The Sling Squawk – June 2026
7 Jun 2026
“Pilots from all over the world dream of flying to Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture. On July 27, 2022, a group of pilots completed what may be the ultimate AirVenture adventure — flying from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Oshkosh in three Sling High Wing experimental aircraft!
The flight was accomplished over 67.5 flying hours on a route that spanned Africa, the island of Barbados, Nassau in the Bahamas, then on to the continental U.S. Each aircraft was equipped with a total of about 150 gallons in multiple fuel tanks specially installed for this trip, and burned anywhere from 7.5 to 9.3 gallons per hour. The Sling High Wing cruises at about 145 knots true airspeed, and has four seats and a useful load of about 1,036 pounds.”
– Robbie Culver (EAA)
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.