By Guy LeitchImages Andre Venter Of all the aircraft we have tested over the past 30 years, the rare and humble Vans RV-3 is right up there with the most significant. It was the diminutive RV-3 that set the stage for Van’s Aircraft to become the experimental and homebuilding aircraftRead More →
The End: The October 2025 issue of SA Flyer will be the last. In Guy’s column this month he explains: And so it ends. SA Flyer has been killed by not one, but two, fatal wounds. First, by the idiocy of the SACAA, which has forgotten that it is notRead More →
Peter Garrison One good aeroplane deserves another. The first aeroplane to cross the Atlantic was a war surplus Vickers Vimy bomber with a wingspan of 21 metres. The Spirit of St. Louis had a 14-meter wing. In 1975 I made the 3,200-kilometre trip from Gander, Newfoundland to Shannon, Ireland, byRead More →
Guy Leitch In July I wrote a 1000 word op-ed for the general media (Why is the CAA grounding planes) on the CAA’s resurrection of the idiotic 12 year rule. In it I felt I had to note that general aviation is not just a hobby for the rich. IRead More →
June was a bit slower than the past few months with just ten additions and eight cancellations from the register. This month we only have one regional jet, a former Mesa Airlines operated Bombardier CRJ900 ZS-CAU (41051) registered to Cemair. It is interesting that, if this is a new CemairRead More →
[intro] Against huge odds, Vuyo Wakaba fulfilled his dream of becoming an SAA Captain Vuyo writes: I grew up in a middle class family in Bloemfontein. What stands out to me about growing up was my desire to fly for South African Airways (SAA) from the age of 8. MyRead More →
Helicopters George Tonking It’s been a while since I put pen to paper (or finger to screen) about flying. And considering my rollercoaster career as a helicopter pilot—equal parts Top Gun and Mr. Bean—I thought it a crime not to share some recent escapades from the wild blue yonder. YouRead More →
Jim Davis Accident Report – precis and analysis A/C: Piper PA-46-350P, N5EQPlace: Goose Bay Airport, Newfoundland Date: 14 December 2022 This report is to advance safety – not to assign fault or liability History of the flight At 0820, the privately registered Piper PA-46-350P (with the JetPROP DLX conversion) departed SeptÎlesRead More →
Iris McCallum As aviators, we often make the mistake of thinking that we will be coming home at the end of the day. Sometimes the Universe has a sense of humour. I remember flying 5Y-IHC, our Navajo PA31 Navajo to El- Wak very close to the Somali border with aRead More →
REAL FORCED LANDINGS PART II Are real forced landings different from what we have been taught? Jim has over a dozen of them without scratching an aeroplane so he has a good idea of what works on the day. Last time I said I’d tell you about seven things youRead More →
