Tag Archives: C27JSpartan
Kumbululuka Kwa Bafana – Zambian Children’s Flight 2023
Felix Gosher is an Airline Transport Pilot Licence holder and charter pilot residing in Zambia Lusaka. Felix has been organizing the annual children’s flight for underprivileged children that have never flown in an aircraft before in South Africa, which started at Grand Central Airport in Midrand, South Africa and now taking place at the Magalies gliding club, Magaliesburg.
Five hundred Children who had never flown before now had a chance to leave the ground and feel for themselves what flight feels like over the past weekend at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport which is located in Chongwe District.
Felix also recently hosted the Elders flight which took a number of Elderly South African citizens for their first flight in an aircraft at Brakpan Airfield in the east rand of Johannesburg. Five hundred Children who had never flown before now had a chance to leave the ground and feel for themselves what flight feels likes!
After a successful Children’s Flight in Zambia last year on the flight line of the Zambia Airforce base in Lusaka. 2023 was surely another triumphant event with together with Belinda Gosher (Felix’s Wife) together with sponsors aircraft and pilots and the Zambia Airforce (ZAF), an event worthwhile seeing kids’ faces of excitement before and after their flight in an aircraft for the first time.
The South African media generously sponsored a flight ticket to attend the event on behalf of Aviation Central. Our flight took us from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on a local flight operator in Zambia, Proflight on a CRJ on a two-hour journey to Zambia Lusaka. The Southern Sun Ridgway Hotel kindly sponsored the South African Media team for two nights of accommodation.
On arrival, we were greeted by Felix and Belinda at the Airforce side of Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. Of course, the day before the event, set up is key, as making sure all is in order for the following day with vendors and helping hands busy with their assigned tasks. Without sponsors, this event would not take place.
We arrived at the airport awaiting the arrival of the children from a number of homes and orphanages through the approval of the Zambia ministry to fly an aircraft and enjoy a day with food and entertainment. The first of the morning’s proceedings started off with the lord’s prayer to kick start a safe and give an assurance that the children would remember endlessly.
The arrival of the Chief of the Zambia Air Force Lieutenant General Colin Barry, with the air force band relaying the Zambia National Anthem, while a Y12 dropped skydivers from the Zambia Airforce. One of the skydiving members also flew the Zambian flag on his return to the ground.
Alpha & Bravo Flight was up first with a Proflight Boeing 737-5Y0 and a Zambia Airforce MA60 transport aircraft to take the first load of children for their flight.
During the speeches, “ZAF Commander, Lieutenant General Colin Barry said the event was important as it was centered around inclusivity, awakening innovation and the pursuit of knowledge among vulnerable children.”
“Let’s challenge everyone to think bigger and reach higher. Through these activities we are giving the underprivileged children a glimpse of the future that is full of possibilities,” Lieutenant General Barry said.
This was followed by Charlie’s flight with more Zambia Airforce assets including a Beechcraft 1900, Cessna 208B Caravan, Y12, MA60, and a civilian King Air and a lonesome Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander.
It was then the start of the flying festivities with the Zambia Airforce Golden Eagles. The Hongdu JL-8 (K8) display team is made up of five Karakorum-8. This was a first for Aviation Central to see this jet display team in action and all we could say is WOW…
On the completion of the K8s, South African airshow display pilot Jason Beamish took to the air with his high-energy aerobatic display in his Extra 330LX. This was the first civilian aerobatic display in 50 years of independence. Jason was surely a favorite of the day with the crowd as well as the Zambia air force pilots.
On completion, it was the first of the smaller aircraft to take to the air with a combination of the Zambia Airforce. Including Cessna 206s, Beechcraft Barons, Cessna C185s, Cessna C210s, and Piper Cherokee just to name a few. The Zambia Airforce L15s were then next to do a few low-level fly-past. Being at an International airport, onlookers are able to see a number of airlines arriving, an added treat being so close to the runway on the flight line at ZAF Lusaka Airforce Base.
The ZAF hangar that was provided for utilization for the event, had a number of arrangements of seating and tables for the little ones to enjoy their meal and provide an aviation party with DJ Switcher on the turn table. Goodie bags with hats, sunglasses, and snacks were also provided.
After each of the displays, the children were able to meet and greet the display pilots and a boost of encouragement for them to become pilots in the ZAF or in the aviation industry, with that said another successful children’s flight came to an end.
Well done Felix and all that made the 2023 Zambia Children’s Flight takeoff! Thanks to everyone who made it possible to get Aviation Central to this year’s Zambia Children’s Flight.
FLY FEED LOVE INSPIRE
Please Browse through our gallery below!
Zambia Airforce Celebrates 10,000 accident free flying hours!
The Zambia Air Force (ZAF) has accrued 10, 000 accident free flying hours in the 2020 calendar year. And ZAF Commander, Lieutenant General David Muma says the Air Force organized a parade to celebrate this milestone. Lieutenant General David Muma in a statement said the parade was held at the ZAF Lusaka base and was officiated by Defence Minister Davies Chama.
“The increased flying effort is as a result of command’s objective to carry out the Air Force mandate in full; conduct of military operations, aid to civil authorities and training of aircrew, conveyance of WIPs/VIPs with particular emphasis on good management and best aviation safety practices,” Lt Gen David Muma said.
“He mentioned the 10, 000 accident free flying hours milestone has only been achieved owing to the concerted effort made by both the aircrew, ground support crew, and all ZAF personnel in ensuring maximum aviation safety. And Lt Gen David Muma has thanked President Lungu and the government for the support.”
The Zambia Air Force is the air force of Zambia and the air operations element of the Zambian Defence Force. Following the creation of the Republic of Zambia in 1964, the former Northern Rhodesia Air Wing was renamed as the Zambia Air Wing. The Zambia Air Force was then established.
The ZAF currently fly the C27J ‘Spartan’, Xian MA60 and the Yarbin Y-12 this being the air forces transport aircraft. Their helicopter innovatory comprises of Textron Bell 205,Bell 206s,Mil Mi-17s and finally Yarbin Z-9 Helicopters.
The fighter assets of the ZAF,with the newest Hongdu L-15 and jet trainer the familiar Hongdu K-8.Basic trainers of the ZAF are the PAC MFI-15 and SF.260TW.
Satellites, aircraft and helicopters at the forefront of fire safety
In full summer, the fire season is at its peak. The flames are also raging this year, in Italy and throughout the world, creating a real emergency adding to the global pandemic of Covid-19 which has gripped the world since the end of last year. Fires, natural or arson, in Italy alone tripled in 2019, as reported by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) and the estimates for 2020 show a similar view.
In emergencies, as is happening with Covid-19, organisations such as Leonardo prove to be an increasingly important solution in support of institutions which are committed to ensuring the protection of the environment, communities, and resources that may be affected by disaster relief.
In fact, Leonardo has a spectrum of solutions available for fire-fighting which include aircraft and helicopters designed and specially configured for fire-fighting, communication systems for emergency management, sensors and space and satellite technologies for environmental monitoring.
An environment protected from space, the skies and on Earth Environment that is therefore monitored, warded and protected by space, the skies and the earth.
Space. From satellites within the Copernicus programme, coordinated by ESA and with the contribution of ASI aimed at environmental monitoring in its various forms, Leonardo is a leader in the emergency domain through e-GEOS (Telespazio / ASI), with its Earth observation technologies.
e-GEOS leads the Consortium which provides the EMS Rapid Mapping service. The service focuses on rapid response to events, and from 2020 the new Risk and Recovery Mapping service.
Among the various Copernicus sentries dedicated to Earth observation, Sentinel-3, which has on board innovative SLSTR radiometres built at Leonardo plants in Campi Bisenzio (FI), and ASI’s PRISMA (Hyperspectral Hyper-Spectral Predecessor of the Application Mission) satellite which looks at the Earth on a global scale with innovative electro-optical instrumentation.
Furthermore, COSMO-SkyMed, the Earth observation satellite programme of the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence, with its satellites looks with “eyes” which are capable of scanning the Earth from space metre by metre, day and night, in all-weather conditions.
From space to the skies. Leonardo puts out fires and flys with the C-27J firefighting aircraft, it is suitable for the most extreme environmental conditions and the most challenging tactical scenarios; the aircraft is able to land and take-off from unprepared runways. To date this solution has been adopted by the Air Forces of Peru and Romania.
The Romanian Air Force was able to successfully intervene with its C-27Js against the fires that hit Greece in 2018, while the Peruvian FAP has recently acquired full operational capacity in the use of the Caylym “Guardian” system and is ready to intervene in case of emergency within its jurisdiction.
From the fixed-wing to the rotating wing. Out of a worldwide fleet of almost 600 fire and environmental protection helicopters there are almost 120 Leonardo helicopters, most of them new generation spread throughout the world 60% in Europe, more than 20% in Asia and more than 10% in Latin America.
From one continent to another they fly to intervene with key features that are essential in tackling the most challenging scenarios with flexibility and multi-role versatility and providing various configurable models for fire-fighting missions such as: the AW119, AW109 Trekker and the new generation AW169, AW139 and AW189 family of helicopters. In addition to these, the unmanned AWHero 200 kg class remote control helicopter can be used for environmental monitoring and damage assessment.
In addition to prevention, monitoring and intervention, the construction of the infrastructure of the radio communication networks currently in compliance with the DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) standard of Vigili del Fuoco that Leonardo has guaranteed since the early 1990 contribute to fire protection.