Edition 266 December 2017 R34.50

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1 Edition 266 December 2017 R34.50 Namibia $N34.50 Cover: Justin de Reuck

2 THE ORIGINAL Many claim originality, but there is always only one true pioneer. In designing the PC-12 our objective was to create the world s most versatile, high performance, efficient and safe aircraft and back it up with the highest level of service. Today, with over 1,500 aircraft in operation, our commitment is just as strong as when the first PC-12 was delivered. At Pilatus, we succeed by helping our customers succeed. How s that for an original idea? Step up to the Pilatus Class now. Contact Pilatus Centre Southern Africa, your nearest Authorised Pilatus Centre for further information on +27 (0) or at info@pilatuscentre.co.za.

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COntents Edition 266 December 2017 Columnists 54

6 COntents Edition 266 December 2017 Columnists 54 SA Flyer Guy Leitch - Attitude for Altitude Peter Garrison - Leading Edge Fyko van der Molen Jim Davis - Pile of Logbooks Ray Watts - Register Review Jim Davis - Accident Report Karen Vlantis - Heli Ops At Spies - SAAF Stories Chris Martinus - AOPA Briefing FLIGHTCOM Mike Gough - Airline Ops... 6 Hugh Pryor - Bush Pilot Darren Olivier - Defence Notes Keith Mwanalushi - Airlines

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8 COntents Edition 266 December 2017 Regulars features Opening Shot Gadget of the Month In Brief... 14/16 SA Flyer Yak 3 in SA Skies Insurance Flight Test - Embraer Legacy Historic - Piper J3 Cub Airshows - Air Adventure Gliding Dream Alive Foundation BUMPPFF Flightsure Register Review PUMA Fuel Table GIB Events Market Place Titanium Flying School Directory AES AMO Listing FLIGHTCOM AASA AGM News - Ethiopian Airlines IATA - Paul Steele West African Airlines FLIGHTCOM Subscriptions Flyfofa Charter Directory AME Directory Aviation Directory SA Flyer Magazine

The issue is that the South African CAA all too often acts unreasonably. Service levels have fallen dramatically. What used to take an hour or two, now takes weeks.

And the vexatious renewal of aircraft Certificates of Airworthiness is beyond excuse, taking in the case of our Saratoga, ZS-OFH, more than three months.

Given the high fixed costs of aircraft ownership and of maintaining a valid licence, this is unacceptable.

The problem is that there are no checks or balances to counter the CAA's urge to create more regulations and complicate things to create more work and thus employees.

10 position report WE are not alone. In his column this month, AOPA-SA President Chris Martinus shares how the general aviation industry in Australia is being crushed by the increasing load of regulation. The issue is that the South African CAA all too often acts unreasonably. Service levels have fallen dramatically. What used to take an hour or two, now takes weeks. Even the routine task of renewing your pilot s licence takes a few weeks. And the vexatious renewal of aircraft Certificates of Airworthiness is beyond excuse, taking in the case of our Saratoga, ZS-OFH, more than three months. Not having a producible pilot s licence and then not having the C of A card kept me on the ground for over a month. Given the high fixed costs of aircraft ownership and of maintaining a valid licence, this is unacceptable. If I had to rely on the aircraft and my having a licence to earn a living, this inefficiency would be unforgivable. The problem is that there are no checks or balances to counter the CAA's urge to create more regulations and complicate things to create more work and thus employees. In 2007, the CAA staff count was 320 and in the ten years to 2017 it has swelled to 514. Even more alarming is the huge increase in the salary bill. In 2001 it was just R31 million. Within six years this had grown three hundred percent to R105 million, and now it is a further three times larger at a whopping R349 million. Yet the number of aircraft and pilots has barely changed. I find it hard to believe that, even allowing for inflation, there can be any justification for an eleven-fold increase in the CAA s salary bill over the past 16 years. The truly scary finding is that in 2001, the CAA cost each of the 7,700 aircraft on the register around R4,400. By 2017, the CAA cost each aircraft R29,000 assuming 12,500 aircraft. Has the quality of service improved and has the accident rate come down? Unfortunately, we don t know what the accident rate is because, despite spending a reported R93 million on an IT business management system, it appears that the CAA is still unable to produce an accident rate per million hours flown. What we do know is that the number of accidents is down but that s because general aviation pilots are flying less. Much was expected of the new IT system, but it seems it is yet to bear fruit. In the meanwhile, service standards have declined badly. The documentation requirement has increased exponentially, with sworn affidavits for documents that were previously accepted with the pilot s signature. Paper files are still getting mislaid all over the buildings and the information not captured. The CAA has become a bloated bureaucratic monster. There is increasing pressure to mount a class action law suit against it for bad service. And it needs a force to balance its heavy-handed regulation. We as CAA clients have no appeal against the organisation s poor service and unreasonable bureaucratic demands. It s time for a civil aviation ombudsman. Guy Leitch Editor guy@saflyermag.co.za SALES MANAGER Wayne Wilson wayne@saflyermag.co.za TRAFFIC Tami Van Heerden traffic.admin@saflyermag.co.za ACCOUNTS accounts@saflyermag.co.za DEPUTY EDITOR Graeme Wuth graeme@saflyermag.co.za PRODUCTION & LAYOUT Emily-Jane Kinnear emily@saflyermag.co.za SUBSCRIPTIONS subs@saflyermag.co.za Contact Details Tel: +27 (0) Sales: +27 (0) P O Box Bryanston, 2021 South Africa Distribution Distribution by On The Dot (Throughout SA and Africa to approximately stores), CNA, PNA, Exclusive Books, Pick n Pay as well as selected Spars, and convenience stores. Sales into Africa: Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Swaziland, Moçambique and Madagascar. Unsold distributed to selected clinics, airport lounges, doctor s rooms, garages, selected hotels and lodges and Airport Shops. Important Opinions expressed in signed articles, News & views or in advertisements appearing in SA Flyer, are those of the author or advertiser and do not reflect those of this journal nor of its publisher. The mention of specific companies or products in articles or advertisements, does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by this journal or its publisher in preference to others of a similar nature which are not mentioned or advertised. SA Flyer All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without the express permission of the copyright holders

Edition 262 August Namibia $N34.50 R34.50

Edition 262 August Namibia $N34.50 R34.50 Edition 262 August 2017 Namibia $N34.50 R34.50 1 SA Flyer Magazine 3 SA Flyer Magazine COntents Edition 262 August 2017 Columnists SA Flyer 50 Guy Leitch - Attitude for Altitude... 18 Peter Garrison