The SAAF Forum

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Gerard Griessel
http://www.wild-sky.co.za

Seems like the aircraft are already practicing, saw one of the Mustangs this morning as well as numerous aerobatic aircraft and a L-29. I'm really bummed I'm gonna miss this one

Ray de Vries has been building the show up with great mails. Got excited when he sent his last mail with a preview of some the craft appearing. It made me buy tickets.

I am hoping that SAAF will finally see Durban as fit enough to show us the Gripen. It is the only major city that hasn't been blessed with its presence.

But if it doesn't appear again this year, it is still worth going to, with all the great planes the private collectors are sharing with us. Thank you all.

Glad you found our email interesting We are working flat out on the airshow and everything is buzzing with activity here

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Gerard Griessel
http://www.wild-sky.co.za

Not only the mails, also your site. I pop on now and then to see what I am missing at the other shows (like the Gripen). I saw your pics of the T28 and Vampire and was hoping their owners will show off their beauts in Durban. The mail showed the two and I was on Computicket straight away.

It is going to be a loud Airshow.

Your wallpapers rotate with a few pics of F22's, B2, F35 and F16 pics on my desktop. I don't know how many times I have drifted off into dreamland looking at the beautiful machines.

Wx is looking crap!!

PRELIMINARY DISPLAY PROGRAMME 2012

In no particular order. Subject to change

1.Gabriel Pitts aerobatic team (4 * pitts specials)
2.Albatross L39 jet
3.Mazda Zoom Zoom (2 * extra 230)
4.Good Year aerobatic team (3 * pitts )
5.Eqstra harvards day show (4 * harvards)
6.Red Bull 330 LC (1 * extra 330)
7.ECKO Yaks (3 * yaks) with ECKO Yaks missing man formation (4 * Yaks)
8.Zoo York Zlins (2 * Zlins)
9.P51 Mustang (Patrick Davidson)
10.P51 Mustang (Meno Parson)
11.Hawker Fury (Stu Davidson)
12.Pitts S1 -11B (Stuart Saward)
13.Aero L29 Delfin (Martin Schultze)
14.DC3 (Darrell Lush – Tandum jump para drop with extra jumpers)
15.Team Extreme (2 * MX2), solo and double display
16.De Havilland Vampire T55 D.H 115 (Glen Warden)
17.Atlas Angel (para drop first drop, opening)
18.NAC Quest Kodiak (similar to caravan)
19.1Time MD80 (approx 3:00)
20.Radio control (Michele Leuche)
21.Starlite (R22, R44, R66)
22.Atlas Angel (para drop second drop, closing)
23.Reach for a dream draw
24.Grand Parade
25.Eqstra harvards night show (4 * harvards)
26.Adept aircraft display (Michele Leuche)
27.King Air 250 display

Hawker Fury or Sea Fury?

Why is this Airshow so expensive? R100 a ticket? That's more than AAD!?

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http://www.aviationlink.co.za/
http://saafinscale.blogspot.com/

You think that's expensive? Try getting tickets for the RIAT

Oh well what was looking up to be a great airshow is turning into an average one. Although there are some great aircraft on show (thanks to the private collectors), the Impala and T 28 seem to have been pulled from the show. SAAF is probably saving so it can pay for BAe's marketing of the Gripen at AAD and a Presidential jet (or two). So no or little SAAF presence this year. At least the weather is looking good and the skies should be clear for great photos.

That was a flop. For all those pilots and airplane owners that did get to the airshow and perform, thank you. Your acts were amazing. With SAAF not able to perform two shows in a Province a year (unless it is Gauteng), the programme was already small. Maybe just enough to vindicate a R100 entrance fee. But as I soon realised it was going to be a day of disappointment. Arriving at 7 am (as last year the L39 was already half way through his performance when we got there at 8h30), we waited over 3 hours for an airplane to takeoff. Then the no shows:

1.Gabriel Pitts aerobatic team (4 * pitts specials)-Great performance
2.Albatross L39 jet - Flew at 15h00, not early as this would indicate (only reason I dragged my family out of bed early to see)
3.Mazda Zoom Zoom (2 * extra 230)-Great performance
4.Good Year aerobatic team (3 * pitts )-Excellent
5.Eqstra harvards day show (4 * harvards)-Excellent
6.Red Bull 330 LC (1 * extra 330)-Never saw was bored and went home.
7.ECKO Yaks (3 * yaks) with ECKO Yaks missing man formation (4 * Yaks)-Never saw was bored and went home.
8.Zoo York Zlins (2 * Zlins)-If I recall they were new acrobats and they did a good show.
9.P51 Mustang (Patrick Davidson)-Beautiful machine.
10.P51 Mustang (Meno Parson)-No show (may have mixed the two P51's up)
11.Hawker Fury (Stu Davidson)-Firstly it is a Sea Fury, not a Fury, the Fury is a Bi-plane. No Show
12.Pitts S1 -11B (Stuart Saward)-Can't recall
13.Aero L29 Delfin (Martin Schultze)-Beautiful plane, great show.
14.DC3 (Darrell Lush – Tandum jump para drop with extra jumpers)-No tandem jumpers, not that it made any difference.
15.Team Extreme (2 * MX2), solo and double display-Awesome display, this guy is crazy.
16.De Havilland Vampire T55 D.H 115 (Glen Warden)-No Show
17.Atlas Angel (para drop first drop, opening)-Kids always love people jumping out of planes.
18.NAC Quest Kodiak (similar to caravan)-Good Show
19.1Time MD80 (approx 3:00)-No show, not a great advert for the company. At least the problem is sorted before I use them in January.
20.Radio control (Michele Leuche)-Great display
21.Starlite (R22, R44, R66)-I only saw the R66
22.Atlas Angel (para drop second drop, closing)-Never saw
23.Reach for a dream draw
24.Grand Parade
25.Eqstra harvards night show (4 * harvards)
26.Adept aircraft display (Michele Leuche)
27.King Air 250 display-Good display, though the pilot could be nicer to his lighty who had a good display in his G36, and he never messed his Goodyear's up.

So overall for the acts that did grace us with their presence the show was great. But the show could have gone faster and we all could have gotten to the Sharks game early. 30 minute breaks between shows really gets little kids agitated and ruins what could be a good day.

Negotiations between King Shaka and Virginia need to be had to get things running smoother. Can't King Shaka keep aircraft inland, and Virginia take the sea for one day.

Golf carts and Harley's parked in front of spectators was also not thought out or managed. I missed a great picture of the Eqstra's with hadidas taking off in front, due to some inconsiderate official that parked a "CWC" golf cart and left it on the grass.

My major complaint isn't the no shows, they were valid reasons. It was the R100 entrance fee for a B grade show. Every year I hear how the Durban Airshow is the premiere airshow in SA, but don't recall getting the same quality and quantity of aircraft Swartkop gets. So preshow advertisements of the T28 and Impala never materialised. Then the other no shows and other hicoughs just compounded into one big belly flop.

Hopefully it will be a lucky 20"13".