DESCRIPTION: Every flight through the Gulf this month is being approved on the day, one flight at a time. If your December ticket to Europe or Asia connects in Dubai or Doha, this episode tells you who makes that decision and what to do about your own booking. This week your phone filled up with videos of missiles over Riyadh and a travel warning from Washington. I read the US security alert for the UAE word for word. It is an alert about the whole region. It does not say the Emirates is unsafe, and it tells Americans to check their flight with the airline. Then the week as it actually happened: flames and smoke near Riyadh's main airport, which Yemen's Houthis claimed and Saudi Arabia did not confirm. Iranian airlines suspending flights to Baghdad, Muscat, Qatar, Georgia and Azerbaijan after the United States tightened sanctions. Kuwait's airspace closed to aircraft flying over it. The European regulator telling its airlines to stay out of Iran and Iraq entirely, and to avoid flying over the waters of the Gulf except when arriving at or departing from the airports there. The airports themselves are open. South Africa feels this more than most countries because so much of our traffic to Europe and Asia connects through Dubai and Doha. When the airspace over the Emirates closed on 1 March this year, the airports company counted fourteen cancellations across Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban in a single day. I explain how an airline decides, every single day, whether a flight goes: the security team, the regulator bulletins, and the flight plan built against whatever airspace is open that morning. Fewer open routes means longer flights, more fuel and less room to move when something changes. I also explain what the crew sees when GPS is being jammed or spoofed, and why that is manageable, because the aircraft has other ways to navigate and we now train for it in the full flight simulator. Then three things for you: buy the ticket that lets you change, through the airline or a proper travel agent. On the day, check the airline's own flight status, not the news. And read the war and conflict line in your travel insurance. IN THIS EPISODE The US travel alert for the UAE, read word for word What happened in the Gulf this week Which airspace is open and which is restricted Why South Africa feels it more than most countries How an airline decides every day whether a flight goes What happens when a route closes while you are in the air GPS jamming and spoofing, and why pilots can manage it Three things to do with your December ticket The regulator dates to watch: 30 September and 2 October I'm Bryan Roseveare. I was an airline captain. I still go to work on the flight deck. It's just a full flight simulator now, and the pilots I train are the ones who fly you around. SOURCES US Mission to the UAE, security alert, 19 September 2026 → https://ae.usembassy.gov/security-alert-u-s-mission-united-arab-emirates-september-19-2026/ EASA Conflict Zone Information Bulletin CZIB-2026-07R2, airspace of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman → https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/domains/air-operations/czibs/czib-2026-07r2 ABC News (Reuters reporting), fire near Riyadh airport, 20 September 2026 → https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-20/fire-near-riyadh-airport-as-houthis-attack-saudi-capital/107173362 AFP via The Citizen, Iranian airlines cancel flights as US sanctions take effect, 23 September 2026 → https://www.citizen.co.za/news/news-world/iran-airlines-cancel-flights-as-us-sanctions-hit/ OPSGROUP, Middle East airspace: current operational picture → https://ops.group/blog/middle-east-airspace-current-operational-picture/ Safe Airspace, independent conflict zone and risk tracker → https://safeairspace.net/ IOL, UAE airspace closure: ACSA reports 14 South African flights cancelled, 1 March 2026 → https://iol.co.za/thepost/news/2026-03-01-uae-airspace-remains-closed-acsa-reports-14-sa-flights-cancelled/ SUPPORT THE SHOW Patreon is what keeps this channel producing. It helps massively, and it is the best way to support what I do. Support on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair Every episode, the full back catalogue and everything we talk about on the show lives in one place. Bryan Air → https://bryanairpodcast.com/ THANK YOU TO OUR PATREON SUPPORTERS A warm welcome to our newest supporter, Kelvin Charman. And thank you to the people who have been carrying the show, some of them for years: Dale Williams Duncan Gillespie Franziska Jaco Mike Mason Iain Findlay Caroline Koll ACE Catharine Alan Macaulay Craig Wood Imre Kurucz

DESCRIPTION: Brent crude went back through 100 dollars a barrel on 9 September after the United States and Iran started striking each other again, and it was still above 100 dollars nearly two weeks later. Fuel makes up 50 to 55 percent of what it costs FlySafair to operate a flight. Put those two facts together and you have the reason a family of four is looking at the price of flying to Cape Town this long weekend and quietly getting the car keys out instead. Bryan and Ryan take the fuel story apart from the pilot's side of the door. Why Johannesburg has had a jet fuel supply problem of its own since an unplanned shutdown at the Natref refinery in late August, and what tankering actually means when an airline carries extra fuel into Johannesburg so it does not have to fill up there. Why FlySafair calls tankering a last resort, and why the cost of every contingency ends up in your ticket. Whether the surcharges that came in during March ever really went away when oil dipped. And the question everyone is asking: if you are flying in December, should you book now? Then the guys tell their own low-fuel stories, and these are the best fifteen minutes of the episode. Ryan on a Friday night flight to Windhoek early in his airline career, the weather closing in, and a diversion to Gaborone flown right down to reserves. Bryan on a DC-9 to the Seychelles with his father doing the fuel calculations on a whizz wheel, the numbers getting worse and worse, until they realised his dad's watch had stopped. A CRJ out of East London with the nose gear stuck down, held at 15,000 feet and 250 knots, Bloemfontein closed by weather, and a landing in Johannesburg with about 500 kilograms of fuel left. And Ryan in a medevac Hawker coming home from Mauritius into a 160 knot headwind, when the flight computer said fuel remaining at Lanseria: zero. Also this week: a GPS fault that grounded Azul's Embraer E2 fleet in Brazil for three hours, and why pilots are being told to expect GPS not to work. Boeing's 777X certification slipping into 2027 because the engine fix still needs testing. A missile strike on the fuel storage tanks at Riyadh's airport. Qatar Airways calling this war the biggest crisis in its history and cutting back to routes that make money. And the UK's air traffic control system failing for the second time in two weeks. IN THIS EPISODE Oil back above 100 dollars, and what the jet fuel price is doing to airfares. Johannesburg's jet fuel supply squeeze after the Natref refinery shutdown. Tankering explained: what it is, why airlines avoid it, and who pays for it. Fuel is half the cost of a flight, so every surcharge starts there. What a return ticket to George actually costs this weekend, and why Cape Town on FlySafair still looked reasonable. Getting overseas without paying a fortune: the RwandAir route and flying via the UAE. Should you book December flights now? The guys give an honest answer. Ryan's diversion to Gaborone on reserves, and Bryan's DC-9 fuel scare that turned out to be a stopped watch. Landing a CRJ in Johannesburg with 500 kilograms of fuel, and a medevac Hawker showing fuel remaining zero over the Indian Ocean. The Embraer E2 GPS fault, and why GPS can no longer be trusted blindly. Boeing 777X delayed again, the Riyadh airport fuel depot strike, Qatar Airways in crisis, and the UK's second ATC failure in two weeks. I'm Bryan Roseveare. I was an airline captain. I still go to work on the flight deck. It's just a full flight simulator now, and the pilots I train are the ones who fly you around. SOURCES Brent crude tops 100 dollars as US-Iran strikes stoke supply worries, CNBC (9 September 2026) → https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/09/oil-prices-today-wti-brent-us-iran-hormuz-attacks.html Current price of oil as of 21 September 2026, Fortune → https://fortune.com/article/price-of-oil-09-21-2026/ IATA Jet Fuel Price Monitor → https://www.iata.org/en/publications/economics/fuel-monitor/ September 2026 fuel price: petrol up R1.34, diesel up R2.94 inland, Daily Maverick → https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-08-31-sa-motorists-cant-escape-the-petrol-price-pain-in-september/ FlySafair introduces a temporary fuel surcharge, fuel is 50 to 55 percent of direct operating costs (11 March 2026) → https://news.flysafair.co.za/2026/temporary-fuel-surcharge/ Airlines consider carrying extra jet fuel to avoid disruptions at OR Tambo, EWN (28 August 2026) → https://www.ewn.co.za/2026/08/28/airlines-consider-carrying-extra-jet-fuel-to-avoid-flight-disruptions-at-or-tambo Sasol refinery shutdown curbs Johannesburg jet fuel supply, Moneyweb → https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/industry/sa-airlines-scramble-as-jet-fuel-supply-is-disrupted/ GPS problem halts Azul's Embraer E2 flights for nearly three hours, Air Data News (22 September 2026) → https://www.airdatanews.com/gps-problem-halts-azuls-embraer-e2-flights-for-nearly-three-hours/ Boeing says 777-9 testing could extend into 2027 over GE9X issue, Air Data News (17 September 2026) → https://www.airdatanews.com/boeing-says-777-9-testing-could-extend-into-2027-over-ge-9-x-issue/ Missile hits fuel storage depot at Riyadh airport, Paddle Your Own Kanoo (19 September 2026) → https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2026/09/19/watch-missile-hits-fuel-storage-depot-at-riyadh-international-airport-sending-huge-plume-of-black-smoke-into-sky/ Qatar Airways faces biggest crisis in 30 years amid Iran conflict, Aviation A2Z (21 September 2026) → https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2026/09/21/qatar-airways-faces-biggest-crisis-in-30-years-amid-iran-conflict/ Ryanair demands NATS chief resign after second ATC failure in two weeks, AeroXplorer → https://aeroxplorer.com/articles/ryanair-demands-nats-chief-resign-after-second-air-traffic-control-failure-in-two-weeks.php SUPPORT THE SHOW Every episode, the full back catalogue and everything we talk about on the show lives in one place. If you only click one link today, make it this one. Bryan Air → https://bryanairpodcast.com/ Support on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

DESCRIPTION One in eight airline pilots is depressed. More than half of us have avoided a doctor to protect our licence. This is why pilots stay silent, what it costs at home, and where to get help. This is A Pilot Explains: one story, sixteen minutes, told from the flight deck. We are trained to report every defect on the aircraft, and nobody trains us to report one on ourselves. This episode is for the men who fly you home tonight: the contract pilot who walks through his front door and gets looked at like a visitor, and the local pilot who is at the dinner table every evening and not really there. South Africa held a National Aviation Gender Summit last month, and that is real progress. There is no summit for the other 80%, so Bryan does the one thing nobody else has scheduled. IN THIS EPISODE The homecoming nobody talks about, on a long-haul contract or a local roster Why there is no summit for men, and the 120-year-old programme called wind your neck in and push on The Harvard survey: one in eight airline pilots depressed, one in 25 with thoughts of being better off dead The 2022 survey of 3,765 pilots: 56% have avoided a doctor to protect their medical certificate Why the licence is not a qualification but an identity, and why that keeps pilots quiet The Germanwings report, and the fear it named as a contributing factor Joseph Emerson: six years of hidden depression, the jump seat over Oregon, and what he said afterwards The family cost: what 300 pilots said about coming home, and the contract life nobody has studied South Africa's three airline closures, the Gulf job, and Bryan's own two years in a flat in Johannesburg The Gulf numbers: 68% severely fatigued, 45% asleep at the controls at least once What is changing: Europe's mandatory peer support, the FAA antidepressant list, and the real denial rate of one in 1,000 Mayday SA, the 24-hour peer support line for South African pilots, running since 2013 The one-line checklist: pick one person and say one true sentence I'm Bryan Roseveare. I was an airline captain. I still go to work on the flight deck. It's just a full flight simulator now, and the pilots I train are the ones who fly you around. IF YOU NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO Mayday SA, 24-hour peer support for South African licence holders → 012 333 6000 (from outside SA: +27 12 333 6000) Mayday SA website → https://mayday-sa.org.za/ SADAG Suicide Crisis Line, 24 hours → 0800 567 567 SOURCES Wu et al., Airplane pilot mental health and suicidal thoughts, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Environmental Health, 2016 → https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-016-0200-6 Hoffman et al., Healthcare avoidance in aircraft pilots due to concern for aeromedical certificate loss, survey of 3,765 pilots, 2022 → https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35166258/ FAA Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee, Final Report, April 2024 → https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/Mental_Health_ARC_Final_Report_RELEASED.pdf BEA Final Report, Germanwings Airbus A320 D-AIPX, 24 March 2015 → https://bea.aero/uploads/tx_elydbrapports/BEA2015-0125.en-LR.pdf Multnomah County District Attorney, Joseph Emerson plea, Horizon Air Flight 2059 → https://www.mcda.us/index.php/news/former-alaska-airlines-pilot-pleads-no-contest-to-trying-to-shut-down-horizon-flight-2059-engines-over-oregon Avis, Bor and Eriksen, The Impact of Work on Pilots' Personal Relationships, Centre for Aviation Psychology, London, 2019 → https://doi.org/10.1027/2192-0923/a000157 Aljurf et al., Sleepiness, fatigue and depression among Gulf airline pilots, Sleep and Breathing, 2017 → https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-017-1565-7 LSE survey of 7,239 European pilots on fatigue and wellbeing, BALPA, 2016 → https://www.balpa.org/2016/12/07/london-school-of-economics-survey-reveals-pilots-feel-fatigue-not-taken-seriously-by-airlines/ EASA, pilot support programme requirement, Regulation (EU) 2018/1042 → https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/newsroom-and-events/news/application-requirements-commission-regulation-eu-20181042-deferred FAA approved antidepressant medications for pilots → https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/app_process/exam_tech/item47/amd/antidepressants SUPPORT THE SHOW Bryan Air → https://bryanairpodcast.com/ Support on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

DESCRIPTION: Airports Company South Africa has posted a R1.2 billion profit on R8.81 billion of revenue, and Johannesburg airport still cannot keep its toilets open. Bryan and Ryan get to that, but first they own up to something every pilot has done at least once: carrying on with an approach that should have ended in a go-around. It starts with the rugby. Ryan was at FNB Stadium with the kids for the Springboks win, no flypast needed. Then the Miami 767 overrun gets the guys talking about their own bad approaches. Ryan remembers arriving into Durban horrendously high in his early CRJ days and orbiting on final to lose the height. Bryan remembers the opposite mistake, descending far too early into East London and sitting at 3,000 feet with the thrust levers up, while a training captain said nothing and let the lesson teach itself. Ryan explains why descent planning in the Beech 1900 is done the old-fashioned way, with maths, and why that keeps him honest. Then a listener question the guys have been saving for a show together: who was the worst captain you ever flew with? No names, no airline. What emerges is that the bad ones were rarely dangerous, just slow, and a slow captain on a six-sector day is a tax you pay in patience. From there it is night stops, the "slam lock" crews who never left the hotel room, why a good crew on a string of days could make or break a week, and how minimum rest and thin allowances are quietly killing the social side of the job. Bryan and Ryan's own friendship was built on night stops, so they want your stories, especially from the SAA crews who used to stop at Sal Island on the way to the States. Also this week: an app that lets you listen to live air traffic control at American airports, including the Miami ATC recording. Emirates has finally been approved to fly Dubai to Berlin, daily, after more than 20 years of asking. Air Astana is back in Dubai. Turkish Airlines will be on the Liverpool shirt. The United States has announced new visa restrictions aimed at South African officials. Sydney Airport has put 50 electric buses into service. And AAD is on in Pretoria, with the guys wondering what there is left to see. IN THIS EPISODE The Springboks at FNB, and why the rugby made up for the missing flypast. The approach you should have gone around from: Ryan high into Durban, Bryan low into East London. Why the best training captains sometimes say nothing. Descent planning in the Beech 1900 with no fancy screens to help. The worst captain you ever flew with: slow, not dangerous, and why that still costs you. Night stops, slam locks and the crew culture that minimum rest is killing. The Miami 767 overrun, and an app for listening to live air traffic control. Emirates cleared for Dubai to Berlin after 22 years. Air Astana back in Dubai, and Turkish Airlines on the Liverpool shirt. ACSA's R1.2 billion profit, and why Johannesburg airport still does not look like it. New US visa restrictions aimed at South Africa. Sydney Airport goes electric, AAD 2026, and why the AI conversation is coming back soon. I'm Bryan Roseveare. Fourteen years an airline pilot, now a simulator instructor. I train the pilots flying you around. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE ATC - Live Air Traffic Radio (US airports only, seven-day trial) → https://apps.apple.com/za/app/atc-live-air-traffic-radio/id6755132266 SOURCES Emirates wins approval for Dubai to Berlin after a 22-year push, Simple Flying → https://simpleflying.com/emirates-wins-major-germany-breakthrough-22-year-berlin-push/ ACSA revenue climbs to R8.81 billion, IOL (9 September 2026) → https://iol.co.za/business/2026-09-09-acsas-revenue-climbs-to-r881-billion-as-passenger-numbers-grow/ Announcement of new visa restriction policy, US State Department (15 September 2026) → https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/09/announcement-of-new-visa-restriction-policy-targeting-foreign-nationals-involved-in-race-based-discrimination Air Astana resumes Dubai services, TTR Weekly → https://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2026/09/air-astana-resumes-dubai-services-2/ Liverpool announce five-year shirt deal with Turkish Airlines, Al Jazeera (8 September 2026) → https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/9/8/liverpool-announce-five-year-shirt-sponsorship-deal-with-turkish-airlines Sydney Airport unveils electric bus fleet, Australian Aviation → https://australianaviation.com.au/2026/09/sydney-airport-unveils-new-electric-bus-fleet/ SUPPORT THE SHOW Every episode, the full back catalogue and everything we talk about on the show lives in one place. If you only click one link today, make it this one. Bryan Air → https://bryanairpodcast.com/ Support on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

DESCRIPTION The engines roar, the nose lifts, and the runway falls away beneath you. The safest thing a pilot can do is the one thing passengers hate: not land. Here is the rule behind it, the night I broke it, and what the recorders show from the Miami 767 crash. This is A Pilot Explains: one story, twenty minutes, told from the flight deck. Every airline flies to the same rule: by 1,000 feet the aircraft is set up for landing or you go around, and nobody gets in trouble for it. In 2003, as a brand-new DC-9 first officer, Bryan flew into a dust storm at Bamako, ignored the captain's calls, and landed anyway because there were beers planned at 7:00. The aircraft forgave him. Then, number by number, the NTSB's recorder summary from the Boeing 767 freighter that ran off the end of Runway 30 at Miami on 6 September 2026 and killed five people on the ground. The investigation is open, and nothing here is based on any official finding. IN THIS EPISODE What a go-around feels like from the cabin, and why it is planned before every landing The stabilized approach: the five things that must be right at 1,000 feet Bamako, 2003: the dust storm, the captain's calls, and the approach Bryan should have abandoned Why getting away with it teaches you exactly the wrong lesson How fast a runway runs out: 10% too fast costs 20% more runway, a 10-knot tailwind costs 21% Miami, 6 September 2026: the wind, the runway, and the NTSB recorder timeline second by second Why 97 out of 100 unstable approaches still land, and the one sentence in the FAA report that explains it Plan continuation bias, and the two lines every pilot has to watch across a career Two pilots, one rule: why the decision is taken out of your hands at the exact moment you cannot make it Airline safety in 2025, South Africa's roads, and why Africa has the world's highest runway excursion count Rules written in blood, and the promise the 1,000-foot rule makes to you The NTSB preliminary report is due in October, and Bryan will take you through it I'm Bryan Roseveare. I was an airline captain. I still go to work on the flight deck. It's just a full flight simulator now, and the pilots I train are the ones who fly you around. SOURCES NTSB Investigative Update, Boeing 767 runway excursion at Miami International Airport, 9 September 2026 → https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20260909.aspx 21 Air 767 overruns runway on landing in Miami, Flightradar24 → https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/flight-tracking-news/major-incident/21-air-767-overruns-runway-on-landing-in-miami/ Amazon suspends use of 21 Air after fatal Miami crash, PBS News (Associated Press) → https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/amazon-suspends-use-of-21-air-the-cargo-carrier-whose-plane-careened-off-miami-runway-and-killed-5 FAA Advisory Circular 91-79A, Mitigating the Risks of a Runway Overrun Upon Landing → https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_91-79A.pdf Flight Safety Foundation, Go-Around Decision-Making and Execution Project, Final Report → https://flightsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Go-around-study_final.pdf FAA Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee, Recommendation 24-2: Stabilized Approach Policy, 19 September 2024 → https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/afx/afs/afs200/afs280/act_arc/act_arc_reco/ACT_ARC_Recommendation_24-2.pdf IATA 2025 Annual Safety Report, released 9 March 2026 → https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2026-releases/2026-03-09-01/ Flight Safety Foundation 2024 Safety Report, runway excursions by region → https://flightsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FSF-2024-Safety-Report-FINAL.pdf RTMC State of Road Safety in South Africa, 2025 report → https://www.rtmc.co.za/images/rtmc/docs/reports/State_of_Road_Safety/State-of-road-safety-report-2025.pdf SUPPORT THE SHOW Bryan Air → https://bryanairpodcast.com/ Support on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

DESCRIPTION A retired teacher east of Johannesburg took a WhatsApp call from someone posing as South African Airways. Twenty minutes later, R1.2 million was gone. Pilots have a rule for exactly this. This is A Pilot Explains: one story, thirteen minutes, told from the flight deck. Rose knew the teacher's name, her ID number and the last time she flew, and she sent a link to an app that looked exactly like the real one. Nobody was tricked into being stupid. Somebody was given something to click and left alone with it. The same trap put Eastern Airlines Flight 401 into the Everglades in 1972 while three well trained pilots worked on a burnt-out light bulb. Bryan takes the four-step procedure pilots use for that exact problem and shows you how to use it the next time your phone rings. IN THIS EPISODE The WhatsApp call, the fake SAA app, and where R1,276,000 went in twenty minutes Why the scam felt personal, and the N3 speed fine message that came for Bryan's phone 17.47 billion spam calls and 8,000 data breaches: why the person on the line knows your ID number Eastern Airlines Flight 401: four minutes, two light bulbs, and nobody flying the aircraft Preoccupation: the word in the accident report, and why being absorbed feels exactly like being diligent The golden rule: one head up at all times Four steps to beat any scam: fly, confirm, checklist, decide Why the person who can confirm it is never the person who called I'm Bryan Roseveare. I was an airline captain. I still go to work on the flight deck. It's just a full flight simulator now, and the pilots I train are the ones who fly you around. SOURCES Retired teacher loses R1.2m in minutes, Bedfordview Edenvale News, 8 July 2026 → https://www.citizen.co.za/bedfordview-edenvale-news/news-headlines/local-crime-news/2026/07/08/retired-teacher-loses-r1-2m-in-minutes/ Bank offers R20,000 goodwill payout after R1.2m scam, IOL → https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/retired-teacher-loses-r12m-in-scam-nedbank-responds-with-r20k-goodwill-payout/ Truecaller: 17.47 billion spam calls in South Africa in the first half of 2026, IOL, 15 August 2026 → https://iol.co.za/business/2026-08-15-south-africa-records-1747-billion-spam-calls-in-first-half-of-2026/ Information Regulator: more than 8,000 data breach notifications, ITWeb, 31 August 2026 → https://www.itweb.co.za/article/inforeg-concerned-by-alarming-rate-of-data-breaches/rxP3jqBE2ZLMA2ye SABRIC Annual Crime Statistics 2025: R2.4 billion lost to digital banking crime → https://www.sabric.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SABRIC-Annual-Crime-Statistics-Report-2025.pdf NTSB Aircraft Accident Report AAR-73-14, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, 29 December 1972 → https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR7314.pdf Stajano and Wilson, Understanding Scam Victims: Seven Principles for Systems Security, University of Cambridge → https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/techreports/UCAM-CL-TR-754.pdf SUPPORT THE SHOW Bryan Air → https://bryanairpodcast.com/ Support on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair  

DESCRIPTION: The flypast is off. Airlink has withdrawn its FNB Stadium flyby for Saturday's third test, citing the weather, while the South African Civil Aviation Authority works through the flight data from Cape Town. Bryan and Ryan have both had a week of it, so they say their piece once and then get on with the rest of the news. Bryan and Ryan are back for the weekly catch up. Ryan's first thought on the day in Cape Town was why it was two Airlink E-Jets and not a FlySafair 737. Bryan's was how quickly the flyovers would be shut down for everyone. Neither of them will call it safe or unsafe: the only people who know whether that flypast went to plan are the six pilots, Airlink and the regulator. What they will take on is the armchair experts, in both directions, from the overseas commentators calling South African pilots mavericks to the South Africans cheering "this is how we roll". Nobody flies something like that on skill alone. It is preparation, rehearsal and approvals, or it does not happen. Then the week's news. Cabinet has approved a fresh process to find a strategic equity partner for SAA, and the guys have read this announcement before. Ryan's view: an investor with real money will want real control, and that is where it fell apart last time. FlySafair has been named Africa's Leading Low-Cost Airline at the World Travel Awards, a first in that category, on the back of a 91.06 percent on-time record, and Ryan explains why anything above 90 percent in South Africa right now is remarkable. Rob Russell's Flightline Weekly piece on the Department of Transport's permit office sets them both off, with a private jet that ended up in Gaborone and a report of a medevac that ended up in Harare. Some good news for the passport: Argentina and South Africa go visa-free for up to 90 days. And the rugby, briefly: Ryan is at FNB on Saturday with the family, and both squads fly to Baltimore on the same charter. IN THIS EPISODE The flypast is off: what Airlink and the regulator have actually said. Why Ryan expected a FlySafair 737, and why Bryan expected the flyovers to end. Safe or unsafe? Why neither host will call it, and who actually knows. Armchair experts on both sides, and why "our pilots are skilled" is the wrong defence. SAA: Cabinet restarts the hunt for a strategic equity partner, and the fine print problem. FlySafair named Africa's Leading Low-Cost Airline, and what 91 percent on-time takes here. Private jet permits: the Department of Transport office Ryan says is costing South Africa tourists. Argentina and South Africa go visa-free for 90 days. The FNB test, and one charter for both squads to Baltimore. I'm Bryan Roseveare. I was an airline captain. I still go to work on the flight deck. It's just a full flight simulator now, and the pilots I train are the ones who fly you around. WATCH NEXT The Airlink flypast: what a pilot actually saw → https://youtu.be/tKpHhtPECaA SOURCES Airlink withdraws the FNB Stadium flyby, The Citizen (3 September 2026) → https://www.citizen.co.za/news/weather-grounds-airlinks-fnb-flyby-for-boks-all-blacks-fnb-stadium-clash/ Cabinet statement on the SAA strategic equity partner process, GCIS (26 August 2026) → https://www.gcis.gov.za/full-statement-on-the-cabinet-meeting-of-wednesday-26-august-2026 Africa's Leading Low-Cost Airline 2026, World Travel Awards → https://www.worldtravelawards.com/award-africas-leading-low-cost-airline-2026 Planning a flying visit to SA? Good luck, Rob Russell, Flightline Weekly (1 September 2026) → https://www.flightlineweekly.com/post/planning-a-flying-visit-to-sa-good-luck Argentina visa-free travel for South Africans, Briefly → https://briefly.co.za/south-africa/251563-south-africans-travel-argentina-visa-free-90-days/ SUPPORT THE SHOW Bryan Air → https://bryanairpodcast.com/ Support on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

Two Airlink E-Jets, one black and one green, flew over Cape Town Stadium seconds before the Springboks and the All Blacks kicked off. Within an hour the whole internet had an opinion on how low it was. This is what an airline pilot actually saw: where the 50 foot number comes from and what it really means, why a flypast like that is flown in briefing rooms for weeks before it is flown over a roof, the risk formula I teach pilots every week, and the one question nobody asked the tens of thousands of people sitting underneath it. I have never flown a flypast and I say so up front. I am not going to tell you it was wrong, and I am not going to tell you it was fine. I will tell you what the numbers say and where they come from, what Airlink says, and why "our pilots are skilled enough to pull it off" is the one argument that worries me more than the altitude does. One word in the comments: would you want it done again next Saturday? Yes or no. WHERE THE STORY STANDS Airlink says six senior captains flew the two aircraft, three in each, that the flight was planned and rehearsed, and that it was flown inside altitude and speed limits approved by the South African Civil Aviation Authority. Airlink has since handed the flight data from both aircraft to the SACAA for review, and the SACAA has said it will issue a statement. I will track that in the pinned comment. The third test is at FNB Stadium on Saturday 5 September. TIME-STAMPED FLIGHT PLAN 00:00 Twelve Seconds Over Cape Town 00:39 What I Am, And What I Am Not 01:30 Ellis Park 1995 And The Hype 02:44 How Low Was It, Really? 04:09 Preparation, Not Bravery 05:30 The Snake On The Briefing Room Desk 07:22 The Day We Taxied Back For Coffee 08:32 Nobody In The Stands Signed The Risk Assessment 09:14 What Happens Next 10:11 Was It Too Low? My Honest Answer 11:37 Your Vote: Yes Or No I'm Bryan Roseveare. I was an airline captain. I still go to work on the flight deck. It's just a full flight simulator now, and the pilots I train are the ones who fly you around. SOURCES Airlink statement, via SAnews (31 August 2026) → https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/airlink-defends-safety-low-altitude-flyover-springboks-all-blacks-test Flightradar24, altitude data and pressure correction for the flypast → https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/flight-tracking-news/special-event/airlinks-low-flypast-over-rugby-match-in-cape-town/ IOL, Airlink offers black-box data as the world reacts (31 August 2026) → https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/2026-08-31-airlink-offers-black-box-data-as-the-world-reacts-to-dangerous-flypast/ EWN, Airlink says the flyover was conducted within SACAA approved limits → https://www.ewn.co.za/airlink-reassure-flyover-over-cape-town-stadium-was-conducted-within-sacaa-s-approved-limits/ NZ Herald, airline hands flight data to aviation officials → https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/all-blacks-v-south-africa-jet-flyover-in-cape-town-airline-hands-flight-data-to-aviation-officials/MZKVIWQMUFFMLFEZADAQNNP5NA/ NZ Herald, world media reacts to the Cape Town flyover → https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/all-blacks-v-springboks-world-media-reacts-to-dangerous-flyover-before-cape-town-test/OWMNGLJPDVGTXFB4OVOV7FBFOE/ ARCHIVE FOOTAGE 1995 Rugby World Cup Final flypast, Ellis Park, Johannesburg, 24 June 1995. South African Airways Boeing 747-200 "Lebombo", Captain Laurie Kay. Footage copyright 1995 World Rugby. Sourced from "Rugby World Cup 1995 - Good Luck Bokke | Must-See Moment (06.24.1995)", uploaded by ARCHIVE Sport. A short excerpt is used for the purposes of criticism and review. → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_7QjbNxdqc SUPPORT THE SHOW Bryan Air → https://bryanairpodcast.com/ Support on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

Charter flying in South Africa is booming, and Ryan is living it: Beech 1900 trips to Zimbabwe, Botswana, the Lowveld and the Northern Cape in the space of three weeks. After last week's Etihad debate, the guys make the case that the most exciting flying job in the country might not be at an airline at all. Bryan Roseveare is joined as always by Ryan Parrock for the charter pilot life, how to break in, and a busy week of aviation news. IN THIS EPISODE Ryan celebrates 10 years married, then makes the punt for charter flying: real hands on flying, a different destination every week, and none of the double Bloemfontein routine. How to get hired: Cessna Caravan and Pilatus PC-12 jobs for low hour pilots, mentorship programmes, company roadshows, and why the walk of shame with your CV still works. The honest downsides: you are the planner, the caterer and the baggage handler, there is no toilet on a 1900, and you think twice before ducking behind a bush at a strip in lion country. SAA places its acting CEO on special leave after four months, with press reports linking the move to the airline's catering subsidiary, and questions in the aviation press about who now holds the accountable manager role. The Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787 tail strike and runway overrun at Munich, and the Lufthansa A380 that clipped approach lights on the same runway days later. flydubai resumes flying over Iranian airspace, and a French Rafale pilot spots a fuel leak on a Miami bound Global 6000 before it headed out over the Atlantic. Plus the Springboks vs the All Blacks and the return of Formula 1. Want to ask Ryan about charter flying? Leave a comment on the YouTube version of this episode and we'll pass it on. The FlySafair ownership video Bryan mentions plays at the end of this episode, or watch it here: https://youtu.be/jP4XuKjKfE4 I'm Bryan Roseveare. I was an airline captain. I still go to work on the flight deck. It's just a full flight simulator now, and the pilots I train are the ones who fly you around. SOURCES SAA places acting group CEO on special leave (EWN, 18 August 2026) → https://www.ewn.co.za/2026/08/18/saa-places-acting-group-ceo-matshela-seshibe-on-special-leave Reports link the SAA move to Air Chefs (Sunday Times, 15 August 2026) → https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2026-08-15-inside-the-saa-drama/ Vietnam Airlines 787 late rotation, tail strike and overrun at Munich (The Aviation Herald, 15 August 2026) → https://avherald.com/h?article=53da99f6&opt=0 Lufthansa A380 lands short and damages approach lights at Munich (Simple Flying, 18 August 2026) → https://simpleflying.com/lufthansa-a380-overrun-munich/ flydubai resumes Iran overflights despite EASA guidance (Simple Flying) → https://simpleflying.com/flydubai-resumes-flights-iranian-airspace-easa-warnings/ Rafale pilot spots fuel leak on Global 6000 over France (AeroTime) → https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/rafale-fuel-leak-global-6000-le-bourget SUPPORT THE SHOW Bryan Air → https://bryanairpodcast.com/ Support on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

Etihad Airways is growing quickly, with more aircraft joining the fleet and new destinations on the map, and South African pilots are on its radar. Bryan and Ryan take on the question every SA pilot faces sooner or later: chase the tax-free Gulf package or build a life at home? Bryan Roseveare is joined in the studio by Ryan Parrock for the weekly catchup, recorded on a freezing Johannesburg winter morning. This episode includes a paid collaboration with Etihad Airways. Their online pilot roadshow for first officers and captains runs on 17 September 2026, covering the fleet, global operation, rosters, tax-free packages and what flying at Etihad is really like. Families welcome. Register for the roadshow → https://bit.ly/etihad-pilot-roadshow IN THIS EPISODE The Etihad roadshow and the well-worn SA pilot path to the Middle East. Durban and Umhlanga looking world class again. Boeing sells Wisk Aero to Archer Aviation. Embraer posts a record quarter. Lufthansa rolls out free Starlink Wi-Fi, with rules attached. Unruly passenger stories and an Alaska Airlines lockdown at Miami. The FAA orders crack inspections on 471 Boeing 737 MAX jets. SARS clears up the Online Traveller Declaration. Namibia Air edges closer to launch. Australians are flocking to South Africa. Cemair adds routes. And the rugby: New Zealand on tour and the Springboks against Argentina. Stay tuned after the outro. The audio version of our biggest YouTube episode yet, on the FlySafair ownership deal, plays right at the end. I'm Bryan Roseveare. I was an airline captain. I still go to work on the flight deck. It's just a full flight simulator now, and the pilots I train are the ones who fly you around. SOURCES SARS Online Traveller Declaration → https://www.sars.gov.za/travellerdeclaration/ Archer to acquire Boeing's Wisk Aero, Insitu and SkyGrid → https://wisk.aero/newsroom/archeracquireswisk Embraer Q2 2026 results, AeroTime → https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/embraer-second-quarter-results-2026 Lufthansa Group Starlink Wi-Fi rules, AeroTime → https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/lufthansa-roll-out-starlink-wi-fi-strict-passenger-usage-rules FAA orders 737 MAX crack inspections, CNN → https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/06/us/faa-737-max-cracks Namibia Air licensing milestone, The Brief → https://thebrief.com.na/2026/08/namibia-air-clears-first-regulatory-hurdle-as-national-airline-revival-gathers-pace/ Surge in Australian arrivals, Tourism Update → https://www.tourismupdate.com/article/surge-in-australian-arrivals-highlights-huge-potential SUPPORT THE SHOW Bryan Air → https://bryanairpodcast.com   Support on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair