VIH Aviation Group, the parent company of Canada's oldest privately-owned helicopter company has been in continuous operation since incorporation in 1955, has become the first Sikorsky S-92A+ kit customer. Sikorsky, have signed an agreement with VIH Aviation Group for four S-92A+™ upgrade kits. VIH Aviation Group Ltd and its operating company Cougar Helicopters Inc. have been a leading S-92® helicopter customer in Canada since 2004 and now, the first S-92A+ kit customer. VIH have strategically located bases and offices that serve domestic and international aviation services contracts for a global clientèle, with a team of over 400 experienced and highly skilled professionals. The S-92A+ upgr

Cirrus Aircraft recently ushered in a new era of innovation with the introduction of Safe Return™– a revolutionary emergency autoland system that enables passengers to land the Vision Jet™ with just the touch of a single button. Once activated when available, Safe Return assumes control of the aircraft and transforms the Vision Jet into an autonomous vehicle that navigates to the nearest suitable airport for landing, communicates with air traffic control, lands and brings the aircraft safely to a complete stop. The Vision Jet, with both Safe Return and the award-winning Cirrus Airframe Parachute System® (CAPS®), provides a comprehensive, must-have total safety solution unique to G2 Vision Je

A new aircraft hand-over and “e-Delivery” virtual process has recently commenced operation, guaranteeing the continuation of Airbus’ delivery stream, while integrating the required health & safety requirements during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The first customer to adopt the remote end-to-end process is Pegasus Airlines, which in the last few days received three brand new ‘e-delivered’ A320neo Family aircraft. More airlines will follow likewise in the coming days and weeks. This new e-Delivery approach comprises three main stages: (a) Technical Acceptance Completion (TAC) tasks delegated to Airbus (or to a local third party appointed by the airline) (b) electronic Transfer-of-Title (elec

Saab has successfully completed the first air trials with its new fighter X-band Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, which will be offered as a new addition to Saab’s PS-05/A radar family. Saab continues to develop core AESA technology and has now successfully completed the first air trials with the new X-band AESA radar. The trials were flown successfully, collecting data while detecting and tracking objects. The radar is designed for fighter aircraft and can be adapted to a variety of platforms. As Saab previously announced, a version of the new AESA antenna has been sold to the US. Government customer. “This is an important step in the development of our new fighter AESA rad

The embattled SA Express has been placed under provisional liquidation by the Johannesburg High Court, making it the very first state-owned enterprise (SOE) to do so following failed business rescue. SA Express Business Rescue Practitioners (BRPs) Phahlani Mkhombo and Daniel Terblanche, felt it necessary to launch an urgent court application on 25 March to “provisionally liquidate” the airline after their efforts to mitigate its financial losses proved futile. The Department of Public Works chose not to oppose the ruling, however, all parties will still have the opportunity to appeal the decision. A liquidation administrator will be appointed to oversee the process in the interim. The Airli

Just when South Africans were reading the last rights for our ailing National Carrier the Unions and Government once again seem to have a "plan" to save the airline. Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan this morning convened a high-level meeting between senior government leadership and representatives of the SAA Unions: SATAWU, NUMSA, SACCA, SAAPA, NTM, AUSA, Solidarity, and non-unionised staff formation (SAA Labour Unions). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the status of the Business Rescue Process, finalise a Leadership Compact, the process to give input to the Business Rescue Plan and how the impact of the Business Rescue Process on employees can be mitigated. In respect of

Boeing announced today that it has terminated its Master Transaction Agreement (MTA) with Embraer, under which the two companies sought to establish a new level of strategic partnership. The parties had planned to create a joint venture comprising Embraer's commercial aviation business and a second joint venture to develop new markets for the C-390 Millennium medium airlift and air mobility aircraft. Boeing and Embraer will maintain their existing Master Teaming Agreement, originally signed in 2012 and expanded in 2016, to jointly market and support the C-390 Millennium military aircraft. Under the MTA, April 24, 2020, was the initial termination date, subject to extension by either party if

On April 23, 2020, the world's largest AN-225 Mriya transport aircraft returned to Airport Kyiv-Antonov-2 with medical equipment to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Ukraine. A cargo weighing 103,880 kg with a total volume of about 1000 cubic meters, aircraft delivered from Tianjin, China. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky participated in the meeting of the legendary Ukrainian aircraft. “We are proud of changing Ukraine's position in the world. We are not asking about something only, we help other countries as well", the President said. He thanked the aircraft's crews for the high-skilled work and other specialists who take part to organize the delivery of such cargoes. AN-225 joine

Textron recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the first Cessna Citation CJ4 business jet delivery which took place on April 20, 2010. Regarded for its incredible versatility and reliability, the Citation CJ4 is valued by customers around the world for a wide range of missions including, air ambulance, maritime patrol, search and rescue and aerial survey. “With more than 320 CJ4s in service today, this network of operators is a part of the largest owner-operated light jet community in the world,” said Rob Scholl, senior vice president, Sales. “Many of our Citation owners are using their aircraft in times of need, from providing hurricane relief to delivering urgent medical supplies, and

Airbus has achieved the first ever fully automatic air-to-air refuelling (A3R) operation with a boom system. The flight test campaign, conducted earlier in the year over the Atlantic Ocean, involved an Airbus tanker test aircraft equipped with the Airbus A3R solution, with an F-16 fighter aircraft of the Portuguese Air Force acting as a receiver. This milestone is part of the industrialisation phase of A3R systems ahead of its implementation in the A330 MRTT tanker development. The campaign achieved a total of 45 flight test hours and 120 dry contacts with the A3R system, covering the whole aerial refuelling envelope, as the F-16 and MRTT consolidate the maturity and capabilities of the deve

I had just completed my grade three instructors course in Pretoria, after a month of training in Nelspruit during my annual leave from Sefofane, in Maun Botswana. I got back looking forward to applying my new flying skills and privileges, in a training role for the first time in my career. I did an assistant instructor check ride with a Botswana Civil Aviation Authority designated examiner, which transferred my South African qualification to the Botswana equivalent. Grade III in South Africa = Assistant Flight Instructor in Botswana (I'm not sure if this still applies). Anyway, I needed to demonstrate the ability to patter a student through every aspect of the flight. Patter is a lovely word

By Mark Mansfield We have all heard this saying; ‘A Pilots License is a license to learn’, so why not learn from one of the best in the industry and investing in your aviation career wisely? Aviation Training is registered South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) Aviation Training Organisation (ATO) and is 100% compliant with the SACAA and meets the standards recommended by EASA and has taken aviation training to new heights with its fully interactive Computer Based Training (CBT) solutions for the theoretical exams for PPL, CPL, IROP, and General Radio. It is not a rehashed PowerPoint presentation that has been turned into an online 'ground school’ but is a fully interactive CBT cours

Embraer Defence & Security and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced the first of 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack, combat and reconnaissance aircraft for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) successfully completed its inaugural flight at the production facility in Jacksonville, Florida. The full fleet of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft for the NAF are currently in production by SNC and Embraer at the Jacksonville facility with delivery to the NAF expected on schedule in 2021. The NAF A-29 aircraft will now begin mission modification and final testing in Centennial, Colorado. Following final testing, before delivery, NAF pilots will train in the aircraft. “This is an exciting milestone in the produc

South African Airways (SAA) has issued unions with a proposal to terminate employment contracts after the government turned down the latest request for funding for the airline’s business rescue practioners. The “draft” collective agreement forwarded to both unions and the representatives of non-unionised employees states that SAA has reached a stage that the airline is un-salvageable by the business rescue process. Employees have been given until April 24 to confirm in writing that they accept the agreement, that is planned to to take effect as from 30 April 2020 On March 9 the airlines business rescue practitioners (BRPs) Les Matuson and Siviwe Dongwana issued notices to the eight recognise

The Aviation Community of South Africa have once again come together proving that no obstacle is ever too big to overcome. The Covid Flight was established just days after the National Lock-down was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, utilizing the selfless pilots that have widely supported initiatives like “The Children’s Flight” and “The Elders Flight” in the past. The Covid flight is a Community Based Project, utilizing the Pilots and Sponsors from the General Aviation, Agricultural and Supply Retail chain, to create humanitarian missions to alleviate the suffering of the poor in the rural communities. The initiative is pure charity and relies on the help of everyone who can. Felix Go

Boeing successfully completed the first flight of the F-15QA fighter, the most advanced version of the jet ever manufactured. Developed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF), the jet demonstrated its next-generation capabilities during its 90-minute mission. The flight took off and landed from Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. “We are very proud of this accomplishment and looking forward with great excitement to the continued successes of this program,” said Col. Ahmed Al Mansoori, commander, QEAF F-15 Wing. “This successful first flight is an important milestone that brings our squadrons one step closer to flying this incredible aircraft over the skies of Qatar.” Boeing’s flight te

It was just before New Years 2012/2013, I was based in Arusha, Tanzania for the week, flying charters out to the Serengeti in a Cessna Grand Caravan. On this day I had a unique flight out to a non standard place, An airstrip in the vicinity of Mount Gelai. On the eastern edge of Lake Natron. The Nav was approximately 51 nautical miles from Arusha HTAR. And would require quite a climb to get above minimum safe altitude to clear the Monduli Ridge, Northwest bound. I arrived nice and early, and checked the name of the Airstrip I was tasked to fly to, found the region on a rather low detail map, I obtained it's co ordinates sent from the booking agent, and although had never flown there before I

Denel is mobilising its resources and expertise towards a priority project for the local design and development of medical ventilators in support of the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Danie du Toit, Group Chief Executive of Denel says engineers from Denel Dynamics and Denel Aeronautics are already working round the clock on Project Sabela – ‘we are heeding the call’ – in partnership with other state-owned entities, research bodies and medical technology companies. “We are still in the early stages of the project, but we are optimistic that this local initiative will help to alleviate the dire need for medical ventilators that are required in great numbers at both public and priv

Boeing recently delivered the first CH-47F Chinook to the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), continuing a track record of on-time deliveries to customers. The RNLAF will operate a fleet of 20 CH-47F Chinooks, the newest configuration in use by countries around the world. “The RNLAF made it clear to us that they need the advanced, proven capability of the CH-47F now,” said Andy Builta, vice president of Cargo & Utility Helicopters and H-47 program manager. “I want to thank our phenomenal team for working hard during a difficult situation to safely deliver these aircraft. This is a reminder to all of us of how important Chinooks are to our customers.” The 20 CH-47F Chinooks will be a fleet e

I was invited by Etienne Oosthuizen to join him on a trip to Loxton at the Nelspruit Air Show. this in the days I was just getting interested in flying but after this trip the seeds were sewed for me to get my PPL!! The Kitfox Etienne had volunteered to do some flying for the Bateleurs as the Endangered Wildlife Trust was doing a programme to establish just how badly the habitat of the endangered riverine rabbit had been destroyed in the Loxton area as they want to revitalise a few select areas to ensure the sustainability of these little creatures. We flew out of Pyramid Airfield at 8h30 on Sunday 26 en route to Tempe. The weather was good and we both looked forward to the “adventure” ahead