By Garth Calitz Photos By Garth Calitz and Trevor Cohen Thousands of aviation enthusiasts braved the cold at Air Force Base Swartkop on Saturday, 6 June, for the annual South African Air Force (SAAF) Museum Airshow. Reports from the SA Weather Service confirmed that Friday night was the coldest night in 2026, but the subzero temperatures did not deter the 11000-odd aviation enthusiasts that qued at the gates from as early as 6 am. They were rewarded with several visiting airc

By Rob Russell The recent budget speech, by the Minister of Defence, Ms Motshekga, in which barely anything about the SAAF was mentioned, apart from them being “hard at work repairing” wrongs, has thrust the future of the SAAF into the fore again. The SANDF has gone one way since the ANC took over ruling the country. From a once great and proud Defence Force, feared by many countries around the African continent, to the laughing stock of the continent. Equipment stands arou

South Africa’s general aviation community is set to gain a significant new facility with the opening of Atlantic Aerodrome, a purpose-built aviation precinct located in the Swartland region, approximately 40 minutes from Cape Town’s city centre. The development is scheduled to open its first phase on 26 September 2026 and aims to provide a dedicated base for aircraft owners, flight schools, charter operators and aviation-related businesses seeking an alternative to the conges

NASA’s groundbreaking X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft has successfully exceeded the speed of sound for the first time, marking a major milestone in the agency’s efforts to revolutionise high-speed air travel and pave the way for the return of commercial supersonic flight over land. The historic flight took place on 5 June 2026 from Edwards Air Force Base, California, with NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less at the controls. During the 81-minute mission, the experimental a

A landmark Pretoria High Court ruling has removed Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) requirements from the licensing process for international airlines operating to and from South Africa, providing greater regulatory certainty for foreign carriers serving the country. The judgment follows legal action brought by business organisation Sakeliga against the International Air Services Council (IASC), which had sought to consider B-BBEE compliance and other race-based

Gulfstream Aerospace has unveiled its latest business jet developments to the European market, with the Gulfstream G300 and G400 making their public debut at the company’s exclusive Discover the Difference event in Farnborough. The showcase featured a full-scale mock-up of the new super-midsize G300 alongside one of the three G400 flight-test aircraft currently participating in the certification programme. The event provided customers and industry stakeholders with an up-clos

Before Bell delivered the first certified helicopter, the future of vertical flight was proven with an egg. While pilots and engineers struggled with the uncertainties of rotorcraft technology, a single demonstration showed how physics could not just make it possible, but safe. This became the spark that led Bell into pioneering a new era of aviation. A Visionary in Aviation Larry Bell’s lifelong passion for aviation led him to start the Bell Aircraft Corporation, now Bell Te

A major step forward in developing South Africa’s future aviation workforce has been marked with the launch of the WorldSkills South Africa - Elangeni Aircraft Maintenance Academy, a pioneering initiative aimed at bringing specialised aviation training opportunities to young people from underserved communities. Officially launched at Elangeni TVET College’s Inanda Campus, north of Durban, the academy is the first facility within South Africa’s public education sector dedicate

By Garth Calitz The Industrial town of Secunda was the temporary home of the prestigious Presidents' Trophy Air Race for the 2026 edition. Secunda was built around the world's largest coal-to-liquids fuel facility operated by Sasol. This monster of industry is painfully visible from the airfield. Established in the 1970s to produce synthetic fuel and reduce the country's dependence on imported oil, the town has become a major economic hub in the area. Likewise, the Secunda F

By Garth Calitz After a long afternoon of waiting to find out who did what in this year's Presidents' Trophy Air Race, the Gala Dinner finally arrived. The formal function was held at the Boesies, which is located on the Lake Umuzi campus, which is a stone's throw from the Secunda Airfield. Tarry and Iaan Myburgh, the dynamic couple who were the driving force behind the 2026 PTAR, were forced out of their comfort zone completely when the regular MC, David le Roux, had to att