By Garth Calitz The Taildraggers Fly-In, a favourite among aviators for the past 16 years, was on the verge of being removed from the aviation calendar. Richard Nicholson, who had been leading the event since its inception in 2009, decided to call it a day. Initially, Nylstroom was the event's home, hosting the first 10 gatherings. Unfortunately, the Nylstroom airfield was overtaken by an ever-expanding squatter camp, prompting the organisers to move the event to Warmbaths in

By Garth Calitz South African Airways (SAA) has announced that its Group Chief Executive Officer, Professor John Lamola, will resign effective at the end of April 2026. This decision was confirmed after a Board meeting, with Barbara Creecy, acting as the shareholder representative, formally accepting Lamola’s resignation in conjunction with the airline’s Board. Professor Lamola will leave the airline after nearly four years, having initially joined SAA in July 2021 as a Non-E

Ethiopian Airlines has marked its 80th anniversary, commemorating eight decades of continuous operations and growth into one of Africa’s largest and most influential aviation groups. The milestone was formally announced at a press conference in Addis Ababa, where Group Chief Executive Officer Mesfin Tasew outlined the significance of the anniversary and the airline’s plans to celebrate the occasion throughout the year. The launch event, held at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, r

The Artemis II mission concluded successfully with the safe return of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, marking the end of humanity’s first crewed deep space flight in more than five decades. The capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California following a 10-day journey that carried astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth. The Orion spacecraft travelled approximately 694,000 miles during the mission. Its return phase saw the capsule re-enter Earth’

Textron Aviation Defence has been awarded a five-year U.S. government contract valued at more than $150 million to provide sustaining engineering and program management support for the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II fleet operated by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army. The contract continues a partnership first established in 2021 and extends comprehensive Sustaining Engineering and Program Management (SEPM) services for an additional five years. The agreement covers the T-6A, T-6B a

The reusable Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle has been in orbit for over 230 days since its most recent launch, continuing a series of government-supported experiments designed to advance future space technologies. Although the Artemis program has overshadowed the project, it remains significant to the future of human space travel. Operating under the oversight of the United States Space Force and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, the programme highlights the growing

The Portuguese Air Force has taken a significant step in modernising its pilot training pipeline with the selection of the Tecnam P-Mentor as the cornerstone of its new Elementary Flight Training (EFT) capability. The programme, awarded by the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence, will see seven aircraft delivered alongside a comprehensive training and support package. The contract has been awarded through Spanish aviation services provider World Aviation S.L. in partnersh

After a prolonged certification process, Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has received full regulatory clearance from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, allowing the company to resume global deliveries of new-production helicopters. The milestone centres on the turbine-powered Enstrom 480B, which has now achieved full airworthiness certification under the latest safety requirements. The first newly built aircraft to meet thes

The recent US rescue of two downed Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle crew members over Iran will likely be remembered not simply as a successful personnel recovery mission, but as one of the clearest modern demonstrations of how much airpower is required to retrieve a single isolated aircrew in heavily defended airspace. Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle What emerged in the days after the operation was not the story of one helicopter slipping quietly into hostile territory, but of an extraor

Air Tractor Holdings has acquired Thrush Aircraft in a move that marks one of the most significant consolidations in specialist utility aviation in recent years, bringing together two of the best-known names in agricultural flying under a single owner while preserving both brands as standalone operations. The transaction, which closed on 3 April 2026, is notable not only for its commercial implications but for its historical resonance. In effect, it reunites the two principal