The Sling Squawk – June 2026
7 Jun 2026
Maxim and his father, Alexander, together with their mechanic Yusup, came to South Africa in May 2019 to learn about the Sling TSi being built for them. Maxim, a trained private pilot with over 480 hours logged, says” I have flown a Dynamic WT9 and believe that both myself and my father will quickly transition to Sling TSi when it comes to basic flight maneuverers. However, it will take my father a long time to switch from Dynamic WT9’s obsolete Dynon D120 EMS and D100 EFIS to Sling TSi’s newer Garmin glass panel.”
Recalls Maxim: “During the training at the Airplane Factory we spent time learning with Sean Russell, TAF’s Chief Test Pilot learning about the preflight inspection, basic flight maneuverers in a training zone, and touch-and-goes. crosswind landings, engine failures, various emergency situations, stall recognition, and stall recovery, the basics of Garmin glass panel, as well as the auto-pilot use cases. On my return to Russia, I will slowly teach my father myself all the intricacies of Garmin glass panel and auto-pilot during our joint flights in Russia”.
Yusup is an airplane mechanic by training. He maintains multiple Cessna 152, Cessna 172 and Aeroprakt A-22 Foxbat aircraft belonging to the local flying school, as well as Dynamic WT9, SportCruiser and many other aircraft owned by private persons. What is more, Yusup can fly most of the aircraft he maintains. He dreams of becoming a flight instructor but can’t yet afford the transition from an airplane mechanic to a flight instructor.
Maxim enthuses” Because my Sling TSi will be the first one in Russia, I will be unable to find Sling TSi instructor in Russia. What I learned during my short stay at TAF will become the foundation of my safe flying in Russia”.
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.