SACAA 25th birthday celebration airshow – Wonderboom
(first published in African Pilot)
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) was formed on the 1st October 1998 as an independent body to oversee aviation in South Africa. As part of their celebrations an airshow was organised and Wonderboom airport in Tswane was the chosen as the venue. Wonderboom has been host to many great airshows over the years although the last was held here in 2017. Although the initial erroneous advert on social media failed to indicate this was a “closed” with a “limited” attendance of around 3000 this was quickly replaced. Saturday dawned as a beautiful late autumn day that turned out to be extremely hot with a very light breeze, perfect weather for flying.
The activities for the day were delayed by an hour before the dignitaries addressed the crowd assembled under a large “Bedouin tent”. Ms Poppy Khoza spoke about the SACAA before Counceller Cilliers Brink, he executive mayor of Tswane, in his address stressed the importance of Wonderboom airport to the economics of the city. Although Tswane Metro are the licence-holder of the airport the restraints place on the city’s finances for social infrastructure limited the funds available to expand the airport to its full potential. He indicated that the municipality will be consulting with private industry soon. The chairman of the SACAA board then introduced the Minister of Transport, Hon Sindisiwe Chikunga, who in her keynote address highlighted the achievements of SACAA over the past 25 years. Then it was on to the cake cutting, hey one cannot have a birthday celebration without cake.
The distinctive rasp of three Pratt and Whitney radial engines from the Puma energy Flying Lions Harvards signalled that the airshow was about to begin. From here on the crowd was entertained by some of South Africa’s top aerobatic teams and pilots. The displays ranged from the sedate solo and formation displays by the Springs airfield based Classic Flying Collection’s Tiger Moth and its post war successor, The DHC Chipmunk to the high energy formation displays by the Hired Gun and Goodyear Eagles Pitts Special teams. The discipline of precision competition aerobatic flying by Andrew Blackwood Murray in his Nashua sponsored Extra 300 and relative newcomer to the display circuit, Tristan Eeles on his On the Move sponsored Extra 330SC. Tristan represented South Africa at the recent World Aerobatic championships in the USA last year where he finished 25th in an extremely competitive sport.
General aviation flying was represented by a Ciruss Sr-22 with Cheval as the pilot and Scully Levin mentoring her. Two formation displays were flown, one by the Raptor RV-formation team, who once again showcase the aerobatic capabilities of this very popular family of light aircraft. Jason Beamish and Richard Nicholson (jnr) performed a gentle formation display in their Savannah LSA Aircraft. Airlink provided the heavy metal display with their now very popular Embraer E195, Black One. A long-anticipated display from the Jack Taylor Airfield in Krugersdorp was the Ryan Navion display formation team flown by Reyno Coetzer and Steve George. I have been watching this team polish their act over the past few years and at long last they are here. They have indicated that the display will be expanded to include a 3rd aircraft.
Rotor wings consisted of Dr Andre Coetzee from Henley Air in the Rocket Bell 222 and Andre van Zyl, who single handedly has raised the image of Gyrocopters and its capabilities. Of course, how can one forget that master of rotor wings, Juba Joubert who does not strap himself into an aircraft, but straps said aircraft to him. His high energy displays of the day, early in an Alouette II and then the afternoon show in a Gazelle ably demonstrates his mastery of rotor wings. Juba has a long and distinguished association with helicopters and has flown many varied types over the years.
The South African Air Force (SAAF) were represented by the SAAF Museum’s Alouette II and Alouette III performing a synchro display as well as individual displays. We will seem them, and other in the forthcoming SAAF Museum Airshow at The Mobility Air Wing Base (Swartkop) on the 4th of May. The Officer commanding 85 Combat Flying School, based at Air Force Base Makhado displayed the Hawk Mk120. This will also be on show at the Museum’s airshow.
Display of the day must be the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) airwing which started as a gentle formation display of a Pilatus PC-6 Porter in formation with an Airbus H-125 Squirrel helicopter before a simulated high jacking had an action display of car chases, helicopter interception and eventual capture of the bad guys using dogs deployed from the helicopter. The crowd were wowed by the action, and Elvis Manene, who performed the specialist African language broadcasts for Capital Sounds, had the appreciative crowd on their feet.
The airshow was very well run by Rikus Erasmus of ASSA with the superb broadcast by Capital Sounds of Brian Emmenis and his team who kept the crowd informed throughout the day. Here is to the next 25 years of the youthful SACAA, may you continue to “Keep us safe in the Sky.”
