Part 1
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Text: |
Urs Schnyder |
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Pictures: |
Urs Schnyder |
The Swartkop airshow ist the South African airshow with the biggest participation of the Air Force. This year’s motto was: Pioneering our Future.
The airshow serves as the single biggest fundraiser for the South African Air Force Museum. As always, the Friday before the show is used for validation flying and the youth awareness programe whereby schools can visit the base and be introduced to possible job opportunities in aviation.
On the Friday the weather was perfect for taking pictures, On Saturday less so, with heavy overcasts until about 2 pm. In fact I teased my freinds by remarking that the weather was almost like in Europe. The pictures in this report are therefore a mix from both days, which explains the different backgrounds.
As in last years report I will not strictly adhere to the program, as some of the aircraft displayed more than once during the day.
Opening ceremony
This
started with the parade of the emergency vehicles, of which the fire
tenders gave a demonstration of their spraying capability.
A parachute drop with precision landing of four members of the spezial
forces followed, which brought a message to the Air Force General who
held the welcoming speech. Finally a field chaplain prayed for an
accident free airshow.
Demo of Emergency services (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Special Forces Para(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Special Forces Para(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Welcoming Speech of the Air Force General (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Historic flying and Rhinos
Around
about 9 o’clock the flying started with a Stearman and the Museums own
Patchen Explorer, an aircraft of which only a single example exists. It
was designed and built in the US but somehow made its way to SA.
The museums historic flight consisting of two Aermacchi Bosboks, an
Atlas Kudu and a Cessna 185 then made their first appearance at the show.
An unusual visitor, not least because of it’s remarkable camouflage was
a Bell 407 that advertised the race for Rhinos in Botswana in June.
Patchen Explorer (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Patchen Explorer (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Museum Historic Flight (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Atlas Bosbock (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Cessna 185 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Race for Rhinos Bell 407 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Race for Rhinos Bell 407 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Heavy metal and aerial ballet
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Denel Cheetah Mk.1 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
The Cheetah is a South African development of the Mirage III that was developed first by Atlas, which then became Denel aviation. The example was flown in from Oliver Tambo international airport where it is based. Some of these aircraft are also flown by the Equadorian Air Force.
Some visiting aircraft just landed and later took off again without being an actual part of the airshow. They were a welcome sight nevertheless.
Very much a part were the museums own Alouette 3 helicopters that performed some aerial ballett. Amazing how close they fly to each other while going backwards and in circles.
In the meantime the place had filled up with people. The audience being estimated at between 35- and 40'000.
Some aerobatic displays were done by the goodyear eagles in their Pitts Special and by Neville Ferreira in his Slick 540
Denel Cheetah Mk.1 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Denel Cheetah Mk.1 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Denel Cheetah Mk.1 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Denel Cheetah Mk.1 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Denel Cheetah Mk.1 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Denel Cheetah Mk.1 Touch and Go (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Beech King Air (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Beech King Air (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Casa C-212 Aviocar (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Casa C-212 Aviocar (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Museum Alouette III (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Museum Alouette III (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Museum Alouette III (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Museum Alouette III (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Audience (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Goodyear Eagles Pitts Special (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Goodyear Eagles Pitts Special (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Goodyear Eagle (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Goodyear Eagle (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Goodyear Eagle (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Current and past
The Saab Gripen as the current first line fighter aircraft gave a very spirited display, The take off was especially spectacular. However, the best liked by the audience if the applause and screams are anything to go by were the dropping of the flares while climbing away vertically at the end of the display.
The Antonov 2 by contrast was almost from another world. Quiet and slow. It was „little Annie“, that was brought from Russia and is used to give underprivileged children some flying experience.
Low cost carrier Mango showed off their Boeing 737 in a solo performance.
Out of almost 100 Aermacchi MB326 Impala that were produced, only a single example remains airworthy. This was fortunately flying at the airshow and the pilot displayed it in such a way that it was possible to take interesting pictures.
The Aerospatiale Puma showed off ist heavy lift capability and also how persons can be hauled from the ground up to the helicopter with the help of the whinch.
One machine that served the South African Air Force for many years was the North American Harvard. Quite a few examples remain in South Africa. Among them the two examples flying for the museum.
Gripen Two seater (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Gripen single Seater (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Gripen (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Gripen (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Blimey,the
Gripen is missing on my Pilots License!
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder)
Gripen (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Gripen (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Gripen (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Gripen flaring (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Neville Ferreira Slick 540 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Neville Ferreira Slick 540 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Antonov An-2 Little Annie (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Antonov An-2 Little Annie Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Mango Boeing 737 over the Air Force Memorial (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Mango Boeing 737 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Mango Boeing 737 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Aermacchi MB326 Impala (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Aermacchi MB326 Impala (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Aermacchi MB326 Impala (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Aermacchi MB326 Impala (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Aermacchi MB326 Impala (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Aerospatiale Puma (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Aerospatiale Puma (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Aerospatiale Puma (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Aerospatiale Puma (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
SAAF Museum Harvard (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
SAAF Museum Harvard (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
SAAF Museum Harvard (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
SAAF Museum Harvard (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)