Good day all

The long wait is finally over; the first Airshow for 2018 will be taking place on Saturday 7 April in Ermelo. The summer break seemed so long this year but for all the Airshow enthusiasts out there it’s time to get your fix once again. For more detail please Contact Andre van Rooyen E-mail: tolderia@gmail.com Cell: 082 417 0174

The SAAF Museum will be hosting there monthly “Flying Training Day” at Airforce Base Swartkops, All the Museum aircraft will be strutting their stuff and should be practising for the upcoming SAAF Museum Airshow which will be held on the 5th May.

SAPFA will be hosting a Rally Navigation Course on Saturday 7th April at the Harvard Café Conference Room at Grand Central Airport starting at 8:00 For all our rally competitors, pilots and navigators, join us for a course on the finer points of plotting, preparing, flying a rally given by our own expert Protea rally pilot and navigator Mary de Klerk.

Come on everybody, support SAPFA in expanding our flying sport.

Ramaphosa weighs in on Fireblade matter

The statements made about Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba in the Fireblade Aviation judgment require serious attention, said President Cyril Ramaphosa.

This is according to Ramaphosa’s written reply to an earlier question by Congress of the People leader Mosiuoa Lekota, Business Day reported. Lekota enquired about the president’s response to the high court judgment on the matter and if any action would be taken against Gigaba, who was found to have breached the Constitution.

In October 2017 Fireblade Aviation, owned by the Oppenheimer family, was granted permission to operate a private VIP terminal at OR Tambo International Airport, by North Gauteng High Court Judge Sulet Poterrill.

The case was brought in November 2016 by Fireblade to enforce a decision initially made by Gigaba in early 2016, when he was home affairs minister.

The Home Affairs Department appealed the judgment in the high court, on the grounds that Gigaba suspended approval. But this was dismissed by Judge Neil Tuchten on February 21 2018 when Gigaba was finance minister.

In the ruling, Tuchten noted that Potterill rejected Gigaba’s version. Of this, Tuchten said: “The conclusion that the rejection of the minister’s version must carry with it the conclusion that the minister has deliberately told untruths under oath.”

Tuchten also noted that Gigaba is bound by the Constitution not to act in a way inconsistent with his office.

“By telling a deliberate untruth on facts central to the decision of this case, the minister has committed a breach of the Constitution so serious that I would characterise it as a violation,” said Tuchten.

First look: Saab unveils GlobalEye surveillance aircraft for the Middle East

Saab has taken the wraps off a new surveillance aircraft destined to equip the United Arab Emirates with a powerful airborne early warning and control capability.

The Swedish company revealed the first of three GlobalEye aircraft it is developing and building for the UAE during a visit by reporters Feb. 23 to the Linköping facility where the work is underway.

The first flight of the aircraft is expected later this year.

The UAE ordered the first two GlobalEye jets in late 2015 and followed that up with an order for a third aircraft last year.

Saab is modifying Bombardier Global 6000 business jets with radars and other sensors to undertake AEW, maritime and ground surveillance. The heart of the capability is the new Erieye Extended Range radar employing‎ gallium nitride semi-conductor technology to help massively increase the detection range over earlier versions of the sensor.

Leonardo’s Seaspray maritime search radar and a Flir Systems electro optical sensor are also part of the package being installed on GlobalEye.

Analysts say GlobalEye will give the UAE unmatched AEW capability among Gulf Cooperation Council members‎. It will be the first application for the extended range version of the Erieye radar.

Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Thailand, Greece, Pakistan, Mexico and Sweden all currently use the earlier version of Erieye installed in either Saab turboprop or Embraer jet‎ aircraft.

The UAE also operate two Saab 340 turboprops equipped with the older version of the Erieye. It’s not clear what will happen to these aircraft once GlobalEye is fully operational.

The UAE is also adding to its airborne surveillance‎ capabilities in a separate program using Global 6000s.

British aerospace company Marshall’s is modifying two business jets for special missions work. The role of the aircraft has yet to be confirmed but the expectation is they will provide the UAE with a signals intelligence capabilities.

ARJ21 completes crosswind validation testing in Iceland

The Comac ARJ21 regional jet has completed crosswind validation testing in Iceland that is aimed at widening its operational scope.

China's ministry of industry and information technology says aircraft 104 completed the testing on 26 March at Reykjavik's Keflavik International airport, and subsequently approved by by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The tests involved six takeoffs and landings, where the average takeoff crosswind was 38.4kts and that the average landing crosswind was 34.9kts. It also says the maximum verified crosswind was at 48.7kts, exceeding the aircraft's design target.

Although the ARJ21 is designed for 30kt crosswind take-offs and 27kt landing limits, the CAAC had previously only been able to validate its performance at 22kt crosswinds during testing in China.

The ministry adds that once the results are accepted by the CAAC, the ARJ21 will be capable of operating under a wide range of meteorological conditions.

To date, the ARJ21 has secured commitments for 453 units. Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that four of the regional jets are in service with Chengdu Airlines.