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  Zwartkop 2018
  Part 3
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Text:

Urs Schnyder

Pictures:

Urs Schnyder

   

Aero L-39 Albatros

The L-39 Albatros was flown by Lt Col Glen Warden.

   

Aero L-39 Albatros (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Aero L-39 Albatros (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Aero L-39 Albatros (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Aero L-39 Albatros (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

       

Aero L-39 Albatros (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Aero L-39 Albatros (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Team Extreme

Being a rather new team having formed in 2010 as a two ship formation under the leadership of Nigel Hopkins, they expanded to four aircraft in 2014. Being a young team as far as their more than 100 displays are concerned, the four pilots can show off more than 47’000 flight hours in total.

 

Team Extreme (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Team Extreme (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Team Extreme (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Team Extreme (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

 
 

Team Extreme (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Team Extreme (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Team Extreme (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Goodyear Team

This is one of the oldest Teams in South Africa, being founded in 1985 by Dennis Spence. Since 2009 they are sponsored by Goodyear. They fly the Pitts Special and combine a total of more than 50’000 hours of flying.

 

Team Goodyear (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Team Goodyear (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Team Goodyear (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Team Goodyear (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

   

Team Goodyear (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Team Goodyear (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Team Goodyear (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Falcon & T-Kudu

This year the Falcons were only present with a solo display. Flown by Maj Bheki Shabangu he represented the team as they were still forming up after having lost some of their members to an airline. This is a constant problem of the military as their pilots are snapped up by the everincreasing need of airlines for new pilots.

The Turbo Kudu has been modified like so many aircraft before it by replacing the piston engine with a turbine.

 

Silver Falcon Solo Display (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Silver Falcon Solo Display (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Silver Falcon Solo Display (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Silver Falcon Solo Display (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

     

Atlas Kudu reengined with Turboprop engine (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Atlas Kudu reengined with Turboprop engine (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Harvards

Twelve Harvards at the same time is not something that you can see every day. They were flown in three formation of four each from the SAAF Museum flight, the Harvard Club and the Puma aerobatic team. After the flypast they landed and were directed in a long row in front of the audience where they did a coordinated mass shutdown. They were directed on the ground by a group of young volunteers who are trained by the Harvard Club to do the marshalling tasks.

 

Museum and Harvard Club Machines (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Museum Harvards (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Harvard club Machines(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Harvard club Machines(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

 

Museum owned Harvards(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Museum owned Harvards(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Museum owned Harvards(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Museum owned Harvards(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

 

Museum owned Harvards(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Museum owned Harvards(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Museum owned Harvards(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Harvard club machines break for landing (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

Museum Harvard rolling (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Museum Harvard rolling (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Lineup of 12 Harvards with their Marshallers who are students (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Team Puma

This is the only team not flying any modern aircraft. Calling themselves the flying Lions they formed up in 1999 under the leadership of Scully Lewin. They are presently sponsored by Puma energy. The same pilots also fly the COWS aerobatic team.

 

Team Puma (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Team Puma (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Team Puma (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Team Puma (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

Team Puma (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Team Puma (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Team Puma (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Lockheed C-130 Hercules

 

During the day, the C-130 Hercules made many appearances in the airshow schedule, mostly in support of other acts. What the crew kept until the last was their performance where they pretend to push and pull the aircraft backwards, suitably supported by the reverse trust of the engines, which however is not obvious to the audience.

Landing approach (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

 
 

Leaving some rubber on the runway (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Climbing away (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Tactical approach (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Pushing and pulling a Hercules (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Saab Gripen

This was the last act of the day. Maj Cooper flew the Gripen in the setting sun that managed to change the aircrafts grey colour to a more warm, golden hue, After the display, Maj. Cooper rolled the Gripen to the speaker’s position. He then gave the audience a chance to have their picture taken with him, an opportunity that a lot of people took

 

Gripen take off (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Gripen in the setting sun (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Gripen in the setting sun (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Gripen in the setting sun (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

 

Gripen climbing after takeoff (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Gripen in battle formation (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Gripen with open airbrakes (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Retracting the undercarriage  (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

I would like to thank my friends from the SAAF Museum photographers club for their hospitality and Russel Dixon-Paver for his help in preparing my visit.

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last update

Written 21. May 2018

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