The start of the new year has seen four fixed wing and two helicopters and three NTCA types join the South African civil aircraft register, while eight have been removed. Cirrus continues to be a popular choice for many local buyers, with two new Cirrus SR22s – a GTS model,Read More →
South African has had a long and happy relationship with the Airbus H145 series and its pre-genitors. In its MBB BK-117 form the helicopter was the mainstay of SA Police operations in the urban centres, where two engine safety was considered essential. Since then the type has undergone many improvements,Read More →
Rayno Snyman has been fortunate enough to get himself in as the onboard photographer for the Leading Edge Aviation fire-fighting Hueys and Black Hawk in the January Cape fires. He has produced this beautifully framed and composed study of a Huey at work fighting fires. Rayno writes: “I shot thisRead More →
John Bassi Saving the Giant Sable in Angola Part one. John Bassi The giant sable bull arrived dangling beneath legendary wildlife pilot, Barney O’Hara’s MD500 helicopter, the antelope’s four-foot-long horns curving back toward its flanks like the scythe of a backhoe. As the aircraft came into view, hundreds of peopleRead More →
Guy Leitch asks the question in his Attitude for Altitude column. For years I have moaned about how crappy piston aircraft engines are. They are prohibitively expensive, yet have antiquated technology and are far less efficient and reliable than modern car engines. The modern car now has mature technology engineRead More →
Is it as bad as they claim?Darren Olivier – Defence Editor Reflections on Inkwazi Inkwazi, the South African Air Force’s Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) used for VIP transport, has been reliably racking up the flying hours this year. In just the past two weeks before writing this column it flewRead More →
In 2016 musician, Michael Ferguson and commercial Pilot Felix Gosher joined forces to offer underprivileged children the opportunity to experience the joys of flight, a privilege that many of us take for granted. The initiative was inspired by a song by Michael, ‘Paper Plane’ about a young boy with aRead More →
The piston twin is making a comeback. In the 1980s, under the pressures of high maintenance and high Avgas prices, the demand for piston twins collapsed in the face of Cessna Caravan and Pilatus PC-12 turbines. But now, the value proposition of a 40-year old piston twin is once againRead More →
Airlink, has unveiled a distinctive special-liveried new addition to its fleet . The newly acquired Embraer E195 jetliner, which now sports a classy jet-black paint scheme, debuted on a test flight at O.R. Tambo International Airport this morning and will soon operate on Airlink’s main domestic and regional trunk services.Read More →
Johannesburg (Monday, 10th July 2023) – That reassuring bump as the landing gear hits the tarmac, is something that most air passengers take for granted. This complex piece of equipment ensures a safe landing every time the aircraft hits the runway.In line with its dedication to safety standards, South AfricanRead More →
