By Garth Calitz Small, noisy, brutally manoeuvrable and about as subtle as a chainsaw in a library, the Pitts Special has spent more than eight decades reminding the aviation world that you don't need a computer, a jet engine or a billion-dollar development programme to put on one hell of an aerial display. There are aircraft that are designed to transport people, aircraft designed to carry cargo, and aircraft designed to defend national airspace. Then there is the Pitts Spec

By Garth Calitz The announcement of direct Sydney–Cape Town flights is being celebrated as a major tourism and aviation milestone. However, with Cape Town International Airport already battling capacity constraints, the arrival of another long-haul operator raises an uncomfortable question: is the airport's infrastructure keeping pace with its ambitions? The introduction of direct Qantas flights between Sydney and Cape Town is undoubtedly good news for South Africa. However,

By Garth Calitz Van’s Aircraft sweetens the deal on one of general aviation’s most popular kitplanes, offering first-time builders a US$3,000 (R50,000) discount on the RV-7 and RV-7A empennage kit. But for South African enthusiasts, the advertised price is only the beginning of the story. Very few aircraft combine cross-country touring, respectable performance, aerobatic capability and the satisfaction of building your own machine as successfully as the Van’s RV series. Now,

By Garth Calitz UK regulator grants Amazon world-first SAIL 4 approval, paving the way for expanded autonomous deliveries. Apparently, waiting until tomorrow for a parcel is now considered an unacceptable inconvenience. Amazon has taken another significant step towards turning the skies into an extension of its delivery network after securing a world-first regulatory approval from the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The approval lets Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery ope

By Garth Calitz The relocation of US military aircraft from two British airbases following suspected Iranian threats raises uncomfortable questions about the vulnerability of Western military infrastructure. When the world's most powerful air force starts moving aircraft out of harm's way on what should be friendly territory, something rather more serious is happening than routine redeployment. There is something distinctly unsettling about watching the United States Air Forc

By Garth Calitz Four new S-92A+ helicopters will replace South Korea’s ageing presidential fleet, reinforcing Sikorsky’s position in the VIP transport market and demonstrating that, despite the industry's fascination with futuristic flying machines, the conventional helicopter is still very much in demand. Sikorsky has secured a significant contract with the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) for four S-92A+ helicopters under South Korea’s Presidential Helicopter II programm

Italy's Alpi Aviation takes its four-seat twin into the air, combining Rotax power, traditional construction techniques and modern cockpit technology in a bid to challenge the established light-twin market. The dream of owning and operating a practical, affordable twin-engine aircraft has been around almost as long as general aviation itself. For many pilots, however, the reality has been rather less romantic. Two engines mean two maintenance schedules, two sets of operating

By Garth Calitz Autonomous combat aircraft moves closer to first flight, promising to take the runway out of the military aviation equation. Whether the engineering can deliver on the ambition is another question entirely. The military aviation world has never been particularly short of ambitious ideas. Flying wings, stealth bombers, hypersonic missiles and aircraft capable of taking off vertically have all moved from drawing boards into operational service. Now American defe

By Garth Calitz The little taildragger that helped create an aviation dynasty and taught generations of pilots that landing isn't necessarily the end of the flight. There was a time when buying a four-seat aircraft didn't require selling a kidney, negotiating with three grumpy bank managers and explaining to your spouse why the family holiday had suddenly been postponed indefinitely. In 1948, Cessna introduced an aircraft that was relatively simple, practical, affordable and

By Garth Calitz South Africa's biggest domestic airline is getting new owners, and while the Competition Tribunal has given the deal its blessing, the arrangement has raised a few questions. Nothing particularly unusual, of course. Just an airline, an airport, an investment company, a pension fund and a handful of competitors who would quite like to know whether everybody will be playing by the same rules. South African aviation has another major corporate development to dige