THIS YEAR’S AIR SHOW was held over the Friday and Saturday preceding the Easter weekend.
A unique first on the Friday featured a Flying Lions’ sunset show flown to live music from the whole tutti of the Stellenbosch Philharmonic Orchestra. They performed many well-known aviation movie themes, including Nini Rosso’s very moving - Il Silenzio. There was many a damp eye wiped on a sleeve. https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=_s5-0cUCQOQ
The biggest drawback of hosting an airshow in the Cape is fickle weather. On the Saturday morning there was rain and low-lying mist. This lifted to become a solid cloud base at around 1000 ft, which meant all the aerobatic performances had to be ‘flat’. Other Cape air shows have had to contend with 30-knot winds, most notably the SAAF airshow at Langebaan a few years ago.
The Cape is increasingly blessed with great air show performers basing themselves away from the catastrophe that is Johannesburg and the “Big Smoke.” Notable is the Marksmen aerobatic team, led by Mark Hensman, with Johnie Smith on his wing, (who comes all the way from Hoedspruit), Gary Glasson and Eugene Du Preez. This team has achieved a world-class level of polish, despite the challenge of flying unmatched aircraft, being a mix of Extras, an XtremeAir XA42 and an MX2.
This story is from the April 2024 edition of SA Flyer Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2024 edition of SA Flyer Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
SACRIFICE
John continues his anecdotes about the sacrifices he has had to make in the course of his helicopter bush flying career.
KENYA - SAA PARTNERSHIP DELAY
KENYA AIRWAYS AND South African Airways announced the establishment of a highly anticipated Pan-African Airline Group three years ago.
TO PARIS FOR LUNCH
One morning I arrived back at Lanseria from a two day charter to a dreary Northern Cape iron mine. Entering the terminal, I removed my wings and epaulets, thrust them into my flight bag, and headed for the restaurant.
ASCA'S MPUMI MPOFU: READY FOR TAKE-OFF
Ms Mpumi Mpofu has occupied the hot seat as Chief Executive of ACSA, the Airports Company of South Africa for a tumultuous past four years.
HYDROGEN POWERED PLANE TESTED
WORLD’S LARGEST liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft, using a 1 MW fuel cell engine, has been tested.
CAMEROON - BLAMES BOEING
BOEING JUST CANNOT STAY out of trouble. It has become the whipping boy for endless absurd claims.
IRIS GOES TO SOMALIA
Having spent the last couple of years flying to a rota, I was thoroughly enjoying the freedom and randomness of flying charters at Sunbird Aviation.
TELEPORTATION
One of the best clients for whom I ever flew was BP, the British oil giant. I was with them in Algeria for about seven years, from the very start of their large gas projects, right in the heart of the Sahara Desert, near the small towns of In Amenas and In Salah.
FEBRUARY 2023
February has shown steady growth in the number of aircraft registered. Four fixed wing and one helicopter were added while the non-type certified (NTCA) register grew by seven.
RIGHT SEAT RULES NO. 16 FUEL SYSTEMS WHY SO COMPLICATED?
You know those aggranoying people who say, “Oh I wouldn't fly in one of those little things - you can't just pull over and fix it if something goes wrong\"? What makes this particularly irritating is that the bastards are right.