By Garth Calitz The ZS-CAR story has taken another significant turn, with Transport Minister Barbara Creecy asking Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi to initiate a judicial inquest into the January 2020 crash of South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) Cessna Citation S550 ZS-CAR near George. The move comes after more than six years of controversy surrounding the accident, during which the crash has been investigated, re-investigated, disputed and subjected to increasing

An aircraft flew without relying on GPS navigation signals, instead using quantum sensing technology to measure its movement and maintain an estimate of its position. It may sound like something from a particularly ambitious science-fiction script, but this was very much a real flight test conducted by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Honeywell Aerospace. Perhaps the most interesting part of the story is what wasn't happening during those four hours. There was

By Garth Calitz There is an uncomfortable question hanging over South African civil aviation this week: who watches the watchdog when the watchdog itself becomes part of the investigation? That question has returned to the spotlight following the dismissal of South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) airworthiness inspector and former accident investigator Jeremiah Visser, who says he was fired after raising concerns about the investigation into the 2020 crash of SACAA's

By Garth Calitz The rise of electric aircraft is forcing the aviation industry to rethink one of its oldest assumptions: that extinguishing the visible fire means the emergency is under control. The aviation industry is rapidly moving towards electric propulsion. From battery-powered trainers and light aircraft to hybrid-electric regional aircraft and eVTOLs, high-energy batteries are moving from the passenger cabin into the very heart of aircraft propulsion. That transition

Electric aviation has spent the past two decades promising to transform the way aircraft are powered, and the 20th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium demonstrated just how much that conversation has changed. What began largely as a gathering of engineers and enthusiasts discussing the possibilities of electric propulsion has evolved into a serious industry forum examining certification, commercial operations, infrastructure, energy storage, airspace integration and the econom

By Garth Calitz Walk into any flying club, airport pub or hangar on a Saturday morning and mention the words "best avionics" if you want to witness a debate that makes discussions about oil brands or tailwheel versus nosewheel seem positively civilised. Within seconds, pilots will divide into tribes. Coffee will be spilt. Someone will begin drawing wiring diagrams on a serviette. An avionics engineer will quietly walk away before being asked for a quote. The truth is, there h

Cirrus has introduced the TRAC10, a purpose-built training aircraft aimed at professional flight schools, universities and pilot training organisations. The new aircraft represents an expansion of the company's dedicated training portfolio and has been designed to address the evolving requirements of modern commercial pilot training. Production of the TRAC10 will take place at Cirrus' headquarters in Duluth, Minnesota. The manufacturer expects to begin deliveries to customers

By Garth Calitz A reported mid-air collision between a JetBlue Airbus A321 and an unidentified drone during approach to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport has once again drawn attention to the growing challenge that unmanned aircraft systems pose to commercial aviation. The incident occurred on 29 June when JetBlue Flight 948, operating from Harry Reid International Airport to JFK, reported what the flight crew believed was a collision with a drone while descend

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for an urgent parliamentary hearing into what it describes as growing aviation safety and regulatory oversight failures involving South African Airways, the South African Civil Aviation Authority, Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) and South Africa’s Department of Transport. In a statement issued on 25 May, DA Transport Spokesperson Chris Hunsinger said the party would request that Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport s

For nearly seven decades, Becker Avionics has built its reputation not through aggressive marketing campaigns or attention-grabbing technological claims, but through a steadfast commitment to reliability in some of aviation’s most demanding operational environments. From emergency medical service helicopters and aerial firefighting aircraft to law enforcement operations and executive transport fleets, Becker’s avionics systems have become a trusted presence in cockpits around