MIDWEEK UPDATE 12 JANUARY 2022Google Banner Ad    THE AER0 CLUB'S YEARBOOK IS NOW ON SALE WWW.AEROCLUB.ORG.ZA/SHOP     22 and 23 SAC Gauteng Regionals venue TBA. Contact Annie Boon on E-mail: chunge@mweb.co.za 29 SAPFA Rand Airport Challenge - Rand Airport. Contact Frank Eckard on E-mail: frank.eckard@mweb.co.za or Cell: 083 269 1516 29 SAPFA AGM at Rand Airport at 14h00. Contact Rob Jonkers on E-mail: rob@aerosud.co.za or Cell: 082 804 7032 29 On Saturday 29 January 2022, Pylon Racing South Africa will be hosting the Summer Races event, at RMAC in the South of Johannesburg. Come and join us for an adrenaline filled action packed day with high-speed racing fun. 26 & 27 SAC North-West Regionals at Klerksdorp airfield. Contact Annie Boon: E-mail: chunge@mweb.co.za   SANDF CHIEF SEES AAD AS OPPORTUNITY FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY Written by defenceWeb   The first four months of his tenure as South Africa's most senior soldier saw General Rudzani Maphwanya on an extensive tour of SA National Defence Force (SANDF) services and divisions. With that completed, he turned his attention to the country's defence industry in a familiarisation effort to “discover what it is capable of supplying”. This is according to the official SANDF mouthpiece, SA Soldier which, in its final edition of 2021, reports Maphwanya as saying it is time for the national defence force to rebuild. He is quoted as telling local defence industry leaders “a competent and combat ready defence force is only as good as the combat readiness of the defence industry” at the Department of Defence (DoD) Logistics Support Formation headquarters in Lyttelton, Centurion, late last year.  “When our defence industry is strong, we are capable of saying to the world 'South Africa is a power to contend with'. It means we take our space in multi-lateral organs. We stand and speak with a loud voice. When you have a dog in the house, people don't get through the gate, but they know if the dog doesn't have teeth, it is as if you do not have a dog,” the publication reports. Elaborating, the SANDF Chief pointed out the symbiotic relationship between the national military and the South African defence industry, also known by the acronym SADI, ensured the dog did have teeth. The success of the SANDF was dependent on an indigenous defence industry. “I believe in South Africa Inc - we must find a solution together.” Budget cuts, the publication has him saying, effectively killed SADI. He is further reported as saying while everyone knows the challenges and effort made to overcome them “the reality is South Africa is losing face in the world”. One way of rectifying this is this year's Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition at Air Force Base (AFB) Waterkloof. Due to take place from 21 to 25 September at the Centurion base recognised as the SA Air Force (SAAF) transport hub, Maphwanya sees it “making a statement”. “We need all the support we can get if we are to succeed and prosecute our mandate. It's not just about being able to fight, it's about being able to project our forces successfully,” SA Soldier has him saying. Turning to the longstanding SANDF problem of arresting a decline in both capabilities and equipment Maphwanya told those present a Defence Review, commissioned in 2012 and updated in 2015, had seen no implementation of recommendations. “We have to arrest the decline of a decline, but there is hope,” SA Soldier reports him adding “imagine the possibilities we could achieve if we were fully funded?” “We need to reach the stage where we can have an integrated exercise with the SA Army, SAAF, SA Navy (SAN) and SA Military Health Service (SAMHS) to tell the world. I'm optimistic we can.”  AFB YSTERPLAAT PART OF PUTTING OUT DESTRUCTIVE PARLIAMENT FIRE Written by defenceWeb  AFB Ysterplaat fire appliance at Parliament. Sergeants Dudley Bosman, Theodore Chippendale, Ashraf Madatt, Benjamin Fortuin, William Jonkers, Stefan Venter and Neil Kirkwood did Parliamentary fire duty.. Military firefighting expertise was part of the overall effort to quell the devastating fire that swept through Parliament last week. The skills of firefighters based at Air Force Base (AFB) Ysterplaat in Cape Town were mobilised by the base commander and a seven-man operational team with logistic support in the form of Warrant Officer1 Jan Wilson and Sergeant Wayne Wood was authorised for deployment post tasking confirmation. Kirkwood said the team were drawn from the base's military aviation rescue and firefighting service and responded with the base's Rhino fire tender as well as a logistic support vehicle. “On arrival at the parliament building, areas of the upper roof were well ablaze. The SAAF team reported to the forward command station and promptly deployed to relieve City of Cape Town (COCT) fire teams extinguishing the fifth-floor roof fire. Due to the structure type of the roof and collapse in certain areas, it was tedious work to contain and extinguish the fire. Inaccessible areas had to be cleared for the team to advance and prevailing mountain winds fanned the flames. “On equal footing with their civilian counterparts, the SAAF team continued fire suppressing activities into the night. After extensive offensive firefighting techniques were applied, the fire was brought under control. Damping down of structural elements continued into the early morning hours with the subsiding wind and drop in temperature working in favour of fire suppressing efforts. “At this stage, the City of Cape Town incident commander directed firefighting activities into salvage and overhaul phases with continuous monitoring. The SAAF fire team withdrew at 01h30 on 04 January with no injuries reported.”  ABALONE POACHERS NABBED IN TABLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK Written by defenceWeb Following the recent deployment of an Airbus H125 helicopter to Table Mountain National, three poachers have been apprehended in an anti-poaching operation in the Cape of Good Hope section of the park. The three poachers arrested were linked to the illegal harvesting of abalone and diving gear was confiscated. Van Rooyen said all confiscated items were booked with the SA Police Service. A case of poaching has been opened with the SAPS in Simon's Town. “Thank you to the SEAM Team rangers, K9 unit and the SANParks pilots for a spectacular job well done,” said Van Rooyen.  The remainder of the SEAM team have been deployed across the Park to various locations in support of visible policing operations during the festive season. The recently formed Sea, Air and Mountain (SEAM) Special Operations Ranger team and K9 unit includes dogs provided by Paramount K9 Solutions. The new team will cover multiple functions, including visitor safety, search and rescue and combating illicit wildlife crime such as abalone poaching.  LOCKHEED MARTIN UPGRADES SENSOR SYSTEMS ON EGYPT'S APACHE FLEET UNDER NEW CONTRACT Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) received a $102 million contract award to upgrade 25 of Egypt's AH-64D Apaches to the E-model version of the aircraft. The award is part of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract signed with the U.S. Army. The ID/IQ serves as the contracting vehicle to provide Gen III DSA and Gen III TADS/PNVS systems and services. Under the order, Lockheed Martin is delivering the upgraded sensor kits as part of a remanufacture effort to upgrade D-model Apaches to E-models. "Lockheed Martin is committed to a strong and sustained partnership with our customers in the United States and around the world," said Tom Eldredge, Director of Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control Rotary Wing Sensors program. "This contract enables us to respond rapidly to Egypt's emerging defence needs, including requirements for new sensor systems and upgrades." The work will be performed at the Boeing Apache Helicopter Plant in Mesa, Arizona with an estimated completion date of July 2024. Gen III TADS/PNVS, known as the "eyes of the Apache," provides pilots with long-range, precision engagement and pilotage capabilities for safe flight during day, night and adverse weather missions. Gen III DSA increases Gen III TADS/PNVS designation and ranging capabilities to fully accommodate current weapons and those planned for the future. The upgraded sensor enables Apache pilots to see high-resolution, high-definition, near-infrared and colour imagery on cockpit displays. Gen III DSA also provides a new laser pointer marker that improves coordination with ground troops as well as an updated multi-mode laser with eye-safe range designation that supports flight in urban environments and critical training exercises.   Ascendance Flight Technologies builds on the virtues of hybrid technology and distributed propulsion to develop sustainable air travel solutions. After three years of R&D, the French start-up company swiftly swings into action for new, state-of-the-art sustainable and decarbonised air travel: it is unveiling the design of ATEA, its 5-seater vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Conceived to operate in peri-urban areas and within regions thanks to a range of 400 km, carbon emissions reduced by 80% and noise pollution divided by 4, ATEA blends sleek and audacious design with unprecedented “fan-in-wing” technology and optimised engine configuration. Production is scheduled for 2025. Google Block Ad Equipped with tailor-made modular hybrid engines developed by Ascendance Flight Technologies, ATEA is tomorrow's aircraft: designed to satisfy the high demands of both passengers and stakeholders of reinvented aviation. Its architecture and design foresee the future of airborne mobility, responding to societal and environmental expectations and to the most recent certification rulings. The technological innovations integrated in ATEA ensure an optimised, easy-to-use and agile operation required for a variety of uses, whether for passenger transport, emergency services, logistical tasks or for surveillance flights. Modular hybrid-electric propulsion “Lift + Cruise” configuration with 2 separate propulsion systems for vertical and horizontal flight 8 rotors integrated into two fixed wings 2 horizontal propellers Skyview cabin and easy access for passengers “We set-up Ascendance Flight Technologies with a very clear vision of what we wanted to achieve: to accelerate transition towards green aviation thanks to hybrid technology” says Jean-Christophe Lambert, co-founder and CEO. “The design of ATEA is the concrete reflection of our values, our experience and of our know-how. The aircraft we are presenting to you today is the result of huge efforts by our R&D department, tests and trials on 4 prototypes and a great deal of thought on costs and the ease of flying such an aircraft. Its characteristics provide all the performances expected by a sector that the ongoing transition has made more demanding.”  Pakistan has officially confirmed its long-speculated acquisition of the Chinese J-10C Firebird fighter jets. Rasheed Ahmed, Pakistan's interior minister, told the media last week the country acquired 25 aircraft. Pakistan's interest in the Chinese product stretched back for more than 10 years and was partially driven by a need to complement its F-16, when further acquisition of the USA product appeared unlikely. China's naval air arm, the PLANAF, operates the earlier J-10AH and J-10SH Firebird variants from shore as multirole aircraft. It therefore seems possible that Pakistan may operate its aircraft similarly. The Chinese aircraft acquired by Pakistan's Firebirds are believed to be the J-10CE export variant of the latest J-10C, featuring an active electronically scanned array radar and long-range PL-15 air-to-air missiles. Twenty-five aircraft could equip two squadrons of 12 aircraft each.  ELBIT SYSTEMS EMIRATES AWARDED $53 MILLION CONTRACT TO SUPPLY DIRCM AND AIRBORNE EW SELF PROTECTION SYSTEMS TO THE UAE  Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT, TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems” or the “Company”) announced has announced that its subsidiary in the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”), Elbit Systems Emirates Limited (“Elbit Systems Emirates”), was awarded an approximately $53 million contract to supply Direct Infrared Countermeasures (“DIRCM”) and airborne Electronic Warfare (“EW”) systems for the Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft of the UAE Air Force. The contract will be performed over a five-year period. Under the contract, Elbit Systems Emirates will deliver a multi-turret configuration of the J-MUSIC™ Self-Protection System together with the Company's Infra-Red-based Passive Airborne Warning System, providing high levels of protection and redundancy. The Company's DIRCM systems have accumulated more than 350,000 operational flight hours to date and are installed onboard more than 25 types of aircraft. The Company is witnessing a growing demand for this type of self-protection capabilities in light of the rising threat that aircraft face from shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles. Elbit Systems views the UAE as an important market and believes that this contract award further highlights the technological advantage and maturity of the solutions offered by the Company in this field.   New enhancements include expanded NOTAM display options for field condition (FICON) and fuel unavailable NOTAMs on the moving map. When a FICON NOTAM is issued, Garmin Pilot now displays a badge at the end of the runway with the numeric value of the surface condition and braking action for each third of the runway; touchdown, midpoint and rollout. Users can view a decoded description of the FICON code by using the radial menu to access the raw NOTAM and clicking on the info icon. Fuel unavailable NOTAMs are presented throughout Garmin Pilot including in the fuel overlay on the dynamic map*, the Airport page, SafeTaxi diagram, along with the NOTAM widget in split screen mode. When fuel prices* are enabled on the dynamic map, the fuel unavailable NOTAM is displayed as a badge with a red warning triangle and a strikethrough on the reported price. This makes it easy to identify airports where fuel is unavailable without individually reviewing NOTAMs for airports. On the airport page, fuel unavailable NOTAMs can be viewed by tapping the warning banner displayed across the top of the page, as well as within the FBO tab. Garmin Pilot users will benefit from the redesigned Airport page with improved layouts and menus to provide easy access to airport information. Additional airport information has been added to the header, including the type of procedures available for the airport, weather conditions, as well as frequencies-making commonly reviewed information available without needing to access submenus. The new horizontal navigation bar simplifies the menu options: information, runways, charts, FBOs, weather and NOTAMs. Within those options, a revised side-bar menu intuitively organizes information. The FBO listings within the Airport page have also been enhanced to provide more information at-a-glance and the FBO services are now displayed with easily recognizable icons. Further, FBO data has been substantially expanded outside the U.S., with more than 10,000 FBO listings added. Google Banner Ad The latest Garmin Pilot update features additional enhancements, including: The distance measuring tool now includes estimated time en route (ETE), fuel burn and altitude for both directions of flight. It will also update the flight profile view with the area being measured. Garmin Pilot now supports the Appareo Stratus 3 ADS-B receiver1. When connected to a Stratus 3, Garmin Pilot can display ADS-B weather and traffic information, back-up attitude and GPS position. The newest release of Garmin Pilot on iOS mobile devices, version 10.6, is available immediately. For new customers, Garmin Pilot is available in the Apple App Store as a free download for the first 30 days. After the 30-day trial period, customers may purchase an annual subscription of Garmin Pilot starting at $79.99. Garmin Pilot is supported by Garmin's award-winning aviation support team, which provides 24/7 worldwide technical and warranty support. Visit www.garmin.com/aviation for additional information.   Offshore helicopter operator Bristow Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Overair that would help the eVTOL developer design, certify and bring its Butterfly aircraft to market. Bristow has also pre-ordered up to 50 aircraft from Overair. “Bristow's decades of vertical lift experience will greatly enhance Butterfly's path to commercialization,” said Ben Tigner, chief executive officer of Overair, in a press release. “Their operating insight, combined with our development and execution of the Butterfly program, will position Butterfly to serve Bristow as a valuable workhorse on high-density routes.” The helicopter operator will use its more than seven decades of experience to advise Overair on the technical development and certification of the Butterfly eVTOL aircraft, which the company hopes to certify with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in 2025. The Butterfly is a five-passenger piloted eVTOL aircraft that is targeting a range of 100 miles (161 kilometres) at top speeds of 200 miles per hour (322 kilometers per hour). The California-based eVTOL developer said the Butterfly's low-noise profile, payload capacity and ability to fly in all weather conditions will be suitable for Bristow's high-density, noise sensitive routes in regions with a variety of environmental concerns. “Our collaboration facilitates expansion into new high-density geographic markets with sustainable, innovative and efficient vertical lift and aerial transport services,” said Chris Bradshaw, president and CEO of Bristow. Bristow previously confirmed its interest in the advanced air mobility (AAM) market, which includes diversifying its fleet and exploring zero-emission commercial taxi flights using eVTOL aircraft. The partnership with Overair is the fourth deal that Bristow has signed with an AAM company - it previously entered into agreements with Embraer's Eve Urban Air Mobility, Vertical Aerospace and Electra.aero.  Once completed, Volata will have a fleet of 22. The company that offers five-year terms with fractional shares ranging from one-sixteenth shares to full ownership has sold most of its current inventory of HondaJets. For fractional owners, the per-hour flight cost is as low as $3,200 plus fuel expense and, depending on the departure distance from the nearest company base, repositioning fees are either reduced or eliminated from owner flight charges. “The launch of our charter service completes our business model,” explained Volato co-founder and chief revenue officer Nicolas Cooper. “We are launching another revenue stream for our owners where they can earn up to $1,250 on every live flight hour, irrespective of who is flying.” When factored in, that can lower the cost of flight for fractional owners to under $2,000 per hour plus fuel at cost.   On 6 November 2021, an Airbus A350-941 aircraft with registration ET-AYB and a call sign ET809 was being operated on a scheduled international flight from Addis Ababa International Airport (HAAB) to O.R. Tambo International Airport (FAOR). On-board the aircraft were three cockpit crew members, nine cabin crew members and 68 passengers. 1.1.2 The captain/pilot flying (PF) stated that upon his first contact with Johannesburg air traffic control (ATC), he was cleared for an OKPIT 4A standard instrument landing system (ILS) approach for Runway 03R. The weather from the Automatic Terminal Information Services (ATIS) that was broadcasted to the crew was - wind at a direction of 300° at 22 knots (kts), ceiling and visibility OK (CAVOK), temperature at 27°C, dew point at 11°C and query nautical height (QNH) at 1021 hectopascal (hPa). The PF stated that he had prepared for the arrival and had briefed the approach as per the company briefing checklist; he had anticipated a wind shear upon landing, therefore, added 5kts on the approach velocity (Vapp) of 137kts as per the operation manual for strong crosswind landings. The flaps were configured at 3°. The crew established for an ILS 03R approach and stabilised before 1000 feet (ft) above ground level (AGL). On final approach, ATC reported that the wind was from a direction of 300° at 22kts. At 30ft AGL, the PF flared with the adjusted crosswind landing technique by adding 5kts and retarded the thrust. The PF attempted to touch down within the touchdown zone, but the aircraft could not touch down inside the touchdown zone. The PF concluded that they were in wind shear and decided to execute a go-around. During the initial stages of the go-around, the gusty wind over-banked the aircraft to the right. The ATC instructed the PF to maintain runway heading and to climb to 8000ft above mean sea level (AMSL) and vectored them for Runway 03L landing. The crew related to ATC that they had encountered wind shear on final approach. The PF was able to land safely on Runway 03L and, at 1126Z, the chocks were placed against the aircraft's wheels at the parking bay. Thereafter, the crew disembarked and, during transit check, they noticed the damage on the right-side wing tip. 1.1.3 None of the occupants on-board were injured. The aircraft sustained minor damage during the serious incident. 1.1.4 The incident occurred during day light on Runway 03R adjacent taxiway Tango at FAOR at Global Positioning System (GPS) co-ordinates determined to be 26°09'22.29" South, 028°15'3.47" East, at an elevation of 5 534ft.  Brazil, near Piratininga, Nova Ubiratã, MT: An Embraer EMB-202A Ipanema crashed in wooded area near Piratininga, Nova Ubiratã, Mato Grosso. The pilot was killed and the aircraft was destroyed.  China, Hangzhou-Xiaoshan International Airport: A Tupolev Tu-204-100C operated by Aviastar-TU with eight occupants suffered an on-board fire at Hangzhou Airport (HGH), China. The aircraft was preparing to depart on a flight to Novosibirsk-Tolmachevo Airport, Russia, carrying about 20 tons of general cargo when a fire erupted in the cargo hold. The eight crew members evacuated the aircraft and fire services attended to the fire, but could not prevent the fire from spreading through the entire fuselage. The fuselage eventually fractured just behind the wings. USA, about 2.5 mi S of New Melle, MO: A Kalitta Charters LLC Beechcraft 58 Baron with two occupants impacted wooded terrain approx. 2.5 mi south of New Melle, Missouri, which is about 12 mi West of SUS Airport. The two people onboard were fatally injured. The aircraft had departed from runway 26L at KSUS and the flight path was erratic which included unusually slow climb groundspeeds. About 9 minutes after take-off, the terminal manoeuvre was an uncontrolled descent from 8,000'. The final data point included an extrapolated descent rate of 29,000 feet per minute.  USA, near Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst Apt. Wrightstown, NJ: A USA Marine Corps Bell AH-1Z Viper with two on board sustained substantial damage after crashing in a field near McGuire Field (Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst) Airport (WRI/KWRI), Wrightstown, New Jersey. The two occupants sustained unspecified injuries. Switzerland, Obersee, SZ: A Segel- und Motorfluggruppe Grenchen Schleicher ASK-16 motor glider lost power during take-off from Wangen-Lachen Airfield (LSPV), Schwyz, overran the runway and came to rest in the water of the Obersee lake. The pilot was not injured.  France, Col du Béal, Puy de Dome: A Héliclub du Périgord Robinson R44 Raven II with two occupants crashed on the Col du Béal (c 4600 ft AMSL) and burst into flames. It had departed Villefranche/Tarare Airport (LFHV) at 15:30 hours local time, bound for Brive-la-Gaillarde Laroche Aiport (BVE/LFBV). The occupants did not survive. Bahamas, offshore Chub Cay, Berry Islands: A Venture Air Solutions Inc Cessna 402B with two on board sustained substantial damage subsequent to a ditching and it sank to the bottom offshore Chub Cay in the Berry Islands, Bahamas following a reported loss of engine power. The pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries.  Iran, Isfahan-Shahid Beheshti Airport (IFN): A Caspian Airlines Boeing 737-4H6 with 116 occupants on a domestic scheduled passenger flight sustained substantial damage when the left-hand main gear collapsed on landing at Isfahan-Shahid Beheshti Airport (IFN/OIFM), Iran. Five passengers were injured as a result of the evacuation. Preliminary information indicates the aircraft landed but suffered the collapse of the left-hand main gear almost immediately after touch down. The aircraft veered right and came to a stop on the side of the runway. South Korea, Seosan AB, South Chungcheong Province: A South Korean Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II performed a wheels up landing on a foam-covered runway at Seosan AB, South Chungcheong Province after a reportedly avionics related landing gear malfunction.  Bolivia, Pesado River, Coronado Norte, Muyupampa: A Bolivian Army Robinson R44 Raven I with three on board crashed under unknown circumstances in the Pesado River, Coronado Norte, Muyupampa municipality, Chuquiaca department while searching for a missing girl. All three occupants survived the crash and one of them sustained some injuries. Israel, off Bat Galim beach, near Haifa: An Israeli Defence Force Eurocopter AS 565MA Panther / Atalef (AS 365N) operated by 193 Squadron with three occupants crashed into the sea at night off Bat Galim beach, Haifa. The helicopter had been airborne for about an hour, taking part in a training exercise at the time of the accident the IDF confirmed. They state an engine fire occurred; the emergency flotation system was deployed but no distress call received. One crew member was rescued. The two pilots (a Lt Col and Major) were discovered after a long search and didn't survive the accident. Early wreckage recovered included a cabin door.  Panama, off the coast of Chame, Panamá Oeste: A Piper PA-32-260 Cherokee Six with five occupants onboard ditched in the water south of Chame following a loss of engine power, Panamá Oeste Province, Panama. Of the 5 persons onboard, the pilot and two passengers sustained serious injuries and 2 passengers were fatally injured. USA, Arcadia, FL: A Mooney M20C Ranger with two on board sustained substantial damage subsequent to a forced landing in an orange orchard while enroute to Arcadia Municipal Airport (X06), DeSoto County, Florida following a loss of engine power. The husband and wife onboard were not injured.   2 JANUARY1943  McDonnell gets a contract to build the US Navy's first jet fighter. As McDonnell's first successful fighter it led to the development of the follow-on F2H Banshee, which was one of the two most important naval jet fighters of the Korean War and would also establish McDonnell as an important supplier of navy aircraft. When McDonnell chose to bring the name back with the Mach 2-class McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, it launched what would become the most versatile and widely used western combat aircraft of the Vietnam War era, adopted by the USAF and the US Navy and remains in use with various countries to the present day.   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