Airport Navigational Aids (Navaids) re-certified for a further six months

St Helena Airport underwent a routine six-monthly Navaid flight inspection on Friday, 1, & Saturday, 2 February 2019. The calibration process is managed by Flight Calibration Services Limited (FCSL) and the flights were carried out by TAB Charters SA using the Beechcraft King Air BE20.

The Navaids checked included the Radio Navigation Systems such as the Doppler VHF Omni-directional Radio Range (DVOR), LLZ (Localiser), High Frequency (HF) and Very High Frequency Radio range spectrums and the Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPIs) on Runway 20/02.

The DVOR enables the pilot of an aircraft flying to or overflying the airport to determine the aircraft position, its range and direction from the runway. The Localiser provides lateral approach guidance to the runway centre-line, the HF radio enables long distance communication, the VHF enables short distance communication (usually within a range of 300 nautical miles radius) and the PAPIs are visual glide path indicators which enables the pilot to make a three degree visual approach to the runway and will indicate the aircraft altitude status: too high, appropriate altitude, and too low.

All Navaids were re-certified and validated for a further six months.

Airlink to carry out base training at St Helena Airport on Sunday 10 February 2019

Airlink will carry out planned base training with the Embraer E190 at St Helena Airport on Sunday, 10 February 2019.  The purpose of the training is for additional crews within the Airlink team to gain experience of operating at St Helena. This will expand the pool of pilots certified with Category C experience to operate to St Helena Airport.

The training will be managed by an Embraer flight instructor and will commence upon arrival of the aircraft from Ascension. The base training is expected to last approximately two hours and will include training landings and missed approaches.

Because of this training, the flight from Ascension will arrive at 11am and training is expected to commence at 11.30am – 1.30pm. The departure time for Johannesburg will remain as scheduled at 2.30pm.