The South African National Aerobatic Championships took place at the P.C Pelser Airport in Klerksdorp Airport in the North West Province. The event started on the 19 June to the 22nd June 2019. The familiar duck dances seen by pilots before strapping themselves into their aircraft as they went through their sequences before entering the imaginary box in the sky.
Read more on the Klerksdorp Airshow 2019 here…

Klerksdorp Airport provides a number of convenient runways both tar and gravel, for most aerobatic taildragger aircraft, which made it easy access for aircraft flying in and out during the course of the week from Gauteng Airfields and other neighboring provinces.

South African Weather reports did say a nasty cold front was to make landfall over the weekend of the end of the nationals and airshow, but luckily enough we were blessed with all days of the championships having clear skies, hot temperatures and cold nights, while overnighting aircraft were tucked away in hangers and not having to clear frost off canopy’s.

Sportsman

1	Chris Joubert	Zlin 50	ZS-OKZ	1113.59	1120.12	1231.20	1552.28	5017.20	83.620
2	Johan Van Solms	Pitts	ZS-MZY	1028.30	1065.54	1189.22	1433.68	4716.74	78.612
3	Machiel Du Plees	RV 7	ZU-WMW	1033.73	1070.34	1155.83	1427.09	4686.99	78.116
4	Jonty Esser	Yak 52	ZU-DSI	995.20	1036.50	1147.41	1427.74	4606.85	76.781
5	Alex Caige	Zlin 50	ZS-OKZ	995.20	1010.36	1103.46	1389.24	4498.26	74.971
6	Tobie Kock	Yak 52	ZU-DSI	973.01	735.71	1064.03	727.98	3500.73	58.346

Intermediate

Rank	Pilot	Aeroplane	Registration					Totals	O/all %
1	Steve Brown	Slick 360	ZU-DXX	1906.76	1831.43	1934.91	2362.58	8035.69	81.663
2	Glen Warden	Slick 360	ZU-MDA	1825.71	1657.92	2089.26	2353.45	7926.34	80.552
3	Jason Beamish	Extra 330LX	ZS-EXT	1795.33	1716.88	1988.35	2271.83	7772.40	78.988
4	Dustin Hughes	Zlin 50	ZS-OKZ	1801.03	1796.32	1874.03	2273.37	7744.75	78.707
5	Andrew Blackwood-Murray	Extra 300	ZS-AEC	1725.19	1635.07	1889.84	2233.10	7483.20	76.049
6	Trevor Warner	Pitts	ZU-WIZ	1640.64	1536.59	1902.54	1994.80	7074.57	71.896
7	Roger Deare	Extra 300	ZS-OLR	1706.58	633.80	1751.49	1145.76	5237.64	53.228

Advanced

Rank	Pilot	Aeroplane	Registration					Totals	O/all %
1	Eugene Du Preez	Extra 330SC	ZS-THS	2853.90	2673.31	3026.41	3248.51	11802.13	82.590
2	Gary Glasson	Pitts Falcon	ZU-FTP	2875.32	2653.21	2992.35	3194.44	11715.32	81.983
3	Mark Sampson	XA41	ZU-XAX	2763.75	2620.26	2541.23	3186.80	11112.05	77.761
4	Pierre Du Plooy	Giles 202	ZU-ZOZ	2771.10	2239.03	2827.11	3131.09	10968.32	76.755
5	Adam Pucjlowski	Zlin 50	ZS-OKZ	2511.37	2049.56	2775.48	2976.08	10312.49	72.166
6	Cliff Lotter	Yak 55	ZU-EHZ	2612.53	1852.62	2767.89	2571.76	9804.80	68.613
7	Kayle Wooll	Extra 300	ZS-BDE	2542.00	2131.35	2809.85	2249.57	9732.76	68.109
8	Andrew Fletcher	Zlin 50	ZU-ZLN	2509.93	1577.46	2361.06	2479.33	8927.78	62.476

Unlimited

Rank	Pilot	Aeroplane	Registration					Totals	O/all %
1	Nigel Hopkins	Extra 330SC	ZS-XSC	3906.92	4266.46	4116.86	4404.62	16694.86	82.281
2	Patrick Davidson	Gamebird	N536GC	3892.81	4215.82	3995.54	4480.37	16584.54	81.737
3	Barrie Eeles	Extra 330SC	ZS-XBE	3856.05	3785.78	3962.48	4271.06	15875.36	78.242

Freestyle

Rank	Pilot	Aeroplane	Registration	4m Free	Totals	O/all %
1	Nigel Hopkins	Extra 330SC	ZS-XSC	3409.97	3409.97	85.249
2	Barrie Eeles	Extra 330SC	ZS-XBE	3118.77	3118.77	77.969
3	Patrick Davidson	Gamebird	N536GC	2990.31	2990.31	74.758
4	Mark Hensman	MX2	N540MX	2950.14	2950.14	73.754
5	Mark Sampson	XA41	ZU-XAX	2712.86	2712.86	67.822

Judges for the SAC 2019 National Championships. Note far backward position on chairs as not to strain the judge’s necks while looking up at the acrobatic box – Cellphone photos by Jonty Esser

A big congratulations goes to the Klerksdorp Airport, Competitors and Annie Boon, Contest Chief Judge John Gaillard, Scoring Director Natalie Stark. Judges John Gaillard, Quintin Hawthorne, Mike Stark, Johnnie Smith and Cindy Weber.

Also a huge thank you to Annie Boon and Cliff Lotter for Keeping Aviation Central up to date during the Champs, Jonty Esser for sending us Photos and videos to share on our Facebook page.

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