Mat’s B737-500 ready for takeoff

Macedonia’s newest charter airline, Mat Airways, will be operating its flights under the Aviogenex code (AGX). Darko Milačić, one of the founders of Mat Airways, revealed the news in a recent interview to the “Kielo” agency. The inauguration of services has been pushed back to August when the airline plans to commence flights from Skopje (although Mat’s aircraft will be operating charters from Belgrade to other destinations in the meantime). Milačić revealed that the airline is currently not interested in becoming the national carrier of Macedonia, rather it plans to develop scheduled charter flights. However, Milačić does not exclude the possibility of the airline eventually becoming a national carrier.

“We are in the process of acquiring an IATA certificate and we expect the process to be complete within the next 5 months. We will be using Aviogenex’s code for our flights”, Milačić said. He also disclosed that Kon Tiki Travel, the founder of the new Mat, is interested in setting up an airline in Serbia and purchasing Aviogenex, a Serbian charter airline. Furthermore, the company plans to purchase a Boeing B737-300 jet by the end of the year, although this purchase would depend on the outcome of Aviogenex’s takeover.

For starters, Mat plans to operate the service Belgrade – Ohrid – Tel Aviv. Darko Milačić believes that the service would be popular and said that an Israeli tour operator is also interested in cooperating on the route.

On the left hand side you can register your vote whether you believe that Mat Airways will be successful or a disaster waiting to happen.

Photo published with the approval of the author, the “aviokarta.net” portal

The near new TL TL-3000 Sirius ZK-SPR , c/n 10-SI 12 , of Sport Aircraft Ltd of North Shore, was spotted passing through Ashburton on 01-07-2010. For more see the recent blog by Sir Minty at http://design-plane.blogspot.com/2010/05/tl-3000-sirius-new-aircraft-in-new.html

Also visiting was the Piper PA-28-235 Cherokee D ZK-LYC , c/n 28-11356 , which was up from Dunedin. Just below the stripe on the rudder can be seen the ground work for the new Mid Canterbury Aero Clubs Hangar/Workshop. The Club now operates the Piper PA28-140E Cherokee ZK-DEL (since 1991), PA-28-181 Archer 11 ZK-EBZ (since 1990) and the two recent additions Cessna 150 ZK-EFD and the Piper PA-28-181 Archer 111 ZK-LJI.

Seeing Blue Bus's post on the elusive Slepcev Storch ZK-WAZ inspired me to look out my photos of the first Slepcev Storch in New Zealand: ZK-JPH. ZK-JPH was assembled in Tauranga, where this photo was taken, just before the 1998 AACA flyin at Matamata. I saw it displayed at that flyin by Nestor Slepcev as I remember, and his flying display was amazing. I remember him doing tight turns within the width of the Matamata airstrip!

The Slepcev Storch was designed by Nestor Slepcev in Australia and is a quite accurate 3/4 scale replica of the original Fiesler Storch.

NACO to design new Sarajevo look

A Dutch company, Netherlands Airports Consultant (NACO), has been awarded the job to design the expansion of Sarajevo Airport, the “Sarajevo-x” portal reports. A decade ago the same company designed the reconstruction of the current passenger terminal building. NACO is world renowned for its airport designs. In recent years, passenger traffic at the airport has increased significantly and continues to grow. Thus, an expansion of the terminal is needed in order to cater for the increasing passenger numbers and their needs. The project is being financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The Dutch Government played in an instrumental role in granting the EBRD loan to Sarajevo Airport.

The EBRD loan will finance the expansion of the passenger terminal, as well as the expansion of taxiways and the apron, adding almost 7.000 square metres to the current passenger terminal, which stretches for 10.000 square metres, the “Dnevni Avaz” newspaper reports. With the expansion of its facilities, Sarajevo Airport will also draft a new corporate plan outlining the airport’s future strategy.

The exact date of the project’s commencement is unknown.

A couple days ago I promised to follow up on the Paris Green Air Show so here we go.

The show is held (2010 is the 2nd year) at the Musee Air + Despace, at Le Bourget airport, the field where Charles Lindbergh landed the Spirit of St. Louis and where the huge Paris Air Show takes place every other year (next up in 2011).

It's mission statement is implicit from the phrase on the evocative splash drawing: "L'aviation du futur". It took a bit of digging and some web translations to find out more about the show that Gizmag first posted about the other day.  

The explosion of imaginative designs and concepts at the show is staggering: very much like the first years of aviation after 1903.  Dirigibles large and small, including man-powered balloons; aircraft engines with zero CO2 emissions; aircraft powered by electric, solar and hydrogen fuel cell engines; noise and pollution reducing sustainable development concepts for airports, runways and aircraft "villages": all in all, quite a hoot, I'd love to go to the next one.

Exhibitions included:

*    Sunseeker II and III, Eric Raymond's solar-powered motorglider that has 121 hours of flight logged and has crossed the U.S. on sunlight alone.

*    Alatus-M, an electric-powered ultralight composite motorglider with some amazing features: cartoppable like a hang glider, certified to German and American standards (FAR-103), retractable engine platform, one person/40 minute setup. Electravia electric engine delivers 26 hp and 1hour 30 min. flight time.  Empty weight is 253 lbs., with another 264 lb. load capability.  At current exchange rates, you can buy one today for $43,400.

*    The APEV electric Demoichelle, an ultralight-style "flying ladder" wing and three-axis framework, initially powered by a small Rotax, now fitted with an electric engine: the AGNI 112 R electric motor, with Lithium Polymer KOKAM 74V batteries.  

*    And here's a shot of the electric powerplant for the e-Fun Flyer para-trike I mentioned last post.

Lots more to read about, check out the links above.

   --- whale graphic by Studio Massaud & ONERA; other images courtesy Gizmag

Captured at Timaru today (01-07-2010) after some seven years of waiting was the Slepcev Storch U/L ZK-WAZ , c/n SS4UL097 , of Gavin Ladbrook. This is a 3/4 scale ultra light aircraft based on the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch of 1933/6 of which nearly 3000 were built.
It is a rather large two seat Rotax powered aircraft with amazing take off and landing abilities. It was registered here on 11-07-2003
It still carries its Australian AUF markings of 19-3690 and has the name "Lynda"on the engine cowling.

It also carries these two additional art works.

One other SS4 was registered in NZ as ZK-JPH1 between February of 1998 and November of 1999.

Aviogenex Boeing B737-200

The revived Serbian charter airline Aviogenex, a relic of EX-YU aviation, had a full scale emergency yesterday when smoke was seen in the cabin. The aircraft was on route from the Greek island of Zakynthos to Belgrade when smoke was seen inside the passenger cabin mid flight. The captain requested an immediate emergency landing at Podgorica Airport and was welcomed by the airport’s fire department and other emergency services. The 23 year old Boeing B737-200 safely landed just after 09.30 CET. All of the 16 passengers on board, plus crew, were well and were not treated for smoke inhalation, the “Tanjug” new agency reports. The airline’s sole aircraft is now grounded in Podgorica until further notice, while an investigation regarding the safety incident is pending.

Meanwhile, Jat Airways has taken over all of Aviogenex’s passengers. The airline has requested emergency slots at Barcelona and Palma de Majorca airports in order to transport holiday makers to the Spanish cities. Both flights have been sold out.

Aviogenex was once part of the GENEX International group. As Yugoslavia fell apart so did GENEX and with it its charter airline. Rumours have been circulating that Kon Tiki Travel, Serbia’s largest tour operator, which recently set up Mat Airways in Macedonia, is keen to purchase the airline and take over its aircraft.