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Post by Bearcat on Jan 30, 2009 6:54:35 GMT 12
I am guesing that there are more than a few South Africans living in Kiwi Land so I thought I would post a pic or two from this end of the world. This is a pic of a friends Yak-52 overhead my home airfield, Rand Airport (FAGM)  |
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Post by Rare Bear on Jan 30, 2009 7:20:29 GMT 12
Greetings, My name is Keaton, Bearcat is my dad. I am currently busy with my PPL and work at a company that provides scenic flights in Tiger Moths from Rand Airport. ZS-ARM is one of our Tigers.  |
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Post by stu on Jan 30, 2009 8:49:36 GMT 12
Great photos of a couple of really nice aircraft guys and welcome to the forum. The weather looks a bit ominous in your photo Keaton  Cheers, Stu. |
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Post by Bruce on Jan 30, 2009 10:26:37 GMT 12
welcome aboard guys.
I see from your pictures Rand has a very interesting selection of classic propliners - and a couple of 747s (Ive seen the video ofthe SP arriving...) looks like a great place to fly.
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Post by Bearcat on Jan 30, 2009 11:17:08 GMT 12
Rand is indeed a very interesting airfield, dating back to the 1930's when it used to be SA's main international airport. Today it is very much a GA airfield but one of the busiest in SA. Many historic aircraft continue to operate here and its fairly unique because there are 3 DC-4's ... as well as quite a few DC-3's that continue to operate charters from here. Have a look at www.flyskyclass.co.za. Nearly all of SA's airshow performers are based at Rand. Sadly though, we dont have the warbirds that you do in NZ ...except for plenty of Harvards...(12) and we have lots of Tiger Moths (15) and Chipmunks(10) Aerobatics is popular though and there are about 6 Extras and 10 Pitts's based here |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 31, 2009 7:38:07 GMT 12
Welcome to the forum Bearcat and Keaton, great photos!I wonder if any of the DC-3's you mention are ex RNZAF ones? I believe some are still flying in South Africa.
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Post by Marcus on Jan 31, 2009 8:27:08 GMT 12
- and a couple of 747s (Ive seen the video ofthe SP arriving...) looks like a great place to fly. Bruce, I took the following two pics at Gateway International Airport. SAA brought one of its 747’s along to give flips to the local kids and landed at Gateway. As you can see for yourself a fairly tight squeeze to get the big bird down and up again. I have read somewhere that he destroyed a large number of landing lights due to the wings and engines hanging over the edge of the runway. You might find the following pics interesting:   I used to teach in Pietersburg (now called Polokwane) which was about half way between Pretoria and the Zimbabwe border. On the outskirts of the town was Gateway “International” Airport. The airport was originally one of the countries major Air Force bases and home to the SAAF’s fast jet operational training unit. (Vampires, Sabres and later Impala’s and several Mirage III varients.) It was also the location of the SAAF’s “Top Gun” fighter school. This was the time the SAAF was heavily involved in the Namibian/Angolan Bush War. After the war ended in 1989 the base was handed over to civilian managment and development took place with the aim of the airport becoming a predominant freight “Gateway” to Africa. Unfortunately the grand idea never came to fruition and the airport gained a reputation as a dodgy place from where all kinds of nefarious cargoes were flown out of SA for the various warring factions throughout the continent. All kinds of “interesting” aircraft would pitch up at the airport from time to time. On one of my regular Sunday jaunts to the airport in 2004 I noticed several military looking chaps in denims and check shirts having a BBQ and a few beers. I found this strange as the airport was usually very quiet on Sundays with the hangars and maintenance shops closed. To cut a long story short the next day we heard on the news that a large number of mercenaries on their way to Equatorial Guinea had been apprehended in Harare. The following from Wikipedea: In 7 March 2004 Zimbabwean police in Harare airport impounded a plane which flew in from South Africa with 67 alleged mercenaries on board. On March 9, 2004 Nick du Toit and 14 other South African and Armenian men were arrested in Equatorial Guinea on suspicion of being the mercenaries' vanguard. The alleged plot leader ex-Special Air Service (SAS) officer Simon Mann, was arrested with two colleagues near the runway while waiting for arms to be loaded on a Boeing 727, carrying three crew and 64 former soldiers recruited in South Africa. As we are chatting about aviation in SA I thought the above might be of interest! Groete Marcus |
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Post by Bearcat on Jan 31, 2009 10:38:25 GMT 12
Welcome to the forum Bearcat and Keaton, great photos!I wonder if any of the DC-3's you mention are ex RNZAF ones? I believe some are still flying in South Africa. Dave, I am not aware of any ex NZ Daks in SA but if you can point me in the right direction via either c/n's or registrations I will see whether I have got any pics. For interest, an ex NZAF Boeing 727 visited Rand about a year or so ago ... I will try and dig up a pic. |
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Post by Bearcat on Jan 31, 2009 10:41:02 GMT 12
Marcus, thanks for posting those 747 pics... very interesting.
You are right re Polokwane ... "interesting stuff" happens there ;D
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Post by Bearcat on Jan 31, 2009 10:44:18 GMT 12
Completely off topic ... BUT ;D ;D ;D ;D
Now that SA have sorted out the Aussies in cricket ;D ;D ... can you guys please finish them off in your upcoming matches...
We would like them to be nervous wrecks before they arrive for their tour here ;D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 31, 2009 12:46:40 GMT 12
Bearcat, the adf.serials site lists last known whereabouts of ex-RNZAF Dakote NZ3542 (c/n 16386/33134; US number 44-76802) being at Wonderboom in 2002, and NZ3546 (c/n 16565/33313; or 44-76981) also being there at that time.
NZ3547 (c/n 16730/33478; or 44-77146) was also there but not fluing in 2004. Any ideas whether these three Dakotas are still in South Africa and if any are still flying?
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Post by Marcus on Jan 31, 2009 13:33:11 GMT 12
Hi some more from Pietersburg/Polokwane "Gateway" The Gulfstream below (photo taken 21 Jan 2004) belonged to a gentleman who owned several aircraft that regularly visited Gateway, usually very late at night or in the early morning hours before sunrise. I lived about a click from the end of the runway so could not miss these nocturnal arrivals and departures. These aircraft would soon take off again, while it was still dark and depart in a northerly direction.  One of the companies this gentleman owned was Aero Zambia whose aircraft were known to have transported arms at various times. The following pic was taken on 23 Jan 2004 of an Aero Zambia 737 undergoing maintenance. (The aircraft had been sitting near derelict for about 18 months before it was moved to the hangar)  Another interesting aircraft that was flying in drilling equipment to some undisclosed African location was Swazi registered Sud Caravelle, one of only two flying at that that stage in the world. (Not sure about this fact though??) I walked up to the fence to get a pic and two members of the loading crew came over and requested that I refrain from taking pics of them and the aircraft. Unfortunately this aircraft came to grief soon after in the Congo if I am not mistaken.  Lastly an Air Gemini, Boeing 727 on 30/01/2004. These aircraft regularly flew into unpaved bush strips. These Boeings were worked VERY, very hard in a very unforgiving environment. Although in French if anybody is interested have a look at the following Youtube clip of Air Gemini 737's in action!  and finally the Youtube clip: nz.youtube.com/watch?v=2BIJqb90S-8 |
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Post by DragonflyDH90 on Jan 31, 2009 15:55:52 GMT 12
That Caravelle is a lovely looking aircraft, you can certainly se its de Havilland Comet connections.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Feb 1, 2009 9:54:31 GMT 12
Great photos guys. I also think the Caravelle is a nice looking aeroplane. The 747SP arrival, as Bruce says, can be found on Youtube.
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Post by Bearcat on Feb 1, 2009 14:57:25 GMT 12
Bearcat, the adf.serials site lists last known whereabouts of ex-RNZAF Dakote NZ3542 (c/n 16386/33134; US number 44-76802) being at Wonderboom in 2002, and NZ3546 (c/n 16565/33313; or 44-76981) also being there at that time. NZ3547 (c/n 16730/33478; or 44-77146) was also there but not fluing in 2004. Any ideas whether these three Dakotas are still in South Africa and if any are still flying? OK, well here is the first one.. ZS-OJL at Wonderboom (FAWB) 5 May 2006 (ex NZ3546)  |
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Post by Bearcat on Feb 1, 2009 15:19:53 GMT 12
ZS-OJL at FAWB 17 March 2007 (ex NZ3546)  |
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Post by Marcus on Feb 1, 2009 16:44:37 GMT 12
Hi Bearcat I am posting the following from another site: The article was writen in about 2004 I think. Do you have any recent pics of her? Groete Marcus Douglas DC-6Narrowly escaping the scrapman, EL-WNH is now intended to help firemen train... This Former Sis-Q Flying Service and Macavia Int'l "Six" has been placed at the storage side of Lanseria airport. This Douglas DC-6 (43127/133) was intended for Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) as SE-BDI but it wasn't taken up. It was delivered as VH-BPG to British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines (named "Adventure") on 17Dec48. Next was Tasman Empire Airways Ltd (ZK-BFB) which named it "Arawhata", having bought it in May54; it was reregistered as ZK-BGB in 1956. A few years later (May61) it was bought by the military and served as NZ3632 for RNZAF. This link shows a photo with damage to the rear while serving as NZ3632. (it does not work so I have added the pic here)  It returned to North America upon registration as N254N for Lamb Associates Inc in Apr64 and soon changed hands to National Interests Inc in Jun64. A new operator was found, becoming CF-PWP for Pacific Western Airlines (bought 13Mar65). Lamb Assoc returned as owners on 17Feb71, registering as N80MA, but Mercer Airlines bought it the following month. Aerial Applicators bought it in May72 and quite possibly they converted N80MA to aerial firefighter, adding code "20". Time went by and Sis-Q Flying Service bought it on 13May81 and Macavia Int'l Corp became the new owner in May85. But at some point N80MA was found parked and stored at Santa Rosa,CA. Another fire fighter, T&G Aviation, bought N80MA in Feb92, but stored it at their headquarters at Chandler,AZ. Pacific Harbor Capital Inc picked it up in Feb93 and Barron Thomas Aviation Inc bought it in Nov93. The next year it found its way to Africa when it was registered as 9Q-CPL to Air Transport Office in Jul94. No doubt the air tanker equipment had been taken out by that time. It was reregistered as EL-WNH for ATO in Aug97 and bought that month by Socata. But that sale may have fallen through, as it was reported at Lanseria ever since and after flying on 4 continents it has now reached the end of its flying career. This pic taken (not by myself please note) in Sept 2006 still at Lanseria:  |
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Post by Bearcat on Feb 1, 2009 17:04:48 GMT 12
EL-WNH at Lanseria (FALA) 12 Dec 2008  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 1, 2009 18:07:56 GMT 12
What a waste. If only it could be brought back to NZ to be preserved ratehr than burnt.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Feb 1, 2009 19:16:03 GMT 12
Are those South African DC3's formerly powered by turbines? The mounts look rather thin in profile.
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