South Africa 2024
4Aviation has already been to beautiful South Africa twice before for the African Aerospace and Defence (AAD) and we were also there for the 2024 edition. The fat years with Buccaneers, Canberras, Cheetahs and Mirages are long gone, but if you want to see something of the South African Air Force, you really have to go there. We had a nice group together again for this beautiful adventure.
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On Monday 16 September 2024, four of us were at Schiphol in the morning in the starting blocks for the long flight to the far south. Our national pride brought us safely to Johannesburg where we arrived about ten hours later. Customs and baggage went reasonably smoothly and a ‘man’ was ready with our van for the coming week. We quickly got used to driving on the left again and within two hours after landing we were in our familiar guesthouse in Pretoria.
At breakfast on Tuesday 17 September 17 2024, we met our two American participants who had already arrived in South Africa a week earlier and had enjoyed a few very nice days in the Kruger Park in the wonderful nature. Around 08:00 we left for Waterkloof AFB where the AAD would be held. The event had not yet started on this day, but we nevertheless received our entrance tickets and were free to go about our business at the airfield.
The AAD was still under construction and several aircraft were arriving. Most of us would not really be enthusiastic about a small Enstrom helicopter, but when it is gray and carries full Zambia Air Force titles, that changes immediately! It fits very well with the “Oempf” theme on the 4Aviation Flightline page on Facebook! Two weeks earlier, 4Aviation was also present at the show in Egypt and a Chinese crew member had shared that they would also be present here with a Y-20, they had just told the wrong person. Every day around noon, room was made for a ‘Miniwar’, which we would call an Air Power Demo. Today was one of the first rehearsals and there was still some work to be done. But that would be fine at the end of the week. Around noon, the sun also turns over the runway and taking pictures becomes a bit more challenging. In the course of the afternoon, the last participant had also arrived, we greeted him at the airfield. Around 18:00 we left the field and went to a supermarket for some shopping and then to the guesthouse. An hour or two later we were sitting on a cozy terrace with a delicious meal, accompanied by a nice drink.
On Wednesday 18 September 2024 we went back to the base nice and early, the event was now officially opened, they had worked hard the previous night to get everything (almost) finished. They had now mastered the mini war very well and it was great to see, from very close by. This is of course never 100% realistic, but should give an idea of the capabilities of the South African armed forces. First a number of Hawks took off, which normally took the western taxiway, but now crossed the runway towards the public, a very cool sight! An A109 flew nearby with Command & Control duties, two Rooivalks came on reconnaissance to thin out the battlefield a bit, the Hawks also helped with this. In the meantime, several dozen soldiers had arrived in various armoured vehicles, protected by a number of tanks on wheels. Another A109 landed in front of us and then continued. This all took place on a strip of “green” (the sand was more red) between the runway and the public. It had not rained for a while in this part of the country and all actions were accompanied by a large red dust cloud that violently found its way to the adjacent chalets with flags and parasols, etc. These people were not happy about it, but for us it was great to see. After the A109 followed two Oryxes and a Bk117, while the Rooivalks and Hawks kept flying around. The Oryxes came again and then a parade of all participating vehicles and helicopters followed.
This afternoon two cool Warbirds also arrived, a South African Impala and American T-2B Buckeye. The Zambian K-8 also did its demo as well as an A109, Bk117 and Rooivalk.
It is already Thursday 19 September 2024 when we are sent to the parking lot via a different route and are sent past the hangars of the VIP fleet. A few minutes before arriving at the base we had already seen the Falcon 900 depart (which we had also seen arrive earlier in the week), and on the ramp was a Falcon 50 and in the hangar behind it was the other one from the SAAF. Also a PC-12 and a Beech that we could not identify. On the static a Ce208 was exchanged and the Impala and T-2 did a nice demo. The complaints from the exhibitors about the Miniwar had helped, in a negative way, and the demo was a bit further away and the helicopters land on the runway, which meant that there was almost no dust. The announcer clearly did not agree with this and made that very clear. There was now also a demo from the police with two H125s, a PC-6 and many cars on the runway. The SAAB Gripen were notably absent, so far. There had already been various rumours and various times of arrival were also mentioned, but they were all incorrect. At 13:40 single seater 25 touched down, taxied to the other side, but was towed towards the static shortly after. Then the VIP B737 took off and, just like yesterday, a local product, the Paramount Mwari showed what it is capable of. It looks a bit like a mini OV-10 Bronco with the same characteristics. The Hawk in South African flag colours did its demo and in very beautiful evening light a Stearman and two Chipmunks closed the show. A little earlier than the day before we went to our Guesthouse.
The weather forecast for Friday 20 September 2024 was not so good, nor for the day after. And because we also wanted to visit the air force museum at Zwartkop, this was a nice day for that. Shortly before leaving for South Africa, the museum’s website suddenly stated that they were closed. We tried to contact them in various ways, but they did not feel the need, because there was no response. Thanks to our friends on social media, we were put in touch with the friends of the museum and the visit on this Friday was possible after all, very nice. The museum consists of a number of hangars on the base, an outdoor display and also a hangar on the operational part from which a number of airworthy museum aircraft operate.
While we were walking outside, the clouds slowly cleared and we had blue sky for a while. We were able to capture the aircraft outside nicely, but also some of the helicopters of the miniwar, which operated from here, and the helicopters of the historical flight, an Al2, two Al3 and a Puma. A very successful day.
The weather was even worse for Saturday 21 September 2024, and it was also the coldest day of the year with temperatures just above freezing. That’s why we went for a round of Wreck & Relics. We started with a Puma and Lockheed Ventura, via the South African National Museum of Military in Johannesburg (with among others the only remaining Me262 dual night fighter, followed by a Cheetah in a climbing hall, a Shackleton on a gas station, a number of schools with Mirages and an Impala, another school with two Impalas and a Harvard and ended with a Mirage F1. On the way we came to a very large coat shop, where we did some shopping. After that the day was over.
Sunday 22 September 2024 was the last day for the show and for the tour, because that evening KLM would take us home again. The airport opened its gates at 06:00 and not much later we also drove onto the parking lot. On the flight line we now also saw three two-seater Gripen that had arrived on Friday. At 07:30 the air show started with a para-dropping An-2 and a number of other aircraft from the light aviation. The emergency services left their equipment on the runway and above it hovered a white Oryx. There was not much left of the Silver Falcons demo team and two PC-7s, just like earlier in the week, took to the air. Then followed all the other demo elements that we had seen before, except for the Y-20, because we had not seen that one fly yet, but now we did. A special formation was a Safair B737 with four Hawks, which showed a tight demo. Two Gripens now also participated in the Miniwar and simulated a fight with a Hawk. At the end of the day no less than six Hawks and three Gripens took off and taxied via our favourite taxiway to the runway. After the Rooivalk had done its demo, with ejection of Flares, the formation of nine aircraft came across the field with the setting sun at its back. A very impressive sight and great of the SAAF to have managed this.
This also ended the show for us and our American friends were dropped at a hotel near the airport and the other participants at the terminal. For the few days with less weather we had a nice alternative program and despite the fact that the SAAF is short of money we were able to capture most active types. The dates for 2026 are known and we will definitely try to be there again.
