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

Atlanta-based hypersonic aircraft developer Hermeus has completed the maiden flight of its Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 demonstrator, marking another step in its campaign to eventually challenge the legendary speed benchmark set by the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. The uncrewed aircraft flew from Spaceport America in New Mexico in early March, becoming the company’s second new aircraft type to achieve a first flight in less than a year. The flight itself was not an all-out record attempt.

The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation has issued a strong rebuke of Iran over what it says were unlawful violations of sovereign airspace across the Middle East, warning that the actions posed a serious and ongoing threat to civil aviation safety in one of the world’s most heavily used air corridors. Adopted on 31 March 2026 at ICAO’s headquarters in Montréal, the decision marks a rare and pointed intervention by the UN aviation body into a matter that

Embraer’s KC-390 Millennium has successfully completed a demanding cold-weather demonstration campaign in northern Sweden, underlining the Brazilian-built airlifter’s growing credentials for operations in Arctic and high-latitude environments. Conducted at the Vidsel Test Range military facility, the March campaign was designed to assess the aircraft’s ability to perform in extreme winter conditions while also supporting modern dispersed operating concepts such as Agile Comba

Bell Textron used the stage of FIDAE 2026 in Santiago, Chile, to highlight a strong commercial milestone for its light single-engine helicopter portfolio, announcing that the Bell 505 recorded its highest number of orders in Latin America during 2025. The achievement reflects the continued momentum of the Bell 505 across a region where operators increasingly require flexible, lower-operating-cost rotorcraft capable of serving a wide range of missions. From private transport a

Vietnam Helicopter Corporation (VNH) is reinforcing its position in Southeast Asia’s offshore aviation sector with an order for three Airbus H225 helicopters, a move that underlines both its confidence in the type and its intent to modernise for the next phase of offshore operations. Announced in Hanoi on 7 April 2026, the new aircraft will be operated by VNH’s subsidiaries, Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company (VNH South) and Northern Vietnam Helicopter Company (VNH North). T

For the first time since the Apollo era, astronauts are once again heading beyond low-Earth orbit, and with Artemis II, NASA has opened a new chapter in crewed deep-space flight. More than just another rocket launch, Artemis II is a full-scale test of the systems, spacecraft and human endurance that will underpin the next generation of lunar exploration. The significance is immediate, Artemis II is not simply a space story; it is a story about aerospace engineering at its mos

By Garth Calitz Photos by Garth Calitz and Trevor Cohen The South African Air Force (SAAF) entered a new chapter on 1 April 2026 with the appointment of Lieutenant General Carl Moatshe as its new Chief, marking a significant leadership transition for one of the country’s most strategically important military services. The change of command was formally marked during a handover parade, hosted at SAAF Mobile Deployment Wing (previously AFB Swartkops) on the last day of March.

By Rob Russell On Thursday, March 26th, the Air Mercy Service marked its 60th anniversary. A gala cocktail party was held at the organisation's hangar complex at Cape Town International Airport to commemorate the occasion. From its humble beginnings in March 1966, based at Youngsfield airfield, next to Kenilworth racecourse, the Organization evolved into an independent Trust in 1994. The AMS is a non-profit organisation with active operational bases in the Western Cape (Cape

By Garth Calitz The experimental aviation sector has been dealt a notable setback following the sudden closure of Sonex Aircraft, a long-established producer of kit-built aircraft based in Oshkosh. The company confirmed on 27 March 2026 that it had ceased operations with immediate effect, bringing an abrupt end to more than two decades of activity in the homebuilt aviation market. Company owner Mark Schaible delivered the announcement via an official statement and video messa

Airbus has moved a step closer to proving the value of its high-speed Racer demonstrator, with the aircraft continuing to expand its flight envelope during a recent series of tests aimed at assessing performance, agility and operational flexibility. The aircraft, developed under Europe’s Clean Sky 2 research programme, is intended to explore whether a new generation of compound rotorcraft can combine the versatility of a helicopter with significantly higher speed and improved

Brazil’s Gripen fighter programme reached a significant new milestone on 25 March with the official unveiling of the first Gripen E combat aircraft assembled in Brazil, a development that underlines the growing maturity of the country’s defence aerospace sector. Presented during a ceremony at Embraer’s industrial complex in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo State, the aircraft represents an important step in the long-running cooperation between Embraer, Saab and the Brazilian Air For

Joby Aviation has completed a series of piloted demonstration flights over the San Francisco Bay Area, including a route across the bay and around the Golden Gate Bridge, as the company continues its preparations for eventual commercial electric air taxi operations. The flights were intended to showcase the maturity of Joby’s aircraft and operating concept in a complex urban environment, while also drawing attention to the broader potential of electric vertical take-off and l

Mozambique is set to receive targeted technical support from Brazil as it works to strengthen its civil aviation oversight framework ahead of a key International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit scheduled for 2027. The initiative focuses on enhancing regulatory capability, operational safety systems and institutional preparedness within the Mozambican Civil Aviation Institute (IACM), positioning the country to improve its standing against international aviation safety

By Garth Calitz International air travellers will soon face tighter restrictions on portable power banks after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) approved new rules aimed at reducing the fire risks associated with lithium battery devices carried in aircraft cabins. Under the updated provisions, passengers will be limited to carrying no more than two power banks each and they will not be allowed to recharge those devices during a flight. The new standards cam