By Garth Calitz Photos by Paul Ludick and others Record crowds, groundbreaking aircraft launches and a glimpse into the next era of general aviation define the world's greatest aviation celebration. For one remarkable week every year, the aviation world descends on a small city in Wisconsin. Pilots, engineers, manufacturers, restorers, military aviators, enthusiasts and dreamers all gather at Wittman Regional Airport for what has become the largest aviation event on Earth. EA

By Abri Kriegler I've now been to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh four times, and somewhere around visit three, something shifted. It stopped being an event I was discovering and started being one I was navigating. That sounds like a small difference. It isn't. The first time you go to Oshkosh, everything is a surprise. You don't know that the crowd by the flightline starts building an hour before anything actually happens. You don't know that Boeing Plaza has a rhythm to it, a schedu

When millions of Americans looked skyward during the recent America 250 celebrations, they witnessed a breathtaking spectacle unlike anything seen during previous Independence Day commemorations. Instead of relying solely on traditional fireworks, thousands of illuminated drones painted giant images across the night sky, telling the story of 250 years of American history through light, movement and precision choreography. The display, created by Texas-based Sky Elements, feat

As airlines around the world face mounting pressure to reduce carbon emissions, South Africa is preparing to enter the rapidly emerging sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market with what could become one of the world's first commercial-scale electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) production facilities. Energy company Phelan Green has announced that its clean fuels subsidiary, Phelan eFuels, will use Honeywell's Fischer-Tropsch (FT) Unicracking technology at its planned eSAF f

Aviation startup JetZero has officially broken ground on its new aircraft manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, marking a major milestone for both the company and the U.S. aerospace industry. The project represents one of the most significant aerospace investments in recent American history. JetZero plans to invest approximately $4.7 billion in the development of an expansive manufacturing complex near Piedmont Triad International Ai

By Garth Calitz Photos By Garth Calitz and Trevor Cohen Thousands of aviation enthusiasts braved the cold at Air Force Base Swartkop on Saturday, 6 June, for the annual South African Air Force (SAAF) Museum Airshow. Reports from the SA Weather Service confirmed that Friday night was the coldest night in 2026, but the subzero temperatures did not deter the 11000-odd aviation enthusiasts that qued at the gates from as early as 6 am. They were rewarded with several visiting airc

By Garth Calitz The Industrial town of Secunda was the temporary home of the prestigious Presidents' Trophy Air Race for the 2026 edition. Secunda was built around the world's largest coal-to-liquids fuel facility operated by Sasol. This monster of industry is painfully visible from the airfield. Established in the 1970s to produce synthetic fuel and reduce the country's dependence on imported oil, the town has become a major economic hub in the area. Likewise, the Secunda F

By Garth Calitz After a long afternoon of waiting to find out who did what in this year's Presidents' Trophy Air Race, the Gala Dinner finally arrived. The formal function was held at the Boesies, which is located on the Lake Umuzi campus, which is a stone's throw from the Secunda Airfield. Tarry and Iaan Myburgh, the dynamic couple who were the driving force behind the 2026 PTAR, were forced out of their comfort zone completely when the regular MC, David le Roux, had to att

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

By Garth Calitz Photos by Trevor Cohen and Garth Calitz At its heart, aviation has always been about more than aircraft, technology and engineering. It is about inspiration, possibility and the ability to open horizons that once seemed unreachable. Few events capture that spirit better than the annual Children’s Flight initiative, which once again brought South Africa’s aviation community together in May 2026 to provide an unforgettable experience for close to five hundred un