~From the pen of the CEO, Uys Jonker~
Dear Customers, Partners, and Friends,
As a busy and eventful year draws to a close, Jonker Sailplanes sincerely thanks you for your loyalty and support. We wish you a peaceful Christmas season and a great start to a successful year in 2025.
A Look Back at 2024:
This year, nearly 50 new sailplanes, primarily of the JS3 RES type, have left our factory in Potchefstroom. We’ve also made great strides in innovation, production, and partnerships, setting the stage for a successful future.
Launch of the JS5 Rey:
We proudly unveiled the JS5 Rey, our newest high-performance glider, which has set a new benchmark in gliding technology. The JS5 Rey was revealed to the world in WGC2024 in Uvalde, where 4 new products participated. The team’s real mission was to get the gliders ready in time, complete the certification program to a stage that allowed us to obtain flight approval, and ship the gliders in time. The JS5s almost did not make it, as the container was left on the ship in Charleston and had to make another “out-and-return” to the Bahamas. Despite a few technical glitches that had to be solved (e.g. assembling gliders in 40°C heat), the pilots reported great performance and joy in flying the king of the sky. We believe it will not be long before the JS5 establishes itself as a favorite among those pilots who do not settle for anything but the best.
Major Advancements in Production:
The production of the new JS2 and JS5 SL models is now underway. Type approval for both models is 95% complete, and we expect to submit all the required documentation in the first quarter of 2025. The first certified aircraft are scheduled for delivery to our customers next year. Additionally, significant upgrades in our manufacturing processes, including improvements in the paint and metal shops, have enhanced production timelines and quality standards. These efforts reflect our commitment to delivering excellence.
Strong Partnerships:
Our main partner in Germany is M&D Flugzeugbau GmbH. M&D is a full design organization and is the holder of JS’s type certificate in Europe. All JS gliders with an EASA-type certificate are produced under M&D’s production approval. Furthermore, all JS gliders arriving in Europe go through M&D’s final quality check procedure, preparing the gliders for hand-over and ensuring all the required paperwork is completed.
Additionally, our cooperation with DG Aviation in 2024 was highly successful. In April, the JSDG Production GmbH was founded and certified. Thanks to the collaboration of employees from JS and DG, the first DG 1000 gliders were already built at the DG factory in Bruchsal under this new production organization.
Together with SOLO, we are also working intensively on further developing the self-launch engine to reduce vibrations. The wish is that this innovation will benefit other manufacturers as well in the future.
Customer Achievements:
It has been inspiring to witness your successes in competitions and personal gliding endeavors. Pilots flying JS gliders have set new records and secured podium positions worldwide. Your achievements inspire us to keep innovating.
Looking to the Future:
A special highlight in the coming year will be the relocation of our production to a larger, more modern manufacturing facility in Potchefstroom, just 4 km from our current location. The additional space will allow us to produce multiple models simultaneously. Development and prototype construction will continue to be based at the airfield. This move is a key milestone that will take Jonker Sailplanes to a forward-looking and expanding level.
Gratitude:
Under our motto, “Your Dream, Our Mission,” we will continue to do our best in 2025 to meet your expectations and reach new goals. None of these achievements would have been possible without you, our customers and partners. Your passion for gliding and your trust in Jonker Sailplanes drive us to reach greater heights. Thank you for being an integral part of our journey.
On behalf of everyone at Jonker Sailplanes, I wish you a joyous holiday season and blue & peaceful skies in the New Year. We look forward to continuing this journey together in 2025.
Warm regards,
Uys Jonker
CEO, Jonker Sailplanes
