'This is your captain speaking... my co-pilot's my little girl'

'This is your captain speaking... my co-pilot's my little girl': Father and his 30-year-old daughter fly together on Thomas Cook flight to Tenerife

Captain Peter Elliott has worked as pilot for Thomas Cook for over 30 years

He inspired his daughter Laura to join and learn to fly herself in 2009 

She flew Airbus and her father Boeings so working together was unlikely

Fluke in the roster meant father and daughter shared cockpit this month 

Mr Elliott made announcement to passengers that it was a special flight 

He told those travelling to Tenerife he was flying with his daughter  

After 30 years as a pilot, Captain Peter Elliott got to fly with a co-pilot he knew more than most.

The pilot, who has clocked up more than 15,500 hours of flying during his career, made a special announcement to passengers travelling from Birmingham to Tenerife to tell them he was flying with his daughter. 

Senior First Officer Laura Elliott has been flying for six years but has never before got to work her father who first inspired her to fly when she was 18.  

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Captain Peter Elliott (left) and his daughter Senior First Officer Laura Elliott flew together for the first time 

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Mr Elliott inspired his daughter (pictured with her father as a child) to take to the skies when she was just 18

'It's a dream come true to be able to fly with my Dad - even if he was still checking up on me,' said Laura of Birmingham in the West Midlands.

The father-daughter pairing at the controls was a fluke but Miss Elliott said she hopes she will be able to fly with her father again before he retires. 

It had seemed unlikely the pair would ever co-pilot the same aircraft because Miss Elliott learned to fly on Airbus planes when she joined the company in 2009, and her father flew Boeings. 

However when Miss Elliott took a break from Thomas Cook to work for another company her father retrained to work on the Airbus fleet and the pair were able to co-pilot their first flight.  

Miss Elliott, 30, became interesting in flying when her father got her a trial flight for her 18th birthday.

She said: 'Becoming a pilot was never something I had considered, even though Dad had been a pilot since before I was born.

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The father and daughter flying team made their dream a reality after Mr Elliott trained to fly an Airbus

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Mr Elliott told passengers aboard the Airbus that the flight on February 6 was a special one for him 

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Miss Elliott (pictured in yellow headband) said she had never thought about flying until she went on a trial 

'It was only when my Dad bought me trial flight as a birthday present that I got the bug.

'But I was already preparing to go to university so I headed off to study sport and exercise science like I'd always planned.

'It was only when I graduated four years later that I considered following in my Dad's footsteps.

'I applied for a flying course and spent 14 months in southern Spain getting my license and then started with Thomas Cook in 2009.

AAD: Denel announces launch of indigenous South African regional aircraft SARA

South Africa is to develop its own regional aircraft dubbed SARA – South African Regional Aircraft – programme, led by the country's defence giant Denel.

“We have all of the skills from the work we have done in the defence industry and believe we can work with partners to make this happen,” said Denel Aerostructures chief executive Ismail Dockrat.
Denel unveiled a mock-up of the 24-seat turboprop at the AAD event in Tshwane this morning..
Riaz Saloojee, the Group CEO of Denel said the plan for SARA has been endorsed by a wide range of government and industry stakeholders and that Denel will continue to lead research and feasibility studies to make the project a reality.
Dockrat said the company was anticipating a seven year development programme through FAR Part 45 certification. “We are in pre-development stage right now,” he said. “We could have an aircraft flying in two years but we have experience on working through certtification programees – with the A400M for example – so we know what is involved.”
Denel’s research showed that while a lot of the world with major hubs will be using larger Aircraft, the rapid growth in air travel on the African continent will create a demand for a new generation aircraft that can fly point-to-point. “There is a clear need to link regional centres that are not currently accessible for passenger flights,” he said. “There is proven capacity within the local aerospace industry to deliver on an indigenous South African aircraft, as demonstrated with the success we achieved in the development of the Rooivalk helicopter.
Dockrat stressed that Sara is not a Denel airplane. “ It is not a Denel project it is just Denel led,” he said. “We will work with others and will be looking for risk sharing or financial investment from international companies. Perhaps even other OEMs. From around the world.”
The SARA is expected to have a range of 1,500 nautical miles and will have a pressurised cabin to enable it to avoid weather issues that affect similar sized aircraft.
“If you look at the market, aircraft in this category are using 20-year-old technology. This will utilise the latest technology which will make the aircraft economic with fuel burn and comfotable for passengers.
It will have three configurations. Commuter with up to 24 seats, Combi or all cargo.
There is not fixed plans on cost at this stage.
Saloojee said the SARA project is in line with the country’s Aerospace Sector Development Plan which has identified aerospace as a “priority sector.” It is an exciting and challenging project that will come to fruition over the next decade and ensure the participation of the country’s next generation of aeronautical engineers and artisans,” he said. “It could be a catalyst for economic growth, infrastructure development, tourism and job creation in rural and outlying areas,” he said
Among the challenges will be to design a 15-passenger variant that will be able to take off and land on short airfields in regional centres that are currently not served by scheduled flights. Only 17 of the more than 420 local airfields in South Africa currently form part of a scheduled airline service.
Regular passenger flights to such destinations will help to unlock the economic potential of previously marginalised areas and deliver significant benefits to local and regional economies, Saloojee said.
Speaking at the launch, Denel said that while this was primarily a civilian project, the designers would look at the possibility of defence applications.

Libyan Wings a step closer to launch

Libyan Wings, a new Tripoli-based airline, is a step closer to its launch plans with the arrival in Malta of the second of its two Airbus A319 aircraft following the arrival of the first aircraft last week. The aircraft are expected to remain with Lufthansa Technic at Luqa International Malta while the final clearances and approvals are obtained to commence operations out of Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport.The privately-funded airline, by Libyan investors, will function as a full-service carrier, with the two aircraft configured with both business and economy class seating. The two 7-year-old aircraft, have been maintained  by Lufthansa Technik Philippines.Libyan Wings initially intends to serve a number of strategic destinations in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, with future expansion planned into Europe, as well as other markets in the Arabian Gulf, when additional aircraft are inducted into the fleet.The grey and blue corporate livery of the exterior has been carried into the cabin design  - complete with leather seats - providing a light and airy feel for the 12 passengers in business class and 108 in economy.”We are both delighted and excited at having received the first two aircraft as we embark on the next phase of our launch plans,” said Edgardo Badiali, Libyan Wings’ CEO “We are confident of setting a new benchmark for quality of service and customer satisfaction to and from Libya when we commence operations.” Libyan Wings’ Chairman, Wesam Al Masri said: “We have invested in modern aircraft that further demonstrates a commitment to innovation and technology while endeavouring to exceed customer expectations in terms of comfort and safety. As we scale, this will be supported on the ground by investments in infrastructure and services at Mitiga in order to enhance all stages of the customer’s travel experience.“Libyan Wings is now looking forward to leading a new era in Libya’s aviation sector and providing the stimulus for economic growth through the provision of high quality, efficient, safe and affordable air travel for the people of Libya,”he said  The new airline has signed an agreement with Lufthansa Technik (LHT), to provide MRO and aircraft engineering services including preparation of a comprehensive maintenance programme, compliance assessment for airworthiness directives and service bulletins [to ensure Libyan Wings complies with all mandatory inspections/checks as advised by the manufacturer and/or the regulatory authorities.“This arrangement with Lufthansa Technik is another demonstration of Libyan Wings’ commitment to ensure the most reliable and safe operation of its aircraft in order to provide regional connectivity to strategic destinations in the MENA region,” said COO, Mike McTighe.  The airline is expected to announce its official launch date soon and customers will be able to book flights on-line at www.libyanwings.ly and through sales’ offices and appointed travel agents.In 2013  the Tripoli carrier signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for three A350-900s and four A320neo’s

Lumka Msibi receives South Africa's Ubuntu Youth Diplomacy Award

Lumka Msibi's, a 24-year old engineer at Denel, has received South Africa's highest award for young ambassadors who promote a positive image of the country.

She received the Ubuntu Youth Diplomacy Award at a banquet hosted in Cape Town by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and attended by Pres. Jacob Zuma. It recognised her contributions “to promote South Africa as a dynamic country which creates an environment where youth can thrive and help to make the world a better place.” 

Born in Soweto, Lumka matriculated from the Parktown High School for Girls as one of the top ten achievers in Gauteng in 2008. With a bursary from Denel she then studied for a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand. 

During her internship at Denel Dynamics, the division in the defence group responsible for advanced technology in the fields of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicle systems, Lumka was offered the opportunity to participate in a mission to Antarctica.

In November 2013 she joined the Summer Relief Voyage which travelled to the southern edge of the world to replenish the South African team at the Antarctica Expedition Base (SANAE). 

During her time on the icy continent Lumka participated in the upgrade of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) at the research base, SANAE IV.  This installation is used to monitor the dynamic space weather and serve as an early warning system for satellites by analysing solar activities. 

On her return to South Africa Lumka joined Denel Spaceteq as a Structural Engineer. Spaceteq is the group’s space engineering unit which is responsible for projects such as the development of an earth observation satellite, the EO-Sat1. 

In November last year she won the first prize among 500 entries in a global competition hosted by the International Astronautics Conference in Toronto, Canada. Her technical paper was based on the research work done in Antarctica but also her involvement in Denel Spaceteq’s Schools Outreach Programme. 

Engineers from Spaceteq visit various schools in the Western Cape where they inform young learners about the activities of Denel and engineering as potential careers. More than 200 learners in grades 10 to 12 participated in this programme in 2014. 

The group chief executive of Denel, Riaz Saloojee, said: “Lumka represents everything that is good about South Africa. In her young career she had already received international recognition for her research but she also contributes to the growth of the next generation of engineers and artisans through her participation in Denel’s outreach programmes.

Air Namibia selects Accelya solution

Air Namibia has selected Accelya's Cost Management (FinesseCostTM) & Flight Profitability (FinesseFPSTM) Solutions of FinesseSuite.

The airline was looking for a solution that could reduce their manual paperwork in their payable department and use their data & information to support fact driven decision-making. 

The airline selected Accelya’s FinesseCost and FinesseFPS solution. The scope of services include automate processing of Clearing House (CH) and Non-Clearing House invoices, accruals, Direct Operating Cost (DOC) verification, workflow, accounting integration with ERP and a supplier portal which will be used by airline’s suppliers to input their (bilateral) invoices. 

Marilyn Nel, manager finance, Air Namibia said: “Accelya has proven themselves to be a trusted partner and a valuable part of our team. We are very confident that their cost management and flight profitability solutions will help us automate entire procure-to-pay cycle and provide us with accurate and timely information about flight profitability”

EgyptAir calls in JWT to lead sales campaign

EgyptAir is stepping up its marketing push with a deal with one of the world's largest marketing and advertising agencies.

The Cairo-based airline group signed a cooperation protocol with JWT . The contract was signed by Capt. Hesham El-Nahas, Chairman and CEO of EgyptAir airline and Mr. Hany Shokry, Chairman of JWT Egypt Office. The signing was attended by Sherif Elmaghloub, head of commercial sector and a group of senior managers of both organisations.

Ethiopian Airlines plans on placing 20 wide body aircraft order

Ethiopian Airlines is going to place orders for 20 wide body aircraft, reports The Reporter.

Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, said management is evaluating the Boeing's new aircraft under development B777X and the Airbus A350-1000. The number of aircraft could be 15-20. 

Analyst Saj Ahmad said: “Ethiopian Airlines' continued expansion puts it right at the top of leading African airlines and its selection of a new widebody jet will solidify its position as Africa's fastest growing airline. 

“Ethiopian had early expressed a preference previously for the bigger 777-9X, given that it has more range and carries more passengers than the competing A350-1000, but with Ethiopian Airlines also inducting the first of 14 A350-900s next year, there is ample room for either a split deal between Airbus and Boeing as well as a "winner takes all" outcome.” 

Ahamad added: “The biggest challenge for both Airbus and Boeing is that while the A350-1000 and 777X are both years away from entering service, the performance metrics devised by both manufacturers will have to conform Ethiopian Airlines' stringent payload needs as they utilise many of the long haul jets to the fullest, with both passenger and cargo loads. 

“This would favour the 777-9X given the commonality with the 777-300ER and 787-8 fleets as well as its range superiority over the A350-1000, but the complexity of winning such a lucrative deal means both Airbus and Boeing will have to pull out all the stops to win this campaign.” 

The evaluation started last month and will be finalised within the next couple of months.