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 →
Are you ready to upgrade to a twin? In the first of this two-part series, Jim takes you through some of the drawcards and drawbacks of having two engines. And in our next issue he will put you in the cockpit for some dual on how to manage a multi-engineRead More →
It ought not to be true, but it is: In every life there comes a moment when you wish you had a little more fuel. Perhaps the headwind was stronger than forecast; the gauges dropped below a quarter sooner than you hoped they would; the descent and climb for anRead 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 →
It had to happen. General aviation autopilots have been advancing at such a pace that it is now possible to install a switch on light aircraft that will take over from the pilot, fly to the nearest suitable airport and land on it. This must be great comfort to allRead More →
INTRODUCTION (BY EDGE): In this, the third and final instalment of their circumnavigation of Africa in 60 days, we travel all the way back down the eastern edge of the continent with our two intrepid flyers: Edge Bisset and Jaap Scholten. It’s hot in the cockpit and the afternoon sunRead More →
It’s not often that our Civil Aviation Authority provides us with South African aviation statistics, yet statistics are a cornerstone of aviation safety. Analysis of pilots, aircraft, accidents, hours flown, level of qualifications, types of operations and licence types can yield valuable statistical clustering which may help identify safety issuesRead More →
Several African air arms have recently been modernising their transport fleets through acquisitions or reactivating idle fleets. Two visitors to South Africa are indicative of this. Lanseria saw two new notable arrivals in military transport aircraft during August: a Chinese manufactured Shaanxi Y-8F-200 of the Jeshi la Anga la WananchiRead More →
Namibian airline, Westair, made its inaugural flight into Cape Town on Friday 4 October 2019. The airline will be offering 7 flights a week for 4 days a week from Eros Airport in Windhoek, stopping at Oranjemund on the way to Cape Town. Cape Town is the first international destinationRead More →
Most of the time, flying helicopters is pretty mundane. I cruise overhead, busy with a particular project or task and watch people commute to work, from my little cockpit office. You see, helicopter pilots are normal people too, you know! We have jobs, homes and families, gardens, pets and allRead More →
