SA Flyer Magazine December 2023 by Flyer & Aviation Publications

FlightCm African Commercial Aviation

Edition 333 December 2023 Cover: Keith Wilson

FLYING THE

STRIKEMASTER

– THE COMBAT JET YOU CAN OWN!

F e r r y i n g a Ch e r o k e e 6 a c r o s s Af r i c a

J i m – Ho w t o instruct engines

The need for s h a r e d Af r i c a n A i r l i f t

Editorial – the 12 y e a r r u l e – On c e a g a i n !

A OPA – Ho w I C A O shapes our f lying lives! 1

December 2023

G l i d i n g f r o m J h b t o Du r b a n – n e r v e -w r a c k i n g !

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POSITION REPORT WELCOME TO OUR DECEMBER holiday issue! For many it has been a particularly tough year, what with load shedding and a collapsing Rand and sky-high fuel and food prices. In the hope that you will have the time to take it easy and catch up on some much needed rest and recreation, I have indulged you, my faithful reader, by filling this issue with the best of aviation writing. This month’s flight test is of a former Kenyan Air Force BAC Strikemaster - which is a true combat jet fighter that is still very practical to own and fly.

In July, our loyal advertisers must have heaved a collective sigh of relief when our superstar advertising Sales Manager, Wayne Wilson, decided that, after 15 years, he had had enough of selling advertising. Wayne helped build this publication into the incomparable one that it is. I welcome Mr Howard Long, who has stepped into Wayne’s large shoes after many years selling advertising for Highbury Media Wayne was passionate and single-minded in his focus on maximizing advertising revenue. His departure has left a huge gap in the organisation – and our income. With Wayne’s departure, we have had to shed yet more staff, including the wonderful Tami van Heerden, who made sure it all came together.

the balance of power s hifte d

I have also indulged myself by providing you with a fantastic extract from the best book on the Angolan air war. ‘The MiG Diaries’ is a remarkable collaboration between two former adversaries: a Cuban and South African pilot who were both active in the Angolan conflict. There are unique insights into the capability of the muchvaunted Mirage F1CZ against the MiG 23, and the missiles they carried. The book thus provides fascinating balanced insights into a war which both sides claim to have won. The extract I have provided describes that key moment when the balance of power shifted, and the SAAF were no longer able to control the skies over southern Angola.

As we come to the end of 2023, I also take the opportunity to look back on what has been a particularly difficult year for our small team at SA Flyer.

December 2023

And then, in early November, the much-loved Ray Watts, our stalwart contributor to the Register Review and our monthly fuel price listing, passed away from complications arising from diabetes. He was just 72 years old. In the bigger picture, the general aviation industry is also battling along, suffering under load shedding, high fuel prices, and high maintenance costs due to the weaker Rand. The obstructionism from many CAA employees further constrains the industry, forcing consolidations and many to just give up and close down their businesses. I can only hope and pray that it will get better.

Guy Leitch

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Edition 333

CONTENTS FLIGHTCOM

SA FLYER

14 20 26 52 58

Guy Leitch - GLIDING DOWN TO DURBS

Hugh Pryor - HOW OLD IS TOO OLD? Laura McDermid - AIR KENYA PART 2

SAF 14

COLUMNISTS

04 08

Peter Garrison - PAST RECAPTURED Jim Davis - RIGHT SEAT RULES 12 Jim Davis - ACCIDENT REPORT Ray Watts - OBITUARY

FLIGHT TEST:

FLYING THE 8

STRIKEMASTER December 2023

SAF 34

SALES MANAGER Howard Long sales@saflyermag.co.za 076 499 6358 TRAFFIC Howard Long traffic.admin@saflyermag.co.za ACCOUNTS Angelique Joubert accounts@saflyermag.co.za EDITOR Guy Leitch guy@saflyermag.co.za

CONTRIBUTORS CONTINUED John Bassi Ray Watts Laura McDermid Darren Olivier Jeffrey Kempston ILLUSTRATIONS Darren Edward O'Neil Joe Pieterse WEB MASTER Emily Kinnear

PUBLISHER Guy Leitch guy@saflyermag.co.za PRODUCTION & LAYOUT Patrick Tillman www.imagenuity.co.za design@saflyermag.co.za CONTRIBUTORS Jim Davis Peter Garrison Hugh Pryor

© SA FLYER 2023. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without the express permission of the copyright holders.

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December 2023

Edition 333

CONTENTS

FEATURES SA FLYER

23 QUOTE OF THE MONTH 24 NEWS: HENLEY AIR TANZANIAN STUDENTS 34 FLIGHT TEST: FLYING THE STRIKEMASTER 50 NEWS: INTERNATIONAL LICENSE FOR FAHS 57 NEWS: UNLEADED AVGAS PROBLEMS 64 AOPA BRIEFING - ICAO REPORT BACK 69 OBITUARY - HANNES ROETS 70 UNDERSTANDING FUEL PRICES - S BURGESS 12 Opening Shot 74 BOOK REVIEW - POOLEYS AIR PILOT’S V5 62 M & N Acoustic Register Review 78 GLIDERS - JONKER LAUNCHES THE JS5 80 AWARDS - CIVIL AVIATION INDUSTRY AWARDS 72 Aero Engineering and Powerplant Aviation Fuel Table 88 BOOK REVIEW - THE MIG DIARIES 104 Executive Aircraft Refurbishment 105 PILOT'S GIFT GUIDE – SUPPLEMENT Events Calender

REGULARS

FLIGHTCOM

12 News - Unpacking SAA malfeasance 15 News - FedAir Buys 6 New Caravans 16 John Bassi - Saving the Giant Sable in Angola 2 22 Defence - African Airlift Capability 28 News - Air Senegal closes 75% of its routes 29 News - Ethiopian signs for 11 more A350-900s 10

December 2023

FLIGHTCOM

27 AME Directory 30 ALPI / BILL Flight School Listing 31 Merchant West Charter Directory 32 Skysource AMO Listing 34 Aviation Directory

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YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE AN ACE aerial photographer to get an Opening Shot published. In fact, the series is to encourage talented ‘amateurs’. This striking image by Sarita Devchand is one such amateur image. Sarita was sitting near the back of a Safair Boeing 737 approaching Cape Town and used his iPhone 12 to capture this moment. The picture works at many levels – but I particularly like it because it reminds us of the wonderful Rugby World Cup victory we snatched so many times from the jaws of defeat. Also, it shows that no matter how much darkness there is – it cannot overwhelm a single wingtip light.

December 2023

13 December 2023 Send your submissions to guy@saflyermag.co.za

ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE: GUY LEITCH

Gliding down to Durbs

It used to be traditional for many Joburg families to pack up their buckets and spades, load up the kids in the family Chevrolet and drive to Durbs for the Christmas holidays. Jeremy Taylor even wrote a famous song about it; “Ag pleez daddy… HOWEVER, THIS IS A FLYING MAGAZINE, so for the Christmas holidays I want to share a wonderful story I dug up about doing what many thought was impossible, at least in the early 1980s, and that is – to fly a glider from Johannesburg to Durban. The story comes from the SA Aeronews magazine of March 1988 by Granville Dunbar and Geoff Tabner. The story starts with the typical angst of glider flying:

a glide into the unk nown, over desperate count r y

Granville writes: “The adrenalin is beginning to flow as I desperately peer ahead through the gloom for a first sign of the coastline. According to my final glide computer, its only 30 km away, and the fact that I have 1000m more height than I need to get there is little consolation. I inform Geoff of the fact that I’m passing west of a dam (which I hope is Hazelmere). ‘What dam?’ comes the reply from Geoff, who is 5-6 km behind and 300m lower. At this stage I’m not sure whether to be more scared for Geoff or myself.

December 2023

Geoff continues, “I was trying desperately to slow my racing pulse. If I looked down to the ground it seemed far too close, dark wet hills of sugar cane and deep river valleys. Was my course accurate? Every time I checked features that I could see with Granville, we did not agree. Where was I and where was Granville? At the last climb north east of Greytown it became serious. This was the final commitment to a glide into the unknown, over desperate country. I had visions of a pile of fibreglass and sugar cane and wondered what Steve Matchett, my partner [in the glider], would have to say.

Granville and I couldn’t help one another now. The teamwork that had brought us this far was over. It was every man for himself: best glide, patience and accurate navigation were the key. The problem with final glides is that they take so long. You want to know how it’s going to end but you must sit there patiently, eyes glued on the McCready ring, airspeed and compass.

A Ventus glider over inhospitable terrain.

“Try not look at the terrain and calm down,” I kept saying to myself. How did we get into this situation? It all started many years ago when a great pioneer of gliding, Helli Lasch, had a vision that the ultimate achievement in gliding would be to fly from Joburg to Durban. Helli was responsible for a great deal of the development in early glass fibre gliders and was in fact the founding chairman of our club.

difficulties involved. For those who are not familiar with gliding, here are some of the reasons that make this trip difficult in a glider: A) The weather changes dramatically between Joburg and Durban. Normally good, unstable but dry conditions prevail over the highveld. High humidity, low cloud and even mist are typical of the escarpment, and beyond that stable marine air which penetrates well inland in the later afternoon, when a glider would be arriving looking for altitude to make a final glide.

an ex pens ive exercise to retrieve a glider

He made many attempts to complete the trip from Joburg to Durban, but thwarted by weather, terrain and difficulties in navigation, never quite made it. Over the ensuing years, many others took up the challenge and soon recognised the

B) The terrain over which such a journey would take place is daunting, particularly in its latter part where an outlanding is most likely to occur. The prospects of a safe arrival in the Tugela Valley or the Valley of a Thousand hills are slim. C) Gliders and controlled airspace don’t normally December 2023

The view from a Kestrel gliding under scattered culumuls.

mix. The thought of interfering with commercial air traffic or trying to follow a prescribed route at prescribed heights is discouraging. To stay airborne, you have to follow suitable weather and clouds, which are unpredictable. In the actual flight the helpfulness of the controllers, both at Durban and Virginia was greatly appreciated. D) It’s a long way and an expensive exercise to retrieve a glider if you don’t make it. It was really our Chairman, Dick Bradley, who was to blame for our present predicament. Three weeks earlier we had an unveiling ceremony of a portrait of Helli in our clubhouse at Donaldson. To cap the evening, Dick announced in tribute to Helli’s pioneering spirit, that a RI,000 prize would be given to the first glider pilot to fly from Donaldson to Virginia. The prize now paled into insignificance as we pressed on straining our eyes for sight of the coast. Will it end okay?

December 2023

THE PLAN: We had often talked about how we would tackle the task and had concluded that the best track would be via Bethlehem, along the Drakensberg to Giants Castle, then east across the high country to Greytown and then on to Durban. We received some unusual encouragement for our proposed course when John McGloughlin related a dream that he had the night before the unveiling ceremony. “I dreamt I was talking to Helli, about the flight to Durban,” said John. The mistake they all make,” he said, “is to fly straight over Van Reenen’s Pass. It’s like a waterfall. What you should do is fly along the Berg.” Normally the good weather happens between Monday and Friday, so when the preceding week was so miserable, we knew that there had been a reversal in the weather pattern, and a gloomy wet Friday afternoon saw us putting the finishing touches to our plans, oblivious to outside conditions.

Things looked more promising with the weather forecast for the weekend on Friday night. Sure enough, Saturday dawned clear and warm. We met at the airfield at 09:30 and started rigging and ballasting our gliders, still not convinced that we were going, and fairly certain that all we were going to achieve was a very long retrieve. Our two resident club members Hector and Tracey offered to take on the onerous task of retrieving us, just before Geoff launched in his Kestrel at about 11:40. He was singing, ‘Oh I do like to be beside the seaside,’ and this fairly let the cat out of the bag. Up till then we had kept the fact that we were going reasonably secret. We didn’t want the whole club tailing us. I launched about 10 minutes later in my Ventus and after releasing at 7,000’ ASL, I climbed slowly up to Geoff at 9,500’ ASL. We set off slowly on our decided track and found conditions not quite as good as they looked. On numerous occasions we found ourselves forced into taking weak thermals at 7000’ ASL or lower. Also visibility was not good, and this coupled with low altitude, made navigation difficult. [This was before GPS].

As we passed over Platberg, the sink again claimed our hard-earned altitude. Eventually we found reasonable lift over Van Reenen’s Pass. At this stage there was only one possible route open to us, which led about 30 degrees east of track. We followed the west edge of a storm, keeping relatively high for about 100 km, with the blow off from the west rapidly closing off prospects for getting back onto track ahead. Eventually we were faced with the choice of deviating further east to a reasonable looking patch of cloud or heading about 40 kms under the cirrus back onto track where there was only a low, miserable and apparently dissipating cumulus. We had passed over a lot of evil looking ground by this stage and were getting uncomfortably close to it, so it was a great relief to find 1.5-2 m/s lift when we eventually arrived at the ‘last cloud’.

Ge o f f meanw hile was not faring so well

At one stage we were trying to decide whether we were over Petrus Steyn, or lost, and had just concluded that it was indeed Petrus Steyn, when Geoff came over the radio and said he was positive that this was where we were because it was written on the hillside in what must be 40 ft high white letters. About 5 km up the Reitz Road from Bethlehem, it all very nearly came to an end in a cloud of dust. The skies looked good, but the whole sky was going down. When we eventually found a 4 m/s climb we decided that this would do under the circumstances. Just past Bethlehem we realised that the Berg was most definitely not the way to go. We diverted across Harrismith in an attempt to follow the rapidly disappearing sunlight between this and more storms to the east.

This last thermal was kinder to me than it was to Geoff. I eventually climbed to 11,000 ASL. The thermal died when Geoff got to 10,000. We were about 15 km east of Greytown at this stage and estimated 90 km from Virginia. After some debate we agreed on 180 magnetic as the heading and settled comfortably for a long, nerve racking and very smooth final glide. Fortunately the air was generally buoyant and my glide computer was showing me between 50 & 80 to 1 glide. After passing Hazelmere Dam and, with still no apparent sign of the coastline, I started recognising built-up areas ahead. The hotels at Umhlanga Rocks make a very good landmark and a few minutes later I was looking down onto Virginia with plenty of height to spare. Geoff meanwhile was not faring so well. He was only a few km behind but 1000’ lower. He could not see any of the landmarks I tried to point out and I was not particularly enthusiastic about the close look he was getting of the ground. Fortunately he didn’t have to worry for too long. December 2023

Helli Lasch - who set the challenge.

The same sights quickly came into focus and 5 minutes, later, there he was.

I don’ t t hink either of us was s o r r y i t was ov e r. We landed amid quite a bit of excitement at Virginia - the trip had taken just on 5 hours. As excited as we were, I don’t think either of us was sorry it was over. It was hard work and very nerve racking.

December 2023

The Natal Flying Club members gave us a very enthusiastic welcome and made certain that we wouldn’t be doing any flying for at least the next couple of days. I’ll spare you the story of the drive back.

guy@saflyermag.co.za

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PETER GARRISON

T HE

PA S T

RECAP T URED I take a miserly pleasure in finding big expensive books on sale at desperately low prices. A bookstore near me, another victim of Amazon, closed recently, disposing of most of its inventory, during its final weeks, at progressively more drastic discounts. I HAD ADMIRED ONE BOOK in a window display before the sale began but had been discouraged by its price; now it came down into my skinflint range and I grabbed the last copy they had.

originally felt at the sight of aeroplanes, on the ground or in flight. The sculpted form of a P-80’s air intake was about as thrilling a thing to me then as a girl’s breast, and, it being the 1950s, about as accessible.

It happened that at about the same time I was rereading, for the third time, a novel written early in the 1900s. The author describes being moved to tears when, as he was riding up a wooded hillside path overlooking the ocean – this would have been around 1910 – his horse shied at a noise overhead and he looked up to see an aeroplane passing by. He compares his reaction to the emotion of an ancient Greek who, during a stroll in the countryside, happened to glimpse a demigod. (It is parenthetically useful to know that in real life the author’s great love had died in an accident while learning to fly.)

The book I got is called simply Aviation, or, if you include the smaller print, “The Hulton Getty Picture Collection/Aviation/The Early Years.” The text, consisting mainly of captions, is in French and German as well as English. The author/editor is Peter Almond, the publisher Könemann, the ISBN number 3-89508-682-7.

he piloted while standing upr ight

Like a septuagenarian trying to glimpse again the emotion of first love, I have often tried to excavate from beneath the deep muffling alluvium of decades of flying the emotion I

December 2023

The photographs on the front and rear of the book’s dust jacket capture, in a way, a transition that occurred in the early years of aviation, and that parallels a transition that has occurred in me and, I suppose, in many other longtime pilots. The front image shows an Antoinette monoplane in flight over the sea, backlit by sunbeams breaking through a cloudy sky and paving the calm ocean with silver. It is a photograph of breathtaking beauty; it evokes an emotion

much like the one recorded by my novelist. (In fact. it’s so good I half think it must be faked.)

An Antoinette monoplane in flight over the sea.

The pilot, possibly Hubert Latham, is seen in silhouette, wearing the peaked cap that seems to have been a favourite headgear of early aviators and motorists. He appears calm, as a demigod should. The caption implies, but does not unequivocally state, that this photograph was taken on the occasion of Latham’s unsuccessful attempt to fly across the English Channel. Latham’s engine failed and he ditched. When rescuers reached him he was seated atop his floating aeroplane, calmly smoking a cigarette. The dark horse Louis Bleriot succeeded a few days later, gaining immortality. The back cover picture, taken almost exactly 20 years later, shows the magnificent all-metal Gloster VI (incorrectly identified in a caption as a Supermarine seaplane and progenitor of the Spitfire) at the 1929 Schneider Cup races. Actually, three Supermarine seaplanes did race that year, one of them winning the Schneider Cup, but the Napier-engined Gloster was not ready in time. It did set a world’s speed record of 336 mph soon afterward, but that lasted only two days before being broken by a Supermarine S-6 doing 358. The Schneider Cup races, heavily supported by the military services of several European countries as well as the United States, probably contributed more than any other factor to the evolution of fast propeller aeroplanes. In 1931, a Supermarine S-6B, aided by a 2,600hp Rolls-Royce engine but retarded by two huge pontoons, achieved 410 mph on the deck. It would be a long time before even retractablegear fighters could do as well. The Gloster VI, in contrast to the fragile Antoinette on the front cover, is a completely accomplished object, aerodynamically and

structurally “correct” by modern standards. It differs from the fighters of the Second World War, the apotheoses of the fast propeller aeroplane, principally in having pontoons and a thin wire-braced wing rather than a cantilever one. We often speak of the incredibly rapid evolution of the personal computer, but when you compare the computers of two decades ago to those of today, you have to conclude that the evolution of the aeroplane was even more rapid. Some of the images in the book are well-known, for instance that of Orville Wright’s first powered flight on December 17, 1903. Less familiar is the photograph of the first sustained flight to take place in Europe: Alberto Santos-Dumont in his weird canard boxkite, the 14-bis, which he piloted while standing upright, like a milkman. By an odd coincidence, just as we see Wilbur running alongside in the Wright photograph, we see an unidentified photographer similarly caught in mid-stride in this one. A few pages further on, the theme of excited runners and a flying aeroplane is repeated. Now it is January 1908, and Henry Farman is making by far the longest flight to date in Europe – about a mile – as two frock-coated men run toward him, waving their hats excitedly. On the December 2023

next page we see Farman again, this time flying low over an old church as a strolling couple and a gendarme watch (both men’s hands are raised to their hats, perhaps to keep them from falling off as they peer upward). It strikes me that something all these very old pictures have in common is the juxtaposition of a flying aeroplane with people on the ground. They convey something we tend to forget about early flights – that most of them took place at extremely low altitude. What was miraculous about them was the mere levitation – the then unfamiliar empty space between the machine and the earth which we now take entirely for granted. Climbing to thousands of feet of

altitude, as balloons regularly did, was not yet customary – but it would come soon. It was in August of 1908 that Wilbur Wright dumbfounded the Europeans with his mastery of controlled flight. Almond emphasises a subtle but fundamental difference between European and American (that is, Wright) thinking that may account for the superior early successes of the Wrights. The Europeans, he says, expected aeroplanes to be inherently stable, like boats. This implied that they would make flat turns and be steered with a rudder. Many of their aeroplanes had no roll controls at all. The Wrights, on the other

Just 20 years later - the all-metal Gloster VI at the 1929 Schneider Cup race.

December 2023

hand, perhaps because the family business was a bicycle shop, understood that to turn it was necessary to bank, and that roll control was therefore essential. They likewise understood that an aeroplane, like a bicycle, could be unstable to long as it had a human pilot to guide it. Were the Europeans aware that the marine paradigm was inappropriate? Or was their assumption a completely unconscious one?

Brown reading the paper with their morning tea the day after their 16 hour 38 minute flight.

Aeronautics was a vein that, once discovered, proved both rich and easy to mine. The aeroplanes of 1910 were flimsy, uncertain things, kites with motors; a few years later fast, streamlined biplanes were reconnoitring, bombing and dogfighting in the skies over France.

When Lindbergh made his great solo flight eight years later, 91 people had already crossed the Atlantic in aeroplanes; and while Lindbergh flew farther than the others and alone, the media-induced frenzy over his flight was out of proportion to its slight technical significance.

Immediately following the “war to end wars,” just ten years after Bleriot crossed the Channel, two English pilots, Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown, flew across the Atlantic. We see their huge Vickers Vimy tied down like Gulliver where it nosed over in an Irish bog, and an exhausted Alcock and a jaunty

That day – June 14, 1919 – marked the end of the beginning. Aeroplanes would become safer, faster, more efficient and comfortable; but once one of them had crossed the Atlantic the pace of aeronautical advancement, if it did not slow, at least felt less dizzying.

The DC-3, at that point, was just around the corner. Already long gone were the informality, innocence, and wonderment of the earliest days, when men and women forgot their dignity and ran, waving their hats, after clattering flimsy craft that bobbed along a few feet off the ground; and when a glimpse of a passing aeroplane could make a horseman weep.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH Duncan Gillespie

QOM

Facebook forum FlyAfrica’s Duncan Gillespie, when writing about the SACAA’s seemingly obdurate and sneaky attempt to reintroduce the 12 year overhaul rule for piston engines wrote:

“This is a massive turd in the fan; brought about by incompetence, lack of foresight and a regulator who has little to no comprehension of legal best practice, as where they have previously followed such exemption by other global authorities, including the US FAA.” December 2023

NEWS

HENLEY AIR TANZANIAN STUDENTS HENLEY AIR FLIGHT TRAINING (HAFT) have signed a second training contract for ten Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) Commercial Pilot Licence Helicopter cadets. The ceremony was held on 14 November 2023 at the TPDF headquarters in Dar es Salaam and attended by Brigadier General Senzia and senior TPDF officers, and Dr Andre Coetzee, Executive Chairman of the Henley Group of Companies. This follows a successful initial visit in January 2022 led by Andre Coetzee and former SAA training Captain William Rooken-Smith, which laid the foundation for the strategic partnership

and the completion of the CPL(H) training programme by the first group of cadets in August 2023. The contract formalises the collaboration and clearly underscores the TPDF’s trust in Henley Air Flight Training for the continued development of their aviation personnel. Andre Coetzee said, “The strengthened relationship with the TPDF is a testament to the quality of our training programs and the dedication of our committed instructors. We are grateful for the warm hospitality and friendship extended by the TPDF, and we look forward to welcoming more cadets in the future.”

Flanked by two Colonels of the TPDF are Boeta Dippenaar, André Coetzee, General Senzia and Bruce Daniels. December 2023

December 2023

PLANE TALK - JIM DAVIS

RI GHT SEAT RULES NO. 12

POWER PROBLEMS, OR - GET TI NG YOUR HANDS DI RT Y

Why problems? Well if your pupe drives an automatic car, then she has only one power control. And she does it all with her right foot – nice and easy and predictable. Plonk her in the left seat of an aircraft that was designed 70 years ago and things are very different. IN HER CAR SHE DOESN’T have to consult the met office to find out whether the engine might die when she takes her foot off the gas going downhill. She doesn’t run out of fuel if she forgets to adjust the mixture on an upcountry trip. There’s nothing to say she must check her speed before opening the glove box. She doesn’t have to prevent the car from diving to the left ditch when she puts her foot down. And the steering doesn’t go all soggy and ineffective at slow speeds.

Four interdependent levers. Whatever you do to one is likely to affect the others. So how will you teach her all the rules for all the combinations of positions she could select for these four levers? My friend, Richard, who is good at sums, tells me that the permutations or possible combinations of what those four levers can do, December 2023

Obviously this is impossible. There is only one way for her to get her head round the operation of those four power levers. You have to involve her. Make her roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty while prodding and poking at the bog roll sized thing which is the very heart of the aircraft.

a daze d pupe nex t to a pile of wr e ck age

You have to get her to understand four controls – the throttle, the mixture, the carb-heat and, on some aircraft, the pitch.

is 4! This is maths shorthand for four factorial, which means 4x3x2x1=24. That’s 24 different combinations if each control only had on and off positions. But they don’t, so we have thousands of possible combinations to remember.

Excuse me while we side-track for a moment. In 1920, According to Comrade SW Sparrow, then of the National Bureau of Standards, carburettor icing accounted for ‘many unexplained aeroplane crashes.’ By the time the experts had gathered round the wreckage and given their opinions, there was no sign of the mechanical failure that the pilot insisted was the cause of the calamity. In short – the ice had simply melted without trace.

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Some of you will remember Phil Smullian, that delightful moustachioed character who started the Algoa Flying Club with Nick Carter. Phil had a wonderful imagination and was a great raconteur. He pictured this scene of a dazed pupe standing next to a pile of wreckage. He wanted to explain the problem to his furious Commanding Officer. But he knew the story of another inexplicable engine failure wouldn’t go down well, so he decided to be creative. “No, Sir, I was trying to do a steep climbing sideslip off the deck – without power.”

from a Rover 90 wouldn’t fit under the cowling – so I hacked a hole in the latter so that the former stuck out the side. Of course it wasn’t all beer and skittles. Every now and then the car would unaccountably stop. I would blow in the tank and bash the electric fuel pump with a half brick, as was often necessary, and then off we would go again.

She may f lick into an incipie nt

I had similar disappointments with my MG TA – a pre-war version of the TC. I owned this car not because it was cool, but because it was cheap. A tatty one cost £45 and a really good one about £60. It produced a modest 50HP and would be beaten away from the lights by most family saloons.

Later I had a Vee Dub that would do the same. I would stop on the side of the road, reset the points and overhaul the carburettor and we would set sail for another 20ks or so until it happened again. It turned out that the problem with the Beetle was the nasty, carbon-filled plug leads breaking down when they got hot.

But that was before I glued on an old Shorrock supercharger.

The MG’s problem was not heat, but humidity – not to make a mystery of it, I eventually found condensation dripping off the outside of the carb. And the inside looked as if it had been subjected to a young snow storm. All of which is a short introduction to the fascinating world of aero engines which can suffer from equally undetectable ailments.

The MG supercharger.

Wow, what a difference that made. The engine was as smooth as silk, it used less fuel, if driven conservatively, and it almost doubled the horsepower. Apparently the smoothness and economy were because the supercharger really churns up the fuel-air mixture. However, the big SU carburettor that I salvaged

December 2023

I have had magnetos which developed internal arcing at high altitude where the thin air is not much of an insulator. Naturally there is no sign of the problem on the ground. So we have a scene where a greasy and bad-tempered engineer curls a lip and raises a disbelieving eyebrow when a spotty 20 year-old Com pilot claims the engine ‘doesn’t work properly’ in flight. Now carb-icing is a thing of the past provided the spotty 20 year old has his wits about him. And that, dear instructor, is where you come in. There are two ways of doing this – you can

either show your pupe beautifully coloured, but nonsensical, charts of dewpoint v. temperature, and give her easily forgettable lists of rules to follow. Or you can engender, into her young life, an abiding fascination with the machinery that will carry her aloft.

Yep, it’s all down at the bottom and you probably need a torch – or your phone light – while you prod and poke and discuss. Get her to show you how the butterfly selects the air from either the air-filter, or from the hot-box. And get her to explain why the carb-heat won’t work if she lets the engine stop. And how she could use it to regain power if a bird blocked the filter.

Have a look at this carb icing chart – but don’t look too long – it’s useless, academic stuff which doesn’t work in a real aeroplane.

Show the pupe how the carb heat works

Let her explain why she should not test the carbheat on a dusty surface. Get her to work out why she can never flood all the cylinders by over priming. The carb icing chart - for the analytical pupe.

Involve her.

I’m trying to make a point here. If you want your pupe to understand the mechanics of the aeroplane – and it’s your bounden duty to do so – you are not going to achieve much by looking at books and graphs – you will both need to get your hands dirty.

Next time she does a preflight she will know what she’s looking at. And next time she moves the carb-heat lever she will picture what she’s doing under the cowl.

Again the golden rule: •

Tell me and I will forget.

•

Show me and I will remember.

•

Involve me and I will understand.

Telling doesn’t do the job – showing doesn’t do the job – you need to get the cowls off, and then get her to watch what happens while you climb into the cockpit and move the carb-heat lever.

a gr eas y e ngine e r cur ls a lip Don’t rush it – spend a couple of hours looking at the primer pipes, and the magneto ‘P’ leads and the mixture control, and following the plug leads to see which ones go where, and viewing the exhaust system and its potential leaky spots at the gaskets, and the cabin heat and the air filter.

December 2023

Get her to think about the potential for CO2 poisoning. Do it on a day when the weather is against flying, speak to the AME and ask if you can show her around the hangar and look at an aircraft with the cowls off. Of course it’s not just about the mixture and the carb heat and the throttle – it’s also about how they interact with each other. How the carb-heat causes the mixture to become too rich – meaning that it’s foolish to lean the mixture until you have first cleared any potential ice. Here’s a question. You are flying straight and level on a silky smooth day, and you have everything trimmed hands off. What are the first two indications you will get of carb icing?

Okay, now ice is really starting to bite. It depends on the pilot how long it takes for the penny to really drop before she realizes the problem is not the throttle friction – it’s ice. But that was in calm air. If there’s turbulence it can take a lot of retrimming and slight power increases before you really wake up. And we have only half answered the question that I asked: what are the first two indications you will get of icing?

of them is the need to ot he r f or ces One retrim. The other is a lot more leap into obvious. Surprisingly, nearly all aircraft have a gauge that tells ac t ion you when you are getting ice. It’s

Think about it carefully, and then involve your pupe in a discussion to see if they can figure it out.

not meant to tell you that, but it does so very effectively. Can you think which gauge this is?

So as the ice gradually forms in the carburettor’s venturi it restricts the flow of air and this causes a slight loss of power and a richening of the mixture.

It’s the EGT. As soon as ice starts developing it restricts the airflow through the venturi. This richens the mixture and causes a very noticeable drop in EGT.

The power loss is so slight that you won’t pick it up on the rev-counter initially. This is because the nose will drop slightly, and the airspeed and revs will remain the same. Sound unlikely? It’s exactly what happens.

Now you can show her what power changes do to the aircraft – aerodynamically. And you can use the terms increase power, or decrease power, without reminding her to use the mixture and carb-heat intelligently each time.

And when you notice this slight loss of altitude what do you do? You nudge the trim up slightly.

The aircraft has five main reactions to power:

Of course that will sort out the initial tendency to lose height, but it will also cause a very slight drop in airspeed and revs. If you don’t notice this then the cycle starts again. As the ice develops – a slight loss of power and height, and a bit of retrimming followed by another slight loss of revs etc.

Then you suddenly wake up, the throttle has slipped a bit and you have lost 100 rpm. Adjust the throttle, tighten the friction, and retrim. A few minutes later you need to do it again and your indicated airspeed is down a bit.

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•

Thrust

•

Slipstream

•

Gyroscopic

•

Torque

•

Asymmetric blade

You already know that – but how are you going to teach it?

she will have to make an elevator or trim change.

Easy – we take those five points, one at a time, and use the What, Why, How steps to explain them.

We are starting to get her attention. So if her aeroplane is say out of C of G (or perhaps badly designed) then thrust changes could be lethal. Okay now you have grabbed her attention.

Thrust What is thrust? It’s the forward ‘pull’ of the prop, and it acts through the centre of thrust, which (on most aircraft) is below the centre of drag. Boring.

How does it work? Well, this is where you spread yourself wide and give her the whole nine yards about the thrust/drag couple, and how this is designed to save her from running out of airspeed when she reduces power. I have only flown one aircraft that didn’t do that – the Lakes Buccaneer. Its high thrust line feels uncomfortable – and dangerous. Even pilots experienced on type can get it wrong in turbulence on final approach – with disastrous results. Your demo will be from hands-off trimmed straight and level. Note altitude, VSI and airspeed. Smoothly go to full power, using enough rudder to keep the wings level. Note how the nose pitches into a climb and the airspeed decreases.

e mbar ras s ing in f r ont of your pupe Obviously, the opposite happens with a power reduction. Not all aircraft behave the same, so practice in your aircraft so you know what to expect before embarrassing yourself in front of your pupe. The Lift Drag Thrust Weight relationship.

Why does she need to know this? Because it causes the aircraft to pitch about its lateral axis – like the elevator. Still pretty boring. And this means that every time she moves the throttle

Slipstream What. Explain what it is – with diagrams. Then make your point by taking her for a walk round the flight line and looking at the left rear fuselage December 2023

and tail fin of different aircraft. Notice anything? Bug splatter, grass stains and stone chips – which indicate that the prop’s slipstreams beat there and try to turn the aircraft left.

Why it’s important. Well, on a nosewheel aircraft it’s not really important it will simply cause a slight twitch to the left if you rotate violently during takeoff – which you shouldn’t. On a tailwheel aircraft it will rule your life, and ruin it if you don’t get your head around what it does to you during takeoff. How, get into the full guts of gyroscopes and how the prop is a massive gyroscope – which has greater or lesser effects depending on revs.

What slipstream would look like if you could see it.

On many aircraft, if you stand behind the tail fin you will see that it is offset against the fuselage to help counteract this effect. And if you look at an aircraft with the nose cowl off you will see that the engine is also offset slightly for the same reason. Why she needs to understand this is because it is one of the main reasons that the aircraft is fitted with a rudder at all. It’s to counteract this ‘P’ effect of power. It varies enormously at different airspeeds and power settings. How? Well this is the guts of how it works – which you already know. Demo it by getting her to put her hands and feet on the controls while you keep the aircraft pointing towards a distant point, with rudder only. Now fly it through its speed range, going from max speed with no power – to minimum speed with max power. Practice beforehand. You will be surprised that you need almost FULL right rudder at stall speed and full power. She may flick into an incipient which you should warn her about, Recover smoothly and confidently without lifting yourselves out of your seats.

Gyroscopic What it is. Help yourself to a proper full briefing on the ground, using a model aircraft (with a propeller).

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Demo. This is most effective while pitching the nose up and down at high rpm and low airspeed. Again practice on your own before stuffing it up with your pupe.

Torque What It’s simply the reaction of the airframe to the propellor’s rotation. Prop turning clockwise, aircraft rolls anticlock.

The vortex of a propellor - here on a Yak 2.

Why it’s important – actually for a PPL, flying a tricycle family aeroplane – it’s not important. For a dedicated aerobatic aeroplane it is almost the foundation of flight. How. Taking off in a taildragger with a clockwise prop at full power the left wheel has more rolling

The Lake Bucaneer's high thrust line can catch pilots out.

resistance – particularly with small wheels on a grass runway – so it tends to cause a left turn - which you automatically counteract with right rudder.

Asymmetric Blade effect.

Demo not necessary.

And on that note, Happy Christmas Dear Parishioners. j

This is classroom stuff only – so handle it under the What, Why, How rule.

BOOK S

by Pete r Gar r is on

December 2023

FLIGHT TEST: THE BAC 167 STRIKEMASTER

FLYING THE

STRIKEMASTER TEST DAVE UNWIN. IMAGES – KEITH WILSON 34

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The Strikemaster is a powerful yet simple jet to own and fly. December 2023

The Strikemaster is a personal jet that any well-heeled private pilot can own and fly. And indeed, two were owned and operated in South Africa until a few years ago. THE BAC 167 STRIKEMASTER has had a lengthy history with a number of African air forces – specifically the Botswana, Kenyan and Sudan Air Forces. The Strikemaster is essentially an armed version of the Jet Provost T Mk 5. The Strikemaster was modified with an uprated engine, wing hardpoints capable of carrying four 500 pound Mk82 bombs, two machine guns under the intakes, and uprated systems including tip tanks on the wing tips.

wanting an advanced trainer, although Ecuador, Oman and Yemen have used their aircraft in combat. A total of 146 were built. Our UK Contributor, Dave Unwin, has flown the Strikemaster a number of times – and in this detailed pilot report puts us in the cockpit.

I v iew t he Unwin writes, "I smoothly e je c tion s eat Dave open the throttle to 85% rpm the brakes, release them, w it h mi xe d against and as the jet bounds forward increase power to 100%. f e e lings

First flown in 1967, the aircraft was marketed as a light attack or counter-insurgency aircraft, but most large-scale purchasers were air forces

With the wind straight down the runway the jet tracks straight and true as the airspeed builds. The ASI’s needle and the rudder come alive at roughly the same speed as the Strikemaster surges down Duxford’s runway.

The squat wide-track landing gear is built for rough fields. The nosewheel is castoring.

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The entire nose section opens like a car bonnet for ease of maintenance.

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Cockpit is filled with ejector seats and features typical non-ergonomic English instrument layout.

Now the needle is moving faster than the second hand of a watch as the centreline blurs into a continuous white stripe. As the speed hits 90kt I ease the stick back and wait a second. After a momentary pause, the nosewheel lifts off, followed swiftly at about 105kt by the mains. The bumping, jolting sensation stops instantly, as our clumsy wheeled vehicle miraculously transforms itself into a lithe, vital creature of the air. I’ve always liked tough, functional flying machines, and even on the ground the Strikemaster looks sturdy and practical, right down to the rugged-looking wide track undercarriage.

As he shows me around the aircraft I’m December 2023

The hinged nose cap is an excellent feature – it opens like a car bonnet to provide access to some of the systems. The engine – a Rolls-Royce Viper 535 turbojet – is a thirsty beast, particularly when operated at low altitude, and even though the numerous internal fuel tanks have a total capacity of 1,227 litres, they are invariably supplemented by the tip-tanks which carry 436 litres. For ferry flights, either 227 or 341-litre drop tanks can also be fitted to the four underwing pylons, allowing up to 3,000 litres of fuel to be carried. This may sound like plenty, and when cruising at altitude it is, but at high power and low level it doesn’t last long.

tough, f unc t ional f l y ing machines

The mainwheels retract inwards into the wings, and the nosewheel backwards into the fuselage. G-UNNY is a Mk.87, one of six delivered to the Kenyan air force in 1970 and is owned by Transair boss Tom Moloney.

extremely impressed with its rugged construction and its overall condition.

The wing features a noticeable amount of dihedral and carries slotted flaps which cover

Martin Baker Mk.4 ejector seat is not good for your spine.

December 2023

Rolls-Royce Viper 535 is a thirsty beast.

December 2023

about 60% of the trailing edge. They are hydraulically actuated, as are the air brakes, undercarriage and wheel brakes. The ailerons are purely mechanical, and feature balance tabs, as do the rudder and port elevator. The starboard elevator has a combined trim and balance tab. Most military jets require a ladder to get into the cockpit, but as counter-insurgency aircraft may be operated from very basic forward airstrips, access to the cockpit is by climbing up from the back of the wing via walkways on the wings and on top of the air intakes. I pause by the cockpit sill and view the MartinBaker Mk.4 ejection seat with mixed feelings. Unlike later rocket-propelled seats, these use three cartridges and gives you everything it’s got in the first tenth of a second. It’s a fully-automatic seat – all I must do is pull either of the ominous-looking black-and-yellow handles. If we need to eject, the seat will probably save my life. However, my middle-aged spine is unlikely to enjoy a vertical acceleration of 80 feet/second!

The Jet Pipe Temperature, rpm, hydraulic pressure and fuel gauges are mounted in a neat column to the left of the flight instruments, with the various other dials scattered about. Intriguingly, the flight instruments follow the same format as a Spitfire Mk. I, and are not ‘standard’ by current conventions, as the VSI, altimeter and T&S are all in the wrong place. However, the most surprising item is that the attitude indicator is not colour-coded, and this aircraft was built in 1976! In common with many other British fighter designs, the stick articulates at about the midpoint. It is quite tall, because as the controls are purely mechanical (no hydraulic-boost) the stick loads are quite heavy at high indicated airspeeds. A long control stick gives the pilot more leverage.

ge ne rat ing inexorable t hr us t .

Having settled onto the right-hand seat and adjusted the rudder pedals, I begin the complex process of strapping in. Along with the leads and hoses for the helmet and oxygen mask, there are leg restraints, a lanyard for the integral seat dinghy and the combined seat/parachute harness to connect. Tom has hundreds of hours on type and makes strapping in look easy. It’s not. Finally strapped in, I familiarise myself with the controls and instruments. The cockpit is typical of a military jet of this vintage, and initially looks quite cluttered and confusing. There are knobs, buttons, levers and handles everywhere, plus myriad toggle switches. The basic ‘six pack’ of flight instruments follows the traditional RAF arrangement, and are in the centre of the panel, surrounded by a white line to delineate them from the other dials.

For the right-seat pilot, the elevator trim wheel, throttle and flap lever are situated on a neat centre console that extends aft between the ejector seats. This also carries the HP fuel cock and two large buttons (one red, the other green), which operate the undercarriage. For the P1 all the controls detailed above (except HP fuel cock) are duplicated and situated on the left cockpit sidewall. With the ejection seat’s safety pins stowed, Tom presses the starter button, the engine rpm winds up towards 15%, and somewhere behind us igniters crackle and fuel turns to flame, flooding through the engine. The revs continue to rise, the JPT needle springs to life and we watch intently to ensure it doesn’t exceed 710°C and settles below 600. Outside, a banshee-like screech splits the air as the jet idles and Tom completes the post-start checks. With the numerous gauges indicating that the systems are functioning normally, Tom presses a button, the canopy smoothly slides shut and we set off. The nosewheel only castors, so directional control on the ground is by differential braking December 2023

Ailerons are manually powered but well balanced.

and rudder. It’s quite a long taxi to the runway, and although we started with 2,000lbs showing on the gauge, by the time we are ready to line up I’m sure that the needle has dipped fractionally. All jet engines have an almost insatiable thirst at low level, and even taxiing out at idle rpm consumes about 6lbs/minute (the fuel gauge is in pounds). Before lining up we review the takeoff brief and ejection envelope. These Mk.4 seats are cleared for 0ft/90kt; they have a ground-level ejection capability, provided that the airspeed is above 90kt and the aircraft is in level or climbing flight. Therefore, below 90 we will stop on the runway, while an emergency above that speed will require immediate ejection. My straps are already tight, but I instinctively give them an extra tug. The takeoff run in a jet is a very different experience from flying, for example, a powerful taildragger. There is no thrashing prop, roaring motor or airframe vibrations – just a sensation of something spinning somewhere behind you,

December 2023

which is generating inexorable thrust. One final bump and we’re airborne, a quick dab of the brakes to stop the still-spinning wheels, and I press the large red ‘retract undercarriage’ button while gently checking forwards to hold the aircraft down until we have 200kt. The wheels fold neatly away into the seamless metal skin with three delicate thuds, and we continue to accelerate. As the needle of the ASI reaches 200kt, I ease the stick back to hold that speed and the Strikemaster begins climbing like a rocket. I am momentarily confused when, despite blipping the button on the stick top back, the stick forces in pitch remained unchanged. Tom laughingly points out that the button on the stick top actually fires the rockets, and the large trim wheel is the only way to trim the aircraft in pitch. After a fantastic flight, its back to Duxford to see if I can land it. Established on downwind at 1,000ft and 150kt for a left-hand circuit to Runway 24, I ease the power back while

maintaining altitude, then as the airspeed dips below 140kt, press the large green button to lower the undercarriage. As the wheels extend into the airflow, I nudge the power up to compensate for the increased drag while concentrating on holding 140kt and 1,000ft. The jet trembles slightly as the wheels lock into place, the first stage of flap goes down, and the speed bleeds back to 125kt. As I am sitting in the right-hand seat, I lose sight of the runway as I pass the numbers, but Tom tells me when to turn base. Established on final, with the airspeed sinking towards the target airspeed of 115kt, the approach feels slightly flat, but this is because it is vital to maintain at least 55%. Below 55% it will take several seconds for the engine to ‘spool up’, and until it does the aircraft will continue to sink. If you’re more used to flying piston-powered propellerdriven aeroplanes, this is most certainly an important point to bear in mind!

become more precise as I’m setting the power much more quickly and accurately. The needle of the ASI is nailed to the 125kt mark on base, and it drops neatly back to exactly 115 on final. A squeeze of throttle to arrest the sink rate, pinch it back off on short final and then ease it back to the stop as we sail over the fence. Round out, wait and the mainwheels sink softly onto the tarmac. I ease off the back pressure on the stick, and with a gentle jolt the nosewheel is suddenly rumbling along the runway. What a day – but I want more and – almost a decade later, get the chance. On a brisk and blustery day at North Weald I meet up with Tom and photographer Keith, who will be flying in a Jet Provost Mk.5 with Steve Hunt. Today’s Strikemaster -G-CFBK - was built in 1976, and is an ex-Saudi Air Force Mk80A, although confusingly it is in Kuwaiti Air Force markings.

We s cor ch acr os s t he sky

Under Tom’s prompting I pull the power off as we cross the fence and round out. The first landing works reasonably well, and I smoothly increase the power for a touch-and-go. As we’re still travelling at about 80kt we accelerate rapidly down the runway and back into the air.

Dab the brakes, press the button, and we’re quickly approaching 1,000ft as I’m swinging the Strikemaster onto the downwind leg. Under Tom’s careful tutelage this second circuit is a tidier affair than the first, and I’m already feeling increasingly confident. After another reasonable landing, I open the throttle for a third and final circuit. This time it all clicks into place. Tom is not only a successful businessman and fine pilot but he is also an excellent instructor – and I notice with surprise that I’m at exactly 1,000ft and 150kt as we commence the downwind leg. I still need his help in calling the base leg, as I simply can’t see the runway, but the speeds and heights at the various parts of the circuit have

The JP accelerates away, and although we’ve given it a good head start, it is immediately apparent that we have a lot more thrust – about 40% to be precise. The Jet Provost is often described unkindly as having ‘constant thrust-variable noise’, but BAC designed the Strikemaster to be operated from relatively short, unprepared strips. Even at MAUW it can be airborne in fewer than 500m. It is considerably more powerful than its training cousin, but the underwing pylons mean it has a lot more drag. Consequently, although we accelerate faster, take off quicker and climb better than the JP, once straight and level the JP is clearly faster as it has much less drag. Tom slips smoothly into formation and our tight twoship formation heads east at 220kt. There’s a lot of cloud about, but we eventually find a large enough hole in which to do some formation loops. Steve and Tom are flying precisely, like the consummate professionals they are, and it shows. But we have an interesting problem.

December 2023

Electric canopy has great wow factor.

December 2023

We need a hole that will enable us to loop in formation without pulling too much G (otherwise, Keith’s camera will get very heavy!), and at the same time we need to stay below 10,000ft. Tom is concentrating hard, but I know he’s enjoying himself immensely, and as we zoom up into another loop he suddenly says, “this is just such great fun” – and I can only agree with him. It really is tremendous sport! Unfortunately, the fuel state is constantly diminishing, and soon the gauge indicates a return to North Weald would be prudent, particularly as we’re a fair way down wind – and it’s pretty windy.

problem, but the airfield management has closed it for the day. Consequently, we must use 02, which has a near 90° crosswind that is gusting up to 35kt! Neither of us fancies me practising touch ‘n’ goes in these conditions (after all, I haven’t flown a Strikey for ten years), so we quickly modify the plan. Tom will take us off and I’ll fly us out to the practice area where we’ll take turns in rehearsing Tom’s display. We scorch across the sky to Osea Island which we’ll use as the display line. There’s still a lot of cloud, so Tom runs through his ‘flat show’, which consists of a flowing sequence of aileron and barrel rolls, with a graceful wing over at each end.

a r eal ‘ big boy s ’ toy

Back on the ground at North Weald we refuel and then taxi out for another flight. Our original plan was for me to fly a few circuits. However, it’s still blustery and the tower advises that the wind is now “290 at 28, gusting 35”. As North Weald has a Runway 31 this shouldn’t be a

I try to keep it smooth and flowing – but I’m not sure what the imaginary crowd would’ve made of my initial efforts. Tom is a fine and patient instructor, and after a few more goes I can sense that my display is getting a bit tidier – although

Armaments pylons add drag and weight and make the Strikemaster slower in cruise than the Jet Provost.

December 2023

A jet gives a completely different aerobatic experience to a piston powered aerobatic aircraft.

I’ve still got a great deal of practicing to do before I can compete with him! His manoeuvres are so graceful that they seem effortless, and the G comes on so smoothly and steadily. In fact, I don’t think we ever pulled more than about 4.5G. However, unlike when flying something like an Extra (in which the G can be intense and immediate, but is generally only transitory) in a jet you can easily pull a sustained +6g, which is much more wearing. The trick to avoid ‘greying out’ (as we weren’t wearing G-suits) is to strain and grunt. It’s not attractive, but it does work! Tom recommends 250kt for an aileron roll and 300 for a barrel, and to ensure that the nose is well up at the start. As the Gs come on, I sink down onto my ejection seat. A bit more throttle

December 2023

to keep the rpm at 95%, then I keep rolling and pulling up, and up into a barrel roll. Sea and sky swap places as the Strikemaster slices through the sky, and after a full 360 I level the wings to the horizon and ease the power back. “How’s that?” I ask. “Better!” Tom replies, and I know he’s grinning under his oxygen mask. “Not good – but better!” By coincidence I’d been reading Storm Front, which details how Strikemasters played a pivotal role in the defence of Mirbat in Oman during 1972. As I curve the Strikey around in a graceful wingover and the island fills the windscreen, it’s easy to imagine rolling in on a target and firing a salvo of SURA rockets. However, I can’t really imagine doing it below a 300ft cloudbase! I could stay airborne all day, but low-level

aerobatics mean the fuel is flowing to the engine like water through a fire hose. As the fuel gauge dips below the 1,000lb mark it’s clearly time to go back. Tom likes to be ‘on the chocks’ with 400lbs remaining, and I can see why. At low level, turbojets like the Viper really drink fuel, and even a slight delay (such as an aircraft with a burst tyre blocking the runway for a few minutes) can quickly turn a drama into a crisis!

As we come to a stop outside the hangar Tom opens the canopy, closes the high-pressure cock, and the Viper dies away with an everdecreasing whine. Oil and hydraulic pressures fall, lights flicker and fade, and gyros slowly spin down as the Strikey morphs from a firebreathing creature of the air into a disparate collection of metal, plastic and rubber.

with 700lbs left. To be honest, I’m a bit slow with the throttle and nearly cock this simple manoeuvre up – only some timely prompting from Tom stops me busting Stansted’s airspace, as above North Weald its base is only 1,300ft. The windsock is thrashing around like a fish on a line as we turn final, but despite the powerful crosswind Tom makes a fine landing. I am impressed.

around a dozen different air forces, from Botswana to Sudan. In its day, it was a potent COIN (counterinsurgency) aircraft, and it remains a real ‘big boys’ toy for those of us lucky enough to play with these delightful ‘spoils of war’." j

s t rain and Having inserted the safety gr unt . It ’s not pins into our seats, we shake carefully un-strap I fly us back to North Weald, att rac t ive , but hands, chucking in a few more rolls and climb down. BAC built on the way, and then enter 146 Strikemasters, and it does wor k the circuit for a ‘run and break’ the type was operated by

A Botswana Air Force Strikemaster on the South African register.

December 2023

SPECIFICATIONS AND PERFORMANCE BAC 167 STRIKEMASTER Mk.80A DIMENSIONS

WING SPAN LENGTH HEIGHT WING AREA

11.23m 10.27m 3.34m 19.85m2 WEIGHTS AND LOADINGS EMPTY WEIGHT 2,722kg MAX AUW 5,227kg USEFUL LOAD 2,505kg WING LOADING 263kg/m2 POWER LOADING 3.37kg/kg st FUEL CAPACITY (internal fuel) 1,227 lit FUEL CAPACITY (with tip and drop tanks) 3,027lit PERFORMANCE VNE 450kts VMO Mach 0.77 CRUISE 300kts STALL 90kt CLIMB RATE 5,250ft/min TAKE OFF TO 15m 1,067m LAND OVER 15m 1,295m ENGINE Rolls-Royce Viper Mk.535 turbojet producing 1,547kg st.

December 2023

All subjects in the South African fixed-wing and helicopter CPL/ ATPL syllabus, including the Instrument Rating. Two decades lecturing experience. Study anywhere AROUND THE GLOBE.

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December 2023

NEWS

Guy Leitch

INTERNATIONAL LICENSE FOR HOEDSPRUIT AIRPORT? The Limpopo Province has announced that it plans to pursue an international licence for Hoedspruit’s Eastgate Airport. Central Government policy is for there to be just one international airport per province – and the Limpopo Province's international airport is at Polokwane, 2 ½ hours away by road.

the gateway to the Kruger National Park and many other attractions. The Limpopo Chronicle reports that in early November the Department of Transport and Community Safety revealed that MEC Florence Radzilani met with Maruleng Municipality Mayor, Tsheko Musolwa. They discussed a way forward for the Limpopo Provincial Government Executive Committee to have Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport accorded an international licence.

75 pe r ce nt of t hes e we r e inte r nat ional tour is t s

However, Hoedspruit’s Eastgate Airport is said to be one of the busiest airports domestically. Before COVID-19, the Airport saw over 71,000 passengers of which 75 percent of these were international tourists. The majority of these land in Cape Town or Johannesburg to come to Hoedspruit, which is

Hoedspruit Airport's tourism centric logo.

December 2023

Hoedspruit Airport may get international status for its toursim traffic.

“MEC Radzilani and Mayor Musolwa were joined by teams of high-profile officials from the Maruleng Local Municipality, the Department of Transport and Community Safety and the Gateway Airport Authority Limited. “A few years ago, as part of reinvigorating and repositioning the Provincial Economy, the Limpopo Provincial Government resolved to convert the Hoedspruit Aerodrome License into an International Operating License. “This decision was informed by the number of passengers using the Hoedspruit Airport, annually,” they said.

sectors, which are the mainstay of the Maruleng and also the provincial economy. “A joint Technical Committee, comprising of officials from Maruleng, the Department and also its entity GAAL, is working on modalities to acquire an international license for the Hoedspruit Airport. The Committee will be engaging with the National Department of Transport and the South African National Force to chart a way forward in pursuant to this objective. Upon its logical conclusion, the Airport will create an unfettered market of international travellers into Limpopo,” they concluded.

t he gateway to t he K r uge r National Par k

The international license is seen as an added advantage to both the tourism and agricultural

December 2023

JIM DAVIS

A NOT HER EFAT O

T UR NB A CK

•

This discussion is to promote safety and not to establish liability.

•

CAA’s report contains padding and repetition, so in the interest of clarity, I have paraphrased extensively.

Aircraft registration: ZS-IWV Owner: Brian & Wynand Investments Date and time of accident: 15 September 2013 Type of aircraft: Piper PA-32-300 Type of operation: Private flight PIC license type: Commercial License valid: Yes PIC age: 22 PIC total hours: 237 PIC hours on type: 3.1 Last point of departure: Ranch Hotel, S of Polokwane Next point of intended landing: Krugersdorp Location of accident site: N1 highway 14 nm SW of FAPP Meteorological information: 020°/9 kt 30ºC Viz 3 km hz POB: 1+2 People injured: 0 People killed: 0

History of Flight: The pilot and two passengers flew from Krugersdorp to the Ranch Hotel that morning and stayed for lunch. The tanks were full at the start and the flight took 1hr 50 mins. The pilot said that after lunch he did a preflight inspection and they taxied to the threshold of Runway 06 where he selected the right main tank and performed the pre-takeoff checks. After takeoff the aircraft climbed steadily to approximately 300 ft. The pilot then noticed a

December 2023

slight loss in power and assumed it to be fuel related. He did not take any immediate action, claiming “it wasn’t critical as yet”. A few seconds later he noticed a dramatic loss in power, so he switched to the left main tank and richened the mixture fully. He then lowered the nose to initiate a glide. The engine had stopped and the propeller was windmilling. He elected to land on the N1 highway as there was very little traffic. While on the glide to land he had to raise the nose to clear the power lines. He then pushed the nose down to prevent a stall. The engine regained full power just above the surface, however the pilot felt it was too

The Cherokee 6 impacted hard on its right wing.

late as the aircraft was too low and slow for a full recovery and he had no other option but to continue with the landing. The aircraft touched down hard in a nose-down, right-wing-low attitude, which caused the nose and right main landing gear struts to break off. It then veered to the right towards oncoming traffic. The right wing hit a safety barrier and the aircraft bounced back towards the centre of the highway. It came to rest approximately 25 m further on. The aircraft was correctly maintained, the C of G was within limits and it was nearly 500 lbs below gross. The engine teardown examination did not reveal any evidence that a mechanical malfunction could have caused it to have lost power or stopped.

the road after the pilot changed the fuel tank selector to another tank. This confirmed that the engine power loss/stoppage was most likely due to an interruption of fuel supply. Following the engine stoppage, the pilot opted to turn left in order to set up the glide for the forced landing on the highway in a south-westerly direction. This resulted in a tailwind component, which would have reduced the aircraft’s glide distance slightly (sic). The takeoff from Runway 06 and possible attempt to turn back.

The damage to the propeller displayed evidence that the engine was delivering power in the high range while the aircraft skidded over the road surface. This evidence was consistent with the pilot’s report that “the engine came alive” seconds prior to ground impact. According to the pilot the engine power loss and subsequent engine stoppage lasted approximately 10 to 15 seconds. It is believed that this was due to an interrupted fuel supply to the engine. A vapour lock within the fuel system could not be excluded. Full engine power was restored seconds before the forced landing on

December 2023

JIM’S COMMENTS This poor guy had very little time to sort himself out – that’s why an EFATO is known to be such a killer. In fact the aviation world is still reeling from the death of AOPA’s boss, Richard McSpadden, who died in a C177 Cardinal at the beginning of October 2023 following an EFATO. This is unbelievably ironic because I have watched two videos of his on the subject of the “impossible turn”. He has collected a considerable amount of info on the subject, and he stresses that it is indeed a viable option under the right circumstances. In fact the one video showed four different types of aircraft attempting it, and only one - the Bonanza failed to get back to the field. Of course he does stress that the success of a turn-back is dependent on the a number of variables: •

The aircraft’s climb performance

•

The aircraft’s glide performance

•

The pilot’s proficiency

•

The pilot’s recent practice of the turn back

•

The wind

•

The runway length

•

Other traffic

•

The landing options ahead.

And so on. I’m not saying that the Saratoga pilot did indeed attempt to turn back to the field – but it does look like that. He had fairly non-threatening territory ahead. In fact a 20° turn to the right would have lined him up nicely on the highway. Or perhaps an even better option would have been the less used road parallel to the highway. Instead, I believe he instinctively ripped the aircraft round into a 180° turn to the left only to find that that part of the highway had power lines crossing it. This is what happens when you are hit with a sudden problem and you have no time to think it through. But actually he did have plenty of time to think it through – plenty of time – on the ground before takeoff. I’m not sure how to say this with humility – so I will have to do it without the requisite H. I am something of an expert on EFATOs – I’ve had at least four – possibly more, and they mostly don’t stick in the turnip because they were all The powerlines it had to clear.

December 2023

non-events. Not a scratch on any aircraft. The reason they were all boringly unexciting is that I was always prepared for them. In some cases with good reason, because they were test flights. If your instructor says to you, “I’m going to give you a simulated engine failure soon after takeoff, and I want you to use the speed, field, fuel, flap procedure,” then it’s all going to go pretty smoothly. So why not say that to yourself before every takeoff? It will reduce the startle factor and reaction time to almost zero and you swing into a well proven routine: Speed – immediately lower the nose Field – select the best available Fuel – change tanks and pump on (usually) Flaps – as required. Full before touchdown. By the way, I have seen and discussed many

procedures for an EFATO. This is an airforce one, and it’s by far the best. Notice that there are no silly rules about only turning x°. You turn towards the best available field – that means the best one you can glide to – allowing for the turn – so it’s entirely a matter of height and airspeed. Forget what the pilot claims – he is not on trial – he’s simply an example of what could happen. Bear in mind that we are all inclined to try and make ourselves look good after an accident. I’m not saying this guy massaged the facts – but he might have done. We can just use this as a learning tool to show what should have happened if we were in his shoes, and wide awake, and properly prepared. I must break off here to tell you how deeply ingrained this self-defence mechanism, and adjusting the facts, is. About a hundred years ago I put my Tiger Moth on its back, during takeoff at Wonderboom. Actually I didn’t – my unlicenced mate did – but I was in the aircraft and was therefore PIC.

The engine was producing power when it impacted the round.

December 2023

Marks from the propellor blades strikes.

The first person at the scene of devastation was Barry Radley – the boss of the DCA. After he pulled me out of the smouldering wreckage he asked me what had happened. This was easy – I didn’t need to think about it – the brakes jammed – and that’s what I told him – knowing it was the truth. But of course a Tiger doesn’t have brakes – I knew that, and so did Barry – but I stuck to my story until eventually I realised that it was nonsense. What I’m getting at is that inventing a selfdefence story is normal and intuitive. This guy tells us that he lined up on the road – saw the power lines, flew over them and landed hard. I don’t think so. I suspect he ran out of airspeed trying to clear the wires, stalled and crashed – with substantial damage. Nothing wrong with that. But if someone had said to him, you are going to have an EFATO – what’s your plan? – he would have done a gentle turn to the right and landed safely on the highway, or the parallel road, or amongst the scrubby bush. I’m going out on a limb here, but the engine stoppage sounds like it may have been pilot induced. The selector on OFF would have given him roughly time for takeoff and climb to 300’. His changing of tanks and the engine resuming power a few seconds later would fit well with this scenario.

Take home stuff: •

When an engine stops, throttle fully back immediately. Then you know exactly where you stand and are going to get no nasty surprises. This engine was developing full power throughout the crash sequence.

•

EFATOs are so dangerous mostly because we don’t have time to work out a plan of action. But actually, we do. We have stacks of time before each flight, so plan and practice EFATOs while you have the time.

Selecting the N1 highway may not have been the best option.

December 2023

NEWS

UNLEADED AVGAS

PROBLEMS

In a move of great significance to general aviation, the University of North Dakota’s flight school has ended its testing of Swift UL94 unleaded fuel and resumed using 100 octane Low Lead Avgas. THE FLIGHT SCHOOL FLIES more than 10,000 hours per month. Based on its findings it said ongoing maintenance monitoring of aircraft using UL94—almost exclusively Lycomingpowered Piper Archers and Seminoles, resulted in excessive exhaust valve recession.

Valve seat recession was a well-known problem when unleaded fuels were introduced in the automotive market in the 1970s. Lycoming addressed this issue during the 1990s and claimed to have valve seats and guides suited for unleaded fuels.

The flight school says that in its quest to be environmentally responsible and to respect its students’ desire to reduce the environmental impact of leaded fuel, it switched to Swift Fuel’s ASTM-spec UL94 in June. In four months of flying totalling 46,000 hours, the school found evidence of significant valve recession. The data is being forwarded to Lycoming for analysis.

Lycoming says it is evaluating the data received from the flight school and would provide appropriate guidance based on its analysis.

Swift Fuels unleaded Avgas is causing valve problems. December 2023

OBITUARY: RAY WATTS Ray on night shift at Jan Smuts Aiport.

RAY LAWRENCE

WAT TS

By Guy Leitch

29/5/1951 – 11/11/23 Ray Watts was a much loved and respected contributor to SA Flyer magazine. He passed away on 11 November 2023. FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS Ray has faithfully compiled the monthly Register Review, a resource much valued by aircraft sales organisations, banks and insurers. Ray also compiled the monthly fuel prices survey – giving SA Flyer readers invaluable information on where to buy Avgas and JetA at the best prices.

airport towers and as an area radar controller, Ray moved to the more relaxed Grand Central airport advisory tower.

he was unfailingl y he lpf ul

Aged 19, Ray started at air traffic control school on 5 January 1970. After stints in all the major

December 2023

I have known Ray for fifty years, from when we were both members of Grand Central Flying Club (GCFC). Ray’s knowledge of aircraft types was extraordinary, and he usually won the prizes at GCFC quiz nights. When Ray manned the Grand Central Tower he

Ray Watts made a valuable contribution to general avaiation and SA Flyer. December 2023

Ray was a natural Father Christmas at the many Children's parties.

was unfailingly helpful and gentle on us student pilots. Ray published a rich account of his days at FAGC in Pilots’ Post online newsletter - http:// www.pilotspost.co.za/arn0002186 In 1980, he married Debbie Anderson. They had two daughters, Jacqui and Dusty, who produced five grandchildren, whom he adored. The marriage unfortunately ended in 1985. The girls were young, so their mother was given custody, which left Ray bereft.

Ray with the indomitable Felix Gosher of the Children's Flight.

Ray continued in call centre management and ran the SAA Vitality call centre when he retired in 2015. Posts from Avcom capture how many members felt about Ray: “Thank you for the encyclopaedic knowledge - the patience - the enthusiasm and always making time. Thank you for the explanations and the never-ending preparedness to help.” And; “He had a library of knowledge of all things aviation related, and a heart the size of a giant keg for his fellow men.”

and was t hank e d mor e t han 1, 000 times

Due to financial pressures on the marriage, Ray gave up air traffic control. He joined his father in-law’s business, Reliable Bolts, managing the shop in Qwaqwa. Ray then moved into insurance broking with Nedbank and then into call centre management at Dimension Data for AOL.

He continued to share his wealth of aviation knowledge on the aviation forum www.avcom. co.za, where he was a well-respected moderator and was thanked more than 1,000 times for his 20,000 posts.

December 2023

Ray was always available to help out, especially for anything aviation related. As ‘Oom Ray’ he was happiest playing Father Christmas at yearend functions where he delighted the children. He also immersed himself in voter registration drives and weather reports. The aviation community is poorer with his passing. j

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December 2023 FlightCom Magazine

c i t s u co y) Ltd A N M & ices (Pt Serv

REVIEW

SEPTEMBER 2023

due to Ray Watts' passing. ted da up en be t no s ha w vie This months Register Re website. It will be updated ASAP on the REG

New Registrations ZS-

MANUFACTURER

TYPE NAME

SERIAL NUMBER PREVIOUS IDENTITY / EXPORT COUNTRY

ZS-ISJ

TEXTRON AVIATION INC

T206H

T206-09178

9J-…, N55355

ZS-NCB

BEECH AIRCRAFT CORP

A36

E-11

9Q-…, N8455N

ZS-SZE

AIRBUS INDUSTRIE

A320-232

6147

TF-GOA, ZS-SZE, F-WWBD

ZS-YDE

EMBRAER

ERJ190-200-IGW

19000088

UR-EMG, EI-FLR, TC-YAU, EI-FLR, JY-EMG

ZS-YZD

EMBRAER

ERJ190-100 IGW

19000147

2-LDER, PR-AZL, N288JB, PT-SYZ

New Registrations ZUZU-IYH

A.I.E.P.

AIR BEETLE ABT-18

128

Nigerian Air Force

ZU-IZA

A.I.E.P.

AIR BEETLE ABT-18

120

Nigerian Air Force

ZU-IZB

A.I.E.P.

AIR BEETLE ABT-18

149

Nigerian Air Force

ZU-IZC

MICRO AVIATION SA

BATHAWK R

0124

ZU-IZD

MICRO AVIATION SA

BATHAWK R

0118

ZU-IZE

SLING AIRCRAFT (PTY) LTD

SLING 4 TSI

461S

ZU-IZF

LOCKWOOD AIRCRAFT CORP-USA

AIRCAM (TWIN PUSHER) JAV001

ZU-IZG

MAURIZIO DE POL

TRAIL

00137197

ZU-IZH

WILLEM JACOBUS VISAGIE VAN DER WALT

SNIPER AA-28

2023180LYC

ZU-JDV

ICP ITALY & SAVANNAH AFRICA

SAVANNAH S

12-01-54-0151

ZU-TXX

SLING AIRCRAFT (PTY) LTD

SLING 2 TD

119

EC 120B

1244

N160DD, N1TY, N988AL, N447AE

New Registrations ZT-R ZT-RXX

EUROCOPTER

Aircraft deleted ZSZS-CDM

CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION

SR22

2703

BRAZIL

ZS-DAD

RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT COMPANY

HAWKER 800XP

258477

SAN MARINO

ZS-HEB

HUGHES HELICOPTERS

269C

111019

NAMIBIA

ZS-IFY

CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

177B

177-01533

AUSTRALIA

ZS-KZA

BEECH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION

A36

E-1834

FRANCE

ZS-LDA

MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP

M20J

24-1130

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ZS-RPH

BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON

206L-4

52105

BOTSWANA

ZS-SUB

CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION

SR22

2289

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ZS-TAX

STEMME AG

S-15

ASP-035

SUDAN

ZS-TJF

GIPPSAERO PTY LTD

GA8

GA8-11-160

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

VENTUS 2CM

GERMANY

New Registrations ZT-G ZT-GAF

SCHEMPP-HIRTH FLUGZEUGBAU GMBH

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December 2023

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December 2023

AOPA - CHRIS MARTINUS

AOPA BRIEFING ICAO Report Back

Let’s get some definitions out of the way first. ICAO is the International Civil Aviation Organisation which has the task of implementing the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation. The Convention’s purpose is to establish Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), which form the basis of aviation regulations in all 193 ICAO member states.

For the size of its role, ICAO is a surpisingly small organisation.

December 2023

ICAO wants to change to True North navigation.

THESE SARPS ESTABLISH regulatory consistency between all these countries in order to achieve recognition of each others’ licences, certificates and other documents, which facilitates ease of air travel between and within all member states, regardless of their international and domestic politics.

ICAO itself is a fairly small organisation. It convenes the ICAO Assembly every three years, where those 193 states elect the ICAO Council, a 32-member body of states which defines ICAO’s mission, appoints the ICAO Secretariat and oversees various expert bodies who do the actual legwork of ICAO.

Although ICAO is nominally a specialised agency of the United Nations, which has sometimes been jocularly referred to as the accepted forum for the expression of international hatred, despite its stated purpose of achieving world peace, ICAO strives to achieve consensus in aviation standards despite its members’ political differences.

Most important of these expert bodies is the Air Navigation Commission (ANC, not to be confused with a South African political party), which considers proposals and develops the actual SARPs and PANs (Procedures for Air Navigation Services). The ANC consists of 19 aviation experts and several international observer bodies who participate in the

December 2023

deliberations in developing SARPs and PANS. The observer bodies represent various aviation interest groups such as air traffic control (CANSO), airline pilots (IFALPA), airlines (IATA) and general aviation (IAOPA). Before your eyes glaze over and you reach for the TV remote, let me bore you a little longer and describe IAOPA. IAOPA is the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations, a collection of AOPAs (Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations) from 87 countries. IAOPA represents the interests of general aviation (i.e. non commercial aviation) at ICAO. IAOPA has a permanent representative, Frank Hofmann, at ICAO in Montreal. For my own part, not only have I been President of AOPA South Africa for far too long, but am also in my eighth year as Vice President of IAOPA for the Africa/Middle East Region. Every two years, IAOPA makes proposals to amend the SARPs for the benefit of the general aviation community worldwide, while also gathering and exchanging information and views from our international counterparts.

aviation medical examiners and expert aviation medics from around the world. The proposal has enjoyed support from several ICAO member countries and has already been reviewed by the ICAO Pilot Licensing and Training Panel (PLTP), who although having expressed some reservations, are moving forward with the proposal and we are expecting this to be incorporated in the SARPs in the near future. Fortunately, IAOPA President Jim Coon is a member of the PLTP and is there to keep the proposal on the go. The gist of the amendments is that, in accordance with the ICAO philosophy that standards regarding general aviation need only address the safety of third parties (i.e. persons and property on the ground and in other aircraft), this has in practice been sufficient to adequately the safety needs of general aviation pilots and their passengers.

a ve r y high incide nce of s uicides

With all that background out of the way, let’s take a look at the report-back that Frank Hofmann so ably provides us with concerning the deliberations at various ICAO panels.

The Report Back The amendments of SARPs is a fairly arduous process. Although ICAO strives to consider proposed amendments within two years, in reality the process tends to take around eight years. In 2018 IAOPA developed a proposal for simplified and far less onerous requirements for medical certificates for PPL licences. This was done in conjunction with a panel of eminent

December 2023

In any event, all pilots have a duty to ensure their own medical fitness through self-certification. Even ALTPs should not be flying if they have a bad case of the flu or other debilitating medical symptoms such as gastric disturbances. Still on the medical front, mental health concerns have risen in importance in ICAO’s safety mandate. The Mental Health Working Group (MHWG) noted that globally 20% of licences are refused on mental health grounds. Of those 20%, older pilots show lower refusal rates than younger pilots: the rates dropping from 43% refused for younger pilots to 5% for those aged 60+. Suicide rates peak in the 35-44 age range. From AOPA SA’s own research, it should be noted that there appears to be a high incidence of personality disorders in aviation. Since aviation tends to be a “glamour industry” where pilots are perceived by the general public to be sky gods with special skills and abilities, it tends to attract many individuals with disorders relating to poor self-esteem and self-worth, such as

Pilot mental health is a key ICAO initiative.

narcissistic personality disorder. The esteem in which pilots are held is a magnet for disordered persons looking to bolster their own mental health deficiencies. Statistically, mental health disorders show a very high incidence of suicides – and this is believed to underlie several disasters such as the Germanwings tragedy and the disappearance of flight MH370. The recent incident regarding a jumpseat pilot’s attempt to shut down the engines in flight as well as other such bizarre incidents tends to underpin this view. This will certainly lead to a tightening medical requirements regarding mental health in the future. The Aviation Security (AVSEC) briefing to the ANC on the Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP) updated Threats and Risks to Civil Aviation caused by the impact of mental health incidents. Other deliberations at the ICAO ANC include standards for the launch and re-entry of space vehicles through lower airspace to be safely coordinated. There has also been a long-standing debate by the Safe Carriage of Goods Special Working Group (SCG SWG) over the complex issue of the safe carriage of

lithium battery powered devices for crew and passengers. Coming down the pipe is the addition of Electronic Documents Certificate Carriage (EDC) for Personnel Licences (EPL) provisions to enhance trans-border operations’ verification of documents. Cyber Security seems to be a growing topic of concern. The Cyber Security WG is developing a glossary of terms and guidance material for the reporting of cyber incidents. New RPAS standards are expected to become applicable in 2026. The True North Working Group intends ultimately to propose a transition plan for the implementation of the change away from magnetic direction references. ICAO is focusing on increasing levels of implementation of all SARPS which ICAO has promulgated, consisting of over 13,000 Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS). It has been determined that their implementation rate is too low.

December 2023

The way forward AOPA South Africa, particularly through its affiliation with IAOPA, intends to further its involvement in pursuing greater development, simplification, implementation and compliance with these international standards and cooperation in the coming year, not just in South Africa, but in the entire Africa/Middle East Region.

with AOPAs around the world transcends petty political disputes, corruption, power-broking and ideologies. Instead, we enjoy a common bond of promoting and developing our shared love for aviation, ignoring our differences and the horrible identity politics that are tearing the world apart.

t he launch and r e -e nt r y of s pace ve hicles

Unfortunately, this region is by far the weakest of the IAOPA regions as regards general aviation, marred by incessant wars, divisive politics, military control of civil airspaces and a general misunderstanding of the importance of general aviation, to the detriment of economic development and personal freedoms. I personally take delight in engaging with our counterparts in other countries. Our relationship

We fervently wish for the continued support of the general aviation community in being an example for how governments should also be furthering humanity’s common interests, rather than fomenting conflict and division. Chris Martinus President Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association – South Africa j

+27 (0) 11 948 9898 | www.slingaircraft.com | sales@slingaircraft.com | AMO 1264 | Manufacturing Organisation M677

December 2023

OBITUARY

HANNES ROETS

HANNES ROETS WAS AN accomplished Springbok pilot and film maker. Hannes pursued a career in the South African Air Force including the role of Officer Commanding 104 Squadron. As Lt. Col. Hannes Roets he was in charge of the safe air transport of VIPs such as Presidents Mandela and Mbeki, among others. Hannes and his brother Koos founded Pendulum Films. Hannes was the mainstay and cameraman of, among others, the multi-award-winning Afrikaans TV drama series ‘Nie Vanweë Die Duisternis’ (1980’) as well as the iconic ‘Koöperasiestories’ (1985). Hannes received Springbok colours for precision and rally flying. In the 1980s and early 1990s where he competed for South Africa, ranking seventh in the world. He owned a Tiger Moth which he undertook long journeys with. Besides his only brother Koos, he leaves behind his wife Anni and his three beautiful daughters Lisa, Amanda and Anya. j

Hannes Roets was a Springbok pilot and SAAF Officer Commanding 24 Squadron.

December 2023

FUEL Stuart Burgess

UNDERSTANDING FUEL PRICES Note to the December Fuel Price Survey:

the list is only partly up to date.

The monthly fuel price survey was compiled by our Ray Watts – who sadly passed away on 11 November.

If your local airfield is not included on the list and you would like it added – please send an email to guy@saflyermag.co.za

Guy Leitch has used Ray’s Fuel Price WhatsApp group to update the prices just before we closed off this issue on 20 November. However, unfortunately not everyone replied, so

For those who wonder why there is such a variation in fuel prices – here is an explanation from Stellenbosch.

In answering the question as to why aviation fuel prices vary so much from airfield to airfield, Stuart Burgess at Stellenbosch writes: “THE PROBLEM IS THAT there are so many variables from field to field that it is difficult to know other than in the actual moment what a fair comparison is. There are very few, and I believe will in all likelihood in the near future be only one bulk supplier of Avgas in the country, so variables from supplier to supplier are likely to be eliminated. The concern of course is how pricing would look in a market without competition, however we have been assured that that will not be a problem.

pump price is usually based on a very recent wholesaler price adjustment as the fuel does not lie in our tanks for very long and is sold quickly. As a result some other smaller fields may turn over fuel very slowly, and as such may be selling based on a consignment received a month or three back.

we do not us e f uel f or a major pr of it

We are sometimes asked by our members why we are more expensive than XYZ field and often it is as a result of the fact that we turn over a large volume of Avgas and as such our

December 2023

As for markups and profit margins, we do not use fuel as a major profit centre, but rather as a service to our members and others with markups covering costs to provide the service. As an example, we have a fuel bay attendant on duty every day, so you can basically pull up as if you are pulling into a service station to get fuel and that manning is a cost to provide

We answer the question why fuel prices vary so much.

the service. Before costs started going up so dramatically, we at FASH used to apply a percentage markup on the fuel, however we recognised that this made it that much more expensive at the pump and we therefore moved to a fixed rand value per litre.

Clearly the above will vary from airfield to airfield.

In short, the factors governing the price at the pump are manifold, including but not necessarily limited to (from our perspective at FASH): 1 Supplier price at the time of delivery 2 Volume held and rate of turnover of stock in the tank (i.e. how quickly do we need to adjust for a new cost price) 3 Cost to sell, i.e., full time fuel bay attendant as opposed to “call this number for fuel.” December 2023

F L I G HT S A F E T Y T H R O U G H M A I NT E N A NC E

Aero Engineering and Powerplant FUEL TABLE Fuel Prices as at 28/09/2023 Fuel Prices as at 28/09/2023

Prices include but exclude service fees PricesVAT include VAT butany exclude any service fees Airfield Airfield Avgas Avgas Jet A1 Jet A1 Baragwanath R37,00 R37,00 Baragwanath Beaufort West R35,80 R35,80 R 26,70 R 26,70 Beaufort West Bloemfontein R37,09 R37,09 R21,82 R21,82 Bloemfontein Brakpan Brakpan R35,40 R35,40 Brits R31,10 R31,10 Brits Cape Town R28,18 R28,18 R22,43 R22,43 Cape Town Cape Winelands No Contact Cape Winelands No Contact Eagles Creek R34,00 R34,00 Eagles Creek East London R32,41 R32,41 R17,07 R17,07 East London Ermelo Ermelo R32,66 R32,66 R24,73 R24,73 Gariep Dam R35,50 R35,50 R23,00 R23,00 Gariep Dam George George R33,08 R33,08 R22,13 R22,13 Grand Central R34,79 R34,79 R25,36 R25,36 Grand Central Heidelberg R33,60 R33,60 R23,80 R23,80 Heidelberg Hoedspruit R31,37 R31,37 R20,66 R20,66 Hoedspruit KimberleyKimberley R37,16 R37,16 R24,46 R24,46 Kitty Hawk R36,60 R36,60 Kitty Hawk Klerksdorp R35,50 R35,50 R23,81 R23,81 Klerksdorp KroonstadKroonstad R33,81 R33,81 Kruger Intl Nelspruit R33,84 R33,84 R25,53 R25,53 Kruger Intl Nelspruit Krugersdorp R33,00 R33,00 Krugersdorp Lanseria Lanseria R35,54 R35,54 R24,90 R24,90 Margate Margate R34,04 R34,04 R23,06 R23,06 Middelburg R37,96 R37,96 R25,99 R25,99 Middelburg Morningstar R33,50 R33,50 Morningstar Mosselbay R37,50 R37,50 R20,50 R20,50 Mosselbay NelspruitNelspruit R35,25 R35,25 R27,83 R27,83 Oudtshoorn R35,19 R35,19 R23,10 R23,10 Oudtshoorn Parys POA POA Parys POA POA Pietermaritzburg R34,20 R34,20 R26,60 R26,60 Pietermaritzburg Pietersburg Civil R33,70 R33,70 R25,70 R25,70 Pietersburg Civil Plettenberg Bay R25,00 R25,00 Plettenberg Bay Port Alfred R33,50 R33,50 Port Alfred Port Elizabeth R36,46 R36,46 R25,65 R25,65 Port Elizabeth Potchefstroom POA POA Potchefstroom POA POA Rand R34,73 R34,73 R24,50 R24,50 Rand RobertsonRobertson R32,00 R32,00 Rustenberg R31,30 R31,30 R23,65 R23,65 Rustenberg Secunda Secunda R33,00 R33,00 R25,88 R25,88 Skeerpoort *** Customer to collectto collect POA POA Skeerpoort *** Customer POA POA SpringbokSpringbok POA POA POA POA Springs Springs R34,36 R34,36 Stellenbosch R38,70 R38,70 Stellenbosch Swellendam R34,90 R34,90 R21,50 R21,50 Swellendam Tempe Tempe R33,81 R33,81 R25,56 R25,56 Thabazimbe POA POA Thabazimbe POA POA UpingtonUpington R34,00 R34,00 R25,00 R25,00 Virginia Virginia R36,11 R36,11 R24,84 R24,84 Vryburg Vryburg POA POA POA POA Warmbaths R34,00 R34,00 Warmbaths Welkom Welkom R33,81 R33,81 R25,56 R25,56 Wings Park EL Park EL R32,50 R32,50 R21,90 R21,90 Wings Witbank Witbank R33,00 R33,00 POA POA POA POA Wonderboom Wonderboom WorcesterWorcester R34,31 R34,31

AMO No: 227

72HangarDecember 2023 no 4, Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria

Fuel Prices as at 17/11/2023 Fuel Prices as at 17/11/2023 Please note - it has not possible updatetoallupdate the fuel Please note - itbeen has not beento possible all the fuel prices. prices. Prices include but exclude service fees PricesVAT include VAT butany exclude any service fees Airfield Airfield Avgas Avgas Jet A1 Jet A1 Baragwanath R32,50 R32,50 Baragwanath Beaufort West FABW R32,25 R32,25 R 26,70 R 26,70 Beaufort West FABW Bloemfontein R33,53 R33,53 R20,86 R20,86 Bloemfontein Brakpan Brakpan R35,00 R35,00 Brits R30,45 R30,45 Brits Cape Town R34,04 R34,04 R21,39 R21,39 Cape Town Cape Winelands FAWN FAWN R33,00 R33,00 Cape Winelands Eagles Creek R31,00 R31,00 Eagles Creek East London R32,41 R32,41 R21,37 R21,37 East London Ermelo Ermelo R31,51 R31,51 R25,18 R25,18 Gariep Dam R33,50 R33,50 R23,00 R23,00 Gariep Dam George George 33.08 33.08 R20,69 R20,69 Grand Central R33,98 R33,98 R21,78 R21,78 Grand Central Heidelberg R31,00 R31,00 R21,50 R21,50 Heidelberg Hoedspruit R27,53 R27,53 R24,26 R24,26 Hoedspruit KimberleyKimberley R33,40 R33,40 R15,65 R15,65 Kitty Hawk R37,70 R37,70 Kitty Hawk Klerksdorp R32,86 R32,86 R24,22 R24,22 Klerksdorp KroonstadKroonstad R34,04 R34,04 Kruger Intl Nelspruit R33,95 R33,95 R25,15 R25,15 Kruger Intl Nelspruit Krugersdorp R31,00 R31,00 Krugersdorp Lanseria Lanseria R34,04 R34,04 R23,00 R23,00 Margate Margate R34,04 R34,04 R23,06 R23,06 Middelburg R37,95 R37,95 R23,00 R23,00 Middelburg Morningstar R32,25 R32,25 Morningstar Mosselbay R37,50 R37,50 R20,50 R20,50 Mosselbay NelspruitNelspruit R32,32 R32,32 R28,44 R28,44 Oudtshoorn FAOH R35,19 R35,19 R23,10 R23,10 Oudtshoorn FAOH Parys POA POA Parys POA POA Pietermaritzburg R34,00 R34,00 R24,32 R24,32 Pietermaritzburg Pietersburg Civil R31,80 R31,80 R28,10 R28,10 Pietersburg Civil Plettenberg Bay R34,60 R34,60 R25,00 R25,00 Plettenberg Bay Port Alfred R33,50 R33,50 Port Alfred Port Elizabeth R35,19 R35,19 R24,84 R24,84 Port Elizabeth Potchefstroom POA POA Potchefstroom POA POA Rand R34,10 R34,10 R23,98 R23,98 Rand RobertsonRobertson FARS R33,00 R33,00 FARS Rustenberg FARG R31,30 R31,30 R23,65 R23,65 Rustenberg FARG Secunda Secunda R33,06 R33,06 R25,88 R25,88 Skeerpoort *Customer to collectto collect POA POA Skeerpoort *Customer POA POA SpringbokSpringbok POA POA POA POA Springs Springs R33,70 R33,70 Stellenbosch R33,20 R33,20 Stellenbosch Swellendam FASX R33,80 R33,80 R22,50 R22,50 Swellendam FASX Tempe Tempe R34,04 R34,04 R25,33 R25,33 Thabazimbe POA POA Thabazimbe POA POA UpingtonUpington R34,00 R34,00 R24,00 R24,00 Virginia Virginia R35,19 R35,19 R23,12 R23,12 Vryburg Vryburg POA POA POA POA Warmbaths FAWA FAWA R30,30 R30,30 Warmbaths Welkom Welkom R34,04 R34,04 R25,33 R25,33 Wings Park EL Park EL R33,50 R33,50 R23,50 R23,50 Wings Witbank Witbank FAWI R33,00 R33,00 R25,33 R25,33 FAWI POA POA POA POA Wonderboom Wonderboom WorcesterWorcester R34,31 R34,31 Please note - it wass possible updatetoallupdate these fuel prices. Please notenot - it wass notto possible all these fuel prices.

aeroeng@iafrica.com (012) 543 0948/51

AMO 227

FLIGHT SAFETY THROUGH MAINTENANCE

Overhaul / Shockload / Repair of Continental and Lycoming Aircraft engines Overhaul Engine Components Overhaul and supply of Hartzell / McCauley and Fix pitch Propellers 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

December 2023

BOOK REVIEW Guy Leitch

POOLEYS AIR PILOT’S – SOUTHERN AFRICA SERIES Volume 5. Air Law & Flight Planning

In aviation, perhaps more than any other field, ignorance of the law is no excuse. It is therefore essential to have a reputable reference source for air law as part of the reference books for the PPL student. WHILE MUCH OF AVIATION is internationally standardised – two subjects that have regional requirements are those of Air Law and Flight Planning. Pooleys text on Air Law and Flight Planning does an excellent job in dealing with the specific Southern African requirements. For the South African PPL student, air law has hitherto not been comprehensively covered in the standard texts but has been consigned to specialist secondary texts that the student must find and acquire.

learn. And it’s embarrassing to get it wrong when piloting an aircraft. The material is so interesting and well-presented that I’m tempted to just put my feet up and rediscover all that I have forgotten about air law. Such as; when taxiing, you overtake on the left, which is counterintuitive for those who drive on the left. The last third of the book is an excellent refence work on Flight Planning in Southern Africa. It is divided into three sections: The first section covers everything from mass & balance to fuel and range calculations, to runway markings, and how long a runway you need. There are excellent maps depicting the various types of airspace around OR Tambo and Cape Town airports, as well as CTRs, Special Rules Areas and VFR routes. It is filled with South African specific information such as key frequencies for the JHB SRA; which many out-of-towners find intimidating.

The s ubje c t is vas t and daunting

Flight Planning is another subject that has not been comprehensively dealt with in the mainstream PPL reference books, beyond instructions on how to complete and file flight plans.

The first two thirds of the book deals with Air Law. The subject is vast and daunting: from what ICAO does, to what a ground marshal’s signals mean, to what to do if you have an incident or accident. There is a huge amount to

December 2023

Pooleys Reference book on Air Law & Flight Planning

Section 3 deals with takeoff and landing performance and includes details such as the effect of humidity as well as key South African considerations such as density altitude and flying the correct approach speeds to short air strips. The final section deals with Ground Effect and Windshear, which are again subjects that are seldom if ever dealt with by the current mainstream textbooks for the PPL syllabus. Having an air law book specifically for South African students is vital due to the local applications of air law – particularly as manifested in the South African Civil Aviation Technical Standards (CATS and Regulations (CARS) This is an excellent reference book that is required study material to pass exams – and should remain as a refence on every pilot’s bookshelf. The bottom line is – if you are studying to pass the PPL exams – this is the reference that you need. The books may be obtained from all good pilot supply stores – or order online from: https://www.pooleys.com/shop/category/ books-ebooks-manuals-resources/airpilots-manuals-for-southern-africa/ j

December 2023

BOOK REVIEW

POOLEYS AIR

PILOT’S MANUALS Pooley’s is a world-renowned reference for both the student pilot and instructor. The publications aim to standardise the quality of flying training, teaching and learning equipment for flight schools and their instructors. USERS HAVE THE COMFORT of knowing that all the aviation training publications Pooleys produce have been closely checked by leading flight schools and instructors. Their textbooks are constantly updated, edited and revised.

Students can download a free PPL e-Exam Learning Objectives Guide which crossreferences the Learning Objectives from the exam feedback to the relevant chapters in the Air Pilot’s Manuals. These include:

Over the 35 years of the manuals' existence, more than 250,000 copies of Pooley’s manuals have been sold.

•

Flying Training Manoeuvres through to Instrument Flying

The Air Pilot’s manual consists of five volumes covering all the key aspects of the Private Pilots syllabus. The key volumes published for Southern Africa so far are: •

Volume 1: Flying Training

•

Volume 2: Human Performance and Meteorology

•

Volume 3: Navigation

•

Volume 4: The Aeroplane: Principles of Flight and Aircraft General

•

Volume 5: Air Law and Flight Planning.

December 2023

Pre-flight Briefings & How to Fly the Manoeuvres

•

Airwork Summaries

•

The PPL (A) Skill Test

Users’ comments strongly endorse Pooleys: “This book is essential for all new trainee pilots. I highly recommend buying it before starting your PPL flying lessons so that you know what to expect in your flying lessons. It’ll save you money on your training if you know what’s going to happen before each lesson, so read up and be prepared! You can use it in conjunction with a simulator (e.g. X Plane, P3D, FSX) and together they’ll prepare you well for the real world.” j

Some of the Pooleys Southern African series.

Pooleys does not only produce books, they also have a strong online digital product range.

•

T: +44 (0)20 8953 4870 email: trade@pooleys.com

www.pooleys.com

Pooleys launches a new series of PPL Training Manuals for Southern Africa

Based on the hugely successful UK and EASA series of Air Pilots Manuals that have helped over 250,000 pilots complete their PPL, they have been created specifically for the Southern African market. Available now from:

www.pilotsnplanes.co.za

– Established 1957 –

Celebrating 66 Years Service to Aviation July 2023 December

73 77

GLIDERS

JONKER SAILPLANES

LAUNCHES THE JS5 Potchefstroom based glider manufacturer Jonker sailplanes has launched its first open class glider, its new flagship, the JS5 REY. The launch was held at the Potchefstroom factory on 7 November. THE KEY CHARACTERISTIC of the JS5 is its brand new muti-profile 24.4 metre wing. This gives it a fantastic 69:1 best glide ratio, which means that, at best glide speed of 120 km/h you can glide 69 km for every 1000m you descend. The fuselage is the standard JS2, slightly modified for the narrower wing.

Uys Jonker explains, “Our goal was to design the ultimate open-class glider. Through extensive calculations, while considering material constraints (despite utilising hightensile carbon), we assessed performance across various wingspans. After multiple iterations, calculations revealed that the optimal

The 24.4 metre wingspan of the JS5 Open Class glider is distinctive.

December 2023

Attie Jonker with Uys Jonker (standing) and Dr Johan Bosman at the launch of the JS5.

performance peak was achieved with a modest wingspan of 24.4 meters. “A key design objective for the JS5 was achieving a lightweight structure. This emphasis on reduced weight not only improves ground handling but also makes the glider exceptionally adept at utilizing the last thermals of the day.

with these long wings could just not be structurally designed out. Intensive wing and flap twist modulations were performed to ensure we deliver a slim wing not giving away any of its performance with undesirable twist. The transfer of the aileron functions to the outboard wing is all done with clever auto-connections, so no more complex de-rigging challenges normally associated with open class ships.

gr eat pe r f or mance

“Our main goal with the JS5 was to climb really well in small broken thermals, and that has significantly improved compared to the JS1 C. Also, we want to be really good at high speeds, and the performance graph suggests that we really have great performance in that area. The JS5 wing has 2 sections per side with a removable winglet (recommended by the trailer design). The 4 flaps per side are driven by 4 drivers, as the aerodynamic twist associated

High performance gliders carry water to improve their speed in good conditions. The water system in the JS5 wing comprises of a novel concentric actuator system that allows combined and individual control over the two water tank valves. The water tanks are divided up in smaller compartments with one way restrictor valves to prevent water sloshing when taking off with partial water loads. j

December 2023

AWARDS By Garth Calitz

CIVIL AVIATION INDUSTRY AWARDS - CAIA In furtherance of its mandate to develop aviation, the South Africa Civil Aviation Authority hosted a lavish function to recognise outstanding performance in the aviation industry. NO EXPENSE WAS SPARED in making the event of a standard to match the achievements of those receiving awards. Ballet dancers were accompanied by the Johannesburg Chamber Orchestra in a glittering venue with excellent cuisine.

Ms Poppy Khoza, the Director of Civil Aviation explained, “The purpose of these awards is to bring together the aviation industry and our partners in other industries to celebrate those members of the industry who have shown

National Aviation Company of the Year award went to FlySafair.

December 2023

The glittering venue made it a top-drawer function.

consistency and commitment in promoting aviation safety, security, environmental sustainability, transformation, innovation, research, and development amongst others.” Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, the low profile Minister of Transport, delivered the keynote address. She congratulated the SACAA on achieving a 91.11% rating from ICAO, making it the best regulator in Africa, and in the top 20 in the World.

Director at Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Mr Themba Thabethe, Accident and Incident Investigations SACAA, Prof Ntombizozuko Dyani-Mhango, SACAA board member and Mr King Sotshede Chief Audit Executive SACAA. The adjudication results were then verified by Mr Theo Kodisang of Khumalo and Mabuya Auditors.

The top 20 in t he Wor ld

The award judging process was then explained by Mr Arthur Bradshaw, the head of the panel of six adjudicators. To allay fears of favouritism the panel was comprised of eminent aviation leaders: Mr Jean Franklin Olard, of the African Civil Aviation Commission, Ms Siew Huay Tan,

The first award was for Aviation Safety, FlySafair was third, Cape Town second and the winner was Lanseria International Airport.

The Aircraft Operator Award was taken by FlySafair ahead of ExecuJet. With the Aviation Innovation Award ExecuJet and FlySafair swapped positions. First runner-up in the

December 2023

The host - Ms Poppy Khoza - Director of Civil Aviation.

Outstanding Contribution to SA Aviation - Felix and Belinda Gosher.

December 2023

Aviation innovation Award - ExecuJet Aviation.

Aircraft Operators Award - FlySafair.

December 2023

General and Sport Aviation award to Morningstar Flying Club.

Aviation Manufacturing Organisation Award went to Sling Aircraft.

December 2023

Celebrating the CAA's 25th Birthday - the Minister cuts the cake.

Aviation Maintenance Organisation Award medium to large was Airlink and the winner was FlySafair. Mr Elmar Conradie, CEO of FlySafair, was named Aviation Professional of the Year with Itumeleng Mokoena in the first runner-up position and Matita Shabalala in the second runner-up position. The award for People Development was once again contested by ExecuJet and FlySafair with ExecutJet coming out tops in this one.

The Award for Aviation Transformation was closely contested by the Link programme at Airlink, FlySafair and the eventual victor Air Traffic and Navigation Services.

to br ing toget he r t he av iat ion indus t r y

Two of the leading aircraft manufacturers in South Africa contested the Aviation Manufacturing Organisation Award, Sling Aircraft outpaced BatHawk to take the Award.

King Shaka International Airport managed to outperform OR Tambo International Airport and FlySafair to walk away with the Aviation Sustainability and Environment Award.

The special award from the Director of Civil Aviation for Outstanding Contribution to South African Aviation went to Felix Gosher and his wife Belinda for their massive effort in organising the Children’s Flight in South Africa and Zambia as well as the Elders Flight.

December 2023

AWARDS Aircraft Operator / Airline Award FlySafair Winner ExecuJet Aviation 1st Runner up Airport Achievement Award Cape Town International Airport Winner Aviation Customer Services Award ExecuJet Aviation Winner FlySafair 1st Runner up 43 Air School 2nd Runner up Aviation Innovation Award ExecuJet Aviation Winner FlySafair Airline 1st Runner up Aviation Maintenance Organisation Award: Medium – Large FlySafair Winner Airlink 1st Runner up Aviation Professional Award Elmar Conradie Winner Itumeleng Mokoena 1st Runner up Matita Shabalala 2nd Runner up Aviation Research and Development Award FLIT: Forced Landing Into Trees Winner Air Traffic Navigation Services: RID Team 1st Runner up Aviation Safety Award Lanseria International Airport Winner Cape Town International Airport 1st Runner up FlySafair 2nd Runner up Aviation Security Award ExecuJet Aviation (Pty) Ltd Winner FlySafair 1st Runner up

December 2023

Aviation Sustainability and Environment Award King Shaka International Airport Winner O.R. Tambo International Airport 1st Runner up FlySafair 2nd Runner up Aviation Transformation Award Air Traffic and Navigation Services Winner FlySafair 1st Runner up The Link by Airlink 2nd Runner up General and Sport Aviation Award Morningstar Flying Club Winner Aviation Manufacturing Organisation Award Sling Aircraft Winner People Development Award ExecuJet Aviation Winner FlySafair 1st Runner up National Company of the Year FlySafair Winner Outstanding Contribution to SA Aviation Award Felix Gosher Fatima Jakoet Public Vote Award: Best Airport OR Tambo International Airport Public Vote Award: Best Airline FlySafair j

BUMPPPFFF:

A still from an amazing video taken by Houthi’s hijacking the MV Galaxy Leader using an Mi-8 helicopter south of Yemen.

Secret notices on pilots FMC display

Secret cockpit switch #2.

SAA is having trouble recruiting disadvantaged crew - so they have reduced the entry age.

December 2023

BOOK REVIEW

THE MIG DIARIES BY EDUARDO GONZÁLEZ SARRÍA AND LIONEL REID

Introduction Guy Leitch writes: “History is Written by Victors.” This quote is often attributed to Winston Churchill, and implies that the history of war is not grounded in facts, but rather it’s the winners’ interpretation of them that prevails. The victors force their version of events onto the people who paid for the war in blood, sweat, tears and taxes. This is one of the reasons that ‘The MiG diaries’ is such an important book. Arguably it was not written by the victors – but by both the losers. By this I mean that the Soviet backed People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) won and the losers were a motley collection of UNITA, FNLA, South African and Cuban soldiers. From an aviation perspective it was the war in the sky between the South Africans and the Cubans which is fascinating. The much vaunted SAAF entered the war with their well trained and equipped air force and The MiG Diaries is by far the best book on the Angolan air war.

December 2023

were initially disdainful of the Angolans and their Cuban allies. There were some celebrated shoot downs of MiG 21s and helicopters by South African Mirage F1s. The South Africans appeared dominant – and arrogant. But what could never be said was that the war was unwinnable. The MPLA and Cubans were backed by the vast military industrial complex that was Russia at the time – while the American involvement was clandestine support through the CIA. And so the tide gradually turned. The first big step up was the arrival of MiG 23s. These are formidable swing wing Generation 3 fighters that were more than a match for the SAAF Mirage F1s. The SAAF ‘vlamgats’ were undaunted and, as will be shown, changed strategy to deal with the MIG 23s. And then the game changed completely when the Russians started supplying their latest air to air missiles. Although it is seldom acknowledged by ‘old SAAF’ loyalists – the SAAF lost the air war and were thus unable to control the skies above their ground troops in southern Angola.

the Cubans let the SADF withdraw unmolested. Perhaps it was because both the Cubans and the South Africans had come to wonder what they were doing fighting and dying for someone else’s battles in an obscure corner of Africa. The situation is perhaps best summed up by the the then American Assistant Secretary of State, Chester Crocker, who wrote in his book; ‘High Noon in Southern Africa’, “Like scorpions in a bottle, the rival forces avoided each other's sting.. This was a war no one wanted.” It is against this backdrop that ‘The MiG Diaries’ by Eduardo González Sarría and Lionel Reid can best be understood for its unique insights from both the Cubans and South Africans into one of the very few true air to air combat conflicts since World War 2.

I s aw t hat he was s t r eaming f ue l.

The MiG Diaries writes, “- all attempts to actively intercept the MiG-23s were suspended. The penny had finally dropped at SAAF HQ that intercepting a MiG-23 with our old missiles was like taking a knife to a gunfight.” Without control of the skies, the ground war against the MPLA was all but lost and soon the South African Defence Force (SADF) began to withdraw back across the Cunene River and into the then South West Africa. Amazingly, despite having control of the sky,

Ed Sarria ended his Angolan war as a Lt Colonel and head of a MiG 23 squadron. Sarria is committed to cutting through the spin and getting to the truth. Lionel Reid was a SAAF Bosbok pilot. Illustrations are by former Mirage pilot Sean Thackwray. So the information is balanced and the insights are those of experts with real first hand knowledge. There has seldom, if ever, been a better book on aerial warfare. For this review I am honoured to be able to bring you an extract from Chapter 27 of the book, titled ‘Game Changers’. In the forthcoming issues I hope to bring you a few more selected insights from the book – in the full expectation that it will motivate everyone interested in air combat and the SAAF to buy their own copy of The MiG Diaries. It is published by Mercury and is available in all good bookstores and online for R385.

December 2023

BOOK REVIEW EXTRACT: GAME-CHANGER PART II The next few weeks [in September 1987] saw the ground war intensify, with the role of air power over the battlefield becoming increasingly important. In mid-September, Mirage F1AZs from 1 Sqn and the Buccaneers of 24 Sqn were deployed to Grootfontein. Although considerably further from the combat zone than Rundu, Grootfontein’s long runway and better facilities allowed these strike aircraft to operate with heavy payloads. On 16 September, the SAAF’s strike power was unleashed on the Angolan brigades with profound effect, as had been the case in 1985. The number of airstrikes gradually increased, and on the 26th, the Angolans would be pounded throughout the day. But it was a strike by 1 Sqn on the preceding day that became an unusual catalyst for the next air combat between MiG and Mirage. The strike caused serious casualties in one of the Angolan brigades, including to Soviet advisors; two were seriously injured and one killed. A decision was made to evacuate them by helicopter, with the only available rescue helicopters at Cuito Cuanavale, two Mi-17s, tasked with the job – but things started to go awry when they’d barely got off the ground.

As they were rushing to get airborne, the helicopters engaged in some unplanned “fencing”: while in the hover, there was a short duel of blades, their main rotors colliding and shattering. The helicopters were left sitting on the apron, flightless and forlorn. For the next attempt, the Soviet mission in Angola rushed to arrange two more Mi-17s, this time to be dispatched from Luanda and operated by Soviet crews. Finally, by the afternoon of the 27th, the helicopters were ready, by which stage the radio network to the Angolan brigades had been actively discussing the planned extraction for two full days. As a result, the Cuban Air Force commanders were convinced the South Africans would have intercepted the messages and would attempt to intervene. An extensive Cuban MiG CAP would be necessary to protect the Soviet helicopters from possible SAAF attack. A mix of Cuban-flown MiGs was readied. To keep some MiGs in close proximity to the helicopters, the experienced Lieutenant-Colonel Manuel Rojas Garcia and Captain Ramon Quesada Aquilar would operate out of Cuito in a pair of MiG-21bis armed with R-13M air-toair missiles, while MiG-23MLs from Menongue would provide additional top cover, armed with a standard air-to-air load of R-24R/T and R-60MK missiles. One pair of MiG-23s would also hold below the cover of the South African radar at a

One of Sean Thackwray's drawings of MiG-23s with R-24 missiles.

December 2023

height of about 400 to 700m, waiting to pitch up and trap the Mirages should they intervene. The MiG-23 pilots on the day included Major Alberto Ley Rivas, nicknamed “El Chino” – the Chinese – because of his oriental descent. He was a veteran of two previous Angolan tours, the first on MiG-17s, the second on MiG-21s. Five years earlier, in October 1982, he had flown one of the MiG-21bis vectored to assist his comrades Gilberto Ortiz and Raciel Marrero after they had tangled with Johan Rankin and Cobus Toerien in Mirage F1s. With his flight leader, Ley had raced to intervene, itching for combat, but the pair arrived after the Mirages had exited. Back then he had returned to Lubango disappointed at missing out, not knowing that his turn would eventually come.

At Rundu in northern Namibia, the 3 Sqn pilots were oblivious to events in Cuito; their biggest concern was coping with another scorching afternoon in Little Siberia. The last two weeks had seen them providing escort duties for the photo-recce Mirage IIIRZs that had been active in the combat area. The squadron’s biggest recent battle had been with constant stomach bugs, which had become part of life at the overcrowded base. In the preceding days they had been put on alert numerous times, only to be told to stand down. Depending on the possibility of a scramble, there were different standby levels, advised via the landline connection. For a ten-minute alert, the pilots would be fully kitted up but sitting outside their aircraft. For a three-minute alert, they would be in the cockpit with everything ready except the cooling of the missile heads. And at two minutes the missiles would be readied and they would be waiting to press the start button. That afternoon they were not expecting much and were on a relaxed level of standby. John Sinclair describes the scene:

t he mis s ile ex plode d nex t to t he Mirage

Besides their extensive air cover, the Cubans had the additional advantage that the extraction area was well covered by their ground radar system. The radar intercept officer at Cuito was the veteran Andrés Feitó, and joining him in the control room to oversee the operation was Colonel Carlos Lamas Rodríguez, the chief of Cuban Air Force operations in Angola. Not long after the Soviet Mi-17s got airborne, however, the MiG-21s ran into a problem. The tarmac and taxiways at Cuito were not maintained as well as those at the more permanent bases, and while Manuel Rojas was taxiing for take-off, one of his main undercarriage wheels hit a pothole hidden by a puddle from recent rains. The MiG was stuck; even when applying afterburner, the frustrated pilot couldn’t dislodge the wheel. He had to shut down his engine and wait for a truck to pull him out.

“It was boiling hot, and we were on a 30-minute standby. Most of us were lounging around in our shorts when suddenly there was a whrrrrr from the landline. We were expecting it to perhaps be a notification to upgrade the alert level. Carlo answered and seconds later he shouted, ‘Scramble!’ We couldn’t believe it, it was chaos.”

Carlo Gagiano and Arthur Piercy Carlo Gagiano led the first pair with Arthur Piercy as his wingman. Arthur remembers the scramble. “The Mirages always remained ready with their Hobart starters plugged in, so the

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BOOK REVIEW aircraft themselves only required two minutes for the gyro systems on the flight instruments to speed up and stabilise. However, we weren’t even in overalls, never mind our G-suits, when the order came. I remember that it was incredibly hot that day, and for a Mirage the Rundu runway was short. We used every inch of the runway to get airborne; I always joke that we got airborne primarily due to the curvature of the Earth.” Mark Raymond’s Mirage had a slat/flap problem at start-up, which meant Frank Tonkin, the standby, took over as the leader of John’s pair. They took off two minutes after the first pair. John made valuable notes during and after the sortie, which he kept over the years, allowing many details of the flight to be preserved. “We took off and were given a vector of 360 degrees for eleven minutes,” he explains. “Carlo and Arthur were about ten miles ahead. Three pairs of MiGs had been reported approximately 50 kilometres west of Mavinga, just north of

the Lomba River. We realised that their setup would have a Cuban MiG-23 CAP [combat at air patrol] positioned between us and any groundattack MiGs. We had revised our strategy: our first pair would head out on a vector, then pitch towards the MiG CAP and appear on their radar. Hopefully, as these MiGs went offensive against this first pair, they would be drawn southwards, away from their CAP position and air defences. Then the first Mirage pair would turn and dive away to the south-east. Our second pair, following two or three minutes behind the first pair, would then pitch on command as relayed by the Telstar, [a communication aircraft high enough to communicate with the base in Namibia] try pick up these MiGs in the climb, and have the chance of engaging them from their rear sector. It was essentially a gun-kill strategy at a target of opportunity – quickly blow through them, then plunge back down to low level. “The third pair of Mirages was six minutes behind us. They would be vectored off to the

MiG-23 at Menonque with the R-24 and the smaller R-60 missile that changed the war.

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one side to hold at low level and be ready to intercept any further MiGs that might pop up and try to join the fray.” There would, however, be no MiG trap that day. The two Cuban MiG-23s holding at low level were burning fuel too fast. They had to pitch up to altitude to conserve fuel, and became visible on radar as a result. As it was, they were not the closest pair to the Mirages and would have no influence on events. For the Mirages, the mission was not going to plan. Carlo sums it up: “When I think back to that day, it reminds me of the adage that a bad approach is followed by a bad landing. Our unplanned scramble did not get off to a smooth start, and it seemed that things from there went downhill. A factor that would play a role in the day’s events was that the original fighter controllers we were used to working with had rotated back to South Africa. There was a new batch of controllers, and we were not that familiar with one another. It would be a disadvantage.”

the radio frequency becomes chaos, with multiple voices: controllers, the Telstar and six Mirages on one frequency. It’s difficult to make out what is being said at times. Our standard pitch was to 30,000ft, the main thing being to get above the SAM-8 area. Our general feeling was that the enemy radar height-finders were not that accurate. After pitching and going PC, Carlo gave the command to drop tanks. It felt strange to jettison a serviceable fuel tank; one never gets to do it outside of combat. I thought to myself, Are you serious? Then I saw Carlo’s tank falling away and thought, Okay, he’s serious.” John’s notes record that the MiGs were holding at 24,000ft, and the initial pair of Mirages were pitched up to 27,000ft to take them on. Andrés Feitó was monitoring the helicopters and MiGs on his radar in Cuito when he saw the Mirages suddenly pop up on his screen. Approximately 130 kilometres south-east of Cuito were two blips, two kilometres abeam of each other heading zero-one-five degrees, which was straight towards the MiGs. He warned the pair of MiG-23s closest to the intruders, led by Alberto Ley, with First Lieutenant Juan Chávez Godoy as his wingman. By now, Ley was an experienced MiG pilot with a total of 1,190 hours, 160 on the MiG-23ML.

A s ingle mis s ile change d t he laws of t he game

A critical link in the low-level profile flown by the Mirages was the Telstar communication link provided by an Impala. The unplanned nature of the scramble had a knock-on effect, as John explains: “The Telstar was delayed in getting airborne, and we soon lost communications with our radar controller. Ideally, the first Mirage pair should be told to do an energy acceleration before the pitch. A few minutes later, the communication link was established with the Telstar and the first pair was told to pitch, without any energy acceleration. I heard Carlo tell Arthur to ‘Go PC’ – afterburner on – and our pair was then told to turn left on a vector of 350 degrees. The third pair was put on a vector of 340 degrees.” Arthur recalls the pitch: “During these intercepts,

Following the warning, he received his next vector: “Heading one eighty, speed 1,000.” “Roger, dropping tanks,” he responded.

Mirage F1 vs MiG 23 The two sets of fighters raced towards each other at a combined rate of a mile every three seconds. Suddenly, on Feitó’s radar, the two December 2023

BOOK REVIEW Mirages split into more targets. Uncertain if they had deployed active ECM or if there were suddenly more aircraft in the fight, he shouted a warning that there were now six targets. The Mirages had no ECM measures, and it is likely that he was seeing ghost returns, or that the jettisoned RP-35 belly tanks were large enough to form a return on his radar. The extra returns were, however, only temporary. As the fighter jets closed on each other, the MiG pilots tried to pick up their quarry with their sophisticated Sapfir-23MLAE radars. Ley was struggling to acquire them; he had turned the antenna tilt up too high, and his radar was looking above the Mirages. Chávez Godoy was having better luck, though, acquiring the two South Africans at twenty kilometres. He immediately started to try to lock on for a longrange missile launch. Although the MiGs now knew where the Mirages were, the Mirages did not have the same luxury. “After we had pitched up and levelled off, we struggled to get accurate updates on where the MiGs were,” explains Carlo. “The Rodent radar antenna could be set to paint the target every six or ten seconds; at the six-seconds setting, the antenna turns faster and you lose out on range. We were at the extreme range of the system, so the sweeps were every ten seconds. If then there is just one missed paint, it means at least twenty seconds before the next positive position update. At the combined speed of the opponents, the distance travelled in that time is

frightening. As luck would have it, our ground radar system started missing paints, and we no longer had a clear picture of how far ahead of us the MiGs were.” The Mirage pilots now found themselves in an unenviable position. If they turned away, they would expose their rear sector badly. If they descended below 18,000ft, they would face the significant risk of the SAM-8 batteries. “In hindsight,” says Carlo, “we perhaps continued straight for too long, but we had no option but to continue straight and blow through the MiGs before we could turn. But where were they?” With better radar and missiles, plus a clear picture of their opponent’s position, the MiGs now held a clear advantage. By twelve kilometres out, Chávez Godoy’s radar had fed the co-ordinates to his two long-range R-24 missiles, and by ten kilometres one was ready to launch. With very little angle off and a high closure rate, the Mirages were right in the missile’s high-probability kill zone. But Chávez Godoy had a problem: he was flying in “Soviet trail” behind Ley, who was to the left and ahead of him. If he launched the missile it might take out his leader, so he maintained his discipline and didn’t fire. At seven kilometres head-on to the Mirages, he shouted again to his leader, “Locked on!” Ley was still wrestling in vain with his radar, and just as he was about to tell

A Cuban MiG 23-ML in Angola in 1987.

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Chávez Godoy to move out to the beam and take the shot, his wingman called the Mirages visual. The distance had closed so rapidly that the R-24 was no longer an option, the chance of a long-range launch lost. It would now be a close-range dogfight.

we were headed straight towards an area full of SAM-8 anti-aircraft defences. I called Frank that the river was ahead, and he instantly responded, ‘180-degree turn, go.’ The next thing, we were heading south again. The chance to pitch up and help Carlo and Arthur had been lost.”

The Mirages were unaware of how close they had come to being blown up even before they had the chance to blow through the MiGs. As so often happens in air combat, it would be the wingman, Arthur Piercy, who got the MiGs visual first. “I picked up the lead MiG in my 11 o’clock about a mile away and called that I had him visual. At that stage I was doing Mach 1.3.”

Above them, Ley now also had Carlo and Arthur’s Mirages visual. Feitó’s excellent vectors, along with Chávez Godoy’s sharp eyes and shouted instructions, allowed the MiGs to enter the crossover well set up for the dogfight.

Below them, Frank Tonkin and John Sinclair were still maintaining their low-level vector. “We heard Arthur calling the MiG in sight,” says John. “This was the point when Frank and I should have been pitched by the controller, but nothing happened. Perhaps it was the poor communication link with the Telstar, or maybe the controller was used to a different squadron’s set of tactics. I remember asking Frank, ‘Shouldn’t we pitch?’ He replied, ‘No, let’s stay low-level until the call.’”

The slight offset angle at which the MiGs approached the Mirages made it seem to them that Arthur was the flight leader, as from their angle he was ahead of Carlo. Although not the flight leader, Arthur was the one leading the fight. As Carlo explains, “It’s long ago now, but I don’t recall seeing the MiGs on the first cross. Arthur saw them, and then led the fight.”

my Mirage s howe d t hat it had pulle d 11Gs

Frank remembers the frustration at not being pitched: “We were shouting at the Telstar asking for the pitch, but it just never came.” His decision not to pitch on his own initiative was perhaps the best one. At the limit of the SAAF radar, which was already struggling, the sudden unexpected pitch-up of another pair might have turned the dogfight into a confusing furball where any outcome was possible. With the low-level pair racing north-west at nine miles a minute, the window of opportunity to spring the trap was narrowing. John suddenly saw a river ahead. “In front of us was the Lomba River, above us Carlo and Arthur were engaged with the MiGs, and now

Arthur called the engagement as he watched the MiGs pass in between the two Mirages. “Initially I had only picked up the lead MiG,” he says. “The second one I only saw a little later as the leader flashed past me on my right-hand side. The MiG-23 was such an impressive-looking aircraft. As they passed beneath us, they separated vertically from each other during the cross. The confident way they positioned themselves made me realise that these were no rookies. Once past them, I called a break to the right. The plan was to allow the speed to bleed down from Mach 1.3 to 480kts during the turn, which would give the best sustained turn rate for the Mirage F1 of ten degrees per second.” The MiGs also broke to the right, and as Ley puts it, “The carousel had now begun.” The field of view from a MiG-23 cockpit is rather limited, and soon after entering the turn he lost sight of the Mirages behind the back of his canopy. December 2023

BOOK REVIEW Chávez Godoy, sitting further back in trail, had the best view of the dogfight. “Keep the turn locked, they are above us. Pull harder, pull now!” he shouted, offering a continuous string of advice to his leader. Adrenaline surging, Ley hauled back on the stick – so hard that he exceeded the MiG’s G-limit, pulling up to 9Gs. The angle-of-attack limiter on the MiG engaged to push the stick forward, and although it takes considerable force to override the “stick-pusher”, he had to do so twice, keeping the MiG in a tight turn. In all the excitement, Ley had not moved his missile selector to the optimum setting for control of the short-range R-60; he had left the switch in AUTO. Ideally, the missile selector switch should have been moved to FUSELAGE and the gunsight selector to AIM. On the control stick, a little conical toggle shaped like a Chinese hat could then have been used to

slave the infrared seeker head of the R-60 to a sight on his HUD, and optimally angle it onto the Mirage. But at high altitude, with the Mirage in full afterburner and emitting a huge heat signature, it didn’t matter; the palmita would not let him down.

The R-60 missile As the MiGs were completing a turn of about 190 to 200 degrees, Ley saw the fuselage of one of the Mirages ahead and above him. It was Arthur’s aircraft. Pulling between 4 and 5Gs at this stage, Ley kept his trigger fully depressed during his turn towards the Mirage; suddenly, it came into the launch envelope of the R-60, and the missile shot off the belly rail of the MiG in a flash. Considering the split-second nature of air combat, it isn’t surprising that there are some

The damage done by the passing R-60 missile on Arthur Piercy's Mirage-F1CZ.

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contradictions in the accounts of the opposing pilots. Both Mirage pilots are convinced the launch came from when the MiGs were slightly head-on to them; that is, a front-sector launch. Both Cuban pilots are insistent that the launch angle was from the rear or side hemisphere – but a difficult one at the very edge of the missile’s parameters. What is not in dispute is what happened next. Arthur was still turning hard to the right when he picked up Ley’s MiG. “As I came around in the turn, I saw the MiG off to my right, it was in about my half-past-1 to 2 o’clock position and in a slight left bank. I realised that the Matra would be of no use at this angle, and remember flicking my trigger guard over to allow a cannon shot should the MiG pass through my gunsight. The trigger guard on the F1 covers the missile button. As soon as you flick it over it becomes your cannon trigger. That was when a missile suddenly launched from the MiG; from my perspective it seemed to be from under the left wing but may have been from the belly rail. It had a rather large smoke trail and was corkscrewing as it came towards me.

rolling out of theirs; they were in trail to each other. Suddenly there was the smoke plume of a missile launch from the MiGs.” The plume was so “intense” that the Mirage pilots later surmised it might have been the launch of a large R-24 rather than the smaller R-60 – or, using their preferred NATO designation, an AA-7 rather than an AA-8. The R-60 rocket motor burns slower but for a longer period compared to the Sidewinder and, combined with the cold temperatures at high altitude, this perhaps gave the small missile a large plume. “Suddenly my Matras unexpectedly locked onto something and gave their launch tone,” continues Carlo. “I pulled the trigger and the left missile launched. I knew it was completely outside of its tracking parameters and would not be effective, but hoped a missile flashing past them might at least scare the MiGs. My thoughts were also that at least it would be one less useless missile I had to carry around. Then I ducked down into the cockpit as their missile’s smoke plume flashed overhead my aircraft – it was caught on footage by my gun camera. At the time, my perception was that one missile had been launched at Arthur and one at myself. I heard Arthur report that he might have been hit, and as I emerged from the smoke plume, I saw that he was streaming fuel. I told him it was time to get out of the fight.”

cove r ing t he ir t ails f r om pur s uing MiGs

“You are supposed to break towards the missile, which makes it more difficult for it to track you, but it was mentally so tough to follow my training. For a brief second I hesitated, banking the Mirage away from the missile. Then I broke back hard right towards it, and watched it flash past over the top of my right-hand wing. As the missile passed behind I felt a bit of a thump. I thought perhaps I had been hit and reported it to Carlo; however, all the aircraft indications were normal, and it even crossed my mind that perhaps I had just passed through the missile’s wake turbulence.” Carlo also saw the missile launch: “As I came out of my turn I could see the two MiGs ahead

Ley didn’t have the opportunity to follow the flight path of his missile, as by then he was pulling hard to go over the top of Arthur’s aircraft. The moment the missile exploded next to the Mirage was hidden from his view under the nose of the MiG-23, but behind him his wingman had a good view. “You got him!” Chávez Godoy shouted. December 2023

BOOK REVIEW It was not, however, a direct hit; the R-60’s proximity fuse had detonated as the missile passed close to the heat of the Mirage’s exhaust, showering the tail, right stabilator and right wing with multiple shrapnel fragments. The critical damage occurred at the rear part of the jet exhaust, where the complex nozzle is comprised of eighteen variable area flaps, known as cold nozzle flaps. Once Carlo called for the Mirages to disengage, they both rolled over and plunged down to safety. The Cuban pilots saw one of the Mirages head downwards, and both aircraft suddenly disappeared off Feitó’s radar screen. With fuel running low, the MiGs were not able to pursue, but the Cubans were convinced they had earned a kill either way. However, as a result of the little R-60 missile’s one weakness – its small explosive warhead – Arthur’s Mirage had survived the proximity blast. Too short of fuel to make it back to their base at Menongue, the MiGs turned towards their

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diversion base at Cuito. Entering the landing pattern short of fuel but jubilant, Ley and Chávez Godoy were chattering like “a pair of drunken parrots” on the radio. A swift and timely rebuke from Manuel Rojas, now airborne in his MiG-21, brought them back down to earth. “Stop cackling,” ordered the lieutenant-colonel. “Now you both land those planes without breaking them. Is that clear?” After a successful extraction of the Soviet casualties, the helicopters made it back to Cuito, with the MiG-21s of Rojas and Ramon Quesada last to land. On inspecting the Mi-17s, Rojas discovered ten or twelve impacts from smallcalibre rounds on one of the helicopters. Things had been hairy, but it was an afternoon full of Cuban and Soviet smiles – the day had gone their way. The MiG-23 shared the same high wing configuration with the Mirage F1 but its swing wing and missiles made it superior.

Arthur Piercy’s escape In contrast, it was a day of worries for the 3 Sqn pilots and those following events from Rundu Air Force Base. Arthur’s plunge to low level was nearly his final act. “I had not retarded the throttle at all, and I was rushing at the ground in a vertical dive. When I pulled the stick into my stomach to pull out, all that initially happened was the aircraft changed its altitude but not direction. The momentum was so great that the aircraft carried on descending. Just when I thought it was the end of me, the aircraft bottomed out just above the trees. A later inspection of my Mirage showed that, at some stage, it had pulled 11Gs. It is not certain if the Gs were from the pull-out or from what happened later, but I believe it was from that pull-out.”

brake parachute was gone. Then warning lights started to illuminate in his cockpit indicating various emergencies. I started reading the checklist actions for him; this was not an easy exercise, as we were at low level and high speed. Sometimes when I read a checklist item, the difficulty of the situation resulted in Arthur reading the incorrect response, and we had to redo it. When you do your simulator training and are being given multiple emergencies, you tend to think the instructor is messing you around, but that day I saw first-hand how these emergencies come in multiples.” The second and third pair of Mirages slowed down to take up station behind Arthur and Carlo, covering the tails of the vulnerable pair from any possible pursuing MiGs. On the shared frequency, they listened to the multiple emergencies starting to unfold in Arthur’s cockpit.

t he mis s ile ex plode d nex t to t he Mirage

Back level and racing at well over 700kts just above the ground, Arthur seemed to have things back under control. “When you are right on the deck at those speeds, you get a type of tunnel vision, and I could only see straight ahead as my brain started excluding the peripheral details. My RWR was still indicating a threat behind me, so I just kept going as low and fast as I could.” Once clear of the potential threat, Arthur could slow down, allowing Carlo to catch up to him to assess the damage he’d sustained. “Carlo first came into position on my left-hand side, then moved across to the right. When I asked him how bad it was, his response was classic: ‘Arthur, your tail feathers have been ruffled.’” Carlo recalls the visible damage and the resulting complications: “When I finally got Arthur in sight again, he was streaming fuel, his rear fuselage was peppered with holes and the

The first warning was the red EP light, indicating a problem with the electro pump of the primary hydraulic system.

Then came the amber R/H LP light, indicating low discharge pressure on the right-hand fuel pump. Next was an amber HYD 2, indicating that hydraulic system 2 had failed. It was not the primary hydraulic system, but it meant that nose wheel steering would not be available on the ground. A horn and another light warned of an impending engine oil pressure failure. Then came an amber 500L light showing that one of the two feeder tanks now had less than 250 litres remaining.

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BOOK REVIEW Arthur had his hands full. “Initially all the emergencies were manageable, and I conducted the emergency drills in turn,” he explains. “When the fuel system 500L warning illuminated, I glanced across at the gauges. They were showing more, but which to believe? Safer to believe the warning light. The emergency that was my biggest concern was the oil-system failure. The aircraft was losing its engine oil, and this meant the engine would only operate for another twenty minutes before seizing. This wasn’t an immediate concern to me, as with all the low-level fuel warnings I realised I wasn’t going to be staying airborne for another twenty minutes anyway. The more immediate problem of losing engine oil was that you would lose control of the cold flaps on the engine exhaust nozzle, as their actuators were controlled by oil pressure. You then had to use the emergency throttle to control the engine thrust.”

Leon van der Merwe was the air traffic controller in the Rundu tower. “As soon as the radar controllers told me that Arthur was returning with damage, I got the fire services to block off the long straight section of road between Rundu and Grootfontein,” he says. “When Arthur came onto the frequency I advised him that there was almost no wind and the choice of runway was his, and that he should perhaps consider the road which had been blocked off and was also available. His concern with the road was that it was narrow and built up from the surrounding terrain, and if he ran off the side of the road it would be a mess. Although not specifically mentioned in any radio discussion, the fact that, due to the arms embargo, the Mirage was basically irreplaceable must have had some influence on the choices that day.”

nur s e d his failing Mirage back to Rundu

The emergency regulation lever, more commonly referred to as the emergency throttle, on the SNECMA Atar 9-K50 engine is a small toggle-type lever located on the left sidewall of the cockpit. It allows engine RPM to be adjusted through direct action on the main fuel control unit, in which case all automatic control of the engine is bypassed and a much smaller range of engine operation is available; the manual cautions that it is limited to only 43% of the normal maximum thrust. “When the oil had gone, I switched over to the emergency regulation lever. It is really just a blip switch, and trying to control the engine power with it was a nightmare. It had a terrible lag. Even practising in the simulator can’t prepare you for the real thing. But I still felt that I could safely land with what I had to work with.”

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Carlo had accompanied Arthur all the way back to base. “Once we were closer to Rundu we pitched up to a higher altitude,” he says. “My primary role was to assist Arthur through the landing. Ejection was one of the options considered, but in the end the decision was made to land. The easterly runway was the one chosen, as the westerly runway had quite a hard overrun area with not much sand to slow the aircraft down.” A few weeks earlier, another of the 3 Sqn pilots, Jaco de Beer, had performed a test in a Land Rover on the ploughed sandy overrun area of the easterly runway. Once driven off the edge of the runway, the vehicle had sunk almost to its axles into the soft sand. Although the runway had no arrester barrier, at least the squadron could take some confidence in the stopping power of the sand. In the meantime, however, the weather had intervened, with the first summer rains falling a few days before. Once the fierce Namibian sun had evaporated

the rain puddles, there remained a firm baked crust on top of the normally soft sand. As Arthur nursed his failing Mirage back to Rundu, nobody realised that the sandy overrun zone had been compromised. Carlo shepherded Arthur onto a final approach for the runway. “Once Arthur was set up on the approach, I watched from above. In the emergency throttle regimen the approach speed is around 205kts, which is really fast, especially when combined with having no drag chute and the short runway at Rundu.” Once established on final approach, Arthur was committed to landing; with only partial engine thrust and no afterburner, the aircraft didn’t have the power to abort the landing. Even if it could, Arthur would have run out of fuel before he could attempt another approach. To compensate for the lack of thrust, he kept the speed up; if he got low on the approach path, he could at least trade this speed for height.

Carlo saw the scene unfold from above. “I watched him run off the runway and saw the dust when the nose wheel collapsed. Then I caught a brief glimpse of a blurred object pop out of the cockpit, tumble and came to a stop about twenty to 30 metres ahead of the crashed aircraft. When the first emergency vehicle arrived on the scene, they reported that the cockpit was empty. I told them to look a few metres ahead of the aircraft. There they found Arthur still strapped to his seat.” The impact of the collapsing nose wheel had caused the cartridge of the Martin Baker ejection seat to fire and propel Arthur out of the cockpit, but the full ejection sequence of the seat wasn’t initiated, and only the small stabilising drogue chute had deployed. Arthur landed with a sickening crunch still strapped to the seat.

t he nos e w he e l hit a boulde r and collaps e d

He managed to get the Mirage down onto the runway, initially keeping the nose of the aircraft up to generate maximum aerodynamic braking. At this point the full extent of his problems became evident: the main brakes seemed to have no effect, and when he applied the emergency brakes, they didn’t do much either. By now he was running down a rather short runway at 170kts, or 315km/h, and it was quickly apparent that an overshoot was inevitable. As the Mirage exited the end of the runway, the terrain slanted further downhill, and the firm sand provided none of its expected stopping power. The jet continued on the crust of the sand and smashed through the base perimeter fence, whereafter the nose wheel hit a boulder and collapsed.

As the medical personnel attended to Arthur, Carlo came in to land. “Even though I had plenty of hours on Mirages at that stage, I found the whole experience of that day so unsettling that I had to abort my first two approaches. It was only on my third approach that I was correctly set up for the landing. After parking, I went straight to the crash site. Arthur was still conscious and communicating with me as they treated him. He got me to write down his mother’s new telephone number on my arm.” Arthur recalls the moment. “It is strange how your mind works in these circumstances. When I saw Carlo, my biggest concern was to give him my parents’ new telephone number, which my mother had given to me just days before. During our deployment at Rundu, my father had been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy. I had kept quiet about this because I knew that if Carlo had found out he would have sent me home to be

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BOOK REVIEW with my family, and the last thing I wanted to do was to leave the fight.” Although there was no sensation in the lower part of his body, Arthur was in terrible pain, in particular in his arm. He requested morphine three times. “As I was loaded into the ambulance, the morphine finally kicked in and I can’t remember much from there. I have some memory of the sound of the C-130 engines on the flight home and being given some ice to suck on, but after that I was placed into an induced coma for about ten days.” Arthur’s C6 and C7 vertebrae were fractured in the crash, and when he woke up, it was to a life in a wheelchair. Today he is still active in many aspects of civil aviation, working as an IT mobile administrator.

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To compound 3 Sqn’s sense of injustice and frustration, the arrester barrier was, in fact, in storage in a hangar at Rundu. The irony was not lost on Carlo Gagiano. “The barrier that had been such a bone of contention was suddenly set up within days,” he says, “and by 1988, I was conducting trials on a Mirage F1 with the new Python missile mounted on the outboard wing station.” Frank Tonkin remembers the activity at Rundu after Arthur’s crash. “The evening after his prang, all sorts of top brass descended on Rundu. They were from the SAAF, army, even UNITA.” In the weeks that followed, 3 Sqn would continue flying escorts for the Buccaneers and reconnaissance Mirages, but all attempts to actively intercept the MiG-23s were suspended. “The penny had finally dropped at SAAF HQ that intercepting a MiG-23 with our old missiles was like taking a knife to a gunfight.”

it was lik e t ak ing a k ni f e to a gunf ight

John Sinclair was one of those who saw Arthur as he was being loaded into the C-130. “He was almost unrecognisable,” he recalls. “His face and body were so puffed up. That evening we went to the pub and had a few drinks. I was feeling really upset about the whole sequence of events, and left the pub and walked across to Arthur’s crashed Mirage. I remember leaning against the nose cone and looking at the wreck. I thought of all the fights that we’d had to get upgraded missiles, better facilities and an arrester barrier. It all seemed so unnecessary, and the thought that crossed my mind was, Who are we at war with anyway, our own logistics guys or the Cubans and Angolans?”

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Logistics failure

A single missile had changed the laws of the game of air combat in southern Angola for the SAAF. Although it seemed to the Mirage pilots that more than one missile had been launched, there is nobody stingier than a Cuban storeman. When the MiGs landed at Menongue, they returned all their missiles to stores except for a single palmita. The limited information available to the Cubans at the time led them to believe that the combat had resulted in a kill, and before long a little red star, painted by the Menongue ground crew to indicate as much, appeared next to the cockpit of MiG-23 C-441. j

December 2023

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EVENTS

CALENDAR AERO CLUB AWARDS

SAA MUSEUM SOCIETY HOBBY FAIR

DCA INDUSTRY ROADSHOW

25 November

30 November

Dubai

Venue TBA

Sandra Strydom: sandra@aeroclub.org.za Tel: 011 082 1100

E-mail: events@saamuseum.co.za or Cell: 076 879 5044

WONDERBOOM SAFETY SYMPOSIUM

AFRICAN AIR EXPO AND CONFERENCE CTICC

HAI HELI-EXPO

5 December @ 18h00 Villa San Giovani Restaurant

12 - 14 February Cape Town

26 - 29 February Anaheim Convention Centre, California, USA

David: E-mail: david@pilotinsure.co.za Cell: 073 338 5200

Website: www.airexpo.co.za

Website: www.heliexpo.com

Rand Airport (Menno Parsons Hangar)

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Tel: +27 (0)10 900 4149 | Mobile: +27 (0)82 547 8379 Info@earefurbishment.com | Francois@earefurbishment.com December 2023 Hangar 24 (Interior Shop) and Hangar 31 (Paint Shop). Lanseria International Airport, South Africa, Gate 5 North Side.

PILOT'S GIFT GUIDE – SUPPLEMENT

December 2023

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INTRODUCTION

PILOT'S GIFTS SUPPLEMENT As the year draws to a close, and the festive season approaches, we take the opportunity to showcase some of the many gadgets and essentials that many pilots would like as a Christmas gift. ONE OF THE MOST DESIRED gifts is the latest technology noise cancelling headset. The latest Bose A30 Bluetooth headset is a favourite – not just for the pilot but also for passengers. For those whose budgets might not stretch that far, replacement ear-seals and mic. covers are a great way to make older headsets new again.

Handheld VHF radios are another welcome gift.

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December 2023

All good pilot supply shops are happy to provide a complete service to flying schools, AMOs as well as the public at large. Even better – all the pilots supply shops in this supplement will gladly provide goods on mailorder and courier them.

Here is a list of the most popular items for pilot’s gifts. •

Leatherman knives

•

Aviator watches

•

Bose and David Clark headsets & accessories

•

Icom & Rexon transceivers

•

Sunglasses - especially Raybans

•

Pilot shirts, trousers, epaulettes

•

Swales and Fox One mock exams

•

Pooleys excellent Air Pilots manuals

•

PPL and CPL study material

Rayban aviators are popular with all sexes.

•

Brightline bags and other flight bags.

•

Kneeboards, whizz wheels, protractors, fuel strainer, fuel gauges, pitot covers etc.

•

Books and various flying training support DVDs & CDs.

Garmin D2 Marq. Knee pads are a great help and not expensive.

The Bose AS30 - at around R25,000.

The ASA CX-3 calculator is an essential. December 2023

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December 2023

FlightCm African Commercial Aviation

Edition 179 | December 2023

The need for shared African Airlift Pilots – How old is too old?

Editorial – the 12 year rule – Once again! 1

FlightCom: December 2023

Ferr ying a Cherokee 6 across Africa

CONTENTS

TABLE OF

Publisher Flyer and Aviation Publications cc Managing Editor Guy Leitch guy@flightcommag.com Advertising Sales Howard Long sales@saflyermag.co.za 076 499 6358

DECEMBER 2023 EDITION 179

Layout & Design Patrick Tillman: Imagenuity cc Contributors

John Bassi Laura McDermid Darren Olivier Jeffrey Kempston

ADMIN: +27 (0)83 607 2335

04 08 12 15 16 22 27 28 29 30 31 32 34

Hugh Pryor - How Old is Too Old?

TRAFFIC: +27 (0)81 039 0595

Laura McDermid - Air Kenya Part 2

ACCOUNTS: +27 (0)15 793 0708

News - Unpacking SAA malfeasance News - FedAir Buys 6 New Caravans John Bassi - Saving the Giant Sable in Angola 2 Defence - African Airlift Capability AME Directory News - Air Senegal closes 75% of its routes News - Ethiopian signs for 11 more A350-900s Alpi Aviation SA: Flight School Directory Merchant West Charter Directory Skysource AMO Listing Backpage Directory

© FlightCom 2023. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without the express permission of the copyright holders.

A NOTE FROM

THE EDITOR: FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS the SACAA has been making sporadic attempts to ground all aircraft with piston engines that are more than 12 years since overhaul. This move started when Continental and Lycoming recommended that their engines be overhauled every 12 years, regardless of how many hours they have flown. Note that it was just a recommendation, but the bureaucrats at the SACAA have sporadically tried to make it compulsory. Given that in these days of expensive flying, many privately owned aircraft fly less than 50 hours per year, it would have grounded much of the GA piston fleet. Even more seriously, many training schools and charter operators have aircraft with more than 12 years on their engines, and this would have grounded a large part of their fleets.

It was then announced that the AIC 18.19 exemption had been withdrawn in error and it was hoped that things would carry on as normal. However, Paul van Tellingen then said, …the CEO of the Commercial Aviation Association of South Africa informs me that CAA Legal has stated to him that they cannot re-instate the AIC immediately. No reasons were given by the CAA. It seems that there is a disconnect between “Legal” and the responsible managers. Legal action will now have to commence at an additional cost to everyone. (As though enough damage has not been done already.)

ma ny a i r c r a ft w i l l no t fly

In 2006 Paul van Tellingen successfully led a campaign against this 12-year rule. It went quiet for a few years then sprang up again in about 2012. At that time the CAA was persuaded to grant an exemption; in the form of AIC 18.19. Then, on 2 November 2023, the SACAA withdrew the AIC 18.19 exemption. By withdrawing the exemption they did not have to get their action approved through normal channels such as CARCOM. Duncan Gillespie of FlyAfrica notes, “Furthermore, AIC 18.19 exempted such owner/operators from having to comply with every manufacturer’s Service Bulletin, regardless if the bulletin was mandatory or not.”

“It is imperative that those who feel that the CAA has to be challenged in this matter contact their representative body immediately. That body should then co-ordinate with CAASA which already has a plan in place. This is to ensure that unity is preserved and that all efforts are co-ordinated.” A further consideration is that insurance cover will be lost. A leading aircraft insurance broker says, “an aircraft is not currently insured if it does not fully comply with Part 43, as AIC 18.19 is no longer in place to afford any exemption from Part 43.” The net effect is that the mistake of having withdrawn AIC 18.19 creates uncertainty – which means that many aircraft will not fly, and the industry will shrink further. 

BUSH PILOT HUGH PRYOR

HOW OLD IS TOO OLD? I recently hit sixty years of age, before letting my physique in on the secret. I am very lucky indeed to be able to do that. Of course, I am not like an aircraft which, with the appropriate financial outlay, can be completely ‘zeroed’.

ECHNOLOGY HAS NOT YET reached the stage where human components can be replaced or manufactured to bring the machine back to as, or better than, new condition, like an aircraft. Our bodies were designed with a finite life. We can take care of ourselves, in order to resist the evidence of the passing years, but the three score years and ten is still our allotted span, although this can be stretched, as it has for thousands of years, to four score years or more. All that modern technology seems to have achieved is to increase the number of us who hit their century. It hasn’t altered the fact that most of us are pretty decrepit when we get there.

the people of Malta the award of the George Cross, the highest civilian honour to be bestowed by a British Monarch. It landed in the sea, sank to the bottom and lay there, at the mercy of the saline waters of the Mediterranean, for over fifty years, before becoming entangled in the nets of a local fisherman. The aluminium parts of the structure appeared to have acted like a sacrificial anode for the ferrous metal pieces of the aircraft and preserved them to the point that many of them are included in the rebuild. Steel tubes form the core of the Hurricane’s airframe and they were in almost mint condition after their traumatic experiences.

The aircraft was shot down

Aircraft have a similar risk of ‘falling under a bus’ as we do, but they have a stronger possibility of being put back together again after such an event. I was recently privileged to witness the reconstruction work being carried out by devoted craftsmen in Malta on a Hawker Hurricane fighter. The aircraft was shot down during the heroic Second World War struggle against Axis forces, which earned

FlightCom: December 2023

As with the Hurricane, there are many recorded cases when a human being has been shot out of the sky, crashed into the water and spent fifty odd years at the bottom of the sea. For a human being to then be resurrected and restored, even to taxy-able condition, would be, frankly, spooky. The Almighty himself only managed three days of burial and that wasn’t at the bottom of the sea. The magicians in Malta would therefore appear to be performing miracles with their Hurricane. It will be in fully flyable condition, when completed,

FlightCom: December 2023

but the complexity and expense of certification has meant that the magicians will only be taxying their beautiful little bird for the crowds. The fact that we cannot do the same for the human frame is sad, but maybe not too regrettable. You only have to ask my wife what she would think, at the prospect of spending another fifty years with her present husband, to appreciate some of the bad points about immortality! There are, however, some people who should be allowed just a little bit more time to give their wisdom and experience to the world and there are others who have their lives extinguished when the fires are at their brightest. Miles was a shining example of the latter. If you will cast your mind back to the early seventies, for a moment, I want to take you to a place in the middle of the African bush, less than ten degrees south of the equator.

out there, after getting back from flying, watching the shadow of the escarpment bringing night to the inhabitants of the plains below, as the sun hurried down over the western horizon. I never found an age above twenty-six among the young German soldiers who now lay silent, under the African stars. In Kilimatinde it appeared that malaria was a far more successful killer than war. I often wondered if the bereaved, in the humdrum life of Europe, ever had an inkling of the remoteness of the graves of the ones they mourned. My reason for visiting the area was to construct airstrips in the outlying villages. The East African Flying Doctor Services intended to enable the hospital to reach the people living in the far corners of its parish. Many of the remoter villages were linked to the outer world by narrow, single track paths, indicating that motor vehicles had never visited them. It is something that continues to amaze me. I have spent years of my life flying low over the furthest depths of the Sahara Desert and have seldom been out of sight of car tracks. In SubSaharan Africa, however, I have visited many villages not that far from so-called civilisation, where the only vehicle tracks are left by the soles of the ‘ThousandMiler’ sandals worn by the locals made from expired car tyres.

Miles was a shining example

Kilimatinde had been an old outpost of the German expeditionary force which, under the inspired leadership of Colonel von Lettow-Vorbeck, caused the British many headaches during the First World War. By the end of that conflict there were forty-two thousand British troops trying to capture the fifteen hundred Germans – and they never caught them.

The village of Kilimatinde (possibly translated as ‘the spiky hill’, in Swahili) was located on a redout which formed a part of the escarpment which enclosed the western extremities of the Bahi Swamp, to the west of Dodoma, the present political capital of Tanzania. The old German military installations had long since been converted into a hospital which, rather ironically, was supported mostly by German Protestant church aid. The only reminders of the previous incumbents were a sad little group of grave stones which tottered among the thickets of thorn bush, out towards the edge of the natural wall, overlooking the flat expanses of the Bahi. The most remarkable impact of the headstones was the ages of the deceased. I spent many an evening

FlightCom: December 2023

I was right at the beginning of my affair with aviation and rather proud of my three hundred and twelve hours of flying experience. Miles was the local pilot for the East African Flying Doctor Services. We were both in our twenties, but he was quite a lot younger than me, which almost seemed to accentuate the reverence with which I treated him, because he had achieved something which, for me was true stardom. He had become a Commercial Pilot. His two thousand hours just added to the aura, as far as I was concerned. Luckily, being a white Kenyan, he treated me as a human being, with hopes of becoming a socially acceptable person, if I came up to spec. I hope I did.



100 95 75

www.dynamicpropellers.co.za

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

5 0

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.

Tel: +27 11 824 5057 • Fax2mail: 086 548 2651 E-mail: andries@dynamicpropeller.co.za • Andries: 082 445 4496 7 FlightCom: December 2023

LAURA MCDERMID

PART 8

IRIS - HER EARLY YEARS.

Air Kenya Part 2 Laura McDermid continues her stories about Iris McCallum in East Africa. The majority of my passengers were German tourists, brought to Africa by The African Safari Club, a company that utilised their own DC-8s for the Munich to Mombasa trip. These were ‘budget excursions’ that attracted a certain type of people who were not very well educated and could not speak a word of English.

HE LOCALS HATED IT when the foreigners arrived as they’d invade the small coastal town of Malindi, swarming all over the beach and brazenly tanning naked, foisting their flabby bits and brashness upon this pristine colonial town.

However, this period also witnessed major challenges.

I particularly relished my own space in the cottage with my dog Gigis, where I would sprawl on the veranda, engrossed in a good book while immersing myself in the pristine environment. The Watamu Marine Park was home to over 500 species of fish and I took up scuba diving which I found totally absorbing and relaxing.

An embargo imposed by the Arab States led to an oil crisis and severe Avgas shortages during the early part of the year. As a result, I only logged a total of nine flying days in March. We were often grounded, although we still received our full salaries.

Despite all the free time and the enjoyment of my newly acquired aquatic hobby, the uncertainty of whether our jobs were secure or if Coastal Air would continue operating was a persistent source of stress. This anxiety was compounded by a letter I had

In February 1979, Coastal Air expanded its fleet, acquiring a variety of aircraft. I transitioned to the newly procured Piper Seneca twin, marking a significant shift in my flying responsibilities.

We were technically still on standby which meant that we had to remain in the vicinity of the airport, so I spent a lot of time at Ocean Sports lounging next to the pool.

FlightCom: December 2023

Iris in Hola, Kenya September 1979.

received from my close friend and aviation benefactor, Isabella Rockefeller, who informed me that her cancer had spread to her jaw, resulting in the loss of her teeth. On March 19, I was at Ocean Sports when I received a call from the office, urgently requesting my presence at the airfield. The flying doctors from the Medevac team had alerted us about a critical motorcycle accident. The injured patient was en-route to Malindi airport in an ambulance, and they needed me to fly him to Nairobi. When the unfortunate young man, Retief, arrived, he was gently transferred from the ambulance and placed on the floor of the Cherokee in the aisle behind the pilot’s seat. His bleeding had been stemmed, and he was sedated, but he was breathing rapidly. and shivering uncontrollably, despite the sweltering heat and the blankets covering him. I introduced myself to Retief, explaining that I would be flying him to Nairobi. I omitted to tell him that the fuel tanks were empty. Captain Thomas had contacted the person in charge of fuel and explained the dire emergency. I taxied to the fuel bay on vapours and a prayer.

The person in charge approached, pointed to Retief, and said, ‘Show me.’ I peeled back the blankets from Retief’s lower body, revealing the mangled flesh below his knees where his shins used to be; it looked like raw hamburger meat. The man recoiled, nearly retching. ‘Seen enough? This man doesn’t have all day,’ I said. The plane’s tanks were swiftly filled, and before long, I was in the air. I couldn’t help but feel resentful about the absurdity that we were only granted fuel once the severity of Retief’s injuries was visually confirmed. Retief displayed remarkable bravery, despite the obvious agony he was experiencing. He bore his pain silently. Within half an hour, I delivered him to the waiting ambulance at Wilson Airport in Nairobi. Finally, on March 30, South Africa came to Kenya’s aid by supplying the much-needed Avgas. Coastal Air was able to continue operations without anyone losing their jobs, and things returned to normal. I found myself back behind the yoke, flying my well-travelled routes.

FlightCom: December 2023

PILOTS Refueling in the Mara, Governor’s Camp.

On April 6, I piloted a group of German tourists from Mombasa to Amboseli National Park in another Piper Cherokee 6, 5Y-AGO, an aircraft that was universally disliked by the pilots. In fact, a group of pilots had created a betting pool, where each one contributed a few shillings every month. The goal was to award the collected winnings to the first pilot who managed to damage the aircraft to the point where it was no longer airworthy. During a short final approach to runway 27 at Kilaguni, I noticed a fine spray of oil coating the windscreen, which became increasingly dense as we approached the runway. I managed to maintain enough visibility to execute a safe landing. Upon disembarking, I discovered that the oil had splattered across the entire left side of the plane. I informed the tour group that a replacement aircraft was being arranged to collect them, which prompted some grumbling among the German passengers. One of them, moustache bristling with indignation, pointed to the oil-streaked Cherokee. ‘Vuy you kant take us in zis ehkraft?’ I shoved my hands deep in my pockets in order to control my urge to throttle the twerp. I slowly explained to him, as I would to a small child, that we

10 FlightCom: December 2023

needed to identify and repair the origin of the oil leak before the plane could safely fly again. He stared at me like a dim-witted person unaccustomed to critical thinking. As I turned to leave, he kicked me in the rear and shouted, ‘YOU PLANNED ZIS!’ I had just flown through one of the most dangerfraught routes in Africa, yet no one told me that the biggest hazard I was going to encounter would be the passengers. I shot him a withering glare, spun on my heel, and walked away with my dignity intact. The replacement aircraft never materialized, and the passengers were left to endure a fourteen-hour journey back to Mombasa in a dilapidated VW Kombi bus, cramped like sardines in a tin. That night Karma was kind to me. I ate a delicious meal in peace and slept in luxury in the lodge. As for the despised 5Y AGO, upon inspection, the oil cooler was found to have a crack in it. A year later I heard that someone finally managed to write off the awful machine by hitting something on landing, thus permanently putting an end to everyone’s misery. I often wondered how the lucky pilot got to spend all the money in the kitty.

A day off. Iris with a 12kg Wahoo.

As much as I had enjoyed my time flying for Air Kenya, I missed my family and found the 550 km road trip from the coast to Nairobi to be an arduous one. Encouraged by my colleagues, I applied to a company

in Nairobi called Sunbird Aviation. To my delight, my application was accepted - it was time for me to move on to my next adventure. 

FlightCom: December 2023

NEWS

Guy Leitch - with thanks to Duncan Gillespie of FlyAfrica

UNPACKING SAA MALFEASANCE On 21 November, 2023, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) briefed a South African Parliamentary committee on their investigations, into malfeasance at South African Airways. IN 2019 THE SIU AND SAA entered into a secondment agreement for the SIU to assist SAA with capacity in its forensic investigation department and to collect evidence for the motivation for a proclamation to the office of the President. From the evidence found, the SIU was able to submit a motivation for a Proclamation, and on 31 January 2020, the Presidential Proclamation R.2 of 2020 was published. In terms of this proclamation, the SIU was directed to investigate the procurement of or contracting for: •

•

Airbus aircraft; Maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) services South African Airways Technical services (SAAT); Legal services in terms of RFQ-GSM073/19 and RFQ-GSM117/14.

•

Travel rebate benefits;

•

Payments made to SAA vendors;

•

The implementation of a 30% Broad- Based Black economic Empowerment (“B-BBEE”) supplier set aside initiative in respect of the supply and delivery of jet fuel. •

Any irregular, improper or unlawful conduct by officials or employees of the SAA; “or any other person or entity, in relation to the allegations set out in paragraphs 1 or 2 of this Schedule.”

The slides presented to the parliamentary committee were detailed and damming:

A Turnaround Strategy project was The Special Investigating Unit has put out to tender with a produced a damming report on SAA. required response time • Service providers to of just 3 days. There support and expedite was only one bidder, who was awarded a R 170 the implementation of SAA’s Turn Around million contract in complete disregard of PFMA Plan in terms of RFQ-GSM015/18 and RFQ& SCA Policies & Procedures and Treasury GSM094/18; Regulations. The SIU was able to shut this down after R 40 million was paid out, rescuing the The Proclamation further mandated the SIU to remaining R 130 million. investigate maladministration in the affairs of SAA relating to:

12 FlightCom: December 2023

•

Ex-SAA Chair, Dudu Myeni has been heavily implicated in the corruption by the SIU.

•

SAAT sold Ground Power Units at R 5,640,000 less than they were worth, then hired them back, at exorbitant daily rates.

•

An aircraft tyre tender worth between R 218 million and R 375 million did not comply with PFMA & SCA Policies & Procedures and Treasury Regulations.

•

A component support services contract of value between R 1.2 to 1.8 billion was found to be corrupted “between entities, third parties, SAA & SAAT employees as well as SAA Board members.” At least two legal firms who were involved in these illicit dealings have been identified by the SIU.

•

A paint tender worth R 19.2 million did not comply with PFMA & SCA Policies & Procedures and Treasury Regulations.

•

When Dudu Myeni swapped the A330 order for A320’s, Airbus paid the equivalent of R 824,000,000 in Pre-Delivery Payments and Security’s back. But the money is missing. No-one knows where it’s gone. The SIU have identified at least one SAA Board member and one SAA staff member for criminal prosecution.

•

The dry-lease of a cargo aircraft with a contract value of R 185,504,342.51 was found to

be irregular, with no approval obtained for deviations. •

Irregular expenditure amounting to R 953 million, in the provision of outsourced Security Company services between February 2008 and January 2020 has been identified by the SIU. The corrupt contract was extended 8 times over a 56 month period.

•

Irregular procurement, overpricing, conflict of interest and overpayments in the amount of R5,071,666.50 in a contract for the supply of avionic components was identified by the SIU. They discovered in their investigation, that the SAA employee who signed off on the Request for Quotations (RFQ’s) was also the owner of the company awarded the supply tender.

•

Cabin crew transport contracts: An amount of R6,453,797.10 was identified as fraudulently paid for services between 1 February 2019 and 27 August 2020, with a further R15,311,696.00 fraudulently paid between 1 March 2016 and 31 October 2016. So in 9 months only R 3,691,279.00 was due for cabin crew transport but SAA paid out R 21,311,690.00.

•

A three year contract for the supply of aircraft batteries was budgeted at R 11,057,259.00. On the second year of the contract (the first

FlightCom: December 2023

NEWS SAA Board members made R834m dissappear in returned pre-delivery payments on Airbus A320s.

•

year’s figures are vague) they blew through R 22,320,456.12 and in the third year of the contract they spent R 32,896,456.50.

The SIU is also investigating corruption and fraud in a: •

Ground Handling Tender

The SIU identified a SAA Board member who took a non-refundable R 800,000.00 loan from one of SAAT’s suppliers and then awarded that supplier 26 SAAT Purchase Contracts worth R 6,138,518.41.

•

Cleaning Services Tender

•

Aircraft Brakes and Tyres Tender

•

Fleet Maintenance on SAA & SAAT vehicles tender

•

A case where SAA paid a supplier in the UK R 17 million for a part which they had previously paid R 8 million for. Their suspicions were aroused when they discovered that the supplier is a brother of a (former) SAA employee.

In their investigation of a SAAT Working Capital Optimisation Contract worth R 22 million, the SIU identified that a single bid was submitted late and should not have been considered. The bidder was identified to be privy to confidential information. High value stock items were reported to be obsolete and sold at minimal value and then SAAT bought and/or leased these components back at “exorbitant” prices. The SIU managed to scrape back R 14 million of the R 22 million which went out. There’s an additional amount of R 71,000,000 which the SIU identified was facilitated through attorney’s bank accounts and paid out to SAA staff and Board member’s for the “provision of legal services.”

14 FlightCom: December 2023

The SIU’s report, as presented to the Parliamentary group has identified R 3.4 billion in illicit, corrupt and fraudulent payments. They’ve to date managed to recover R 14 million and stop payment on a further R 130 million which was about to go out the door. Duncan Gillespie concludes; “To date there have been zero convictions, very few charges laid, and zero disciplinary action taken by South African Airways, as all employees or Board members involved have left the employment or service of SAA. No third-party attorneys involved in illicit transactions or dealings have been disbarred or sanctioned.” 

NEWS

FEDAIR BUYS 6 NEW CARAVANS SOUTH AFRICA’S LEADER in shuttle and charter services, Federal Airlines (FedAir), has acquired six new Cessna Grand Caravan C208B aircraft to offer additional capacity and comfort to passengers traveling to the country’s most famous safari lodges and game reserves.

South Africa’s tourism sector has significantly recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. FedAir has seen a sharp increase in demand, with 2023 figures exceeding pre-pandemic levels. As such, the new aircraft will help the airline take advantage of the pentup demand while expanding its operations.

The investment of R350 million ($19 million) demonstrates Federal Airlines’ commitment to sustainability, passenger comfort, and overall safety, enabling them to continue offering high-quality service to their customers.

FedAir’s Caravans come with two cabin layout options: The VIP option for private charters and the commuter option for shuttles.

The new aircraft will provide enhanced comfort, safety, and reliability for passengers, offering a superior travel experience.

Investec provided a seven-year aircraft-secured revolving credit facility. The airline now has a fleet of 17 aircraft, including 12 Cessna Caravan C208B, two Embraer 145s, two Pilatus PC12s, and one Beechcraft B1900D. 

The airline unveiled its new fleet on October 31 at its hangar at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (JNB). FedAir has acquired another 6 Cessna Caravans.

FlightCom: December 2023

JOHN BASSI

PART 2

THE ANGOLAN GIANT SABLE In November, I introduced efforts and individuals who tirelessly attempt to protect the few remaining Giant Sable. Since the realisation that these animals were so threatened, huge efforts were made to establish a safe area within the park that could be relatively easily protected by a small handful of game guards. Charlotte with a collared Giant sable bull. White tape is wrapped on the horn to make this animal identifiable from a helicopter.

16 FlightCom: December 2023

The “safe” breeding group with calves. When thinking of global populations, this small group puts their endangered status into perspective.

PERATIONS OF THIS SCALE can only be achieved with a helicopter and at great expense, all funded privately. The initial project was to search for, find and capture free roaming sable cows and a breeding bull to release into this protected area.

Everything must be flown or driven in and from the camp there are no roads leading into the park. Flying out from camp in the morning is an 80 km trip to reach potential areas to find sable. This requires that the helicopter lifts with full fuel as well as the four crew and equipment.

These protected animals are still targets by poachers, but have a better chance at breeding and survival than the unknown number that roam the vast Miombo park. Every two years three key people, Pedro, Pete and Charlotte make the long journey to Cangandala to check on the health of the protected population, removing the odd wire snare and fly into the park to locate and capture, then collar and remove snares, from the free roaming population.

The bush canopy in many places is so solid that any attempt at a forced landing would be impossible. These canopy forests open up occasionally into grassy clearings and open savanna with islands of tall trees. With the elephant grass and wispy shrubs, even landing in these “open” clearings is risky for tail rotor strikes.

t he he l i c o pt e r l i ft s w i t h f ul l f ue l a nd f o ur crew Poachers from the many

There is a small clearing between the huge leafy trees that reach up 10 to 15 metres, a camp site, and apart from an open sided thatch room infested with massive orb spiders, which is used for pretty much everything, there are no comforts.

surrounding communities continually set fires which drive the remaining small antelope, duikers etc out, where they are shot, often with home-made 12 gauge shotguns. There is a huge commercial bush meat trade and in the small towns and villages there are open bush meat markets.

FlightCom: December 2023

The shotgun shells are made by the Chinese and are purchased for around US$2 per shell. A duiker sells for US$20. The poachers access deep into the wilderness areas on Chinese made motorcycles, allowing them great mobility and means to transport carcasses long distance. Because there are no roads, no money and no trained game scouts, there is no patrolling. Even if a patrol were able to get out, ambush and capture poachers, there is absolutely no means to make an arrest or deliver the poacher to any form of law.

hoof into a hole, triggers the device which whips back tightening the wire noose around the animal’s leg. The end of the wire is fastened to a heavy log, making it impossible for the animal to escape. At the very best, all that could be done to slow this killing down would be some form of air support. The dilemma is, even if an economical light sport aircraft could patrol, there are no rangers, no roads and no vehicles. Any snare pits or poaching gangs spotted would be impossible to reach or react to on the ground. Besides this, I doubt that any young pilot would be willing to tolerate the loneliness and isolation. A helicopter would certainly make a difference in its ability to access remote areas, land at will, deploy scouts to dismantle snares, but the best outcome would be nothing more than a deterrent, at huge financial cost.

Thi s There is also no law in place against s i t uat i o n w i l l poachers, so any efforts would be c o mpl e t e l y futile. c o l l a ps e The small grassy clearings between the forests are burned, this encourages a fresh flush of green grass which attracts the sable to graze. Dotted around the perimeter of these open areas, poachers set a barrier of whip snares. These devices are frightening in their efficiency. A 2.5 metre long flexible, but strong limb is bent and pulled down by a cable with a noose at the end. The noose is placed over a hole dug into the ground and set in place with a sensitive trigger. The noose, trigger and hole are camouflaged with twigs and leaves. A hungry sable is forced to walk between the whip sticks, puts its

Various species of small game, bushbuck, forest duiker and even a baboon at a commercial bush meat market.

18 FlightCom: December 2023

It is not all total doom and gloom. In 2024 the team will again embark on the biannual journey to monitor and hopefully find more sable. The efforts that have gone into the project are paying off as the protected herd are producing young. Again, everything needs to be paid for with donor funding.

Approaching the briefing office at Huambo with trepidation.

The sad thing, like so many other issues in the world, facts and truths are gloriously hidden with pretty words that the public want to hear. The same goes for the below narrative that one will find when researching the antelope on Google. As I mentioned in Part 1, the giant sable management in Angola refers to the efforts aimed at conserving and protecting the sable (Hippotragus niger variani), also known as the Palanca Negra Gigante. This critically endangered species is native to Angola and is recognized for its majestic appearance and impressive antlers.

a couple of private individuals with private funding). The Wikipedia entry says that, “Angolan government, in collaboration with local and international conservation organisations,(??) has implemented various initiatives to safeguard the giant sable. These efforts have included habitat restoration, anti-poaching campaigns, and community engagement programmes. (This is also not the case, although there are vast areas of bush, rampant fires and endless poaching with no attempt to arrest or stop the poachers, with communities reliant on natural resources to survive, these areas are severely threatened).

A he l i c o pt e r w o ul d ma k e a di ff e r e nc e

Due to civil unrest and habitat loss over several decades, the population of giant sables became severely depleted. However, according to Google, since the early 2000’s, Angola has made significant progress in managing and conserving this species. (Not entirely so, since their conservation is only being made possible by

Protected areas, (Which are not protected at all) such as Cangandala National Park and Luando Strict Nature Reserve, have been established specifically for the conservation of the giant sable antelope. (These are vast areas that are remote, like most of Angola with

FlightCom: December 2023

Endless miombo woodland with open clearings and signs of a past poachers fire to flush game.

20 FlightCom: December 2023

As part of a possible fund raiser, a well known artist was invited on the 2022 trip to measure and create a life size bronze sculpture.

no roads, therefore no means to patrol and they just happen to have the last remaining sable). These reserves thus provide a safe haven for the animals and allow for monitoring and research to better understand their behaviour and ecology. (These areas are in fact completely unsafe, poaching is uncontrolled and the only monitoring is thanks to Pedro, Pete and Charlotte). Community involvement has also been crucial to the management of giant sables. Local communities living near these protected areas are educated about the importance of conservation and are encouraged to participate in initiatives like sustainable livelihood programs, which benefit both the people and the wildlife. (Pretty, politically correct words, that in reality don’t exist) While the giant sable still faces significant challenges, including ongoing poaching and human-wildlife

conflict, the conservation efforts in Angola have shown promising results. The population of giant sables has increased over recent years, (yes, a very small handful thanks to Pedro with no Government support) and there is hope for the species’ long-term survival. (This is partly true but only thanks to the few individuals who find their own funding and are personally committed to trying to do something). This situation will reverse and completely collapse if and when the few individuals involved, stop giving and the funding dries up. By prioritizing ecosystem preservation, raising awareness, and collaborating with local communities, Angola is working towards ensuring a sustainable future for the magnificent giant sable antelope.” (If only this were true). If there is anyone out there in the world that happens upon this story and has ideas or interest in helping, please make contact via: guy@saflyermag.co.za 

FlightCom: December 2023

DEFENCE GL & AFRICA DEFENSE FORUM

GETTING TO A COMBINED AFRICAN AIRLIFT CAPABILITY Guy Leitch – with Africa Defense Forum

Democracy in Africa has not had the respect and commitment required from all participants to make it work as an antidote to violent overthrow of government. Africa remains prone to sporadic eruptions of insurrection and civil war. It is to the credit of many other African countries that they have agreed to act as peacekeepers to contain these outbreaks of violence. Members of the East African Community Regional Force greet members of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces in Goma.

22 FlightCom: December 2023

FRICA IS A LARGE CONTINENT, and the African post-colonial legacy is one of inadequate and inappropriate transport. This makes an effective strategic air lift capability essential for Africa’s peacekeeping efforts. Individual African countries find that they cannot afford to maintain a strategic airlift capability. A proposed solution is the creation of an Africa Air Mobility Command Centre. This would combine the participating nations’ airlift capability to support peacekeeping initiatives. Historically, road and rail links in Africa are underdeveloped and have in many cases deteriorated since independence. Due to the colonial legacy, the ground-based transport infrastructure was not fit for the purpose of troop and supply movements as it had been designed and built for the simple exploitation of mineral resources by transporting primary production, such as raw materials, to ports, for ‘export’ to the colonial states. In the absence of a developed and efficient groundbased transport infrastructure, both military and civil air transport have a vital role to play in African

peacekeeping. Increasingly military planners are having to rely on civil aviation for troop movements – particularly the airlines. African airlines are however not well suited to fulfilling this role as the demands of their own operating schedules must first be met. And they have little if any spare capacity to provide airlift for military interventions. The African Defense Forum (ADF) writes; “Many governments across Africa’s 30 million square kilometres are responsible for large landmasses with limited road, railway or port infrastructure. This presents a problem sometimes called the “tyranny of distance.” The continent has 204 kilometres of roads per 1 000 square kilometres, about 22% of the global average. Only about one-quarter of the roads are paved. Infrastructure is not evenly distributed, meaning developed population centres are often far away from conflict zones in remote regions. “Our region is vast [and] characterized by limited transportation infrastructure, hence [it] requires The Botswana Air Force's one of three C-130s.

FlightCom: December 2023

DEFENCE effective air mobility mechanisms to bridge distances, support replenishment of troops in theatre … and attend to humanitarian assistance,” Rwandan Air Force Lieutenant General Jean Jacques Mupenzi told Air & Space Forces magazine. For years, peacekeeping missions have been hampered by a lack of air mobility. Countries simply couldn’t move troops and equipment where they were needed in a timely fashion. “Strategic airlift is an asset that every nation dreams of, but having such equipment is quite expensive,” KAF Commander Major General John Mugaravai Omenda told ADF. “And looking at our [gross domestic product], generally in Africa, it is a challenge to operate strategic airlift.”

The Challenges When air mobility is not available to move peacekeeping forces to quickly contain trouble spots, the results can be tragic. The ADF notes that, when in 2012, Islamic backed insurgents attempted to take over Mali, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervention was delayed for months due to a lack of airlift. Similar delays occurred in Sudan’s Darfur region in 2010, when African Union troops were grounded as the conflict exploded. Eventually, the Netherlands stepped in to provide the necessary airlift.

logistics drive Once arriving in a country, a lack operations of roads makes sustaining troops a

To solve this shortfall, countries are looking at innovative ways to acquire aircraft, maintain them and pool resources. For the continent, this could be the difference between intervening on time to stop a crisis and arriving too late.

challenge. During the UN mission in Mali, peacekeepers spent weeks moving supplies via truck convoys from the capital city, Bamako, to remote outposts in places such as Timbuktu. A former sector commander recalled the “logistics nightmare” of battling dust storms, floods and tyre-puncturing rocks to move supplies across the country.

The Somali Air Force commander, center, signs the Association of African Air Forces Charter during the African Air Chiefs Symposium in 2023.

24 FlightCom: December 2023

The cost of maintaining a strategic airlift capability in African conditions can be high, as this loss of a SAAF C-130 shows.

ADF writes, “Normally they say operations drive logistics, but I think in Africa, logistics drive operations because the operations must be based on what logistics are available,” said retired Brigadier General David Baburam, former head of AU Mission Support. “You can’t get the troops to location A or B if you don’t have the means of air transport to take them there. You can’t keep troops in the operational area for three months if you can’t feed them.”

Finding the Right Platform The two broad categories of airlift are strategic and tactical. Strategic airlift is provided by large planes designed to move troops and heavy equipment to a location. Tactical aircraft involves smaller planes or helicopters that supply troops throughout a deployment. For the heaviest strategic lift requirements, defined by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) as capable of moving equipment for one brigade,

options are limited. These aircraft, with maximum payloads ranging from 45,000 to 136,000 kilograms, are expensive to acquire and maintain. A C-17 Globemaster can cost more than $300 million with roughly the same amount necessary for repairs and maintenance over its life cycle. For most peacekeeping and emergency response operations on the continent, medium airlift capacity is the most practical. ACSS defines this as capable of transporting one to two battalions and their equipment to a location in multiple trips over the course of 14 days. These aircraft have a payload of 9,000 to more than 36,000 kilograms and are more affordable. To meet this need, some countries have turned to the Lockheed C-130. There are 858 C-130s, or the related L-100, in use, making up 20% of the global military transportation fleet. In an analysis of different platforms, US Air Force Major Ryan McCaughan said the C-130 is best suited for regional missions due to its range of more than 2,700 kilometres, the capacity to carry 19,000 kilograms of cargo and its ability to land in rugged environments. FlightCom: December 2023

DEFENCE A French A400M delivers a Tiger helicopter to Mali.

A Shared Effort Nations are examining ways to team up to maximize their resources. One project under the African Union is the creation of an Africa Air Mobility Command Centre that would include an air transport sharing mechanism. This would offer a way to use the continent’s airlift resources to support peace and security requirements. Under the plan, nations with air capabilities would agree to provide support when called upon. Aircraft could be used to transport troops or equipment for a security operation, to evacuate people during a humanitarian crisis or move aid in response to a natural disaster. “I think it’s every African’s dream to see an African airplane with all African flags across its tail, flying across the continent providing relief and support to Africans,” said Tunisian Air Force Colonel Kais Sghaier during a 2022 conference in Botswana, where a working group discussed the command centre. Such arrangements have been successful in other parts of the world. For example, the Movement Coordination Centre Europe, based in the Netherlands, is a partnership of 28 nations that provides airlift, 26 FlightCom: December 2023

sealift, air-to-air refuelling and ground transportation to member countries. Countries are also examining the need to create airlift sharing mechanisms at the regional level, particularly to support the Africa Standby Force, which is aligned to the regional economic communities. The force is mandated to respond to crises in as few as 14 days, but often has been unable to meet that timeline. “In the Southern African Development Community, we face a lot of disasters and crises, and we don’t have the requisite airlift capability,” Major General Hendrick Thuthu Rakgantswana, Botswana’s air chief, told Air & Space Forces magazine. “So, it means that we have to come together and pool our resources.” Such cooperation was on display in 2022 and 2023 when Zambia and Angola provided airlift to move personnel and equipment to the Southern African Development Community’s Mission in Mozambique. “This mechanism is the answer — we just now have to make it fit in the existing structures,” Rakgantswana said.

Countries are also looking at ways to pool resources to enhance buying power. One idea is for a group of nations to join to buy a small fleet of transport aircraft that would be jointly owned and operated. This follows the model of the Hungary-based Strategic Airlift Capability’s Heavy Airlift Wing, a partnership of 12 nations that shares air resources. During the African Air Chiefs Symposium in 2023 in Dakar, Senegal, air leaders expressed optimism that such partnerships and joint efforts will develop. “If everything improves, I think we can partner with other nations, because that’s the idea of this forum, to try and bring all these assets together under common use and apply them whenever the need arises,” said Omenda of Kenya. “So, yes [the aircraft] are expensive, they are few, but with collaboration amongst nations we can make it.”

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Sourced from an article by Africa Defense Forum. The original article can be found here: https://adf-magazine. com/2023/09/sharing-the-burden/ 

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FlightCom: December 2023

NEWS

AIR SENEGAL CLOSES 75% OF ITS ROUTES In sweeping cuts to try stay afloat, Air Senegal’s has cut almost all of its network to Europe. They will be closed in January. AEROROUTES SAYS THAT Air Senegal has removed three of its four routes to Europe. This is attributed to increased competition from foreign carriers with stronger balance sheets and better economies of scale. Further these routes feed primarily from the European side and less from the south.

the company’s earliest international connections. The Casablanca-Dakar route is of great importance for Royal Air Maroc, as it handles over 200,000 passengers every year.

addition a payload restriction on its most of Air News - 100th In Senegal’s fleet reduces route performance.

Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has become the dominant Longitude African carrier operating in Senegal, according to delivered a As confirmed on Air Senegal’s website and in other report by the Senegalese National Agency for Civil booking aggregators, these routes cease to exist in Aviation and Meteorology (ANACIM). Covering the mid-January. air traffic data for the first quarter of 2023, the report indicates Royal Air Maroc’s dominance as the most Cirium data indicates these routes were all reinstated active African airline, holding a share of approximately during the northern aviation winter 2020 season. 15% in both passenger transport and air cargo. Royal Air Maroc has been operating in Senegal since 1958 when it introduced the Casablanca-Dakar route, marking a significant milestone as one of

As Air Senegal targets connecting passengers over Dakar, particular intra-African routes may also be impacted. 

Air Senegal is cutting 75% of its routes

28 FlightCom: December 2023

NEWS

ETHIOPIAN SIGNS FOR 11 MORE A350-900S Ethiopian Airlines has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 11 additional Airbus A350900s at the Dubai Airshow. THE COMMITMENT TO the additional aircraft takes the Ethiopian flag carrier’s total order of A350 to 33, including four A350-1000s. Ethiopian currently operates a fleet of 20 A350-900s and the MoU will make the airline Africa’s biggest A350 customer. “We are excited to place this commitment for 11 Airbus A350-900s. As a customer focused airline, we are particularly excited for this fleet as it offers extra comfort to passengers with its features like the quietest cabin in its class and ambient lighting. We are keen to expand our fleet size, acquiring the latest technology aircraft to offer a convenient and memorable onboard experience to our esteemed passengers,” Ethiopian

Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said in a press statement. Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, said: “Ethiopian Airlines is a great example of how to leverage the exceptional values of the A350 for long-haul travel, playing on the benefits of Ethiopia’s unique geographical position that offers the fastest connections between China and Latin America. We are delighted to further strengthen Ethiopian Airlines fleet, and through this, continue the great relationship we have built up together.” 

An Airbus graphic of an Ethiopian A350-900.

FlightCom: December 2023

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