Africa Aerospace & Defence 2024 - Public Air Show Days
by Russell Dixon-Paver
21-22.0. 2024
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As was keenly felt all over South Africa, Winter returned with a vengeance on Friday 20th, with heavy snow along all the Eastern mountains, causing the N3 to be closed from North of Van Reenen's Pass to Mooi River, after numerous accidents and people stranded in their vehicles for many hours.
After a hot summer's day on Thursday, the long weekend turned out to be bitterly cold, with a strong South Easterly wind blowing continuously until mid-morning on Sunday, after which it remained cold, but became much more livable for the second air show day.
Saturday crowd turnout was minimal - only the die-hards and staff seemed to be there. The organisers allowed unused Saturday tickets to be used on Sunday, which was a good move. Another well organised aspect was to allow people to come into the base and park early, to reduce the traffic congestion outside. If they had had capacity crowds on the public days there would have been huge issues around toilet facilities - far too few and placed very long distances from the places where people would be watching the air show displays. As it was, they were barely adequate. The food and drinks vendors could have done quite well if they had opened early, as there were many people looking for coffee and breakfast, with no flying happening. Even with the greatly reduced attendance the food and drinks vendors were far too few - it took up to two hours to get food or coffee, because the queues were so long. The beer gardens would not have made good business due to the greatly reduced attendance, and were basically empty on Saturday.
Brian Emmenis of Capital Sounds and Col Pat Cele, the “air boss' and their respective teams were on their posts on the Execujet show tower from very early, in the Freezing wind. Capital had an extensive setup covering the whole show site to make sure people were informed. Col Cele and team had to make program decisions in the light of the difficult and changing weather conditions, while trying to keep the program going as best as possible.
Brian Emmenis and Col Pat Cele, ready for the airshow days. Crowd lines were empty, as the public gates had just opened.
There were many static exhibits, both in the various hangars and on the aprons.
SAAF 2 Squadron and 85 Combat School had exhibits of their Gripen and Hawk aircraft on display and had kiosks for their memorabilia on sale.
The show opened on Saturday and Sunday with the traditional parade of emergency vehicles. With the wind being so strong on Saturday, the Oryx support helicopter only flew with them on Sunday.
Due to the weather with very low cloud base on Saturday the program was severely curtailed. The AN-2, Anushka, owned and flown by Heystek Pretorius, that was to drop the parachutists to formally open the show soon disappeared into the clouds on the climb-out and was recalled for safety. The cloud base was higher on Sunday, although the wind was still strong early on, allowing the parachute drop to go ahead.
Anushka encountered the low cloud base and then was recalled on Saturday. Northern beer-garden umbrellas were used as shields from the icy wind on Saturday.
Anushka gets airborne on Sunday and passes AFB Waterkloof tower on the climb out, with the parachutists ready to go. Then Graham Field opens the show with the SA National Flag with Capital Sounds playing the National Anthem. Graham made a perfect landing on target without jettisoning the 28m x 18m, 80kg flag - serious achievement in that wind !
Andre van Zyl was able to display his MagniGyro on Saturday, even in the strong wind, and flew a dual display on Sunday with Juba Joubert in the Alouette III.
Likewise, the Chinese PLAAF Y-20 transport display was also recalled early on Saturday for practicality and safety shortly after takeoff because it also disappeared into the cloud-base very quickly. It was able to do its complete display on Sunday.
Y-20 landing on Saturday due to low cloud base and doing full display on Sunday.
Formula GT and RV 10 display by Rodney Chinn and Ryan Briggs on Sunday.
Juba Joubert did multiple displays with the Alouette III and Gazelle on both Saturday and Sunday. This man “wears” helicopters!
The SAAF Silver Falcons Synchro pair were able to fly multiple displays on both days. On Saturday their first display from liftoff to touchdown was only 14 minutes due to strong wind and low cloud base!
SAAF Silver Falcons synchro pair in action.
The SAAF Museum Heritage Flight validated their helicopters and fixed wing displays during the trade days, but only flew their rotary wing displays on both days' multiple times, helping to fill the display slots that could not be flown in Saturday's strong winds. These aircraft are flown by voluntary reserve pilots and active members and the Museum technical staff does an excellent job of maintaining a high degree of availability with very limited resources.
Innovative, fresh and entertaining displays by the SAAF Museum Alouette II and III's. Landing the Puma backwards, taxiing and then taking off backwards was something to see - that takes real skill and teamwork on the flightdeck!
SAAF Museum helicopters final formation fly-past in each display and then the Puma was tasked to remove and dispose of a car that was blocking access to the fuel depot on both Saturday and Sunday. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth by the owner and gasps from the crowd as the car dropped to the ground!
The active SAAF BK 117, Rooivalk and A109 helicopters provided individual capability displays, and were also active participants in the mini-war on both days.
SAAF 2 Squadron Gripen and 85 Combat School Gripen and Hawk flew multiple displays on both days, as weather permitted. While both these types have all weather capability, there is no point in flying displays that are not visible to the spectators.
Gripen and Hawk display pilots show aircraft capabilities.
The mini-war was run on Saturday and Sunday and comprised the arrival of the Rooikat and armoured troop carriers on the “battlefield”, with simultaneous bombardment by Hawks and Gripen, with Rooivalk providing close air support. Mortar teams were then deployed and fired into the conflict area. The A109 was providing command and control capabilities in view of the battlefield, but out of the danger area. A Gecko vehicle and additional troops were deployed via fast lining by 17 Squadron Oryx helicopters. The 44 Squadron Casa 212 did a low-level parachute supply drop. Casevac was provided by BK 117, and further cleanup of equipment was covered by Oryx helicopter.
Battlefield action.
Wrapping up the battle.
The police demonstrated a hijacking response scenario, including chase vehicles, Squirrel helicopters and a Porter fixed wing aircraft.
The crime scene unfolds and is resolved. Final flypast and ground elements.
Zimbawean Air Force light fighter trainer K-8 displays its capabilities.
Paramount Group Mwari multirole light aircraft display.
Master Power Extra flown by Jason Beamish.
Another innovative approach to displays to help improve the pressure on the display slots after so many were cancelled due to Saturday's bad weather was followed on Sunday. The Hired Gun Pitts Special's display was interlaced with the Nashua Extra display of Andrew Blackwood-Murray.
Hired Gun and Nashua flying interlaced displays on Sunday, as they did not fly on Saturday.
The North American T2 Buckeye capability was shown well by Fransceso Orlando. While both the Buckeye and Impala had validated earlier in the week, the Impala had to give up it's slot so the Buckeye could display, due to the shortage of Sunday display slots.
The T2 Buckeye showed its naval heritage by deploying its carrier landing hook and almost touching down.
Ron Wheeldon's Hawker Hunter has been recently restored to flying condition and the public airshow circuit. He flew with the display his son in the right seat - a special occasion for them! The Hunter arrived on Friday and deployed it's drag-chute on landing and they departed directly after their display on Sunday.
Father and son aircrew in the Hawker Hunter.
Another father and son team, Flippie Vermeulen and his son Ben, displayed the Beech 18 to perfection.
Flippie and Ben in the Beech 18.
Mark Hensman's superb Marksmen aerobatic display team could not do the full display on Saturday, but this was more than made up for with their aerial ballet on Sunday.
Marksmen poetry in motion. Break, crossover, the 360 degree “koeksuster” and after a second crossover at low level in front of Waterkloof tower.
Classic Flying Collection displayed their formation of the Stearman with two Chipmunks.
Classic formation flying and a break.
FlySafair in co-operation with SAAF 85 Combat School put on impressive formation display with their special 10th anniversary liveried 737-800.
The FlySafair formation and break.
Bill Harrop's Balloon Safaris were represented with their gazebo and on Sunday two hot air balloons were unfurled and partially inflated, while they kept a close watch on the wind, as balloonists do. They used the show tower as a windbreak and only fully inflated one balloon. Inflating the hot air balloon entails filling it to a point with a petrol engine powered fan, and then introducing hot air with the gas burners.
Up she goes!
The Puma Energy Flying Lions Harvard team provided a glorious sunset display - nothing quite like the sound of those Pratt & Whitney radials!
The Grasslands paragliders were to have a display in the mornings, but were only able to do this late Sunday, when the wind subsided.
A drop of gift buckets of sweets on parachutes for the children from the CASA 212 had been planned each airshow day, but after a test run it was decided that it would be safer to hand them out on the ground from the Ramp four-wheeler.
The children's gifts are unloaded from The CASA 212. The Capital Sounds four-wheeler was continuously on patrol of the very long crowd line to ensure sound equipment is working correctly and checking on safety of fencing.
There was a short ceremony where the CASA 212 dropped Col Laurel Thatcher by parachute to deliver the formal scroll for the airshow, the Chief of the Air Force, Lt Gen Wiseman Mbambo, made a short speech and the scroll for the AAD 2026 event was handed over. These photographs kindly provided by Jaco Kotze.
Closing ceremony.
In a grand finale the SAAF Rooivlak helicopter took off as the sun was setting and provided a spectacular flare release and the 9-ship formation of 3 Gripens and 6 Hawks flew overhead.
Grand finale!
Bill Harrops Balloon Safaris provided a “night glow” in their balloon and there was a fireworks display just after the sun set to round off Sunday's airshow.
The organisers and all participants can all be proud of presenting a safe and entertaining two days of public airshow, despite having to contend with extreme weather on the Saturday.
