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PostPosted: 05 Aug 2018, 20:35 
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Hi

I was lucky enough to attend the Farnborough Airshow a few weeks ago, which got me thinking about airshows in general. I've been attending them since I was a child and in mind the best one I've ever been to was the SAAF's 75 Anniversary Airshow in 1995. I've never been to Oshkosh or any big US shows, but the SAAF's dau in 1996 was pretty special. Almost all the big airforces were represented and Red Arrows, SU-27 Flanker, F16, Mirage III, and many other put on flying displays. Actually a bigger variety of serious modern military hardware than I saw at Farnborough last month. I dug out my photos and was reminded of some of the static displays I'd forgotten about.
Here are some of my old pictures I've scanned in so far. No digital in 1995, so a big gritty after having been scanned.

Anyone else have recollections or pictures of the day? Especially the flying displays?


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PostPosted: 05 Aug 2018, 21:27 
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Joined: 20 Aug 2010, 14:40
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SAAF 75 was the best airshow ever seen in South Africa. I distinctly remember the experience.

So many highlights, too many to mention but here are few:
-The show opening with the Silver Falcons then the Super Mirage was amazing.
-Then the USAF F-16 came screeching down the runway into a half cuban.
-The Red Arrows were phenomenal.
-Our Looping and Rolling Rooivalk.
-The French Air Force Mirage 2000 crazy flight showed us the capability of fly by wire.
-The SAAF 2V1 Cheetah display, was aggressive and demonstrated to the world the SAAF could still hold its own.
- But the biggest highlight was arguably the "cobra" maneuver that was flown by the SU-35 (709). People still talk about that.

It was just unfortunate that it rained on the Saturday.

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PostPosted: 05 Aug 2018, 22:24 
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Youtube has everything...

Waterkloof AFB 10-1995 1


Waterkloof AFB 10-1995 2


Waterkloof AFB 10-1995 3

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PostPosted: 06 Aug 2018, 08:57 
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Joined: 01 Oct 2004, 14:33
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Took video and pictures somewhere in the trommel at home will have to dig them out,yes I was 20 years old with SAAF 75 had my Canon eos 500 Film camera and jvc video recorder,was an awesome time in my life and to be there was even better,the F-16 flew the saturday in low cloud a display I will never forget and the SU-35 COBRA..the Friday,the Friday afternoon later was a bad dust storm,I remember being covered in dust.The red arrows for me was clearly the highlight and the SU-35 and the mirage 2000.

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PostPosted: 06 Aug 2018, 21:38 
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If remember correctly there was also a Mig29 that did a Cobra. Was good to walk around the Mig29 on static display.


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PostPosted: 06 Aug 2018, 23:00 
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100ponder wrote:
If remember correctly there was also a Mig29 that did a Cobra. Was good to walk around the Mig29 on static display.


Hi 100Ponder

The Mig-29 UB did a tail slide. Another slick maneuver was the barrel roll into a alpha climb.

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PostPosted: 08 Aug 2018, 10:55 
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Joined: 15 Feb 2010, 02:11
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Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Airfire wrote:
. . . and the SU-35 COBRA. . .
The Cobra? Well that's nice but. . .

I was at AFB LT when the SU35 was operating from 2Sqn for a while (just before the actual SAAF75 airshow I think), trying to convince the SAAF that SU35 was the aircraft to buy. The Su35 pilot gave us a display which included the standard Cobra as well as a sideways Cobra. And there was none of this administrative stuff about only doing manoeuvres away from spectators - he was right overhead or pulling out as he headed towards us etc. Good stuff.


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PostPosted: 19 Aug 2018, 23:27 
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Side ways Cobra!!....that would have been something to see.

What was the mood like on the ground when the Russians visited?

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PostPosted: 21 Aug 2018, 04:15 
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MARS wrote:
What was the mood like on the ground when the Russians visited?
The pilots were keen to be allowed to have a play with the toys. The maintenance guys were impressed by how quickly and easily the Russian support crew changed an engine.

I can't remember what Russian aircraft the 2Sqn pilots got to fly in - obviously they only got to go up as passengers in dual-seaters - but I do remember our pilots were not at all impressed by the ergonomics of Avionic system. Control of radar and weapons system was not as easy / convenient as HOTAS controls on Cheetah C.


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PostPosted: 22 Aug 2018, 11:48 
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I'll quote what one of the pilots who did get a chance had to say:

Quote:
I did have the opportunity to fly the SU-30 from the front seat against 2 Cheetahs with Victor Pugachev in the back seat. The easiest three fights I ever had. Both Cheetahs were shot in 3 engagements we had. Awesome aircraft the SU-35. Turns like a dream with a lot of excess power. Easy to fly and everything worked as advertised.


I believe Wildcat occasionally reads this forum, so it would be interesting if he could add a little more to his comments above. Context here:
https://www.avcom.co.za/phpBB3/viewtopi ... t&start=30

By the way, keep in mind that recent upgrades to the Sukhois have turned them into very different aircraft than those early prototypes that visited our shores in 1995. The modern, non-export Su-30SM and Su-35S especially, are very different in almost every sense, from the basic airframe and new engine along with their shift from Soviet-style maintenance requirements to something much closer to the Western approach, to the new avionics and weapons systems and an entire ergonomic cockpit makeover. They have gone a long way in the last 20 years or so.


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PostPosted: 08 Dec 2018, 10:25 
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Yeah I had just been posted to 87 HeliFS, and as the 'gobby' instructor on the unit, was sent to WKLF to help out. I was appointed as the French Air Force Liaison Officer. They had bought out a slick C160 Transall, with modern composite props and a HUD set up in the cockpit. Modernised avionics also. Great machine....we should have done the same to ours. I recall Clive Pienaar was heavily involved and did a great job. The one whole hangar (24 Sqn's old hangar?) was set up with tables in a big square with immigration, customs, accommodation personnel, tranport all along the tables. The visiting crew just walked down the row of tables and it was all done. I heard some saying it was the best airshow admin set up they had seen. Tom McClosky (Spelling) was the USAAF F16 display pilot and a real gentleman. He said the thing which impressed him the most, was the looping Rooivalk. The Russians got a lot of bemused looks when the Hessian ply of the aircraft tyres made each tyre look like a brown fur ball. They insisted despite this protruding brown hessian sacking type ply, the tyres were good....but I was amused to see they changed them anyway.
The French were crazy...gallons of wine and after one raucous evening in the hangar with them, I left with gyros slightly toppled and wearing all sorts of different rank epelletes and badges on my SAAF uniform. The huge after party at the show was amazing. In the words of Billy Chrystall, if you say you remember the after party...you weren't there! I was very proud of the SAAF. Many of the foreign crew said is was the best airshow they had ever attended.


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