Number 24 – 28 March 2024

“Learning to fly an airplane taught me a way of thinking, an approach to problem-solving that was applicable and effective. Pilots are very methodical and meticulous and artists tend not to be.” Chris Carter

Yak 38

(Information from Wikipedia)

The Yakovlev Yak-38 (Russian: Яковлев Як-38; NATO reporting name: ‘Forger’) was Soviet Naval Aviation’s only operational VTOL strike fighter aircraft in addition to being its first operational carrier-based fixed-wing aircraft. It was developed specifically for and served almost exclusively on, the Kiev-class aircraft carriers (heavy aviation cruiser in Russian classification).

Designed by the A.S. Yakovlev Design Bureau, the first drawings showed a supersonic aircraft strongly resembling the Hawker P.1154 in study in the United Kingdom, but with two R27-300 engines. Supersonic performance would have implied many difficulties of development and it was decided to initially develop a relatively simple aircraft limited to Mach 0.95. Although the Yak-38 and Yak-38M were developed from the land-based Yakovlev Yak-36, the aircraft had almost nothing in common.

The prototype VM-01 was completed on 14 April 1970. Though outwardly similar to the British Hawker Siddeley Harrier, it followed a completely different configuration. Together with a vectorable thrust engine in the rear used during flight, two smaller and less powerful, engines were housed in the front portion of the fuselage and used purely for take-off and landing. The Yak-38 had an automatic ejection seat. If one of the take-off engines failed or the aircraft rolled past 60 degrees the pilot was automatically ejected from the aircraft.

The majority of Yak-36M initial production deliveries were to the 279 OKShAP (Otdelny Korabelny Shturmovoy Aviatsionny Polk, Independent Shipboard Attack Air Regiment), initially based at Saki, the AV-MF’s training centre in Crimea. In July 1979, Minsk arrived in the Sea of Japan, where the vessel was home-ported at Strelok Bay, the Yak-38 component of its air wing thereafter being provided by the 311 OKShAP subordinate to the Pacific Fleet. In September 1982, Novorossiysk, the third Kiev-class carrier was commissioned. By now the V/STOL technique had been well practised and the resulting increase in the Yak-38’s overall performance and capability was exploited during the passage of Novorossiysk from Severomorsk to join the Pacific Fleet. A pair of armed Yak-38s operating from Minsk intercepted aircraft from the US carrier Enterprise over the Arabian Sea on 16 December 1982. This event marked the first time Soviet VTOL aircraft intercepted American aircraft while armed with missiles.

In a maritime context, the Yak-38 was not limited to the decks of Kiev. In September 1983, AV-MF pilots operated from the civilian Ro-Ro vessel Agostinho Neto and NII-VVS pilots conducted further tests from another Ro-Ro vessel, Nikolai Cherkasov. In both cases, use was made of a heat-resistant landing platform; further land-based trials tested the practicality of dispersed landing platforms, in a similar concept to the British Royal Air Force’s Harrier operations in West Germany.

Those persons who correctly identified this week’s mystery aircraft:
Wouter van der Waal, Andre Visser, TC Schultz, Righardt du Plessis, Willie Oosthuizen, Michael Schoeman, Steve Dewsbery, Rennie van Zyl, Colin Austen, Charlie Hugo, Kevin Farr, P. Rossouw, Brian Ross, Piet Steyn, Selwyn Kimber, Cecil Thompson, Hilton Carroll, Ahmed Bassa, Jeremy Rorich, Mike Botha, Rex Tweedie, Johan Venter, Clint Futter, Magiel Esterhuysen, Danie Viljoen, Bary Eatwell, Peter Gilbert, Aiden O’Mahony, Jan Sime, Nigel Hamilton, Bruce Margolius, Dave Lloyd, Pierre Brittz, Geoff Timms, Bruce Prescott, Sergio Antao (36 correct answers).  

SAA warned not to use Airlink information

In a report by veteran aviation journalist, Hein Kaiser, “South African Airways (SAA) and some of its senior employees have been served with court interdicts to stop them using or distributing commercial information belonging to its competitor Airlink.” Rodger Foster, Airlink’s CEO confirmed “that his airline had filed an application with the High Court in Johannesburg for an urgent interdict and order restraining SAA and it personnel from using or divulging valuable confidential information that was obtained by a former Airlink executive manager before she left the airline to join SAA.”

Since I have undertaken many photographic assignments for Airlink over the years and I was introduced to Carla da Silva who was being trained to take over the position of Airlink’s marketing in due course. Unfortunately it appears that she was enticed to ‘jump ship’ and join SAA and when she did this, she also took several another five valuable Airlink employees with her as well as confidential intellectual property belonging to her former employer. This just shows the level of corruption within SAA that its senior management would stoop to this low level to obtain its competitor’s proprietary information.

Within Airlink’s affidavit it was noted that da Silva called Rodger Foster after the Citizen’s expose earlier this month, wherein she purportedly admitted wrongdoing and sought leniency.  In reality this is rather like ‘trying shut the stable door after the horse has bolted.’ One can be certain that Airlink’s proprietary and confidential information has already been fully compromised and is being used within SAA’s corrupt management system. As for Carla da Silva, she has ‘rubbished her name’ within the aviation sector.

African Pilot’s experience of the same situation
Some years ago I employed a woman within African Pilot’s marketing department and this person was approached by one of the other aviation magazines to work in a similar position. At the time I knew that she had also taken all African Pilot’s proprietary information such as databases and billing information. I was not too concerned, because I knew she would not last with this magazine and I was correct in this assessment, because she was only employed by the publication for four around months. However, the damage had been done and despite the owner / editor gaining all of African Pilot’s information, his publication is still unable to make any headway within the aviation publishing market.

Zambia Air Force introduces new helicopters into service

On 25 March at Air Force Base Lusaka two newly delivered Enstrom 480B turbine helicopters were inducted into service. ZAF Commander, Lieutenant General Oscar Msitu Nyoni said, “The Helicopters we are about to induct into service today will serve a multitude of crucial tasks, thereby contributing to our combat capabilities such as training of pilots, search and rescue missions, medical evacuations, reconnaissance operations, anti-poaching efforts in collaborations with our counterparts, the national parks and wildlife and combating smuggling activities.

In February 2023 Zambia’s defence ministry signed a contract for the two Enstrom 480B helicopters for training pilots and personnel and a training package is included in the deal. The helicopters are equipped with cargo hooks and hard points for cameras, as well as Garmin avionics and glass panels. One helicopter is supplied with a full glass cockpit and one with a hybrid glass and analogue panel to provide training with a flight deck similar to the gauge-equipped Mi-17s used as the mainstay of the fleet.

Nyoni said the induction of the Enstrom 480Bs comes barely days after the induction into service of two Bell 412EP helicopters. On 13 March two Bell 412EPs were handed over to the Zambia Air Force by Minister of Defence Ambrose Lufuma at Air Force Base Lusaka. Nyoni said the aircraft were key in enhancing national defence and emergency response capabilities. He said the helicopters were a game-changer, offering strategic advantages in various scenarios, from military operations to disaster response. The Zambia Air Force has four Bell 412EP helicopters on order, with the first two (formerly N412HS and N412TH) delivered at the beginning of March. These were built in 1996 and 1997 and most recently owned by Copter Lease of the United States. In September 2023 the US announced an $80 million grant to Zambia for the supply of four Bell 412EPs.

TC EAD CF-2024-11 – Bell ASB 429-24-63

Transport Canada have ordered visual inspection on both sides of the abrasion strip of each affected tail rotor blade for the presence of chordwise cracks

Canadian safety regulators have ordered inspections before next flight on the affected tail rotor blades in accordance with the applicable Bell ASB 429-24-63. Bell has recently received several reports of tail rotor abrasion strip cracks. Upon investigation, it was determined that a crucial step in the fabrication of the abrasion strip was missed by one of the suppliers which could result in the presence of stress risers leading to fatigue cracking of the part.

This AD mandates the marking of affected tail rotor blades and subsequent checks and inspections to detect any potential cracks until a terminating action is determined. Further inspections at intervals not exceeding 25 hours airtime after completion of the actions of Part I of this AD are mandatory until a terminating action is published.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun to step down later this year in seismic board shakeup

In a seismic shakeup of the company board, Boeing has announced that President and CEO Dave Calhoun will stand down at the end of 2024. The decision was confirmed by Boeing on 25 March 2024, and comes at a time when Boeing is under increasing pressure over safety following the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 door plug blowout on 5 January 2024. The company said that Calhoun will lead Boeing ‘through the year to complete the critical work underway to stabilize and position the company for the future.’ Stan Deal, the Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO, often the face of the company following the Alaska Airlines incident, has also announced that he will retire and will be replaced by the current Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Pope. In addition, Chair Larry Kellner has informed the board that he does not intend to stand for re-election at the upcoming Annual Shareholder meeting. Steve Mollenkopf was elected by the board to succeed Kellner as independent board chair and will lead the search for a new CEO. 

“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve Boeing,” Calhoun wrote in a letter to employees. “The eyes of the world are on us and I know that we will come through this moment a better company. We will remain squarely focused on completing the work we have done together to return our company to stability after the extraordinary challenges of the past five years, with safety and quality at the forefront of everything that we do.”

Pressure has been mounting at Boeing after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began investigating safety processes at Boeing and the US Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into the Alaska Airlines incident. In an interview on ‘NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt’ on 19 March 2024, the FAA head said that Boeing’s ‘mindset’ around production needs to ‘shift.’ FAA chief Michael Whitaker spoke of a recent visit to Boeing’s facilities in which he saw for himself that the company’s focus appears to be on production rather than safety and quality. “There are issues around the safety culture in Boeing,” Whitaker told the NBC show. “Their priorities have been focused on production and not on safety and quality. What we are really focused on now is shifting that focus from production to safety and quality.”  

When Whitaker was asked during the interview specifically what he saw at the Boeing facilities that concerned him, his response was stinging of the plane maker. “Well, really looking for that indicator of a safety culture,” Whitaker explained. “So before going out on the floor of a manufacturing floor, you would expect a thorough safety briefing. That was not part of the process and then reviewing the floor, expected a lot of conversation around quality assurance and safety and again, that was not there. It was all about production and there is nothing wrong with production, but it has to follow safety. I think it really shows how the mindset has been on production and I think you would have expected at least more of a show of focus on safety and that was lacking,” Whitaker concluded.

Announcing his departure to Boeing staff, Calhoun sent a long letter explaining the decision in which he described the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 accident as a ‘watershed’ moment for the company. “I want to thank each and every one of you for how you have stepped up to this challenge and for the work now underway to make sure we demonstrate to all stakeholders that the Boeing of the future is everything they should expect it to be. We have been working together for the last five years to address some of the most significant challenges our company and industry have ever faced in our 108-year history,” Calhoun wrote.  The CEO added: “I am confident that the way we have confronted these challenges, and how we are responding to this specific moment, is establishing standards for future generations of employees and will be woven into the fabric of how we operate for decades to come.”

Korean Air orders 33 A350-family aircraft from Airbus

Korean Air has announced that it has ordered 33 state-of-the-art A350-family aircraft from Airbus, comprising 27 A350-1000s and six A350-900s. The order is valued at US$13.7 billion (£10.45 billion).

The order will supplement the airline’s long-term fleet operations as it gradually retires its older aircraft. The procurement of the next-generation, eco-friendly A350 is not only aligned with the airline’s sustainability efforts, but also is seen as preparation for the integration of Asiana Airlines.

The A350-1000 is the largest in the A350 family and can accommodate from 350 to 410 passengers in a standard three-class configuration. The aircraft makes use of advanced composite materials, resulting in a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 25%, in comparison to similarly sized previous-generation aircraft models. With the longest flight range among existing passenger aircraft, the A350-1000 can operate up to 16,000-km with full payload.

The A350-900 variant is about seven metres shorter than the A350-1000 with a range of 15,370-km and typically seats 300-350 passengers in a three-class layout. The airline can deploy the aircraft on its long-haul routes such as Seoul Incheon – New York, where the airline currently operates two daily flights. In addition to the agreement to purchase 33 A350s, Korean Air plans to introduce 50 Airbus A321neos, ten Boeing 787-9s, 20 Boeing 787-10s and 30 Boeing 737-8s. The airline will continue to prioritise fleet modernisation and reduction of carbon emissions through the operation of new aircraft and other sustainability activities.

Global airline capacity better than pre-pandemic levels

Global airline capacity worldwide in the second quarter of 2024 has surpassed that of Q2 2019, the last ‘normal’ year for flights pre-pandemic, according to a report from UK-based travel data company OAG. The capacity for Q2 2024 is up about four percent over Q2 2019 for seats on international and domestic flights with about 1.51 billion seats on the schedule compared to 1.45 billion seats. OAG found that the majority of regions have recovered capacity from 2019 except for Southeast Asia, Eastern and Central Europe, Southwest Pacific and Southern Africa.

• OAG reported:
  Southeast Asia had 128.7 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 114.2 million seats offered in Q2 2024, an 11.3 percent decrease.
• Eastern and Central Europe had 59 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 50.9 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 13.8 percent  decrease.
• Southwest Pacific had 35.7 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 34.9 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 2.1 percent decrease.
• Southern Africa had 10.1 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 8.5 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 15.5 percent decrease.
• The U.S. aviation market remains the largest in the world with 310.9 million seats scheduled for this Q2, a 6.5 percent increase over Q2 2019 when 291.8 million seats were offered. Of the top 10 country markets, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and Indonesia have not recovered to Q2 2019 levels.

• Japan had 53.4 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 49.9 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 6.5 percent decrease.
• The UK had 47.7 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 47.2 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 1 percent decrease.
• Germany had 42.1 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 35.6 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 15.5 percent decrease.
• Indonesia had 37.7 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 34.6 million seats offered in Q2 2024, an 8 percent decrease.

Germany’s global flight capacity decline can be attributed to travel pattern changes, reductions in domestic capacity and one of the slowest long-haul market recoveries post-pandemic, OAG said. Japan relies on China for capacity and the operational challenge of Russian overflights for some airlines.

OAG reported:

• Delta had 62.7 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 61.9 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 1.3 percent decrease.

EasyJet had 28.9 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 28.5 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 1.2 percent decrease.

First GPS spoof-proof product to hit market, target growing threat

GPS spoofing occurrences have risen in recent years. As technology on aircraft evolves, so must the defence against GPS spoofing and jamming. Send Solutions has unveiled the first independent spoof-proofing product to the market to target the growing threat. Send Solutions has developed a new software addition for the currently certified Airtext+ to safeguard aircraft navigation systems. Unlike GPS jamming, which will interrupt a signal and render it unusable, GPS spoofing will produce false positioning without warning and can often go undetected. These false signals can be 100 or more miles from the actual position, sometimes sending an aircraft toward dangerous areas or hostile airspace without clearance. These errors can severely affect aircraft navigation and can result in result in safety equipment failures.

“Spoof Proofing with Airtext+ is the right product due to the increased quantity and locations where we have seen attacks,” Send Solutions CEO David Gray said. “Spoofing is not just an ‘over-there’ problem in proximity of military zones, the FAA has recorded attacks at airports in Dallas, TX, Denver, CO and Sun Valley, ID. Unfortunately, the exposure to spoofing is growing as the technology is readily available.”

The aviation sector is advancing continually, as are the risks associated. GPS spoofing can pose a significant threat to safety. With an immense need for a solution, Send Solutions invested in research and development efforts to develop a Spoof Proof Airtext+ enhancement. The system enhancements include immediate crew notification, automatic ground reporting and providing a crew map of current and non-spoof location aids for the resolution of Safe aircraft operations.

Airtext+ is equipped with software and GNSS hardware monitoring that is three times the current GPS navigation satellites. It uses the latest algorithms to detect and counteract any GPS spoofing attempt. The system will provide real-time monitoring of GPS signals and FMS 429 labels, immediately alerting the flight crew and ground control agencies to a possible GPS jamming or spoofing event, allowing the crew to respond and intervene quickly. Airtext+ will integrate with an existing aircraft navigation system to offer an overview of the navigation status and the integrity of the GPS position being used to steer the aircraft. When a spoofing or jamming event is encountered, Airtext+ will notify the crew that immediate action is needed to reduce any corruption of the FMS or Hybrid airplane position. The system will also transmit a message to ground control agencies or flight dispatch through Iridium to identify the nature of the event and other relevant information.

The Airtext+ system will offer a high-resolution Dead Reckoning position that can be input into the aircraft navigation system, determined by the last known qualified position before the spoofing or jamming event occurs. The Airtext+ user interface makes it easy for pilots and ground personnel to monitor and manage the system by enhancing operational efficiency. The annunciation of an event can be done so with an installed or portable annunciator. Airtext+ will detect a GPS signal Loss Of Integrity or Denial Of Service and automatically enter a DR mode until the qualified GNSS signals have been re-established.

Pilots flying in the Middle East have reported numerous spoofing attacks, with planes flying into hostile airspaces, losing GPS, IRS failure and drifting by nearly 100 miles. The FAA has issued a memo to pilots on the high number of reported attacks, advising them of the potential spoofing risk.

“The recent opensource reporting regarding spoofing incidents, if confirmed, would pose increased safety of flight risks, due to potential loss of aircraft situational awareness and increased pilot and regional air traffic control (ATC) workload issues, which can lead to potential accidents and / or loss of life,” the FAA said. “FAA recommends that US civil air operators transiting ORBB and UBBA monitor regional NOTAMs, place additional emphasis on maintaining continuous communications with appropriate air traffic control authorities while monitoring aircraft equipment performance closely for any discrepancies or anomalies and be prepared to operate without GPS navigational systems.”

Ukrainian pilots move closer to flying F-16 fighter jets as RAF training is completed

Ten future Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet pilots have completed the first stages of their training with the British Royal Air Force (RAF). The pilots have undergone intensive training in the United Kingdom (UK), involving basic flying, ground school and language training. As part of their training, the pilots have been taught general aircraft handling, flying using the aircraft’s instruments, low level navigation and advanced formation flying by experienced RAF instructors. They also received English language tutoring to assist in their training and to boost interoperability with NATO air forces, where English is the standardised international flight language. The training comes following a request from Ukraine to provide its air force with F-16 fighter jets so that the country can defend its skies from Russian forces, in the wake of the invasion back in February 2022.

While countries such as the Netherlands and Demark are providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, the UK was only able to offer training, as it does not operate the aircraft.  The intensive training carried out by the RAF constitutes the UK’s contribution to the Air Capability Coalition, co-led by the United States (US), Denmark and the Netherlands.  The Ukrainian pilots will now move to advanced flying training provided by the French Air Force before learning to fly F-16 fighter jets. On 3 September 2023, the authorities of France and Ukraine reported that they had reached a deal to train Ukrainian pilots in France. UK Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps said: “I would like to congratulate these brave pilots on completing their initial training here in the UK. Thanks to the world-renowned skills of RAF, these pilots have received some of the best training available and are now a step closer to joining the fight against Putin’s illegal invasion.”  According to the UK, the first F-16s are set to be delivered to Ukraine by summer 2024.

Ukraine pilots have also been undergoing F-16 training in the US since October 2023, at Morris Air National Guard base in Tucson, Arizona. Several Ukrainian pilots are expected to complete their training by May 2024.

South Korea’s KF-21 fighter jet completes successful aerial refuelling test

On 19 March South Korea’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) announced, the fifth prototype of the KF-21 Boramae fighter has completed an aerial refuelling flight test over the Korea Strait. The single-seat prototype, designed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), took off from the 3rd Flying Training Wing of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), based in Sacheon Airport (HIN).  “We have secured the KF-21’s long-distance operational capabilities,” DAPA Director General Seok Jong-geon commented.

Despite the turbulence generated during the process, the KF-21 successfully demonstrated its ability to safely connect and disconnect during an aerial refuelling test. The test was conducted with a Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) KC-330 Cygnus MRTT tanker aircraft and evaluations were carried out to ensure the seamless transfer of fuel. DAPA has stated that the successful test sets the stage for future missions where actual fuel will be transferred under different flight conditions, such as various altitudes and speeds.

Aerial refuelling is a critical feature for modern fighter jets, allowing them to significantly extend their operational radius and duration. By connecting with a tanker aircraft mid-flight and transferring fuel, the KF-21 can maximize its effectiveness in long-distance missions, enhancing the ROKAF’s future combat power.

What is the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet?

The KF-21 Boramae is a fighter aircraft developed through the KF-X programme, a joint venture between South Korea and Indonesia. It is equipped with two GE Aviation engines, the same type used in F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and Saab JAS 39E/F Gripens.  DAPA hopes to finalise a contract with KAI by the first half of 2024 and production of the KF-21 is expected to start later in the year. Mass production of the fighter is planned to begin in 2026, with the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) expecting to acquire 120 KF-21 fighters by 2032. These aircraft will replace the ROKAF’s aging fleet, which includes the F-4E and F-5E fighters.

USAF to certify F-117 Nighthawk for KC-46 tanker aerial refuelling

The US Air Force (USAF) is on track to certify the iconic Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk for aerial refuelling on its latest tanker, the Boeing KC-46, by the end of March 2024.  Despite the F-117 fleet’s retirement from active service, the USAF is moving forward with plans to integrate it into the KC-46’s refuelling capabilities. Andrew Hunter, the USAF’s acquisition boss, disclosed the inclusion of the F-117 as a receiver for aerial refuelling during a testimony to the House armed services projection forces subcommittee on 12 March 2024.

The F-117 Nighthawk, the first operational combat aircraft designed with stealth as its main characteristic, was retired in 2008. However, a select number of these aircraft have been retained for various purposes, including training exercises and the development of new air combat tactics. With less than 45 examples still in service, the USAF intends to maintain these assets, with maintenance contracts extending until 2034 to preserve their stealth characteristics.

KC-46 Pegasus certification continues

In addition to the F-117A Nighthawk, the KC-46A Pegasus must also obtain certification for performing in-flight refuelling of the E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft and the upcoming B-21 Raider stealth strategic bomber. The A-10 ground attack aircraft, which is set to retire in the next three to five years, has failed its certification test. This aircraft, along with several others in the USAF’s fleet, was unable to generate enough thrust to connect the boom’s nozzle to the aircraft’s receptacle. According to Hunter, the USAF still has enough Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers operational to service the A-10 until its retirement.  Finally, the new version of the KC-46’s Remote Vision System, RVS 2.0, was expected to launch in 2024 before being deferred to 2025, is likely to face another delay and launch in 2026 instead. In 2019, shortly after the tanker’s first delivery to the USAF, the RVS developed by Rockwell Collins was found to be unreliable in certain lighting conditions and exhibited motion discrepancies with real life.

Greece signs contract to acquire seven De Havilland Canada DHC-515 Firefighters

The Greek government has signed a contract for the purchase of seven De Havilland Canada DHC-515 Firefighter aircraft in response to the country’s rise in devastating wildfires. The deal was finalised on 24 March 2024, as the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Montréal to celebrate Greek Independence Day and to reaffirm the country’s close strategic, economic and cultural ties. The agreement for the De Havilland Canada DHC-515 Firefighters, which also includes spare parts, training and support, was negotiated by the Canadian Commercial Cooperation (CCC) and the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection of Greece.

Two of the seven aircraft will be part of an EU RescEU reserve programme, allowing the DHC-515 Firefighters to be used by other union members in times of need.

The DHC-515 Firefighter

Building on the foundation of the iconic Canadair CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft, the DHC-515 Firefighter is a new purpose-built aerial firefighting aircraft. The Hellenic Air Force operates the CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft, but there is concern that longer and hotter summers will require a new fleet of modern planes. The DHC-515 Firefighter aircraft delivers the highest quantity of water into the fire-zone per day (nearly 700,000 L), more than twice as much as its nearest competitor. The aircraft refills its tanks in 12 seconds, from nearby fresh or saltwater sources including rivers, small lakes, and oceans, while land-based aircraft must return to airport after each drop. For more than 75 years, CCC has been helping Canadian companies like De Havilland Canada to establish successful commercial relationships with foreign governments.

Two pilots charged for defrauding John Travolta’s aviation company for $800K

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Florida said that Jean-Paul LaCruz-Romero has been arrested and his partner-in-crime, Jorden Coursey, is wanted for Grand Theft totalling over $100,000 and charges of Fraud and Money Laundering. ABC affiliate WCJB Ocala reported that LaCruz-Romero was arrested on charges of money laundering more than $100,000, organised fraud of property over $50,000 and grand theft of more than $100,000. WCJB reported that Marion County deputies contacted an employee of Constellation Productions, Travolta’s business inside of Jumbolair Aviation Estates, on 29 December 2023 about suspected fraud. The Sheriff’s Office said the pair were overcharging the company through a fraudulent setup, laundering cash through multiple accounts.

WCJB reported that LaCruz-Romero was employed by Constellation Productions as a pilot and issued a credit card to purchase fuel and for other aviation-related expenses while conducting flights. An employee reported suspected fraud after investigating his fuel prices and the excuses for increased costs. In October 2021 the purchases made were made from Lux Fuels, which WCJB reported LaCruz-Romero said was a discount fuel company. It was later discovered that Lux Fuels was owned by his wife and the company had been inflating expense reports paid by Constellation Productions. In total, $785,050 was reportedly stolen and a loss of $64,650 was reported by Constellation Production’s accounting firm as they investigated the fraud. According to Fox 35 Orlando, money from the Lux Fuels account was transferred to JPL Aviation, owned by LaCruz-Romero, as well as Jorden Coursey.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has shared pictures of the suspected money-laundering pilots and alleging the scheme against a local resident, not directly naming Travolta. WCJB reported that LaCruz-Romero is not a US citizen and officers requested no bond since he is a flight risk. Both pilots have since been fired from Constellation Productions. The next court date is scheduled for 16 April. Coursey is a wanted man and Marion County Sheriff’s Office is offering a cash reward to those offering a tip that could lead to an arrest.

Delta captain celebrates his retirement with chartered Airbus flight to Hawaii

A Delta Air Lines pilot bid farewell to his career in a memorable fashion by chartering an Airbus A330 neo with friends and family for a 24-hour celebration in Hawaii. Keith Rosenkranz told Business Insider the retirement flight cost him nearly a year’s salary but was worth it for the special moment. In total, 112 people were onboard the flight including Rosenkranz’s family, college friends, Delta employees, neighbours and former colleagues from his tenure in the Air Force. Other pilots, namely those who retired during the pandemic and could not arrange their own retirement celebrations, were also invited on the trip. The flight took off from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport with a stop in Los Angeles International Airport where the aircraft received a water cannon salute before departing for Kona International Airport. The retirement party marked the end of Rosenkranz’s 33-year career with the airline. “You cannot place a price on something that was that big,” Rosenkranz said. “You think about being able to go out that way and take all your family and friends on a whirlwind journey. You do not want to be the richest man in the graveyard one day.”

Tennessee lawmakers propose legislation banning ‘chemtrails’

(You have got to believe this is real and it is not even 1 April yet)

On Monday 18 March, the Tennessee Senate passed a bill prohibiting ‘the intentional injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight …’ In other words, the bill would make it against the law to dispense ‘chemtrails’ over Tennessee. SB 2691/HB 2063, sponsored by Rep. Monty Fritts, R-Kingston and Sen. Steve Southerland, R-Morristown, has yet to move on for consideration by the House. Whether it will pass to become law is unclear. The House was set to review the legislation and no word has emerged  yet on any conclusions.

According to language in the Senate bill, there is ‘documentation’ that ‘the federal government or other entities acting on the federal government’s behalf or at the federal government’s request may conduct geoengineering experiments by intentionally dispersing chemicals into the atmosphere, and those activities may occur within the State of Tennessee.’

The source of the documentation is not clear. In contrast, a research group at Harvard University published a report that includes the category heading, ‘There is no evidence for the existence of chemtrails.’ The report continues: ‘If there really were a large-scale programme dumping material from aircraft at the scale described, there would have to be a large operating programme to manufacture, load and disperse materials. If such a programme existed at the scale required to explain the claimed amount of chemtrails, it would require thousands or perhaps tens of thousands of people. It would be extraordinarily hard to keep such a programme secret because it would be so easy for a single individual in the programme to reveal it using leaked documents, photographs or actual hardware.’

UK future of flight action plan launched

Announced by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) last week, lying taxis, crime-fighting drones and critical 999 care deliveries could all be a reality by 2030 thanks to the UK Government and industry’s joint Future of Flight Action Plan. Setting out a roadmap for drones and novel electric aircraft in the UK, the plan details how technology once confined to the realm of sci-fi could transform our skies, with studies estimating drone technology could boost the UK economy by £45 billion by the end of the decade. It details plans for the first piloted flying taxi flight by 2026 and regular services by 2028, regular drone deliveries across UK skies by 2027 and demos of autonomous flying taxis without pilots on board by 2030, transforming how people and goods are transported. Perhaps South Africa’s Department of Transport (DoT) should take note of the new Urban Mobility developments that are being planned all over the world. This full feature will be published in the next April edition of Future Flight. 

Wing partners with DoorDash for Wendy’s drone delivery in Virginia

On Thursday 21 March, Wing, the drone delivery arm of Google parent Alphabet, expanded its partnership with DoorDash to the US following a yearlong trial in Australia. In 2022, the companies agreed to integrate their marketplaces, allowing Wing deliveries to be facilitated through the DoorDash platform. It was the first time a drone delivery provider made its service available on a third-party app.

Initially, the service will be based out of a single Wendy’s location in Christiansburg, Wing’s first US commercial market with plans to explore other US cities later this year. Dallas-Fort Worth, where Wing operates drone delivery with partners such as Walmart, is a potential candidate. DoorDash views automation as a way to tailor solutions around customer demand and improve platform efficiency. Its partnership with Wing was born out of DoorDash Labs, a robotics and automation arm established in 2021. With the subsidiary still in its infancy, Christiansburg may well be the tip of the iceberg for DoorDash and Wing.

Once again, I ask the question whether South Africa’s Department of Transport (DoT) has any understanding of the new drone delivery technology that is becoming part of everyday life within the developed counties of the world. This feature will be explored in the April edition of Future Flight.

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