The Sling Squawk – June 2026
7 Jun 2026
“I was on a business trip to San Diego and arranged to go to Torrance, California, (This is where the USA rep is located) after to fly a Sling. There were no Sling 4’s yet in the USA, so I flew a Sling 2 for an hour with their resident CFI.
I loved how it flew. I loved the stick, the view, the handling, it’s pushrod, it was a nice and tight control feel. I was sold!
I contemplated it for a few more months—mostly deluding myself about the cost and wondering whether I had the chops to do it—and put in my order around December of 2013. It was the first Sling 4 kit ordered in the USA. I know, that’s probably nuts. But, I had found out about two neighboring 747 captains in Australia that were already building a Sling 2 and 4, so I figured if it passed their muster (I contacted them and have been in touch ever since), it was probably good to go.
The first sub-kit (the empennage) arrived in May of 2014 and the adventure began…
When I built that easily, my confidence also started to build that I could do it.”
-Craig Maiman
After reaching Cape Town in Part 2, Josh Flowers and Chelsea Smith of Aviation101, along with Chris Lammert and Keelyn Costello, reunite with friends and fly their Sling aircraft north from Stellenbosch through the Tankwa Karoo, before crossing into Namibia and exploring the spectacular Fish River Canyon. From formation flying and the Tanqua Kuru Bicycle Race to fireside celebrations and an off-airport landing in the desert, the journey becomes less about following a plan and more about embracing whatever comes next—because sometimes the most memorable part of flying happens after the engine shuts down.