01 February
1920
General Information: During 1919 the South African Government approved the formation of an Air Force, and subsequently in June 1920, with effect from 1 February 1920, Lieutenant Colonel van Ryneveld was appointed Director of Air Services. The date 1 February 1920 is therefore accepted as the official birthday of the South African Air Force, but is a retrospective date too, because the statutory authority is (apparently) dated 1 February 1923, three years later! The actual date of the recruitment of the first airman (Sgt W.G.L. Harvey) was reported to have been 21 June 1920, Sgt W.J. Parker was attested on 5 July 1920, and the first South African Air Force pilot was, once again, Lieutenant Colonel K.R. van der Spuy, MC, who was attested on 1 April 1921. The retrospective date meant that van Ryneveld was a South African Air Force officer when he made the historic flight to the Cape with Brand (albeit in Royal Air Force uniform).
1923
General Information: By 1922 the South African Air Force comprised of two flights with six aircraft each, based at Zwartkop, but as already stated not until 1 February 1923 was the South African Air Force listed under the provisions of the Union of South Africa’s Defence Act Amendment Act as one of the units of the reconstituted Permanent Force. Van Ryneveld proposed the organization of one or two squadrons, of 18 aircraft, divided into three flights each, plus a headquarters or administrative flight each, and the organization of No 1 Flight at Zwartkop began. He arranged the system so that each flight would form the working nucleus of a squadron. A flight of SE5As was to be the core of a fighting/ground strafing squadron; the 504Ks a training and artillery squadron, and DH9s (and DH4s, 10 of which had been returned by the London Overseas Club, as they had originally been gifts from overseas, plus a further DH9 that had been returned by the City of Birmingham, England. These aircraft, added to the 100 of the Imperial Gift, and Miller’s 2 BE 2Es, meant that South Africa’s Air Force started off with 113 aircraft), were to form the cadre of a long-distance communication, photographic, bombing, and reconnaissance squadron. The South African Air Force was officially listed as a unit of the reconstituted Permanent Force.
1941
Sorties: 1 Squadron: Hurricanes flew 16 Combat Air Patrols, 12 Ferry flights and two unsuccessful intercepts. Gladiators flew four Ferry flights and two Escorts.
1942
Accidents and Losses: An Anson (1212) crashed following a mid-air collision during a ‘photo’ sortie. Five crew members sustained fatal injuries.
1943
General Information: No 43 Air School (Port Alfred): Work commenced to install a HF Direction Finding station at the aerodrome.
Accidents and Losses: A Bristol Blenheim (BA331) suffered an engine failure and was written-off following an attempted forced-landing.
1944
Accidents and Losses: A Supermarine Spitfire Mk VB (ER588), allocated to 1 Squadron did not return from a Tactical Reconnaissance mission and it is presumed the pilot did not survive the accident/incident. (Possible C/L)
1945
Accidents and Losses: 22 Squadron participated in an Air Sea rescue mission to search for a Ventura (‘G’ 6455 / 22 Squadron) which had not returned. It was discovered that the aircraft had been involved in a fatal accident – the crew had been reported to have been buried in a single grave in Algiers. It was reported that a Hurricane crashed, no further information is available.
1946
Accidents and Losses: A Harvard (7080) crashed when it struck a tree during a low-level mission, the pilot suffered fatal injuries.
1958
Deployment Updates: 16 Squadron, Bravo Flight, became the first South African helicopter squadron to be stationed at Air Force Base Durban.
1968
General Information: Air Force Station Langebaanweg was renamed to Flying Training School Langebaanweg.
Deployment Updates: No 16 Squadron was re-established, operating Alouette III helicopters based at Air Force Base Ysterplaat.
1979
Sorties: The Silver Falcon Aerobatic Team, performed at Langebaanweg, this was official display number 40.
1983
Sorties: The Silver Falcon Aerobatic Team performed at Langebaanweg, this was official display number 75.
1992
Sorties: The Silver Falcon Aerobatic Team, performed at Worcester, this was official display number 219.
1995
Sorties: The Silver Falcon Aerobatic Team, performed at the Air Force Day Parade (Pretoria), this was official display number 308.
1996
Sorties: The Silver Falcon Aerobatic Team, performed at Zwartkop, this was official display number 334.
2005
General Information: The remaining fleet of Atlas Impala Mk 1 and Mk 2 aircraft were withdrawn from active service, the last unit to be equipped with these aircraft was 85 Combat Flying School. The Impala was replaced by the BAE Hawk Mk 120 Lead in Fighter Trainer.
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