African Pilot Newsletter No. 6 - 52

African Pilot Newsletter 52 - 2007
Monday 17 December 2007

Just in case you are having a rough day, here is a stress management technique recommended in all the latest psychological journals. The funny thing is that it really does work and will make you smile.
Please read this slowly and allow the words to sink in. 

• Picture yourself lying on your tummy on a warm rock that hangs out over a crystal clear stream
• Picture yourself with both your hands dangling in the cool running water
• Birds are sweetly singing in the cool mountain air
• No one knows your secret place
• You are in total seclusion, away from the hectic pace of life
• The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity

   The water is so clear, you can easily make out the face of the person you are holding by the neck under the water...

Now you are aware that it really does work. You are smiling already!

Final African Pilot e-mail newsletter of the 2007 year
On behalf of my team at AFS Studio (Pty) Ltd and African Pilot may I wish you all a restful, safe and festive Christmas season! May you return to the business of aviation in 2008 with renewed energy and lots of constructive strategies for aviation in the New Year. This will be the final African Pilot newsletter for 2007. This past year has been one of the most exciting years of my life in aviation due to the fact that the magazine has become recognised in many countries in the world and has grown from strength to strength in South Africa. At African Pilot our team does not need to boast about being the Leading Aviation Magazine or the Best Selling Aviation Magazine, on its cover because the team is Serious about Flying. At the same time African Pilot is unquestionably the finest quality aviation magazine published in South Africa, specifically for the African continent.

May I extend my most grateful thanks to all our loyal advertisers, readers of the weekly newsletter and of course African Pilot magazine.  In 2008, please continue sending articles, thoughts, comments and criticisms. I welcome them all.

African Pilot Aviation Images Website
African Pilots aviation images Website has grown substantially in size this past year with more than 2 200 aircraft images representing almost all disciplines of military and general aviation in the world. Access to the site is via the magazine Website: www.africanpilot.co.za

On-line readers of African Pilot
The on-line readership audience of African Pilot has passed the 1 600 mark and represents a new dimension in aviation publishing in South Africa. Started earlier this year, readers may register once only for a free upload of the entire monthly magazine at no cost.  This innovation has resulted in a considerably enlarged audience and will certainly boost African Pilots ABC certification during the coming year. Electronic copies of the magazine are the easiest to track through the Internet, because readership figures are completely accurate due to the nature of the medium.

African Pilots February edition
It seems strange to be writing about our February edition, when the December holidays have not yet started.  However, due to the fact that we will be closing for the festive season, the February edition of the magazine will only close for submissions on Monday 7 January 2008. Although many persons within the aviation sector are likely to still be on leave the business of publishing does not stop. Therefore I urge you to try and get your advertising material to our offices before the end of this week so that when we return, we can get stuck into the February edition. For assistance please call Andrea at (011) 702 2342/3 or e-mail her at: marketing@africanpilot.co.za 

New CEO appointed for the SA Civil Aviation Authority official SA CAA announcement
The Board of the South African Civil Aviation Authority is pleased to announce the appointment of Captain Colin Jordaan as the Chief Executive Officer of the SA CAA effective from 10 December 2007. Captain Jordaan joins the Authority shortly after an announcement was made that the position of CEO and Commissioner should be merged into one, in line with international best practice.

Prior to joining the SA CAA, Captain Jordaan held the position of General Manager, Flight Operations at South African Airways, where he was responsible for managing a complement of 800 pilots, 2 100 cabin crew and 200 administrative staff. He joined SAA in 1980, and has held various management positions in Flight Operations and in technical departments.

Captain Jordaan studied Aeronautical Engineering at Wits University. He started flying in 1973 and is a founder Director of the Wits University Flying Association. A member of the SAA Pilots Association (SAAPA), he was awarded the SAAPA Scroll of Merit three times, being the first and only pilot to have been recognized in this manner to date. He was also the first pilot in Africa to fly the Airbus A380. He served on the Board of Directors of the Aero Club of South Africa and also served as the Committee Member and Chairman of the South African Power Flying Association for many years.

Captain Jordaan is married with children, and is an avid sportsman. Colin has a great interest in golf, snow and water skiing. The Board wishes him all the best in this new challenge.

 Duke Moorosi - Chairman of the SA CAA Board

Correction to last weeks African Pilot newsletter
Captain Colin Jordaan is married to Elizabeth Shorten, and not Patricia Scholtemeyer as indicated in newsletter 51-2007. African Pilot regrets this error and wishes to thank Elizabeth, for advising it of the error. At the same time Elizabeth provided African Pilot with Colins CV, which provides a significant insight into the man who will soon be at the helm of the SA CAA.  Amongst his most significant responsibilities, Colin has been extensively involved within management structures at SAA, including Manager of Strategic Planning Flight Operations, IATA as chairman of the Flight Operations Group and as Technical Director of the SAA Pilots Association.

African Pilot wishes Captain Jordaan all good fortune for the future, in this somewhat thankless and daunting task as head of the SA CAA

SAA appoints new Head of Flight Operations
Last week SAA announced that Captain Johnny Woods, SAAs chief pilot would replace Captain Colin Jordaan as its new head of flight operations. Captain Woods joined the airline in 1974 and has flown all aircraft operated by SAA since he joined, including the airlines first jet airliner, the Boeing 707.  He became a training captain in 1981 and was appointed Chief Pilot of the airline in 1998.  Captain Woods holds an MBA from Henley Management College and has over 17,000 flying hours to his name. 

SA CAA discussion document on NTCA types and language proficiency
Report compiled by the monitors of AWSA


Non Type Certified Aircraft resolution
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) considered the urgent issues, relating to various NTCA matters raised at the SA CAA-Industry liaison meeting held on 27 November 2007, and resolved as follows:-

Flowing from amendments to various applicable Parts of the Civil Aviation Regulations, as well as its corresponding Technical Standards, which amendments have caused varying degrees of unintended difficulties, a considerable number of aircraft in the NTCA sector are not being allowed registration on the South African Aircraft Register.  Most of these aircraft would have qualified for registration under the previous legal framework. Consequently, some of such aircraft are registered irregularly at times.

In order to remedy the immediate status quo, the following course of action will apply:-

A special task group comprising of senior SA CAA technical staff and technical experts from the industry be formed to consider and recommend proposals to address the problem areas highlighted by industry and experienced by SA CAA. The proposals will form the basis for addressing any other matter related to NTCA and should include proposals for future regulation of this sector, with specific reference to commercial operations and applicable limitations. The proposal shall then be referred to the SA CAA, with the differing points of view, and the reasons for consideration.

In parallel and at the same time, the task group will consider and recommend the required amendments to the regulations and technical standards to resolve the recurrence of these problems in future.

For NTCA aircraft awaiting registration, consideration will be given, by SA CAA, to the history and commencement of individual projects, where applicable, as well as the current and historical legal requirements and registration status in the international arena.  Following the outcome of the task team, such proposals will be evaluated and, where necessary, amendments will be submitted as a matter of priority to the CARCOM secretariat.

Whilst the process is ongoing, the following has to be reiterated. The Parts 24 and 21 requirements for substantiation will be applied strictly in the importation of any NTCA aircraft. No aircraft without substantiation, as per Part 24 and 21, either existing at the SA CAA or
available in advance, before approval for import, will henceforth be approved for importation or placement on the South African Register.

In summary the process will unfold in the following manner:

A. Selection and Commissioning of Task Team.
B. Clear terms of reference supplied.
 i) Task Team to give project plan.
 ii) Benchmarking for informed input.
 iii) Review of existing documentation on the subject matter.
C. Submission of possible solution to the CAA.
D. Consideration of outcome by CAA and compiling a draft policy.
E. Seek public input both internal and external on the draft policy.
F. Refer clarification arising from public input to subject experts in the Task Team for further recommendation.
G. Compilation of final draft policy to be submitted to the Safety Committee of SA CAA's Board.
H. Adoption of final policy.
I. Presentation to CARCOM on regulatory changes.
J. Update of guidance material.

2. Language proficiency
The following release has been issued by the SA CAA regarding language proficiency.

"Acceptance of Prior Learning or Foreign CAA language certification:
A. The SA CAA will accept foreign CAA language certification and issue the relevant rating into the applicants licence.
B. For existing South African pilot licences only:-
i. Prior to 28 February 2008, the CAA will certify the holder of a South African Private Pilot Licence or Commercial Pilot Licence held for a period of two years or longer at Level 4.
ii. Prior to 28 February 2008, the CAA will certify the holder of an Instrument Rating for a South African Pilot licence at Level 5.
iii. All licence holders who have been granted initial certification by the CAA at Level 4 and 5 will be required to undergo language proficiency testing when applying for a higher licence.

In addition it has come to the attention of the monitors of AWSA that ICAO has delayed the implementation of language proficiency testing by three years at the request of AOPA (USA) and the FAI.

Nationwide Airlines back in the air
Nationwide Airlines resumed its long-haul flights between Johannesburg and London Gatwick on Friday 7 December and limited domestic flights recommenced on Sunday 9 December. The SA CAA reinstated the airline's Boeing 767's Certificate of Airworthiness last Thursday.

JNB-CPT flights resumed on Sunday last week as an interim limited service operated by the Boeing 767, but services will return to normal as the other aircraft B737-200s, B737-500s and B727s are released back into use, in accordance with CAA approval.  Nationwide says it has contacted customers with tickets for the JNB-LGW flights, and also those who had tickets between JNB and CPT for this past weekend and beyond, and advised them of the new flight schedule.

I cannot apologise enough to our customers for the inconvenience, frustration and anxiety they have experienced, as a result of the disruption to our normal service, said Nationwide's CEO, Vernon Bricknell. The safety of our customers, staff and equipment is and always has been Nationwide Airlines' top priority. At the end of this process, which will still take a few days to complete, we will have demonstrated our compliance to the SA CAA, so that there cannot be any question marks whatsoever in travellers' minds as to the safety, reliability and integrity of Nationwide Airlines, Bricknell added.

Baggage pilferage continues at OR Tambo Airport
South African Airways has reported a 39.5% increase in the number of bags pilfered on its flights for the 2006/7 financial year (7 084 bags) compared with 5 077 in 2005/6 .However, the financial impact of mishandled baggage increased by about 17% to R19m for the 2006/7 financial year.

In a report to Parliament's Public Enterprises Portfolio Committee, SAA says a contributing factor has been the increase in total number of bags handled by the airline. SAA head group corporate affairs, Robyn Chalmers, says a further factor was that SAA had to stop its baggage wrapping facility, introduced in July 2006, after Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) opened a tender for a baggage wrapping facility at OR Tambo International Airport (ORITA). To the best of our knowledge, none of the baggage wrapped during the time the service was in place was pilfered, she said. She also said the recent renovations at the airport had contributed to the increase.

The report also reveals a 40% decrease in the average cost per pilferage claim from 2003 (R254) to 2006 (R152). Chalmers denies that the average amount paid for compensation per claim has decreased. Instead, she says, the number of claims has increased, resulting in a lower average claim amount in 2006. The amount is set by IATA standards. SAA has implemented a baggage tracking system on its flights and is employing additional security to fight baggage crime. SAA is working closely with ACSA and has even gone to the extent of engaging the services of experts, who, together with government agencies, are giving the matter their urgent attention

Editors comment
For many years I have believed that the issue of baggage pilferage is controllable. However, there can be no doubt that Mr. or Mrs. BIG in this scenario is employed by one of the organizations that have oversight over baggage handlers. This has to be an inside job where several people within ACSA, SAPS and baggage handling companies are profiting from the spoils of this disgusting behavior. If this were not the case then the problem would have been solved many years ago. Pathetic excuses provided by ACSA are now old news and certainly do not fool the public any longer. This is a management problem and if the current management cannot get control of baggage pilferage they should resign to make way for a new breed of management that has integrity.

Comparative Fuel Prices
My thanks go to Anne Pickard who has provided African Pilot with the following information:

Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo schedule
Will Whitehorn, president of Virgin Galactic, announced that the company expects its White Knight II (WK2) aircraft's last engine to be delivered in January 2008, and that SpaceShipTwo (SS2) would be assembled by June for a test flight in July. The company is calling 2008, the "year of the spaceship." On 23 January the designs for the carrier aircraft and its spaceship will be unveiled and by March the SS2's simulator will be completed. Construction of the first WK2 and SS2 is 60 percent and 50 percent complete, respectively. Virgin Galactic is aiming to sign a commercial agreement this month for use of New Mexico's planned Spaceport America. The company has now collected $30 million in paid tickets and deposits. Half of its approximately 200 signed customers have already experienced the SS2 flight profile in a centrifuge.

Top racers head to New Zealand
A total of 18 of the worlds best pilots will meet in New Zealand later this month to compete in races through mountainous courses up to 200 miles long, reaching speeds of up to 200 mph, sometimes flying only a few feet above the ground. Imagine what they could do if they had engines. The FAI World Grand Prix Gliding Championships return to Omarama, New Zealand for six days of head-to-head action in the fastest free-flying aircraft in the world. The public may follow the flying via cockpit cameras feeding live streaming video during the finals. "Commentary and real-time graphics footage are available on each day of the championships," says an event news release. "On finals day, 24 December, full broadcast featuring in-cockpit mini-cams and air-to-air footage using the latest TV filming technologies will be available."

5,000th Airbus Airliner delivered to Qantas Airlines
Last week Airbus celebrated another major milestone in its relatively short, but successful existence the delivery of its 5,000th aircraft, an A330-200, to Australian customer, Qantas, at a special ceremony in Toulouse.

Thirty three years ago, in May 1974, Airbus delivered its very first aircraft, an A300B2, to Air France. Nineteen years later, in 1993, Airbus delivered its 1,000th aircraft, but it took only another six years to reach the 2000th delivery in 1999. Reflecting its subsequent rapid growth with an expanded aircraft family and more products on offer, the 3,000th Airbus aircraft was delivered in 2002, and only three years later, in September 2005, the 4,000th. It needed only another two years to reach the 5,000th delivery milestone last week.  Also, it took Airbus more than 30 years to deliver more than 50 per cent of all airliners of more than 100 seats delivered in one year. This was in 2005, and Airbus has continued its lead ever since. According to Airbus, it also took the airplane manufacturer some 30 years after its initial creation in 1970, to overtake its main competitor in terms of sales and they remain constantly at around half the market share, with more than 50 percent for five years in a row since 2001.

Port Alfred Air Festival information supplied by Crystal Watson
From 27 to 29 December 2007 at the 43 Air School.

This year will represent the seventh consecutive year that Port Alfred is hosting this event and the success rate has gone from strength to strength. Last year, the show generated R180 000, which was distributed to various childrens charities. Funds raised assist babies behind bars, The Vaal Dam Community food scheme project outside Humansdorp, and also the MTR Smit Childrens Haven in Port Elizabeth. Hundreds of poor children and families have been assisted throughout the years as a result of this Air Festival.

The Air Festival is the brain child of Stu Davidson- a three time Springbok Aerobatic pilot who has won many awards throughout his flying career.  He has a holiday home in Port Alfred.  Stu is assisted by a number of pilots who come from all over the country.  Pilots who have been involved with our Air Festival for the past seven years (and 18 Air Festivals) include Bernie Sharp (former colonel in the SAAF), Russel Phillips, Stus son, Patrick Davidson (also an award winning aerobatics pilot), Scully Levin (rated as one of the top aviators in the world), Andre Klepper, Fred Stemmet, Chris Booysen, Hugo Fourie and Mark Harris.

We cannot stage the Air Festival without the tremendous support we receive from Pierre du Toit of 43 Air School, and its Board of Directors.  

We also invite stall holders to come and display their goods at the festival. Please contact me on 083 459 7758 to reserve space.  We want to create a festival atmosphere, but will provide the food ourselves. Therefore food stalls will not be allowed at the festival.

Last year, African Pilot wasrepresented by Athol Franz at the Air Festival. However, this year we are hoping someone will assist African Pilot with the report on this final calendar event for the year.  Should you be interested in covering this event for African Pilot please contact me on (011) 702 2342/3 or E-mail: editor@africanpilot.co.za. For further information on the event please contact Crystal Watson:  083 459 7758.

AirVentures preliminary schedule for 2008
Specific details for the main activities will be updated regularly over the next few months.  The preliminary schedule includes such events as:

• The 50th anniversary of NASA, with the people and machines that brought a half-century of achievement and history in space and aeronautics and are planning what is next
• Greater opportunities for women to participate in all aspects of aviation, including the encouragement of more women joining the pilot community
• Significant aviation anniversaries, such as the 70th anniversary of the T-6 trainer, the 50th anniversary of the Nanchang CJ-6A and the 10th anniversary of Cirrus Design.
• Aviation innovation, such as the latest developments and products relating to space tourism, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), electric-powered aircraft, light-sport aircraft and others
• The participation of aviators from the around the world, including those who build and restore unique aircraft that grace the AirVenture flight line.

Oshkosh creative competition announcement
For those people who may be interested in travelling to Oshkosh next year with Neil Bowdens Air Adventure Tours, now running for its 11th consecutive year, Air Adventure Tours, Canon and African Pilot have come together to sponsor a fantastic prize. The competition prize winner will be awarded two tickets to travel with Air Adventure Tours to Oshkosh 2008.

How to enter: Write a short aviation story with a maximum of 800 words that is to be illustrated with at least five good quality photographs. Submissions to: info@africanpilot.co.za

Closing date: 30 May 2008 and the winner will be announced in the first week of June 2008

Conditions:

• To be judged by a panel appointed by the three sponsors
• Submissions will be judged on both the quality of editorial content as well as the quality of the photographic images submitted, and their relevance to the article
• Sponsors and their direct members of staff may not enter this competition
• This prize does not include USA visa application costs
• This prize is not exchangeable for cash
• This prize must be taken up for this forthcoming 2008 Oshkosh tour
• The winner will be required to write an illustrated article whilst at Oshkosh, for publication in African Pilot, about a subject to be decided by the editor of African Pilot
• All conditions of Air Adventure Tours apply to the prize winners

For further information on Air Adventure Tours please call Neil Bowden at: 084 OSHKOSH (084 674 5674) or visit the Website: www.airadventure.co.za.

Speaking Airport by Niki Moore
Travelling to foreign countries often means struggling with a quaint foreign language especially for English speaking people. When everything is Greek to you, you approach a perfect stranger with a map and a helpless look. However, beware of speaking English in countries where an impenetrable accent (Scots, Irish, American, London, take your pick) means the risk that your request for mayonnaise with your sandwich, may result in emergency surgery. However, despite communication chasms, you usually find that with expansive sign-language and by moving your lips slowly when you talk, you can normally manage to get by.

However, there is one foreign language that I simply cannot fathom. Im sorry, but I cant speak a language known to all regular travellers as Airport!

When you wheel your trolley through those big, deceptively simple whispering sliding doors, you are actually entering Terra Incognito, and here Be Dragons.

Let us begin with our very own Johannesburg International Airport, which was the excellently descriptive Johannesburg International Airport, until some political brain box decided to call it ORITA (OR Tambo International Airport), which sounds like a character from Shakespeare.

My quest when I arrived at ORITA (not ORTIA as you might expect) was quite simple. Disembark from my Durban flight and connect with my flight to London.  However, this is without taking the inscrutable architecture of ORITA into account. It rapidly became apparent that whoever designed this airport was paid by the mile. For instance, what could have been a simple flight of steps became a soaring system of interlocking walk-ways, each one transporting you six inches higher than the previous one. 

Then there is the signage. A large sign that directed me unambiguously to International Departures, led me straight to an expanse of blank wall.  For several startled seconds I stared at this blank wall in wild surmise, wondering for a surreal minute if I was supposed to run at the wall with my trolley, the way Harry Potter runs to catch the Hogwarts Express at Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Had I done this would I have entered the magical world of bustling international travellers?

Then I spotted a smaller sign that directed me to turn left and left again and go down an escalator and lo and behold, I was back where I had started! I was beginning to feel the way Gulliver must have felt in the land of the Brobdingnagians. Then a kind gentleman pointed out that the sign I had been following indeed pointed to a walkway to the international departures, but this was a walkway under construction, to be completed in three years time. Now, in retrospect when I think about it, it makes perfect sense why let the lack of a walkway prevent one from signposting it efficiently, clearly and three years prematurely?

Then there are those dinky little plastic bags.  I was very conscientious about putting my liquids, emulsions and gels (LEGS) into those bags and having them on top of my hand luggage, ready to display. I was only asked for them once whilst in transit through Dubai. It was only when I arrived home, after two weeks of traipsing through international departure halls, that I discovered my large bottle of perfume had somehow escaped the bag and burrowed down to the bottom of my hold-all, where it had lurked unnoticed by all.

I wont even go into the process, by which I became separated from my luggage, which I checked onto the same flight as my own. The luggage took a detour to the Seychelles, and arrived at Heathrow, looking rather sheepish, after three days!

What really made me realise that I was in a parallel universe, was when I arrived back in South Africa very early, for my Johannesburg-Durban connection. I decided to have a quiet cup of coffee and read a newspaper whilst waiting for my flight to be called. After a worrying length of silence, I approached the deserted boarding gate just around the corner and asked if the flight had been delayed. I was told that my luggage had been taken off the flight, as I had not presented myself at the boarding gate, and the flight had left! I asked incredulously why there had not been any boarding calls, and was told that this airport terminal entertained quiet flights and that no boarding calls were made. 

 As I came very close to flinging myself onto the ground and beating it with my feet and fists, the clerk suggested that she book me onto the next flight. 

I had to go back through the whole merry-go-round. Collect my luggage, check in for the next flight, trudge the miles of walkways, and present myself fifteen minutes too early at the same boarding gate. Well! You could have knocked me down with a feather, for whilst awaiting my flight; there were no fewer than four boarding calls over the departure lounge speakers, including one for my flight to Durban!

My language after that, I can assure you, was extremely fruity. Fortunately, no one would have been able to understand it, because I was speaking Airport!

Aviation Humour I have been waiting the whole year to share this one with all of you.

Santa Claus was busy preparing his sleigh for his hectic Christmas schedule, when a Civil Aviation Inspector arrived at his facility.

CAA Inspector: I have come to inspect your sleigh before we can allow you to take to the skies this Christmas.
Santa: Good. Come in. I have been expecting you. I have the sleigh out in the yard fully prepared for our test flight.
CAA Inspector climbs up onto the sleigh carrying what looks like a high powered rifle: Looks good. Lets saddle up and go for a ride
Santa: What on earth do you need that rifle for?
CAA Inspector: Be prepared. You are going to lose one of your engines on take-off! 

African Pilot weekly newsletters
Should you happen to miss out on any African Pilot newsletter please visit our Website: www.africanpilot.co.za, and click on the NEWSLETTERS icon on the front page because all past AP newsletters are archived on the Website.

Until next week, please be "Serious about flying".
Athol Franz