STELLENBOSCH AIR SHOW

The Western Cape does not get as many airshows as the Joburg area - which is a shame as it has great airshow performers and one of the best venues in the world for a flying club airshow.

THIS YEAR’S AIR SHOW was held over the Friday and Saturday preceding the Easter weekend.

A unique first on the Friday featured a Flying Lions’ sunset show flown to live music from the whole tutti of the Stellenbosch Philharmonic Orchestra. They performed many well-known aviation movie themes, including Nini Rosso’s very moving - Il Silenzio. There was many a damp eye wiped on a sleeve. https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=_s5-0cUCQOQ

The biggest drawback of hosting an airshow in the Cape is fickle weather. On the Saturday morning there was rain and low-lying mist. This lifted to become a solid cloud base at around 1000 ft, which meant all the aerobatic performances had to be ‘flat’. Other Cape air shows have had to contend with 30-knot winds, most notably the SAAF airshow at Langebaan a few years ago.

The Cape is increasingly blessed with great air show performers basing themselves away from the catastrophe that is Johannesburg and the “Big Smoke.” Notable is the Marksmen aerobatic team, led by Mark Hensman, with Johnie Smith on his wing, (who comes all the way from Hoedspruit), Gary Glasson and Eugene Du Preez. This team has achieved a world-class level of polish, despite the challenge of flying unmatched aircraft, being a mix of Extras, an XtremeAir XA42 and an MX2.