A South African Air Force (SAAF) Museum Alouette II helicopter raced and beat the Gautrain this morning in the annual pre-SAAF Museum air show race held ahead of this weekend’s event.
Chief of the SAAF, Lieutenant General Wiseman Mbambo, was in the Gautrain for the race between Midrand and Centurion stations. He said in the future, the race may be done a little differently, with multiple stages to give the participants a fair chance, as the Gautrain has to slow down when it reaches Centurion Station.
The Gautrain-Alouette II race highlights the participation of the Gautrain in getting air show attendees to the venue, as the train service offers complimentary bus transfers from Centurion Station to the air base. The service is available on the day between 6:00 and 19:00, to individuals with valid printed or digital air show tickets.
Addressing the media at a briefing after the race, Mbambo said he was looking forward to the activities on Saturday, as the air show is a good opportunity for the community to come out, enjoy themselves, and experience the SAAF up close.
On Friday 2 May, Air Force Mobile Deployment Wing (previously Air Force Base Swarktop) will host a youth development programme day for 25 schools, which Mbambo said is important for building the future as it aims to draw young people into aviation.
The official show opening on Saturday will be preceded by a mass formation flypast of powered paragliders. While organisers are still to confirm the exact lineup of aircraft, numerous types and teams have been confirmed for the show, which will be under the theme “Wings of Legacy – Advancing Towards Space and Future Frontiers”.
Acts for this year’s show include a de Havilland Chipmunk formation, Goodyear Eagles aerobatic display team flying Pitts Specials, Aerospatiale Gazelle, Master Power Technologies Team Extra, SAAF Museum Alouette III, SAAF BK 117s, Aero Vodochody L-29, SAAF Museum Harvards, Alouette III, and P-51D ‘Mustang Sally’. The South African Police Service (SAPS) Air Wing will contribute a Pilatus PC-6 Porter and an H125 helicopter. More acts will be confirmed on Friday.
For the first time, the SAAF Museum Air Show will feature helicopter flips for the public. These flights will take place throughout the day.
The weather forecast for Saturday now predicts cool and possibly drizzly weather, but organisers noted they have successfully hosted air shows in all types of weather conditions, and if the weather is inclement on Saturday, display pilots will switch to the ‘flat display’ programme to take a low cloud base into account.
Gates at SAAF Mobile Deployment Wing open at 7:00 am on Saturday. Tickets will be sold at the gate as well as via Computicket.
