The Sling Squawk – June 2026
7 Jun 2026
“This is what “vertical Integration” gets you in a world of supply chain issues. Sling Aircraft produces almost everything for their line of aircraft in-house. From building their own spars, to welding up motor mounts—all the way to doing their own upholstery and paint—they try hard to be their own supplier.
Their metal-cutting and -punching facilities produce their own sheet metal parts from a huge supply of raw stock on hand, and their composites shop takes the designs from their in-house engineering staff, produces prototype plugs, molds and then all the finished parts. I think that if they could run a cattle ranch to produce their own leather, they’d look into it! (Might provide great meals for their staff of nearly 350 workers as a bonus).”
– Paul Dye (Kitplanes Magazine)
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.