Aero Club Air Week- Middelburg 2022

April 26, 2022 General News and Airshow Reviews No comments

The Aero Club Airweek held from Friday 22 nd to Sunday 24 th April is an event showcasing all of
General & Recreational Aviation as an annual event, which in recent years has been hosted by the
Middelburg Aero Club where there are excellent facilities and open airspace. In 2021 it was the
Centenary Year + 1 (as 2020 was cancelled – literally….), where 2021 with Airweek being one of the
first events post Covid, it became a big attraction for attendance with around 150 aircraft of various
types participating.

This year and also in conjunction with the EAA Convention, it was more subdued
in terms of attendance given variability of weather outlook (although weather was excellent through
the whole weekend) as well as economics coming in to play with fuel now hitting R30/l.

In any event, those that attended saw activities as a real gem, from no less than 10 aviation related
exhibitors, Flying Lions & Goodyear Eagles displays, Dawn Balloon flights to a EAA Navex hosted by
SAPFA. There were around 100 aircraft in attendance from Friday through to Sunday, with many
campers on the well prepared lawn adjacent the club.

As is the tradition at Airweek, the Saturday night dinner was also the awards evening, with Aero Club
handing out some fun awards, these being:

 Most Enthusiastic Team Award – The Bateleurs who had prime spot at the event
 Bob the Builder Award (Best Homebuilt) – Richard & Irene Lovett – RV14 – ZU-ITF
 Fairy Award (Best Light Sport Aircraft) – Lance Holland – Cheetah – ZU-DKI
 The old and Beautiful Award (Best Vintage Aircraft) – Patrick Watson – Cessna 140 – ZU-ECP
 The Powdered Pampered Bum Award (Best Warbird) – Steve George – Navion – ZS-WUK
 Piping Hot Award (Hottest Air Balloon) – Mario Febbrario – ZS-HOK

Many thanks go to our sponsors Vektor Aviation & Sport Plane Builders, support we had from our
exhibitors, the photographers & journalists, the Middelburg Aero Club, without all these entities we
would not have been able to hold the event.

The Aero Club is looking at reinforcing this event as the GA & RA annual showcase, and will be
working again with Middelburg to host again in 2023 where we will be looking at expanding the
activities on a wider front.