MIDWEEK UPDATE 20 NOVEMBER 2013
THIS WEEK IN MIDWEEK UPDATE
1 Weekend events.
2 Forthcoming events.
3 Denel confident of a sustainable future
4 Garmin® offers G5000™ eLearning training course
5 Malloch's Spitfire. The Story and Restoration of PK350
6 Saudi Arabia's Alpha Star Aviation Services to become the first operator of ATR-72-600s in the region
7 Customer flights in the S-92® helicopter
8 Advertising Rate Card
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30 November to 1 December: Sport Aerobatics ACE of Base - Baragwanath airfield. Contact Annie Boon e-mail: hange@mweb.co.za
7 & 8 December: Wings and Wheels airshow at AFB Ysterplaat - Cape Town Contact Chris Teale e-mail: chris@ysterplaat.org.za
Contact Harry de Villiers 082 807 2091 harry@htdevilliersatt.co.za
31 January to 01 February: SAC Western Cape regionals / AWAC finals at Mossel Bay. Contact Annie Boon e-mail: change@mweb.co.za
31 January to 02 February: Dias Festival airshow - Mossel Bay.
Contact Hans Potgieter e-mail: airshowevents@gmail.com
1 February: SAPFA Rand Airport challenge rally: www.sapfa.org.za Contact Mary de Klerk mary@expandingbranding.co.za
1 February: SAAF Museum flying training and open day. Contact Capt. Kobus Kapp 012 351 2342. E-mail: webmaster@saafmuseum.org
7 to 9 February: MISASA Shootout 2014 to be held at Tedderfield. Contact Donald Hicks e-mail: wendonair@wendon.co.za or John Boucher e-mail: comms@misasa.org Tel: 082 553 1105
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Briefing the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, the Group Chief Executive of Denel, Riaz Saloojee, said the company is in the process of modernising its product offerings in most of its divisions to provide it with a competitive edge in the global defence industry.
The company will continue to develop world-class products in the strategic areas of artillery, unmanned aerial vehicle systems, ammunition and in the provision of maintenance services to aircraft and helicopters on the African continent.
"By 2018 Denel will have moved from its current position as a 'good company' to be a 'great company' and a national asset that all South Africans can be proud of," said Mr Saloojee.
Already, Denel is supporting South Africa's national security and peacekeeping efforts, contributing to the country's strategic military independence and defence stature.
The company is steadily growing its order book and is pursuing an opportunity pipeline of R35-billion - of which almost 50% is on the African continent, including within South Africa. There are also a number of opportunities in other primary target markets in South America, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region.
Mr Saloojee said Denel has undergone significant restructuring in the past year with 11 businesses integrated into six divisions. Support services are now shared across the group leading to cost optimisation and savings.
Revenue has improved by more than 10% and profit grew by R30 million to R71-million. The only remaining loss-making unit in the group, Denel Aerostructures, has improved its position by 35%. Exports now contribute 50% of the group's revenue.
The company is investing more than R528 million a year in Research and Development which will grow in the coming years with a specific focus in the fields of artillery and UAVS production. Denel is improving its technology base in the field of asymmetrical warfare through the acquisition of specialised armoured vehicle manufacturer, LMT, and the introduction of new missile technology.
Among its primary achievements during the past year were the delivery of the final Rooivalk combat support helicopter to the SA Air Force, the on-going qualification of the A-Darter air-to-air missile in collaboration with Brazil and the start of the contract to deliver the Badger infantry combat vehicle to the SA Army.
Mr Saloojee said Denel continues to contribute to national developmental objectives through skills development and socio-economic initiatives and support for the efforts to combat rhino poaching and protect South Africa's natural resources.
The company is repositioning itself as an employer of choice through innovative branding and recruitment strategies. It spends 3% of payroll - R46 million - on skills development and provides bursaries to students in a range of engineering and artisan training fields.
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Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced interactive, web-based pilot training for the G5000 integrated flight deck. Self-paced lessons help pilots streamline their initial flight training with the G5000 and offer a convenient, online course for future training purposes.
"Garmin continues to offer cutting-edge training solutions to an advancing avionics market," said Carl Wolf, Garmin's vice president of marketing and sales. "As flight decks continue to become more sophisticated and offer additional features and capabilities, the desire for off-aircraft training outside of a traditional classroom setting is in high demand."
The G5000 eLearning program is highly interactive and leverages the latest technology to help customers take advantage of all the features an integrated flight deck has to offer. The G5000 web-based course offers three learning modes: demonstration, guided interaction, and solo.
When a customer logs in to the online training course, they may select which area of operation they wish to explore and watch a multi-media demonstration of that task, such as loading a flight plan. The course then permits the practice of essential areas of operation using a guided simulation system with on-screen prompts. Solo mode allows pilots to practice each highlighted area of operation, without the use of on-screen prompts ensuring each task is fully comprehended. Pilots may easily apply the information discussed in a particular lesson and quickly relate it to any phase of flight.
To help flight departments better manage their pilots' progress, the G5000 web-based training course was developed within a learning content management system allowing instructors to facilitate student learning. Features include a discussion board, ability to journal, and add documents for flight department access, such as a flight operation manual. At the conclusion of the course, a report and completion certificate is available for documentation purposes.
G5000 eLearning is available for purchase as a 180-day subscription and is updated periodically to ensure the most current information is available. Online training may be conveniently accessed using a computer, tablet, or smartphone with Internet access. To purchase the G5000 web-based training course, visit the flyGarmin website and click on the Training tab for more details.
Garmin's aviation business segment is a leading provider of solutions to OEM, aftermarket, military and government customers. Garmin's portfolio includes navigation, communication, flight control, hazard avoidance, surveillance, and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and value. For more information about Garmin's full line of avionics, go to www.garmin.com/aviation, www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/garmin.
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By Nick Meikle
(R250.00 + shipping)
Paperback / 288 pages
ISBN: 978-1-920143-78-7
200 b/w & colour illustrations, maps + 6pp colour aircraft profiles
Pursuit of a dream …
Spitfire PK350 is the only late-mark Spitfire, an F Mk 22, to have ever been restored to full flying status. She had no restrictions on her airframe and with four fully serviceable 20mm cannons, she was as good as the day she came off the production line in July 1945 at the massive Castle Bromwich factory near Birmingham in England. She first flew as a restored aircraft on 29 March 1980 at the hands of one John McVicar 'Jack' Malloch. By then a legend in his adopted country Rhodesia, Malloch had, in 1977, been entrusted by the hierarchy of the Rhodesian Air Force to restore SR64, as she was then known.
In two and half years, Jack Malloch and his trusted engineers, with critical help from the Rhodesian and South African air forces, completely restored SR64 to flying condition. The fact that she was fitted with a propeller made by a German company added a sweet irony to a project that had to contend with sanctions imposed by Britain, the original country of manufacture, and highlighted the enterprising spirit of the team. This was possible because Malloch, with the backing of the Rhodesian government, had built up a successful charter airfreight company that assumed different guises, depending on where it was operating, to bypass sanctions.
ATR and the Saudi Arabian Private operator Alpha Star Aviation Services have announced the signature of 2 ATR 72-600s, of which one is firm and one optional. The aircraft will join its smaller stablemate, an ATR 42-600, already successfully operating at the company since end 2012. Its entry into service made Alpha Star the very first operator of the ATR-600 series in the Middle East. With the addition of the new generation 70-seaters to its fleet, the company becomes the first operator in the region to fly the modern and comfortable ATR 72-600 aircraft.
Together with the profitable operations with the 42-600, the acquisition of these new planes is part of the Alpha Star's initiative to meet the growing demand in the private aviation sector and capitalize on the high market potential created. The first ATR 72-600 will be delivered in September 2014.
Alpha Star has chosen a high comfort layout for its ATR 72-600s seating 66 passengers. On the performance side, the first experience with the ATR-600 series aircraft in a harsh environment conditions coupled with the ability to operate from paved and unpaved runways in the region proved that the aircraft is ideally suited for operations even in the challenging Middle Eastern regions.
"Given the intense market dynamics with a multitude of business opportunities in the region, Alpha Star to date needs more of the reliable, comfortable and high-performance aircraft such as ATR 72- 600 to better satisfy the rising demand in private transport", said Salim Al Muzaini, Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Star. "Besides, the ATR turboprops perform impeccably in a challenging environment which is extremely important to our operations. We also highly value aircraft quick turnarounds and unique capability to serve company's operational needs."
"The ATR 72-600 is a versatile aircraft with solid economic and performance credentials. I am sure it will fit perfectly Alpha Star's expectations and growth ambitions in the region," commented Filippo Bagnato, ATR Chief Executive Officer. "This versatility opens up many new possibilities and options for Alpha Star's passengers who will now benefit from available service while taking advantage of comfort."
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PHI FLIES FIRST RIG APPROACH™ CUSTOMER FLIGHTS IN THE S-92® HELICOPTER
Earlier this year, two FAA Demonstration test flights were flown simultaneously by Sikorsky and PHI, Inc. pilots who utilized Rig Approach to fly to oil rigs off the coast of Louisiana.
Sikorsky, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), developed Rig Approach in close collaboration with PHI, Inc., an important Sikorsky customer who operates S-92 and S-76® helicopters in the Gulf of Mexico, providing transportation to offshore oil workers to and from the platforms there.
"This milestone culminates a five-year joint development effort between PHI and Sikorsky for Rig Approach. This new capability improves helicopter safety and operations for the offshore oil industry by reducing crew workload, increasing situational awareness and enhancing on-time performance," said Carey Bond, President, Sikorsky Global Helicopters. "Safety is and always will be our priority. Innovations such as Rig Approach are invaluable, especially in the hostile weather environments where many of these rigs operate every day."
"We share an absolute commitment to continue to explore new technologies to enhance the safety of the men and women who work in the Gulf," said Al Gonsoulin, CEO and Chairman of the Board for PHI, Inc. "Throughout our 60-plus-year history, PHI has taken great pride in our work to introduce advances with partners like Sikorsky. Together, with the introduction of Rig Approach, Sikorsky and PHI have made an important advancement in the name of safety."
Rig Approach reduces cockpit workload by 60 percent and allows for more consistent operations under challenging weather and operating conditions. The system will be available as an option on the S-92 helicopters, providing a fully coupled and automated approach capability with a higher safety margin than currently is available with any other offshore approach procedure. The feature can be retrofitted to aircraft already operating.
Sikorsky announced May 6 that the FAA had approved the new functionality.
The multi-mission S-92 helicopter incorporates numerous safety features, including a flaw-tolerant design. Off shore oil operators fly the aircraft for an average of 90 - 110 hours per month in often challenging environments. The S-92 helicopter also performs Head of State missions, search and rescue (SAR) operations as well as a variety of transportation missions for utility and airline passengers. Since entering service in September 2004, the S-92 fleet has grown to 200 aircraft and logged more than 600,000 flight hours to date.
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