04 May
1918 W.L. Jordan, a South African pilot serving in the Royal Naval Air Service & Royal Air Force (flying a Sopwith Camel during World War 1), successfully shot down a German Pflaz DIII, this was his 21st confirmed air-to-air victory.
1928 An 504K (421) was written-off following an accident in the Lyttelton area, the pilot Cadet Wessels was fatally injured.
1941 The following sorties took place: 1 Squadron. Hurricanes flew three Test Flights, six Combat Air Patrols and four Scramble/Intercepts (unsuccessful – ‘allied aircraft’). 51 Flight. Three Ju-52s flew the following routes during Air Support missions: Nairobi to Addis Ababa; Nairobi to Diredawa as well as Khartoum to Nairobi. The following aircraft losses were reported: A Vickers Wellesley aircraft used by 1 Squadron for training purposes, crashed.
1942 A Hartbees (804), belonging to 41 Squadron executed a forced landing after encountering bad weather on a cross-country navigation flight. Three Bristol Blenheim aircraft crashed in what was referred to as the Kura Disaster, when the three aircraft crashed during bad weather, approximately 150 from Kufra. Nine fatalities were reported.
1943 The remaining elements of 26 Squadron arrived to join the unit deployed at Takoradi, following a sea journey from the Union of South Africa. The unit was also declared operational as a ‘General Reconnaissance Squadron’ under 298 Wing (Royal Air Force). The unit also received the first batch of Vickers Wellington aircraft. A total of 16 Wellingtons were operated by 26 Squadron. The following aircraft losses were reported: An Airspeed Oxford (3869) was involved in a fatal accident, fatally injuring all on-board. A Harvard IIA (7281) was involved in a fatal aircraft accident in the Brooklyn area – it was an unauthorized night flight.
1944 A 24 Squadron, Marauder (FB508) crashed (due to possible hostile ground fire)– six fatalities were reported.
1945 40 Squadron was reported to be operational at the La Russia Landing Ground; the callsign for the airfield was ‘Stalin’. 25 Squadron’s Marauders took part in the South African Air Force final raid of World War II; one aircraft (HD667) was lost due to enemy action (7 fatalities).
1978 Operation REINDEER commenced. The operation’s objective was to attack three identified target areas, primarily in the Cassinga area, as well as previously identified targets for Operation BRUILOF. Operation REINDEER’s targets were as follows: Target ALPHA (known to SWAPO as ‘Moscow’), the former mining town of Cassinga (plan to have air assault para drop of 257 troops). It was identified as SWAPO’s main Forward Operational HQ in southern Angola as well as a training camp for insurgents. Target BRAVO (known to SAWPO/Angolans as Viet Nam) consisted of a network of six targets/bases in the Chetequera area. It was the reported SWAPO’s Forward HQ for their operations in western Ovamboland (SWA/Namibia) as well as a main supply depot. Target CHARLIE; a number of smaller/suspect SWAPO bases approximately 8-10nm east of Chetequera, attacked by Mirage IIIs. The ‘vlamgatte’ (fighter pilots) had been quite since 1953, when they wrote a proud chapter for the South African Air Force during the exploits of 2 Squadron in Korea. Their 1st chance to prove their worth again came on 4.05.1978, at Cassinga in Angola. True to their motto: ‘First into Action’, 12 Squadron laid out the initial ‘punishment’ with their Canberra aircraft, followed by 24 Squadron’s Buccaneers (412, 413, 416, 421, 423 & 423); the latter aslo conducting their first offensive mission in SAAF service. Combat Air Patrols were flown by 2 Squadron’s Mirage IIICZ.
1999 21 Squadron’s remaining HS-125 Mercurius aircraft were withdrawn from active service.
2002 The Silver Falcon Aerobatic Team; operating PC-7 Mk II aircraft, performed at Mykonos; this was show number 390. The Silver Falcon Aerobatic Team; operating PC-7 Mk II aircraft, performed at Langebaanweg; this was show number 391 and 392.
2006 The last formation of Alouette IIIs flew at AFB Bloemspruit.
05 May
1939 Aircraft Delivery to SAAF: Hart 1 / Serial(s): 394
1940 New Squadron Commanding Officer appointed: 12 Sqn / Major Martin.
1941 Aircraft Deliveries: Tiger Moth: 2106 to 2108; 2127 (appreciated date) 1 Squadron. Hurricanes flew three General Handling, 10 Combat Air Patrols and two Scramble/Intercepts (unsuccessful – ‘allied aircraft’). 51 Flight. Two Ju-52s flew the following routes during Air Support missions: Addis Ababa to Nairobi and Diredawa to Nairobi. A Hart I (393) was involved in an accident, in the East London area.
1942 Aircraft Delivery to SAAF: Hart ‘Trainer’ / Serial(s): 2053. A Curtiss P-75 (2532) ditched into the sea off Durban, due to engine failure.
1943 Three Airspeed Oxfords: (1) 3364: Swung on take-off at night from Port Alfred, (2) 3689 and (3) reportedly ‘crashed as well. A Ventura (6006) crashed – swung on take-off .
1944 1 Squadron deployed to Sinello All remaining Wellington aircraft (26 Squadron) re-deployed from Pointe Noire to Takarodi.
1970 Aircraft Deliveries HS-125: 04 / ZS-LPE P-166S Albatross: 888
1983 Puma helicopters were utilised to up-load captured SWAPO documents and equipment following a 32 Battalion Operation (Op DOLFYN).
1995 The Silver Falcon Aerobatic Team; operating Impala Mk 1 aircraft, performed at Hoedspruit; this was show number 339.
06 May
1915 Following the arrival of the South African Aviation Corps first aircraft a couple of days earlier in Walvis Bay, Kenneth van der Spuy conducted the first aerial reconnaissance flight in the area surrounding Walvis Bay. Shortly after this flight, all the aircraft departed to the South African Aviation Corps’s first base in South West Africa at Karabib. The latter base had been vacated by the previously German aircraft that had operated from there. South African Aviation Corps under command of Major Wallace was now operational with a number of Henri Farman F.27’s and BE.2Cs
1929 The only Avro Spartan operated by the air force, conducted a ferry flight from Cape Town to Zwartkop.
1935 The first Curtiss P-36 Hawk became the first Mohawk aircraft to fly.
1940 Aircraft Delivery to SAAF: Hind (111, K5379, K5493 and L7232).
1941 1 Squadron. Hurricanes flew six Combat Air Patrols and a General Handling flight. 51 Flight. A single Ju-52 Air Support mission was flown from Nairobi to Diredawa.
1943 1 Squadron. The unit deployed to Hergla.
1952 Engine failure, jettisoned bombs, bailed out, rescued (Mustang 348)
07 May
1940 Aircraft Delivery to SAAF: Hind (104, 108 to 110, 112 and K6831)
1941 Aircraft Delivery to SAAF: Hart ‘Trainer’ (449, 471 and K5882) / Hind (3002 and 3006).
1942 Hartbees 814, allocated to 41 Squadron sustained Cat 1 damage during a landing accident. 5 Squadron claimed to have shot-down a Junker Ju-88. The aircraft used was reportedly a Tomahawk IIB (AN247). A 1808 Loadstar (246) crashed in the Bulawayo (Rhodesia/Zimbabwe) area. The construction number of the aircraft was 2053, and was also a former commercial aircraft, registered as ZS-ATG. Two Bristol Beaufort Mk 1 aircraft were involved in accidents: “755” suffered engine failure; and ‘759’ was written-off during landing .
1943 26 Squadron split into three flights ‘A, B and C’. A-Flight deployed to Pointe Noire, B-Flight to Lagos and C-Flight to Takoradi. All flights commenced the conversion course too. A de Havilland DH.82 (2340) was involved in a fatal accident (spin) after take-off in the Randfontein Area. A Baltimore (FA115) with six crew on-board, allocated to 21 Squadron was involved in a fatal accident, when an engine failed and the crew attempted a forced landing.
1944 1 Squadron deployed to Sinello. 26 Squadron deployed to Ikeja to conduct ‘moonlight operations’ in an attempt to locate German U-Boats operating in the Atlantic Ocean off the West African Coast.
1945 40 Squadron redeployed the unit’s Supermarine Spitfires from the La Russia landing Ground to Travise.
1952 A Supermarine Spitfire (5631) reportedly crashed in South Africa.
1957 Shackleton MR Mk 3, (serial 1717 “O”, construction number 1527) made her maiden flight in the United Kingdom.
1976 A Piaggio P-166S Albatross (894) crashed in the area of Dassen Island, fatally injuring Maj RH Carter and Capt. GMA Rossouw. The cause of this accident remains a mystery...!
1982 An Impala Mk 1 (550), presumably allocated to 6 Squadron crashed in the Port Elizabeth area, fatally injuring Capt. RR Huges. Capt. RM Turner made a successful ejection from the aircraft.
1986 The Silver Falcon Aerobatic Team; operating Impala Mk 1 aircraft, performed at Swartkops; this was show number 160.
1994 A C-47 Dakota (6816) was written-off during an accident.
1997 A 2 Squadron Mirage IIICZ (805) was delivered to the South African Air Force Museum at Swartkop.
08 May
1941 Unidentified Squadrons. A Lodestar flew an Air support mission to Germiston. 1 Squadron. Hurricanes flew nine Ferry flights and two Scramble/Intercepts (unsuccessful – ‘allied aircraft’) 51 Flight. A Ju-52 flew an Air Support mission from Nairobi to Addis Ababa. 5 Squadron was established at Zwartkop and equipped with Curtiss Mohawk aircraft. 21 Squadron was formed at Nakuru, Kenya. The Officer Commanding was Major J.D. Pretorius. The following aircraft losses were reported: A Junkers Ju-86, serial 652 was written-off during an accident in the Dalle area. No fatalities. All six persons on board survived. An Anson (1115) was involved in an accident when it ditched due to engine failure. Two Curtiss Tomahawk aircraft, both allocated to 2 Squadron crashed during combat missions, both pilots did not survive. The aircraft were: AK348 and AK443.
1942 A Fairy Battle (951) was involved in a fatal accident after the aircraft entered a spin.
1943 The 1st Wings Parade took place at 26 Air School - Pietersburg. 19 x RAF pilots received wings from F/Marshall Jan Smuts.
1945 40 Squadron was placed on standby to participate in Operation FREEBORN, a contingency operation, in the event of German Forces making a stand in Austria. A 19 Squadron Bristol Beaufighter (NV603) was involved in an accident.
1953 A Harvard (7663) crashed (possible fuel starvation) when the pilot became lost during a navigation exercise.
1976 No 88 Advanced Flying School established from the Maritime Operational Training Unit.
1993 An Impala Mk 1 (537) reportedly had a main bearing failure resulting in an accident whilst on a Tactical Navigation training sortie in the Nelspriut area. The aircraft belonged to 85 Combat Flying School.
1996 A C-185D (742) crashed and was written-off.
1999 16 Squadron, Air Force Base Bloemspruit received their first Rooivalk helicopters.
2004 The Silver Falcon Aerobatic Team; operating PC-7 Mk II aircraft, performed at Upington; this was show number 427 and 428.
08 May
1941 Aircraft Delivery to SAAF: Hind (3005) 1 Squadron. A Hurricane done a Ferry flight. 51 Flight. Two Ju-52 Air Support missions were flown: Diredawa to Nairobi; and Addis Ababa to Nairobi. No 21 Squadron was established for the first time at Nakuru, Kenya. The unit was equipped with Marylands.
1942 A 60 Squadron Maryland (AH366) was shot-down by a Luftwaffe Bf-109, the crew of four suffered fatal injuries. 5 Squadron reported the loss of two Curtiss Tomahawk aircraft (AN421 and AN426). Both aircraft were damaged by Luftwaffe Bf-109’s during a training sortie. (C/L during training).
2004 The Silver Falcon Aerobatic Team; operating PC-7 Mk II aircraft, performed at Upington; this was show number 429 and 430.
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