JHB Newsletter

2024

Despite our small size, our core members have continued to fly regularly all around the world in 2023, accumulating 491 flights in 2023 with a total duration of nearly 990 hours. Activity has reached beyond JHB Airlines' home bases of Isle of Man and Liverpool, with Manila, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Nice Côte d'Azur being frequently visited. Our freight dogs also transported Formula One around the world again, making use of our 747 freighters and eschewing formal uniforms and ties, while the Airbus fleet was the workhorse of our European flights and the Boeing 757 and “steam gauge” BAe 146 fleets saw service abroad.

Our keen modeller Isaac C. continues to add new paints to the fleet. For the coming year, we plan to continue reviewing the routes and bases, trying to retain the spirit of Bones' original routes while giving them an update. We are also planning more tours, which will be added to the Flight Pack if successful.

2023

2022 has been a turbulent year, with the coronavirus pandemic continuing to affect life and society, a change of monarch in the UK, continuing wars and instabilities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and global warming being increasingly felt.

Against this background, however, there has been an increase in activity and some changes at JHB Airlines this year. Our CEO Peter D., who headed the airline after taking over from our founder Bones, made a surprise annoucement that he was hanging up his headset after many years of sustaining the online flying community in the UK with his activity not only at JHB Airlines but at CIX VFR Club. We would like to express our gratitude and to wish Peter and his family all the best for the future.

Recently-joined member Mark B. volunteered to take over the reigns from Peter, and has embarked on an effort to modernise the web site and infrastructure, to encourage current members to fly more and hopefully to attract new pilots. The most visible changes already made include a changing picture, list of recent flights and map on the top page. Plans in the New Year include a member login system, automation of the PIREP filing system and restructuring the flight packs.

2022

2022 saw an uptick in activity, with over 700 hours flown. One member has sustained steady flying around Europe in an Airbus A321 throughout the year, logging over 300 hours. A new member clocked up over 210 hours and gained his Round the World 'pip' in record time flying a variety of cargo aircraft, including 80 hours in Boeing 767s. Our most experienced veteran member was also spurred to finally gain his Round the World pip flying around the world in a vintage Douglas DC-7, emulating KLM routes in the 1950s. He continues to fly a wide variety of types including a Zepplin, continuing JHB Airlines' ‘Goodies’-type ethos: we fly anything, anywhere, anytime!

2021

There's little flying again so far this year, either for business or leisure. One member is defying the coronavirus, and having had two vaccinations, is in progress of bringing his Piper Warrior from Papua New Guinea back home to Perth in Western Australia.

2020

2020 was a very quiet year. However, in spite of lockdowns, quarantine restrictions and other coronavirus issues, JHB Airlines did manage to accumulate 196 flying hours during the year. One member completed his tour of the Canadian Rockies by helicopter, another member kept essential Airbus routes in Europe open, albeit on a sporadic basis!.

2019

There are now 35 aircraft in the FSX/P3D Fleet and 5 aircraft for X-Plane 11 with more "in the paint shop".  Latest Addition is a Eurocopter EC135 helicopter. Activity on the new Proboards Forum is still muted although all members are still "in touch" via the Freelists mailing list.  Some old habits die hard! We also intend to promote some of the tours and other flights which Bones originally created, plus the "world tour" dimensions of "Gerry's Routes". Work on modernising the website style and content is continuing. Members may spot the differences, especially on the Aircraft and Pilot Hours pages.  These changes may not look earthshattering, but behind the scenes, the website code is changing significantly with greater use of modern tools such as CSS.

2018

JHB Airlines had a minor restructuring during 2018, and launched into 2019 with a new forum and the Website undergoing a "refit", with improvments to allow better display on mobile devices, plus a large increase in the FSX and Steam Fleet. Included in this fleet is a hovercraft and a Zeppelin airship for those who want something a bit different occasionally. Hovercraft trips from Douglas to Liverpool only take 40 minutes.  This fleet expansion is due entirely to the work of a member who has returned to JHB after a long absence, who enjoys aircraft painting.  He has created some stunning new liveries for us. Welcome back indeed!