Rand Airshow 2023

Rand Airshow 2023

The first Sunday in September marked my first post-Covid airshow and my first time at the Rand Airshow since 2017. 

Rand is a grand old airport, with a majestic art-deco 1930’s terminal building when it was Johannesburg’s main airport - a status it held until 1948. Today it is the home to both the Flying Lions and the SAA Museum along with many aviation related companies. 

Although the gates opened at eight, flying was scheduled to start at ten so there was time to have a look around the flightline and ground exhibits. These included a Honda Jet, a Cirrus SR22 and a horde of helicopters, particularly in the Henley hanger. 

The flying got off to a yellow start, with Grant Timms flying a tiny experimental aircraft and a pair of Tiger Moths. Both displays showed the low speed capabilities of these planes as they drifted into a twenty knot headwind. 

Another Tiger followed as Menno Parson’s UH-1 dropped off the ‘Tiger Girls’ before departing with four skydivers. This jump officially opened the show and, while the breeze was constant rather than blustery, arriving in such winds showed both nerve and skill. 

The Flying Lions then supplied the requisite Harvard roar at their home airshow. Their displays are always polished and this was no exception. 

The above-mentioned Henley Aviation operate the world’s largest fleet of Bell 222’s and an air ambulance version showed off a brilliant livery, aimed at the children this aircraft often saves. 

Andrew Blackwood-Murray and Elton Bondi then showed off why South African aerobatic pilots are admired around the world. 

The GoodYear Eagles provided their usual brilliant display - even if some members of the crowd were distract by P-51 Mustang Sally starting its engine. 

Menno Parson’s P-51 was obviously what many of the crowd were waiting for and they were not disappointed with their views of Africa’s only flying Mustang. 

Mustang Sally was then followed by another of the Parson’s fleet in the form of a very attractive L-39 Albatros. Held down low, it provided some great photo opportunities as it took off with the Johannesburg skyline visible behind it. 

A change of pace saw a Cirrus SR22 followed by the Magni Gyrocopter and a very shiny taste of 1930’s aviation. A polished gliding display was next - though purists might question the jet engine!

More aerobatics followed, including the RV-8’s that show what potential home builds are capable of. 

The Chipmunk display may have been sedate, but it was great to see three of these wonderful aircraft performing together in southern African skies. 

Helicopters were up next and the sportier of the two on show then took on Team Xtreme at drag racing and then a hovering competition. 

An unusual airshow and enthusiastic display was then given by Airlink’s newly delivered E195 which sports a smart black livery. 

This display certainly got the large crowd going!

Hired Gun’s Pitts then showed what their Pitts Specials are capable of before an Alouette gave an impressive display of what this veteran can still do. 

Every South African Airshow seems to throw up an unusual formation and this time it was Mustang Sally flanked by Team Xtreme’s Extras. The show was then closed by the Flying Lions as those in the crowd who resisted the after show party drifted away.

From a personal point of view, it was great to catch up with the great and good of the South African aviation media world after the Covid enforced break. However, it was noticeable that the airshow scene is struggling a little to get back to its former glory with fewer aircraft on display compared with my last visit. Some of this is clearly financial - these shows cost millions - but some of it was put down to the lack of younger display pilots coming through the ranks. Display flying no longer pays a fortune and the risks were highlighted to the aerobatic community with the death of Glen Warden. His said passing is  still reverberating nearly two years after his crash. 

In view of this it was nice to see Grant Timms, who I flew with in a Harvard several years ago, making great strides and Ryan Briggs making his airshow debut in the number two slot in a Chipmunk. Hopefully they, and Jason Beamish, can inspire a new generation into display flying. 

It was nice to see that the South African media had such good memories of Botswana shows - Botswana was mentioned more than once in Brian Emmenis’s commentary - but they were fearful that they might have seen the last of these. The rumours on that side of the border was that the Botswana Government had dragged their heels over giving permission for another Matsieng show - perhaps while they explored the idea of having a government run airshow in either Gaborone or Selibe Phikwe. 

In summary, this year’s Rand Airshow may not have been the best ever, but it was a very pleasant family day out in a friendly,  well-organised and safe venue. If the variety of aircraft was not all that could have been wished for, the standard of the flying was as good as anything you could see anywhere in the world. I will definitely be back for this one. 

All the pics from the airshow (and some videos!) can be seen at https://www.flickr.com/photos/119086573@N02/albums/72177720310961127