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Africa Aerospace and Defence Airshow 2018

Africa Aerospace and Defence Airshow 2018

The 10th edition of the Africa Aerospace and Defence trade and airshow has come and gone, what was definitely the most exciting show we all looked forward to panned out to be a great success once again. The event took place over the 19th-23 September 2018 at Air force Base Waterkloof, Centurion, City of Tshwane.

AAD2018 Crowd

Static Park

The apron was full of aircraft and most of the hangers were full of all different companies showing off their technology to the world. The crowds were kept busy with all the walking through the halls and interacting with aircraft and pilots.

Crowds flocked to the gates around the base from the 22-23 September to get the best seat along the crowd line,this to insure they don’t miss any part of the exiting program Colonel Keith Fryer(flight director)  and Keith Andrews and their team put together to excite and show off air capabilities of the South African Airforce (SAAF). The Saturday show started off with the Sound of Freedom, that been the sound of jets, six Gripens from 2 Squadron and 3 Hawks from 85 Combat Flying School took to the skies and put a formation flypast over the crowds.What a way to start a airshow!

AAD2018 Crowd

With Airforce Base Swartkop down the road from Airforce Base Waterkloof, Swartkop was used as a second base for aircraft including the new microlight display team known as the Misasa Aerial Display-MAD Team. The team is made up of Adrienne Visser as lead, Pieter Kriel at the number two, Gary Heyenreich at number three, Gavin Van Der Berg at four and number five Marius Nel. It was great to see a microlight display team after the absence at airshows for some years now,we hope to see them on the regular airshow circuit in the future. There was a Airplane Factory Sling 4 and a Raven 500 formation Flypast.A mass Bathawk display was put on show, and is shown why its a great aircraft for Anti-Poaching missions.A light sky jeep was also thrown into the formation as well as the wagtail gyrocopter, all aircraft not shy to the African bush!

Raven 500

Wagtail

Capital Sounds once again had their ever hard working team at the event and this has to be the longest line of speakers that Capital has at a airshow in South Africa. Brian Emmenis and Leon Du Plessis informed the crowd of each aircraft taking to the skies and brought a lot of the airshow vibe to Waterkloof.

Capital Sounds Team AAD2018

Capital Sounds

Lieutenant colonel Craig “Shark” Lesson once again did 85 Combat Flying School proud,as he put the Hawk Mk120 through its paces.The Officer Commanding 85 Combat Flying School displayed both one of the Flag Hawks’271′ and one of the grey aircraft during the course of AAD2018.Andrew Blackwood Murray flew his Nashua Extra 300 and Neville Ferriria flew his Slick 540 with a combined aerobatic sequence with high energy aerobatics and low knife edge passes so the crowd could capture the sleek lines on both aircraft. Neville Ferreria had just returned from Hungry where he is flying the Geneavation Aerobatic aircraft for the country. He is surely doing South Africa proud!

Hawk MK120 ‘Vlaggie’

Hawk MK120 ‘262’

Andrew Blackwood Murray Extra 300

Slick 540 Neville Ferreira

Paramount Groups AHRLAC aircraft did some tight formation flying and was defiantly a way to show it off to the worlds market of defence. Staying with the locally manufactured aircraft the 16 Squadron Rooivalk was put through its paces in the UN white livery by Major Paul ‘Raccoon’ Kempthorn, at the end of his display he released a large amount of flares,a great end to a display!

Paramount Group AHRLACs

Paramount Group AHRLACs

16 Squadron Rooivalk

16 Squadron Rooivalk

The Rand Airport based Puma Flying Lions  Harvards and Taillifts Cows Pitts Specials flew their usual display infront of the 45 000+ crowds.The SAAF Museum and Harvard Club Harvards and a single Douglas DC4 did a couple of formation Flypasts over the crowd and brought back many memory’s of the former SAAF trainer before the Harvard was replaced by the Pilatus PC7MKII. The DC4 then went onto doing a solo display flown by Captain Bill Good.

Puma Flying Lions Harvards

Taillifts Cows Aerobatic Pitts Team

Mass Radial Display

Harvard Club

Harvard Club

Douglas DC4

Douglas DC4

The cockpit ambassadors of the South African Airforce The Silver Falcons Aerobatic Team 82,put on a great display led by Major Omphile Matloane who received his Golden Wings  a couple of days before the start of AAD2018.Lt Colonel Glen Wraden flew the Aero L29 from AFB Swartkop, The Airforce of Zimbabwe K8 was also flown with a support CASA 212 on static display.

Silver Falcons

Silver Falcons PC7MKIIs

Falcon 5 Sivu Tangana

L29

L29

K8

K8

There were two mini-wars on the day of the show,both from the SAAF Museum and from the current SAAF inventory of aircraft.A vast amount of pyrotechnics and armored vehicles were used during the show.

SAAF Museum Bosbok and Cessna C185

Ratels

Oryx Helicopters

Top Cover Rooivalk and Hawks

Ivan van Der Schaar and Jon-Marc Hill, Juba Jourbet flew the Bi-plane formation that being a Boeing Stearman and Antonov 2 ‘Little Annie’.Later in the day Little Annie escorted by the Stearman dropped a large amount of Manhattan Marshmellows for the crowds.

AN2 and Boeing Stearman

AN2 ‘Little Annie’

Annie Drop AAD2018

AN2 marshmallow drop

2 Squadron was well represented at the show once again,we were able to see six Gripens in formation,two Gripens in the mini-war and a solo gripen display flown by Major Geoffrey ‘Spartan’ Cooper and a 2v1 combat routine.

2 Squadron Gripens

Gripen JAS39D flown by ‘Midnite’ and ‘Bluebird’

Gripens being flown by ‘Cipher’ and ‘Doberman’

28 Squadron was busy during the mini-war delivering troops into the simulated battle-zone, Lt Col Clint Hawtrey also gave one of the best C130BZ displays to date. What a display it was to witness!

C130BZ

C130BZ dropping flares

C130BZ during the mini-war

A huge of congrats must go to the organisers of AAD2018

Florence Musengi-AAD Chairperson

Simphiwe Hamilton-Excutive Director

Leon Dillman-CEO CAASA

Leona Redelinghuys-Exhibition Director

Marketing and Public Relations-Nakedi Phasha

Youth Development Program-Kholisile Khumalo

General Fabian Zimpande “Zakes” Msimang-Chief of the South African Airforce

The 11th Edition of Africa Aerospace and Defence, AAD2020, will take place 16 – 20 September 2020. 2020 SAAF and the Aero Club of South Africa will be celebrating their centenary birthdays and this creating lots of expectations among young and old to see a Super Show. All we can do is wait and see what they deliver and how many Countries except the invite to join South Africa on this centenary celebrations.

 

Click to enlarge photos below

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAAF Museum Flying Day 2018-08-04

SAAF Museum Flying Day 2018-08-04

The August winds brought the first flying day of the month of August,we were delighted to be invited to go fly in the SAAF Museum SA330 Puma helicopter, the sole surviving airworthy Museum Puma.We got airborne at 9.45am routing towards the east of Hartbeespoort Dam and the we headed back towards the Pretoria CBD, before landing back at AFB Swartkop.

SAAF Museum Puma Helicopter

Passenger View in the Puma Helicopter

Overhead Pretoria

The Flying day kicked off with some of the Pretoria Military Skydiving Club jumping out the Atlas C4M Kudu,as the skydivers made their way safely back towards the earths surface.Museum and Harvard club Harvard’s buzzed the skies above Swartkop with their usual distinct sound.Both the Alouette II and III flew towards the other side of the base,known as Snake Valley, practicing both auto rotation and hovering skills.

Museum Harvard

Alouette II

Alouette III

Puma Helicopter

The Bosbok, Kudu and the Museums two Cessna 185s,continued until the end of the flying days proceedings with circuits. This is all in the interest of giving current SAAF pilots the feel of the old compare with the newer aircraft pilots get to fly these days.

Atlas Kudu

Cessna 185

Cessna 185

The Spitfire Restoration was present with giving the opportunity for the public to help restore the Museums Spitfire. South African National Parks were also present and showing their support of our National parks and how they trying to combat the terrible rhino poaching occurring in the Kruger National Park.

The Windsock Café filled the tummies of many happy visitors of the Museum, where there is no charge to get into the Museum, only a donation that’s goes to keeping the South African Airforce Historic flight in the skies.

AFB Swartkop Tower

Well done to the Museum on a safe flying day, and to the Museums OC and Base OC for allowing us to fly on the Museums Puma Helicopter. We look forward to the next flying day in September as we get closer to AAD2018 at AFB Waterkloof from the 19-23 September. Until then

“Keep them up where they’re belong”

By Jarryd Sinovich ( Hawk Eye )

SAAF Museum Flying Day 2018-07-07

The first weekend of July, The SAAF museum hosted their annual monthly flying day at Airforce Base Swartkop in Pretoria. Probably one of the colder flying days we have attended and a good X-wind blowing across the field many of the Museum fixed wing aircraft were using the Grass runway towards the Snake Valley side of the base.

Harvard Club

Visitors from all over came to support the museum, as a small donation upon entry into Swartkop that’s goes to maintaining the Museums aircraft fleet and restoring future projects. The Windsock was busy with their filling breakfast, lunches and a piece of memorabilia for purchase to take home.

These flying days also give the public and opportunity to visit the Hangars and get up close and personal with past aircraft and the history of the South African Airforce. Its also a chance for volunteers to help rebuild or donate to the Museums Spitfire restoration and getting involved with the friends of the museum. And for the adrenaline junkie, one can go fly in a Harvard at a reasonable price at the Harvard Club of South Africa.

Museum Harvard

The SAAF Fire and Rescue crew opened the proceedings with a runway inspection, before the Atlas C.4M Kudu got airborne with the Golden Eagles Parachute Team. Most of the Museum Harvard’s and the odd Harvard Club machines took off and completed a series of currency flights and flips for the day. The Museum Choppers like the Alouette II and lonesome Puma were out and about also busy with currency flights and flipping.

SAAF Firetruck

 

Atlas Kudu

Museum Alouette II

A former workhorse of 44 Squadron the Cessna 185 also took to the skies and was joined by the Museums second C185 former 42 squadron bird. Most of the Museum Flying Exhibits should be seen at AAD2018 later this year. The closer we get to the 19-23 September 2018 we will see more flying from the Museum Flying days to come.

Cessna 185

Well done to the hard working ground crew keeping the museum aircraft in flying status, also giving up their Saturday to be on standby at the Museum. We look forward to the next flying day in the first week of August. Till then…..

 

 

“Keep them up where they belong”

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