Number 15 – 26 February 2024

“Capital will always go where it’s welcome and stay where it’s well treated. Capital is not just money. It’s also talent and ideas. They, too, will go where they’re welcome and stay where they are well treated.” Walter Wriston

Is flight training becoming safer?

One of the first questions people ask before they start their flight training is ‘how safe is training?’ If a study recently compiled by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute and Liberty University School of Aeronautics is any indication, it is getting safer. The study looked at flight training risks and innovations from 2000 to 2019 and took note of the number of accidents and their causes.

According to the report, loss of aircraft control comprises 54 percent of the fatal accidents that occur during instructional flight. Most of those are attributed to stall / spin events and happen in the circuit, often during a go-around, when the aircraft is at low altitude, high power and high angle of attack. This is one of the feature articles within the March edition where using actual occurrences the study unpacks the state of flight training in America. With the recent tragic Cessna 172 fatal training accident that happened at Baragawneth airfield last week, which was reported to be yet another stall / spin situation killing both the instructor and student, clearly something this situation needs to be addressed in South Africa as well. Ultimately, the results of the US study will be used as a means to develop strategies to mitigate risk and prevent accidents in the future. South African training schools need to study the US report and apply remedies to their own operations.

Congratulations to Duncan Frew and Keegan Dames with the successful completion of your C208 rating.

VANS AIRCRAFT UPDATE

Aero Club Airweek 8 to 10 March 2024

Planning for this year’s Airweek is in the home straight, with less than two weeks to go. Essentially the outline theme will follow the successful Airweek held in 2023 and previous years, which is an event for all sport and recreational aviators.  Various sections of the Aero Club will be participating in their various disciplines:

• EAA will be hosting its annual convention.
• The SAC plan to provide aerobatic demonstrations.
• SAMAA also plan to provide model flying demonstrations.
• SAPFA will hold a rally for anybody to try their hand at navigation, as well as spot landings with short-take-off performance.
• SSSA will have demonstration glider flying.
• PASA will showcase parachuting.
• There will be early morning balloon and paraglider flights.
  Please visit the website for more details.  https://www.aeroclub.org.za/airweek/

Platorand with Puma have graciously provided fuel pricing at a discount, with Avgas at R 28.44 a litre and Jet A1 at R 23.07 a litre. We thank them for making this possible, as it will be of great benefit for all our aviators that come to this annual AeCSA event.

Exhibitor’s at Airweek
Cirrus, Century Avionics, Evans Aviation, Vektor Aviation, DJA, Santam, GIB, PJ Aviation, Comet Aviation Supplies, Pilot Insure, LSA Covers, Next Aviation, Air Adventure Tours, Cover me Light, SACAA, SA Weather Service and African Pilot.

Registration is open: https://forms.gle/WW75gTci6dMoyRXx6

Those who wish to camp and hire tents: https://forms.gle/KcnommnT4GMUuMVB7

For exhibitors wishing to book exhibition space:
https://www.aeroclub.org.za/airweek-the-2024-edition-exhibitor-information/

If you have any questions or require information, please e-mail rsvp@aeroclub.org.za

If you are not a member of the Aero Club and wish to join any of its sections feel free to do so member-renewals-and-new-memberships.

Breakfast fly-in to Tedderfield Air Park

On Saturday 24 February I attended the breakfast fly-in to Tedderfield Air Park south of Johannesburg and I was pleasantly surprised to meet with several enthusiastic aviators that used this opportunity to enjoy the hospitality of Alan Stewart and his team who laid on an excellent borrie roll spread all FREE of charge. After spending some time photographing and chatting to the various pilots present, I suggested we all return to the aircraft parking area to have a group picture taken next to Jeff Earl’s immaculate Tiger Moth ZS BGN. Amazingly this turned out to be an opportunity for Jeff to provide some history on the development of the DH Tiger Moth and its entry into service into the Royal Air Force (RAF) and many other air forces around the world including the South African Air Force as an ab-initio military trainer.  Jeff continued to explain the modifications he has made to his Tiger Moth including electronic ignition, main wheel disc brakes, an increased size fuel tank and a smaller interior fuel tank for longer distance flights. In addition he has installed an accurate air speed indicator system, GPS and other modern improvements, probably making this Tiger Moth one of the most ‘advanced’ examples in the entire world. Thank you, Jeff Earle, learnt a great deal more about the Tiger Moth on Saturday.

26 to 29 February
HAI Heli-Expo Anaheim Convention Centre, California, USA
Website: www.heliexpo.com

March

2 March
EAA Chapter 322 monthly gathering at EAA Auditorium
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

2 March
EAA Young Aviators meeting at the EAA Auditorium from 10h00
Contact Tyla Puzey

The newly inaugurated EAA Young Aviators will be having their first official get together at the EAA auditorium at Rand airport on Saturday 2 March at 10h00 after the usual monthly EAA Chapter 322 meeting. This initiative by Tyla Puzey has certainly taken off by attracting younger generation aviation enthusiasts, especially from flying schools to listen to experts speaking about their experiences within their individual fields. African Pilot will be fully supportive of this initiative to extend learning and friendship to the younger generation of aviation enthusiasts.

2 March
SAA Museum Society Specialised Tour limited to nine adults
Contact E-mail: events@saamuseum.co.za Cell: 076 879 5044

8 March
DCA Industry Roadshow Stellenbosch, Cape Town
Contact Ms Charmaine Shibambo E-mail: shibamboc@caa.co.za

8 to 10 March
Aero Club Airweek venue Middleburg airfield
Contact Sandra Strydom E-mail: sandra@aeroclub.org.za Tel: 011 082 1100

8 to 10 March
EAA National Convention Middleburg airfield
Contact Paul Lastrucci E-mail: tailwheel@mweb.co.za

9 March
SAPFA ANR at Middleburg airfield
Contact Iaan Myburgh E-mail: iaanmyburgh@gmail.com Cell: 082 449 2531

15 March
DCA Industry Roadshow Mangaung, Free State
Contact Ms Charmaine Shibambo E-mail: shibamboc@caa.co.za

16 March
EAA Chapter 322 fly-in breakfast to Brits airfield
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

22 & 23 March
Stellenbosch airshow – Fashkosh
Contact Anton Theart E-mail: gm@stelfly.co.za Cell: 079 873 4567

April

6 April
Robertson annual fly-in breakfast Robertson airfield
Contact: Alwyn du Plessis. E-mail: boeredata@breede.co.za Cell: 083 270 5888

6 April
EAA Chapter 322 monthly gathering at the EAA Auditorium
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

6 April
SAPFA ANR National Championships – venue TBA
Contact Iaan Myburgh E-mail: iaanmyburgh@gmail.com Cell: 082 449 2531

6 & 7 April
SAC Eastern Cape regionals Wings Park airfield

13 April
Elder’s Flight Brakpan airfield (this may change to a towered airfield)
Contact Felix Gosher E-mail: felixgosher@gmail.com Cell: 066 1919 4603

17 to 20 April
AERO Friedrichshafen 30^th anniversary
Contact E-mail: info@fairnamic.com Website: www.fairnamic.com

20 April
EAA Chapter 322 fly-in breakfast to Eagle’s Creek airfield
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

20 April
Wonderboom airshow
Contact Chris Theodosi E-mail: chris@creativespacemedia.co.za Cell: 071 220 1245

23 to 25 April
MRO Africa Conference incl. African Aviation Training Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Contact Nick Fadugba E-mail: nickfadugba@africanaviation.com www.mroafrica.com

27 April two 4 May
Gauteng Regional Gliding Championships at Magalies gliding Club
Contact Soaring Society of South Africa Website: www.glidercomps.co.za  

May

4 May
SAAF Museum airshow at AFB Zwartkops
Contact Major Michael Church E-mail: mike.church172@gmail.com Cell: 072 720 0700 

4 May
EAA Chapter 322 monthly gathering at the EAA Auditorium 
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

11 May
Lowveld airshow at the Nelspruit airfield
Contact Willemien E-mail: willemein.hodgkinson@kishugu.com Cell: 079 499 5733

12 to 15 May
African Airlines Association 12^th stakeholders convention in Addis Ababa
Contact E-mail: events@afraa.org   

14 to 16 May
Airport Show with ATC Forum, Airport Security Middle East DWTC, Dubai
Contact Jamille del Mundo E-mail: jamm.delmundo@rxglobal.com

14 to 17 May
NAMPO Harvest Day Bothaville
Contact Wim Venter E-mail: wim@grainsa.co.za Tel: 086 004 7246

17 to 19 May
EAA Chapter 322 weekend fly-away to Pyramid airfield
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

18 May
Parys airshow
Contact Chris Theodosi E-mail: chris@creativespacemedia.co.za Cell: 071 220 1245

18 May
SAC Free State regionals at Tempe airfield

21 to 23 May
Air Finance Africa Conference and Exhibition Sandton Convention Centre
Contact Nick Fadugba E-mail: nickfadugba@africanaviation.com

23 to 25 May
SAPFA President’s Trophy Air Race at Louis Trichardt civil airfield (FALO)
Contact David Le Roux E-mail: David@pilotinsure.co.za Cell: 073 338 5200
Contact Iaan Myburgh E-mail: race@sapfa.co.za  Cell: 082 449 2531

23 to 27 May
NAC fly-away venue TBA
Contact Agnes Phillips E-mail: agnes.phillips@nac.co.za Cell: 082 893 3399

25 May
Tempe airshow Bloemfontein
Contact Conrad Botha E-mail: rowco24cc@mailbox.co.za Cell 082 465 4045

Weaponised ATC calls threaten African air safety

In a potential nightmare for civil aviation, it appears air traffic control over the busy Horn of Africa airspace has been politically weaponised. Over the weekend, OpsGroup shared news of at least 10 reports of fake controllers operating on Mogadishu flight information region (FIR) frequencies and issuing instructions contrary to those given by the authentic sector controller. They included bogus climb and descent clearances. The impacted area was confined mostly to the northern part of Mogadishu airspace. According to OpsGroup, the fake instructions emanated from Hargeisa in Somaliland on VHF frequency 132.5 and HF 11300. Somaliland is an internationally unrecognised state that is considered part of Somalia, but since 1991 it has functioned autonomously and sought independence. It is bordered to the south and west by Ethiopia. In January, Somaliland signed an agreement with Ethiopia that granted Red Sea port rights in exchange for official recognition. Somalia condemned the move and retaliated by selectively blocking aircraft movements in and out of Somaliland with Mogadishu Control, denying entry of this traffic into the Mogadishu FIR. Somaliland countered by asserting airspace control over its claimed territory, announced via an international aviation advisory and accompanying press release issued on 13 February 2024.

The Somaliland Civil Aviation and Airports Authority said that ‘any problems and disruptions that occur will be the responsible (sic) by (sic) the Mogadishu government.” The ATC transmissions from Hargeisa are designed to mimic official ones from Mogadishu Control and are not identified as separate or distinct from it, according to OpsGroup and are designed to sow confusion as opposed to traffic deconfliction.

The impacted airspace is one of the main and most direct routes between the Middle East and Asia into Africa. Several other countries in the area, Yemen and the Tigray region of Eritrea and Ethiopia are designated no-fly areas. Somalia previously backed out of an agreement brokered by the United Nations that would have established joint management of the airspace with Somaliland and asserted unilateral authority in 2018, revoking flight permissions and imposing new regulations.

Russia threatened to shoot down French aircraft over Black Sea

French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu has revealed that Russia issued threats to shoot down French aircraft conducting patrols over the Black Sea. Speaking on the radio channel RTL on 22 February 2024, Lecornu expressed the gravity of the situation, highlighting Russia’s provocative actions. “Russia has attempted to disrupt several of our patrols,” the minister said. “A month ago, to give you a very concrete example, a Russian air traffic control system threatened to shoot down French planes in the Black Sea while we were in a free international zone where we were patrolling.” 

The General Staff of the Armed Forces further detailed the situation during a press briefing at the Ministry of the Armed Forces. “This interaction took place in mid-November 2023,” explained Colonel Pierre Gaudillère, spokesperson for the General Staff of the Armed Forces, as quoted by BFM TV. “It was an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS ) on a situation assessment mission in international waters above the Black Sea.”

Lecornu described Moscow’s recent posture as “particularly aggressive,” reminiscent of the behaviour of the former Soviet Union during the Cold War. “Russia is pushing the limits of aggression,” he concluded. This is not the first time a NATO aircraft has been threatened by Russian forces while on a mission in the region since the invasion of Ukraine began. On 29 September 2022, a Russian Su-27 fighter fired a missile near a British Royal Air Force Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint observation aircraft. While it was initially accepted that the near catastrophe was due to a ‘technical malfunction,’ later evidence suggested that two missiles were fired and that the Russian pilot was trying to bring down the British aircraft.

Veteran Boeing 757-200 makes successful emergency diversion

Details are still sketchy on a United Airlines Boeing 757-200 flight that diverted for an emergency landing earlier this week after it suffered damage to an inboard leading-edge slat on its right wing. Flight 354 was bound from San Francisco to Boston but landed safely at Denver International Airport. The 165 passengers deplaned at Denver and later boarded another aircraft to complete the journey.

A passenger shot video of the damage as the aircraft landed, showing damage to the top portion of the leading-edge slat. His video was later broadcast on Boston 25 News. The passenger told the news station that, as he was leaving the arrival gate, he saw a United employee with what he described as a ‘bird-strike form.’ It was unclear how old the Boeing 757-200 is. The model was introduced into service with Eastern Airlines in January 1981. It remained in production until 2004 and continues to serve United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, as well as UPS and FedEx in cargo configuration. Boeing delivered 1,050 model 757s over that time span.

L39 accident at Middleburg

On Saturday morning Richardt Lovett crashed his beautiful L39 jet ZS IBN through the concrete palisade boundary fence at Middleburg airfield and although substantially damaged the aircraft remained on its wheels throughout the event. Most important is that the aircraft did not catch fire. Although Richardt is in hospital undergoing surgery for his facial injuries, he is recovering well. At the time of writing it is unclear what went wrong but looking at the pictures of the aircraft after the event, I am amazed at the sheer strength of the L39. Our sympathies and good wishes go to Richardt, Irene and their family. 

GAMA 2023 numbers show more than 4,000 GA aircraft delivered

New-aircraft sales were up in all categories in 2023, with piston models leading at an 11.8% increase compared with 2022 (to 1,602 deliveries from 1,505). This was the takeaway from last week’s release of aircraft sales numbers from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).

While the ongoing pilot shortage and its resulting focus on single-engine training aircraft no doubt played a role in overall fixed-wing sales, the fact that billings increased by 2.2% (to $23.4 billion from $22.9 billion) across the category suggests that increased sales of higher-priced business jets (up by 2.5%) indicate an improving market in that segment, as well. In all, total fixed-wing General Aviation aircraft sales were up by 9.6%. Deliveries of turbine helicopters also jumped by double digit percentage points last year, up by 10.4%. Piston rotorcraft also increased by a slightly more modest 7.7% and in good news for the bean counters, billings increased by 11.2% to $4.4 billion from $4.0 billion.

GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce noted that, in all, more than 4,000 GA aircraft rolled off the factory floors last year. He said that while 2023 numbers were encouraging, GA still faces challenges from continued supply-chain issues, workforce shortages, uncertainty over the paths chosen by global regulators and “short-sighted efforts aimed at curbing business and General Aviation, particularly in Europe.” Bunce added, “It is crucial that the US Congress passes a long-term FAA reauthorisation bill, a fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill for the FAA and a tax measure which is pending that promotes research and development.”

VietJet Air places first widebody order, signs MoU for 20 Airbus A330-900

Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet Air has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for the purchase of 20 A330neo widebodies. The announcement was made on 22 February 2024 at the Singapore Airshow during a signing ceremony. Once finalised, this will be Vietjet’s first-ever widebody order. The aircraft will be operated on the carrier’s growing long-range network, as well as on high-capacity regional services. It will replace the carrier’s current fleet of leased A330-300.

“The new A330neo aircraft is a strategic addition to comprehensively modernize Vietjet’s fleet, enhancing operational capabilities to support our global flight network expansion plan. Its fuel-efficient new-generation design aligns with our sustainable development strategy and ESG goals, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050,” Vietjet Chief Executive Officer Dinh Viet Phuong said during the ceremony.

Boeing secures ‘landmark’ Thai Airways 787 deal

On Tuesday on the first day of the Singapore Airshow Boeing revealed a pair of orders from Asian carriers for 49 787 Dreamliner widebodies. Thai Airways will take up to 45 aircraft, while Royal Brunei Airlines has committed to adding four of the intercontinental model to its fleet. The Thai Airways contract calls for the first 10 Dreamliners to be the 787-9 version powered by GE Aerospace’s GEnx engines. The contract includes options for 35 more aircraft and allows the flexibility to switch to the larger 787-10 model or even the 777X. The companies finalised the order in December but did not formally reveal its existence until the first day of the Singapore Airshow.

For Thai Airways, the influx of 787s will fuel a major increase in capacity to meet the growing demand for air travel in Southeast Asia. The carrier reached a type / engine selection decision in just 10 months, accelerating an evaluation process that had hitherto taken three to four years. The airline adopted a total cost of ownership method to reach its decision. Plans call for delivery of the initial 45 aircraft between 2027 and 2033.

With six 787-8s and a pair of Dash 9s in its fleet, the carrier is no stranger to the Boeing 787. The average fleet age is just over nine years for the 787-8s. Rolls-Royce Trent 1000s power the current aircraft but the airline’s president and CEO, Chai Eamsiri, said that the airline harboured no plans to drop the Rolls-Royce engined aircraft from the fleet any time soon. Eamsiri noted that the GEnx engines would help the airline and nation meet its carbon-neutral goals by 2050. The 787 will reduce fuel use and emissions by 25 percent compared with the aircraft it is to replace.

On the same day as the Thai announcement, Boeing revealed an order for four 787-9s from Royal Brunei Airlines, the first Dreamliner operator in Southeast Asia. The airline celebrated 10 years of operations with the 787 last year. The fleet currently consists of five 787-8s that operate on routes to Asia, Australia, the Middle East and London. The 787-9 offers a growth in passenger capacity of nearly 20 percent compared with the 787-8.

Bell reveals designer cabin to Asia’s helicopter market

The Designer Series of the Bell 429 helicopter made its debut in Southeast Asia at last week’s Singapore Airshow, as the manufacturer looks to capitalise on what it views as strong demand throughout the region. Bell Textron also is exhibiting an example of its 505 single-engine rotorcraft and laying the groundwork for the upcoming 525 model. Visitors will get to inspect the 429’s cabin features, including leather-covered seats, consoles, door accent panels and headliners, as well as hardwood flooring and fresh paint schemes. With a flat floor, the 429 cabin can seat up to seven passengers.

Bell has delivered more than 450 examples of the light twin worldwide, including police forces in Indonesia, Thailand and Australia. In applications including corporate transportation, law enforcement, and emergency medical services, the 429 fleet worldwide has logged over 602,000 flight hours. Bell recently delivered a highly customised example of the 429 to Sky Yard Aviation in the Philippines, where a dozen of the type reside. The machine featured a custom paint job and bespoke cabin interiors developed for the operator’s private clients.

The US manufacturer is expanding its customer base in the region with the announcement on Tuesday of three contracts for the Bell 505 signed with customers in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It has also confirmed several deliveries of the Bell 407 model in this part of the world. Malaysia’s Hammock Helicopter has ordered a pair of 505s in corporate configuration for delivery later this year. Bell also confirmed that an undisclosed operator in Indonesia and four corporate clients in the Philippines have each recently ordered one of the light singles in deals that will take the number of 505s in the region to more than 100.

Recently Bell delivered a pair of 407GXi models to Meghna Aviation and Ginger Aviation in Bangladesh and Taiwan, respectively. They are the first commercial examples of the type in those countries, although the Bangladesh army already operates two of the aircraft. Meghna Aviation now ranks as the largest commercial operator of Bell rotorcraft in Bangladesh. Ginger Aviation, which opened in 2022, aims to use the 407GXi to respond to the growing demand for powerline wash and inspection work.

In the Philippines, Aerobee Corporation has just taken delivery of its first 407GXi. The customer is an aircraft distributor and service provider active in the agricultural sector. According to Rehman, market conditions in a vast and diverse territory extending from India to Japan and southwards to Australasia have presented strong opportunities to add to the approximately 1,400 aircraft Bell has delivered to the region. He reported increasing demand across multiple applications, including emergency medical flights and transportation for business leaders and offshore energy workers.

Rehman believes the 525 aircraft will enhance Bell’s offering, with increased performance that includes a range of 500 nm and a speed of 170 knots. He emphasised safety features such as auto-stabilisation and triple-redundant fly-by-wire controls, as well as the versatility provided by a quick-change cabin that operators can reconfigure between flights.

United Airlines set to become first US carrier to restart flights to Israel

United Airlines looks set to become the first US carrier to restart flights to Israel after announcing plans to resume services between Newark Liberty International Airport (ERW) in New York and Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in Tel Aviv. After fighting broke out in the region between Israelis and Palestinians in October 2023, many international operators took the decision to stop flying to Israel. However, United Airlines has confirmed that from 2 March 2024, flights to TLV from ERW will resume with a stop in Munich to ensure all service providers are ‘ready to support non-stop service to and from Newark’.

From 6 March 2024, United said it will relaunch a daily nonstop service to the Israeli coastal city. 

United said in a statement on 21 February 2024, that it had carried out a ‘detailed safety analysis’ with assistance from security experts and government officials in the US and Israel before announcing the resumption of flights. “This is the first step in restoring passenger and cargo service and comes after tireless collaboration between security experts and government officials, as well as the Air Line Pilots Association and the Association of Flight Attendants, to develop protocols to ensure our employees and customers are safe and well-informed,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby wrote in a LinkedIn post. 

United will continue to monitor the situation in Tel Aviv and adjust the schedule if the need arises. But if all goes as planned, the carrier hopes to add another daily flight from ERW to TLV in May 2024. Previous operations from San Francisco Airport (SFO), Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) and Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD) will be evaluated for resumption in autumn.

It is understood that Delta Air Lines is looking to restart flights to Israel in May 2024 while American Airlines will not fly there until at least October 2024. Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Aegean and Air France have already restarted services to Israel. 

LCI signs deal for up to 21 latest-gen helicopters from Leonardo

LCI has announced a framework agreement for up to 21 of the latest-generation helicopters from Leonardo, comprising of ten firm plus 11 options. The innovative new framework agreement covers the latest generation light intermediate AW169, intermediate AW139 and super-medium AW189 helicopters, which will collectively address industry renewal and replacement requirements.

The new helicopters will be delivered through to 2028 and will be aimed at a variety of missions including emergency medical services (EMS), search and rescue (SAR), offshore energy, including wind. The helicopters will be strategically allocated between LCI and SMFL LCI Helicopters, LCI’s joint venture with Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company, Limited (SMFL).

These new helicopters will offer superior performance, flexibility and lower CO2 emissions than comparable types and other transportation modes, thereby helping operators to reduce their carbon footprint whilst maintaining mission-critical and life-saving operations. In addition, they will be equipped with the latest suite of navigational and safety features and will also be cleared to use sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) in the future, leveraging the certification standards already obtained by Leonardo for the use of SAF.

UND report details valve issues experienced with Swift Fuels 94UL

The University of North Dakota John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences has released a two-page communication concluding that engines that had been operated on Swift Fuels 94UL unleaded fuel experienced more than 128 episodes of recessed valve seats or other valve problems. The report details the flight operation’s experience switching from 100LL avgas to Swift Fuels unleaded 94UL and then back to 100LL.

The paper, authored by Dean Robert Kraus and Director of Maintenance Dan Kasowski, relates the flight operation’s experience, with the school’s fleet of 76 Piper Archer singles, 14 Seminole twins and five Robinson R44 piston helicopters. The reason for reinstating 100LL after about three months with 94UL as the exclusive fleet fuel supply was a cumulative total of 128 cylinders experiencing recessed valve seat events. Some of those events occurred after the switch back but involved engines that had been run on 94UL for some time.

After the switch back to 100LL, the report says, ‘None of the replaced cylinders have shown exhaust valve seat recession while operating on 100LL Avgas.’ UND is working with Swift Fuels and Lycoming to help assess the cause of the valve problems. The UND fleet logs a total of more than 100,000 hours of flight time annually ‘with some months seeing up to 13,000 hours.’

The first flight exclusively flown with 94UL was on 22 June 2023. The first sign of trouble was in late August, when a Seminole exhibited a 500-degree-low exhaust gas temperature reading. In the next two months, the report relates, 11 more valve seat recessions were discovered. It was then that, ‘a walkthrough of the entire fleet was performed and a quick check uncovered another 15 aircraft (17 cylinders) with possible compression issues.’

UND then initiated a triage plan with Lycoming, including an immediate compression check and borescope of all 114 Lycoming engines before further flight. ‘That check revealed nine more cylinders with recessed seats.’ Logbook checks showed that most of the engines that experienced valve problems had flown more than 400 hours on Swift Fuels 94UL.

The report concludes: ‘We are continuing work with Lycoming and Swift Fuels to identify the specific causes of damage experienced here. Unleaded fuel is the future of general aviation and UND fully supports the industry moving towards further adoption in a safe and cost-effective manner.’

Turkish 5th-generation fighter KAAN completes maiden flight

Last week Turkey’s domestically built KAAN combat aircraft successfully completed its first flight, a milestone that local industry and government were happy to trumpet. The ability to produce an indigenous, advanced fighter has been a big push from Turkish President Recep Erdoğan, who has made nationalisation of Turkey’s defence industry a key part of his leadership.

The fifth-generation aircraft, dubbed KAAN, “reached an altitude of 8,000 feet and achieved a speed of 230 knots,” Turkish Aerospace firm Tusas, which produces KAAN, claimed on its website. The flight lasted 13 minutes in total, without doubt this is a milestone without a doubt. KAAN is one of the few fifth-generation projects in the international weapons market,” Can Kasapoğlu, non-resident senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said. Turkish defence planners have even more ambitious, ‘6th generation DNA’ plans about the aircraft, such as flying it with the loyal wingman concept alongside unmanned combat aircraft of Baykar and TUSAS, Kizilelma and ANKA-3, respectively.”

The KAAN’s design philosophy has evolved since Turkey’s exodus from the F-35 consortium following the S-400 procurement. KAAN, formerly TF-X, was once planned to be an air-superiority asset. Now it is turning into a multirole aircraft,” Kasapoğlu said. For KAAN, Kasapoğlu said, Turkey will need to be looking for export opportunities in order to keep the unit cost from ‘skyrocketing.’ One early adaptor, at least on paper, has already put its hand up: In July 2023, during a national defence expo, Azerbaijan joined Turkey in its fifth-generation fighter jet programme in a move described by Erdogan as a “new sign of solidarity between the two countries.” In November, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Gular announced that Ankara is in talks to buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoons. In addition, the US announced in late January that it is unfreezing a large deal of 40 new F-16 fighters to Turkey, after the country was expelled from the F-35 deal due to procuring the Russian S-400 Triumph air defence system. Kasapoğlu predicts Turkey will focus on the F-16 buy as its priority, saying “The Eurofighter Typhoon is a nice to have, not a must. It remains to be seen if the Germans will be in business,” referencing Germany’s sometimes reluctance to allow exports of Typhoons around the globe.

Van’s Aircraft positive as reorders beat target

Van’s Aircraft has issued a positive update following the financial crisis which hit the kit plane company in the second half of 2023. In a video shared by Van’s founder Dick VanGrunsven and vice-president Greg Hughes, they said the process of customers reordering kits and parts at higher prices was working successfully. VanGrunsven said, “I wanted to start off on behalf of myself and the entire staff here at Vans aircraft to thank everyone for their continuing support, particularly those that have decided to continue building and reorder their kits, engines and other components.”

How did Van’s Aircraft get into this mess?

Hughes expanded, “We had a business goal as part of this restructuring process of hitting 70% reorders and we have well exceeded that mark. “We are better than 81% overall on reorders and that includes 93% of engines, 78% of kits and better than 80% on propellers so far.”

Over the past six weeks, the factory has created 254 kits and most have been shipped, with a few to go out this week. The emphasis is on fulfilling orders and shipping replacement parts Hughes said, “We have been working with all of our partners throughout this process and there are a couple that we really wanted to especially mention. One of those is Hartzell Propeller and the other is Lycoming Engines. Both companies have really stepped up to try to make things work well for customers and to help further this business relationship that we have had with them for so long. “If you order an engine and a propeller together historically there has always been a bundle discount. Lycoming has offered $1,000 off the price of the engine when you buy a propeller at the same time and Hartzell added an additional $500 discount.” Dynon Avionics is also offering ‘a little discount’. One of the big issues was some faulty laser cut parts. “We have already fulfilled 9% of the kits with laser cut parts,” said Hughes.

Van Grunsven also mentioned the restructuring
“We contracted a business restructuring expert to help us through this process. He and his assistants are doing very well and helping us to understand and improve our overall operating efficiencies, adding their expertise to our knowledge so that we can maximise our efficiency and output.”

There was also reference to the new high-wing RV15. Van Grunsven said, “Well, the RV15 is ongoing. Obviously, the development process has been slowed by all of the other challenges we have had here. “Personally, I am looking forward to better weather so I can get out and fly the airplane some more and we will be accelerating that development process very soon.”

Van’s Aircraft will be back at the EAA Airventure at Oshkosh in late July, at its usual location, but the company will not be attending either AERO Friedrichshafen or Sun ‘n Fun in April. “We are going to focus our energy on the work that we are doing here, making parts and getting things shipped, that is our primary focus,” said Hughes. However factory tours and demo flights will restart in March. Other positive news is that whole aircraft production of the Van’s RV12 SLSA aircraft is up to three aircraft a month, so lead times have reduced.

Eve Air Mobility and SkyScape sign urban ATM deal for Japan

Eve Air Mobility and SkyScape, a Japanese vertiport development and management company headquartered in Osaka, Japan, have announced an agreement to use Eve’s Urban ATM (air traffic management) as a part of the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) concept of operations published by the Japanese government. The announcement makes Skyscape Eve’s 13th Urban ATM customer and it becomes its sixth Urban ATM vertiport customer as the company continues to grow its business globally. Eve’s Urban ATM software solution is a key enabler to the efficient implementation and scalability of urban air mobility (UAM) by providing services for air navigation service providers, urban authorities, fleet operators, vertiport operators and other UAM stakeholders. The solution includes UAM flight coordination, vertiport automation airside support, airspace flow management and conformance management.

As part of the agreement, the two companies will collaborate in a number of different ways including promoting Urban Air Mobility in Japan and the test and trial of Urban ATM software including data collection and sharing. The companies will also work together on showcasing eVTOL design and testing, vertiport design, operation certification and future autonomous operation development at SkyScape locations including their planned country research site known as the ‘Integrated Aviation Center’ (IAC) when it opens in the future.

SkyScape is pioneering a unique approach to Vertiport development focused on their aviation facility ‘building blocks,’ as a set of ready-made units that house various elements of vertiport operations. These blocks are meant to empower site developers by allowing them to design aviation facilities and vertiports with only the elements that are applicable to their unique situation and use case. The blocks are intended to make use of upcycled Conex containers as well as high-grade aluminium to enable quick set up and resilience through the facilities lifecycle while emphasising a focus on sustainable materials. The hope of SkyScape’s approach is to develop aviation facilities that can support a high number of co-located services not limited to eVTOL operations but also first response, medical deliveries, security and more in the name of empowering communities through AAM.

UKCAA’s latest proposal: Drones free to fly low around buildings

According to new proposal put forward today by the UKCAA, drones could soon be flying low around buildings and other infrastructure without the remote pilot being in visual contact. Inspections of railways, powerlines, farms and roads, plus emergency medical deliveries, are among the uses suggested in the proposal. A consultation on what the UKCAA calls an ‘Atypical Air Environment’ will run for six weeks. Kevin Woolsey, Head of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems at the UKCAA, said, “Our proposals are a positive step towards unlocking the next stage for drone flying in the UK. Allowing drones to fly beyond the sight of the Remote Pilot, without placing restrictions on other aircraft in the area, will be a major achievement for UK drone operations. Safety comes first in everything we do and so we have identified sensible mitigations on where drones can fly using this proposed concept to make sure we maintain levels of safety.”

The UKCAA went on to describe an Atypical Air Environment: “An atypical air environment can be considered as a volume of airspace where you can reasonably anticipate there to be a reduced number of conventionally piloted aircraft due to the proximity of ground infrastructure. Operating within an atypical air environment does not address any aspect of ground risk that the operation may pose. It is likely that certain elements of ground risk are increased by operating close to infrastructure. It is for the operator to propose how they intend to mitigate other areas of risk, including seeking any relevant approval and ensuring coordination with the infrastructure owner, as required.”

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