African Pilot 8-2020

COMMERCIAL PILOT

ZeroAvia’s innovation programme in the UK is part of the UK Government-backed Project
HyFlyer. Funded through Innovate UK and the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI)-led
Aerospace R&T programme, Project HyFlyer aims to decarbonise medium-range small
passenger aircraft by demonstrating powertrain technology to replace conventional engines
in propeller aircraft.The conventional powertrain in the aircraft will be replaced with electric
motors, hydrogen fuel cells and gas storage. Project HyFlyer will culminate in a UK-based
250-300 nautical mile (NM) flight from the Orkney Isles, an archipelago in the northern
islands of Scotland.

August 2020 African Pilot 49

DRONE PILOT

US–Swiss drone agreement reached

The FAA and the Switzerland Federal Office of Civil Aviation have
reached an agreement in harmonising domestic and international
safety standards for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

This agreement builds on US and Swiss efforts to ensure that the fastest growing and broadest
segment of aviation is integrated safely, efficiently and seamlessly around the world. “UAS
activities are now accepted worldwide as a vital sector of aviation,” said Jay Merkle, executive
director of the FAA’s UAS Integration Office. “This US / Swiss agreement continues the
move forward of the safe, efficient, and internationally harmonised integration of these
vehicles into the world’s airspace.”

The participants intend to collaborate under a Declaration of Intent (DOI) on UAS issues of
mutual interest and benefit. The primary objectives of the DOI are to provide opportunities
to engage in research and development; exchange ideas, personnel, and information; provide
coordination with other government entities and stakeholders and to collaborate on other
initiatives and projects determined to be of mutual interest and benefit in relation to UAS
operations. Specifically, the participants handle the oversight and regulations of UAS in
their nations’ airspace.

The Innovation and Digitalisation Unit of Switzerland’s Federal Office of Civil Aviation
(FOCA) is the primary authority and point of contact designated by the Swiss Confederation
under this agreement to develop regulations covering UAS activities, including certification
and surveillance of drone designers, manufacturers and operators. FOCA leads Swiss efforts
on UAS and is the designated authority in charge of facilitating the integration of drones
into Swiss airspace. FOCA also promotes technological and operational research in the field
and the development of all aspects related to these aircraft.

The FAA’s UAS Integration Office, the Agency’s technical point of contact under this
agreement, coordinates the development of drone-centric operating concepts, policies,
requirements, criteria and procedures for new system evaluations.The office is responsible for
leading the Agency’s innovation agenda to support UAS integration and the implementation
of emerging technologies, drone-related research and development priorities and the
development of international and domestic operating standards.

50 African Pilot August 2020

By Charlie Marais ACCIDENT REPORT

Speed kills Speed on the clock
is always finite, even
if you miss the point.
My mother used to say to
me during my pupil pilot
days at Langebaanweg

flying Impalas; “My boy,
just keep it safe, slow and
low.” She did not know

what she said, but I knew
what she meant.

I understood her concerns and theories and I had had some practice and experiences that could
prove my understanding of reality, but I would walk away from more than one sortie with my tail
between my legs. I walked away because, although well trained, I was green with more luck than I
deserved. Walking away was a privilege, sometimes with a seriously dented ego, but walking away
none the less. Speed in any aircraft has a minimum stalling speed and a top speed or velocity never
exceed (Vne) which could both mean death if treated with disrespect, ignorance, positive sweetness
and any emotion you could think of in between. However,speed of an aircraft has more magic to it.
Its lowest speed varies with the ‘Gs’you pull and so the affect the top speed. So,if you are not paying
enough attention and do not totally understand the speed factor in flying, the end result could be
even in full innocence, final. Speed on the clock, or air speed indicator, never jumps from one value
to another, it is like filling or emptying a glass with water. It never empties or fills up instantly, it
changes at the rate it has to. If you fail to see that the glass is tilted more than intended, the outflow
of water will surprise you. If the inflow is suddenly increased, you can sit with an overflowing
situation and when it comes to speed, or kinetic energy, the result could be seriously unwanted or
beyond the ability of your craft.

In my youthful eagerness to explore the magic of high speed flight, I decided to roll the
Impala inverted at around 160 knots and attempted a pull through. I was trained to do
the half-roll-pull-through, but elected not to reduce the speed to 110 knots before rolling
inverted and instead of pitching up around 30 degrees prior to commencing the roll, I
decided to do this from straight and level flight. Before I was halfway down, the speed
exceeded Mach 0.82, whilst the dials were moving with frightening speed. I stopped the
pitching moment before facing mother earth head-on, closed the throttle and deployed
the dive brake. Everything was shaking and the sea was getting bigger by the second. I
recovered eventually when the speed bled down to something more palatable and flew
straight back to Langebaanweg, shut down the aircraft and hid in one of the crew room
corners, waiting for the shakes to become less visible. How close I was to creating or
initiating flutter, I would never know, but years later when I was doing maximum speed
tests in the Puma, that incident was not far from my mind. However, a year or so before I
was at Central Flying School Dunnottar and had to do my first solo ever, in anything, but
this was the Harvard and the following event took place.

August 2020 African Pilot 51

ACCIDENT REPORT

After around 20 plus hours, I was deemed fit for solo and to kick this one off, I had to
perform a solo spin over Union Carriage, the train or locomotive builders in the town of
Springs. The solo spin was the highlight, as after that my wings could be spread. However,
spinning on your own meant that if anything went wrong, you were on your own as the
experience of the instructor was miles away watching you from the ATC tower. It was my
turn to earn the right to spread my wings. My instructor was in contact with me and when I
said I was ready; he gave the clearance for the spin. The spin was as advertised, but with the
adrenaline pumping in my ears I managed to hear my instructor wishing me well with my
first sortie in the General Flying Area; all by myself.

I chose to stay relatively close to home at the Evander power station where a long straight
road passed by. This road was perfect for the practicing of aerobatics. I was going to do
my first solo loop in a Harvard. First the HASELLL checks had to be done. Height was
sufficient; the aircraft configuration was mixture slightly richer at the altitude and pitch
fully fine with flaps and undercarriage up. Safety and security to ensure no loose articles and
engine temperatures and pressures were within limits. Lastly, I performed the lookout turn
through 270 degrees, followed by a 90 degree wingover to align the aircraft with the road
which was my reference line feature. The nose was now in a steep dive to get the speed up to
175 knots and then pitching up at around 4 ‘G’ during the loop initiation. The ‘Gs’ are then
reduced to around one at the top of the loop. Prior to going upside down, I flipped my head
back to pick up the second horizon. Wings are checked level and then the loop continues
downwards with mother earth rushing up toward me.

That is what was supposed to happen…but not that day. As I flipped my head back, I relaxed
too much on the control stick which in turn brought the speed down to below basic stalling
speed of around 67 knots and bleeding down quickly. I got a fright and pulled harder on the
stick. Not a smart move as the Harvard did what it then had to do; it stalled and flicked left
wing low. The adrenalin rush was nearly unbearable, but I decided then and there that I was
entering an unintended spin, so I decided to put her properly into the spin. I automatically
went through the actions to
enter the spin. Throttle closed,
left rudder in completely and
the control stick in my stomach.
She settled quickly and I started
the recovery. I did not wait for
three turns as was the case during
intentional spin manoeuvring. I
was high, but not as high as was
necessary for spinning,so the earth
came rushing towards me and I
patiently had to wait for the spin
rate to increase as an indication of
recovery taking place. It felt like

52 African Pilot August 2020

ACCIDENT REPORT

an eternity, but then the spin increased and the next moment the spin stopped. I neutralised
the rudder before she could enter a spin to the right and started pulling out of the dive
exactly as I was taught. As I pulled out of the spin, I noticed that I was only 800 feet above
the ground. I have never recovered from any spin or any aerobatic manoeuvre at such a low
height. With my heart beating in my throat, I realised that I was lucky.

My legs were lame, my knees were shaking and if anyone saw me, I would be washed (kicked
off the course). Needless to say, I lost all eagerness to practice anything for the rest of the
period. I flew straight and level and stayed close to the joining points as to get lost would be
the final nail. I told no one; that is until now. They say that respect is hard earned and that day
my attitude towards aerobatics changed. I was going to pay much more attention as aerobatics
still had an interesting future in store for me. Maybe I am telling this to put a bit of humour
into the discussion, but believe me, there was absolutely nothing funny about this and laughing
about it at a later stage is my way to try and forgive myself and to make the incident less
dramatic, brushing it off in a hidden desire to make myself the hero of the situation.

To learn from one’s mistakes is all good and great, but obviously only if you survive the
mistake. There are places and spaces where a mistake could possibly lead to a sad finality.
As a young aspirant pilot, I did not know and so it is with your students at any training
institution, as well as with some qualified. but not really capable pilots. I would like to speak
directly to our instructors out there. A general opinion would be that too many of your
students like you. Yes, they need to respect you, but respect is earned and not through being
nice. You cannot be everyone’s friend, but rather everyone’s teacher. Strict with procedures,
hard on a student to learn how to handle adversity and pedantic when it comes to techniques
whether it be normal or emergency application. A pilot must be able to multi-skill, especially
during trying times. Speed monitoring is one of those basics that should not be forgiven by
an instructor, as the aircraft will definitely not forgive you. There are far too many situations
where a student is distracted to the point of getting the aircraft in a stalled condition.
Not just in busy circuits, even in quiet circuits when an unexpected aircraft joins, some
reactive ATC and much more. When facing unfamiliar territory outside the aircraft and
adversity inside the aircraft, the chances of losing control due to being distracted from the
basics that makes flight possible, is not just a strong possibility, but a proven reality.

Teaching speed monitoring
and control supersedes any
other attention grabber, but
it takes discipline. Not the
internal kind, the external
kind where you will only be
released when the right stuff
happens by adapted nature.
Repetition is king. If you
do the correct things all the

SAAF Harvard August 2020 African Pilot 53

ACCIDENT REPORT

time, never get away from your instructor for neglecting such serious fundamentals, your
subconscious faculties are aligned with the truth. Your correct behaviour becomes automatic
and the possibility of failure in that respect exponentially reduces. To lose control less than
1000 feet above the ground is rarely forgiven. Nature and your aircraft do not care. The
most frightening things are not that we did not know that it could happen, it is that it is
happening, and we may not have seen this in actual life before and recovering becomes a
guess on the go.

Recommendations
Flying is a serious business. Your respect for yourself resides in how well you allowed
yourself to be prepared. However, when you are a teacher, your learner does not know
about self-respect in terms of aviation. Instructor, you have the full responsibility to
prepare the student to show respect to the aircraft, the environment, to science and to him
or herself. Your standard is the measuring stick used on your product. Make no mistake,
the weak points will surface.

Exposure to adverse conditions is key to handling the unexpected. It may be unexpected,
but it is not unknown. I have seen it, I have experienced the effect and I had to handle
it, now I have some chance in handling the unexpected. Yes, but to practise recoveries
below 1000 feet above ground level (AGL) is suicide, you say. Yes, it is. Go and practise
at 5000 feet AGL and record the actions and the recovery heights achieved. The first one
will take a few thousand feet as the techniques do not come naturally and the situation is
overwhelming. The next time it is better until I can take up the challenge. No, I am never
going to practice it below 1000 feet AGL, but I now recover in 600 feet and I now have
a chance. However, my student does not like it and is scared, you reply. Yes, and dead
when it matters most. Aviation is not for the faint hearted, but for the skilled to survive
any aircraft upset. This is not a new concept – please – we used to call it and still call it
recovery from unusual attitudes. Only after the student experiences life after each unusual
attitude recovery, the penny will drop that recognition of a sad situation, coupled to the
correct recovery actions, saves the day every time. This leads to confidence that will realise
in avoidance in the first place as the result will be familiar, but in the event of crossing the
line, one will not freeze and recovery will save the day.

Please stop being such
a nice person. Nice is
such a non-definitive
weak adjective to
somehow carry some
validity when it comes
to making the grade.
To be nice is boring,
ineffective, general and
pretty much below

54 African Pilot August 2020 SAAF Impala

ACCIDENT REPORT

average. Be admired, be respected and be a pain in the butt when death is an option. Know
the techniques, get to learn more yourself and never see another’s life as just the product of
boring holes in the sky.

The age that one is allowed to go solo in an aircraft is two years less than going solo
in a car. By derivation it stems that driving a car is more dangerous and requires more
maturity. A car on a busy road is for sure more complicated than a downwind without
any lines or traffic coming in the opposite direction. Somehow, I can relate to this
difference, but it does not mean that age and maturity follows a linear path. Who is
it that wants a kid to be solo at the age of 16? Is it the kid or is it the parents? Some
18 year olds also need more attitude correction than should theoretically be required.
I have been pressurised so may times to send someone solo that was not ready for the
big moment. I have been accused of being just power mad, in some cases a chauvinist
and even a racist for not sending someone solo when that person thinks I should.
Here is the thing; if I send you solo and you were not entirely ready, I could be called
a murderer. Now you have to make the decision; do you want me to be power mad,
a chauvinist and a racist, or a murderer? Name calling only shows the inability to
argue a valid point, but death does not care. As the instructor, I must care enough to
understand that sometimes helping is construed as hurting, but sometimes hurting
is just what was needed to help. Maturity matters and once again, the instructor’s
judgement matters in this matter that matters.

I know, we are in the age of instant gratification. The problem is that nature does not follow
trends, wishes, self-indulgence and claims of deserving a second chance. Your aircraft is still
the result of pre-artificial intelligence (AI) control. As AI progresses, flying may eventually
become an instant gratification qualification, but until then, if ever, we will pay with blood
when the knowledge, skills and our attitude are not aligned with nature and our craft.

To survive this life long enough to make a difference,cannot be claimed,but is the product of being
trained. Luck has a proven 50/50 chance and for that fact, is not considered to add or subtract
from the average survivability rate. No one ever deserved or can claim the right to be given wings,
they all earned them. The right to wings can never be passed from one generation to another or be
claimed by anyone. Having said that; as instructors we must understand our task in the evolution

of the aviator’s craft. Are you
the instructor this generation
of aviators needs, can trust,
admire and aspires to be?
Remember, an instructor will
always clone him or herself as
the foundation from which
the student can successfully
develop from an ugly duckling
into a swan.

August 2020 African Pilot 55

SAAF Puma helicopter

FLYING CARS

Australia’s NSW government awards

$1m grant to develop ‘flying car’

Testing facility for zero-emissions four-passenger electric aircraft
expected to be built in Narromine within the year.

The New South Wales government has
awarded almost $1m from a regional grants
fund to a company developing what deputy
premier John Barilaro describes as an electric
flying car. Andrew Moore, the chief executive
of start-up AMSL Aero, says the company
is building what is better described as an
electric aircraft that takes off and lands like a
helicopter, but travels with the efficiency and
speed of a plane. The project, which has been
in development for a few years, has been granted $950,000 to establish a testing facility and
conduct flight tests in the NSW central west region of Narromine.

Moore, an aeronautical engineer, said the company’s aim was to produce a zero-emissions aircraft
that provides a new method of transport to connect regional and urban communities without a
carbon footprint.Few details about the aircraft itself are available.A prototype is under construction
which Moore said would be unveiled in a couple of months.The prototype relies on battery storage,
but Moore said the aircraft was designed to integrate a hydrogen fuel cell “when that technology
reaches full maturity.’It will be the size of an average family car, carrying four passengers plus a pilot
and will take- off and land on a helipad-sized landing site.Moore said it was intended to be low cost
and would initially travel distances equivalent to a Sydney to Canberra journey.Future versions would
be capable of distances in the order of a Sydney to Melbourne trip, or greater.“We have targeted an
extremely efficient design that will lead to a more affordable and environmentally friendly transport
option,” Moore said. “We know that the regions pay a lot more for air travel than some of the big
urban centres, so part of this is about enabling those regions to be better connected.”The model in
development would have a pilot on board, but future models would include automation.

Barilaro announced AMSL Aero would receive $950,000 from the government’s regional
investment attraction fund, which was set up to encourage investment and jobs in regional NSW.
The grant is for construction of a testing site at Narromine airport, where the company will
conduct developmental test flights and later, certification flight testing, with a goal of achieving
certification at the end of 2023. Barilaro said the technology had the potential to overcome the
tyranny of distance many regional communities experienced, meaning people could travel to jobs,
or visit family in remote locations and deliver tourists to ‘hard-to-reach’ outback havens.

“It sounds like science fiction, but the reality is a future where this is possible, practical and
affordable is not that far away and I am proud that our investment attraction grant will help
the development of this new technology and support jobs in regional NSW.” The testing
facility will be built in the next six to 12 months.

56 African Pilot August 2020

This ‘Made in Israel’ FLYING CARS

flying car aims to be Uber in the sky

The six-seater CityHawk is wingless and the size of a large SUV so that it can
land on a sidewalk near homes and offices.

Once a part of comic book and movie folklore,
flying cars are not now merely fictional characters.
Although they have not really‘taken off ’in the real
world, some companies are not giving up on the
idea. Israel-based Urban Aeronautics’ Company
is developing its CityHawk flying cars, powered
by hydrogen fuel cells. The company aims to
deploy these flying cars like Uber in the sky. The
company has recently signed an agreement with
HyPoint to advance the incorporation of hydrogen fuel cell power in its CityHawk eVTOL design.

CityHawk is a six-seater vehicle, with a uniquely compact footprint and no external wings or
rotors. Its small footprint / high payload configuration is optimised for urban transportation
and emergency response.The rotor less,wingless design offers enhanced safety and unrestricted
mobility with unique ‘fly anywhere, land anywhere’ door-to-door transportation capability.
It features Urban Aeronautics’ ground-breaking internal rotor Fancraft technology, which
utilises powerful ducted fans in combination with innovative aerodynamic technologies that
result in superior control, stability, speed, safety, noise reduction and sustainability.

“We look forward to collaborating with HyPoint on the integration of the next generation
of hydrogen fuel cell systems for eVTOL transportation and the urban air mobility market,”
said Rafi Yoeli, CEO of Urban Aeronautics. “As a high-power, 100 percent environmentally
friendly fuel, hydrogen is the key to the future of eVTOL aircraft.”

Urban Aeronautics has spent the last decade and a half perfecting the internal propeller
system called Fancraft that is safer for pedestrians and takes up much less space. The flying
car is the size of a large SUV so that it can land on a sidewalk near homes and offices.
Alternatively, up to four CityHawks could land on the roof of an office building compared
with just a single traditionally sized helicopter.

HyPoint’s hydrogen fuel cell design features zero carbon emissions and superior energy performance
through higher specific power and practical output power capacity. The company’s new turbo-air
cooled fuel cells increase the lifespan of hydrogen powertrains from 5,000 to 20,000 hours and only
take a few minutes to refuel, representing a significant improvement over the existing system.

“We were very impressed with the next generation of flying vehicles being developed by

Urban Aeronautics, as well as its commitment to hydrogen power. We look forward to
working with it on this exciting project,

”said Alex Ivanenko, Founder and CEO of HyPoint.

August 2020 African Pilot 57

2020 Event Venue Contact
5 August
EAA Chapter 322 Zoom Neil Bowden
Monthly Meeting [email protected]

8 - 10 August SAPFA Rally Training Camp Brits Mary de Klerk 084 880 9000
Cancelled for 2020 Airfield [email protected]

11 - 14 August NAMPO Harvest Day Bennie Zaayman, Wim Venter: 082 414 8099
Cancelled for 2020 NAMPO Park

[email protected]

22 August Bethlehem Airshow Bethlehem Stephan Fourie
Cancelled for 2020 [email protected]

21 - 22 August SAPFA Middelburg Middelburg Jonty Esser 082 855 9435
Speed Rally Airfield [email protected]

27 - 28August Africa Drone Virtual Conference 011 886 0433
Conference www.vukanicomms.co.za

29 August Sling Aircraft Tedderfield Shanelle McKechnie 066 224 2128
Breakfast Fly-in Airfield [email protected]

4 - 6 Spetember EAA Sun ‘n Fun and Fun Rally Groblersdal Karl Jensen 082 331 4652 [email protected]
Airfield Rob Jonkers 082 804 7032 [email protected]
Cancelled for 2020

6 Spetember Rand Airshow Rand Airport Stuart Coetzee 011 827 8884 / 082 444 0407
Cancelled for 2020 [email protected]

11 - 12 Spetember SAPFA Secunda Secunda Jonty Esser 082 855 9435
Speed Rally Airfield [email protected]

16 - 20 Spetember Africa Aerospace and Defence AFB Waterkloof Leona Redlinghuis [email protected]
Cancelled for 2020 Pretoria

23 - 24 Spetember KZN Spring Carnival Inanda John Neilon 082 485 5514
Dam [email protected]

24 Spetember Great Train Race and Fly-in Heidelberg Van Zyl Schultz 082 560 2275
Airfield [email protected]

26 Spetember Garden Route Airshow George Brett Scheuble 084 418 3836
Airport [email protected]

3 October SAPFA Witbank Fun Rally Witbank Rob Jonkers 082 804 7032
Airfield [email protected]

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: [email protected] 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: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

Management & Airshow Authorisation: Tania van den Berg E-mail: [email protected] SACAA Website: www.caa.co.za

58 African Pilot August 2020

August 2020 African Pilot 59

HELICOPTER PILOT

JAPAN’S NATIONAL
POLICE AGENCY

ORDERS FIVE NEW HELICOPTERS

Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) has ordered one new
Airbus H225 and four Airbus H135 helicopters as part
of its fleet modernisation programme.

Presently operating 12 Airbus H135
H135, four H155 and
six AS365 helicopters,
with one H215 and two H225

already on order, NPA deploys

its growing fleet for missions

including law enforcement,

personnel and VIP transport,

goods transportation,

disaster relief, as well as wide

area support. The five new

helicopters will complement

the agency’s law enforcement

capabilities. The new order will

take NPA’s Airbus fleet to 30.

Airbus Helicopters treasures the opportunity to support Japan’s
wide-ranging law enforcement missions for more than 30 years with our

light twin, medium and heavy-lift helicopters. We thank NPA for its
continued trust built over the years and welcome the agency as a new
customer for our Super Puma helicopters. With an enlarged fleet, not just in
numbers, but also in range and capacity, we are fully confident that the new
helicopters will be a timely addition, reinforcing the agency’s operations,

said Guillaume Leprince, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters, Japan.

60 African Pilot August 2020

HELICOPTER PILOT

The H135 is an outstanding market leader in the light twin-engine helicopter segment,
known for its compact build, agility, reliability and versatility. Its high availability is a strong
trait for law enforcement missions. In Japan, H135 operators benefit from the training
support offered by Airbus Helicopters’ Kobe-based H135 full flight simulator centre.
There are currently 94 H135 helicopters operating in Japan today. Globally, Airbus has
delivered more than 1,375 H135s to about 300 customers world-wide, clocking over 5.4
million flight hours.

Offering the industry’s best range, speed, payload and reliability in an 11-ton-category
twin-turbine rotorcraft, the H225 is the latest member of Airbus Helicopters’ Super
Puma family that has accumulated more than 5.7 million flight hours in all-weather
conditions around the world. H225 offers outstanding endurance and fast cruise speed
and can be fitted with various equipment to suit a variety of roles. In Japan alone, a total
of 28 helicopters from the Super Puma family are currently flown by civil, parapublic
operators and Japan’s Ministry of Defence for various search and rescue missions, VIP,
fire-fighting and heavy lifting.

Airbus H225

August 2020 African Pilot 61

HELICOPTER PILOT

Airbus H160 receives EASA approval

Airbus Helicopters’ multi-role twin engine H160 has been granted
its type certificate by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA), marking a new chapter for the programme. The company is
expecting FAA certification to follow shortly prior to first delivery to
an undisclosed US customer later this year.
“The successful completion of the H160 Type Certificate is the result of several years of
tremendous work and efforts accomplished jointly by the involved technical teams of
the Agency and Airbus Helicopters in a remarkable fruitful cooperation spirit,” EASA
Certification Director Rachel Daeschler said. “It is the result of thorough design and testing
efforts, to ensure the highest safety standards are reached. The design of the H160 makes
it suitable for a wide range of versatile missions. It is also one of the most environmentally
friendly helicopters with respect to fuel consumption and one of the quietest helicopters
of its class. My personal appreciation and warmest congratulations are conveyed to the
technical staff who continuously showed high commitment for constructive collaboration to
overcome the challenges inherent to this type certification project,” she added. Bruno Even,
Airbus Helicopters’ CEO said: “We are proud that the H160 has received its EASA type
certificate. This achievement represents years of hard work designing, industrialising and
defining the support ecosystem with our suppliers and partners and I would like to thank
everyone who has dedicated their time and energy to turning this next generation helicopter

62 African Pilot August 2020

HELICOPTER PILOT

into reality. I now look forward to the H160 entering service and offering to customers
worldwide, its innovative features that bring competitiveness alongside additional comfort
and safety to customers.

Airbus Helicopters relied on three prototypes, the first serial aircraft and two additional
test aircraft to develop and certify the aircraft and continues to mature the aircraft ahead
of entry into service. The helicopters have flown over 1500 hours both for flight tests and
demonstration flights so that customers can experience first-hand the innovation and added
value the H160 will bring to their missions.

Designed as a multi-role helicopter able to perform a wide range of missions such as offshore
transportation, emergency medical services, private and business aviation and public services,
the H160 integrates Airbus Helicopters’ latest technological innovations. These include
breakthrough safety features with Helionix’s accrued pilot assistance and automated features
as well as flight envelop protection. The helicopter also provides passengers with superior
comfort thanks to the sound-reducing Blue Edge blades and superb external visibility that
benefits both passengers and pilots.

The H160 was not just designed with passengers and pilots in mind. Operators will appreciate
its competitiveness thanks to its increased fuel efficiency and customer-centric simplified
maintenance eco-system. Equipment accessibility has been facilitated by the helicopter’s
optimised architecture and the maintenance plan was thoroughly verified during the Operator
Zero campaigns, whilst it is delivered with intuitive 3D maintenance documentation.

August 2020 African Pilot 63

UNBELIEVABLE SURVIVORS
OF PLANE CRASHES

Aviation history holds many disastrous aircraft crashes, which happened due to
numerous reasons. Starting from the terrible weather and technical aircraft failure,
finishing with a lack of fuel to reach the destination.

Some of the tragic airplane crashes have a miraculous side of the story, the survivors. Some
of them followed the safety protocol, others fainted out and got lucky to survive the crash.
These stories of survivors truly satisfy the definition of miracles.

The 12-year-old survivor of Yemenia Flight 626 crash
Bahia Bakari was the only person to survive
the Yemenia Flight 626 crash in 2009.
The disastrous crash killed 152 people on
board, except for 12-year-old Bahia. She
survived by holding onto plane wreckage for
over 13 hours before rescuers found her in the
Indian Ocean. Knowing that the 12-year-old
survivor was barely able to swim, did not have a life vest and managed to survive the crash, Bahia
became ‘the miracle girl’ to the world’s media. The last report of the Yemenia Flight 626 crash
concluded that the inappropriate flight control inputs of the crew led to an aerodynamic stall.

The nine-year-old survivor of Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330 crash
In 2010, Afriqiyah Airways Airbus
A330 crashed just short of the runway of
Tripoli airport in Libya.The sole survivor,
nine-year-old Ruben van Assouw, was
coming back from a safari with his
parents and brother, who were amongst
the 103 killed people. Ruben was found half a mile away, semi-conscious and still
strapped to his airplane seat. Ruben suffered four fractures to his legs and lost a lot
of blood, but his head and neck were unharmed. Doctors said several reasons played a
role in his extraordinary survival, including where he was seated in the plane.

One of seven survivors of Northern Thunderbird Air flight
Due to an unsecured oil cap on the aircraft,
a Northern Thunderbird Air flight crashed
on a six-lane hiway during the rush hour in
2011.TheplanewasheadingtoKelowna,British
Columbia.Even though the pilot realised there
was a leak,it was too late to return to the airport.
One of the seven survivors was 49-year-old
Carolyn Cross, who blacked out whilst the plane was falling and woke up after she smelled the
fuel. Carolyn managed to drag herself to the door of the plane. Although the survivor experienced
numerous injuries, including head trauma, broken ribs, teeth and jaw, eventually, she recovered.

64 African Pilot August 2020

One survivor from the Bombardier
CRJ-100 crash
In 2011, Georgian Airways Bombardier
CRJ-100 crashed whilst attempting to land in a thunderstorm at Kinshasa Airport.The passenger
jet was heading from Kisangani to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.The accident
killed 32 people on board. All of them were part of United Nations staff and peacekeepers. Only
Francis Mwamba, a Congolese journalist, survived the crash. Francis remembered the aircraft
shaking violently before the crash. He blacked out and woke up in the hospital.

Mother and her baby survived the
Colombia jungle plane crash
In 2015,a small Cessna plane crashed into
the Colombian jungle, killing all people
on board, except for 18-year-old Maria
Nelly Murillo and her one-year-old baby
boy. After the accident, the Colombian
Air Force found the crashed plane and searched for survivors. Five days later, Maria was found
about 500 metres from the site of the crash.Maria managed to open the cabin door and run into the
jungle as the fire was enveloping the whole cabin. Although the mother and her baby were treated
for burns, dehydration and a broken ankle, miraculously, they survived the plane crash.

One of six survivors of the LaMia
Flight 2933 crash
In 2016, LaMia Flight 2933 crash killed
71 people, including most members of
the Chapecoense soccer team, other
passengers and most of the crew. After the tragedy, a probe found that the plane did not have
enough fuel to reach its destination. Erwin Tumiri was one of six miraculous survivors of the plane
crash. Erwin, who was also a crew member, said that following the protocol has saved his life. The
survivor saved himself by putting bags between his legs and setting himself in the foetal position.

One of five survivors South African
Airways Flight 228
On 20 April 1968, a scheduled flight
from Jan Smuts International Airport in
Johannesburg, South Africa, to London
Heathrow International Airport in England.The plane operating the flight, which was only six
weeks old, flew into the ground soon after take-off after a scheduled stopover in Windhoek,
South West Africa (present day Namibia). Five passengers survived, whilst 123 people died.
The subsequent investigation determined that the accident was attributable largely to pilot
error; the manufacturer subsequently also recognised the lack of a ground proximity warning
system in its aircraft. Nine passengers who were seated in the forward section of the fuselage
initially survived, but two died soon after the accident and another two a few days later, leaving
a final death toll of 123 passengers and crew. A US diplomatic courier Thomas Taylor from
Oklahoma was thrown clear when the Boeing 707 smashed into the arid South West African
veld soon after taking off from Windhoek.

August 2020 African Pilot 65

Sole survivor of a crash which killed her fiancé
spent eight days in the Vietnamese jungle
Annette Herfkins was 31 when she was on
Vietnam Airlines Flight 474, which hit trees
on the descent and crashed in 1992. She
was the only person who survived. She had
fractured hips, a collapsed lung, and her jaw was displaced, but still, she managed to climb
out of the plane and used any source of water she could find to stay hydrated, meditating
to pass the time. Eventually, she was rescued when a police officer found her out there.
“They showed me a passenger list from the flight and I pointed out my name,” she said in
her book “Turbulence: A True Story of Survival.”

Journalist was the sole survivor of plane
crash that killed president of the Philippines
The 1957 crash of an army plane into a mountain
in Cebu,Philippines,killed the country’s president,
Ramon Magsaysay, as well as 25 other passengers
and crew. The sole survivor was journalist Nestor
Mata, who had second- and third-degree burns
all over his body. He was found on the side of
a steep cliff. For 18 hours, rescuers took turns
carrying Mata down the cliffside in a hammock.
“When a physician saw what I had just done,he remarked:‘You are newsman to the end,’Mata told
Philippines Free Press.

The co-pilot who survived a 2006 crash that
killed 49 passengers
The crash of Comair Flight 5191 had only one
survivor: the co-pilot, Jim Polehinke. The crash
killed 49 passengers at Lexington’s Blue Grass
Airport,according to WKYT.Polehinke sustained
some serious injuries and later had one of his legs
amputated.He was told he would never walk again.“He kept that article with all the pictures of the
people’s faces and their profiles under his chair,”his wife Ida said “He knows everybody; their faces
and their names, what they did, to where they were going.”Polehinke opened up about the crash in
the 2013 documentary ‘Sole Survivor.’

Survivor recalls final moments of Pakistan
plane crash that killed 97
On 22 June 2020, when the plane jolted violently,
Mohammad Zubair thought it was turbulence.
Then the pilot came on the intercom to warn that
the landing could be ‘troublesome.’That was the last thing Zubair remembered until he woke up in
a scene of chaos. Moments later, the Pakistan International Airlines’ flight crashed into a crowded
neighbourhood near Karachi’s international airport, killing 97 people, all of whom were believed to
be passengers and crew members. Zubair was one of just two surviving passengers. “I saw so much
smoke and fire. I heard people crying, children crying.” He crawled his way out of the smoke and
rubble and was eventually picked up and rushed into an ambulance. The black box that will detail
the final moments of the flight was recovered within hours of the crash and is with authorities.

66 African Pilot August 2020

August 2020 African Pilot 67

MILITARY PILOT

Airbus forms Team Nightjar to deliver
Australian industry capability

Airbus Helicopters has joined hands with over 20 Australian partners to form Team
Nightjar, as the consortium launches its solution to Project LAND 2097 Phase 4.

U nder this Project, the Commonwealth of Australia is seeking a fleet of
helicopters to support the Australian Defence Force’s Special Operations.
Bringing together Australia’s best industry capabilities and academia, the Team
Nightjar members include: Cablex, Cyborg Dynamics, Deakin University, DEWC,
ECLIPS, Ferra Engineering, Helicopter Logistics, Helimods, Kinetic Fighting, Kratos
Australia, Microflite, PREDICT Australia, QinetiQ Australia, Safran Helicopter
Engines Australia, Seeing Machines, Sigma Bravo, Rusada, TAFE NSW, Tagai
Management Consultants, Toll Helicopters, University of Technology Sydney, Varley
Group and Varley Rafael Australia.
In response to the Commonwealth of Australia’s request for proposal for a four-tonne class,
rapidly deployable, multi-role helicopter for the Australian Special Forces, Team Nightjar
will be offering a fleet of the highly capable Airbus H145M and in-country support.
The local consortium will deliver world leading training solutions, empower indigenous

68 African Pilot August 2020

MILITARY PILOT

participation and enable rapid design and delivery of enhancements throughout the
programme’s lifetime. With a clear commitment to invest in Australian-led innovation,
the teaming proposal will generate over AUD250 million of economic benefits and more
than 170 Australian jobs.

The Commonwealth is seeking a proven, mature and highly reliable off-the-shelf
platform and robust support systems. The H145M that is proposed is the latest
member of the H145 family, which has flown over 5.9 million hours with more than
1,400 aircraft in service globally across civil, parapublic and military domains. It is
well supported by a mature global network. The H145M is an exemplar platform for
light special operations and is a solid match for the Special Forces’ requirements, with
proven capabilities for no-fail, high-readiness missions.

The light twin-engine aircraft is an operationally proven, affordable and low-risk
option for Australia, complementing the MRH90 Taipan with improved mobility and
situational awareness for special operations. By virtue of its compact size, the H145M
will be optimised for operations within dense urban terrain and will be rapidly deployable
via a C-17A Globemaster.

The H145M is tried and tested and is gaining popularity amongst defence forces due to
its excellent price-performance ratio and the short delivery time, counting military forces
in Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Serbia and Thailand as customers. In particular, the
H145M is today supporting special operations roles with the German Armed Forces
(Bundeswehr) with mission readiness of above 99%, delivering safety and superior power
and payload.

Airbus has nearly two decades of presence in Australia, building extensive local industrial
capabilities and network, in support of the country’s defence and commercial aviation.With a
strong local team of more than 1,500 employees working across 23 sites for civil and military
fixed-wing and rotary wing aircraft, the company has injected over A$1.7 billion of activities
into the Australian aerospace industry, including A$100 million of direct investments from
ARH Tiger and MRH90 projects.

Australia’s smallest nocturnal bird of prey, the nightjar’s characteristics include agility,
stealth through its compact size, excellent camouflage, silence in flight and non-reflective
eyes. The nightjar is known to hunt in pairs and catch prey on the wing, combining its
heightened senses, agility, speed, power and focus – characteristics which are critical for
Special Operations. With close resemblance to Airbus’ H145M, the Australian nightjar is
adopted as the inspiration for the team’s response to Project LAND 2097 Phase 4.

August 2020 African Pilot 69

MILITARY PILOT

BOEING DELIVERS 2,500TH

AH-64 APACHE HELICOPTER

Recently, Boeing delivered its 2,500th AH-64 Apache helicopter,
an E-model Apache for the US Army, from the company’s
production line in Mesa, Arizona.

The first production AH-64, an A-model Apache, rolled off the assembly line on
30 September 1983, and was delivered by Boeing heritage company McDonnell
Douglas to the US Army in January 1984.Today, Boeing is producing and delivering
AH-64E helicopters to a growing list of customers around the world. “The Apache has built
an impressive legacy of success and is well-positioned to bring relevant technologies and
capabilities that defence forces require today and, in the future,” said Kathleen Jolivette, Vice
President of Attack Helicopter Programmes and Senior Mesa Site Executive. “Company
teammates and suppliers worldwide are focused on assembling, delivering and supporting
US and global customers working to deter aggression and defend freedom. Apache is ready
to have a key role in the future of multi-domain operations.”

The present E-model Apache features integrated technologies including communications
and navigation capabilities to enhance situational awareness and coordination; a new, faster

multi-core mission processor for advanced
systems’ integration; as well as maritime
capability in the Fire Control Radar for
watercraft detection and identification
along with a shorter engagement
timeline. The helicopter’s improved
drive system includes a split-torque face
gear transmission, a 701D engine and
composite main rotor blades that ensure
the Apache succeeds as a highly stable
aerial weapons-delivery platform.

Selected by, or in service today with the
US Army and the defence forces of 15
nations, Apache helicopters are equipped
to fulfil the requirements of aviators

70 African Pilot August 2020

MILITARY PILOT

and battlefield commanders for decades to come. Planned modernisation has ensured
that Apaches have evolved with revolutionary technologies. Today’s helicopters feature
capabilities for resiliency in multi-mission operational environments. “As a former Army
aviator with military service dating back to October 1978 and later selected to fly the first
AH-64A and later the AH-64D model Apaches, it is a thrill today to be a part of the
crews which completed flight testing on aircraft during development and prior to delivery to
customers,” said Dave Guthrie, Boeing’s chief pilot for Apache programmes.

I know that I am part of this helicopter’s
history and its future.

Legacy Apache deliveries, including new-build and remanufactured helicopters, include
937 A-models through 1997, more than 1,000 AH-64Ds between 1997 and 2013, and more
than 500 E-models since 2011.

August 2020 African Pilot 71

MILITARY PILOT

SIKORSKY-BOEING
SB-1 DEFIANT

REACHES 200 KNOTS

In a flight test on 9 June, the Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant
flew at 205 knots (380km/h)

On 16 June,Boeing and Sikorsky announced that the compound co-axial helicopter
passed the 200 knots mark for the first time whilst flying at Sikorsky’s West
Palm Beach Development Flight Test Centre in Florida. Within a few months,
the Sikorsky-Boeing team will be pushing for the helicopter to top 250 knots above the
US Army’s 230 knot cruise speed requirement for the future long-range assault aircraft
(FLRAA) programme. “We went to 205 knots with less than 50% of the installed
propeller power,” says Bill Fell, lead test pilot for the SB-1. “So, expect a lot more in the
future because we have a lot more power to apply to this machine.”

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MILITARY PILOT

The Sikorsky-Boeing team has logged 18 hours of flight time on the SB-1, as well as
20 hours on ground test runs on the helicopter and 113 hours on a separate powertrain
system test bed (PSTB). The SB-1 is competing against Bell’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor in
the US Army’s FRLAA programme. That aircraft has reached a top speed of 300 knots.
The Sikorsky-Boeing team argues that the SB-1’s advantage over the V-280 is its ability
to reverse its pusher propeller and use it as an air brake to slow or quickly stop the
compound helicopter. The companies also say the aircraft’s rigid main rotor system gives
it more control power, making it nimbler. Fell notes that in test flights those features
have allowed the rotorcraft to perform aggressive manoeuvres. “We did a little formation
down the runway with our chase ship and I banked it over into a 45° angle bank on the
treetops to turn around and come back,” he says. “I put all that negative pitch on it and
it just felt natural.”

So far, most flight tests have been focused on pushing the top speed envelope, as that is
likely to be more challenging than proving the rotorcraft’s manoeuvrability. In a powered
wind tunnel test, the SB-1 has demonstrated the ability to fly at 250 knots, so the team
believe topping that speed is achievable. Flight test speeds are likely to be increased by
increments of 20 knots per test, depending on the results of testing on the PSTB.

Speed is crucial to the US Army’s vision of a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk replacement
that can carry troops into battle so quickly that enemy air defences will not be able
to react. “For us, the kind of speed that matters is minimising your exposure in that
integrated air-defence system threat,” says Randy Rotte, Boeing’s director of global
sales and marketing for US Army Future Vertical Lift programmes. Rotte adds: “By
flying below or quickly past enemy radar, the SB-1 can minimise the opportunity for
the rotorcraft to be detected, acquired, tracked and fired upon. So, you are breaking
that ‘kill chain’ with a combination of speed and great manoeuvrability.” To fly low
and fast, Sikorsky and Boeing are working on a separate US Army programme called
Advanced Flight Controls, that will automate some of the aircraft handling, for example
to facilitate terrain avoidance or nap of the Earth flight. Those flight control laws are
being developed and tested in a laboratory setting.

We have developed enough fly-by-wire aircraft to believe
there is no reason why we cannot easily merge the two and

test it out in flight tests, says Fell.

As part of the ongoing, competitive demonstration and risk-reduction phase of FLRAA,
the Sikorsky-Boeing team is conducting trade studies with the US Army to determine
how adding or removing different features would impact the SB-1’s speed, range and
payload. The aircraft is undergoing a design review currently with the service.

August 2020 African Pilot 73

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FLYING 1,500 MILES WITH
FUMES IN THE COCKPIT

BY TOM CURRAN

We were flying a B-1B, non-stop from Andersen Air Force Base,
Guam, to Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. We were
heading home after a lengthy deployment and we were all
looking forward to family reunions and that Big Hug!

We departed Guam at 22h00 local time, along with an accompanying
KC-10 ‘Extender’ tanker. We took a quick sip of gas shortly after take-off,
to test our air refuelling system, then topped off about two hours later. It is
roughly 3,300 nms. from Guam to Hawaii. The plan was to fill up again northwest of
Hawaii; we would then continue to our destination, whilst the tanker would land back
at Hickam AFB on Oahu. Over the Pacific Ocean, at night, is not the time for fumes.
Just past the halfway point, we were suddenly hammered by an extremely pungent odour
in the cockpit.

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Our training kicked in and we immediately went from our ‘cruise comfort’ configuration
(regular David Clark headsets with boom mics) to donning our helmets with oxygen masks
secured. The smell was so bad, you could almost taste it. Even with our masks on, there was
still a faint odour. Without a tight mask seal, it made you gag. Once everyone was on oxygen,
we quickly jumped into completing the smoke and fumes elimination checklist. A key step
in that checklist is: determine source of smoke. However, there was not any smoke.

In fact, there were not any Master Caution Panel lights, individual system warning lights, or
any other indications. All the instruments appeared normal, the engines responded to throttle
movements correctly and all the flight controls functioned properly. All our equipment,
including the complex, automated fuel and centre of gravity management system (FCGMS),
still worked. The B-1B also has an integrated test capability that monitors virtually every
system on board the jet and it showed no malfunctions. The scariest part: it definitely did
not smell ‘electrical’ and we could not isolate the source. There were no strange sounds,
abnormal vibrations, or unusual ‘seat-of-the-pants’ sensations. To my very experienced crew,
everything felt normal.

The ‘Bone’ has several f ire, overheat and pressurisation-related
emergency procedure checklists. We went through each one,
very methodically, several times…
of course, we had nothing better to do!

I ordered the crew to also go through our ‘controlled ejection’ and ‘bailout’ checklists. After
completing all these checklists, we realised it is virtually impossible to fight an invisible
enemy. We turned off everything we did not need to aviate and navigate with; we shut off all
the cockpit lighting to help us see if anything was ‘glowing’ in the dark. Nothing.

I had one of my weapon systems’officers (B-1B crew: two pilots, two WSOs) unstrap himself
from his ejection seat and go back into our electronic equipment bay, which is a small cubicle
behind the crew station, to see if he could detect any smoke or flames. Nothing.

The copilot grabbed our one-and-only fire extinguisher and held it in his lap for the remaining
three hours of our flight. The plan was, as soon as we saw any flames, he would discharge the
whole bottle; if the flames were extinguished, we would deal with whatever circumstances
with which we were left. If the flames could not be extinguished, we would eject.

The weather was ‘tropical’ VMC; there were lots of cumulus clouds scattered along our route
of flight, and we had maybe half-moon illumination. I was not concerned about maintaining
a specific heading, other than to keep pointing at Hawaii, which was our only ‘land as soon

August 2020 African Pilot 75

MILITARY PILOT

as possible’ divert option. At the relatively low altitudes we cruised at, there was not a chance
that we were going to run into anybody over the middle of the Pacific Ocean at night.

KC-10

Those tankers are more than just fuel storage; in an emergency they are a lifeline. Meanwhile,
the tanker became our lifeline. They could climb much higher and serve as a communication
link between us, ATC and any search and rescue assets that might be needed. They could
also keep track of our position, including marking our location if we did eject.

As a last resort, the ‘smoke and fumes elimination’ checklist calls for slowing below 450KIAS,
staying below 25,000 feet and opening a ram air door to vent the fumes. We tried that initially,
but it did not improve our situation. Since we knew the fire was not associated with the engines,
we decided to use our full fuel load to go faster. We did some quick maths and figured out that
we could afford to push the throttles up to a fuel flow that netted us about .85 Mach, way faster
than the .72 Mach we would have used to cruise all the way to South Dakota.

We ended up getting well ahead of the KC-10, but we could still talk to them and they could
still follow our progress.The tanker guys were great; they kept checking on us, I think mostly
to make sure we hadn’t ‘succumbed’ to whatever was burning, which was not a bad idea. They
also tried to keep the mood light by entertaining us with some jokes… yeah, not so much!

So, on we flew in the dark, still committed to finding the source, but to no avail. I handled
all the driving; the copilot kept up his vigil with the fire extinguisher; the WSOs maintained
verbal contact with the tanker, monitored our position, kept track of our systems status and
kept us updated on Hawaiian airport and enroute weather conditions. They also made sure
that in our laser-like focus to avoid a night swim in the Pacific, we did not miss the ‘Big
Picture’ stuff, like half-hourly station checks, or the descent, approach and landing checklists.

We all kept a constant watch on our fuel
situation. To make sure fatigue and stress had
not taken a toll on our cognitive abilities, we
each did our own individual calculations, then
cross-checked them with each other.We finally
determined we had enough to fly supersonic
the last half hour or so. We headed directly
towards Hickam and landed without further
incident, just as the sun was coming up over
Diamond Head. I pulled off the runway, shut
down and we all scrambled out.

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The tanker had relayed our emergency status and all our associated vital statistics to the
appropriate agencies in Hawaii. We had both Hickam AFB and civilian Honolulu
International Airport emergency crews waiting for us. The smell was still so bad that when
the USAF crash team went up into the plane after we shut down, they also gagged on it.
My home unit ended up sending some B-1B specialists from Ellsworth out to investigate.
After tearing out a lot of the jet’s interior, they discovered the source was an environmental
control unit, basically an air conditioner, that is isolated in a space under the pilot’s seat. It
had essentially eaten itself alive. It has a blower that spins at about a zillion RPM; its internals
had failed, which caused prolonged metal-on-metal contact, turning it into a smouldering
pile of molten junk.

Knowing that we probably were not in danger of exploding, or burning to death, at night,
over 10,000 feet-deep water, after all, does not change the fact that it is an experience
I would rather not repeat. What is that old saying? “There are no atheists in lifeboats.”
I do not think there were any in our B-1B that night either. Out of the many, many
lessons learned that generated from that mission, my top four are often repeated, but
proved pertinent in this case:

Always expect the unexpected

Always have a Plan B… and a C… and a D… (and having a tanker is nice, too). Crew
Resource Management is not just another catch phrase, buzz word, or annoying acronym
the FAA wants us to memorise. The most valuable asset you can have in an emergency, such
as in combat, is a professional, disciplined, well-trained crew: mine was phenomenal. The
concept of CRM (and Single-pilot Resource Management) includes using invaluable help
from resources outside your own fuselage. My biggest regret from this experience was that I
was unable to buy the crew of my KC-10 ‘wingman’ a round at the O Club!

August 2020 African Pilot 77

Rockwell B1B Lancer
The Rockwell B1B Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing,
heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly
called the ‘Bone’. It is one of three strategic bombers in the US
Air Force fleet as of 2020, the other two being the B-2 Spirit and
the B-52 Stratofortress. After a stalled start, the programme was
restarted in 1981, largely as an interim measure due to delays
in the B-2 stealth bomber programme. This led to a redesign as
the B-1B, which differed from the B-1A by having a lower top
speed at high altitude of Mach 1.25, but improved low-altitude
performance of Mach 0.96. The electronics were also extensively
improved during the redesign, whilst the airframe was improved
to allow take-off with the maximum possible fuel and weapons
load. The B-1B began deliveries in 1986 and formally entered
service with Strategic Air Command (SAC) as a nuclear bomber
in that same year. By 1988, all 100 aircraft had been delivered.

78 African Pilot August 2020

August 2020 African Pilot 79

PROPERTY
FOR SALE

NATURE’S

LANDING

ESTATE

KENTON ON SEA / BUSHMAN’S RIVER

EASTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA

Situated two kilometres from the village of Bushman’s River Mouth, this 102-hectare estate has
30 properties, each averaging one hectare. All properties have panoramic north-east views overlooking
the broadest section of the Bushman’s River. Nature’s Landing is located on the Sunshine Coast,
22 km from Port Alfred, 58 km from Grahamstown and 120 km from Port Elizabeth. The town of Kenton
on Sea is a five-minute drive from the Estate.

Activities from the estate include boating, fishing and water Trail cameras have also photographed honey badger and caracal
skiing. For aviators, the estate has direct access to and use of a well (lynx). Notable birds include black collared barbet, Denham bustard,
maintained adjoining 900m grass airstrip. Hangars may be erected fish eagle, goliath heron, Knysna turaco (Knysna lourie) and a variety
on individual properties for the safe storage of owners’ aircraft. of kingfishers just to name a few.
The Estate has a communal jetty cluster and entertainment Lapa for
use by residents. A small canoe and paddle ski storage area is located Nature’s Landing has its own water source from a spring on the
near these facilities. Apart from being able to navigate downstream adjoining farm. This is pumped to holding tanks and gravity fed to
to the river mouth to enjoy a day on the Indian Ocean beach, one the estate. All properties also have rainwater tanks.
can navigate 38 km upstream through farms and several private game
reserves. Birding and wildlife viewing from the comfort of your boat The property presently for sale has direct access to the airstrip.
is a daily possibility. The double story home offers three bedrooms en suite, a large lounge
/ dining / kitchen open plan area with a separate scullery. A separate
All homes are designed to blend into the thick indigenous, riverine one-bedroom cottage completes the accommodation. Entrance is
bush. Fencing of properties is limited to the immediate perimeter via an enclosed courtyard and the river facing side of the home has
of the structure to allow maximum freedom of movement for the a large wooden deck with spectacular views.
game on the estate. The estate perimeter is protected by an electrified
security fence on three sides and bounded by the river on the fourth. Asking price ZAR
Access is via a single, controlled main gate. Pets are permitted.
3,9 million
There is an abundance of wildlife and birds on Nature’s Landing.
Animals include nyala, impala, bushbuck, red hartebeest, grey duiker,
grysbok, porcupine, bush pig, Cape clawless otter and mongoose.

80 African Pilot August 2020

12

900m grass runway
S33 ° 40.3’
E026 ° 37.9’

30 Airfield gate

Main entrance gate

Morrison 15

Bushman’s River

Further
information
contact
Nigel Morrison

E: [email protected]

C: +27 (0)82 567 7182

Aircraft on runway

August 2020 African Pilot 81

FLYING HIGH

All prices include VAT, but do not include packaging and courier costs
Prices are valid for August 2020

Tel: 0861 00 11 30 • e-mail: [email protected] • website: www.africanpilot.co.za

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LANSERIA

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT:

THE GEM OF THE NORTH

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Lanseria International Airport (LIA) has established itself as a
niche-boutique airport, catering for both commercial and general
aviation needs. The airport is a far cry from its humble beginnings
as a grass airstrip 48 years ago. From welcoming dignitaries to
greeting international stars, the airport has continued its upward
trajectory, aiming to become South Africa’s gateway to African
business and leisure travel.

Lanseria International Airport Manager
Rampa Rammopo

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Over the last five years the Air Traffic Control
airport has invested heavily in ATC tower and fire
infrastructure projects, most
notably a new tower and fire complex, department
new runway and recently a multi-storey
parkade that has added 1000 new parking
bays and a retail node which includes
restaurants, car rental offices and other
shopping facilities. “The multi-story
parking (MSP) facility was inspired in
much the same way as each of our other
signature projects over the past four and a
half decades: by listening to and engaging
with our customers, and then asking the
question: what if ?”says Rampa Rammopo,
CEO of LIA.

The MSP project was an answer to a Fire and Rescue
request made by passengers for additional
covered parking spaces that were close to
the terminal building and in anticipation
of increasing passenger numbers as the
airport continues to grow, adding more
routes into South Africa and Africa. The
MSP project broke ground in November
2017 and was completed in August 2019.

As part of the airport’s greater vision
of becoming a world-class airport
that provides a gateway to Africa, the
airport expanded its apron space by
demolishing the old tower thus creating
two more parking bays to house the
growing number of aircraft that the airport anticipates to attract. “In 2017 we built a new
state-of-the-art tower and fire complex on the south side of the airport that has full view of
the runway. We then realised that the old tower complex was taking up valuable space and
we took it down,” says Rammopo.

As an airport, Lanseria is committed to innovation that is inspired by humans and delivered
through technology. On the ground this philosophy has been tried and tested with the
airport’s scan-and-fly service which gives passengers the option to do a bag-drop in a

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queue-less environment cutting down on waiting time. Needless to say, there are various
other innovations in the pipeline which will make travelling more pleasant and memorable
and are going to be introduced in the coming months.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the world socialises and does business and
the aviation industry has not been spared the catastrophe that came with the pandemic.
With the lockdown that was imposed by the government, many businesses, including
the airport, suffered huge financial losses which would take a few years to recover. As a
result of this pandemic the airport has had to put on hold various development projects
that were meant to begin in the near future. These include the expansion of the fuel farm,
construction of a boutique hotel, an MRO facility and a cargo and freight terminal,
among others. Furthermore, Lanseria, as the primary real estate owner in the precinct,
had to aid many of its tenants by offering various rental relief plans to lessen the impact
of COVID-19 on their businesses.

The airport was unable to operate for a period of two months taking a heavy knock on
revenue and, when level three was announced, the airport prioritised passenger safety in
getting ready to welcome business travellers back. “Our passengers are very important to us
and, in facing this pandemic, we thought of them when we made preparations to reopen.

We initiated contactless check-in and boarding and trained all our staff on our stringent
COVID-19 protocols, ensuring every inch of the airport had facilities to cater for passenger
safety. We introduced sanitisation stations all around the airport and have put up screening
posts at the main entrances to the MSP and the terminal building. In doing all this, we have
worked to ensure that passengers are not inconvenienced and still enjoy their journey even
in these trying times,” notes Rammopo.

In addition, Lanseria International Airport is

focusing on its future after the pandemic.

“We look forward to finishing our terminal expansion project in the coming months and
being able to start all the other projects we had envisioned. We know it is not going to be
easy and will require significant capital injection, but we are optimistic.” Lanseria is looking
forward to introducing more routes post the pandemic and is in the process of reviving talks
with a number of major airlines to provide flights into Sub-Sharan Africa.

Contact: Nomasiko Paarehwa
Tel: +27 (0)11 367 0300

E-mail: [email protected]

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ABSOLUTE AVIATION GROUP

(SACAA AMO 173)

The Absolute group is a true turnkey General Aviation business, offering customers
unparalleled levels of support and expertise in the form of a bespoke aviation service and is
the authorised sales, service and parts representative for Cessna and Beechcraft in Southern
and Central Africa. Absolute was also recently announced to be the authorised distributor for
Leonardo Helicopters (Augusta Westland) in South Africa. In addition,the group represents
a number of aircraft parts, engines and performance enhancement manufacturers in Africa
and offers a host of aviation services relating to aircraft and flight operations management
through their Fixed Base Operations and Flight Services business. These businesses and
services include:

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Absolute Aircraft Sales

In addition to offering a full portfolio Guy Worthington
of jet, turboprop and piston aircraft as and Neil Howard
the authorised sales representative for
Beechcraft and Cessna in Southern
Africa, the Absolute Aircraft Sales
(AAS) Team is able to offer both new
and pre-owned aircraft and is the only
company in South Africa offering
warranty support on selected pre-owned
aircraft.  The addition of Leonardo
Helicopters AW119 Kx, the AW109
Trekker and Grandnew, the AW169
and the AW139 represents a significant
move into the rotor wing market and
underpins their claim to be Africa’s only
true turnkey aviation business.

Absolute Aircraft Parts

As the appointed Textron Aviation distributor of Beechcraft, Cessna & Hawker parts and
supplies for the sub-Saharan Africa Region, Absolute Aircraft Parts (AAP) is positioned to
offer an extensive inventory of proprietary and general aircraft parts. In addition to this, AAP
is the African distributor for a number of Original Equipment Manufacturers, (OEM’s)
and Parts Manufacturers of international parts brands. The portfolio includes over 100 000
individual stock units.  In order to expand service reach and to improve speed to service,
AAP supply selected satellite partners in key locations.  The team’s focus is on optimising
lead times to supply and on ensuring the pricing is competitive across the range available to
valued maintenance clients.

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Absolute Service Centre

The management team at the Absolute Service Centre (ASC) is proud of its heritage and
long-standing support and representation of Textron Aviation Products. 
As a Cessna Authorised Service Facility since 1964 it is the oldest facility of its kind
outside the USA. ASC was additionally awarded representation for the Beechcraft
portfolio in February 2017.
As the only authorised Beechcraft & Cessna maintenance facility in southern and central
Africa, ASC is suitably equipped and positioned to service anything from a 172 to a Citation
Longitude.  ASC’s service reach includes the following jurisdictions and territories:

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) A&P and IA Authorised

• National Civil Aviation Institute of Angola (ACAA)

• Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB)

• Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA)

• Civil Aviation Authority of Madagascar (ACM)

• South African Civil Aviation Authority (SA CAA)

• Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) 

• Civil Aviation Authority of Malawi (CAAM)

• Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ)

Absolute Service Centre at Lanseria also includes satellite operations in Lomé in
Togolese Republic, Maun in Botswana, Nairobi in Kenya and Cape Town.
As an Africa Region representative for the Textron Aviation 1CALL network,
Absolute Service Centre is able to provide immediate aircraft support in Africa and
is the approved service agents for Pratt & Whitney, Blackhawk, Williams, Lycoming
and Continental engines.

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Absolute Flight Services

Absolute Flight Services (AFS) was established to assist customers to optimise efficiency in
the management of aviation assets.  The Team specialises in reducing the demands of aircraft
ownership and are qualified to oversee the full maintenance and flight operations of owner
aircraft.As further evidence of their focus on customer experience,their management packages
are tailored to the specific requirements of the owner with a wide range of possibilities.
Everything from charter support, to hangarage and maintenance management, to a fully
operational FBO and Advantage Lounge with full concierge travel services are possible and
provided on demand.
AFS is awarded Gold by Litson & Associates for Charter Safety - above average safety
efforts set them apart from other operators. AFS also holds both Domestic and International
Air Services Licenses, and operates a fleet of jets and turboprop aircraft in accordance with
the SACAA Aircraft Operating Certificate – Part 135.

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AES AERO ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS

(SACAA AMO1011)

AES was established in 2004 by Erwin Erasmus and Danie van Wyk joined shortly afterwards.
Between the two of them they have more than 58 combined years in aviation both starting off
at Atlas Aircraft. Mastering their skills set in General Aviation, Avionic & Electrical field.

Licenses

AES is South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) approved at its facility at Lanseria
International Airport and at Cape Town International Airport. Between its 16 engineers
AES has the following licenses:

• W & X • Avionics • Instruments • Ignition equipment • Radios • Auto pilot
• Compass systems (pulse & non pulse)

Training

AES is a TETA approved workplace training facility in the following criteria:

• Aircraft Electrical - OFO0672101 • Aircraft Instruments - OFO672105

Contact Danie van Wyk Tel: +27 (0)11 701 3200
Cell: +27 (0)83 269 8696 E-mail: [email protected]

www.aeroelectrical.co.za

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AERONAV ACADEMY (SACAA ATO 0002)

Aeronav Academy is fully committed to providing top-level flight training to its clients
utilising the most modern equipment available. This not only gives its clients an enjoyable
training experience but also provides the school with the ability to conduct flight training
in a manner that ensures that its pilots will be ready and well equipped to enter the aviation
industry of the future.
Aeronav is proud to offer a dynamic fleet of aircraft, including Diamond DA20s, Cessna
182s and the Diamond DA42 TwinStar Multi-engine trainer. The school’s most recent
acquisition is its impressive Alsim ALX-65 flight simulator.The amazingly realistic graphics,
control feel and response make training in this flight simulator a truly first-class experience.
Based at Lanseria International Airport, Aeronav Academy is ideally set up for all levels of
training. A controlled airspace provides students with an excellent grounding in procedures
and gives them the experience needed to cope with operating in a busy airline orientated
environment.  The school is also a SACAA accredited online examination facility offering
examinations for PPL, Night Rating, Instructor Rating and Restricted Radio licenses at its
premises. So, whether you choose to fly for pleasure or wish to make aviation your career,
Aeronav Academy can provide you with an approved course tailored to your needs.

Lanseria International Airport
Tel:+27 (0)11 701 3862 E-mail: [email protected]

www.aeronav.co.za

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COMMERCIAL AVIATION
ASSOCIATION OF
SOUTHERN AFRICA

‘CAASA - Your Aviation Portal’

CAASA is a non-profit organisation formed in 1944 to promote and protect the commercial
interest of the General Aviation industry in South Africa.CAASA is the umbrella organisation
for eight affiliated associations namely:

• Helicopter Association of Southern Africa (HASA)

• Association of Aviation Training Organisations of Southern Africa
(AATOSA)

• Association of Non-Scheduled Operators (ANSO)

• Airports and Aerodromes Association of Southern Africa (AAA-SA)

• Association of Aircraft Maintenance Organisations of Southern Africa
(AMOSA)

• Commercial Unmanned Aircraft Association of Southern Africa
(CUAASA)

• Association of Aviation Design Organisations (AADO)

• Association of Southern African Aerospace Traders and Allied Industries
(ASAAT)

CAASA’s objectives are to serve, promote, watch over, advance and mutually protect
the interest of the General and Commercial Aviation industry. CAASA’s purpose is to
represent the interests of member companies and affiliated associations at local, regional,
national and international levels. CAASA keeps a constant eye on developments within
the civil aviation arena to ensure that matters that are detrimental to its members
are quickly and efficiently managed. CAASA also monitors academic and business
information that is relevant to General Aviation whilst dissemination information that
will assist its members to be profitable. 

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CAASA services include the protection of the aviation industry through effective
representation in legislative and regulatory matters. The promotion of Commercial General
Aviation to secure quality infrastructure and facilities and to liaise with stakeholders in National
Government, Provincial and Local Government, Commerce and Industry, aviation regulator
(SACAA), South African public and the media. In addition, CAASA is also associated with
the Aero Club of South Africa (AeCSA), Recreational Aviation Administration of South
Africa (RAASA), The Airlines Association of South Africa (AASA) and the Airline Pilot’s
Association of South Africa (ALPA SA).

Become involved

When members wish to make their voices heard with regard to those important issues that
affect General Aviation then CAASA is there to assist you. As a member, CAASA will
be the advocate for your company
and the industry. Whether by
building relationships with the
elected board and / or committee
members, submitting comments to
the secretariat or justifying the use
of CAASA for your business issues
with all sectors of government and
the overall industry.

Contact CAASA
Tel: +27 (0)11 659 2345/8 E-mail: [email protected]

www.caasa.co.za

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