MIDWEEK UPDATE 20 AUGUST 2015By the Pilot's Post TeamTHIS WEEK IN MIDWEEK UPDATE Plan your weekend Forthcoming events Notice Board This week in aviation history Worldwide incidents and accidents Aviation News Advertising rate card  20 - 29 August: Sports Aerobatics Club Unlimited World Championships - France Contact Annie Boon chunge@mweb.co.za 23 August: Grand Rand airshow (Sunday) Contact Stuart Coetzee e-mail: manager@randairport.co.za Tel: 011 827 8884  29 August: Bethlehem Aero Club fun navigation rally. Contact Izak Venter e-mail: izak@motsu.co.za or Francois Marais e-mail: info@stanfra.co.za 5-6 September: Fly & Braai @ FAGL (Groblersdal). If you want to stay over bring your tent or stay at a B&B in Town. Bring along: Your own Dop & Tjops. Contact: Fanie: 0834498638, Oom Piet: 0741601429, Dries: 0829077817, Christo: 0824162159 or Dawie: 0823884401 12 September: Kitty Hawk is pleased to once again host the RV lotus day. Free caps and an American breakfast for participating RV pilots. All aircraft are welcome! More detail closer to the time! Contact our airport manager Dawie for more detail: 0767980235 12 - 13 August: Sports Aerobatics Club Gauteng regionals and Judges Trophy - Vereeniging Contact Annie Boon chunge@mweb.co.za 4-6 September: Petit Vintage and Classic Fly-in. Contact Ivan van der Schaar 0823759180 .jpg) 5 September: SAAF Museum flying training and open days. Contact Capt. Kobus Kapp 012 351 2342 or E-mail: webmaster@saafmuseum.org 18-20 September: Pyramid Air Park Aviators Weekend Barberton. Contact Peter Lea peter@irricon.co.za or 0825534908 17-20 September: Botswana Air Race at Matsieng, It is going to be the best ever race with sponsored fuel, tents and lots more. Contact admin@airrace.co.bw  3 October: SAAF Museum flying training and open days. Contact Capt. Kobus Kapp 012 351 2342 or E-mail: webmaster@saafmuseum.org 3 October: SAPFA Fun Rally Grand Central. Contact Jonty Esser e-mail: jontye@x7online.co.za Cell: 076 302 0451 10 October: Spring 2015 TMG Fly in at Bundu Inn Flying Estate. Contact Marietjie van Niekerk on 0827656670 or marietjievn@gmail.com 24 - 25 October: Sports Aerobatic Club KZN regionals - Ladysmith. Contact Annie Boon chunge@mweb.co.za 31 October: Bethlehem Aero Club fly-in and hangar dance. Contact Izak Venter e-mail: izak@motsu.co.za or Francois Marais e-mail: info@stanfra.co.za 7 November: SAAF Museum flying training and open days. Contact Capt. Kobus Kapp 012 351 2342 or E-mail: webmaster@saafmuseum.org 13 to 15 November: Mafikeng annual fly-in and hangar dance. Contact Connie Conradie 082 449 1546 e-mail: info@mafikeng-flyingclub.co.za 21 November: SAPFA Fun Rally Brits. "Peter Hengst Memorial Fun Rally Contact Jonty Esser jonty@aircraftoc.co.za for Rally information and entries and Trixiie Heron editor@afskies.co.za for EAA" 5 - 6 December: SAC ACE of Base - Baragwaneth airfield (Syferfontein) Contact Annie Boon chunge@mweb.co.za 5 December: SAAF Museum flying training and open days. Contact Capt. Kobus Kapp 012 351 2342 or E-mail: webmaster@saafmuseum.org 7 December: ICAD (International Civil Aviation Day) Contact Mark Swarts e-mail: SwartsM@caa.co.za Cell: 082 878 0875  BE A SAFETY FIRST AVIATOR   August 20 1939 - The last rigid airship, the Graf Zeppelin (LZ 130) makes its last flight. August 20 1913 - 700 feet above Buc, France, parachutist Adolphe Pegond becomes the first person to jump from an airplane and land safely. August 21 1989 - Unlimited class racer Rare Bear, a highly-modified Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat, sets a new piston-powered speed record of 850.24 kilometers per hour (528.32 miles per hour) at Las Vegas, Nevada. August 22 1970 - Two Sikorsky HH-53 C helicopters complete a non-stop transpacific flight of 9,000 miles (14,484 km) using in-flight refueling. August 22 1918 - Lieutenant Frigyes Hefty of the Austro-Hungarian Air Corps successfully parachutes from his burning fighter after a dogfight with Italian aircraft. He is the first person to survive a combat parachute jump. August 22 1909 - The first great aviation meeting in Bétheny, France, opens as 23 European airplanes make 87 flights during one week. The meeting will have a strong influence on the technical and military aspects of flight. August 23 1977 - Gossamer Condor became the first human-powered aeroplane, flying a figure-8 course to demonstrate sustained, controlled flight August 23 1878 - The British government uses its first military aviation budget (£150) to build and fly their first balloon, the Pioneer August 24 1979 - A Stearman biplane, aircraft registration number N48784, flew into electrical transmission lines that cross Lake Natoma at Mississippi Bar. Jacquelyn Burnett, a passenger in the biplane, was killed. The pilot, Stephen Francis Williams, was convicted of manslaughter. His conviction marked the first time in United States history that a pilot was held criminally responsible for the death of a passenger. Williams had previously killed his own 12-year-old daughter, Patricia Anna Williams, by attempting a take-off in dense fog at the Salinas Municipal Airport. August 24 1932 - Amelia Earhart is the first woman to fly across the United States non-stop (from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey). August 25 1976 - The British Airways Concorde registered G-BOAD makes her maiden flight out of Filton, England. Today she is on display at the USS Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York. August 25 1912 - Royal Navy aviator Wilfred Parke becomes the first pilot ever to recover from a spin, regaining control of his Avro Type G biplane 50 feet from the ground at Larkhill, England.  Germany, Bavaria: A U.S. F-16 crashed in a Bavarian forest in southern Germany. The pilot managed to eject and suffered only light injuries. The jet had taken off from the Grafenwoehr military training ground and subsequently crashed during a manoeuvre. USA, Tampa: A 63 year old pilot was seriously injured when his Evans Volksplane VP-1 plane crashed in a wooded area near the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport. USA, Fresno: Pilots on board a medical emergency helicopter transporting a patient from the mountains to a hospital had to take evasive action when a drone flew right into their path near Fresno. The pilot made a sharp turn just barely dodging the drone that was mere feet away.  THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLANE NEVER FLOWN IS JUST WEEKS FROM ITS MAIDEN FLIGHT   Fast forward to 2013, when a team led by former Air Force pilot Scott Wilson launched a Kickstarter project to create an airworthy 100P from scratch. At that time, construction was nearly complete, but Wilson needed more money to finish the project. "Reve Bleu" - Blue Dream - eventually raised a little over $62,000, and today, the new aircraft is nearly ready to take to the skies for the first time. In recent days, the 100P has run its engines and performed taxi tests, and it looks amazing on the ground. It'll look even better from above. THE ROYAL JORDANIAN AIR FORCE CHOOSES THE PILATUS PC-9 M TRAINING SYSTEM  Photo © Pilatus Keen to modernise its pilot training facilities, the RJAF has opted for the Pilatus PC-9 M, knowing that it will provide a resolutely up-to-date, high performance, cost-effective system for basic and advanced pilot training. The order was only awarded after several years of hard negotiations, from which the PC-9 M finally emerged as the winner. Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Pilatus, commented: "We are very pleased to welcome the Royal Jordanian Air Force as a new member of the Pilatus family. I am equally happy that Pilatus won the deal against several other international competitors and that, in the final round, the Royal Jordanian Air Force chose our PC-9 M over all other aircraft!" Markus Bucher, CEO of Pilatus, adds: "We are truly delighted to have a new customer and are confident that this purchase will encourage other air forces to consider our efficient Pilatus training aircraft for their own pilot training needs in the future. This decision is further proof that we are a world class provider of training aircraft!" The PC-9 M is a proven and efficient training system already used with great success by many air forces around the world. The PC-9 Ms acquired by the RJAF will be ready for delivery from January 2017 and will form the future backbone for training the pilots tasked with flying the latest generation of military jets. Pilatus guarantee to provide the RJAF with premium Swiss quality, working with our customer to implement the optimum training system for its requirements in respect of basic and advanced pilot training - the Pilatus PC-9 M.   Cessna Citation Leading the way for Textron Aviation is the newly certified Citation Latitude. With a range of 2,850 nautical miles, the aircraft boasts exceptional mission capability. The Latitude's flat floor and six feet of cabin height affords the most open, spacious, bright and refined cabin environment in the midsize category. Combined with its midsize acquisition price and low operating costs, the Latitude provides unmatched value and comfort for customers in its class.  Photo © Willie Bodenstein Discovery Aviation, Inc. exhibited at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh 2015. On display at Discovery's booth was the 7 seat, twin engine, amphibious utility aircraft - the Discovery 201 and the 2 seat, IFR Certified, flight training aircraft - the Discovery XL-2. Both aircraft meet the demands of aviation business and training needs. "As Discovery continues to expand its operations with the recent announcement to build a $4 million, 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Melbourne FL; AirVenture is a key event to connect with customers, work with our manufacturing partners, and grow our dealer network" said Paul Bartlett, Discovery's C.O.O.  Photo © Discovery Aircraft About the Discovery 201 The Discovery 201 is a flexible, multi-role utility aircraft, capable of operating from paved runways and rough fields. When equipped with optional floats or skis, the 201's versatility extends itself to operations from water and snow. The 201 is powered by two 210hp Continental IO-360 engines with Hartzell props, giving a maximum cruise speed of 124 knots, a useful load of 1800 lbs. and a maximum range of 1000 NM. The cabin area can be configured for up to 5 adults, or given over to cargo with easy access from the unique rear entry doors. Other popular configurations include air ambulance and parachute/photography. About the Discovery XL-2  The upgraded Discovery XL-2 is now available with Garmin's G500 dual screen glass panel and G650 avionics, and all integrated with many other features including autopilot. To meet the growing technical advances, and address the 30+ countries where the XL-2 is now certified, other options include, ADS-B, DME, ADF.  Photos © Viking Aircraft  To further the aircraft's reach in the region, Viking has assigned Manaus Aerotaxi Participacoes (MAP) of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, to become the sales representative for the Series 400 Twin Otter in-country. MAP's demonstrated regional expertise and central location in the heart of the Amazonian rain forest will be an asset in reaching potential customers who will benefit most from the Twin Otter's capability of reliable operation in extreme environments. "We are very excited to display the Series 400 Twin Otter for the first time in Brazil as part of LABACE," said David Caporali, regional sales director for Latin America. "We are also excited to join forces with MAP, and look forward to developing the market for both civilian and military operation of the Series 400 Twin Otter in Brazil."  Photo © Singular Aircraft Singular Aircraft, based in Malta, London and Barcelona, released the first amphibian RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) to the market, equipped with a twin engine, with capabilities to land and take off on unpaved runways or on water, ice and on snow, both at day or at night. Its adaptation to any environment is absolute, while being also the most affordable in its sector and fully customizable to any client's needs. Singular Aircraft wanted to bring a versatile UAV to the market, that reduces significantly the cost of acquisition and the costs of maintenance and achieved its goal. The Flyox I has been designed to suit the individual needs of each client, being fully customizable. Nevertheless, they designed five basic configurations for the following specific applications: cargo, firefighting, agriculture and surveillance. Multi-functionality is one of its great attributes, accompanied by a substantial price decline, not only the acquisition, but also the operation. Some of the hallmarks of Flyox I are its cargo transport capacity, its high autonomy in flight hours, and its capacity to take off and land on short runways. Additionally Flyox I has automatic take-off and landing functions, as well as various flight modes, like the option to program pre-set flight paths, etc. Several countries have expressed an interest in purchasing Singular's Aircraft for its multifunctional abilities.   |
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