Midweek Update 10 May 2017Plan Your Weekend……..Forthcoming Events Aviation News………. Worldwide Incidents and Accidents This Week in Aviation History………Advertising Rate Card  Get all your questions answered in one place. To listen to a recording of the live broadcast click on the link: www.debela.co.za/aviation-radio-show  12-14: Carnarvon Vliegklub will be holding a Fly-in on the weekend of 12-14 May this year. The event will co-incide with the local Agri Show. Contact: Rob Anderson (0832618337) andersonr@mweb.co.za 13: Rustenburg (FARG) Breakfast Fly-In. Rustenburg will be hosting a breakfast fly-in on the above mentioned date. Come and enjoy the fun and Rustenburg hospitality. 13: SAPFA Sheila Taylor Fun Rally, Krugersdorp, Jack Taylor Airfield. Frank Eckard E-mail: frank.eckard@mweb.co.za 12 - 13: Lowveld airshow. Nelspruit Airfield. Tel: 013 741 6412 Contact Willemien Hodgkinson e-mail: willemien.hodgkinson@kishugu.com   20-21: SAC KZN regionals. Ladysmith. Contact Annie Boon e-mail: chunge@mweb.co.za 20: Turn your rotors in Kitty Hawk's direction, show off your spinning blades, and make an impression with your disc! Fly in to Kitty Hawk. Any aircraft welcome!  26-28: SAPFA President's Trophy Air Race. Springs Aero Club. Website: www.sapfa.org.za E-mail: Race@sapfa.org.za. Race director Robin Spencer-Scarr: robin@stylegroup.com.au ot Contact Robbie Myburgh e-mail: roblena@mweb.co.za Cell: 083 377 0925 27: We are organizing a small breakfast fly-in at the Jack Taylor Airfield (FAKR) Krugersdorp. Breakfast will start from 08h00 and be served all morning. Everyone is welcome so please come join us and let's get a good thing going! We plan on growing this into an annual fly-in so please come and support. 27-28: Wings Park Annual Airfest Fly in. All aircraft welcome. Great fun filled weekend with some of the coolest planes and pilots around. Avgas and Mogas available. Jet A1 on request. Safe parking with kilometre long grass runway. Contact Rob Williamson Cell: 082 574 9034 E-mail: rwhw@iafrica.com 27: Botswana International airshow. Matsieng Airfield (FBMA). Contact Guillaume Knipe E-mail: Gknipe@work.co.bw Cell +267 71300646   2-3: Newcastle Airshow. Newcastle. Contact Johan Pieters 082 923 0078 e-mail: johan@champ.co.za or Christo van der Vyver 083 375 5883  3: TETE Free State Aviation Exhibition 2017 at Parys Airfield. Contact Ishmael Mokoena, Coordinator Cell 073 598 0220 4: SAAF Museum AFB Zwartkop open practise day 7: EAA Chapter 322 meeting. Dicky Fritz Moth Hall Edenvale. Contact editor@afskies.co.za 10-11: Wonderboom Adrenaline Show. Wonderboom. Contact Chris Briers E-mail: chris@briersgroup.com Cell: 082 568 7988  16-18: MISASA Microlight Championships. And kroon Fly in. Contact Mervyn on 073 763 7510 for competition details. 17: Queenstown Flying Club Centennial Celebrations. Contact Alasdair 0825518375 mac@mactax.co.za 24: Middelburg Aero Club Airshow. Richardt Lovett. mail@pegasusi.co.za 082 771 8775 3rd Saturday of every month. Microland. Bring and braai. Fires and bykos provided. Fires start from 09h30. Contact person: Nick Swardt 082 441 8011 or Alan Hussey 072 82 2341 30-3 Jul: Race for Rhinos. Kubu Island Botswana.Contact Chris Briers E-mail: chris@briersgroup.com Cell: 082 568 7988 30- 1 July: SA Landing Championship Training Day - Brits Airfield. Contact Mauritz du Plessis email: whitehouse@worldonline.co.za, Cell: 083 601 1042 1: SAAF Museum AFB Zwartkop open practise day 5: EAA Chapter 322 meeting. Dicky Fritz Moth Hall Edenvale. Contact Contact editor@afskies.co.za 5-8: SAC Nationals. Malelane, Mpumalanga. Contact Annie Boon e-mail: chunge@mweb.co.za  14-16: Nylstroom Flying Club and EAA Taildragger Fly-in. Contact Richard Nicholson Cell: 092 490 6227 E-mail: rgn@pcwireless.co.za 15: Hoedspruit Fun Rally. Contact Wynand Uys email: wynand@ottersden.co.za or Frank Eckard e-mail: frank.eckard@mweb.co.za cell: 083 269 1516 3rd Saturday of every month. Microland. Bring and braai. Fires and bykos provided. Fires start from 09h30. Contact person: Nick Swardt 082 441 8011 or Alan Hussey 072 82 2341 24-30: EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Wisconsin, USA. Camping on the airfield contact Neil Bowden e-mail: neil1@telkomsa.net or Hotels in Appleton contact Calvin Fabig e-mail: calvin@designer.co.za 28: World Precision Flying Championships - Austria.  HISTORIC ARRIVAL OF CHARTER FLIGHT Photo © St Helena Government  Air Partner, a commercial organisation that sources charter flights around the world, had been contracted to source an aircraft to transport from Cape Town to St Helena passengers affected by the cancellation of RMS voyages 255 and 256. Air Partner then entered into an agreement with SA Airlink to carry out the charter flight. SA Airlink successfully carried out the flight operation today using a British Aerospace 146 Avro RJ85 aircraft. Among the 60 passengers onboard today's incoming flight were HE Governor Lisa Phillips and a young St Helenian baby born in Cape Town. Crowds of family members, friends and Island residents gathered at the Airport to witness the arrival. Emotions were high and many people expressed that they were excited but emotional about today's flight. The aircraft approached St Helena Airport from the north before smoothly touching down on Runway 20. Passengers disembarking the aircraft were met by a packed Arrivals Hall, all eager to welcome everyone to St Helena.  Following a quick turnaround, the aircraft departed at 3.20pm with 48 passengers onboard. AEROMOBIL ANNOUNCED ITS NEXT GENERATION FLYING CAR AT TOP MARQUES MONACO 2017 The new model of AeroMobil will be the company's first commercially available vehicle featuring hundreds of improvements, both in design and in engineering, compared to the prototype unveiled two and half years ago in Vienna, Austria. The team behind the newest AeroMobil, led by Juraj Vaculik, CEO and Douglas MacAndrew, CTO, built the vehicle in compliance with the existing regulatory frameworks for both cars and airplanes, and is looking forward demonstrating it to the first potential customers and future investors in Monaco.? AeroMobil is completely integrated aircraft as well as a fully functioning four-wheeled car, powered by hybrid propulsion. By combining aero and car functionality in perfect harmony it heralds a new era in efficient and exciting travel, offering users an unparalleled choice of transport on the road or in the air. AeroMobil aims to make personal transportation vastly more efficient and environmentally friendly by allowing significantly faster door-to-door travel for medium distance trips and in areas with limited or missing road infrastructure.? The future is here. Next generation of AeroMobil will be available for pre-orders during this year.?  Photo Remos AG The Aircraft manufacturer Stemme AG and the Light Sport Aircraft manufacturer Remos AG announced today that both companies will be merged. This transaction is a logical continuation of the successful cooperation that started in 2014 whereby Remos AG has been producing structural composite parts for Stemme and ECARYS aircraft. The agreement has been unanimously approved by both companies' supervisory boards. Both brands will continue to market their existing products under the existing brand names. The new organization will operate under the name Stemme AG.  Photo © Aviat You can't beat it for STOL performance, for fun flying, ease of handling, speed, comfort and range. The Husky is best in its class. Think of it as a passport to the backcountry. The Husky A-1C-180 meets rigid FAR Part 23 government specs. It is certified to fly with a gross weight in excess of a REAL ton (2200 pounds on floats, 2250 on wheels). Nothing can touch it for getting into and out of remote areas. Taildragger pilots can transition in an hour or two and if you've never flown a REAL airplane, you'll find it docile, forgiving and about as easy as taildragger flying can get. The Husky A-1C-180 has an incredible speed range of 50 to 140 mph, a range of 800 miles and a rate of climb of 1500 fpm (at 2000 pounds). It makes an excellent IFR platform, is designed for comfort on long cross-country flights and it will hold its value with a minimum of maintenance. Husky's are also known for holding their value when it's time to upgrade. You can't make a better investment in recreational and utility flying. Your Husky A-1C-180 Aircraft is delivered with the following standard equipment: Lycoming 180 HP engine, Hartzell 76" constant speed propeller, mass and aerodynamically balanced ailerons (without spades), extended flaps and new flap control system. Complete 14 volt electrical system, full night lighting system including dual taxi and landing lights, dual wing tip anti-collision strobe lights, instrument and interior lights, VFR instruments including altimeter, airspeed indicator, manifold pressure and magnetic compass. Electronic gauges: digital tachometer, oil temperature, oil pressure, digital CHT/EGT, 8.50×6 tires, polished hub caps, Alaskan Bushwheel tail wheel, float fittings, lift rings, front seat inertia reel with 5 point harness, push to talk switches on throttles, ELT, water traps for pitot and static systems, Shock Dawg dampened landing gear, sliding window, Oregon Aero special seat cushions and 3 colour choice standard paint scheme. Fifty years after its maiden flight on 7 April 1967, the Gazelle is still being operated by nearly 100 customers in 34 countries and it is appreciated for its ease of maintenance and high reliability. Developed and manufactured in cooperation with the United Kingdom at the end of the 1960s, more than 1,250 Gazelles have been delivered. Today 470 rotorcraft - more than a third of all Gazelles manufactured - are still in service, a hundred of which are operated by the French army. A helicopter of many "firsts", the Gazelle was the first Airbus helicopter to be equipped with the Fenestron which is still present on Airbus' light and medium rotorcraft, including the first of the H generation, the H160. This major innovation improves safety around the tail rotor on the ground and reduces the sound level of the rotorcraft. It was also the first Airbus helicopter to be equipped with glass-resin blades developed in cooperation with the German company Bölkow. Lastly, it was the first helicopter in the world to be awarded the IFR qualification, category I, by the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority), allowing operators to fly to instrument flight rules with a single pilot on board. On 15 May 1971, the Gazelle broke three speed records in its category: - Over 3 km: 310 km/h - 15/25 km: 312 km/h - Over 100 km in a closed circuit: 296 km/h The Gazelle was a major success in the military sector and nearly 80% of the rotorcraft in service are used by armies around the world. By the end of December 2016, the Gazelle fleet had accumulated more than 7 million flight hours. The Gazelles (SA341 and SA342) that have accumulated the most flight hours (14,200 and 13,100 respectively) are currently operating in the United States. BOEING KC-46A TANKER JOINS FLIGHT TEST PROGRAM The newest KC-46 aerial refuelling aircraft, the second low-rate initial production plane, completed its first flight April 29. Its test activities will help ensure the KC-46 can safely operate through electromagnetic fields produced by radars, radio towers and other systems. To date, the program's test aircraft have completed 1,600 flight hours and more than 1,200 "contacts" during refueling flights with F-16, F/A-18, AV-8B, C-17, A-10 and KC-10 aircraft. The KC-46 is derived from Boeing's commercial 767 airframe. The company expects to build 179 tankers in its Everett factory. The KC-46A is a multirole tanker that can refuel all allied and coalition military aircraft compatible with international aerial refuelling procedures and can carry passengers, cargo and patients.  New Zealand, Pauatahanui Inlet: A MBB BK 117-A3 helicopter operated by Heliforce carrying under slung telegraph poles was forced to ditch after the cable holding the poles had broken and contacted the tail rotor. The pilot survived after having escaped from the sinking helicopter. Pakistan, Jhang: A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Mirage III on routine training mission crashed near Jhang. The pilot safely ejected the aircraft. USA, Alaska: Type: A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by Grant Aviation on a flight from Port Heiden Airport, Alaska to Perryville Airport, Alaska crashed near Chignik. The pilot, the only occupant, did not survive and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. USA, St Lawrence County: A Piper PA-31-310 Navajo C operated by Strait Air (2000) Ltd impacted terrain east of Colton, New York. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the sole pilot on-board was fatally injured.   17 May 1981 Death of Jeannette Ridlon Piccard, American high-altitude balloonist, and first woman to fly to the stratosphere.  Accompanied by her husband, Jean, a member of the Piccard family of balloonists and the twin brother of Auguste Piccard, she reached a height of 10.9 miles (17.5 km) during a record-breaking flight over Lake Erie on 23 October 1934, retaining control of the balloon for the entire flight.  Century of Progress balloon Chicago 1933. Photo commons.wikimedia.org.  On 23 October 1934 forty-five thousand spectators came to see the Piccard's off at their record attempt. Jeannette piloted the reconditioned Century of Progress, and the couple took along their pet turtle, Fleur de Lys. Jean changed the flight path and shortened the flight time because of cloudy skies, which reduced the amount of scientific work they were able to do whilst Jeannette made unplanned and impulsive manoeuvres.  Piccard gondola. Photo Museum of Science and Industry The newspaper alliance had offered to pay them US$1,000 if they broke the altitude record, so they jettisoned all of their sandbags, attempting to go higher. They reached 57,579 feet (17,550 m) or about 10.9 miles (17.5 km) up, travelled for eight hours on a journey over Lake Erie, and landed about 300 miles (480 km) away from Dearborn, near Cadiz, Ohio. After her husband's death in 1963, she worked as a consultant to the director of NASA's Johnson Space Centre for several years. Jeannette held the women's altitude record for nearly three decades and according to several contemporaneous accounts was regarded as the first woman in space. She was posthumously inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1998.  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