Pretoria
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The South African Air Force (SAAF) has held its only air show this year featuring its 90th anniversary at Swartkop Airfield, home of the SAAF Museum.
The show is thought to have attracted a record crowd and featured key aircraft such as the SAAB Gripen fighter and the Hawk fighter trainer, which is also used by NATO countries.
Earlier in the week, Air Force Chief Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano told a media briefing the SAAF carried out its largest air defence operation to date during the 2010 soccer World Cup. The SAAF deployed 2,209 SAAF personnel, who, besides safeguarding the country’s airspace, carried out aerial surveillance, supply and support for the police, who did not have the capability required to transport equipment and personnel the required distances.
Planning for the operation, codenamed “Kgwele” (“ball “in the Setswana language) began in 2007 and the operation itself commenced on 24 May. The SAAF flew a total of 2,257 hours; 347 combat patrols, made 51 interceptions (as Digital Journal
reported) screened 12,921 civilian air crew and authorised 64,739 civilian flights during the Cup and even undertook three extensive maritime search and rescue missions.
The tail of this Cessna Caravan features the World Cup insignia.
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The show contained items reflecting Operation Kgwele, including a civilian plane being “forced down” and soldiers “fast roping” from SAAF Oryx helicopters. The impression was almost of a celebration after the end of the operation.
A soldier uses the fast rope technique to leave this SAAF Oryx helicopter.
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Some of the special features of the air show, titled “90 Years on Golden Wings,” a reference to the pilot’s insignia, included: The first ever showing of the single seat Gripen C multirole fighter, a tribute to 75 years of the Douglas C-47 Dakota and special appearances by the South African-developed Cheetah-D two-seat fighter and the only flying example of the classic Mirage III fighter which was the mainstay of many western air forces during the Cold War.
The Gripen C single-seat multi-role fighter, ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft.
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SAAF spokesman Colonel Bill de Pinho was enthusiastic about the air show. With the roar of aero engines in the background of an interview at the show, he told Digital Journal:
(The air show is) a great success. And I think it goes into all the hard work that goes into it behind the scenes. This doesn’t happen overnight, a lot of the planning’s been for months now and there’s a lot of special people that make this happen.
I think today we can be extremely pleased with all the efforts that have been put in to today and it’s excellent to see the number of people here and the youngsters especially as well. If I hazard a guess and looking at the numbers of some of the queues that are still outside, I would say we’re going to be having over 50,000, including children.
The two-seater Cheetah D was developed in South Africa, now in the national colours.
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The Silver Falcons aerobatic team.
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