Dreams Come True for the 2019 Newcastle Airshow

It was a moment of pure elation as the ‘I Can Dream’ 2019 Newcastle airshow was announced as South Africa’s second-best African Pilot Airshow of the Year at the recent annual Aero `Club of South Africa’s 2019 awards evening.

“The organisers of the Newcastle Airshow are very proud of the event and each and every committee member, traffic, fire, SAPS, ER24 and all other roll players – this award are for the people of Northern KZN , we can all dream”, said Johan Pieters and Christo van der Vyver.

This prestigious award is presented to airshow organisers and is based on 15 criteria as mentioned below:

• Initial planning including Air Show South Africa (ASSA), Recreation Aviation Administration of South Africa (RAASA), Aero Club and media communication
• Professional ATC participation: arrival, airshow and departure clearances
• Suitable aircraft and vehicle parking arrangements
• Pilot, airshow and safety briefing including disaster management planning
• Display pilot and participants hospitality arrangements
• Public address systems and appropriate public broadcast entertainment
• Host organisation’s social interaction with display teams, media and important invited guests
• Social responsibility towards the local / regional population
• Youth development programmes including aviation education
• Sales satisfaction for local and distant vendor participants
• Crowd control access, security planning and policing
• Food and beverage arrangements, including an appropriate variety of vendors
• Litter management and cleanliness of the airfield during and immediately after the event
• Overall airshow safety for spectators, including any transgressions by individual pilots
• Organiser’s airshow report that is submitted to the aviation authorities

Looking ahead for the 2020 show, Pieters commented that planning for next year has already begun, and it will be the 10^th consecutive airshow hosted at Newcastle airfield.

Pieters also announced that the South African Air Force (SAAF) will once again be part of the airshow and will (SAAF) will be celebrating its 100^th anniversary.

“The theme for 2020 will be ‘I Can Dream – I Say No to Drugs’, it is important for us to bring in a social factor to our airshow. We want people to know that to be part of aviation you need to have sober habits and that drugs are out!”, said Pieters. “We understand that the drugs are very bad in schools and this is our way to get involved”, commented Pieters.

The week before the 2020 airshow that will be held on 6 June 2020, will see a lot of activity taking place prior to the show. An aviation conference for the top science and mathematics Grade 10 learners will be held on the Wednesday before the airshow for Northern KZN learners is been planned, as well as a National Aviation conference for all aviation enthusiast on the Thursday. The Friday before the show will be reserved for an educational day for Grade 10, 11 and 12 learners.