By Pieter van der Sandt South Africa has one of Africa's richest aviation histories: a story of pioneering flights, wartime courage, ingenuity, and an enduring fascination with flight. It survives in museum aircraft and private hangars, but also in fading photographs, logbooks, letters and personal memories. Too much of that history, however, remains scattered and vulnerable. Important collections are often held privately and known only to a small circle of enthusiasts. When

By Garth Calitz There are few aircraft that announce their arrival quite like the Airbus A380. It doesn't so much land at an airport as occupy it. Two decks, four engines, a wingspan that makes taxiway planners reach for the antacids and enough seats to transport the entire population of a "platteland" town in one go. When Airbus launched the A380, it wasn't merely building a new airliner. It was making a rather confident prediction about the future of commercial aviation. An

Honda Aircraft Company is celebrating two decades since its formal establishment, marking 20 years of innovation, aircraft manufacturing and business aviation development from its headquarters at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. The anniversary represents a significant milestone for a company that has taken Honda's engineering philosophy from the automotive world into one of aviation's most demanding sectors. From the distinctive HondaJet to

By Garth Calitz The Republic XF-84H was an exceptional aviation experiment: a turboprop fighter featuring a supersonic propeller, producing an astounding level of noise and earning a reputation that has endured long after the aircraft vanished from the skies. There are aircraft that are remembered because they were successful. Others are remembered because they changed aviation. And then there are aircraft remembered simply because engineers were brave enough, or perhaps opti

Few aircraft have changed the way people move, work and respond to emergencies quite like the helicopter. From battlefields and remote agricultural fields to offshore oil platforms, city police departments and rescue operations, rotorcraft have become an indispensable part of modern aviation. Few manufacturers have been as closely associated with that evolution as Bell. Over the decades, Bell aircraft have been involved in some of the most significant developments in vertical

By Garth Calitz The Vietnam War remains one of the most studied air campaigns in military history. Fought between 1955 and 1975, the conflict saw the first large-scale use of helicopters in combat, intense jet-versus-jet dogfights, strategic bombing campaigns and the emergence of sophisticated air defence systems. More aircraft types were employed in Vietnam than in any conflict since the Second World War. From supersonic fighters and heavy bombers to rugged propeller-driven

Before Bell delivered the first certified helicopter, the future of vertical flight was proven with an egg. While pilots and engineers struggled with the uncertainties of rotorcraft technology, a single demonstration showed how physics could not just make it possible, but safe. This became the spark that led Bell into pioneering a new era of aviation. A Visionary in Aviation Larry Bell’s lifelong passion for aviation led him to start the Bell Aircraft Corporation, now Bell Te

By Garth Calitz A very memorable piece of aviation history came alive at Jack Taylor Airfield on 23 May 2026, as pilots, owners and Chippie enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the iconic de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk. Even the notorious Krugersdorp weather behaved itself and delivered beautiful flying conditions. The event, hosted at the home of the newly rebooted EAA chapter 973, paid tribute to one of the world’s most respected post-war training

For 75 years, Bell has been woven into the industrial and aviation identity of Fort Worth, Texas, growing from a bold post-war relocation into one of the world’s best-known rotorcraft manufacturers. The company this month marked the milestone by reflecting on its long-standing relationship with the city that became the foundation for its helicopter ambitions and future military programmes. The story began in the late 1940s, when company founder Lawrence “Larry” Bell recognise

By Garth Calitz Sixty-four years ago, on 24 April 1962, one of the most distinctive utility aircraft ever built took to the skies for the first time. That aircraft was the PZL-104 Wilga, a rugged Polish design that would go on to earn an enduring reputation for toughness, versatility and outstanding short take-off and landing performance. As the Wilga marks the 64th anniversary of its maiden flight in 2026, it remains one of the most recognisable and respected light aircraft