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February 2017 Volume 16 No.2 R35.00 incl. VAT
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February 2017 African Pilot 1
Contents
7 Airline Pilot
20 Commercial Pilot
Drone Pilot
24 Engineers Begin Next Phase of Unmanned AircraftTechologiesTrials
25 Federal Aviation Administration Drone Registrations
26 Flirtey and 7-Eleven
26 Griff Aviation Launches New Heavy-lift Drone
27 Global Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
28 Legally Hacking Commercial Drones
28 SW-4 ‘Solo’ Remotely Piloted Helicopter Begins Test Campaign
Helicopter Pilot
30 Bell 505 Jet Ranger X Achieves Type Certification
31 Execujet Africa Launches Helicopter Charter from Cape Town
Military Pilot
94 Final Airbus Helicopters’ H215M Delivered to Chilean Army
94 Boeing T-X Completes First Flight
95 First Production Conforming Scorpion Jet Completes First Flight
96 Pilatus sells 21 PC-21s
Sport Pilot
98 The One of a Kind ‘Screamin’ Sasquatch’
100 Sports Aerobatic Club - Ace of Base Aerobatics’ Competition
102 Electric-Flight Record Heralds New Era of Aviation
103 The St-Just Cyclone - Replica Cessna 180
32 Rand Airport 2017
58 Crete2Cape Vintage Rally
64 In-flight Refuelling
70 Update on Zandspruit Bush Aero Estate
74 Business Jets 2017
104 Airborne African Adventures - Anti-Rhino Poaching
Regulars
4 Competitions
6 Letters to the Editor
14 Aviation Calendar
16 Picture of the Month
54 Fact File
56 Names to Remember
108 Accident Report
112 Medical
114 The Best of the Best
116 Register Update
118 Subscription Form
119 Shop Window
122 Aircraft Sales
Contributors
Athol Franz Divan Muller Willie Bodenstein
Aidan Owen Dr. Nicholas Lee Charlie Marais
Francois J Potgieter Stuart Coetzee Bruce McDonald
Pete van der Spek Irene McCullagh
copyright
The views expressed in African Pilot are not necessary those of the editor, publisher, or staff writers.The editors
and publishers cannot be held responsible for differences of opinion or statements published in good faith. No
part of this magazine may be reproduced including advertisements produced by Wavelengths 10 (Pty) Ltd in
any form without permission from the publisher. – South African copyright laws apply.
distribution
African Pilot is distributed by On the Dot throughout southern African countries to approximately 1 000
retail stores:CNA, Exclusive Books, Pick ‘n Pay, PNA, selected Spar stores, garage convenience shops,
Checkers Hypermarkets, 7/11 stores, selected bookshops, Fascination and Incredible Books as well as to
neighbourhood convenience shops. Own distribution to specialist pilot shops at airports as well as to key
decision makers within the aviation industry. Back editions are distributed free of charge to African countries,
airport lounges, charter companies, the South African Air Force and selected flight schools. Altogether 6 500
copies of African Pilot are printed each month.The magazine also has online readers from all over the world.
The first ten pages of African Pilot may be downloaded free of charge by visiting www.africanpilot.co.za.
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distributed by

Editor
Athol Franz 082 552 2940 editor@africanpilot.co.za
Marketing
Athol Franz 082 552 2940 marketing@africanpilot.co.za
Copy reader
Gordon Dyne gdyne@global.co.za
Designers
Maria Leader maria@africanpilot.co.za
Nadia Goosen nadia@africanpilot.co.za
Accounts Manager
Helena Kurland admin@africanpilot.co.za
Admin / Subscriptions
Paulinah Motlhabi subscribe@africanpilot.co.za
Transport
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Publisher / Production
Wavelengths 10 (Pty) Ltd
Durban correspondent
Pete van der Spek
Cape Town correspondent
Irene McCullagh
Printing
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Distribution
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website: www.africanpilot.co.za
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4 African Pilot February 2017
Total value of the competitions in this edition
is R12 200
February Cover Competition - value R1 700
A flight for two people on the Skyclass DC-3
Questions
1. At which airport are the Skyclass aircraft based?
2) From which Island in the Mediterranean Sea did the Vintage Rally start?
3) Is Rand Airport situated in Johannesburg or Ekurhuleni (Germiston)?
This Month’s Cover Competition
Entries to be submitted to the following e-mail only: info@africanpilot.co.za.
One entry per person please.Entries sent to other African Pilot e-mails will
automatically be disqualified.
December Cover Competition Winner
Congratulations to Elmarie Stols who has won a two-hour simulator
experience from Simuflight
Picture of the Month
This month’s winning entry can be viewed on page 16 17. Each
monthly winner will receive a cash prize of R500 from African Pilot.The
overall winner of this year’s competition will receive prizes to the value
of up to R10 000. By submitting a photograph, you grant African Pilot
permission to publish the image in the monthly magazine as well as
within our annual executive wall calendar.
Waco
This month’s cover photograph of the Waco was taken by Willie Bodenstein
duringthevisitofthecompetitorsoftheCretetoCapeRallytoBlueMountain
Valley Airfield.Willie used his Canon 7D fitted with a 17-135mm Canon lens.
Karl Jensen flew his Cessna 170 with the door off as the camera ship with
Pierre Gouws flying the Waco. Picture details: shutter priority at 1/160 of a
second and ISP 100.
Competitions Cover

Dear Athol,
May I congratulate you on January’s edition of African Pilot.
Another ‘classic!’ I remember John Howe, the ‘Best of the Best’
demonstrating the English Electric Lightning at Farnborough in
the early sixties. He may have been a Squadron Leader then. At
that moment the Lightning became my ‘second’ favourite aircraft,
the Spitfire (of course), being the first.
The photography in African Pilot is always of a very high quality making it
a really first class aviation magazine.When it arrives,l have,as every other
reader l am sure,a set routine in reading ...firstly the aircraft for sale (which
l cannot afford) followed by the Best of the Best,then the accident report,
names to remember and the most wonderful illustrations by Aiden Owen
...then the features.Then I checked out the feature on the LM-100J Super
Hercules on page 12, Airline Pilot section. The aircraft pictured appears
to be a flying restaurant, namely a ‘SUPPER’ modification, fast food at
the ‘highest level’, truly fast. What is the speed of this modern Charlie
One-Thirty? Excuse me l will just check it out.
Kind regards and enjoy all that blue stuff,
Brian Melmoth
Dear Brian,
Thank you for your encouraging e-mail and wishing you and your
family all the best for 2017. Thankfully we have received several
favourable comments on the new design and layout of the magazine
where we have played on the word ‘Pilot’ and incorporated the various
disciplines as ‘chapters’ within the publication each month.
You will notice that we have now also included a chapter called Drone
Pilot, because this industry is expanding at a rapid rate. Even though
Divan Muller, my former assistant editor, has moved to Canada, where
he will be working on a Canadian aviation publication, he continues to
write his regular articles for African Pilot, which is pleasing.
Of course we have retained the services of aviation illustrator Aidan
Owen so you will continue to receive his beautifully illustrated double
page spread each month.
Regards,
Athol.
Dear Editor,
The proliferation of drones is undoubtedly a serious safety hazard in
our controlled air space. Now that they have cameras and a menacing
name, drones are set to be very popular in South Africa. The United
States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicts there will be
many thousands of civilian cargo drones in U.S. airspace by 2018.
The drone expansion from military to commercial and in recent years
to civilian usage is becoming a real and growing threat to the safety of
commercial aviation as stated by IATA at the Singapore Air Show in
2016.A British Airways flight from Geneva had a near miss with 137
passengers and crew on board. The drone actually struck the A-320
before the aircraft landed.
A drone was recorded delivering illegal drugs to inmates at
Wandsworth prison in London and a drone narrowly missed a
Boeing 737 after it took off from Stansted Airport near London.
Our authorities must make sure that the radio spectrum used
to control drones does not interfere with our air traffic control
systems. Electronic jamming and laser systems are available
as a last resort. Incidents in the U.S reveal drones hindering
emergency services’ efforts in fighting fires.
Reports compiled by the FAA reveal the following: From 22 August
2015 through to 31 January 2016,600 drones flew too close for comfort
to airports and airborne planes. From 13 November 2014 to 20 August
2016 there were 746 similar drone incidents. From December 2013 to
September 2016, there were 28 incidents involving pilots taking evasive
action to avoid drones whilst flying.
The Civil Aviation Authority in South Africa must take the threats of
drones and powerful laser pointers seriously to avoid aviation tragedies.
Yours sincerely,
Farouk Araie
Dear Farouk,
Thank you for your e-mail and obvious concerns. Please read my
drones’ report contained within the January 2017 edition and many
of your questions will be answered. For the record, the item that the
British Airways’ pilots saw ‘hit’ their aircraft on landing at Heathrow
was actually a piece of paper and not a drone.
No matter what you or anybody else thinks, drones are the future technology
that has surprised the world of aviation, because like our own SACAA very
few regulators really understand this technology, nor have they actually taken
the time to learn about the rapid evolution of drone technology. Drones are
here to stay!
For all readers’ information, from February 2017 African Pilot will
be introducing Drone Pilot as one of the chapters in the monthly
aviation magazine.This chapter will be aimed at education, safety and the
regulatory use of drones in South Africa. As far as I am aware no
other aviation magazine has taken this bold step to deal with this new
technology in an orderly fashion.
Regards,
Athol.
Hello Athol,
I was surprised to see my letter published in January’s African Pilot.
I would just like to change the date I said I received my first copy.
It was not in 1995, but in 2004 when I landed up in Groote Schuur
Hospital. Sorry about that. You only started in 2000
Just as a matter of interest,the photo of the snake on page 47 is not a Boa
constrictor, but a Madagascan Tree Boa (Sanziniamadagascarensis). It is
strange that in Africa and India you get Pythons,but no big Boas,but on
Madagascar you get two species of Boa but no Pythons. In Africa and
India you do get species of Sand Boas, but they are very small and bear
little resemblance to the larger members of their family.
I love Herpetology too.
Hopefully soon I will see you at Oshkosh.
Kind regards,
Frikkie Krause
Hi Frikkie.
Many thanks for your mail. Good to hear from you again. Thank you
for correcting me on my identification of what I thought was a Boa
Constrictor. I must brush up on my Herpetology!
Look forward to seeing you at Oshkosh. The show promises to be fantastic
yet again. I cannot wait to get there.
Kind regards.
Athol.
c

Iran Air signs with Airbus for 100 aircraft
On 22 December 2016, Iran Air and Airbus signed a firm contract for
100 aircraft building on an initial commitment signed in January 2016 in
Paris.The agreement signed by Farhad Parvaresh,Iran Air Chairman and
CEO and Fabrice Bregier, Airbus President and CEO, covers 46 - A320
Family, 38 - A330 Family and 16 - A350 XWB aircraft. Deliveries will
begin in early 2017.
“Iran Air considers this agreement an important step towards a stronger
international presence in civil aviation.We hope this success signals to the
world that the commercial goals of Iran and its counterparts are better
achieved with international cooperation and collaboration,”said Parvaresh
Fabrice Bregier commented: “This is a landmark agreement not only
because it paves the way for Iran Air’s fleet renewal. Our overall accord
includes pilot training, airport operations and air traffic management so
this agreement is also a significant first step in the overall modernisation of
Iran’s commercial aviation sector.”
Airbus will continue to act in full compliance with the conditions
of the OFAC licences. Airbus also explained that the agreement
follows the implementation of the JCPOA ( Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action), its associated rules and guidance and included
new commercial aircraft orders as well as a comprehensive civil
aviation package.
The package includes pilot and maintenance training, supporting the
development of air traffic navigation services (ATNS),airport and aircraft
operations and regulatory harmonisation.
Airlink adds 11 ERJ 140s and expands its
pool programme contract

Southern Africa’s largest independent regional airline Airlink, will be
adding 11 Embraer ERJ 140 jets to its fleet. This will bring the number
of Embraer regional jets the airline operates to 30. The airline has also
extended its existing Flight Hour Pool Programme contract for another
eight years and expanded it to include the ERJ 140s.The Pool Programme
covers more than 350 different components for Airlink’s 30 ERJ aircraft
and delivers support to the airline on a 24/7 basis.
Rodger Foster, CEO of Airlink, said, “The Embraer Pool Programme
is the most complete solution available to support our growing fleet of
Embraer regional jets. It is a low investment model that delivers a high
return in availability and costs, giving us the flexibility we need as we
continue to grow. Our partnership with Embraer is a key enabler of our
strategy,and allows us to concentrate on our core business.”
Embraer has been present on the African continent since 1978,when the
first Bandeirante turboprop entered operation. Currently, there are 127
Embraer aircraft in operation with 39 airlines in 19 African countries,
performing a vital role in connectivity. The Pool Programme, which is
currently supporting more than 50% of ERJ customers worldwide, is
designed to minimise airlines’up-front investment in high-value repairable
inventories and resources, whilst taking advantage of Embraer’s technical
expertise and its vast component service provider network. The results
are significant savings on repair and inventory costs and a reduction in
warehousing space requirements that virtually eliminates the need for
repair management resources and ultimately, delivering guaranteed
performance levels.
Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial jets with up
to 130+ seats. The Company has 100 customers from all over the world
operating the ERJ and the E-Jet families of aircraft. For the E-Jets
programme alone,Embraer has logged orders for more than 1,700 aircraft
and over 1,200 deliveries, redefining the traditional concept of regional
aircraft by operating across a range of business applications.
Boeing delivers its 500th
787 Dreamliner
Last December, Boeing delivered its 500th 787 Dreamliner, a 787-8
to Avianca, marking another milestone in the programme’s history.
“Achieving 500 deliveries, the fastest to 500 for twin aisles is a great
accomplishment, made possible by the hard work and dedication of
our employees and global suppliers,” said Mark Jenks, vice president
and general manager, 787 programme, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Since entering service in 2011, the 787 Dreamliner fleet has
grown to include 48 operators, who have collectively flown
696,000 revenue flights, carrying 133 million passengers over
1.7 billion revenue miles.The 787 family is flying more than 530
routes, with customers opening more than 120 new non-stop
routes around the world.

Bombardier obtains same type rating for
both C Series jetliners
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Transport
Canada have awarded the CS100 and CS300 airliners with
the Same Type Rating (STR) which provides operators with
significant cost-saving opportunities. “The Same Type Rating
is a reflection of the high commonality between the CS100 and
CS300 aircraft.
This is great news for customers who operate both aircraft as they
will benefit from the cost-effective, minimal training required to
transition pilots from one model to the other.The commonality also
extends to spare parts,maintenance procedures and ground handling,
which altogether represent significant financial advantages to
customers,”said Todd Young, Vice President and General Manager,
Customer Services, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.
The CS100 and CS300 aircraft feature over 99 per cent parts
commonality; the highest level of parts commonality achieved by a
manufacturer in the industry.The models are not stretched or shrunken
versions of each other, but were designed side by side with only the
centre section being longer on the larger CS300 aircraft. The aircraft
are therefore both specifically optimised for their size, without any
compromise on weight, performance or economics.in

Etihad’s new airline will fly in April 2017
On 5 December 2016,Etihad Aviation Group’s board of directors gave
the green light to the establishment of a new European leisure airline.
The new tourism-oriented carrier will be created jointly with TUI, a
German travel company.The deal has already been approved by TUI’s
supervisory board in November. Etihad will purchase a 49.8% share
in Austrian LCC Niki controlled by Air Berlin, a company which is
already partly owned by Etihad. The deal is valued at $321 million.
This transaction will lead to a creation of a new group with a 60-strong
fleet and an annual seat capacity of 15 million.TUI will join the group
with its subsidiary TUIfly, together with 14 aircraft it currently flies
for Air Berlin on wet-lease terms.The new group will be split between
Etihad (25%),TUI (24.8%) and private foundation Niki Privatstiftung
(50.2%). The carrier will have its headquarters in Vienna, Austria and
will commence operations in April 2017.
Retired SAA Captain John Harty wins
R450, 000 in damages for defamation
In mid-December,South African Airways (SAA) former pilot and former
SAA Pilots’ Association Chairman Captain John Harty won, in the
Gauteng High Court,R450,000 in damages plus interest for defamation,
against the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union
(SATAWU) and two of its officials.The defamation related to an allegation
that Harty,now retired,firstly diverted a Hong Kong-Johannesburg flight
to Durban to drop off family members who were on board with him and
were headed to the coastal city. Secondly, that he was part of a plot in
December 2015 to sabotage an SAA aircraft flown by a black pilot and
thirdly he endangered passengers by extending the period of duty of flight
cabin crew beyond the permissible hours.
No investigation has found Harty guilty of any of these accusations which
Harty vehemently rejected as false.The articles appeared shortly after SAA
pilots led by Harty passed a vote of no confidence in SAA chairwoman
Dudu Myeni and the state-owned airline’s non-executive directors.
Harty had also previously sent Myeni a memorandum stating that the
airline’s problems were the result of poor governance, having a ‘meddling
shareholder’and frequent changes in management.
SATAWU was ordered by the court to pay Harty R150 000 plus interest
from 18 August for an article on the SATAWU Facebook site about
the alleged flight to Durban. SATAWU’s aviation national coordinator
Matthew Ramosie and SATAWU were ordered to jointly pay an
additional R150, 000 plus interest for an article published online by the
Daily Maverick in March 2016, which repeated the allegation about the
flight to Durban. SATAWU deputy national secretary Nicholas Maziya
and SATAWU were ordered to pay a further R150 000 plus interest for a
report published by Eyewitness News on its website in December as well
as a tweet about the alleged ‘plot’which resulted in an investigation by the
Hawks.The two officials and SATAWU were also ordered to pay Harty’s
legal costs.The plot allegation resulted in Harty having to present himself
at the Douglasdale Police Station for questioning by five members of the
Hawks; including Brigadier NyamekaXaba,who is head of crimes against
the state and tactical operations.
As Business Day’s Deputy Editor Carol Paton wrote last December
when the plot allegations emerged: “the latest development has sinister
undertones as bogus intelligence reports are frequently used in internal
ANC battles to discredit or undermine opponents through the use of
state resources.”Paton noted that the allegations came amidst fierce battles
between the SAA board and management.
“Harty has been an outspoken critic of Myeni in letters
to the newspapers.”
In terms of the judgement, Ramosie and SATAWU were interdicted
and restrained from repeating the allegations about the alleged plane
diversion to Durban and ordered to remove the article from the union’s
Facebook page. Ramosie, SATAWU and Maziya were interdicted and
restrained from repeating the allegation that Harty was part of a plot to
bring down an aircraft flown by a black pilot and were interdicted from
repeating allegations that he violated the prescribed flight and duty period
regulations of the prescribed crew. Everybody worth their salt in South
African aviation is thrilled at the result of this court case.Had the outcome
not found in favour of Captain Harty, it would have been a shocking
miscarriage of justice.

Captain John Harty’s distinguished aviation career
In 1974, John joined the South African Air Force and received his pilot’s
wings in 1975. In 1977 he joined South African Airways (SAA) and
worked continuously as a pilot for the airline for the next 39 years until
he retired, at the age of 63 in July 2016. During John’s 39 years of service
he had never had any incident or accident,nor had he been subject to any
disciplinary process and during this period he had not taken a single day’s
sick leave.
John was selected for secondment from SAA to Air Mauritius from 1987
to 1992 to assist with the introduction of the Boeing B767 aircraft into
that airline’s fleet. He was promoted to Senior Captain at SAA in 1996
flying Boeing B737 aircraft. During his time at SAA, John has been the
commander on the Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Airbus A320, Airbus A330
and Airbus A340 aircraft. He was selected as a Senior Check Captain
(Audit Captain) in 1996 and retained that position until his retirement
in 2016. Also, during this period, John was awarded a 10 year; a 20 year
and a 30 year long service award by SAA. John is also registered with the
Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA) as an assessor to
assess pilots against the NQF standards. To summarise, Captain John
Harty has flown a total of 24,805 incident free hours during his career
covering a distance of over 20 million kilometres which is more than
500 times around the world and carried over one million two hundred
thousand passengers and fellow crew members safely and efficiently to the
major cities around the world.Those are achievements of which any pilot
would be incredibly proud and yet there are people out there who would
like to ‘blot Captain Harty’s copybook.’
John was elected as an executive member of the South African Airways
Pilots’ Association (SAAPA) in 1993. SAAPA is an association that
represents the professional and workplace-related interests of pilots
employed by SAA. He has held various positions in SAAPA for the
past 23 years, including the position of Chairman for twelve years and
the position of Chief Negotiator for the past 18 years. He also held the
position of Director of Professional Standards for a number of years. In
order to honour John, SAAPA introduced the ‘John Harty Award for
Meritorious Service’ presented to John as the first recipient. This award
honours a person whose personal contribution towards the achievement
of the association’s aims and objectives has been outstanding and is
intended to recognise the personal effort of the recipient in furthering
the progress of the association.John was also awarded SAAPA’s Scroll of
Merit on five occasions.These Scrolls of Merit are awarded to members
who have served SAAPA and the Airline Pilots’ Association of South
Africa with honour and distinction and for having made a significant
contribution to airline piloting by promoting the general development
of civil aviation and thereby furthering the status of the profession and
interests of its practitioners.
John was also awarded the Presidential Gold Medal on two occasions by
the Airline Pilots’Association of South Africa (ALPA-SA).This award is
bestowed on a member in recognition of exceptional achievement in the
field of airmanship,flight safety,professionalism both in the cockpit and in
the field of association activities, bravery and an exceptional contribution
to the advancement of civil aviation.John is the only pilot to have received
this award twice. ALPA–SA is the South African Federation of Pilots’
Associations and is a member of IFALPA which is the International
Federation of Airline Pilots’Associations. John was appointed and served
as a trustee on the Transnet Pension Fund from 1996 to 2003, one of
the largest pension funds in South Africa. John also held the position of
Chairman and Financial Director of the SAA Pilots’Benefit Fund for the
past 18 years.
Editor’scomments
That is one amazing curriculum vitae! With such a distinguished career in
civil aviation and as a well-respected line captain with SAA for many years, it
certainlyseemsthatSAA’schairpersonDuduMyeniandhercroniesatSATAWU
picked on the wrong person in Captain John Harty to embarrass in the way they
did.CongratulationstoCaptainHartyandallthosewhosupportedhimthrough
the past difficult year. Now the question remains; will the various parties who
were found guilty of making false statements pay up or will this become another
protracted court battle within an increasingly corrupt South Africa? Finally,
when will these people in positions of power in our country understand just how
much damage Dudu Myeni has already done to the state-owned airline and if
she is not removed,how much more damage she will cause?
LufthansatakesdeliveryofitsfirstA350airliner
In late December, the Lufthansa Group took delivery of its
first A350 XWB. The aircraft is the first of 25 A350-900s that
Lufthansa has on order. Lufthansa will deploy its first A350 on
long-haul routes from Munich to Delhi and Munich to Boston.
Powered by Rolls-Royce engines, Lufthansa’s A350 XWB will
feature a three-class cabin layout with 48 seats in Business, 21 seats
in Premium Economy and 224 seats in Economy. The A350 XWB
is equipped with Lufthansa’s latest cabin products including new
seats, an all-new inflight entertainment experience and, for the
first time, inflight connectivity, offering new levels of comfort and
convenience to Lufthansa’s passengers in all classes.
The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fibre
fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines.
Together, these latest technologies translate into a 25 per cent reduction
in fuel burn and emissions and significantly lower maintenance costs,
according to Airbus.To date, Airbus has recorded a total of firm orders
for 810 of the A350 XWB from 43 customers worldwide.

Preparingtotesttheworld’slargestjetengine
Designing, building and ground testing the world’s largest turbofan may
seem challenging enough, but how do you put such a large engine safely
through its flight testing on the wing of an aircraft for which it was not
designed? This was the question that General Electric (GE) and Boeing
engineers faced as they wrestled with the mechanics of flying the GE9X
engine for the 777X on GE’s 747-400 flying testbed in 2017. Although
rated at 105,000 lb.thrust,or around 10,000 lb.less than the GE90-115B,
so far the world’s largest engine,the drive for efficiency and higher bypass
ratios means the GE9X is physically much larger.
With a bypass ratio of 10:1 and fan diameter set at an unprecedented
134 inches,the overall size of the GE9X nacelle has grown to 178 inches.
To put this in perspective, the installed GE9X will be just eight inches
narrower than the cabin cross-section of a Boeing 767 and 30 inches
wider than the full fuselage cross-section of the 737. The GE90-115B,
which has a fan diameter of 128 inches, was the previous record-holder,
with an external nacelle diameter of 134 inches at its widest point. GE
had its hands full testing this very large engine in the 2000s before entry
into service of the 777-200LR / -300ER, but is now building on lessons
learned to ready the GE9X.
“This will be the flagship engine for GE and the flagship aircraft for
Boeing,”says Steven Crane,chief test pilot of GE’s FlightTest Operation.
“The Boeing team is working hand in hand with GE Flight Test
Operations to prepare for flight tests in 2017 and Boeing is designing the
strut adaptor,”he adds.The adaptor,like everything else about the GE9X,
is vast and will measure nearly 19 feet in length. To provide adequate
ground clearance, the engine will be cantilevered up and forward with a
slightly larger tilt angle of two degrees more than previous test engines
and five degrees more than the testbed’s three standard CF6-80C2s.“We
started working with Boeing a couple of years ago to make sure the engine
will fit,”says Crane.“It will not fit under the 747-100 ‘Classic,’it will only
fit under the -400,”he adds.The main gear struts on the -400 are slightly
larger than the -100s whilst the tyres are also bigger. “Having adequate
ground clearance is a concern not so much for take-off and landing as it
is for ground operations.”Although the bottom of the nacelle will be only
around 1.5 feet above the ground, issues such as cross-wind landings are
not expected to pose any greater challenge than they did when the GE90
was tested,largely because the wing itself bows upward.
The internal wing structure was strengthened with the GE9X in mind
when the 747-400 was modified for the test role starting in 2014. The
aircraft, a former Japan Airlines -400, was acquired by GE in 2010 and
following maintenance and interior modification in Xiamen, China,
by Taikoo Aircraft Engineering, was delivered to Evergreen Aviation
Technologies in Taiwan for installation of data racks and instrumentation.
Ground tests of the first GE9X got underway at GE’s Site 7 in Peebles,
Ohio,on 25 March,ahead of schedule.
Further modifications are also planned to reduce the chances of aero
elastic interaction between the extended wing of the 747-400 and the
GE9X mounted on the inboard left strut. GE has already removed
the standard winglets because these add unnecessary weight and a
maintenance burden to the aircraft’s flight-test role. Later this year,
the outer 6 feet of each wingtip also will be removed, reducing the
overall span to the 195-feet 8 inches of the 747 Classic and effectively
converting the aircraft into a -400D ‘domestic’variant.The -400D was
a specially beefed-up variant of the -400 developed for the Japanese
short-range market and did not feature the extended wingtips and
winglets of the standard -400. Designers say the stiffer wing will
reduce potential exposure to limit cycle oscillation and maintain an
unrestricted test envelope.
GE90 under test on a Boeing 747/400
t

Airshow organisers: African Pilot annual airshow award details on our website: www.africanpilot.co.za
Local 0861 001130 International +27 11 466 8524
Pre post publicity: E-mail: editor@africanpilot.co.za Website: www.africanpilot.co.za
Details are published in the magazine, the African Pilot weekly Newsletter and the African Pilot Website.They serve to remind aviation
enthusiasts of forthcoming events during the week running up to the event.
Capital Sounds for sound and broadcast: Brian Emmenis 057 388 2351 E-mail: capital@icon.co.za
ASSA - Air Show South Africa Website:www.airshowsa.org.za.To reserve an airshow or fly-in please book on-line:www.airshowsa.org.za
Louise Hofmeyer 083 454 1104 E-mail: louise@airshowsa.org.za
Management Airshow Authorisation:Tania van den Berg RAASA 011 082 1000 E-mail: tania@raasa.co.za Website: www.raasa.co.za
2016 Event Venue Contact
4 Feb
RAASA Annual Seminar
for all officials regarding
Special Air Events
RAASA tania@raasa.co.za
11Feb SAPFA Rand Airport Challenge RandAirport
Frank Eckard 083 269 1516
frank.eckard@mweb.co.za
11Feb SAPFA Annual General Meeting RandAirport
Frank Eckard 083 269 1516
frank.eckard@mweb.co.za
11 - 12 Feb SAC Regional Championships
Swellengrebel
FlyingClub
Pieter Venter pventer@vgv.co.za
Annie Boon chunge@mweb.co.za
22 - 23 Feb Aviation Africa 2017
KigaliInternational
ConventionCentre,
Rwanda
Mark Brown
mark.brown@africanaerospace.aero
6 - 9 Mar HAI Heli-Expo Dallas,Texas,USA Karen Gebhart karen.gebhart@rotor.org
10 -12 Mar The Aero Club Air Week ParysAirfield
Sandra Strydom 011 082 1100
office@aeroclub.org.za
www.aeroclub.org.za
30 Mar - 9 Apr Stars of Sandstone Festival Ficksburg
Leigh Sanders +27 79 327 7649
leighs@sandstone.co.za
www.sandstone-estates.com
31 Mar - 1 Apr Wings and Wheels Festival UitenhageAirfield
Lourens Kruger 082 320 2615
imk@trlkomsa.net
1 - 2 Apr SAC North West Regionals Klerksdorp Annie Boon chunge@mweb.co.za
6 Apr
Aero Club of South Africa
Annual General Meeting
RandAirport
Sandra Strydom 011 082 1100
office@aeroclub.org.za
www.aeroclub.org.za
6 - 7 Apr
7th China Aviation Training
Education Summit
ShanghaiHonggiao
Airport
Josephine Zhu
Josephine_Z@opplandcorp.com
20 - 23 Apr AERO Friedrichshafen Germany www.aero-expo.com
5 - 6 May
Battlefields’ Sports Resorts’
Annual Fly - In
Dundee
KZN
Dave O’ Halloran
gm@battlefieldslodge.co.za

How to submit a photograph
Shouldyouwishtoseeyourphotographpublishedasa‘PictureoftheMonth’,
please send your image in its original size to africanpilotmag@gmail.com.
All well-composed,high quality photographs with an aviation theme will be
considered. Each month, the relevant photographer will receive R500 cash
from African Pilot.By submitting a photograph,you grant us permission to
publish the image in African Pilot magazine,as well as our annual executive
wall calendar.The photographer who takes the best photograph of the year
will receive prizes to the value of up to R10 000.

Sbach 342 by Francois J Potgieter
I took this picture of Iain Fergusson in his colourful
Sbach 342 while flying overhead the Atlantic
Ocean near Robben Island. We did our briefing
early one autumn morning before take-off and used
Stephan’s Icarus as camera ship. I used my Nikon
D750 camera set at f9 and 1/100s to get a full prop
disc reflecting in the sun.

Beechcraft introduces special mission
enhancements for the King Air 350 platform
In December, Beechcraft announced at the Middle East and North
Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) conference in
Dubai that the company is now offering Pratt and Whitney Canada
PT6A-67A engines for improved performance on its King Air
350HW and King Air 350ER turboprops. In addition, the company
is offering an increased gross weight option for these platforms,
increasing the maximum take-off weight to 17,500 pounds. Both
enhancements are now FAA and EASA certified and offered as
factory options for new aircraft or as aftermarket modifications.
“The King Air 350 platform is renowned as a worldwide mission
enabler and these optional enhancements will offer customers
added performance and payload for special mission operations,”said
Bob Gibbs, vice president of Special Mission Aircraft. “We have
successfully modified a fleet of NATO air force-operated King Air
350ER aircraft with these upgrades and we are excited to offer these
options to provide more value to our special mission customers.”
The more powerful Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-67A engines
provide superior field and climb performance, including hot and
high operations. With an outside air temperature of 50 degrees
Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), the engine upgrade allows for a
maximum take-off gross weight increase of up to 2,700 pounds at
sea level, compared with the standard aircraft. The increased gross
weight option provides operators greater flexibility between payload
and fuel, representing a potential increase in loiter time of two to
three hours.
The King Air 350HW is a Heavy Weight (HW) version of the
King Air 350 that provides operators an increased gross weight
through larger and stronger main landing gear struts, wheels, tyres
and brakes. The King Air 350ER is an Extended Range (ER)
version that includes the enhanced landing gear and increases the
fuel capacity through the addition of low drag metal fuel tanks aft
of the powerplants.
More than 7,300 Beechcraft King Air turboprops have been
delivered to customers around the world since 1964, making it the
best-selling business turboprop family in the world. The worldwide
fleet has surpassed 60 million flight hours in its first 52 years,
serving roles in all branches of the U.S. military and flying both
commercial and special mission roles around the world.
C

Cirrus delivers its first Vision jet
It has been a long road for Cirrus to produce the first jet,but on Monday
19 December the company delivered a Vision jet to a customer, at a
ceremony in Duluth, Minnesota. “It is a major milestone to deliver
the first airplane,” said Cirrus CEO Dale Klapmeier. “This is a major
step in the growth of our company.” The aircraft was delivered to Joe
Whisenhunt,an Arkansas real estate developer who has previously owned
10 Cirrus airplanes. About 800 employees and company friends filled the
hall at the company’s new 60,000-square-foot finishing facility.
The single-engine jet was FAA certified last October. Cirrus says it
has orders for about 600 of the jet, including 23 from South African
customers, which sells for about $2 million.
Besides delivering the airplane, Monday night’s event also officially
opened the ‘finishing facility,’ which is owned by the city of Duluth.
The state of Minnesota invested about $4 million in the building and
Cirrus has committed to a $6 million lease.
Cirrus first launched the jet project more than 10 years ago, and then
put it on hold for a while, until new owners from China came through
with the funds in 2011 to bring the jet to certification.
The Vision is the first jet airplane with a full-aircraft parachute, similar
to the ones that have proved popular on the Cirrus piston airplanes,
which have been credited with helping to save lives.

MajoritystakeinDiamondAircraft
IndustriespurchasedbyWanfengAviation
Canadian company Wanfeng Aviation (Canada) Inc. has
completed an investment to acquire a 60% interest in Diamond
Aircraft Industries Inc. (‘Diamond Canada’). Diamond says the
investment will support expanded production, sales and service
activities globally, with a strengthened focus on the US market.
Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH, (‘Diamond Austria’),
remains completely independent and will assist production and
development activities in the Canadian company. Leadership
and key personnel of Diamond Austria are not affected by this
transaction. Frank Chen (Chen Bin), of the Wanfeng group
of companies, is appointed Chairman and Peter Maurer will
continue as CEO of Diamond Canada.
As part of this investment, Diamond Canada has acquired all
rights to the DA62 and DA40 (Lycoming and Austro powered)
programmes from Diamond Austria. The investment in the
Canadian Diamond companies also includes D-JET Corp. The
future of the D-JET and/or possible derivative aircraft is subject
to ongoing review. All current models produced by Diamond
Austria and Diamond Canada will continue to be branded as
‘Diamond Aircraft.’
Diamond Austria will continue to produce DA42s (four-seat
twin) and future models currently under development in Austria.
Production of the DA40 (four-seat single) and DA62 (5/7
seat twin) will transition from Austria to Canada by the end
of 2017.There are existing and continuing license production
programmes for the DV20 (Rotax powered two-seat single),
DA40NG and DA42, serving the Chinese market. These are not
related to the Wanfeng investment.
Notwithstanding possible additional future license production
programmes, it is planned to continue production of DA20
(two-seat single), DA40 (Lycoming and Austro powered) and
DA62 for traditional markets, at Diamond Canada indefinitely.
Type design responsibility for the DV20 and DA42 will
maintain with Diamond Austria. Type Design responsibility for
the DA40 (all current and legacy models) and DA62 is planned
to be transferred from Diamond Austria to Diamond Canada
in 2017. Type design responsibility for the DA20 remains with
Diamond Canada.
Research Development and continuing airworthiness support
for each existing type and model will be provided by the respective
type certificate holder. Diamond Austria will continue to develop the
DART turboprop aerobatic trainer and DA50 based models. With
limited exceptions, customers will continue to be served by their
existing Diamond authorised distribution partners in all markets.
Factory direct fleet and commercial sales will generally be handled
by the manufacturer of each model, i.e. Diamond Canada for the
DA20, DA40 and DA62 and Diamond Austria for the DV20 and
DA42. However, existing relationships and customer preferences will
Diamond Guardian DA42

be respected. Diamond Austria will amend the existing distribution
agreements to remove the DA40 and DA62 from the list of eligible
models and to reflect that future orders for DA40 and DA62 are to
be placed with Diamond Canada directly.
Diamond Canada will contact all existing global sales partners
early in 2017 to solicit their interest in representing Diamond
Canada. Formal distribution agreements, including DA20,
DA40 and DA62 would follow accordingly. Diamond Canada
reserves its right to appoint authorised distribution partners
at its sole discretion. Changes to the distribution network
may be introduced in the normal course of business. There
is no change regarding the authorised Service Centres as a
result of this transaction. Diamond Canada will contact global
authorised service partners early in 2017 to solicit their interest
in representing Diamond Canada directly. Formal authorised
service centre agreements will follow accordingly. Changes to
the authorised service partner network may be introduced in the
normal course of business. The company says the investment
represents a significant commitment to Diamond’s future.
Accordingly, it intends to expand its market reach and welcomes
any inquiries from potential business partners that wish to
participate in our growth.
Diamond says the investment not only strengthens the Canadian
operations, but the Diamond brand overall. In the release
announcing the sale, Diamond said the company looks forward
to continued exciting developments, growth in all markets and
enhancing the ownership experience for Diamond owners and
operators in the years to come.
Diamond DA42

Gulfstream G600 makes its first flight
ahead of schedule
The Gulfstream programme continues to develop and innovate
new airframes that it seems to have comparatively little trouble
selling. Indicative of this fact, is the announcement just received
from Gulfstream Aerospace that the Gulfstream G600 has
completed its first flight, officially kicking off the aircraft’s
flight-test programme.
Two additional G600 test aircraft have been inducted into the
flight-test centre in anticipation of their flights early in 2017. The
G600 departed Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport on
17 December and spent 2 hours and 53 minutes in the air.
The aircraft was piloted by Gulfstream experimental test
pilots Scott Martin and Todd Abler, with Flight Test engineer
Nathaniel Rutland providing on-board support. “This flight
went exactly as anticipated, thanks largely to the investments
we have made in our ground-based laboratories. This flight is
the perfect way to wrap up 2016 and set the tone for a successful
2017,” a Gulfstream spokesman said.
The G600 has been designed with input from customers to
ensure an unparalleled passenger experience. It has the longest
cabin in its class, satellite communications, high-speed internet
and can accommodate up to four living areas to create distinct
yet flexible spaces for work, entertainment, dining and rest.
Fourteen panoramic windows,a low cabin altitude and 100 percent
fresh air contribute to the superior cabin environment, helping
passengers feel refreshed and rested upon arrival. The G600 can
travel 6,200 nautical miles at Mach 0.85 and 4,800 nm at Mach
0.90, and its maximum operating speed is Mach 0.925, the same
maximum speed as the flagship Gulfstream G650ER.
Gulfstream G500 and G600 in formation
Gulfstream G600

Skybanners SA – The art of aerial
advertising
By Pete van der Spek
Durbanites and visitors along the beachfront were greeted with a very large banner flying along the area over the
Christmas and the New Year season.The banner, with an area of 850 square metres, was highly visible for all to
see.The client was Glenaire Gourmet Grill in Durban’s CBD. Skybanners flew a total of 34 hours over 15 days,
slow and low, from Durban harbour to Umhlanga Rocks focusing on all the crowded beaches, covering 2,519
km along the beaches and CBD.
Andre Botes (and his copilot / safety pilot Andre Botes Jr.) of
Skybanners SA took some time off from their busy flying to explain
how banner flying works and the safety issues they have built into
the system. They have been operating this system for the past 18
months. Before that, they went through an extensive design and
development phase and the system has been tested and approved
by the SACAA. The material that is used is made of a special
lightweight, but durable fabric. The message or image is digitally
printed in full HD colour and any image is possible. The product is
guaranteed for 150 hours of flight time and if handled properly, will
last for over 200 hours.
The system used, can operate up to a 5,500-square meter banner
quite safely. The banner is weighed down by a ballast of sand that
weighs around 170kgs. In the event of an engine out, the pilot
immediately opens the electric operated cargo hook and the safety
pilot simultaneously pulls a manual handle that also opens the cargo
hook that releases the rope from the bottom of the helicopter, which
in turn opens the sandbag and the sand is safely released.This in turn
deploys a small parachute that opens and lets the banner descend at a
slow speed to land safely.
I asked how difficult it is to fly with a banner that size. Andre told
me that a Bell Jet Ranger is very suitable for his operation. He started
off using a Robinson R44, but that proved to be on the limit. The
forward speed is 40 knots indicated. I asked how much drag these
banners have – Andre’s answer – PLENTY! The slow speed and low
altitude effectively give the audience on the ground ample time to
read the banner.
Andre told me that the best times for flying (especially in Cape Town
and Johannesburg) are early or late afternoon during peak hour traffic
when people had plenty of time to look up and see what was on the
banner and look up they will, because this is a natural reaction to
the sound of the helicopter. Asked how cost effective the method
is, Andre told me that an advertisement on regional radio in peak
times is R24, 000 per 30 second (excluding production costs) and
the equivalent cost of the banner is R15,000 per flight hour which
equates to R125 for 30 seconds.This makes it very cost effective.
I watched both the take-off and landing of the banner and safety
is obviously a big issue. It is a very delicate operation. The added
pressure is that this all happens on an active runway and with the
good weather we have had in Durban, Virginia airport was very busy.
The whole operation was very well run by all accounts and feedback
from the client was very positive.
Skybanners SA operates in all the main centres, Cape Town, Durban,
Johannesburg and Pretoria and has even flown in the Limpopo area.It
has set routes, but those can be tailored to suit the client. Skybanners
SA flew an advertising banner campaign for Private Property over
the 2015-2016 festive season and here are some of the facts from
those flights:
• Cities covered: Cape Town and the Winelands, Mossel Bay to
George, Plettenburg Bay to Sedgefield, Amanzimtoti to Ballito
(including Durban) and the Johannesburg Northern Suburbs.
• Total Hours flown – 50 hours
• Distance covered – 3726 kilometres
• Total fuel burn – 5,030 litres
• Banner weight was 250 KGs
Andre’s company manufactures and prints the banners locally at
facilities in Cape Town and Johannesburg. So, next time you see a
massively oversized Skybanner being towed around by a helicopter,
give Andre and his team a wave!
Father and son selfies - Andre Botes Snr (left) Andre Botes Jnr (right)Closeup of the Glenaire Meat Gourmet banner

Engineers begin next phase of unmanned
aircraft technologies trials in the UK
British aerospace jetstream 31super 31 02
As part of collaborative efforts across the U.K. to assess how
autonomous air vehicles could be integrated into U.K. airspace,
scientists and engineers at BAE Systems have begun another tranche
of ground-breaking unmanned aircraft technology trials using a
Jetstream 31 as a ‘flying testbed’ which flies itself while having pilots
on board who could take control at any time.T
The trials are being conducted from the Company’s military aircraft
engineering and manufacturing facility in Warton, Lancashire. The
latest trials are self-funded by BAE Systems at a cost of around
$508,000 and build on the findings of the ASTRAEA (Autonomous
Systems Technology Related Airborne Evaluation and Assessment)
Research and Development programme which ran from 2008-2013.
In a series of 17 flights, BAE Systems’ engineers aim to prove the
capability,maturity and safe operation of autonomous air technologies
controlled by a satellite-communications based link. This has the
advantage of being globally available already and therefore enabling
operations without the need for new infrastructure.
Also being tested are further developments of sensing
technologies including aircraft and cloud avoidance using only
camera input rather than radar. The results of the trials will
inform the direction of the Company’s future unmanned aircraft
programme and the suitability of testing unmanned aircraft in
the UK. In the near future these unmanned aircraft technologies
may also be brought to market for use in commercial and military
aircraft as aids to the existing crew.
The series of test flights involve a team of two engineers
on-board whom together with air traffic control experts at
NATS, continually assess the performance of the systems on the
test-bed. Flights last 1.5 hours and are flying through
non-congested airspace on a route from Warton to Inverness,
Scotland covering around 300 miles and normally flying at 15000
feet. A pilot and co-pilot are in control for take-off and landing, but
once airborne and in controlled airspace the Jetstream flies itself.
On the ground monitoring the flights via satellite communications
is a flight test observer and an unmanned air vehicle commander,
who is a fully licensed pilot for these trials.
The test-bed contains an aircraft identification antenna which
detects other aircraft’s transponder signals as well as a cockpit
mounted camera acting as an ‘electronic eye.’ This links to the
aircraft’s computer systems and enables the Jetstream to ‘see’
potential hazards even if no signals are being emitted.
The ‘electronic eye’ of the Jetstream can also recognise different
cloud types and if needed, plots a course that allows evasive action
from challenging weather conditions.
“Our priority as always is to demonstrate the safe and effective
operation of autonomous systems and together with NATS we
are working towards the possibility of flying our own unmanned
systems in a highly controlled environment in the U.K.,” said
Maureen Mccue, BAE Systems’ Head of Research and Technology
for the military aircraft and information business “The trials are
an exciting time and will give us technology options that could
be applied to our own manned and unmanned aircraft as well
as potentially enabling us to take some new unmanned aircraft
technologies to market.”

First anniversary of the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) drone registrations
Over the past year,the FAA has made great strides toward integrating
unmanned aircraft, popularly called ‘drones’ into United States
(US) airspace. The first big step took place on 21 December, when
a new web-based drone registration system went online. During the
past year, the system has registered more than 616,000 owners and
individual drones. As part of the process, applicants receive and must
acknowledge some basic safety information. That means more than
600,000 drone operators now have the basic aviation knowledge to
keep themselves their friends and their neighbours safe when they
fly their drones.
The FAA developed the automated registration system in response
to a rule requiring owners of small unmanned aircraft weighing more
than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx. 25
kilograms) to register their drones. The rule and the registration
system were primarily aimed at the thousands of drone hobbyists
who had little or no experience with the U.S. aviation system. The
agency saw registration as an excellent way to give them a sense
of responsibility and accountability for their actions. The agency
wanted them to feel they are part of the aviation community, to see
themselves as pilots. The FAA developed the web-based registration
system to make the process easier for first-time users compared
with the traditional paper-based ‘N-number’ system. Then and now,
hobbyists pay a $5.00 fee and receive a single identification number
for all the drones they own.
Commercial, public and other non-model aircraft operators had to use
the paper-based registration system until 31 March 2016,when the FAA
expanded the system to non-hobbyists. The automated system has had
one other benefit. Several times, the agency has used the system to send
out important safety messages to everyone who registered. Unmanned
aircraft registration has been an unqualified success. The FAA is
confident the system will continue to help drone pilots, experienced or
newcomers to recognise that safety is everybody’s business.
FAA has issued nearly 23,000 Commercial Drone
Certificates
The FAA is reporting that since it released rules for commercial drone
operators on 31 August 2016, more than 28,000 people have applied to
become professional unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) pilots, whilst at
the same time nearly 23,000 certificates have been issued. Recode.com
reports that when you do the maths, it means about 300 people have
been issued a commercial drone certificate each weekday since the rules
were announced and it probably took a few days for the first applications
to work their way through the system.
However, the number of certificates issued, or even the number of
applications, is dwarfed by the number of registered small UAVs in the
United States.More than 550,000 aircraft have been registered with the
FAA since it became a requirement to do so last year. According to the
report, the FAA is registering about 2,000 drones per day. In the US if
you are planning to become a commercial drone operator and you don’t
already have pilot certificate of some type, you can expect to do a lot
of studying and spend about $150 on the aeronautical knowledge test
required for the certificate.
Eagleview drone

Flirtey and 7-Eleven complete first month
of routine commercial drone deliveries
Drone delivery service Flirtey says the company has completed 77
autonomous drone deliveries to customer homes in the United States
through their commercial collaboration with 7-Eleven. According to
a news release, Flirtey conducted regular weekend deliveries during
November from a 7-Eleven store to a dozen select customers who were
able to use a custom app to place their unique order. Along with listing
all items available for delivery,the interactive app also notified customers
when their drone was loaded,when it departed from the store and when
it was arriving at their doorstep.
Once an order was placed, 7-Eleven merchandise, including items such
a hot and cold food and over-the-counter medicines, were loaded into a
custom Flirtey drone delivery container and flown autonomously using
precision GPS to a local customer’s house.Once at the customer’s home,
the Flirtey drone hovered in place and lowered the package.On average,
customers receive their packages by Flirtey less than 10 minutes from the
point of order.One customer was so excited by the experience that she
called her family to tell them they had just become ‘The real-life Jetsons.’
100 percent of customers who participated stated they will continue to
use Flirtey drone delivery service as operations expand.
“Flirtey is the world’s leader in the drone delivery industry and we have
now successfully completed the first month of routine commercial
drone deliveries to customers’homes in partnership with 7-Eleven,”said
Flirtey CEO Matthew Sweeny. “Whilst other companies in this space
are shipping jobs overseas,Flirtey’s goal is to make delivery instant and in
the process create jobs at home for hardworking Americans and veterans.
This is a giant leap towards a future where everyone can experience the
convenience of Flirtey’s instant store-to-door drone deliveries.”
Customers of all ages participated in the deliveries; including elderly
couples, working parents and busy college students and feedback from
customers cited the speed and convenience as the most appealing aspects
of Flirtey deliveries.Popular items included hot food items,cold beverages
and over-the-counter medicines such as 7-Select Night Time Cold and
Flu Relief, 7-Select Headache Relief and aspirin. Over-the-counter
medicine delivery has been a focus for Flirtey because of the convenience
it offers,whether it is a parent trying to avoid having to load sick kids into
the car to buy flu medication in the evening or someone battling a fever.In
addition to these commercial deliveries,Flirtey and 7-Eleven are planning
to expand the drone delivery operations in 2017.
Griff Aviation launches
new heavy-lift drone
According to the company, Griff Aviation of Norway has introduced
the GRIFF 300, a multirotor aircraft capable of lifting nearly 500
pounds (226 Kg). Multiple media sources report that this aircraft is
Griff’s first civilian professional drone to be certified by the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety
Agency (EASA.) Along with its 495-pound useful load, the aircraft
can fly between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on the payload.
According to the company the payload package is fully customisable
and can be configured for law enforcement and Search and Rescue
(SAR) operations.
In introducing the aircraft,Leif Johan Holand,the CEO of Griff Aviation,
said: “the company knew that safety was ‘absolutely paramount’ for both
the aviation industry and its potential, professional customers. For that
reason the company was determined to attain international aviation
certification, which it has done. As a result, I am proud to say that we
are the first company in the world to be selling certified drones to the
Drone delivery
Griff drone

professional market.This will open up new opportunities globally in a very
demanding sector.”The official launch of the GRIFF 300 was broadcast
on Norwegian television.
Holand said that the aircraft is not intended to be a competitor to the
helicopter market.“We quickly saw the product would be able to have a life
of its own,but we are not competing with helicopter transport companies.
We are aiming at a professional market where the drones can be used by
helicopter companies, the emergency services, the agricultural sector, as
well as research and government agencies such as Statnett (responsible for
the Norwegian power grid), the NVE (Norwegian Water Resources and
Energy Directorate) and the NGU (Norwegian Geological Survey).”
The company began as Magic Air,which was the only full-time aerial film
crew in Norway, according to unmannedsystemstechnology.com. It was
foundedearlyin2016specificallytodevelopdronetechnology,andreceived
support from Innovation Norway and Sykkylven Business Development.
The aircraft developed by Magic Air are now being marketed under the
Griff Aviation brand.
Global militaryUnmannedAerialVehicles
(UAVs) market worth $13.9 billion by 2022
The global military UAV market is projected to grow to $13.9
billion by 2026, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
of 38.7% from 2016 to 2022. Military Unmanned Aerial vehicles
(MUAVs) and Micro Aerial vehicles (MAVs) expect to be
dominant in terms of units delivered and the Unmanned Combat
Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) in terms of value. In recent years,
there has been a growing use by militaries around the world of
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, more popularly known as drones.
More than 10,000 UAVs are now operated or coming into service
with militaries around the world. Their increased usage has mostly
been driven by the operational experience of the US and Israel,as well
as recent operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria for intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) tasks with the US leading the
way in terms of spending on research, procurement and support.
Other countries are gaining and developing their own platforms
in part to enhance their military intelligence capabilities, or as
some exercise in national prestige to develop their own defence
and aerospace industries.
Market Forecast’s new report, ‘The Global Military UAV Market
Forecast to 2022’, provides a detailed analysis of the military
UAV market from 2016 to 2022, focusing on the military UAV
programmes, requirements and orders in more than 50 countries
worth in excess of $36.4 billion over the entire period.
Griff drone
Predator firing missile

Legally hacking commercial drones
As expected, EW (electronic warfare) based systems for detecting
and disabling commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
are beginning to appear. An Israeli military electronics firm
recently announced ReDrone, a portable (three large suitcases of
gear needed a few minutes for set up) system for detecting and
interfering with the operation of commercial UAVs. These are
the kind of UAVs favoured by terrorists and criminals in general.
ReDrone takes advantage of the fact that these UAVs have
published specifications which makes it easier to build a database
of frequencies to look for and tap into or jam. The database used
by ReDrone can be updated as new UAVs appear or change the
frequencies they use.
ReDrone can also be equipped to detect and jam illegal (for
UAV use) frequencies that criminals could use via minor changes
to commercial UAVs. ReDrone can be set to just detect, track
and identify or to jam (or even take over) control signals or
SW-4 ‘Solo’ remotely piloted helicopter
begins test campaign
With the first flight of the innovative remotely piloted
helicopter SW-4 ‘Solo’ at the Taranto-Grottaglie Airport,
Leonardo-Finmeccanica begins the test campaign in order to
verify the aircraft’s operational characteristics and validate flight
procedures, in both normal and emergency conditions.
Mauro Moretti, CEO and General Manager Leonardo said:
“The SW-4 ‘Solo’ is testimony of Leonardo’s industrial
commitment and innovation in unmanned aircraft, a sector
of increased global competition and is part of a portfolio of
solutions making Leonardo the only European company able to
provide a complete ‘unmanned’ system. When presented with an
advancement of technology, the winning regions are those who
can adapt to market needs. Grottaglie is an example of this.”
Theflightwaspartofacollaborationstartedin2015betweenLeonardo,
AeroportidiPuglia(AdP)andtheDistrettoTecnologicoaAerospaziale
Pugliese (DTA) for the ‘Grottaglie Test Bed,’which is a candidate to
become the Italian solution to the national and European industry
demand for the testing of unmanned aircraft. The flight campaign,
carried out in collaboration with the DTA and Ente Nazionale
AviazioneCivile (ENAC, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority),
video feeds. ReDrone can also be used with a similar product;
SupervisIR, which detects heat. This is important because most
commercial UAVs can be used on automatic (moving along a
pre-programmed path) and taking pictures and video that are
stored on the UAV and accessed only after the UAV automatically
returns and lands.
These can only be detected visually or, at night, via infrared (heat
sensing). ReDrone and SupervisIR are designed to work together
and produce a common display of what is out there. Both these
systems are sold mainly to military and police organisations.
It is no surprise that Israeli firms are working on products like
ReDrone and SupervisIR because Israel has had to deal with
more commercial UAVs used by criminals (usually Islamic
terrorists) than any other nation.
ReDrone Ilustration
ReDrone System

will continue during the first few months of 2017. The validation
of procedures and regulations for the use of unmanned aircraft are
among its key objectives.
The ‘Solo’, derived from the SW-4 helicopter produced by
Leonardo in Poland and equipped with advanced systems and
sensors also made by the company in Italy and the UK, is designed
to operate with or without pilot on board. The ‘Solo,’ recently
returned from a successful demonstration campaign in the UK,
is an innovative solution for activities such as hydrological and
critical infrastructure monitoring, firefighting, search and rescue,
patrol and disaster relief activities.
SW 4

Bell 505 Jet Ranger X achieves type
certification
On 21 December 2016, Bell Helicopter, a Textron company,
announced its Bell 505 Jet Ranger X had been certified by the
Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA). Unveiled in 2013, the
new five-seat helicopter went from concept to a successful first flight
in 20 months. Since then the aircraft has flown more than 1,000
flight hours and undergone rigorous activities to ensure customers
have superior handling qualities and payload performance.
“This announcement reaffirms Bell Helicopter’s unwavering
commitment to product development and the introduction of
new and enhanced products to the marketplace,” said Mitch
Snyder, Bell Helicopter’s President and CEO. “The Bell 505 is
truly a game changer in the short light single market, and we are
proud of the excellent team that drove this programme through
certification as well as our suppliers, customers, certification
authorities and the customer advisory panel that worked with us
every step of the way.”
The customer response has been astounding with more than 400
letters of intent worldwide since the initial launch in 2014.The Bell
505 offers operators many standout advantages including the Safran
Helicopter Engines (HE) Arrius 2R engine that incorporates the
dual channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) that
delivers exceptional performance and reduces pilot workload.
A first-in-class fully integrated Garmin G1000H flight deck
features dual 10.4-inch (26.4 cm) displays, which provide
critical flight information for crews at a glance. Through Bell
Helicopter’s high inertia rotor system, Bell Helicopter has
demonstrated exceptional autorotation capability that is part of
the Jet Ranger legacy throughout the flight test programme.
Every Bell helicopter is backed by the largest support network
in the industry with more than 100 authorised customer service
facilities located around the globe, including NAC at Lanseria
International Airport. The Bell 505 is now available for expanded
support offerings through Bell Helicopter’s Customer Advantage
Plans (CAP), which provide customers with comprehensive
coverage solutions for daily operations. The plans offer a fixed-
price-per-flight-hour that provides predictable maintenance costs,
priority access to parts and assemblies, and ease of maintenance
and planning. In addition, the Bell Helicopter Training Academy
is prepared for entry into service with customer training and the
flight training device and coursework are all on track.
With a cruise speed of 125 knots (232 km/h), range of 340 nautical
miles (629 km) and useful load of 1,470 pounds (667 kg), the Bell
505 is designed to be safe and easy to fly whilst providing significant
value to the operator. The customer-driven design of the aircraft
places safety, performance and affordability at the forefront, blending
proven systems with advanced technology and a sleek,modern design.
The reliability, speed, performance and manoeuvrability of
the Bell 505 are integrated with a flat floor, open cabin that is
configurable for a wide variety of missions and payloads. The
spacious cabin can be configured to carry up to four passengers
or configured for internal cargo missions by removing quick-
disconnect rear cabin seats and / or the co-pilot’s seat. The
Bell 505’s flat floor cabin design and large rectangular baggage
compartment allow the Bell 505 adapt to changing mission needs.
These features combined with a proved and reliable drivetrain
and rotor system make the Bell 505 a true multi-mission aircraft
in the short light single-engine market.
Bell 505 Jet Ranger X

ExecuJet Africa launches helicopter
charter from Cape Town
Bell 407
In December, ExecuJet Africa announced the arrival of its first charter
helicopter, a VIP configured Bell 407 helicopter, available for charter
from ExecuJet’s Cape Town Fixed Base Operator (FBO) facility.
ExecuJet will offer commercial helicopter charters for various scenic
flights to surrounding vineyards and other tourist attractions. Whilst
ExecuJet’s focus for helicopter charters will predominantly be the tourist
market in the region,the company will also make the helicopter charters
available to its existing clients for their business and leisure requirements.
Gavin Kiggen, Director of Flight Operations, ExecuJet Africa, says:
“There is always a great demand for helicopters in the Cape Town
region during the high-season, so we are really pleased to be able to
offer this service to our customers.ExecuJet Africa is always looking for
new opportunities to expand our charter offering in the region,and this
new helicopter charter is an exciting step forward for the team.” The
Bell 407 integrates reliability, speed, performance and manoeuvrability
with a cabin configurable for an array of missions and payloads. Its
Rolls Royce 250-C473 turbine FADEC engine delivers exceptional
high performance with the ability to cruise at 140 knots.
The ExecuJet Aviation Group
ExecuJet is a leading global business aviation organisation offering
a diverse range of services including aircraft management for
private and commercial registered aircraft, aircraft charter, aircraft
maintenance, aircraft completions management and fixed base
operations. Headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, ExecuJet has
operations in six regions; Africa,Asia-Pacific,the Caribbean,Europe,
Latin America and the Middle East, embracing a workforce of more
than 1,000 experienced staff.
ExecuJet manages 165 business jets worldwide under the most
stringent safety standards. Its commercial fleet is operated under the
regulatory umbrella of six regional civil aviation issued air operating
certificates (AOCs). ExecuJet has many authorised maintenance
facilities throughout four regions, certified to work on most business
jets. ExecuJet operates 24 world-class FBO facilities worldwide.
ExecuJet is part of the Luxaviation Group,the second largest operator
of corporate aircraft in the world. Luxaviation manages 260 aircraft
and currently employs more than 1,600 employees worldwide.
For further information visit www.luxaviation.com
or www.execujet.com

Rand Airport 2017
… last year and the year ahead at a glance...
By Stuart Coetzee
Last year’s Rand Airshow went off without an incident again,
testament to the importance placed on safety by the organisers
and support staff alike. The SAAF’s Silver Falcons’ team was
once again a welcome addition to the display programme, as
it had not been able to attend in 2015. Along with the Silver
Falcons was a Mango Airlines 737 and many other aircraft to
make the airshow one to remember. Social media was employed
with success as the preferred medium of advertising, drawing a
crowd of close on 22,000.
On-line ticketing saw its Rand Airshow debut last year and
although there were delays at the gates with equipment issues
being experienced at the last minute, the majority of spectators
entered without too much difficulty.
The lucky ticket draw for the Dennis Jankelow ‘Reach for a
Dream’ aircraft raffle was again undertaken by Miss South Africa
and most certainly made the winner, Francois Vetter’s year.
Rand Airport, as always, invited many under-privileged children
to experience a day out with fun, food and fanfare; topped off with
goodie bags to take home with them as a reminder of the great
day they all said they had. The organisers would like to increase
the number of children they can spoil on Airshow day this year.
At this year’s airshow, the organisers would like to have more
unusual or rare aircraft to display in the exhibitors’ section, in
order to expose the average person on the street to a greater
variety of the types of aircraft in existence. Anybody who
Picture by Athol Franz
Aircraft from Menno Parsons collection

owns an aircraft that might ‘fit the bill’ is asked to contact the
organisers. This section of the apron will be free of charge to
those exhibitors this year.
Development at the airport has been slow since the sale of stands
in Airport Park Extension 4, which was concluded in 2005 and
which resulted in the sale of prime industrial and commercial land
on the corner of Russell and Rand Airport road. The companies,
such as Imperial Holdings that established themselves along
Russell Road and Rand Airport road are testament to the value
that is placed on the land owned by the holding company of
Rand airport.
New developments by major development companies have
mushroomed along the N3 and the Rand Airport off-ramp. These
warehouses were occupied in record time and once again the
companies which occupy these huge warehouses are well established
and are welcome tenants in any development of this nature.
There are two more developments advertised along the N3 and
the off-ramp to the airport which are due to start soon. These
developments increase the value of the land at Rand airport as
it seems that there is an ever-increasing demand for industrial
and or commercial land situated in a position that allows easy
access to major arterial routes like the N3/N12 and the N17.
Rand Airport is ideally situated in that it provides easy access
and close proximity to all three highways.
Despite this huge investment opportunity, the board of Rand
Airport Holdings is not prepared to jeopardise the future of the
airport for financial gain. The prime objective of the board is to
preserve the land as an airport first and foremost and to ensure
that the numerous tenants at the airport can securely continue
their day-to-day activities in what is mostly aviation-related.
However, at the same time there is enough land that can be
leased out to establish warehouses similar to the ones seen along
the N3 highway.
The current development project in the south-eastern corner
of the airport should get underway within the next couple of
months with the planning stages already concluded at the end
of last year. Developments need to be pursued in order to meet
the ever-rising costs associated with running an airport. These
and other opportunities will be actively pursued in 2017 and
similarly the board once again intends to provide the public with
an airshow that will attract a huge crowd.
In other news: aircraft movements at the airport are still
steadily increasing year-on-year with last year seeing a total of
109,464, compared with 100,277 in 2015 and 89,271 in 2014.
In December of last year another record was broken with air
traffic controllers handling 203 movements in a single hour. The
previous record was 153 movements in an hour established the
previous month.These ever-increasing movements are indicative
of an airport bustling with activity.
Rand Airport management is considering having a fly-in around
midyear, where landing fees will be waived for all private aircraft
which have registered beforehand. Pilots are invited to come and
enjoy the day on the viewing deck with some refreshments and watch
the other aircraft landing and taking off. Keep an eye on social media
and Rand Airport’s website for further information.
Fire department

Aviation business at Rand Airport
Compiled by Athol Franz
This feature is the fifth time that African Pilot has featured
most of the aviation businesses based at Rand Airport. Although
our marketing and editorial team spends plenty of time trying
to contact all the businesses based at the airport, sadly there are
certain companies that do not respond to the request for editorial
content and photographs to show their business.
If any company has been left out of this editorial then you will
have a chance in the 2018 Rand Airport feature, so start planning
immediately.
Academy Air
Situated in Hangar H34 Academy Air has excellent Bed Breakfast
accommodation for visiting pilots and for student pilots undertaking
their training at the airport. Within the same hangar the Academy
Air AMO 813 attends to aircraft maintenance. This hangar is also
home to the now famous Flying Lions team of five T6 Harvards
as well as the Torre Industries Pitts Special Team of four aircraft.
Hangar No.4 opposite is also part of the Academy Air group and this
hangar is mainly used to house private aircraft.
Academy Air building
The Aero Club of South Africa
Based at Rand Airport the Aero Club of South Africa through
the participation of its members, encourages the hosting of
aviation events by coordinating single and multi-disciplinary
regional and national air events. Such events create awareness
of aviation safety through the AeCSA’s ‘Safety First Aviator’
campaign. The AeCSA actively promotes the Transformation
and Development of sport aviation in South Africa through its
member affiliations. The following are some of the tasks of the
Aero Club of South Africa:
• Acknowledging the efforts of those members who contribute
to the promotion of sport aviation
• Maintaining and upholding the rights and privileges of its
members through the various disciplines of flight within its
member organisations
• Preserving all forms of free flight and the safeguarding
AeCSA member pilots the right to share South African skies
• Monitoring and developing legislation through partnerships
and in consultation with the authorities regarding the use
of airspace, legislative requirements, aircraft registrations and
medical regulations as well as other important aviation matters
• Protecting the rights of all members and sections from oppressive
requirements or restrictions from aviation authorities and other bodies
• Being the custodian of aviation records and achievements
• AeCSA, as the National Federation for Sport Aviation in
South Africa is aligned with SASCOC (South African Sports
Confederation and Olympic Committee) and SRSA (Sport and
Recreation South Africa) for national requirements
• Participating as ‘Team-South Africa’ and the awarding of
national colours in line with national sporting policies
• Hosting National and International recognised events in line
with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) standards
and codes. Maintaining the South African membership of FAI
and represent South Arica proudly on the international stage
• Facilitating the hosting of competitions by securing airspace,
facility planning and general event planning
• Managing the finances to the benefit of all the members as well as the
provision of administrative services to the sections in the Aero Club.
• Facilitating insurance cover for members engaged in specific activities,
airshow events and the Technical Approved Person Scheme.
• The preservation of Free Flight in South Africa.
The Aero club of South Africa
Aircraft Fractional Ownership Services (AFOS)
What is fractional ownership? Aircraft Fractional Ownership Services
(Pty)Ltd.(AFOS)wasbornoutofapartnershipinaGrummanTraveller
and soon evolved into a business where group ownership opportunities
became accessible to any person who yearns to fly.The business is a one-
stop ownership,training,operations and maintenance service that makes
good sense from an aircraft affordability perspective.
AFOS Cessna 182
Contact:Tel 011 827 9920 or Cell: 083 340 6327
E-mail: mendoza@telkomsa.net
Website: www.academybedandbreakfast.co.za
Contact 011 082 11200 e-mail: office@aeroclub.org.za
Website: www.aeroclub.org.za
Contact AFOS on 011 827 4125

Air BP fuel at Rand Airport Radio 130.50 Mhz
Tel 011 827 8884 / 8120
Air Safety Pilot Academy CC
Established in 1991, the academy enjoys an impeccable safety record
as well as friendly, professional service, with SACAA accredited
flight training and well-stocked pilot shop. Air Safety offers the
following: Student Pilot License (SPL), Private Pilot License (PPL),
Commercial Pilot License (CPL), general radio license, type ratings,
night rating, instrument rating and instructor’s rating as well as
English language proficiency tests.
Mandy vd Molen
Aircraft Unlimited
Tom Willows was trained in the then Rhodesian Air Force as an
Airframe fitter from 1974. On completion of his five-year service
he returned to South Africa as he is a South African Citizen by
ancestry. Tom is the holder of AME license in Categories A, B,
C for Group 3 (fabric types) and Group 4 (all metal types) as
well as licenced on Group 01 and 02 engines. In the case of some
Group 03 engines (in line inverted) and many Group 04 engines
(radials) Tom has 41 years of experience. This allows Tom to
work on and certify any fabric type below 5700Kg and any all
metal types below 5700Kg including the engines as long as they
are piston types. Apart from general maintenance on Cessna,
Piper and Beechcraft types the business also specialises in fabric
type rebuilds and fabric covering.
Tom Willows and his team
Tom Willows covering fabric aircraft
Contact Mandy: Cell: 073 346 0490 or Tel: 010 534 6330
E-mail: mandy@airsafety.co.za Website: www.airsafety.co.za
Engine inspection

Aviation Rebuilders
Established at Rand airport in 1997, Aviation Rebuilders was the
brainchild of Ken Jones when he realised the opportunity to open a
sheet metal workshop to answer the industry’s call for his much needed
expertise in general aviation structural repairs and maintenance. The
Aircraft Maintenance Organisation with Civil Aviation Authority
approval number AMO188 specialises in sheet metal structural repairs
and rebuilds to all aircraft of sheet metal construction. Another aspect of
the organisation’s scope of work is the assembly of wire rope flight control
cables as well as a licenced aircraft welding shop offering yet another
specialised service to the aviation industry.
The Accountable Manager, Ken Jones, with around 45 years’ experience
to offer the aviation industry, began his career in aviation when he joined
Air Rhodesia, completing his apprenticeship in aircraft sheet metal. His
love of this trade and the industry brought him to South Africa where he
first started at Rand Airport. He progressed through his career to finally
become the business unit manager at Hunting Aviation.
Ken Jones and his daughter Lyn who manages the business
Capital Air
In association with its subsidiary companies, Capital Air offers its
customers a one-stop security, surveillance and air charter service
tailored to meet their individual needs. From its humble roots as
a small, independent helicopter transport operation founded in
1979, Capital Air has expanded into a robust group with a solid
track record in the highly specialised fields of vehicle tracking
and recovery, charter services, security operations and reaction
services – all monitored from a 24-hour manned control centre
located at the companies magnificent new building at Rand
Airport. What makes Capital’s offering unique in Southern
Africa is that the company does not outsource any of its services,
but all units function from a central location with sophisticated
infrastructure, specialised staff and continuous support.
Capital Air’s subsidiary operations include:
• Capital Crisis Centre
• Capital Reaction Services
• Capital Air Security Operations
• Helicopters Capital (in Mozambique)
Whether it is a major contract or a small, personalised require-
ment, Capital Air and its affiliates offer an all in one value-add-
ed service solution crafted according to your particular needs,
drawn from the following options:
• Chartered Services
• Maintenance and safety
• Security operations
• Vehicle tracking and recovery
• 24-hour control centre
Captial Air - A view from above
Contact:Tel: 011 827 0335 • E-mail: capsales@capsalessa.com
Hangar H1 Rand Airport
When Hunting closed up shop, Ken took the opportunity to go on his
own and start Aviation Rebuilders. Now 18 years later his AMO is still
going strong. His reputation for quality, reliability and competitiveness in
the industry is well-known throughout the general aviation industry in
South Africa and beyond. Ken, along with his team of technicians and
operators share their love for the industry and a wealth of knowledge and
experience to help keep our beloved GA aircraft flying.
ContactTel: 011 827 2491 • E-mail: lyn@aviationrebuilders.com
Website: www.aviationrebuilders.com
The business is rated on all Continental and Lycoming
horizontally opposed engines, Gypsy Major and Lom Praha
M337 Inverted engines as well as PW R985/1340, Jacobs,
R755 Lycoming R680, Continental W670 and PZL A1-14RA
radial engines.
Contact Tom Willows: Cell: 082 336 7262
E-mail: ragwingsradialsaerobats@gmail.com
Mechanics at work

Central Flying Academy
Central Flying Academy has been in the business of training
future young pilots since 2001. Originally based at Grand
Central Airport the Academy now has 16 years’ experience, in
which time specific training notes and methods have evolved to
be of the best in the industry. This is borne out by the fact that
the academy was awarded the contract to undertake ab-initio
training for the South African Air Force during our period of
trading under the Babcock Central Flying Academy banner.
The school relocated to Rand Airport in 2013 where the
Academy now has its own hanger, offices, training facilities and
student accommodation.
CFA specialises in the training of fixed wing pilots with training
available seven days a week, starting with Private Pilot License
(PPL) through to Airline Transport Pilot License (ATP). The
syllabus has been approved by the South African Civil Aviation
Authority (SACAA), which ensures the highest training
standard. CFA has its own training notes which have an excellent
reputation and are used by several other training institutions and
individuals. All flight instructors are well qualified and include
airline transport pilots with thousands of flying hours logged.
CFA’s Chief Flying Instructor (CFI) and a number of other
instructors have done service in the training of pilots in the
SAAF during the ab intio phase of their programme.
A fully equipped South African Civil Aviation Authority
(SACAA) approved Flight Training Simulator (FNPT II), is
available for initial and recurrent instrument training, instructor
and instrument renewals. This simulator complies with all
SACAA requirements from PPL to ATPL. CFA also has state
of the art ground school facilities to best equip students for
examinations from PPL to ATPL. Highly qualified instructors
from within CFA as well as well-known industry professionals
conduct lectures.
Cessna 172 training aircraft
Briefing lecture room front

The CFA fleet of nine training aircraft which include seven
Cessna 172’s, one Cessna 172 RG for complex training and a
Piper Twin Comanche that ensure excellent availability and
backup at all times. CFA has a SACAA approved online exam
test centre is conveniently located at our premises for PPL exams.
Night Rating, Restricted Radio Licence, English Proficiency and
flight instructor exams and testing are available in the academy.
CFA has its own accommodation for students ensuring a
comfortable controlled environment in which to live and study.
Large grounds, swimming pool, BBQ lapa, internet and washing
are but some of the facilities available to residents.CFA is
situated at Rand Airport, which has many advantages for the
student. The general flying area is a mere ten minutes flying
time away from the airport ensuring maximum use of time for
flight training reduces unnecessary costs. Rand Airport has
two runways minimizing cancelled training due to excessive
crosswind conditions.
Furthermore, Rand Airport is a manned airport with its own Air
Traffic Controllers (ATC). This allows students to gain valuable
experience in radio procedures and interaction with ATC. The
CFA Radio License Course is presented by Senior Grade I/II
Instructors, which ensures that every student of CFA is trained
to the highest standard. Rand is located close to numerous
other airfields, which CFA utilises for advanced training and
away landings. Full runway lighting ensures full access for night
ratings or hour building at night. Rand airport is therefore a
24/7 facility.
CFA is committed to offering you, the prospective student
or pilot a professional, personal and rewarding experience, as
you start this new adventure or continue with your aviation
education. Safety and airmanship are the corner stones on which
CFA bases its culture and ethos. It is CFA’s goal that every pilot
that passes through its hands will leave with these principles
firmly entrenched in their future aviation careers, be it as a
professional or recreational aviator. Please feel free to come and
visit our training academy to personally experience our state of
the art facilities.
Contact:Tel: 011 824 4421 • E-mail: info@cfasa.co.za
Website: www.cfasa.co.za
Aircraft booking system
Flight Training Simulator (FNPT II)Instructor mechanical

Clifton Electronics CC
Situated in Hangar 27 at Rand Airport Clifton Electronics is a
family owned and run business, which has operated since 1986.
The company started its operations at Grand Central Airport
in Midrand and moved to Rand Airport in Germiston in 2001.
The company specialises in avionics and electronic instruments
as well as engine monitoring systems. In addition, Clifton
Electronics undertakes repairs and installations for most makes
of avionics and have over 90 years of combined experience
in aviation. The company has been a member of the Aircraft
Electronics Association since 1998.
Clifton Electronics
Dart Aeronautical
Dart Aeronautical has been a recognised name in the aviation
industry for more than 40 years and is the most comprehensive
Avionics, Electrical, Instrument and Autopilot component
overhaul facility in South Africa. The business caters to a
myriad of aircraft instrumentation, electrical and avionics needs,
which comprise autopilot systems, calibration, together with
maintenance, repairs, as well as the major overhaul of avionics,
instrumentation, electrical and autopilot components from
various manufacturers.
Dart Aeronautical offers repairs, overhauls, recalibrations
and recertification to all aircraft instrumentation, including
altimeters, airspeed indicators, temperature / pressure gauges
and air path compasses. Dart Aeronautical also services air-
driven gyroscopes and electric remote vertical directional gyros
and compass systems, as well as autopilot components from
servos to computers and many-many more. All repaired units
will leave looking like new, backed by a warranty.
Dart Aeronautical carries agencies on most of the popular aviation
brands, which enables the company to offer competitive pricing
when it comes to the supply of any system. Whether installing
a single unit or a fully integrated instrument / avionics package.
SACAA licensed technicians and installers produce a modern,
user friendly package tailored to the aircraft and the pilot. Dart
Aeronautical supplies the best after sales support to ensure that all
installations and future service are trouble free.
Helicopter instrument repair
Contact Tel: 011 383 2024
E-mail: enquiries@cliftonelectronics.com
Website: www.cliftonelectronics.com
Gyro instrument repair
Alternator repair

Reception
Emperor Aviation
Situated at hangar 8 at Rand airport, Emperor Aviation is a
helicopter maintenance facility AMO 1266. The company
opened its doors two years ago with company founder and
CEO Paul Sankey and his fellow director Jarrett Burishch at
the helm. Emperor specialises in Bell and Robinson helicopter
maintenance supporting the following types: R22, R44, R66,
Bell 206B, Bell 206L, Bell 407, Bell 222, Bell 230, Bell 430
and Bell 412. At just one year old, Emperor Aviation occupies
a newly renovated hangar, filled with all the correct tooling
and servicing equipment to manage minor to major servicing
on the above helicopter types. The investment in a new AMO
includes a full set of helicopter type manuals that include the
purchase of complete set of Rolls Royce / Allison turbine engine
maintenance data manuals.
Contact: Tel: 011 827 8204 Cell 083-265-6858
Website: www.aeronautical.co.za
E-mail: Pieter: pieterviljoen@mweb.co.za or
Jaco: jacokelly@mweb.co.za
Contact details: Cell: 082 497 1701 • Tel 011 824 5683
E-mail: paul@emperoraviation.co.za
Turn and slip repair
Air side of building
Dart Aeronautical specialises in layout, fabrication of all avionic
panels and system refurbishments where only the highest quality
material, parts and equipment are used.
Dart Aeronautical manufactures new panels, reducing the clutter
when you upgrade, to provide a flowing panel layout for ease of use,
which is still soft on the eyes. All the panel work is undertaken to
customers’ specifications, from the colour of the panel to the colour
of the lettering.

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