Good day All

On this Valentines day with all the political uncertainty currently happening around us Recalls, Raids and anticipated Resignations, I personally think it much better idea to go fly.

Rustenburg Airfield will be hosting a breakfast fly-in this Saturday 17 February, judging by past fly-ins hosted by Rustenburg Flying Club this will definitely be a good one. Avgas will be available at R18-65/Lt.

Eagle Air at Wonderboom will be welcoming any aspirant aviators to wonder around and learn more about their operation.

CemAir latest on the grounding

CemAir apologises to its customers for the continued disruption to its operations and assures that it is working hard to expedite the restoration of its normal scheduled flights.

“I wish to thank our customers for their patience and their loyalty. I am sorry that we have let you down during this period, but we look forward to flying you again very soon,” said Miles van der Molen, CEO of CemAir. “The safety and well-being of our customers, our people and our aircraft is our top priority. For this reason, we are working closely with the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) to address its concerns”, he said. “As the first step, last Friday, we initiated a thorough and comprehensive assessment and verification of internal processes and procedures at our aircraft maintenance division. The scope of this exercise includes personnel training, licencing and powers of authority to release aircraft and components into service.

In parallel, we have provided the SACAA with full and comprehensive documentation packs relating to the history and status of each of our 12 South African-registered aircraft. We have also hosted and cooperated fully with the SACAA’s additional audit inspections. “While we would like to expedite the restoration of our scheduled services, we must ensure there are no questions over the integrity of CemAir’s safety. For this reason we have requested the SACAA’s feedback, guidance and recommendations arising from its inspections, together with a defined timeline,against which it will verify our compliance and lift the restrictions currently in place,” explained Mr van der Molen. CemAir technical personnel all hold valid licences or company authorisation, as required by the SACAA. Our aircraft maintenance engineers undergo TETA-accredited training courses provided by Denel and other SACAA-approved training organisations.

CemAir’s safety compliance has also been recognised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which requires all of its members to pass its comprehensive and globally benchmarked biennial IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). CemAir renewed its IOSA accreditation last September and is on the IOSA register of approved airlines. In the meantime, CemAir is trying to contact as many of its ticket holders as possible, but appeals to those who may have booked through online travel agency sites to contact the airline, so that we understand their intentions and where possible, arrangements can be made to re-book them onto alternative flights or refund them. Ticket-holders can contact CemAir central reservations department on tel: 0861 236 247. As we are experiencing high call volumes, queries can also be emailed to any of our offices at any of the following addresses: tickets@cemair.co.za plett@cemair.co.za margate@cemair.co.za bloem@cemair.co.za george@cemair.co.za capetown@cemair.co.za hoedspruit@cemair.co.za

ADRENALINE SHOW 2018

We received the following letter from the organisers of the Airlink Adrenaline Show, Unfortunately it seems we will have to wait another year for the following episode in this highly successful event.

Riding on the successes of the 2016 and 2017 Airlink Adrenaline Shows, we were hard at work over the past year to plan for the 2018 Show. However, we regret to announce that the permission to hold the 2018 Show at Wonderboom National Airport has not yet been received. Due to the lack of sufficient time and resources needed to co-ordinate numerous activities, and guarantee yet another award-winning aviation and motorsport experience, we cannot continue with the 2018 Show. We look forward to continuing our relationship as we focus our attention towards 2019. You can expect to hear from us shortly about further developments and future arrangements. With best wishes Christian Maiorana

Show Boss

Lockheed Martin Delivers 400th C-130J Super Hercules Aircraft

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) reached a major milestone with the delivery of its 400th C-130J Super Hercules aircraft on Feb. 9. This Super Hercules is an MC-130J Commando II Special Operations aircraft that is assigned to the U.S. Air Force's Special Operations Command (AFSOC).

The C-130J Super Hercules is the current production model of the legendary C-130 Hercules aircraft, with operators in 17 nations. To date, the global fleet of C-130Js has surpassed more than 1.7 million flight hours supporting almost any mission requirement — any time, any place.

"We celebrate this accomplishment with our employees, industry partners and the Super Hercules operator community that spans 17 countries," said George Shultz, vice president and general manager, Air Mobility & Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin. "These first 400 C-130Js meet a global demand for the proven performance and unmatched versatility found only in a Super Hercules. Its durability, relevancy and capability will continue to set the C-130J apart as the world's choice in tactical airlift for decades to come."

The C-130J is defined by its versatility. To date, the C-130J supports 17 different mission configurations to include transport (military and commercial), firefighting, search and rescue, Special Operations, weather reconnaissance, and aerial refuelling.

This aircraft has another distinction in addition to being the 400th C-130J delivered: it is the 13th MC-130J to be converted into an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship. It will be assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The AC-130J is a highly modified C-130J that provides close-air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance.

The U.S. government operates the largest C-130J Super Hercules fleet in the world. This delivery represents the U.S. government's continued transition to the C-130J as the common platform across Air Mobility Command, AFSOC, Air Combat Command, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps. The Air National Guard and Reserve still operate a mixed fleet of C-130J and legacy aircraft.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.