The Sling Squawk – June 2026
7 Jun 2026
“There’s a real possibility Sling isn’t aware of how it paints the personalities of its founders and assembly line personnel in the opening paragraph of its website. The dominant descriptions include words like “adventurer,” “adrenaline junkie,” “crazy rock-climbing adventures,” “wild-eyed rough diamond,” “boyish passion for adventure,” and “heroic adventure.”
Adjectives like that increase expectations that those who were behind the delightful pair of Sling aircraft on display at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 are a cross between Indiana Jones and Tom Swift with a dash of Capt. Jack Sparrow tossed in.
As if cementing that image, the company is based in South Africa — Johannesburg, to be exact — which much of the world imagines as Adventure Central. It is Africa, you know. Elephants, jungles, and all of that. What is hiding in that image is an entrepreneurial spirit…”
– Budd Davisson (Sport Aviation)
The adventure continues! For once, there are no border crossings to navigate, no custom stops, and no major travel plans on the schedule. Just a quiet day at home. Naturally, that doesn’t last long… When Sling Chief Test Pilot, Riaan Denner, has an idea, you know things are about to get interesting. In this episode, Josh and Chelsea take to the skies over Johannesburg for some banner towing, go behind the scenes at the incredible Jonker Sailplanes factory, make a completely unplanned stop to meet a very special young zebra, and then set off on the next major leg of the journey — heading south towards Plettenberg Bay and Cape Town.