Number 07 – 25 January 2021

Due to the fact that African Pilot is attracting considerable international interest, I have decided to include an ‘editorial comment on topical aviation issues every week within both the Monday and Thursday editions of APAnews:

Spate of aviation accidents in January 2021
It has been incredibly sad to report on the many aircraft and helicopter accidents during the month of January. The list over the month includes the following:

• Wingfield at Loch Vaal trainer hit power lines, but continued to fly away
• Light Sport Aircraft accident on the N4 embankment
• Fatal paraglider accident – Porterville
• Fatal paraglider accident – Du Toits Kloof pass
• Piper Malibu down – Empangeni
• Alouette II helicopter ZU-RAJ down near Brits
• John Deere branded R44 helicopter hard landing and roll over
• Microlight Trike crash near Buffelspoort Dam
• Crop Duster near Bultfontein
• Crop spraying Bell helicopter crash in Woolsey
• Cessna 210 in Zimbabwe
• Sanparks AS350 accident in Cape Town
• Bell 430 down N3 Colenso KZN
• C210 serious bird strike near Wonderboom Airport

Several of the above accidents were fatal and we need to ask the question about what is going on?

Due to the ‘so called’ second wave of COVID-19 several calendar events that had been previously scheduled have since been postponed indefinitely or re-scheduled to a later date. Please refer to the calendar updates the APAnews publishes every Monday for events scheduled until the end of April this year or visit the African Pilot website for the full year’s calendar.

The February edition of African Pilot is almost complete and will enter its distribution phase this week. This edition features Piston engine aircraft over 650 Kg as well as the piston engines and propellers that drive piston aircraft. This edition also includes the most recent aviation news from all over the world as well as historical aviation features.

The feature of the March edition will be Turboprop aircraft, turboprop engines and propellers. The feature will also include information about the many aftermarket enhancements available for turboprop aircraft types.

There is no doubt that African Pilot provides the finest overall aviation media reach in Africa.
We are positioned to provide professional video and stills photography, website development, social media platforms, company newsletters as well as several other important media services to our customers.

The monthly magazine is available as a digital edition where ALL advertisers enjoy the direct routing to their websites at a touch on a smart phone or tablet as well as a click of the mouse on a computer screen or tap on any smart phone device. 

Then of course this APAnews service has been part of African Pilot’s line-up since the inception of the magazine 20 years ago.

Website: www.africanpilot.co.za
Facebook: facebook.com/AfricanPilot
Twitter: twitter.com/africanpilot
Instagram: www.instagram.com/african_pilot_/

Over the past few weeks, I have received several e-mails asking for my assistance to place aviation friends in contact with service providers or to supply important information to assist them with answers within aviation. Understandably, I am not an expert in many aviation subjects, but via African Pilot’s considerable media reach including APAnews, I can assist to provide people with answers as who to contact for the respective inquiries. Please note that this is yet another FREE service to anyone in aviation and all you need to do is contact me via e-mail: editor@africanpilot.co.za.

Enquiry 1: I have had a request for an EASA Part 66 qualified technician to physically check only 4 AD items on the aircraft. Do you know, and you know almost everybody in SA’s aviation, a person meeting that qualification?

Enquiry 2: A client of mine is looking to purchase a Piper J3 Cub. If you know of someone who is interested in selling a J3 Cub in good condition, please contact me. Thank you.

Wouter Botes’ E-book on Flight to Nowhere is available by visiting www.africanpilot.co.za and click on the button provided on the home page. We have provided an option for payment of R60 per download on the page.

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The AeCSA Centenary Yearbook is now available to purchase from the online shop. Please visit www.aeroclub.org.za/shop.

Since 2015, Denel has been promoting the upgrade of the Rooivalk (primarily for the South African Air Force) and development of a next-generation Rooivalk Mk II for export. Interest in the locally manufactured helicopter soared after successful deployment with the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade in the Democratic Republic of Congo in late 2013. Support came from the South African government as the South African Air Force (SAAF) recognised a need for a midlife upgrade as a result of known obsolescence. Future Rooivalk upgrades would introduce modern avionics, update the weapon system and increase reproducibility. The next generation Rooivalk would feature better sights, improved firepower, greater payload and better survivability.

Denel has been seeking partners and clients to proceed with the development of a new generation Rooivalk, which could be manufactured in client countries. Denel estimated that it would take only four years to put the Rooivalk Mk II into service, including the development of prototypes, establishment of production and production and assembly for launch customers. As part of the revitalised Rooivalk programme, in 2016 Denel fired several Mokopa anti-tank missiles from the aircraft as part of weapon type certification. However, further test firings are still required and would form part of the upgrade of the aircraft. Presently the Rooivalk is just fitted with 70 mm Forges Zeebrugge (FZ) rockets and a 20 mm cannon. However, in 2015 an FZ laser-guided rocket was test fired from the Rooivalk, giving accuracy of less than a metre from the target centre at 4-5 km. Rooivalk’s 20 mm F2 cannon is undergoing reliability improvement in a joint effort between Denel, the SAAF and Armscor.

On Saturday 23 January eight teams took to the air in hot but beautiful flying conditions to participate in a navigation rally organised by Frank and Cally Eckard over a distance of 90 nautical miles. Jonty Esser and Sandi Goddard were the overall winners with Hendrik and Adele Loots were in second place and Mary de Klerk flying with Steven van der Merwe were in third place.

30 January
SAPFA AGM also at Rand Airport after the rally
Contact Rob Jonkers E-mail: rob@aerosud.co.za cell: 082 804 7032

30 & 31 January
Sport Aerobatic Club Gauteng Regionals Vereeniging Airfield
Contact Annie Boon E-mail: chunge@mweb.co.za
Postponed – new date to be advised

3 February
EAA Chapter 322 monthly meeting virtual and MOTH hall
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: neil1@telkomsa.net Cell: 084 674 5674

5 & 6 February
SAPFA Witbank Speed Rally at Witbank Airfield
Contact Jonty Esser E-mail: jonty@promptroofing.co.za Cell: 082 855 9435

6 & 7 March
Sport Aerobatic Club Judges Trophy Venue TBA 
Contact Annie Boon E-mail: chunge@mweb.co.za

12 & 13 March
Bethlehem Aero Club event TBA
Contact Stephan Fourie E-mail: fouriesj1491@gmail.com Cell: 072 344 9678

16 March
Aero Club of South Africa AGM venue TBA
Contact Rob Jonkers E-mail: rob@aerosud.co.za Cell: 082 804 7032

19 and 20 March
FASHKOSH airshow at Stellenbosch airfield
Contact: Anton Theart E-mail: gm@stelfly.co.za Cell: 079 873 4567
Postponed indefinitely

22 to 25 March
HAI Helicopter Association International La Nouvelle New Orleans Los Angeles USA
Contact E-mail: rotor@rotor.org
Cancelled for 2021 – rescheduled for 2022

24 & 27 April
Aero Club Airweek at Middelburg Airfield
Contact Rob Jonkers E-mail: rob@aerosud.co.za Cell: 082 804 7032

27 to 29 April
MRO Americas, Orlando Convention Center, Orlando, USA.
Website: www.mroamericas.aviationweek.com
Contact Jennifer Roberts +1.917.699.6231
E-mail: Jennifer.roberts@aviationweek.com

27 April
SAPFA Middelburg Speed Rally at Middelburg Airfield
Contact Jonty Esser E-mail: jonty@promptroofing.co.za Cell: 082 855 9435

ACIA Aero Leasing (ACIA) has completed the transition of four aircraft to Sahel Aviation Service in Mali. The deliveries include two Embraer ERJ-145s and two Beechcraft B1900D aircraft and took place over the last three months.  The aircraft will bring ACIA’s total portfolio of aircraft on lease to SAS Mali to seven.

The Seattle Times is reporting that American attorneys for Ethiopian Airlines, which lost 157 passengers and crew in the second fatal crash of a Boeing 737 MAX in early 2019, have advised the carrier not to accept a settlement Boeing has offered but instead to sue the manufacturer for punitive damages in the US. The newspaper said the airline’s Chicago-based attorneys warned Ethiopian CEO Tewolde GebreMariam that the offer falls ‘grossly short’ of what the airline could win before a US jury particularly since Boeing recently accepted responsibility for criminal fraud during the plane’s certification by regulators. The settlement Boeing has offered is ‘a mere fraction’ of the actual damage, the lawyers told Tewolde and accepting it will inevitably leave substantial money on the table and would be a tremendous political and financial mistake for Ethiopian Airlines.

Families and friends of the passengers killed in two crashes of the 737 MAX hold up photos of the dead at a US Senate hearing on Boeing and the 737 MAX. Yet like many airlines, Ethiopian is now desperate for cash, the newspaper said. Before the 2019 crash of Flight ET302, state-owned Ethiopian was the largest and most successful airline in Africa. It lost business after the tragedy and the subsequent grounding of the MAX fleet. Then last year its revenue plummeted further when the COVID-19 pandemic paralysed air travel.

Boeing admitted in the deferred prosecution agreement that the accusations of fraud involving the two pilots were ‘true and accurate’ and acknowledged that the company is responsible for criminal acts by its employees, the newspaper reported. Levitt wrote that Boeing’s ‘admissions would prove a case of fraud and would also support a punitive damages claim.’

On Thursday, a Netcare 911 Bell 430 Air Ambulance Helicopter, registration ZT-RRT, impacted open field terrain and a post-crash fire ensued under unknown circumstances near Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The helicopter was destroyed during the accident sequence. The pilot and the four healthcare workers perished. According to eyewitnesses, the helicopter ‘exploded’ in the air. Videos from the scene show that the wreckage spread over a wide area. It has emerged that one of the specialist doctors on board a Netcare helicopter that crashed in KwaZulu-Natal was en route to another emergency after trying to save African National Congress (ANC) member and Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu’s life.

The deceased are: Kgopotso Mononyan (anaesthetist), Curnick Siyabonga Mahlangu (cardiothoracic surgeon), Mpho Xaba (specialist theatre nurse for cardiothoracic and transplant) all from Netcare Milpark Hospital along with Monoyane. Sinjin Joshua Farrance, who also died in the accident, was an advanced life support paramedic at Netcare 911, as well as helicopter pilot Mark Stroxreiter who worked for the National Airways Corporation. African Pilot extends sincere condolences to the families and friends of those that died. Although there has been plenty of speculation on this disastrous accident, African Pilot has decided not to comment, but to wait for the ‘official report’ as to why it appears this Bell 430 helicopter ‘broke up’ in the air.

On Thursday 21 January, police were informed about a crop-spraying aircraft that went missing between Bultfontein and Hoopstad. The inverted wreckage was recovered in a maze field near Bultfontein and the pilot Christiaan Wiid was found deceased. He had only been back into crop spraying for a few months but apparently, he had plenty of crop spraying experience from his younger flying days. Christiaan had plenty of flying experience from his days in the South African Air Force (SAAF) and more recently as a captain flying for South African Airways (SAA). This accident is tragic and African Pilot extends its condolences to Christiaan’s family and friends.

After announcing just last week that the Helicopter Association International (HAI) would move forward with the in-person HELI-EXPO 2021 in New Orleans, the decision has been made to cancel the event. HAI will not reschedule the event. HELI-EXPO 2022 will be held on March 7-10 in Dallas, Texas, a city that has traditionally been a hub of rotorcraft operations.

As a mid-January deadline for exhibitors approached, the world saw a spike in COVID-19 cases. According to Vertical, major helicopter manufacturers, Airbus, Bell, Sikorsky, Robinson pulled out of attending HELI-EXPO just shy of the exhibitor deadline. HAI is beginning to reach out to exhibitors, attendees, vendors and other HAI HELI-EXPO 2021 stakeholders. Exhibitors have multiple options for their booth payments, including pushing participation and payment to the 2022 show in Dallas, repurposing dollars to other HAI advertising or sponsorship opportunities to support their business objectives in 2021, or issue a full refund.

The government of Indonesia decided to end the search operation for victims of the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737 crash. However, the authorities would continue to hunt for the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). According to the latest government announcement, after 13 days of searching the wreckage of the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737 crash, the Indonesian authorities officially ended the victim search operation on 21 January 2021. Under the governmental seven-day rule, the operation was extended twice for three days. More than 4,300 people assisted by 62 boats and 15 helicopters participated in the accident recovery process. The search team collected a total of 324 bags of what could be possibly human remains and 68 aircraft parts from the crash site in the Java Sea. Nevertheless, on 12 January 2021, the rescuers found the aircraft’s Flight Data Recorder (FDR) as well as some parts of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) on 15 January 2021.  

Investigators confirmed that a malfunctioning automatic throttle could be one of the issues that led to the crash of Sriwijaya Air Flight 182. On 19 January 2021, the National Transportation Safety Committee of Indonesia (NTSC) downloaded the content from the recovered Flight Data Recorder (FDR). The authority reported that a 27-hour-long flight recording was filled with 370 flight parameters and consisted of 18 flights including the catastrophic event. Based on the ‘black box’ data, which is still being examined by the investigators, a person familiar with the investigation process reportedly disclosed that during the fatal Sriwijaya Air flight 182 the autothrottle produced more thrust in one of the two jet engines. However, the flight crew did not declare an emergency and did not report any technical problems before the Boeing 737 disappeared from radar. In addition, both engines of the crashed jet were still operational when the plane hit the sea. If pilots do not correct the unequal thrust from the engines in the case of a faulty autothrottle, a plane could turn or even make an abrupt descent. Meanwhile, Nurcahyo Utomo, the lead investigator at the NTSC outlined that the autothrottle malfunction was one of the factors the authority was looking at, but it was not yet clear if it was a key factor for aircraft to crash.

Airbus SE is updating its production rate planning for its A320 Family aircraft in response to the market environment. The new average production rates for the A320 Family will now lead to a gradual increase in production from the current rate of 40 per month to 43 in Q3 and 45 in Q4 2021. This latest production plan represents a slower ramp up than the previously anticipated 47 aircraft per month from July. The A220 monthly production rate will increase from four to five aircraft per month from the end of Q1 2021 as previously foreseen.

Widebody production is expected to remain stable at current levels, with monthly production rates of around five and two for the A350 and A330, respectively. This decision postpones a potential rate increase for the A350 to a later stage. Airbus notes they continue to monitor the market closely. With these revised rates, Airbus preserves its ability to meet customer demand while protecting its ability to further adapt as the global market evolves. Airbus expects the commercial aircraft market to return to pre-COVID levels by 2023 to 2025.

As of 22 January 2021, due to the Dutch government imposing stricter COVID-19 rules, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines halts all of its long-haul flights to the Netherlands. All arriving passengers must present a negative result of COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before departure, but those from high-risk areas must also have a negative result of a rapid test, taken no more than four hours before the flight. There are no exemptions for flight crew and a flight crew member with an unexpected positive rapid test would have to be quarantined at the destination and not be allowed to go home. In response to the new measures and the stricter testing policy, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will be halting all its 270 weekly long-haul flights to the Netherlands.  The Netherlands also announced a ban for passenger flights from the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South Africa, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. KLM currently serves eight of those countries.

Complications to vaccine transportation
The new measures might have consequences to the transportation of the COVID-19 vaccine, as Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is one of the crucial distribution hubs in Europe and KLM is one of the key distributors. Many vaccines are transported via Schiphol to countries such as Chile, Colombia, Suriname, Brazil, Panama and Argentina, as well as South Africa and surrounding countries. Because of the new measure and fears of cabin crew getting stuck abroad, even the cargo flights become complicated. Without exemptions for airline crew, KLM will have a hard time resuming service.

Helicopter (ARH) requirement from 2025. The decision will see the Apache replace the Airbus Helicopters Tiger, which is currently in service with the Australian Army. The Tiger replacement project, designated Project Land 4503, calls for 29 ARHs to replace Canberra’s 22 Tigers. Although the Tiger is now performing well in Australian Army service, the programme suffered years of issues before stabilising. The Department of Defence notes that lessons learned from the Tiger and other acquisitions have ‘informed a strategy to seek a proven, mature ARH replacement capability’.

In addition to Boeing, the requirement attracted interest from Bell with the AH-1Z Viper. Airbus Helicopters also pitched an upgrade to the existing Tiger fleet, as well as the acquisition of seven additional examples, possibly from one of the type’s European operators. “The Apache Guardian is the most lethal, most survivable and lowest risk option, meeting all of Defence’s capability, through-life support, security and certification requirements,” says Reynolds. “By pursuing a proven and low-risk system offered by the Apache, Defence will avoid the ongoing cost and schedule risk typically associated with developmental platforms.” Cirium fleets data shows Canberra’s decision will make Australia the Asia-Pacific region’s seventh AH-64 user. The type’s other users in the region are India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.

BBAM is expanding its 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter fleet with six firm orders and six options. The agreement brings BBAM’s 737-800BCF orders and commitments to 15. “As we look ahead to expanding our cargo fleet, the 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter provides the performance and efficiency our customers need,” said Steve Zissis, CEO of BBAM. “Adding these highly capable freighters to 276 Boeing airplanes in our managed fleet helps to further strengthen our leadership position in the marketplace.”

Based on the Next-Generation 737, the 737-800BCF is meeting customer demand for a newer-generation freighter that offers reliability and lower fuel consumption and operating costs per trip compared to other standard body freighters. Primarily used to carry express cargo on domestic or short-haul routes, the airplane can carry up to 52,800 pounds and flying up to 2,025 nautical miles. Since entering service in 2018, the 737-800BCF has won more than 150 orders and commitments.

Manufacturer De Havilland Canada (DHC) is set to pause production once the current Dash 8-400 backlog is completed. The Canadian aircraft manufacturer notified suppliers to stop delivering parts to avoid building the so-called ‘whitetails’, completed aircraft ahead of confirmed orders. Currently, DHC has 17 Dash 8-400 orders scheduled for customers in 2021. There are two more Dash 8s in the backlog without identified clients. De Havilland Canada will deliver Dash 8-400s to such customers as: Air Tanzania (one), Biman Bangladesh Airlines (two), Conair (two), Elin (three), Ethiopian Airlines (four), PAL Express (one), TAAG Angola Airlines (four). Two aircraft were assigned to unidentified customers. The manufacturer said it is in the process of investigating different scenarios for the programme’s future and will communicate more on the topic when plans are approved and confirmed. In October 2020, two Dash 8-400 aircraft were delivered to Ethiopian Airlines, including the airline’s milestone 30th Dash 8-400 aircraft.

As it was about to take-off for Islamabad International Airport (ISB), Pakistan, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing 777, registered AP-BMH, was seized on the tarmac of Kuala Lumpur Airport (KUL), Malaysia. According to local media reports, the aircraft was impounded over non-payment of the lease dues to AerCap, an Ireland-based lessor. The latter started legal action in a court in the United Kingdom.

PIA protested on social media, calling the decision ‘one-sided’. It is an unacceptable situation and PIA has engaged the support from Government of Pakistan to take up this matter using diplomatic channels, the carrier said. The passengers are being looked after and alternate arrangements for their travel have been finalised.

The national carrier of Pakistan is embroiled in controversy since the crash of PIA flight PK8303 that took place on 22 May 2020, after the airline’s crew was suspected to be responsible for the accident. Following the crash, the airline found itself at the epi center of a fake license scandal in the country, which revealed that as many as 262 Pakistani pilots out of 860 active pilots had questionable credentials to operate aircraft. PIA flights to the EU were suspended due to safety concerns for a period of six months in July 2020. In December 2020, the ban was extended for an additional 90 days by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as ‘all preconditions to lift the suspension’ were not met.

British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce completed the first engine run at its largest indoor aerospace testbed which the company plans to officially open in the coming months. Rolls-Royce reached the next milestone in its new project of developing the largest indoor aerospace testbed. The company conducted its first run on the Trent XWB engine at Testbed 80, a testing facility in Derby, the UK, on 14 January 2021. The new project has been under construction for almost three years and represents a £90 million investment. The massive facility, which was designed to test large powerful aircraft engines, includes some of the most advanced testing technology. According to a recent Rolls-Royce’s statement, the internal area of Testbed 80, covering 7,500 square-meters, makes the facility larger than a Premiership football pitch (the area of 7,140 square-meters).

Signature Aviation, a UK-based private jet base operator, has agreed to a $4.63 billion buyout from Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). However, the door has not closed to other offers. A three-way bidding war initially ensued for the company, with shares jumping as high as 9.6% when news broke of the potential sale. Signature Aviation had previously rejected a lower offer made by GIP in December of 2020. GIP is offering Signature shareholders $5.50 for each share, which exceeds Blackstone and Cascade’s offer of $5.17 per share.

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, allied with Blackstone Group to strengthen its bid. Gates is Signature Aviation’s largest shareholder, maintaining 19%. Blackstone Group and Gates’ Cascade Investment LLC have until 14 January to table a new bid. The Carlyle Group has until 4 February. Signature Aviation operates Signature Flight Support, the world’s largest FBO chain with bases in most major cities. Services such as fuelling and maintenance are offered at their locations around the world. Private aviation has benefited in some ways from the COVID-19 pandemic, with opportunities for passengers to travel while still minimising contact with others.

Nigel Rudd, chairman of Signature Aviation, said: “We believe that the offer from GIP represents an attractive and certain value in cash today for Signature shareholders, reflecting the high quality of the business and its network, its people and its future prospects.” The Signature Directors believe that the proposal provides clear benefits to Signature shareholders and GIP’s operational and financial resources will generate enhanced opportunities for our employees, and ensure continued high-quality, full-service flight support for business and general aviation travel. Adebayo Ogunlesi, chairman and managing partner of GIP, said: “As an experienced, long term infrastructure investor with a strong operational focus, we believe that we are the ideal partner for Signature going forward.”  

Recognising that most A&P schools have little to nothing to say about electric aircraft, Pipistrel, which is currently building the Velis Electro two-seater, has launched its own five-day training course for mechanics. Pipistrel’s intention is to train the trainers, so to speak, so that they, in turn, can train local maintenance personnel as the Velis becomes a more common sight. “Organizing a seminar of this kind is a great achievement and honour for Pipistrel. The road to this point was exceptionally long and required cooperation of many individuals and institutions,” the company said in a statement. “At this point Pipistrel would like to thank the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the Slovenian Civil Aviation Agency for their help and support. We would also like to thank the entire teams of Pipistrel, which is the holder of the authorisation and Pipistrel Vertical Solution, which participated in the entire phase of preparation of manual and training programme, for their diligent internal cooperation. We are proud and grateful for such conscientious teamwork, which has always been the basis for our joint success!”

Pipistrel has already conducted two courses with a third scheduled for February. Designed primarily as a trainer, the two-seat Velis Electro has a cruise speed of 90 knots, 600-kilogram (1320-pound) maximum take-off weight, 172-kilogram (378-pound) payload and endurance of up to 50 minutes plus VFR reserve. It is a fully electric derivative of Pipistrel’s Virus SW 121.

To travel around the world in a Trike is an adventure which is not for everyone. The two extreme adventurers from Germany are living their dream that became the philosophy of their life. Their Trike equipped with a Rotax 912 ULS/S gets them safely from one stage to the next. They have already crossed two continents in the last few years and the goal for the next years includes these continents – Africa, Asia and the ultimate goal, Australia. Many people dream about being able to experience aviation adventures, yet just a few would have the courage to set off on such an adventure. The movie ‘100,000 Miles: The adventures of the Trike-Globetrotters on the American continent’ will be in cinemas in 2021 and the trailer is already published. You can buy or stream the movie on the official website of the Trike-Globetrotters. The full story about these two adventurers will be published in the March edition of African Pilot. 

A British court fined a 60-year-old pilot, Richard Wood, for flying in and out of a closed Royal Air Force airbase. The incident took place on 25 May 2020. The pilot departed from Fairoaks General Aviation airport, in Surrey and landed his Pilatus PC-12, registered N412MD, on the runway of Royal Air Force Valley airbase. The aircraft was met with fire and rescue vehicles, as the military personnel at the location were expecting an emergency landing. However, Wood explained to the soldiers that he had planned to visit the beach near the base. Informed that the aerodrome was closed and that Wales was under strict COVID-19 travel restrictions, the pilot went back into his aircraft and took off.

“This was a case of poor pre-flight planning. A routine check would have shown Mr Wood that RAF Valley was closed”, explained Alison Slater, Head of the Investigations and Enforcement Team at the UK Civil Aviation Authority. “There were safety implications and, fortunately, not more of a serious outcome.” Caernarfon Magistrates Court charged Wood with two offenses for trespassing RAF Valley Aerodrome Traffic Zone without permission and gave him a fine of £3,400. RAF Valley on Anglesey, north-western England, houses the No. 4 Flying Training School, where British fighter pilots receive their basic formation on BAE Hawk T2 trainer jets.

Aviation Safety Resources and Grug Group have completed a strategic development and supply agreement that will make ASR’s parachute recovery system standard equipment on Grug’s SBX aircraft. “Whole-aircraft vehicle parachute recovery systems are essential to the projected market growth of eVTOL Urban Air Mobility,” said Larry Williams, ASR president and CEO. “ASR is very excited to offer the next generation of vehicle recovery systems specifically designed to meet the safety needs of this market. We are applying new technology, reducing the product cost and schedule risk. Our patent-pending solutions are designed to safely bring down an entire aircraft and its occupants in the event of an in-air emergency. Clearly safety must be at the front of development for vehicles to successfully enter this market.”

The SBX is a full electric aircraft with vertical take-off and landing capabilities. Powered by four tilting shrouded rotors, the SBX can also fly autonomously or piloted. Under the terms of the long-term cooperative agreement, ASR’s engineering and design team will work with Grug Group and partners to design, produce and test a recovery system that matches the unique dimensions and requirements of the SBX. Matrix Aviation inc. and Stellan Group are also partnering in the SBX development.

Last year, ASR announced the introduction of its Soteria family of parachute recovery solutions for light sport, ultralight and experimental aircraft. The ASR team won a shark tank-style pitch competition at the Revolution.Aero Innovation Summit 2019 in San Francisco and recently announced an STTR award from the US Air Force for the Agility Prime programme. The product application for the SBX is the company’s eXtreme Rapid Deployment (XRD) system designed for the specific challenges associated with the UAM market, namely parachute inflation with no forward speed.

The technology demonstrator for such a system, X-61 Gremlins, is being developed by Dynetics, a subsidiary of Leidos. Gremlins was designed to work in conjunction with Lockheed C-130A Hercules mother ship. Dynetics announced the successful completion of the third flight test of the X-61A Gremlins drone, but its primary goal, to be recovered by a mothership was not yet reached. “With five flights to date, almost 11 hours logged in flight and a thorough, disciplined test plan, we are pleased with the safe operation of our system. That is a significant milestone for Gremlins,” Tim Keeter, programme manager of the Dynetics Gremlins team, was quoted in a press release. United States Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is running the tests, with the goal to develop a low-cost, swarming drone that could be dispatched and later recovered by a transport aircraft mid-air.

According to the company, the latest test was intended to demonstrate automated and safety behaviours of the vehicle. The drone performed well in a close-proximity formation flight with the mothership, but the recovery procedure was not completed and X-61 had to be recovered on the ground using the parachute system. During the last test in July 2020, nine attempts to recover the drone in flight were conducted, with the same result.

A report reveals that the first prototype of 5GAT, a 5th generation aerial target drone, crashed during its first flight on 23 October 2020. The incident was caused by ‘an in-flight mishap’, the cause of which is set to be determined by a safety investigation. The aircraft was developed and manufactured by Sierra Technical Services, which has not publicised any details of the crash. All information regarding the outcome of the testing came from a Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) 2020 Annual Report. DOT&E is an adviser for the US Secretary of Defence on testing and evaluation of weapons systems.

The 5th generation aerial target, or 5GAT, is intended to imitate a fighter jet of the latest generation in simulated combat. It is designed to be cheap and expendable by using surplus parts of older aircraft in its construction. Sierra Technical Services was one of the entrants in the US Air Force Skyborg programme, intended to create a loyal wingman; an AI-controlled drone that would accompany fighter jets into combat. Despite 5GAT having the potential to be modified into a full-fledged armed platform, it was not selected in favor of designs by Boeing, Kratos and General Atomics.

A swarm of small, fast, cockpit less fighter jets are flying in a tight circle around an F-22 Raptor, reacting to its every move, waiting for a command. They will scout ahead, attack or sacrifice themselves if needed, relying on their superhuman reaction time and precision to execute manoeuvres that human pilots would never manage to do. This is the way many nations envision the air combat of the future. But why? According to the report, the development of 5GAT has continued and the second prototype is currently under construction. The US Department of Defence (DOD) has requested $32.7 Million in FY21 for the programme and the DOT&E report recommends full funding, so the US military could acquire an aerial target that could fully represent characteristics of current and future aircraft.

Should you miss out on any edition of APAnews, please visit the website: www.africanpilot.co.za and click on the APAnews link on the front page. All past weekly APAnews publications have been archived on the website.

Until Thursday, please be ‘Serious about flying’.

Athol Franz (Editor)