Newcastle 2019
I can Dream
(first published in African Pilot)
The annual Newcastle airshow, now in its ninth year of running remains the sole airshow in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province. Johan Pieters from the Champ Marketing Group continues to organise and run this airshow. With the aim of showcasing aviation as well as career opportunities to the local community it has become one of the biggest events of the area.
The airshow was blessed with a warm early winter’s day and clear blue skies. With the support of the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs of KwaZulu Natal and KwaZulu Natal Tourism, entry to the show was free for all participants. The South African Air Force (SAAF) as well as the South African National Defence Force had a strong presence at the event with large numbers of students attending presentations by various military members highlighting career paths and curriculum requirements to allow aspiring students to follow them.
It is unfortunate that the scheduled opening act by the South African Airways Airbus A320 with the SAAF’s Silver Falcons was cancelled due to technical reasons but the show does go on. The Newcastle High School choir sang the national anthem whilst the largest South African flag was jumped by Ralph Ridge which was followed by the Silver Falcons flyover and opening display. The SAAF has been a long-time supporter of the airshow and later in the day we were treated to a display by a SAAF 2 Squadron Gripen fighter. In addition, an Augusta A-109 helicopter was on static display in the careers area.
The crowd were treated to a full days aerial ballet display from the Puma Energy Flying Lions Harvard display team, led by Scully Levin and followed by Gary Whitecross flying his graceful Pilatus glider. Nigel Hopkins’ performed the first high energy aerobatic display in his Extra 300 and his display completed with a race against a drag car racer. Unfortunately the car was left in his smoke. Then it was the turn of the Golden Eagles parachute team, carried aloft by a SAAF Casa 212 transport aircraft. Then the Gripen arrived for her display at a high speed.
Aerobatic displays continued, with the Goodyear Eagles flying their four-ship display led by Glen Warden, the Magni Gyrocopter and Andrew Blackwood-Murray in his Nashua sponsored Extra. In what many considered the highlight of the show, SA Airlink’s graceful Embraer E-190 appeared low over the city on her run-in at the start of her display. Seeing this airliner displayed so smoothly was impressive.
Returning to high energy display, Team Xtreme took to the skies and tore through it spewing tons of display smoke. In a similar condition to the Matsieng Airshow held the previous week there was no wind to disperse the low level smoke so how these highly skilled pilots perform their low level knife-edge manoeuvres in what was almost IMC conditions is amazing. Glen Warden displayed the Eagles L-29 jet just before the lunch break and the crowd were entertained by various motor vehicle displays during this period.
The afternoon show started with the Raptor RV display team accompanied by Jason Beamish who performed his Absolute Aviation solo display once the Raptors had completed their display. Ivan van der Schaar in his Boeing Stearman performed his sedate display in the vintage biplane before Barry Eales in his Extra performed another high energy aerobatic solo display. Then it was more of the same with repeats of the morning display until Menno Parsons arrived in the mid-afternoon for his display in the P51D, Mustang Sally. The SAAF’s Silver Falcons closed off the show as the setting sun cast long shadows over the airfield.
Champ Marketing have been taking note of displays at other airshows and have also included smoke pyrotechnics into the event. Unfortunately the synchronisation between the act and the smoke was off and the impact of this was not as polished. I am sure next year will be better but well done for adding the colour backdrops.
Thanks to Mark Mansfield who was the Media boss, Rickus Erasmus, Hosepipe Hanekom and Louis Hofmeyer for accommodating the media in a very advantageous position to allow us to capture the event. Grant Timms, in his capacity as Ramp Controller and along with an efficient ATC and ATNS team ensured that the show ran smoothly. Brian Emmenis and Capital Sounds provided the commentary throughout the day. We are looking forward to the tenth anniversary edition of this airshow.
