The cargo compartment smoke warning came as a surprise. This was a heavy-weight take-off, well above maximum landing weight and the aircraft was not even through a thousand feet above ground level (AGL). Air Traffic Control were informed of the intention to return immediately. The ECAM (Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitoring)Read More →
SAA is leasing two A350-900s from Hainan Airlines and two from Air Mauritius. The leases are all three year sub-leases and we can only hope that SAA acquired them at singularly competitive rates as the original client airlines no longer wanted them. By the time you read this SAA shouldRead More →
There is little chance of contradiction if you were to say that the name Scully Levin is immediately familiar to every aviation enthusiast in South Africa and also to many around the world. In his long career he has epitomised the level of professionalism to which most aviation enthusiasts aspire.Read More →
Aviation authorities the world over have the responsibility of overseeing aviation safety and security as well as developing the aviation industries in their countries. Aviation safety and the development of aviation are two things that are mostly at loggerheads with each other: a terrific safety record can be achieved byRead More →
Wednesday afternoons were not for golf, but for aerobatics. The weather was good, my Pitts Special gleamed in the sun and I was determined to be the new SA National Champion. So I used every possible moment to practice. The radio in my Pitts had developed a problem that requiredRead More →
The Hawker-Siddley125 range was around for so long that many corporate flight departments tend to overlook it in favour of new and far more expensive biz-jets. And then in 2013 Hawker stopped building it, so now only exceptionally smart operators know how good it is. I was surprised when myRead More →
Due to its history, the Goodwood Revival is more a historic motor racing event than an airshow. But Goodwood still is a very pleasant and fully functional airfield and so during the motoring events they also host a spectacular display of flying and static historic aircraft. The airfield was builtRead More →
I had spent years immersing myself in aviation and finding the means to pay for my PPL, months studying and training for it, weeks preparing and now, I am in the final hours and minutes – the PPL Check-ride – Part Two. We had only been in the air forRead More →
This month I’m taking a slightly different tack to my normal – away from the adrenaline of playing cops and robbers – to show a different side of flying: The beautiful side. Whenever I have the opportunity to take someone on their first helicopter flight, I start by explaining aRead More →
For anyone who loves aeroplanes it is always sad when a once high-flying airliner is reduced to a dirty old wreck being slowly raided for parts in the ‘rust in peace’ wastelands of an airport. With the revolutionary leaps in jet engine efficiency it is not unusual for a jetRead More →
