nonetheless have with any systems or components not needed for its enough commonality to keep costs and complexity particular function, saving on wear from usage. down. There’s enough data for simulations to have There are, of course, downsides. Modular designs much greater fidelity and accuracy when modelling are seldom as high performing as a specialised everything from performance, to the ease and design optimised for a small set of roles, and unless

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there’s enough discipline about maintaining commonality and standardisation, they can end up being more expensive than purpose-designed options. The goal is also often not to get a 100% solution that can do all things, but to achieve 80-90% of that solution at a lower cost. Nonetheless, they offer new options.

Amongst the contenders in this space are the UK’s AERALIS, which is proposing a modular jet training aircraft that can be switched between an advanced trainer with a swept wing (AERALIS A), a basic trainer with a straight wing and single engine (AERALIS B) and a bespoke or aerobatics aircraft (AERALIS X) while preserving 85% commonality in parts.

Another is South Africa’s own AHRLAC, now back in production after a business rescue process. The AHRLAC is built around a huge modular payload bay and open architecture software system, with the idea that the most complex and expensive electronics, sensors and components needed for each mission type are contained within standardised payload pods that can be swapped in and out as needed.

Similar to AHRLAC is a new contender in the same space from Canada called Icarus Aerospace, which is offering the Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) in both a 22

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weaponised and high altitude variant, using modular parts.

Third, while software remains a huge problem for all aircraft projects as a result of its neverslowing cost and complexity, the same modular approaches are starting to have an effect via open architectures that separate out flight-critical software from mission-specific software so as to allow for them to be developed at different paces without compromising each other.

Traditionally, everything that ran on an aircraft’s computers required pretty much the same level of testing and certification, driving up costs. Now, as seen on Saab’s Gripen E, an open architecture concept in the onboard systems provides for mission-specific ‘apps’ to be developed, installed and removed, all without affecting the core software systems.

Bringing all this together, the US Air Force’s head of acquisition Will Roper has proposed a fascinating new approach to specifying, designing, buying and operating aircraft that he’s calling the Digital Century Series, an attempt to bring back some element of the USAF’s approach in the 1950s and 1960s when dozens of manufacturers produced the “Century Series” fighters with short development timelines and low costs.

This approach draws on all

the developments mentioned above and recommends moving to a system where modularity and shared components are embraced to allow for a wide variety of aircraft designs from the same core parts that can be created, tested, deployed and retired in a fraction of the time and cost it takes to just develop current multi-role, multi-mission aircraft designed to operate for 30+ years.

The hope is also to move away from relying on an everdwindling number of aircraft

manufacturers, with the idea that one manufacturer may be contracted to produce a core fuselage, as with the AERALIS concept, while others produce and test modular add-ons and other variations. Iteration of designs, and continuous improvement, would be prioritised over trying to create designs that last for decades.

If this Digital Century Series concept, and the enabling modular and technological approaches, succeed, it’ll represent a revolutionary change in military aircraft design and acquisition that may finally break the cost cycle and disprove Augustine’s law. It may also reverse the worrying trend where African air forces are becoming priced out of the market entirely. For that reason alone, it’s worth keeping a close eye on Will Roper’s new Digital Century Series approach. 

WORDS: GUY LEITCH

Industry Update:

BOEING 787

TROUBLES CONTINUE Boeing's production quality problems just get worse. The latest development may affect as many as 680 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Boeing's 787-10 final assembly is still struggling with flawed barrel joints.

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5 September Boeing disclosed a new manufacturing quality issue with the 787, this time with assembly of the airliner’s horizontal tail in Salt Lake City.

During fabrication in Salt Lake of the 787’s horizontal tail, engineers discovered earlier this year that “certain components were clamped together during the build process with greater force than specified,” potentially leaving the structure with gaps between components wider than the five-thousandths of N

an inch that’s allowable in the specification, Boeing said.

Boeing spokesperson Jessica Kowal pointed out that the gap tolerance required is only slightly more than the thickness of a sheet of paper, which is about fourthousandths of an inch. Such gaps are typically filled with small pieces of material called shims.

This flaw, which Boeing said was identified during an internal audit conducted in February, “may lead to premature aging” of the horizontal tail structure.

Kowal said none of the affected 787s currently in service with airlines around the world

“are within a window when they would experience this aging,” and so “this is not an immediate safety of flight issue. We are correcting the issue on airplanes that have not been delivered,” Kowal said.

“The rework generally involves removing fasteners at the affected locations, applying a calibrated clamping force, measuring for any gaps and shimming if required.”

Then, on 11 September Boeing confirmed that it was dealing with the FAA about substandard joints between fuselage barrels. It was revealed that the vertical fin is affected by the potential flaws, which were actually discovered almost a year ago but the company said in a statement its engineers decided “it did not immediately affect the safety of flight and no immediate action is required.”

The statement also said it expects the issue to be resolved by “a onetime inspection during regularly scheduled maintenance.”

Boeing also released data showing the order backlog for the 737 MAX has been reduced this year by almost 1,000 jets. 

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News G uy L eitch

MAF

FOUNDER

STUART KING DIES

M

Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has been a powerfully effective force for good in enabling access to remote areas. MAF’s founder Stuart King has now passed on to a higher reward at the age of 98. Guy Leitch’s column attitude for altitude in September 2019 reviewed King’s remarkable life and the column is reproduced on the following pages as a tribute to King.

Stuart King founded MAF with Jack Hemmings using a war surplus De Havilland Rapide, supported by much prayer more than 70 years ago. The exRAF engineer was convinced that aircraft could be a vital link to remote areas of Africa and he and Hemmings flew a Miles Gemini through Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Kenya and the Congo on a six-month tour to test that hypothesis.

MAF now serves 1,400 remote locations in 26 countries in support of more than 2,000 humanitarian and missionary organisations. It’s also a highly developed aviation organisation with high standards for aircraft maintenance and pilot training and fiscal management. Recognising his contribution, King received an award from the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in 2019 to add to the long list of humanitarian tributes paid to him.

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ISSION

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MAF founder Stuart King in front of their pioneering De Havilland Rapide.

GUY LEITCH'S COLUMN REPRINT:

FLYING MISSIONARIES IN AFRICA Love them or hate them – missionaries have done a huge amount to open up the ‘dark continent’. And general aviation has been an essential tool to get missionaries into and out of dark places.

H

Morton Stanley’s epic travels to find the missionary David Livingstone, and Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ brought the travails of travel into central Africa to the attention of the world. You had to be nuts – or called by God – to want to travel far into Africa.

It was the call of God which was the strongest, as undaunted, the missionaries kept coming.

They lived, procreated and died in the most inaccessible places.

Some fervent evangelists won souls, others learned the native lingo, opened schools and translated the Bible, and others – well they achieved nothing ENRY

The crashed Gemini on a Burundi hillside in 1948.

much more than train thousands of women to crochet the large tablecloths which you can still find in the rural markets.

The life of many of these missionaries was often unimaginably tough. They would travel by boat, train, mule and on foot into the most inaccessible

places – the more inaccessible the better – and start a new mission station far from the comforts of home or civilisation. Particularly difficult was what to do in case of sickness. And many got sick with malaria, blackwater fever, dysentery, sleeping sickness and the myriad other tropical diseases

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they had never been exposed to in Europe.

And then the World Wars happened. The legacy these wars left for remote missionaries was a sudden huge increase in air transport capability and the availability of experienced pilots. The aeroplane had come of age and could be reasonably relied on to get to the most remote missionaries, if their local population could be persuaded to hack an airstrip out of the jungle or mountainside using spades and pangas.

The most significant of the air transport support services to missionaries is Mission Aviation Fellowship – MAF. In the 75 years since its founding, MAF has grown to provide aviation support for missionaries around the world.

MAF was founded by aero engineer Stuart King and a handful of other pilots who had been demobbed after World War 2. As fervent Christians they responded to the call of God to use their aviation skills to improve access to the most remote mission fields. For the seventieth anniversary of MAF, Stuart

Dave Forney

Modern C208 operations.

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King, then aged 94, was interviewed. He recounts; “Although we were professionals in aviation, we were all amateurs in mission! We just felt the call to go. We didn’t think ahead to what it might become, we didn’t analyse it; we just went.”

They pooled their funds, bought an underpowered Miles Gemini very light twin and flew it out to Africa. It became a nine-month survey flight across Africa, “armed with a calling from God and only £250 in our back pockets! The sight of Africa was moving and impressive: desert and swamp, later jungle and mountains. That first pioneering survey was exciting, tough and dangerous.”

A big reality check hit them when they were flying over the mountains of Burundi and were caught in a lee downdraft. They could not outclimb the mountain and crashed. Luckily without serious injury and they were able to get back to Nairobi by road without too much trouble.

The little four-seater Gemini had served them well as they had by then surveyed much of Sudan,

Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and the Congo. It was evident that the need for fast and efficient air transport was essential if the backwaters of Africa were to be opened up. And it also became clear that this service was not just needed by missionaries, but by the governments and colonial authorities.

That first crash was a huge setback and they briefly questioned whether they really had heard God’s call. They convinced themselves that they had, and carried on, but reduced to surveying potential air strip sites by mule and on foot. King says, “I remember once trekking for two days looking for airstrips and reaching missionaries who hadn’t seen white people for six months. That was the isolation they faced. The change the plane made was startling. We served, prayed and cried with these brave people. It was such a joy.”

Back in England they managed to put the insurance pay out on the Gemini towards an already vintage 1930s De Havilland Dragon Rapide Mk 2. They needed the two engines to satisfy the government, and the performance was adequate for the flat Sudan. But their Rapide Mk 2 had fixed pitch props and thus had no single engine performance to speak of. It was one of those twins where an engine failure meant that the other engine would have just taken them to the scene of the accident.

They had taken a huge leap of faith in trying to start an air service in remote parts of Africa, and it was soon evident that there was a desperate need. In his book ‘Hope has Wings’ Stuart King describes the plight of a sick missionary at Yabus in Southern Sudan; Betty Guth had been desperately ill for two

weeks. They suspected sleeping sickness and knew she would die without help, so they dispatched a runner to the government post at Kurmuk, 110 km away, with a telegraph message. The nearest hospital was 800 km away in Khartoum, and it was the rainy season.

Betty and her husband Chuck had been able to drive to Yabus (with their three-month old baby and a year’s supplies) before the rains set in. But they could not drive out in the rainy season as the trails were swamped and the sticky cotton spoil was treacherous. It was a fearsome 250 km journey west

It soon became evident that general aviation could provide essential and safe air transport to remote regions. to the Nile which would take two weeks and they would have to traverse the Dinka swamps, where two other missionary children had already died.

They made a rough stretcher for Betty and the baby and covered it with a mosquito net.

The first hard day’s slog took them 50 km to the nearest mission station at Doro. This was in the territory of the Mabaan tribe, so the Yabus stretcher bearers refused to go any further. The mission at Doro hired new stretcher bearers and some donkeys from the Sudanese police post. They slogged on, sometimes chest deep in the swamps. They rode the animals until they could no longer carry them and then walked until they could walk no further. They slept in the Mabaan villages and boiled water from mud puddles for the baby on a Primus stove. And the next day they did it again. And again.

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The Dragon Rapide in Sudan.

As they moved on into the Dinka marshlands it became harder and harder to find carriers.

They had hoped to catch the paddlewheel steamer on the Nile, but after six days they were still a day short of the river and the stretcher bearers refused to continue. The missionaries prayed and were answered when the four strongest Dinkas agreed to go on. The next day they

heard a truck pushing through the long grass. It had received the runner’s telegram and come looking for them. But they still had a frantic 40 km dash on the truck, bouncing through potholes in trackless bush, to get to Melut to catch the post boat.

Their prayers were again answered as they made the boat in time. They then had two days on the boat to get to the 28

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railhead at Kosti, 180 km south of Khartoum. A further day on the train got them to hospital in Khartoum. The journey had taken 10 impossibly gruelling days.

King writes that such stories were only too common, some of them ending in tragedy. They made missions, as well as the Sudan government, reluctant to allow people to work in such remote situations. A better means in and out was essential.

When MAF arrived with the Rapide they based it in Malakal in Sudan, where it lasted just three years before the harsh conditions deteriorated the wood and canvas aeroplane to an unflyable condition.

A year later Betty Guth had to be evacuated from Yabus once again to have her second baby.

But by now they had made an

airstrip at Yabus and the Rapide made the journey to Khartoum in four hours, instead of ten tortured days.

It soon became evident to the Sudanese authorities, and indeed governments across Africa, that general aviation could provide essential and safe air transport to their remote regions.

The Sudanese government increasingly called on MAF to

transport officials quickly and safely.

And then, in 1956, Sudan got its independence from Britain. As in much of post-colonial Africa, the missionaries were driven out and, as Nigerian Chinua Achebe famously quoted, ‘Things Fall Apart’. The aftermath can be read in Hugh Pryor’s wonderful stories of flying for the Red Cross in Southern Sudan. 

WORDS: GUY LEITCH

Industry Update:

IATA - QUARANTINES WILL KILL AFRICAN AIRLINE REBOUND The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on governments in Africa and the Middle East (AME) to implement testing as an alternative to quarantine measures when re-opening their economies to international air travel.

T

countries in Africa and the Middle East have quarantine measures in place. This is an increase of seven countries since August.

The impact is that the region effectively remains in lockdown despite borders being open.

Recent public opinion research

by IATA showed that 88% of travellers would not even consider travelling if quarantine measures were imposed on them at their destination.

“Mandatory quarantine measures stop people from traveling. We understand that governments’ priority is on protecting the well–being of their citizens. Quarantine destroys livelihoods. Testing is an alternative method that will also save travel and tourism jobs,” said Muhammad Albakri, HIRTY-FIVE

IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East.

“Testing provides a safe alternative to quarantine and a solution to stop the economic and social devastation being caused

by COVID-19,” said IATA’s Albakri.

Travellers support testing instead of quarantine restrictions.

The latest IATA survey of passenger attitudes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) shows that 72% of people surveyed agreed that those who test negative for Covid should not have to quarantine, and that 80% of people feel that Covid-19 is sufficiently under control in the country to open borders.

IATA reports that quarantines, closed borders and travel restrictions continue to decimate travel demand in Africa and the Middle East. Traffic levels in

Africa and the Middle East saw the largest drop of all regions in July compared to 2019 levels.

Total passenger traffic in Africa in July 2020 was 93.7% below 2019 levels and in the Middle East 95.5% below 2019 levels.

Aviation supported more than 6.2 million jobs and $56 billion in GDP in Africa and 2.4 million jobs and $130 billion in GDP in the Middle East pre-COVID-19.

The economic impact of the collapse in air traffic in 2020 due to COVID-19 could be 3.5 million lost jobs and $35 billion in GDP in Africa and 1.5 million lost jobs and $85 billion in GDP Middle East. 

RIGHT: IATA's Muhammad Albakri - opposing quarantines.

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Search & Rescue S tory & I mages : G rant D uncan S mith

WILDERNESS SEARCH & RESCUE One of the two dedicated AMS helicopters.

If you crash in a remote part of South Africa it’s really good to know that there is a vast multidisciplinary network of resources that can quickly be mobilised to come to your rescue.

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the Western Cape, the Wilderness Search & Rescue (WSAR) is the umbrella body which coordinates the activities of a diverse coalition of government and volunteer organisations.

WSAR is a wonderful example of cooperation between government and non-governmental resources. WSAR was formed under the auspices of the Western Cape’s Metro Emergency Medical Services, and functions under the authority of Metro EMS – the provincial ambulance and rescue service.

N

Remote Search & Rescue (S&R) is a complex business, so Metro EMS provides logistical and air support, control room functions, vehicles, as well as limited financial and equipment support. In all other respects, WSAR maintains its own identity and autonomy and provides rescue services to the communities of the Western Cape and beyond, through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Western Cape Government.

It is of great comfort to know that a multitude of specialist rescue skills are available when the need arises. The many S&R organisations that fall under the Metro EMS include the Red Cross Air Mercy Service, the Mountain Club of South Africa,

the Off Road Rescue Unit of the Four Wheel Drive Club of South Africa, Table Mountain Rescue, High Angle Rescue, Hiker’s Network, Delta Search and Rescue, the NSRI, Hamnet (Ham radio), South African National Parks, CapeNature (Conservation), the South African Air Force and the South African Police Service.

The Air Medical Service (AMS) contract is for two helicopters for the whole of the Western Cape.

While there are a number of helicopters available at any given time on a rotational basis, there will always be two “response machines” on duty for WSAR, namely Skymed 1 which serves the Cape metropole and to the north, and Skymed 2 for the Southern Cape, Garden Route, Little and Great Karroo.

Both of these have ASR and MSR (ambulance) capabilities. At times, these can respond to lend a hand in the neighbouring provinces, in particular, to the Eastern Cape where many rescues are performed on the Otter Trail.

The Western Cape Department of Health Emergency Medical Service plans training sessions throughout the year for both wilderness and surf rescue. The teams, consisting of all member organisations train as they would operate, because they operate as they have trained.

Detailed safe operating procedures remain a work in progress, and these live procedures are reviewed regularly by peer review. The training and operating processes are looked after by a special technical group which is made up of rescue technicians and hi-angle technicians and AMS. There is a mountain rescue technical group (HTG) and a surf rescue technical group (ASRTG) Teamwork is key to successful deployments. At any given training there is a clear purpose planned and Rigorous training in various scenarios helps keep a high level of proficiency.

a safety officer and ground control officer allocated.

Training is not done simply for mandatory currency retention, but to ensure the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) get drilled again and again and serve as an opportunity for all to bond, build trust, and develop the muscle memory required to make actions instinctive.

Various sites are selected around the peninsula for their distance from the general public, general aviation and safety while being as close to an operational environment as possible. Scenario based training ensures the SOPs trained on are the same processes for an operation.

Each exercise is preceded by briefings on ground safety on the Landing Zone, exercise safety and deployments and on equipment rigging. All exercises, like all operations, end with a full debrief immediately after the event on the Landing Zone.

No single training exercise is the same as the last,

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The AMS helicopter in action.

as the environment is dynamic and there are always

variables in terrain conditions and weather, such as temperature and winds.

At the training exercises volunteers and professionals from all 17 member organisations get to meet and greet, learn to work together as one team and use their individual group skills to contribute to a safe, competent and effective wilderness search and

VOLUNTEERS GIVE FREELY OF THEIR TIME AND TALENTS TO WORK IN TRAINING AND REAL-LIFE RESCUES rescue program. Almost all the rescuers in WSAR come from volunteer organisations whose members give freely of their time and talents to work in training and real-life rescues. As the umbrella body

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WSAR maintains high safety standards and upholds a strict policy of rescuer currency, demanding much time and effort on the part of rescuers to meet these standards.

In addition, the senior WSAR leadership give freely of their time to attend administrative, planning and training meetings, in furtherance of a culture of safety, self-critical introspection and constant improvement. Numerous specialist Working Groups have been formed to guide the creation and maintenance of the performance criteria, standard operating procedures and best practice guidelines offered by WSAR. The individual team members are required to self-fund fuel costs, cell phone expenses, and the costs of personal rescue and other gear, for rescues, exercises and other administrative functions. These personal costs can be considerable in the busy months of the Cape summer. Funds generated from donations are not channelled back to rescuers for reimbursement of personal costs, but are allocated to a dedicated equipment fund and used exclusively for the purchase of much-needed technical rescue and dedicated medical equipment. If you would like to support WSAR, please visit: https://wsar.org.za/ support-us/ ďƒź

Thorough briefings are vital for the safety and success of the operation.

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FLIGHT SAFETY THROUGH MAINTENANCE

FlightCom Magazine

37

Historic S tory : D es B arker

THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; AND GERMAN BLUNDERS

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The Hurricane was outclassed by the Bf-109 but the Spitfire changed that.

'Never in the field of human

conflict was so much owed by so many to so few'.

(Winston Churchill, 20 August 1940)

FlightCom Magazine

39

This article pays tribute to those that have tasted the fear of mortal combat in fighting for a cause for which they were prepared to pay the ultimate sacrifice; for their country or their comrades in arms. In the immortal words of poet Laurence Binyon (1869-1943): “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”

T

90th anniversary of the Battle of Britain was commemorated on 15 September 2020 by means of commemoration services which provided an opportune time to reminisce on the most classical air battle in history.

It can be argued that poor intelligence and abandoning the Principles of War, constituted the major contribution to the Luftwaffe losing the Battle of Britain. The tenets expressed in this article are those of the writer: Maj Gen D.E. Barker (SAAF Ret).

HE

Total air superiority, in more modern parlance,

‘air dominance’, was the minimum operational requirement for Operation Sea Lion, the German invasion of Britain, to be attempted.

Hitler was winning and Britain was about to be defeated. Theoretically, on paper at least; numerically, there was no way that Britain could survive Hitler’s ill-conceived plans; 600 RAF fighters should have been overwhelmed by the Luftwaffe’s 2800 fighters and bombers when on 15 September 1940 Germany proclaimed ‘Eagle Day’.

THE BATTLE

PRELUDE

For one moment, close your eyes and recall the European Spring of 1940. The Nazis had swept through the Low Countries and into France. The British Expeditionary Force had been defeated and had retreated from Dunkirk with a large proportion of Britain’s fighting equipment left on the other side of the channel.

The last bastion facing the Nazi onslaught lay across the English Channel; Britain stood totally isolated, but at that stage, without anyone realising it, the outcome of World War II, depended on whether or not the Luftwaffe would succeed in destroying the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Fighter Command.

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This battle has been analysed ‘ad nauseum’ at the strategic and operational level by strategists, students of air power and by air force staff colleges. Most appreciations of the battle essentially focussed on the different capabilities and resources ranged against each other, but very few dug deeper and attempted to get to grips with the personalities involved in the strategic and operational thinking, both in the RAF and Luftwaffe.

The crux is that the Great War of 1915 shaped the strategic thinking and tactical knowledge of most commanders involved in the Battle of Britain; the young fighter pilots of WWI would take centre stage in commanding the air forces of WWII, and in

South African born, Battle of Britain ace, Sdn Ldr ‘Sailor’ Malan, CO 74 Sqn, August 1940 ended the war having scored 27 kills.

particular, of what was subsequently to be known as the Battle of Britain.

Why did the Luftwaffe at the most critical moment of the battle, when the RAF Fighter Command was on its knees, sacrifice the Principles of War; why did they shift their objective of eliminating the RAF Fighter Command to the bombing of London? The answers lie not so much in strategic thinking, but the personalities and organisational politics that plagued both the RAF and Luftwaffe. History, however, provides clear evidence that failure by strategists and politicians to fully comply with the ‘Principles of War’, proved devastating for Germany.

Heresy, possibly? It would not be wrong to conclude that Britain did not win the Battle of Britain, rather, that Germany lost the Battle of Britain. After a build-up of several months, the decisive day of the Battle was 15 September 1940. The Luftwaffe attacked by day in huge numbers expecting to sweep

Britain did not win the Battle of Britain, rather, Germany lost the Battle of Britain the RAF from the skies, but the RAF fought them off. At one point, every available fighter was in the sky – when Churchill, monitoring operations from Uxbridge, 11 Group’s Operations Rooms asked Air Vice Marshal Park: “What reserves are left?” the shocking reply was “None sir!”

Like two punch drunk boxers, the Luftwaffe was also approaching the limit of its ability to sustain such attacks and losses for an extended period when in November 1940, Hitler, tiring of Goering’s empty

promises, postponed the attack on Britain. If only they had had accurate intelligence to realise to what extent they had sapped out the last bit of resistance from the RAF, who knows what the world would look like today.

Under the aggressive leadership and inspirational wisdom of Winston Churchill, the British people stood resolute and defiant that they would fight and the Nazis would be defeated. A robust psychological approach by the population, coupled to leading edge technological innovation, transcended the theoretical ‘paper odds’ and resulted in a major victory for the British people.

PERSONALITIES OF THE BATTLE

Wars are essentially driven by national ego or the fight for resources or territory, which in turn implies personalities at both the political, and military level. At the political level, the battle was between

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Hitler and Churchill; at the military level, the battle between Reich Marshal Goering and the RAFs Air Vice Marshal Dowding, Commander-in-Chief Fighter Command. Stuck between these personality groupings was the technological advancements developed during the pre-war years that would be the determinants of success or failure.

If there was one particular differentiator between the two sides, it was the superior strategic thinking of Dowding vs that of Hitler’s right hand man, Goering.

What was it that made Hitler place so much faith in Goering’s decisions? Goering’s successes as a fighter pilot in WWI and his employment strategy of the air force in the Blitzkrieg, would surely have convinced Hitler that in Goering, he had a visionary leader, a military commander that could provide a military solution to the goals of Germany in regaining its stature after the humiliation suffered under the harsh conditions of the surrender Treaty of Versailles.

After all, it was Goering that drove the revival of Germany’s air power and rebuilding of the Luftwaffe and his support to Hitler in 1935 in renouncing all the restrictions of Versailles. The Luftwaffe’s successful

Pilots scramble to their Hurricanes - which was the mainstay of the British defence as the Spitfire was not yet available in the numbers needed.

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tactical involvement in 1936 in Spain in support of Franco and the defeat of Poland in one month brought on by the aerial triumph, led Goering to convince Hitler that every major offensive would in future be spearheaded by the pilots of the Luftwaffe.

One of the lesser known names that featured most prominently in the strategic decision making on the German side, was Colonel ‘Beppo’ Schmid, an Army officer promoted to Head of Luftwaffe Intelligence.

The performance of Luftwaffe air intelligence prior to and during the Battle of Britain was seriously flawed and perhaps doomed it to failure from the outset. Poor organisation and staffing combined with the dysfunctionality of the Nazi “system” resulted in an almost complete absence of coordination amongst the various intelligence agencies. All combined to help ensure defeat.

‘Chastise the bearer of unhappy tidings’. If not the motto of the Nazi regime, certainly this was the apparent attitude of many individuals, including Hitler and Goering; they demonstrated a dislike of intelligence reports that did not fit their own personal visions with the result that intelligence analysis

was often watered down to reach conclusions more acceptable to the intended reader. Thus, the reputation of Col “Beppo” Schmid, evolved within the Luftwaffe for garnishing his reports to make them more palatable to Goering. During interrogation in 1945, General Adolf Galland was less diplomatic, calling Schmid a “complete washout as an intelligence officer, the most important job of all.”

GERMAN INTELLIGENCE APPRECIATION

For Goering’s Luftwaffe, during the euphoric pre-Dunkirk period, no task was too great. However ominous indicators existed but glossed over: the loss rates against the British during the air battles above Dunkirk were either ignored or overwhelmed by the positive optimism resulting from earlier military successes, in fact, the weaknesses in intelligence both mirrored and contributed to a fatal overconfidence throughout the German High Command. Hitler’s own conviction that the British were weak and would capitulate and accept overtures for peace, either before or after a short air offensive, definitely affected Luftwaffe thinking.

Assessments of raid results were almost always overstated. For example, following the raids on 17 August, Luftwaffe intelligence claimed 11 airfields permanently destroyed with another 12 severely damaged. All of these airfields were in fact operational. Three times the actual British loss rates were claimed by German intelligence during the crucial August-September time period, while German losses, which were also high, were not accurately reported on by Intelligence.

Even within the Luftwaffe, considerable confusion developed between Luftflotten 2 and 3. Kesselring claimed that Fighter Command had been destroyed, while Sperrle claimed it had 1,000 aircraft. Based on the ‘inaccurate intelligence’, the optimistic view once again prevailed, supported by Goering, which

contributed to the German decision to shift targeting from Fighter Command airfields, factories and radar stations, to London.

STRATEGIC ERRORS

Strategic Error 1 – Goering’s Perceptions. The first major error Hitler made was to take Goering’s advice in May 1940 and order a halt by advancing German forces on Dunkirk; this decision was based on a promise by Goering to Hitler that the air force could finish the job through a Blitzkrieg at Dunkirk.

Chain Home radar installation at Poling, Sussex, 1945.

It was not only a moral victory for Britain, but more than 350,000 soldiers and airmen were saved to counter German efforts at defeating Britain.

It is clear that Goering was riding high on the euphoria of the Blitzkrieg, but had no real idea of the capabilities and resources of Britain, and certainly did not believe Britain had any real chance of resisting the rolling advance of the German forces.

The timescales allotted for the invasion plans for Britain was for the Luftwaffe to gain air superiority over a period of four days for the air battle and four weeks to defeat what was left, demonstrating his contempt for the RAF capabilities.

Strategic Error 2 – The Spitfire. The Hurricanes were no competition for the Bf-109 and although the

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The Chain Home radar station coverage and airfields.

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technological advances of Britain in post war Europe were well known to the Germans, and also that the Spitfire was under development, no real importance was given to the impact of the Spitfire on the ability of the Bf-109s to protect the Luftwaffe bombers.

The Spitfire lacked power reserves but it possessed a better close-in fighting potential due to its turn-in capability.

After Dunkirk, Goering, using attacks on shipping convoys to evaluate RAF Fighter Command’s ability to respond, seemed to have learnt nothing from the RAF’s response and the Spitfire’s combat performance against the Bf-109. The Spitfire thus posed the greatest threat to the Luftwaffe bombing campaign.

By September 1940, serious conflict existed within the Luftwaffe; bomber losses had mounted, which Goering, in his failure to reduce such losses, blamed on inadequate fighter cover. To satisfy his frustrations, the fighter escort was ordered by Goering to fly at the same altitude as the bombers, thereby removing the Bf-109s flexibility. The fighter escort lost the advantage of height and were forced to weave and not allowed to leave the bombers, even if they had RAF fighters visual. This enraged Galland; squadrons of Luftwaffe bombers with a ‘lame’ fighter escort a mile behind; amazingly poor tactics of fighter escort providing the Spitfires with a huge tactical advantage which cost lives of German fighter pilots. Add to this the approximately 15 minutes fuel limit of ‘time over target’ available to the Bf-109, and it becomes evident that inadequate protection would be available to the bombers, the main strike force with which the Luftwaffe intended to bring the RAFs Fighter Command, and Britain, to its knees.

Strategic Error 3 - Radar. Perhaps the greatest failure was the German conclusions about the effectiveness of the British, Chain Home, radar stations. General Martini’s 3d Abteilung signals intelligence, using the airship Graf Zeppelin,

had detected British radar before the outbreak of hostilities. Did Colonel Schmid, as a non-pilot, fail to grasp the significance of radar’s potential? In any event, little emphasis was placed on sustained attacks against the British early warning system.

As the battle progressed, Schmid became aware that radar information was being passed to RAF fighters by radio. This served to confirm his earlier conclusions and, in his ignorance of air power, he remained convinced that the mass attacks being conducted by the Luftwaffe would overload what he considered to be an “inflexible” command and control system. In fact, the British Command and Control system, developed during the pre-war years under the astute Dowding, was a ‘first generation’

Hitler believed that the working classes could be incited against the rich ruling class to bring about a revolution net-centric system in which the sensor information provided by radar and visual sightings was fed into a centralised, command and control system which detected and tracked massed formations of German aircraft. Dowding implicitly understood Rule Number 1 of air defence: early warning was an essential element of any air defence campaign.

Further supporting Schmid’s flawed conclusions about radar was the effectiveness of an undetected deception plan derived from a British policy to continue transmitting from damaged radar sites.

Thus, radar sites that were incapable of receiving information, continued to transmit signals. The German signals intelligence was deceived into thinking that the bombing of radar stations which was undertaken early in the campaign was ineffective.

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In concert with pilot reports that “led the Germans to believe that the vitals of the radar stations were located in bomb proof bunkers”, the decision was finally made to discontinue attacks against the radar sites altogether.

The only conclusion one can reach is that Goering did not understand the advantages of early warning radar with 120 mile range coverage which provided the RAF with an element of surprise the Luftwaffe pilots could not understand. One Luftwaffe pilot, in

Command and Control was key to the RAF victory - the interior of RAF Fighter Command's Sector 'G' Operations Room at Duxford, 1940.

his mission debriefing reported that: “Spitfires strike with astonishing suddenness.”

Strategic Error 4 – Target Selection. The analysis of Great Britain as established by Studie Blau formed the foundation of the bomber offensive conducted during the Battle of Britain. In addition, an “England Committee” was established to provide specialised guidance on target selection to the Luftwaffe. Although target lists were prepared by the Luftwaffe, the final decisions seem to have been made on the spot by Goering and Jeschonnek.

This created considerable confusion within the Intelligence and Leadership communities of the Luftwaffe over the choice of targets for a strategic campaign.

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identified when, in 1936, the director of operations of the Luftwaffe General Staff identified the lack of good intelligence as having “very great significance in a bombing war.” This director further established that the current knowledge and experience within the military was inadequate to properly identify the relative vulnerability of “technical-industrial” systems. Throughout the Battle of Britain, there was “a preference for the choice of a large number of targets for simultaneous attack as a precaution, lest one important target be left out, rather than concentrating on the most important targets”.

One point appears to have received singular agreement within the German High Command. The common belief arose from the experiences of World War One that civilian populations could be driven to panic, even revolution, as the direct result of aerial bombing.

Goering and Jeschonnek obviously shared this view, as did the England Committee. Hitler and the England Committee believed that the poorer working classes could “be incited against the rich ruling class to bring about a revolution”. This ideological and sociological viewpoint remained ingrained in the Luftwaffe leadership’s thinking until the end of the war and had a major influence on the decision to change the original plan to destroy the RAF Fighter Command and rather bomb London.

Apparently no specific priority for the destruction of the identified target types was established. The focus was to be on those targets having the greatest effects upon the population. Again, the dominant influence of the German belief in the “fear of aerial bombardment” is evident. Furthermore, by midOctober Goering would personally order “frequent changes of targets in order to achieve the necessary effect on the population of London and to confront the enemy’s defences with a new situation.”

Strategic Error 5 – Force Levels. Without actually realising it, the German High Command, based

on the expeditionary offensive against the Low Countries, had created a tactical air force; one in which light bombers and light fighters, both with limited range, were used for the Blitzkrieg.

Taking on strategic warfare with a tactical air force prevented the Luftwaffe from optimising its strike force for maximum effect with the limitations of range and bomb load, significantly reducing the potential to achieve its objectives. It’s not for nothing that the Allied Air Force’s strategic component developed ‘heavy’ four engine bombers with long range escorts; for example B-17s and P-51 Mustangs. One month after the high-point of the bombings, the Chief of the Operational Staff, General Jeschonnek, stated that England’s

destruction would require an air fleet four times as large as the Third Reich possessed. A statement of that kind revealed once again the sheer foolishness of the German High Command’s appreciation and estimations of the extent of conducting such an operation.

PRINCIPLES OF WAR

In the final analysis, it is clear that inadequate regard was paid by the Luftwaffe to the ‘Principles

of War’, more particularly, Selection and Maintenance of the Aim, that is, the main principle in conducting warfare was weakly pursued. No real compliance was evident in the other principles such as: Maintenance of Morale, Offensive Action, Security, Surprise, Concentration of Force,

Economy of Effort, Flexibility and Sustainability. This clearly reveals the extent to which the RAF, strategically and tactically, were destined not to lose the Battle of Britain.

The performance of the RAF can best be summarised by Churchill’s speech to the nation on 18 June 1940. Following on from the British Army’s miraculous evacuation from Dunkirk, and realising the precarious position Britain found itself in:

“The Battle of France is over – I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be upon us... Let us therefore, brace ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will say, “This was their finest hour””. 

The slower thicker wing of the Hurricane is evident compared to the sleek Bf-109.

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BACKPAGE DIR DIRECT ECTORY ORY A1A Flight Examiner (Loutzavia) Jannie Loutzis 012 567 6775 / 082 416 4069 jannie@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za

Alpi Aviation SA Dale De Klerk 082 556 3592 dale@alpiaviation.co.za www.alpiaviation.co.za

Adventure Air Lande Milne 012 543 3196 / Cell: 066 4727 848 l.milne@venture-sa.co.za www.ventureglobal.biz

Apco (Ptyd) Ltd Tony/Henk + 27 12 543 0775 apcosupport@mweb.co.za www.apcosa.co.za

Comporob Composite Repair & Manufacture Felix Robertson 072 940 4447 083 265 3602 comporob@lantic.net www.comporob.co.za Corporate-Aviators/Affordable Jet Sales Mike Helm 082 442 6239 corporate-aviators@iafrica.com www.corporate-aviators.com

Flying Frontiers Craig Lang 082 459 0760 CraigL@fairfield.co.za C. W. Price & Co www.flyingfrontiers.com AES (Cape Town) Aref Avionics Kelvin L. Price Erwin Erasmus Hannes Roodt 011 805 4720 Flying Unlimited Flight School (Pty) Ltd 082 494 3722 082 462 2724 cwp@cwprice.co.za Riaan Struwig erwin@aeroelectrical.co.za arefavionics@border.co.za www.cwprice.co.za 082 653 7504 / 086 770 8376 www.aeroelectrical.co.za

riaan@ppg.co.za Atlas Aviation Lubricants Dart Aeronautical www.ppg.co.za AES (Johannesburg) Steve Cloete Jaco Kelly Danie van Wyk 011 917 4220 011 827 8204 Foster Aero International 011 701 3200 Fax: 011 917 2100 dartaero@mweb.co.za Dudley Foster office@aeroelectrical.co.za Sales.aviation@atlasoil.co.za 011 659 2533 www.aeroelectrical.co.za www.atlasoil.africa Dart Aircraft Electrical info@fosteraero.co.za Mathew Joubert www.fosteraero.co.za Aerocore ATNS 011 827 0371 Jacques Podde Percy Morokane Dartaircraftelectrical@gmail.com Gemair 082 565 2330 011 607 1234 www.dartaero.co.za Andries Venter jacques@aerocore.co.za percymo@atns.co.za 011 701 2653 / 082 905 5760 www.aerocore.co.za www.atns.com DJA Aviation Insurance andries@gemair.co.za

011 463 5550 Aero Engineering & PowerPlant Aviation Direct 0800Flying GIB Aviation Insurance Brokers Andre Labuschagne Andrea Antel mail@dja-aviation.co.za Richard Turner 012 543 0948 011 465 2669 www.dja-aviation.co.za 011 483 1212 aeroeng@iafrica.com info@aviationdirect.co.za aviation@gib.co.za

www.aviationdirect.co.za Dynamic Propellers www.gib.co.za Aero Services (Pty) Ltd Andries Visser Chris Scott Avtech Aircraft Services 011 824 5057 Gryphon Flight Academy 011 395 3587 Riekert Stroh 082 445 4496 Jeffrey Von Holdt chris@aeroservices.co.za 082 555 2808 / 082 749 9256 andries@dynamicpropeller.co.za 011 701 2600 www.aeroservices.co.za avtech1208@gmail.com www.dynamicpropellers.co.za info@gryphonflight.co.za

www.gryphonflight.co.za Aeronav Academy BAC Aviation AMO 115 Eagle Aviation Helicopter Division Donald O’Connor Micky Joss Tamryn van Staden Guardian Air 011 701 3862 035 797 3610 082 657 6414 011 701 3011 info@aeronav.co.za monicad@bacmaintenance.co.za tamryn@eaglehelicopter.co.za 082 521 2394 www.aeronav.co.za

www.eaglehelicopter.co.za ops@guardianair.co.za Blackhawk Africa

www.guardianair.co.za Aeronautical Aviation Cisca de Lange Eagle Flight Academy

Clinton Carroll 083 514 8532 Mr D. J. Lubbe Heli-Afrique cc 011 659 1033 / 083 459 6279 cisca@blackhawk.aero 082 557 6429 Tino Conceicao clinton@aeronautical.co.za www.blackhawk.aero training@eagleflight.co.za 083 458 2172 www.aeronautical.co.za www.eagleflight.co.za tino.conceicao@heli-afrique.co.za Blue Chip Flight School

Aerotric (Pty) Ltd Henk Kraaij Elite Aviation Academy Henley Air Richard Small 012 543 3050 Jacques Podde Andre Coetzee 083 488 4535 bluechip@bluechip-avia.co.za 082 565 2330 011 827 5503 aerotric@aol.com www.bluechipflightschool.co.za info@eliteaa.co.za andre@henleyair.co.za www.eliteaa.co.za www.henleyair.co.za Aircraft Assembly and Upholstery Centre Border Aviation Club & Flight School Tony/Siggi Bailes Liz Gous Emperor Aviation Hover Dynamics 082 552 6467 043 736 6181 Paul Sankey Phillip Cope anthony@rvaircraft.co.za admin@borderaviation.co.za 082 497 1701 / 011 824 5683 074 231 2964 www.rvaircraft.co.za www.borderaviation.co.za paul@emperoraviation.co.za info@hover.co.za

www.emperoraviation.co.za www.hover.co.za Aircraft Finance Corporation Breytech Aviation cc

Jaco Pietersen 012 567 3139 Enstrom/MD Helicopters Indigo Helicopters +27 [0]82 672 2262 Willie Breytenbach Andrew Widdall Gerhard Kleynhans jaco@airfincorp.co.za admin@breytech.co.za 011 397 6260 082 927 4031 / 086 528 4234 www.airfincorp.co.za aerosa@safomar.co.za veroeschka@indigohelicopters.co.za Bundu Aviation www.safomar.co.za www.indigohelicopters.co.za Aircraft Maintenance @ Work Phillip Cronje Opelo / Frik 083 485 2427 Era Flug Flight Training IndigoSat South Africa - Aircraft Tracking 012 567 3443 info@bunduaviation.co.za Pierre Le Riche Gareth Willers frik@aviationatwork.co.za_ www.bunduaviation.co.za 021 934 7431 08600 22 121 opelonke@aviationatwork.co.za info@era-flug.com sales@indigosat.co.za Celeste Sani Pak & Inflight Products www.era-flug.com www.indigosat.co.za Aircraft Maintenance International Steve Harris Pine Pienaar 011 452 2456 Execujet Africa Integrated Avionic Solutions 083 305 0605 admin@chemline.co.za 011 516 2300 Gert van Niekerk gm@aminternational.co.za www.chemline.co.za enquiries@execujet.co.za 082 831 5032 www.execujet.com gert@iasafrica.co.za Aircraft Maintenance International Cape Aircraft Interiors www.iasafrica.co.za Wonderboom Sarel Schutte Federal Air Thomas Nel 021 934 9499 Nick Lloyd-Roberts International Flight Clearances 082 444 7996 michael@wcaeromarine.co.za 011 395 9000 Steve Wright admin@aminternational.co.za www.zscai.co.za shuttle@fedair.com 076 983 1089 (24 Hrs) www.fedair.com flightops@flyifc.co.za Air Line Pilots’ Association Cape Town Flying Club www.flyifc.co.za Sonia Ferreira Beverley Combrink Ferry Flights int.inc.

011 394 5310 021 934 0257 / 082 821 9013 Michael (Mick) Schittenhelm Investment Aircraft alpagm@iafrica.com info@capetownflyingclub.co.za 082 442 6239 Quinton Warne www.alpa.co.za www.@capetownflyingclub.co.za ferryflights@ferry-flights.com 082 806 5193

www.ferry-flights.com aviation@lantic.net Airshift Aircraft Sales Capital Air www.investmentaircraft.com Eugene du Plessis Micaella Vinagre Fireblade Aviation 082 800 3094 011 827 0335 010 595 3920 Jabiru Aircraft eugene@airshift.co.za micaella@capitalairsa.com info@firebladeaviation.com Len Alford www.airshift.co.za www.capitalairsa.com www.firebladeaviation.com 044 876 9991 / 044 876 9993

info@jabiru.co.za Airvan Africa Century Avionics cc Flight Training College www.jabiru.co.za Patrick Hanly Carin van Zyl Cornell Morton 082 565 8864 011 701 3244 044 876 9055 Jim Davis Books airvan@border.co.za sales@centuryavionics.co.za ftc@flighttrainning.co.za Jim Davis www.airvan.co.za www.centuryavionics.co.za www.flighttraining.co.za 072 188 6484

jim@border.co.za Algoa Flying Club Chemetall Flight Training Services www.jimdavis.co.za Sharon Mugridge Wayne Claassens Amanda Pearce

041 581 3274 011 914 2500 011 805 9015/6 Joc Air T/A The Propeller Shop info@algoafc.co.za wayne.claassens@basf.com amanda@fts.co.za Aiden O’Mahony www.algoafc.co.za www.chemetall.com www.fts.co.za 011 701 3114

jocprop@iafrica.com Alpha One Aviation Chem-Line Aviation & Celeste Products Fly Jetstream Aviation Opelo Steve Harris Henk Kraaij Kishugu Aviation 082 301 9977 011 452 2456 083 279 7853 +27 13 741 6400 on@alphaoneaviation.co.za sales@chemline.co.za charter@flyjetstream.co.za comms@kishugu.com www.alphaoneaviation.co.za www.chemline.co.za www.flyjetstream.co.za www.kishugu.com/kishugu-aviation

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Kit Planes for Africa Stefan Coetzee 013 793 7013 info@saplanes.co.za www.saplanes.co.za

MS Aviation Gary Templeton 082 563 9639 gary.templeton@msaviation.co.za www.msaviation.co.za

Kzn Aviation (Pty) Ltd Melanie Jordaan 031 564 6215 mel@kznaviation.co.za www.kznaviation.co.za

Skyhorse Aviation Ryan Louw 012 809 3571 info@skyhorse.co.za www.skyhorse.co.za

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

North East Avionics Keith Robertson +27 13 741 2986 keith@northeastavionics.co.za deborah@northeastavionics.co.za www.northeastavionics.co.za Landing Eyes Gavin Brown Orsmond Aviation 031 202 5703 058 303 5261 info@landingeyes.co.za info@orsmondaviation.co.za www.landingeyes.com www.orsmondaviation.co.za

Lanseria Aircraft Interiors Owenair (Pty) Ltd Francois Denton Clive Skinner 011 659 1962 / 076 810 9751 082 923 9580 francois@aircraftcompletions.co.za clive.skinner@owenair.co.za www.owenwair.co.za Lanseria International Airport Mike Christoph Pacair 011 367 0300 Wayne Bond mikec@lanseria.co.za 033 386 6027 www.lanseria.co.za pacair@telkomsa.net

Skyworx Aviation Kevin Hopper kevin@skyworx.co.za www.skyworxaviation.co.za

Legend Sky 083 860 5225 / 086 600 7285 info@legendssky.co.za www.legendsky.co.za

PFERD-South Africa (Pty) Ltd Hannes Nortman 011 230 4000 hannes.nortman@pferd.co.za www.pferd.com

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

Litson & Associates (Pty) Ltd OGP, BARS, Resources Auditing & Aviation Training karen.litson@litson.co.za Phone: 27 (0) 21 8517187 www.litson.co.za

Pipistrel Kobus Nel 083 231 4296 kobus@pipistrelsa.co.za www.pipistrelsa.co.za

Southern Rotorcraft cc Mr Reg Denysschen Tel no: 0219350980 sasales@rotors-r-us.com www.rotors-r-us.com

Plane Maintenance Facility Johan 083 300 3619 pmf@myconnection.co.za

Sport Plane Builders Pierre Van Der Walt 083 361 3181 pmvdwalt@mweb.co.za

Precision Aviation Services Marnix Hulleman 012 543 0371 marnix@pasaviation.co.za www.pasaviation.co.za

PSG Aviation Reon Wiese 0861 284 284 reon.wiese@psg.co.za www.psg aviation.co.za

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

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

Rand Airport Stuart Coetzee 011 827 8884 stuart@randairport.co.za www.randairport.co.za

Robin Coss Aviation Robin Coss 021 934 7498 info@cossaviation.com www.cossaviation.co.za

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

Litson & Associates Risk Management Services (Pty) Ltd. eSMS-S/eTENDER/ eREPORT/Advisory Services karen.litson@litson.co.za Phone: 27 (0) 8517187 www.litson.co.za Loutzavia Aircraft Sales Henry Miles 082 966 0911 henry@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za

Loutzavia Flight Training Gerhardt Botha 012 567 6775 ops@loutzavia.co.za www.loutzavia.co.za Loutzavia-Pilots and Planes Maria Loutzis 012 567 6775 maria@loutzavia.co.za www.pilotsnplanes.co.za Loutzavia Rand Frans Pretorius 011 824 3804 rand@loutzavia.co.za www@loutzavia.co.za Lowveld Aero Club Pugs Steyn 013 741 3636 Flynow@lac.co.za Marshall Eagle Les Lebenon 011 958 1567 les@marshalleagle.co.za www.marshalleagle.co.za Maverick Air Charters Chad Clark 083 292 2270 Charters@maverickair.co.za www.maverickair.co.za MCC Aviation Pty Ltd Claude Oberholzer 011 701 2332 info@flymcc.co.za www.flymcc.co.za

MH Aviation Services (Pty) Ltd Marc Pienaar 011 609 0123 / 082 940 5437 customerrelations@mhaviation.co.za www.mhaviation.co.za M and N Acoustic Services cc Martin de Beer 012 689 2007/8 calservice@mweb.co.za

Metropolitan Aviation (Pty) Ltd Gert Mouton 082 458 3736 herenbus@gmail.com Money Aviation Angus Money 083 263 2934 angus@moneyaviation.co.za www.moneyaviation.co.za

SAA Technical (SOC) Ltd SAAT Marketing 011 978 9993 satmarketing@flysaa.com www.flysaa.com/technical SABRE Aircraft Richard Stubbs 083 655 0355 richardstubbs@mweb.co.za www.aircraftafrica.co.za SA Mooney Patrick Hanly 082 565 8864 samooney@border.co.za www.samooney.co.za Savannah Helicopters De Jager 082 444 1138 / 044 873 3288 dejager@savannahhelicopters.co.za www.savannahhelicopters.co.za Scenic Air Christa van Wyk +264 612 492 68 windhoek@scenic-air.com www.scenic-air.com Sheltam Aviation Durban Susan Ryan 083 505 4882 susanryan@sheltam.com www.sheltamaviation.com Sheltam Aviation PE Brendan Booker 082 497 6565 brendanb@sheltam.com www.sheltamaviation.com

Sky-Tech Heinz Van Staden 082 720 5210 sky-tech@telkomsa.net www.sky-tech.za.com Sling Aircraft Kim Bell-Cross 011 948 9898 sales@airplanefactory.co.za www.airplanefactory.co.za

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

Unique Air Charter Nico Pienaar 082 444 7994 nico@uniqueair.co.za www.uniqueair.co.za

Unique Flight Academy Nico Pienaar 082 444 7994 nico@uniqueair.co.za www.uniqueair.co.za

Van Zyl Aviation Services Colette van Zyl 012 997 6714 admin@vanzylaviationco.za www.vanzylaviation.co.za

Vector Aerospace Jeff Poirier +902 888 1808 jeff.poirier@vectoraerospace.com www.vectoraerospace.com Velocity Aviation Collin Pearson 011 659 2306 / 011 659 2334 collin@velocityaviation.co.za www.velocityaviation.co.za Villa San Giovanni Luca Maiorana 012 111 8888 info@vsg.co.za www.vsg.co.za

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

Status Aviation (Pty) Ltd Richard Donian 074 587 5978 / 086 673 5266 info@statusaviation.co.za www.statusaviation.co.za Superior Pilot Services Liana Jansen van Rensburg 0118050605/2247 info@superiorair.co.za www.superiorair.co.za

The Copter Shop Bill Olmsted 082 454 8555 execheli@iafrica.com www.execheli.wixsite.com/the-coptershop-sa Titan Helicopter Group 044 878 0453 info@titanhelicopters.com www.titanhelicopters.com TPSC Dennis Byrne 011 701 3210 turboprop@wol.co.za Trio Helicopters & Aviation cc CR Botha or FJ Grobbelaar 011 659 1022

Vortx Aviation Bredell Roux 072 480 0359 info@vortx.co.za www.vortxaviation.com Wagtail Aviation Johan van Ludwig 082 452 8194 acrochem@mweb.co.za www.wagtail.co.za Wanafly Adrian Barry 082 493 9101 adrian@wanafly.net www.wanafly.co.za Windhoek Flight Training Centre Thinus Dreyer 0026 40 811284 180 pilots@flywftc.com www.flywftc.com Wings n Things Wendy Thatcher 011 701 3209 wendy@wingsnthings.co.za www.wingsnthings.co.za Witbank Flight School Andre De Villiers 083 604 1718 andredv@lantic.net www.waaflyingclub.co.za Wonderboom Airport Peet van Rensburg 012 567 1188/9 peet@wonderboomairport.co.za www.wonderboomairport.co.za

Zandspruit Bush & Aero Estate Martin Den Dunnen 082 449 8895 martin@zandspruit.co.za www.zandspruit.co.za Zebula Golf Estate & SPA Reservations 014 734 7700 reception@zebula.co.za www.zebula.co.za

stoffel@trioavi.co.za/frans@trioavi.co.za

www.trioavi.co.za

Tshukudu Trailers Pieter Visser 083 512 2342 deb@tshukudutrailers.co.za www.tshukudutrailers.co.za U Fly Training Academy Nikola Puhaca 011 824 0680 ufly@telkomsa.net www.uflyacademy.co.za

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

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