By Garth Calitz EASA suspends all Elixir operations following fatal Rochefort crash as investigators search for answers Elixir Aircraft, one of Europe's newer general aviation manufacturers, has been dealt a devastating blow following the death of two of its production test pilots in a crash in France on 1 October. The accident, involving an Elixir aircraft during a test flight near Rochefort-Saint-Agnant Airport in western France, has prompted an immediate grounding of the e

For most pilots taking delivery of a new aircraft on the opposite side of the world, the solution is relatively straightforward: put it in a container, load it onto a ship and wait for it to arrive. Australian pilot and aircraft owner David Green evidently had other ideas. Rather than dismantling his new CubCrafters Carbon Cub UL and shipping it from Washington State to Australia, Green climbed aboard, pointed the nose east and flew the aircraft home himself. Green’s aircraft

By Des Waerden Amendment 36: What the Last 18 Months Have Taught Us Almost a year ago, I wrote an open letter to the General Aviation community about the withdrawal of AIC 18.19 and what I believed the issue was beginning to expose within our industry. At the time, Amendment 36 was still somewhere ahead of us, the outcome was far from certain, and much of that letter was a call for the GA community to get involved rather than simply accept the situation as the new status quo.

By Garth Calitz Amendment 36 offers a possible route back to flight for Part 91 aircraft grounded solely because their engines reached the infamous 12-year limit. In the past, owners of Part 91 aircraft reaching the engine’s 12-year calendar limit could mean only one thing: ground the aircraft, open the cheque book very wide and get in line for an overhaul — even when the engine had relatively few hours, good maintenance records and no obvious signs of distress. That situatio

A lightweight bush aircraft is not necessarily the first machine that comes to mind when considering a transatlantic ferry flight. Yet that is precisely what a new Carbon Cub UL has accomplished, completing an extraordinary 6,900-nautical-mile journey from Lewiston, Idaho, to Poland and demonstrating just how far modern light aircraft technology has progressed. The flight, completed in July 2026, marks the first transatlantic crossing by a Carbon Cub UL and represents a signi

The first factory-produced aircraft delivered under the United States Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) new Modernisation of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) regulations signifies a major advancement for recreational aviation. The handover of a Van's Aircraft RV-12 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 illustrates the transition of this long-anticipated regulatory change from policy to practical implementation. The aircraft was officially delivered during EAA AirVe

Zenith Aircraft has unveiled its latest all-metal kit aircraft at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026, introducing the CH 750 Super Cruzer, a versatile high-wing aircraft designed to bridge the gap between traditional STOL utility aircraft and comfortable cross-country cruisers. The new design takes advantage of the expanded opportunities created by the United States' Modernisation of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) regulations, offering recreational pilots an aircraft w

French aircraft manufacturer Elixir Aircraft and turbine engine developer Turbotech have taken a significant step toward the future of general aviation training by launching the Elixir Turbine Industrial Program. The announcement, made at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, follows a successful year of flight testing and formalises the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will guide the aircraft toward certification and commercial service by 2030. The agreement ma

South Africa’s general aviation community is set to gain a significant new facility with the opening of Atlantic Aerodrome, a purpose-built aviation precinct located in the Swartland region, approximately 40 minutes from Cape Town’s city centre. The development is scheduled to open its first phase on 26 September 2026 and aims to provide a dedicated base for aircraft owners, flight schools, charter operators and aviation-related businesses seeking an alternative to the conges

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