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Potchefstroom Airshow 2024, Hosted by Smoke on Go
Potchefstroom, Founded in 1838 by the Voortrekkers, also known as Potch, is an academic city in the North West Province of South Africa NWU students are known as “Pukke”. It hosts the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. Potchefstroom is on the Mooirivier (Afrikaans for “pretty river”), roughly 120 km west-southwest of Johannesburg. The Airport Coordinates -26.67062, 27.0843
Potchefstroom Airshow 2024 Sponsors
Smoke on Go
Master Power Technologies
Sandriver Crop Protection
SV Aviation
The preparations included a huge amount of grass cutting that needed to be done, while Capital Sounds set up their huge rigging of speakers and cabling needed to provide the crowd line with crisp clear sound.
Team Capital Sounds for the 2024 Potchefstroom Airshow…
Brian Emmenis: Presenter
Leon du Plessis: co presenter
Bevery Emmenis: research
Wesley van Zyl: producer
Elvis Manene: Satelite unit
Phillip Scott: Audio Left
Mike Rascher: Rhino patrol
5500+ people filled the flight line, with many vendors and a Beer Garden being available. The well-behaved crowd was well spread out and not all crowding the flight line, creating good spacing and everyone felt comfortable. Litter was to the absolute minimum. The Perfect crowd for any airshow.
HENLEY AIR provided helicopter flips for R300 Per Person. They were busy flipping till well after the show ended.
No doubt the star of the day belonged to Jason Beamish, He flew in most of the displays and almost got arrested! Well done Jason…
It was a cool start to the morning on 01 June 2024, warming up nicely later in the day. The Airshow director was Rikus Ermasus with Mark Kelbrick as safety officer. Commentating was done by no one other than Brain Emmenis and his Capital Sounds team. The show commenced at 10:00 am with the Potch Girl’s High Marjorette (aka Trompoppies). Jason Beamish followed the Girls in an Extra 300 with a well-timed flypast.
The Displays for the day were…
3 Skydivers from Johannesburg Skydive, Jumping from an Alouette 3 piloted by Juba Joubert. They had it tough in the Strong wind, yet they had a perfect display and amazing landings
Sandrivier Crop Protection and Castello Boerdery that consisted of a crop-spraying Bell 206 Long ranger, 9-cylinder radial engine air tractor AT301, an AT502XP, Air Tractor AT802, John Deere crop sprayer driven by Rijan Barnard, the aircraft and the heli were piloted by Petri van Rhyn, Henri van Niekerk, JD Heyns and Steve Viviers
Scully Levin, Arnie Meneghelli & Sean Thackwray flew the Flying Lions flat display. The radial engine sounds fill the sky with Smoke on Go! Once again the Wind made it difficult for even the well-experienced team, well done to the Team!
Magni Gyro, flewn by Andre van Zyl. Andrê always plans to attend and display as many shows as possible towing his Gyro by road on a trailer.
Andrew Blackwood-Murray, the gentleman himself in his Nashua Extra 300, Andrew is a well-experienced pilot in South Africa and the Crowd loves his aerobatic display. Once again he performed his trademark maneuver of going inverted just after take-off.
Jason Beamish & Gareth Gill Flew a two-ship Goodyear Eagles, Jason and Gareth will soon become family as Jason is set to marry Gareth’s sister.
Jonker Sailplanes JS-3 Rapture sailplane, gracefully flown by Oscar Goudrian. Oscar is based at Potchefstroom Glider Club, the factory of the Jonker Sailplanes.
The Heavy for the day was a Beech 18 flown by Captain Flippie Vermeulen giving an amazing, yet graceful display. Flippie owns the Springbok Group of Companies
Challenging windy flying conditions, Jason Beamish & Richard Nicholson displayed the LSA Aircraft in Formation.
Extreme Flight Extra 300 RC plane flown expertly by Joshua Twomey. My own (Flippie van Emmenis aviation career started with Radio Controlled Aircraft. For me, this was WoW to the extreme level, Joshua, Sponsored by his Dad can fly RC!
Then the madness started, a crazy flying act display. The display was set up as a drunk man steeling an Orion Cub Airplane. Not knowing it was a setup, one of the security personnel went running with all he had to Brain’s commentary stand wanting to help. The act included Jason Beamish being apprehended after the Orion Cub was back on the ground.
The new kids on the block, The Navion formation display flown by Steve George & Reyno Coetzer was well flown in the crosswinds. Later in the day we also saw a solo Navion Display. Navion, manufactured by North American Aviation, who also manufactured the P51 Mustang. Navion Manufacturing later moved to Ryan Aeronautical Company.
Bell 222, most well known for being “Airwolf” was displayed by Dr Andre Coetzee. This is the Skid version of the Bell 222. Henley Air has the most Bell 222 Aircraft in the world.
On the Move Extra 330 was Piloted by the Young Unlimited display pilot, Tristan Eales. Tristan’s commentary was done by his dad Barry Eales, also a well-known aerobatic pilot in South Africa. Tristan recently competed in the World Advanced Aerobatics Championships where he placed 24th overall held at Reno in the USA.
Click on Photos below to enlarge
Photos by Ruan du Rand, Marriane Eksteen, Jarryd Sinovich and Flippie van Emmenis
Parys Airshow 2023
After the first successful airshow last year being held at Parys Airfield after the covid pandemic. This years show was even bigger and better! With the help of Smoke on Go, Santam, and many other stakeholders making the show happen. Smoke on Go who after many years have been producing the Smoke on Go airshow book and now selling a monthly magazine offering top aviation bulletins.
This years show included a number of display teams from Rand Airport, Germiston and local Sandriver Crop Protection, and amongst others, were included in the display program.
The program was handled by Airshow South Africa Rikus Erasmus as Airshow boss, safety director Colonel Keith Fryer, Walter Doubell , in charge of ramp safety. Louise Hofmeyr looked after the Media.
The South African Airforce were present with their three different helicopter assets in their inventory including a 15 Squadron “Charlie” flight BK-117 from Air Force Station Port Elizabeth, flown by display pilot Major Corrie Oberholzer and Flight Sargent Coert Steynberg as the flight engineer.
16 Squadron flew their mighty Rooivalk by Major Jannes Slabbert and Major Corne Stadler. Both operational pilots from Airforce base Bloemspruit.
A Agusta A109 was on static display for the public to get a closer look at the light utility helicopter.
There was also a youth development program that was held the Friday before the show, to provide feedback to the youth wanting to join the air force or a career in the aviation fraternity.
The airshow started with a paradrop with a Aermacchi AL-60 Trojan converted to turbine power a the jump ship. It was then the start of the first of the fixed wings aircraft on the program, the Puma Flying Lions Harvard’s aerobatic display led by Scully Levin. Scully also led the Hired Gun Pitts Specials later in the day made up of three Pitts Specials S2Bs and a Single Pitts S2C.
Andrew Blackwood Murray presented his Nashua sponsored Extra 300L, and showed why he will be representing South Africa at the World Advanced Aerobatic Champs to be held in Las Vegas in October.
The Raptor RVs were up next with their tight neat and polished display made up of RV 7s and a Rv8 led by Trevor Warner, Dion Raath, Ryan Beaton and Johan von Solms.
Master Power Technologies Menno Parsons who flew both his “Tiger” Huey display and his P51D Mustang “Mustang Sally”. The only flying example P51D flying in Africa.
Some crazy flying reenactment by Jason Beamish flying the popular Bushcat aircraft had the crowds on their feet.The SkyReach BushCat is a South African light-sport aircraft developed from the Rainbow Aircraft Cheetah by Vladimir Chechin of SkyReach Aircraft.
Capital Sounds provided all the commentary during the course of the day, explaining each and every aircraft act. Both Brian Emmenis and Leon Du Plessis were heard during the show.
Springbok Classic Airs Beech 18 was a welcome sight and sound to see the classic prop- liner be put through its paces by Flippie Vermeulen and Scully Levin.
The Magni Gyrocopter was once again shown off to the crowds by Andre van Zyl.
The Sandriver Crop Protection with the form of a Air Tractor AT-402B and a Robinson R44 provided a crop spraying demonstration. The father and duo of Ivan and Jeandre van der Schaar with Ivan in the Boeing Stearman while Jeandre flew his remote control Extra 330 in formation alongside. The only display of its kind in Africa.
The Classic Flying Collection based out of Springs airfield flew their de Haviland Chipmunk formation made up of Rodney Chinn, Grant Timms and Steve Brown.
Grant Timms and Steve Brown also flew the de Haviland Tiger Moth formation, even in tough windy conditions. Scully Levine was at it again and this time in the modern Cirrus SR22.
Some of the helicopter action that was present on the day surely came from both the Henley Air Bell 230 display in HEMS Rocket colours flown by Andre Coetzee and as well as Juba Jourbert in the Aerospatiale Gazelle.
The Goodyear eagles showed off their high energy display made up of all Pitts S2Bs. At the end of the show. The pitts formed up with Africa Charter Airline Boeing 737-300 flown by Dennis Spence. After a few passes the formation broke up and and Dennis provided the crowds with a solo display in the Boeing 737 before returning to OR Tambo International Airport.
A special word of thanks goes to Creative Space Media, Hayley and Brendan Horan for hosting the media at this years show.
Well done to the organisers on a fantastic Parys Airshow. A great variety of aircraft on the program. Till next year!
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Parys Airshow 2022
The long awaited Parys Airshow on the banks of the Vaal River was finally here, with legendary airshow veteran Scully Levin as the host of this first airshow back on the highveld after the Covid 19 pandemic!
Airshow tickets were sold out both online a few days before and as well as at the gate at sjoe itself. It was definitely a show that wasn’t going to be missed by aviation enthusiasts from around the country.
Airshow South African Chairperson Rikus Erasmus was Flight Director with Lieutenant Colonel Retired Francois “Hose” Hanekom. Louise Hofmeyr handled the media contingent for the day!
Brian Emmenis and his team from Capital Sounds provided sound and incredible commentary for each of the acts of the day. It was great to hear Mr Airshow himself back at it again!
The team comprised of Peter Bailey Keith Alan Fryer Leon Du Plessis Ricky Fouché Michiel Rascher Philip Scott, Rodger Coetzee.
The airshow started with a paradrop from a ex- Rhodesian Airforce AL-60 converted into a turbine with a number of familiar skydivers from the past airshow scene but most of all representing Skydive Parys.
It was then the first aerobatic act of the day from the Puma Flying Lions Harvards with Scully Levin leading the team, the Hired Gun Pitts Specials also flew their routine with the ever popular Pitts Special.
The RV Raptors flew their tight routine with leader Pierre Gouws who also flew Richard Lovetts Middelburg based L39 Albatross. The crowd loved the sound of the Jet as during the week saw the premiere of the new Top Gun Maverick at cinemas around South Africa. It was surely the talk of the show.
The Iveco Extra 330s debuted their first show in their newly sponsored aircraft with Nigel Hopkins and Jason Beamish flying extreme aerobatics. Barrie Eeles also flew a solo display in his “On the move” Extra 330.
Helicopters lovers saw Menno Parsons in his Bell 407 as well as Juba Joubert in the Aerospatiale Gazelle. Andre Coetzee Flew one of the many Henely Air Bell 222s.Andre van Zyl who provides one of the best Gyro Helicopter displays one can see.
The Goodyear Eagles flew with a new team comprising of Dennis Spence, Johan von Solms and newest member Trevor Warner in their Pitts S2Bs.
The classic flying collection based at Springs Airfield brought two different de Havilland aircraft to the show. Three Chipmunks and two Tiger Moths.
Ivan van Der Schaar flew his beautiful Brakpan based Boeing Stearman and his inspiring aviator son Jeandre as his ground crew for the day!
Oscar Goudriaan (Former Open Class World Gliding Champion)flew a Jonker Sailplanes JS3 Rapture 18m powered glider. What a graceful display. And great to see at an airshow once again.
The Sandriver Air Tractors flew a crop spraying and water bombing demo. It was great to see and hear a radial air tractor as its not often seen at events. A real treat.
Well done to all role players of the event being a success and we looking forward to more airshows at Parys. Roll on Newcastle Airshow KZN 4th June 2022.
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