Author Archives: Flippie Van Emmenis
The Aircraft Unlimted Witbank Speed Navigation Rally
The Aircraft Unlimted Witbank Speed Navigation Rally – 13 February 2021 by Rob Jonkers
This first of the 3rd Season Aircraft Unlimited Speed Rallies for 2021 has been held at Witbank, organised by SAPFA and hosted by the Witbank Aeronautical Association. This event was held virtually a year ago at the same venue, and the world of course has changed substantially since then, although it seems yesterday that we were last here.
It has for sure been an event fraught with challenges, from the start of having to postpone it from the original planned date of 6 February as the last throes of cyclone Eloise was still drenching the Highveld, to having to line up a new ground support team (as many of the stalwarts were not available this weekend), to having to ride through a number of mistakes on the day. Nevertheless, the end result was at least a safe and successful rally.
There were 30 entries, quite a full field given the current situation, with a number of local aircraft taking part. Three flight schools entered, Legend Sky from Rhino Park, Mach 1 from Springs and a large contingent with 5 entries from Bird Aviation based at Vereeniging. The weather outlook was predicted to be poor, and on Friday the wind was pumping at between 15 – 20kts from the north-east with 6/8 cloud, with the forecast for Saturday giving low cloud with afternoon rain – seemed the next tropical depression was on its way from the east coast.
The Friday afternoon initial briefing started at 18h00, with Rob Jonkers who took to the stage and provided a briefing on what to expect for the next day in terms of the planned route, how many turnpoints, distance, departure and arrivals protocol, and a weather outlook. After this Jonty did his signature event promotion of handing out race numbers, where after the club provided a nice dinner spread, before retiring for the evening.
Saturday morning dawned with more promising weather, the predicted low cloud did not materialise, and by 9 am the cloud base had risen to above 6500 ft, with a still strong easterly wind. The briefing was held at 08h00 am and was concluded at around 08h30, where everybody dispersed first for a group photo and then to park their aircraft and prepare for the scrutineers. The route for the day was intended to be a scenic one, mostly north of the Loskop dam in the Groblersdal area which has many rivers and hills.
Each team were supposed to get their envelops with their loggers 20 minutes prior take-off, somehow the papers hand-out team received an incorrect time list which showed an hour ahead of when the papers were supposed to be given. Although the first 5 aircraft were given their papers early, once the mistake was realised, a reset had to be brought into effect. 1st take-off was at 09h53 for the slowest aircraft and last take-off at 10h40, with planned arrival at 11h30.
With all the competitors off towards the northwest, the route had a mix of easy and challenging turnpoints, especially TP6 which required good navigating skills to find the canal and road crossing, from the results this turn point seems to have been difficult to home onto. With the windy conditions the aircraft coming over the line were more spread out than before, most competitors were over the line within 10 minutes, with one straggler that decided a visit to Nylstroom was in order….
After all teams having returned and safe on the ground, the scoring team got to work to analyse the results, with the tracks for a number being quite accurate, although some had wobbles, three had got significantly lost.
Getting the results out on time proved to be a challenge, with changes in the scoring system there were some gremlins that had to be fixed, and that required extra time, also with impending bad weather moving in, many competitors started to depart. Aiming for a 2 pm prize-giving was just not working out, and with too few left at the field, it was decided to postpone the prize-giving to later the day, however a small prize giving was held for the most creative route – which turned out to be the Cessna 310 that found its way to Nylstroom, the trophy for the host club, and the most enthusiastic crew which went to ZS-PJK.
Given the additional time for scoring, and having to check of anomalies of the results, particularly the track error accuracy, it was decided to review go-pro footage to assess any auto-pilot usage, which given the size of the files, could only be checked the next day. Once the review was done and no anomalies found, could the results be published, although some mistakes crept in when the prize giving information was compiled. Nevertheless the scores on the leader board results are correct (given on the website), and the trophies granted remain with the recipients as given.
For the Navigation Accuracy category, third place went to Jonty & Jonathan Esser in their C150 ZU-BLL, in 2nd place Phil Wakeley and Mary de Klerk in their C210 ZS-CNY and in 1st place Hendrik & Jandre Loots in the Sling ZU-IHK. For the Handicap/Speed category, third place went to Roger Bozzoli & Nadine Brooker in their Piper Arrow ZS-KFM, in 2nd place John Sayers and Jack Coetzer in their Mighty Mouse Harvard ZS-WSE and in 1st place Mad Dogs Von Hamman and Ron Stirk in their C150 ZS-NBT. Overall Winners in third place went to Leon Bouttell and Martin Meyer in their Harmony ZUFWS, in 2nd place Mike Blackburn and Steve Briggs in their Sling ZU-IBM, and in 1st place Ryan and Chris Shillaw in their Cirrus ZS-ACA.
Many thanks to the Witbank Aeronautical Association for hosting this fantastic event, supporting with logistics and great meals available throughout the day, Nigel Musgrave as the Safety Officer, Dirk and Louna de Vos doing the scoring, Chester Chandler on handicapping, Marc Robinson with his team from Century Avionics for Scrutineering, Chareen Shillaw for taking on the role of starter, Clarissa for handing out competition papers to the crews. Although there were some hiccups, eventually the participants got airborne. Thanks also extended to Santjie White of the ARCC who always watches over us..
Also thanks to our sponsors, Aircraft Unlimited being our signature Speed Rally Brand Sponsor, Flightline Weekly for sponsoring the race numbers, and our team sponsors, Prompt Roofing, Fast Flame Laser cutting, Century Avionics, Beegle Micro trackers, JB Switchgear.
Our next Speed Rally event will be in Middelburg on the 27th of April 2021
Nice perfect Track
Oops – Went to Nylstroom
Bell Acquires Response Technologies in Pursuit of Advancing Fuel Cell Technology
Bell Acquires Response Technologies in Pursuit of Advancing Fuel Cell Technology
Dubai, UAE (February 15, 2020) – Bell announced its acquisition of Response Technologies LLC, an innovative composite solutions company. This acquisition adds to Bell’s extensive technology portfolio in the aerospace and manufacturing industry.
“This acquisition aligns with our strategy to pursue innovative technology and will enable us to accelerate needed developments in our industry,” said Mitch Snyder, President and CEO of Bell. “We believe Response Technologies has the right solution for modernizing fuel cell systems and textile composites. We are proud to have them join the Bell family.”
Response Technologies is a startup founded in 2015 that is focused on flexible, 3D, textile-reinforced composite solutions. The company has two business areas of development: fuel cells and components and textile composites. With a focus on advanced manufacturing, Response Technologies’ mission aligns closely with Bell’s Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing Innovation team.
Having many benefits over traditional combustion-based technologies usually used in most power plants and cars, fuel cells produce significantly less quantities of greenhouse gases and none of the air pollutants that create smog and cause health problems.
“We are excited to join the Bell team, and the larger Textron enterprise, for the benefits it will bring to our customers,” said David Pettey, co-founder, Response Technologies. “Bringing disruptive ideas to the world’s largest industries has always been our vision and our team looks forward to continuing our propelled and vertical progress.”
With an 85-year history of leading innovation in aviation, from the first American jet fighter to the first tiltrotor, Bell is committed to building revolutionary and coveted vertical lift products. Today, Bell carries that legacy forward by solving complex mobility issues and supporting consumers, warfighters and industries with exceptional technology and experiences.
To learn more, follow our progress on Bell’s social channels or visit the Bell website: https://www.bellflight.com/
Hercules C130 aka “Flossie”
Hercules C130 Flossie aka “Flossie”
A while back, whilst we were running a series on SAAF aircraft, the question arose as to how the Hercules C130 got the nickname ‘Flossie’. Well, here we have it courtesy of Jan Marais from Who’s Who in the SAAF.
Here is the story of where the name “FLOSSIE” came from.
Not many years after the arrival of the C130B’s onto the SAAF register, South Africa became embroiled in a Border War along the South West African/Angolan border. There has been much good and bad written about that conflict and I am not going to add further to that issue, other than to point out that the C130’s were used on a daily basis to convey troops and material to and from the border, and in later years SAFAIR, operating L100’s, were contracted to assist in the air transport effort. To the casual observer the C130 and L100 look so much alike that one could be forgiven for thinking they were the same. Having said the above I can now get on with story.
At 28 Squadron, the operators of the SAAF C130’s, was a Flight Engineer named Phil or “Flippie”. He was a most dedicated man who ate, slept and dreamed C130. In his private life he was a most disciplined man (real old school, soldier), who never did a half job of anything. You all know the type, “if its worth doing, do it properly or don’t do it at all”
Phil was married to a lady with the real old English name of Florence. In her family she was called Flo, and among her siblings she was called Flossie. (by now you can see where this is going)
Photo: Johan Stephens
Being the consummate professional Phil would ALWAYS walk out, long before the rest of the crew, to the aircraft he was scheduled to fly in and do a proper pre-flight inspection. A few of his fellow flight engineers would pull his leg and tell him the aircraft was only due for a major technical inspection at a future date. His standard reply was “Chaps, if you treat and look after your aircraft like you look after your wife, she will never let you down” This comment always gave all of his Squadron mates a smile. Over the months, whenever his crew were due to walk out to the aircraft they would ask “where is Flippie, is he at Flossie? or Come guys we shouldn’t keep Flossie waiting” or comments along those lines.
In time the reference to Flossie was made more often at the movement control section at Air Force Base Waterkloof and more and more people became attuned to this reference and this then morphed into all troop transport, becoming known as “FLOSSIE”
You may ask how I know this bit of history. The simple answer is that Phil was my Father and “FLOSSIE: was my Mother.
RAND AIRPORT CHALLENGE 30 JAN 2021
The 17th Rand Airport Challenge was scheduled to take place at Rand Airport on Saturday 30th Jan 2021. However, the weather gods were not playing ball this time, and with “Eloise” blanketing almost the entire country in clouds and rain, we had to revert to PLAN B.
With the 22nd World Rally Flying Championships postponed to November 2021, the pressure is on to train and select the best Air Rally Team to represent South Africa at this prestigious event. With most of the “old guard” still in place and planning to take part, the opportunity, however, exists to bring some new fresh blood into the South African Rally Flying Team. 
The sport of Rally Flying is not an easy sport. It requires an exceptionally strong “2-man” team of both Pilot and Navigator. Unlike most of the other Air Sporting disciplines which are flyable at competition level, as long as one member of the team is well trained, in Rally Flying a strong pilot without a strong navigator and vice versa is as good as having no team at all.
For this reason, Jonty Esser, who himself is a well-seasoned Protea Rally Flying Pilot (as well as a local aerobatic pilot) has been selected to coach the 2021 South African Flying Team to victory, as soon as they have been selected which should be post the National Championships in April 2021. Now for the official team to be selected, this team has to be sufficiently trained in order to fly to the required standard criteria as laid down by the world organisation.
The past decade (plus) of Fun Rally Programs, introduced by Frank Eckard and Mary de Klerk, and the more recent program of Speed Rallies introduced by Jonty Esser and Rob Jonkers, has produced a remarkably high standard of potential Protea Pilots and Navigators that now need to be put through the Rally Flying Grinder Training modules.
There was no better opportunity to start the 2021 training program than the cancelled Rand Airport Challenge on Saturday 30th Jan 2021. No less than 25 exceptionally keen potential Team members arrived for the “On the Ground” training Modules. The Pilots were herded off into a separate venue and were taught some intricacies of rally flying in terms of fine tuning their approaches and timing overturn points etc by Jonty. The navigators were put through their paces by 30-year rally veteran, Mary, who spent the best part of a 4 hour period unpacking the plotting procedures, tools required and methodologies with the teams. She was adequately assisted by the other Protea Rally veterans, Frank & Cally Eckard, Hans Schwebel, Ron Stirk, Rob Jonkers, Martin Meyer, and Sandi Goddard. It is interesting to note that even though the “old guard” have between them, thousands of hours of local, national and international experience, they still managed to find time to drive through to Rand in the rain in order to sharpen their own skills and assist with all the newbies. Hats off to you guys!
Also, in attendance was the Aviation Legend Chester Chandler who, in his eighties now, still dedicated his day to visit and monitor the training session with great interest. He also stayed for the SAPFA AGM which was held at 14h00 and chaired by none other than Rob Jonkers with his dedicated SAPFA Committee members. We all welcomed Ian and Taryn Myburgh as new members onto the committee.
Rally Flying is a well renowned international sport recognised by the FAI. To represent one’s country at an international event is a supreme achievement. I applaud everyone who is taking the sport seriously in order to up weight their own personal skills and achieve what many others would only dream to achieve. However, nothing comes easy – it all requires many hours of hard work and input in order to succeed. Training training training ……
Watch this space to monitor all the upcoming training sessions and who the final SOUTH AFRICAN RALLY FLYING TEAM to represent our beloved country and the World Championships this year will consist of.
FlySafair,one of few that survived COVID
FlySafair seems to have been one of the few that survived our initial COVID impact…
By Niel Swart
As South Africa is slowly getting use to the new normal and these “unprecedented times”, we still often still hear “you are on mute” but through it all, some companies are doing well. Safair being one of them. We thought it is good to check in with Kirby Gordon after our initial Q&A session a while ago.
ZS-FGC on her first visit to Cape Town International
FlySafair seems to have been one of the few that survived our initial COVID impact, well done on that. How did you manage to do this under so many restrictions?
“Thanks. We’ve just continued to do what we always do – keep our costs as low as possible and try to offer the best service we could under the circumstances.”
FlySafair has not only survived, you have actually taken most of the market share. This is very good for business but is this good in the long run? What effect does the lack of competition have on an airline such as FlySafair?
“No it’s not great in the long-run as any healthy market needs competition. We look forward to the return of our competition to the market. More choice is good for consumer demand.”
A new airline is set to take flight end November 2020. Their fleet will have much larger aircraft and it is to be expected that they will start with domestic operations first. They are also saying they will be the cheapest in the market. Does this have an impact on your future plans as at first passengers may be drawn by the cheaper prices?
“Ours is a highly commoditised market and the supply and demand dynamics of the market are always going to be a factor to contend with. We’ve competed against airlines bigger than us, and some who enjoy state subsidies. We’re just going to do the best we can.”
Apart from taken most of the market share, you are also expanding. We noted there is a big employment drive for flight deck and cabin crew. Is this to cope with the demand that there is now but also keeping the future in mind?
“We are recruiting crew at the moment, not sure we would call it a big recruitment drive relative to previous efforts, but we do have some new aircraft arriving and need to crew them. Some of the recruitment under way is also to fill one or two positions of folks who have moved on to other things.”
With many domestic airlines having difficulties and staff being made redundant, is there an opportunity for those that want to, to move over to FlySafair?
“We are recruiting at the moment so there are a few positions available yes.”
Credit: Billy Botha FlySafair Technician – The latest addition to the fleet ZS-FGD still carrying her other registration N268WT
Not only are new employees on the cards, so are new additions to the fleet. We already have seen ZS-FGC being in operation and ZS-FGD is about to arrive this week. Are more aircraft expected? If so, how many?
“Yes, ZS-FGD arrived last Thursday (1 October 2020) and is awaiting licensing by the SACAA.”
Speaking of ZS-FGC, she has a special livery. Can you maybe tell us a bit more about it and the award you have won (congratulations!)?
“Thanks – yes, we painted her up to celebrate our award of Aircraft Operator of the Year at the Annual SACAA Excellence Awards evening. It was a great honour to be awarded this top spot and we obviously wanted people to know about it.”
On ZS-FGC and ZS-FGD we noted they have the Scimitar Winglets. Scimitar Winglets seem to be gaining popularity in South Africa. They are very costly but have up a fuel saving of up to 2.2%. Is this to bring down price tickets or perhaps to extend the range, maybe looking at international flights?
“Yes they do both have the winglets. We’re going to be monitoring the saving on them – these savings are always great on paper but the key is to identify what kind of difference they really make when you start to apply them to your specific network on your specific operating conditions. Theoretically the saving should be good on slightly longer hauls, but at this stage we’re going to fly a while and measure the differences to see whether it’s worth deeper investment.”
SAA (Mango branded) have been leasing B738’s from Safair. Have they been returned to Safair and are they now part of the fleet?
“There are a few B738s in our fleet that were once in the Mango fleet – I stand to be corrected but I think the first three 800s we brought in were all ex-Mango.”
How big is the fleet now and how many aircraft are leased vs owned?
“The FlySafair fleet is up to 17 now. We own the 8 400s.”
We noted the FlySafair fleet is only Boeing and the B737. Why the B737 and not the A320NEO?
“Key to the classic low cost operating model is to operate one type. We even stretch that rule a bit between the 400s and the 800s as it is, but the idea is to create efficiencies in terms of training, aircraft “swopability” and of course spares and maintenance. Safair had long been operating and maintaining Boeings before FlySafair was even a consideration, so the choice there was a pretty obvious one for us.”
Credit: Billy Botha FlySafair Technician – The latest addition to the fleet ZS-FGD
Will FlySafair always stick to Boeing or will other manufactures such as Airbus be incorporated later?
“No, the idea for the moment is to stay true that Low cost model in FlySafair and focus on one type.”
On the topic of the total fleet: previously we mentioned the Herc operations. How is that side of the business?
“Great. The Herc contracts operate very essential services on their contracts, so work fortunately continued through lockdown, which was a real help.”
We had a look at the age of the Hercs (to compare those to the ones owned by SAAF and we all looooooooooove a Herc) and noted the Hercs are aging. How many years will these iconic aircraft still be in service with Safair? If less than 5 years, what are the options being considered to replace the Hercs with?
“Your observation is accurate and very sad. Those aircraft have a remarkable legacy and it’s tragic to see them being slowly retired. We’re looking at a number of alternatives and engaging our clients in options that they might be interested in, but we’ve not committed to anything yet.”
Credit: FlySafair
Is the employment drive for flight and cabin crew to staff these new additions to the fleet?
“Yes and to a smaller degree to replace one or two staffers who have moved onto other careers.”
Are any aircraft due to leave the fleet, like the B734’s? If so, which ones and where are they heading to?
“Not in the immediate future.”
While on the topic of aircraft, as the fleet grows, so does the technical needs. As you are servicing aircraft yourself, do you foresee that even in this area more people will be needed?
“Possibly. We’ve certainly needed some more space and we’ve moved from occupying one hangar to three.”
Could it be that Cape Town also gets a technical facility or possibly even Safair hangars where full A, B or C checks and other heavy maintenance?
“Not at this stage.”
As FlySafair grows, how will you ensure that passengers and employees do not become just numbers and more business focussed compared to the more fun and personal airline we all love? Or differently put, how will you keep the small personal touch while being a large airline?
“That’s a big focus that we have and something that we work very hard on. It’s a particular challenge in the aviation space just by the sheer structure of airlines, specifically having your crew and your outstations geographically separated from the rest of your organisations. We make a big effort to ensure that everyone keeps close through a number of initiatives.”
We all hope we are over the worst when it comes to COVID-19 but what if a second wave is to hit us? What preparations are being made by FlySafair to withstand another possible lockdown?
“Yes, hopefully the worst is over, but we do need to be realistic about a possible resurgence. We’ll have to access the specific situational factors but we’re most likely to pursue a similar strategy to what we used the first time – seems to have worked for us so far.”
COVID19 has taught all industries various lessons. Which were the biggest lessons that Safair have had? Did any of these lesson have long lasting impact on how you will operate in future? As an example the check-in process at the check-in desks.
“One thing that our customers are really loving is the controlled disembarkation procedures where we work row-by-row, so we’ll definitely stick to that. The other thing that’s been key is refining our self-service offerings – so for example our existing Whatsapp boarding passes were a real asset but we’ve now had more opportunity to highlight those facilities and get more people to try them out.”
Will we maybe see a masked FlySafair special livery at some stage?
“Hahah, maybe, although it’s been done now – we like to be the first to do new things.”
Speaking of FlySafair maybe doing a masked livery, what community initiatives are Safair doing in these times of need?
“To be very honest, our focus has very much been internal now. We have a few external projects that we run, which have continued – things like our cadet program and work creation initiatives, but we’ve turned a lot of our focus on to looking after our own people who’s had to make sacrifices during this tough time. As they say, charity begins at home.”
On brand awareness: could we maybe see FlySafair/Safair participation at air shows next year? Past air shows have been dominated by Mango.
“It’s always something to consider but to be honest, the cost of involvement versus the marketing return is doesn’t add up. If we participated we’d do it more on the basis of engaging with staff, but they are expensive exercises.”
Could FlySafair in future sponsor an acrobatic flying team?
“Not likely – at the moment we are pretty dedicated to our springbok sponsorship and aren’t in the market for any new properties.”
Will the Birthday Sale return in 2021?
“Hopefully, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
Since our Q&A session with Elmar, he has been elected Airlines Association of Southern Africa’s (AASA) as their new deputy chairperson with Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Comair, as the new chairperson at its 50th annual general meeting. Congratulations to both, who will serve for the next 12 months, and we wish them all the best!
Book your FlySafair flight here
Aviation Insurance
By DJA – Graham Speller
Aviation insurance has become a very different commodity to the one we have been used to over the past 15 years or more.
When effecting insurance, you are buying a promise – that’s all. A promise of some future conduct, based on a pre-agreed set of terms and conditions.
You hope (because you cannot guarantee it) that the insurer(s) you have contracted with will fulfil their obligations under the contract. They, in turn, assume that you will do likewise.
And provide both parties follow the rules, keep to their promises and respect each other’s rights under the contract, all is well.
The disastrous losses sustained by Property & Casualty (P&C) losses in 2017 and, to a lesser extent, in 2018, led to a global shift in the manner in which short-term insurance coverage is assessed, priced and offered. Multiple natural disasters – hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, etc. – resulted in massive insured losses, easily exceeding 200% of the global premium income.
Coupled with a collapse of international insurance rates, the direct underwriting losses (the extent by which claims exceeded premium income) placed many/most Insurers and Lloyd’s Syndicates in a life-threatening position, from which they needed to extricate themselves in a very short period of time.
In essence, the 2017-18 P&C losses severely depleted the reserve account of many Insurers and their respective Reinsurers. Without reflating the market, future catastrophic losses may have led to widespread failures, leading to financial ruin for many policyholders.
The aviation market, meanwhile, had been losing money for several years – at least since 2015.
Following a spike in airline insurance rates in 2002, as a consequence of the 9/11 losses, the airline industry entered a golden age of safety, with a continually-falling loss rate and big profits for those Insurers who had not exited the aviation market in the aftermath of the attacks.
Of course, there is nothing quite like seeing your competitors raking it in to encourage you to enter the game, whether for the first time or as a returning player!
This sudden expansion of capacity (more Insurers offering coverage), coupled with benign loss experience, started the “soft market” cycle which, with only momentary pauses, saw airline insurance rates dropping steadily over the next 15 years.
At the same time, many airline Insurers who saw their income being eroded due to the falling rates, turned elsewhere for income – General Aviation became an obvious choice, leading to accelerated softening of GA insurance rates as a result.
If we were to go back 20 years or so, to the late 90s, we would see that aviation rates were probably running at about the same as they are today, in 2020.
In the interim, however, they hit an all-time low.
As part of the efforts to reflate the market in 2018, Insurers were forced to carry out a complete review of all parts of their portfolios (i.e. all classes of insurance), including niche areas like Aviation which, at best, accounts for around 2% of the world’s total short term insurance premium income.
What those Insurers found was that Aviation (and other niche classes) had been “sheltered” by the P&C account for years. Bear in mind that, by comparison, the P&C market accounts for about 60% of the total global premium income.
The consequences were as dramatic as they were rapid.
Many Insurers completely withdrew from underwriting Aviation. Understandably, perhaps, these tended to be those that had been the ones offering the cheapest rates.
Others, who decided to stay in the game, needed to take action on three fronts: increasing rates, restricting coverage and reducing exposure (the shares they write), in order to get their portfolios back into a profitable position.
For an Insurer, a “profitable position” probably means a return of no more than 5% across the portfolio.
In other words, provided they paid out no more than $95 for every $100 of nett income, they are profitable.
Nett income would be calculated, very simply, as gross premium, less expenses, plus investment income.
Given that global interest rates have dropped to virtually 0% in most developed countries, there is no investment income to be made and Insurers are faced with a very simple equation.
Expenses include the overall cost of running the place plus the cost of acquiring business and runs at around 40% of gross premium for most Insurers.
So if an Insurer pays more than $55 in claims, for every $100 of gross premium, they are running at a loss.
Against this background, Insurers have to take great care in how they price their exposure, in order to give themselves a reasonable chance of turning a profit. Losing money is no longer an option and will result in job losses and the potential withdrawal of the Insurer from Aviation, with all that infers.
What Insurers are doing is to take a completely fresh look at the exposure and repricing the risk from the perspective of their own position alone. They call it “modeling the exposure”, which is usually carried out by actuaries.
In “hard” markets like the current one – where rates are being driven up by Insurers, the cost of insurance becomes a key factor for most policyholders.
A true broker will spend his/her working life trying to secure the best possible terms for their client. To some, this means the cheapest rates, but that is a dangerous fallacy.
The terms of insurance are a combination of a number of things. At DJA we refer to The Right Approach. This encapsulates our entire business philosophy, and enables us to fulfil our responsibilities to our clients and provide our clients with the financial peace of mind they need in order to operate.
There are four principle aspects which we say MUST be kept in balance with each other – like the blades of an aircraft propeller.
Coverage
Naturally, the coverage must be appropriate for the risk and the policyholder’s requirements – no point in cutting out required coverage and hoping things will be OK
Service
The service provided by the Insurer and the Broker, on a day-to-day basis, and especially when claims arise, is important – the insurance will be worthless if you cannot get anything done, or get advice when you need it
Security
This is a big one. Why bother to insure if the Insurer you choose is not going to be able to provide the service or, far more importantly, is not going to respond to claims – either because they don’t want to or because they cannot?
Cost
The premium must be competitive, having regard to all the other factors. Again, there is no point in cutting down on required coverage, giving up service or selecting a sub-standard Insurer all for the sake of a cheaper premium. That is the height of idiocy and DJA does not see that as a means of fulfilling its duties towards its clients.
A fifth aspect, that is particularly relevant in a hard market, is Relationships. That is, the relationship between the Insured and his Insurers. When things are tough, as they are right now, and claims arise which could go either way (as many can), it can be the strength of the relationship with the Insurer that makes the difference. So we try to promote the maintenance and growth of Insurer-Client relationships wherever we can.
It makes sense to follow an Insurer’s financial strength rating, as applied by ratings agencies who specialize in analyzing insurance companies. Standard & Poor’s and AM Best are the principal ratings agencies for the insurance industry and apply financial strength ratings (FSRs) to hundreds of Insurers all over the world, using a consistent rating methodology that enables and Insurer in one country to be reasonably compared with one in a different part of the world.
Both S&P and AM Best use an alphabet scale, ranging from A as the highest.
The insurer may need to be around to defend you, and settle claims, for many years following a loss – particularly in relation to Passenger Liability claims. The last thing an Insured needs is to find that, at the crucial moment, the Insurer has disappeared. There is no such thing as joint liability under an insurance policy – each Insurer is only responsible for its own share.
Anyone considering whether to accept an insurer it is being offered to underwrite the insurance of substantial assets and potentially-huge legal liability exposures should wish to get a high level of comfort based on the financial strength rating of the Insurer(s) concerned.
Particularly an Insurer located in a foreign country that does not have a subsidiary in the policyholder’s country of domicile and no assets which can be applied to cover its liabilities.
Based on the above scale, an Insurer rated below A- by S&P, or B+ by AM Best – or not rated at all by either – should be carefully considered and further investigations carried out in conjunction with a knowledgeable insurance broker.
The more care and attention that is applied to the selection of the Insurer(s) to be relied upon to fulfil their promises under the insurance contract, the less likely it is that claims will result in tears.
Flying Legends comes to an end at Duxford
By David Harvey
It was announced today that the Flying Legends Airshow, a staple of Warbird enthusiasts for the past 25 years or more, will no longer be held at the famous Duxford Airfield. Nick Grey of the Fighter Collection, who organizes, runs and participates in the Flying Legends Airshow made the announcement on the Fighter Collection Website. This followed shortly after by a similar announcement by the Imperial War Museum (IWM) who own and run the Duxford Airfield.
There was an obvious outpouring of anger on social media with much of it directed at IWM, however IWM have said that they will be making future announcements regarding airshows at Duxford.
Duxford currently hold three airshows per annum. The May Airshow is a mix of new and old aircraft, Flying Legends held in July is dedicated to Warbirds of the First and Second World Wars whilst the September Battle of Britain Airshow is again a mix of new and old.
Flying Legends is famous for its closing Balboa of the participating aircraft which can number in excess of 30 aircraft flying in a formation over the airfield.
There has been no announcement from the Fighter Collection if the Flying Legends Airshow will take place at another venue however, they have committed to keeping their aircraft hangered at Duxford.
Flying Legends 2019
Safair – An airline during COVID-19 and South African lockdown
Safair – An airline during COVID-19 and South African lockdown
Source: FlySafair website
By now we are all aware of the devastating impact COVID-19 has on all our lives but ever wondered how this will impact an airline? Also, now that South Africa is on the brink of level 4 (instead of level 5) restrictions, how will the airlines start operations again?
Aviation Central approached one of the great success stories within the South African aviation, Safair or FlySafair for most, and asked them a few questions. A big thank you to Elmar Conradie, CEO at Safair Operations (Pty) Ltd and Kirby Gordon Executive Manager & CMO at Safair Operations (Pty) Ltd for taking the time and making effort to answer our questions.
Elmar Conradie – Source: FlySafair website Kirby Gordon – Source: FlySafair website
COVID-19 is having a huge impact on many industries, aviation being one of them. We know the entire FlySafair fleet is in hibernation but Safair is in fact still operating, few knowing of this, and earing money and helping others by flying cargo. Can you please tell us a bit more about this?
“Yes, our ACMI division (Aircraft. Crew. Maintenance. Insurance) is still in operation. We have five aircraft currently operating in different parts of Africa doing the Humanitarian Aid and Relief work that we usually do. That part of the business continues.”
Many do not know that Safair has L100-30’s. How many are there currently within the fleet, where do they mostly operate and what does the future hold for these ladies?
“Yes we have 5 in the fleet currently. Four are in operation with one in maintenance. These aircraft operate in various parts of Africa on long-term contracts for our humanitarian aid and relief clients. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the work these clients do, I can’t be more specific about their whereabouts upon the request of our clients. As it stands we see this work continuing for now – this business which is essential in its nature, has not been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Source: FlySafair website
When South Africa beats COVID-19, and we will, what would be the process for getting operational again? What steps will need to be taken to wake up the fleet from a practical and technical perspective? How long will this take and when do you foresee the first flight departing?
“Our aircraft have been placed into a 30-day storage program as per manufacturer instruction, and are parked at their various home bases at OR Tambo International, Cape Town International and King Shaka International. At the end of their 30 days they’ll have the necessary procedures run on them to either further their storage, or prep them for a more active state of rest during which they would need engines runs performed etc. The process doesn’t take too long, we imagine that we would be able to “wake” everything we’ll need for the first day of flying in about 1 working day.”
Will the general public see a full schedule on start up again?
“No, we will start off with a reduced schedule and increase as demand grows which we hope will be quickly.”
Follow up to last, if a reduced schedule is to be implemented how long will it take before the full schedule is implemented?
“We wish we knew to be honest. It’s all dependent on the market demand factors.”
What measures have been put into place to ensure the fleet and staff stay current in terms of laws and regulations? Any relaxations from SACAA side?
“No relaxations, no. We’ve had to ensure that we continue with the essentials during this period in that regard including an SACAA audit, which went smoothly.”
We see in the UK and other countries that cabin crew are joining with medical forces as they have basic first aid training. If there is a need for additional hands within the medical field, is this something Safair may also consider?
“Yes. We’ve reached out to see what benefit our crew can offer and while their first aid training is useful, they still fall into a “non-medical” volunteer category. Several of them have signed up with the various volunteer networks and will be called on if help is needed in their local areas.”
What steps were taken to ensure the fleet is safe in terms of sanitizing them before lock down? To prevent any bacteria etc from harbouring inside the aircraft?
“The manufacturer recommendations for the 30-day program include a number of sanitation and cleaning measures, but in addition we’ve secured some excellent anti-bacterial and anti-viral cleaning agents that are aviation approved. So cabins and decks were thoroughly cleaned and then treated with these compounds using an electrostatic spraying application.”
We do not hope we have another COVID-19 but in preparing for the future, with the measures implemented with COVID-19 which one of these will you consider making a permanent procedure going forward?
“We’ve developed a great new offer, which was in the pipeline anyway, but now has a new lease on life, in the form of a “block the middle seat” option. It was to be sold as a business class style upgrade which customers could purchase to ensure space and privacy during their journey, but we’ve developed the tech and are going to launch it at a reduced rate as a social distancing option for now.”
Seeing we are on the future: what are the FlySafair plans for the current fleet?
“We want to fly it! Before this we had a full domestic schedule which we were very excited to execute and we want to work back up to that.”
Will we maybe see a full service like business class on FlySafair?
“No, not a full service business class with different seating – but perhaps an augmentation on the “build-it-yourself” solution as described above.”
And any international plans?
“Not at this stage, no.”
Everyone has their favourite favourite and FlySafair is this favourite for many including us at Aviation Central. One thing is for sure… we all want to see airlines flying again and it is great knowing that airlines like Safair is indeed keeping an eye on the future and still want to bring the best to their clients, while looking at their employees as far as possible.
We cannot wait to see you again as you are vital to that dream weekend away, our holidays taking us to that wedding/event and more importantly to seeing our families and loved ones.
Blue skies to all Safair and other aviation industry related employees!
Northwest Regional SAC – Klerksdorp 2020
Northwest Regional Aerobatics Championship – Klerksdorp 2020
Photos By Bennie Henning
The Venue needed to be changed on 99 and yet the team pulled off and amazing event and well-organized event. Regional Aerobatics Championship was held at the PC Pelser Airport on 7 March 2020
The SAC Regional Contest director, Cliff Lotter, led the pilots briefing in the morning as start of the day proceedings. He explained the aerobatic boxes that was in use for the contests and gave a quick rundown on the emergency proceedings for the day.
Sportsman Class Barry Eeles son, Tristan Eeles was in dads 330SC. He flew in the Sportsman Class and is one young chap that has a bright future in Aerobatic flying. 21 Pilots competed. The flow of competition was well organized with Aircraft and Pilots starting up and holding while the current competitor is still flying.
Scoring was done by Natalie Stark and Judging was led by Contest Chief Judge John Gaillard.
Competing Aircraft list, RV7, RV-8, Yak-52, Yak-55, Extra 330SC, Extra 300, Pitts Special, Giles 202.
Results:
Sportsman Overall
1. Tristan Eeles Extra 330SC 84.31%
2. Wally Goodrich RV 8 80.67%
3. Gregg Clegg Pitts Special 77.75%
Intermediate Overall
1. Charles Urban Extra 300 82.24%
2. Andrew Blackwood-Murray Extra 300 74.77%
3. Roger Deare Extra 300 72.97%
Advanced Overall
1. Pierre du Plooy Giles 202 78.38%
2. Kayle Wooll Extra 330SC 73.63%
3. Cliff Lotter Yak 55 72.90%
Unlimited Overall
1. Nigel Hopkins Extra 330SC 84.11%
2. Gary Glasson Pitts Special 81.63%
3. Barrie Eeles Extra 330SC 79.36%
Photos By Bennie Henning
SAPFA Rally Practical Training Camp – 22 Feb 2020
SAPFA Rally Practical Training Camp – Brakpan 22 February 2020 – by Rob Jonkers
After learning the theoretical side of Navigation plotting at the training camp held at Aerosud on the 18th of January, it was time to put into practice what was learned with a practical flight. The SAPFA national coach Jonty Esser put together a short route in the Brakpan Heidelberg area with 4 turnpoints to be flown by participating teams.
The weather however did not play ball at all, restricting participants to arrive by air, however many decided to drive in, to at least do some ground school. At the end there were 9 teams that participated. On hand from the SAPFA Protea members were Jonty Esser, Frank Eckard, Sandi Goddard and Rob Jonkers imparting their knowledge to the teams.
The theme of the morning was to gain knowledge on practical flying, how to accurately bingo each turn point in time, how to approach the start, this always being the most difficult part of any rally, firstly to find it, and then to get there at the start time. Then the dynamics of keeping on time on each leg, approaching the next turn point and identifying the photo being correct or incorrect. First up was Frank Eckard who explained all the required strategies of flying, explaining that you have to be in the right frame of mind to take part in this sport, extreme focus and concentration will get one to the winning post.
Frank Eckard – Strategies of Flying a Rally
Thereafter Jonty provided an outline to the planned flight route for the day – which could not be flown, but an explanation of how to set up the aircraft to fly the route, to get to the nominated 1000 ft altitude, set the flaps and power setting, then to adjust timing by changing the aircraft’s attitude to speed up or slow down, rather than utilize power changes as power changes disturb the fundamental speed set up.
Jonty Esser – How to set up your aircraft in flight
After Jonty, Rob showed a short video of a practical flight demonstrating what photos look like on the ground and the visual angles and distances to be able to recognize them, and from what altitude these would be best visible.
A practical out of the cockpit view of en-route photo recognition
After a short break, it was decided to carry out a real plotting exercise of the Rand Rally Challenge against the clock with a 30 minute deadline, essentially 2 minutes per plotting point. It gave everybody an incentive to attempt to beat the clock. With new teams this proved daunting, thus more focus was provided on techniques of using the tools and developing the skills to use them.
Clarissa & Kerry busy with their plot
Clarissa & Kerry busy with their plot
Milan, Caroline & Andy busy with their plots
Karyn & Leon happy they have aced their plot in the allotted time
The Track shown of Route 2 – an anti-clockwise route
