The SAAF Forum

Some aeries buzzing around Blouberg recently :

PZL-104 Wilga ZS-NPU - odd little bird :

IMG_5067 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

IMG_5074 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

Qatar B787 A7-BCS :

IMG_5056 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

Lufthansa A340-300 :

IMG_5035 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

IMG_4116 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

SAAF Oryx :

IMG_4760 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

AMS A119 Koala - something happening at Blouberg on 7 March - most probably practice. Fire engines, rubber duck, jetski etc. - A119 returning at sunset :

147A0072 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A0084 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

Great spotting.

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How come every time my ship comes in, I'm at the airport?

I find Sunday mornings are the best for light aircraft spotting in Blouberg...weather permitting.

There is a Huey that takes people for flips that's often seen flying over the beach so keep your eyes pealed.

Is the Hueys still flying? Saw them once while I lived there from the harbor. Big dream to fly in one!

Yip, I hear it quite often.

Huey Flies regularly. Only problem is it passes by too far and too high. Ex Vietnam vet as far as I can recall.

And day 1 of COVID-19 lock-down - really excited to have seen this little beauty = nice and low too - caught me by surprise as those turboprops are quiet :

IMG_4767 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

Followed by an Oryx going the other way :

IMG_4785 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

Cops on the lookout for beach invaders.... Looks like they plakked a cop star sticker on a civilian Bell 206 :

IMG_4773 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

And then coming back from a trip to Saldanha :

IMG_4801 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

I wish they'd pass by a bit lower ....

Thanks Mistral, we'll just have to enjoy our aircraft fix vicariously through you.

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How come every time my ship comes in, I'm at the airport?

Great shots Mistral.
Nope, no SAPS cop star there on the Bell 206. Maybe Metro police?
From an article in the Police Aviation News 286 – February 2020: “Air support across South Africa is vested in the aircraft and helicopters of the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) but on occasion additional local resources are required. During late December the City of Cape Town brought in a Bell 206B JetRanger III helicopter, ZT-REJ, to enhance beach safety at a time when the local populace was boost-ed by increasing visitors. The Bell was used to take Safety and Security staff to inspect beaches including Muizen-berg, Strandfontein, Mnandi, and Strand along the False Bay coast. It’s a pilot project which the city embarked on at the beginning of December 2019 to support beach safety officials, Metro police and law enforcement officers patrolling the sea edge and the roads leading to beaches from above. Not only did the ‘eye in the sky’ provide information about traffic patterns around the city, it also facilitated the detection of various other incidents. Car accidents and broken-down vehicles on major routes, a land invasion, fires, a kite surfer in distress, and fighting on beaches are but a few of the events detected by the helicopter patrol system. After proving itself to be very useful over the festive season, the City is considering the permanent imple-mentation of the helicopter patrol.”

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There's no such thing as a good or bad gun. A gun in the hands of a bad man is a very dangerous thing. A gun in the hands of a good person is no danger to anyone except the bad guy.

We need to do some aircraft spotting once this lockdown is over, I'm 2 minutes from the beach and have alot of spare time on my hands.

Thanks for the explanation Wingman

GAU-8A - I agree - here are more from today - they didn't traverse along the beach as usual but went more inland - I guess to the N7 ? Better light that side anyway win the afternoon :

First one directly overhead - not sure of serial number :

147A0222 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

Here's Oryx 1212 :

147A0253 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

Lynx 191 :

147A0240 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

AMS Augusta AW119 ZT-RZS :

147A0228 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

The Oryx does a circle over my place every afternoon since lock down. I think it circles Blaauwberg hospital as I'm within walking distance of the hospital. They do one pass and then are gone.

Some from yesterday :

Lynx 191 - heading back to Yesterplaat :

147A0258 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

C-208B Grand Caravan 3005 - long range shot :

147A0272 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

TP Dak 6825 :

147A0266 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

Lynx 191 from today - nice low flyby on its way back to Ysterplaat :

147A0282 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A0288 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A0292 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A0298 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A0305 - 800 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr