MIDWEEK UPDATE 4 December 2013
THIS WEEK IN MIDWEEK UPDATE
1 Weekend events.
2 Forthcoming events.
3 Captains Log
4 Ace of Base 2013, Vereeniging, 1 December 2013 contest results
5 South African war dead honoured using new technology
6 Russian Helicopters delivers a second commercial multirole Mi-171 to Airfast Indonesia.
7 Alenia Aermacchi completes final assembly of C-27J Spartan for Royal Australian Air Force
8 Advertising Rate Card
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4 to 7 December ICAAD at Tempe Bloemfontein. Pearl 083 451 2665
7 & 8 December: Wings and Wheels airshow at AFB Ysterplaat - Cape Town Contact Chris Teale e-mail: chris@ysterplaat.org.za
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15 December: Plett Wings and Wheels aviation day.
Contact Harry de Villiers 082 807 2091 harry@htdevilliersatt.co.za
31 January to 01 February: SAC Western Cape regionals / AWAC finals at Mossel Bay. Contact Annie Boon e-mail: change@mweb.co.za
31 January to 02 February: Dias Festival airshow - Mossel Bay.
Contact Hans Potgieter e-mail: airshowevents@gmail.com
1 February: SAPFA Rand Airport challenge rally: www.sapfa.org.za Contact Mary de Klerk mary@expandingbranding.co.za
1 February: SAAF Museum flying training and open day. Contact Capt. Kobus Kapp 012 351 2342. E-mail: webmaster@saafmuseum.org
7 to 9 February: MISASA Shootout 2014 to be held at Tedderfield. Contact Donald Hicks e-mail: wendonair@wendon.co.za or John Boucher e-mail: comms@misasa.org Tel: 082 553 1105
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From what we have been able to establish it is supposed to end with a fully-fledged airshow, supposedly supported by the SAAF, on Saturday and that entry is free.
Pilots Post have a correspondent on site and will publish a full report on Sunday.
1 Bertus Du Preez Slick 360 ZU-FEK
5 Trevor Warner RV-7 ZU-FLV
6 Cliff Pike Giles 202 ZU-TZT
7 Neville Ferreira Slick 540 ZU-TNT
8 Conrad Botha RV-7 ZU-FLR
9 Rob Du Plooy Giles 202 ZU-ZOZ
10 Leigh Le Gonidec Sbach ZS-BKT
11 Barrie Eeles Sbach ZS-BKT
12 Riaan Prinsloo Yak 18T
13 Cliff Lotter Zlin 50 ZS-WWK
14 Derek Bird Robin R2160i ZS-PPE
15 Justus Venter Pitts S1S ZS-UZZ
16 Jason Alexander Yak 52
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The sacrifices made by South African servicemen and women during the two world wars are being revealed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's use of the latest mobile phone technology.
The initiative is part of a drive by the Commission to ensure those who died, and particularly the lesser known sacrifice made by South Africans, is never forgotten.
During the two world wars, South African's from all sections of society, made a vital contribution to allied victory, and more than 21,000 died. The stories of some of these men will be told using the latest smartphone technology at the cemeteries and memorials around the globe where they are buried and commemorated. Two of the latest sites to benefit from this initiative are the Hollybrook Memorial in Southampton, UK and Delville Wood Cemetery in France.
Using a new form of interpretive panel - combined with a QR or Quick Response barcode - the Commission is able to reveal the heroism of men like The Reverend Isaac Wauchope Dyobha and the tragic loss of the SS Mendi, on which 616 South Africans, including notable Pondo Chief Henry Bokleni Ndamase, died. The Reverend Dyobha is reported to have calmed the men as the ship sank.
The SS Mendi left Cape Town on January 25th, 1917 carrying the last contingent of the South African Native Labour Corps destined for France. In dense fog on the night of the 21 February, she was struck by another ship and sank within 25 minutes. The majority of those who died on board the SS Mendi are commemorated by the Commission at the Southampton (Hollybrook) Memorial in the United Kingdom.
Delville Wood Cemetery, near the site of the South African National Memorial at Deliville Wood in France, has also been selected for this new form of interpretive approach.
The South African Infantry Brigade attacked Delville Wood in July 1916 as part of the Battle of the Somme. The brigade made strong initial gains before being checked by stiff German resistance. Surrounded on three sides and ordered to hold the wood 'at all costs', the South Africans fought without relief for six days. When they were finally relieved, their ammunition completely spent, only 755 men from a force of 3,153 were left standing.
These two locations are among 500 worldwide where the Commission is installing this new form of information panel. A further 16 panels are planned for cemeteries in South Africa and Namibia.
For more details contact: Charles Ross. Tel 012 663 7285, Cell 082 410 6134, e-mail charles@cwgc.co.za
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org
South Africa is one of six founding Commonwealth member countries of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Commission maintains the graves of the 1.7 million Commonwealth servicemen and women who died during the two world wars. It also holds and updates an extensive and accessible records archive. The Commission operates in over 23,000 locations in 153 countries across all continents except for Antarctica.
A series of high-profile worldwide events will take place to mark the centenary of the First World War, many of which will take place at Commission sites. The Commission will ensure that these sites are maintained at the highest standard and are installing information panels at over 500 sites to enhance the visitor experience. Smartphone users will also be able to access additional information, including the personal stories of some of those buried at the site.
The Commission provides teachers and youth workers with a comprehensive range of educational resources and support materials so that future generations remain engaged in the work of the Commission and continue to remember those who died in the two world wars.
Delville Wood Cemetery was made after the Armistice, when graves were brought in from a few small cemeteries and isolated sites, and from the battlefields. Almost all of the burials date from July, August and September 1916. There are now over 5,500 burials and commemorations of the First World War in this cemetery. The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker
Use the following link to access the personal stories available at this location
Use the following link to access the personal stories available at this location
The delivery continues a relationship established last year, when Airfast Indonesia - one of the country's biggest providers of aviation services to the oil, mining and construction industries - took delivery of its first commercial Mi-171. The Indonesian company chose the Mi-171 for its versatility, high level of reliability and ease of use, and for the helicopter's ability to operate in various climatic conditions. Mi-8/17 series helicopters can fly a wide range of missions, from cargo and passenger transport to geological prospecting and routine patrols, fire-fighting and offshore transfers. The Mi-171's successful operational history was a key factor in the Indonesian company's decision to add these helicopters to its fleet. In 2012 and 2013 the parties signed contracts for the delivery of two more Mi-171s.
Commercial operators of the Mi-171 in Indonesia make use of an external sling, and use the helicopter to carry passengers including to inaccessible regions. The Mi-171s built for Airfast Indonesia are fitted with the latest piloting and navigational equipment and additional radio equipment to make the helicopter safer and improve its operational abilities.
More than 5,000 Mi-8/17 series helicopters are currently operated around the planet, including more than 700 Mi-171s in Russia, South-East Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Latin America. The possibilities offered by the helicopter expand on a daily basis, and it can tackle increasingly varied and complex tasks thanks to continuous upgrading of the Mi-8/17 series by Russian Helicopters.
Russian-built helicopters are also used by the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU). The country operates military transport Mi-17V-5 helicopters built by Kazan Helicopters, a Russian Helicopters company, and multirole Mi-35P combat helicopters built at Rostvertol, the company's production facility at Rostov-on-Don. Russian-built helicopters are reliable, safe and efficient, and can be operated in mountainous terrain as well as adverse weather conditions with a high level of humidity.
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Alenia Aermacchi has completed the assembly of the first C-27J battlefield airlifter for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). At the company's Turin plant, the aircraft's wing was mated with the fuselage and the engines, landing gear, and other major components were installed. The aircraft is currently undergoing equipment installation and functional tests in preparation for the test flight phase.
Roll out and company flights will occur within November, and customer acceptance tests and procedures will follow shortly. Alenia Aermacchi is providing the C-27J to prime contractor L-3 Communications, in support of a U.S. Air Force Foreign Military Sale to Australia. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered to L-3 in the first quarter of 2014, on time and on budget.
The aircraft's fuselage is produced in the company's Naples plant. The other aircraft's components come from several national and international program partners.
Alenia Aermacchi is currently under contract to deliver 10 C-27J battlefield airlifters by 2015 to the prime contractor.
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