Back in History - The Great Rand Airport Air Show 2016
By Willie Bodenstein
Google Banner Ad
The Rand Airshow has always been consistently good, and 2016 was no exception. The grounds were packed to capacity. The catering and stalls, as always, catered for everybody. The apron resembled a flea market, allowing those who were not really interested in what was taking place in the sky above to spend some hard-earned money. A large number of aviation-related companies also used the opportunity to display their wares and services.
In my opinion, an airshow should end on a high, keeping the crowd until the very last act. Gracefully and expertly flown, the Gulfstream display was not what one expected as the culmination of a day's aviation action.
One of the highlights of the show was undoubtedly the arrival and expert display of Mark Shad's de Havilland Rapide. Expertly flown by Springbok Classic Air's Flippie Vermeulen, it was the first time that a Rapide had been seen in Gauteng since 1987.
The Raptors have now become the most talked-about formation display team on the airshow circuit. This year, the team's display consisted of seven Vans RVs. The Raptors innovate, and each display seems to be new or at least have a different twist. They filled the sky with a display that ranks among the best in the world.
The Goodyear Pitts Specials now feature an L-28 as part of their display, bringing something new and unique to the airshow circuit.
Gary Whitecross, in the Pilatus glider sponsored by Mutual Safes, has now become a regular at airshows, and his graceful, low-level aerobatic display leaves the crowd in awe.
The Mass Radial display has become a Rand tradition, and the sound of radial engines filling the sky is one of the crowd's favourites. Rand is also home to probably the largest collection of airworthy radial-engine aircraft, and most of them feature on the day's programme.
Based at Rand, Henley Air has been part of the Rand show from day one, and their displays cater to the often-neglected "fling-wing" enthusiasts.
The Flying Lions have been part of the airshow scene for as long as most of us can remember. Now, for the first time in their history, they are without a sponsor. Keeping the Harvards, an integral part of our aviation history, flying and displaying them is an expensive undertaking, and it would be a tragedy if they were withdrawn from the show scene.
Barrie Eels in the Sbach and Elton Bondi in the Extra danced in the sky in a duet of high-performance aerobatics.
No airshow is complete without skydivers, and on Saturday a number jumped from Springbok Classic Air's Beech 18, landing with pinpoint precision in front of the packed crowd.
Springbok Classic Air first flew as part of the Mass Radial display and later performed solo displays with their DC-3 and Beech 18.
It seems that the SAAF's Silver Falcons are again regulars on the airshow circuit. Their display of precision formation aerobatics in the Pilatus PC-7s was sorely missed when the SAAF, because of budgetary constraints, stopped supporting airshows. Much to the delight of the spectators, the Falcons flew two displays during the day.
An airshow without Nigel Hopkins? Almost unthinkable. Nigel's high-performance, gravity-defying flying thrills crowds wherever he performs.
And so does Menno Parsons in the North American P-51 Mustang. Nothing gets the crowd on its feet like the Mustang. Like the Falcons, Menno flew a second display, and again the crowd showed its appreciation.
A second Mustang has now joined the airshow circuit. Flown by Pierre Gouws, the Thunder Mustang is a 0.75-scale replica of the P-51 Mustang. Thunder Mustangs have competed at the Reno Air Races, where one has recorded lap speeds of more than 355 mph.
Veterans of the airshow circuit, the Team Torre Pitts Specials have thrilled crowds for ages and still do to this day. The diminutive Pitts Special biplane has a magic all of its own, and it will remain so for years to come.
Airliners have become an integral part of airshows. Not only do they offer the ordinary man, woman and child the opportunity to see these behemoths up close, but they also create brand awareness for the airline concerned. Mango displayed one of its Boeing 737s.
The de Havilland Chipmunks first flew in formation with the eight-seat Rapide biplane and later showed why the Canadian-designed and manufactured Chipmunks are often referred to as the "little Spitfire."
It might be a homebuilt, but the RV-7 has proven itself not only as a capable competition aerobatic aircraft but also as a popular airshow display aircraft. On Saturday, Frank King flew his extremely fast RV-7 in a well-executed display.
Closing the show was Larry Beamish in the Gulfstream. Larry's display showed the full flight envelope of one of the most popular corporate jets in the history of the type.
Sound and commentary were provided by Capital Sounds. Rickus Erasmus and Francois Hannekom ensured that the show was incident-free. Marshals were provided by the Harvard Club.
