Tag Archives: AerobaticsRSA

Gauteng Regional Aerobatic Competition 2020-01-18

Saturday January 18th saw one of the first flying events in South Africa for 2020 as the Sport Aerobatic Club of South Africa held their first Aerobatic competition at Vereeniging Airfield in the south of Johannesburg.

RV

Arriving in the morning we got to see some of the participants arriving from various airfields around the Gauteng region, with some aircraft not being able to get through to the competition due to the weekends predicted rain forecast.

Competition aerobatics is an air sport in which judges rate the skill of pilots performing aerobatic flying. The flying takes place in a invisible box in the sky, where as said above, judges rate the skill on a point system!

Slick 360

Some of the participants included father and son team Barrie Eeles and Tristan Eeles who flew his Extra 200,locally based Giles 202 flown by Pierre du Plooy was a rare sight as its the only type of its make in South Africa. Gregory Clegg flew a Pitts S2E while Glen Warden joined in his Slick 360, both aircraft are hangered at Kitty Hawk Aerodrome in Pretoria East.

Extra 200
Giles 202
Gregory Clegg Pitts S2E
Glen Warden Slick 360

By 1pm the weather gods finally through buckets of rain down and the flying was suspended for the day, as some aircraft could be badly beaten while flying hi-G Aerobatics during the afternoon showers.

Nashua Exra 300L Pilot Andrew Blackwood-Murray

Results for the days flying!

Yak 55
Yak 52

Some rare treats seeing flying on the day

a rare sight Jeff Earle’s Harvard “7637” gets airborne
Former Bloemfontein based Chipmunk now based at Vereeniging

We look forward to another Sport Aerobatic Club of South Africa event soon!

SA National Aerobatic Championships- Klerksdorp 2019

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…

Barrie Eeles before his slot

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.

Slick 360

Sportsman

 1Chris JoubertZlin 50ZS-OKZ1113.591120.121231.201552.285017.2083.620
 2Johan Van SolmsPittsZS-MZY1028.301065.541189.221433.684716.7478.612
 3Machiel Du PleesRV 7ZU-WMW1033.731070.341155.831427.094686.9978.116
 4Jonty EsserYak 52ZU-DSI995.201036.501147.411427.744606.8576.781
 5Alex CaigeZlin 50ZS-OKZ995.201010.361103.461389.244498.2674.971
 6Tobie KockYak 52ZU-DSI973.01735.711064.03727.983500.7358.346
Yak 52

Intermediate

Rank Pilot Aeroplane Registration Totals O/all %
 1Steve BrownSlick 360ZU-DXX1906.761831.431934.912362.588035.6981.663
 2Glen WardenSlick 360ZU-MDA1825.711657.922089.262353.457926.3480.552
 3Jason BeamishExtra 330LXZS-EXT1795.331716.881988.352271.837772.4078.988
 4Dustin HughesZlin 50ZS-OKZ1801.031796.321874.032273.377744.7578.707
 5Andrew Blackwood-MurrayExtra 300ZS-AEC1725.191635.071889.842233.107483.2076.049
 6Trevor WarnerPittsZU-WIZ1640.641536.591902.541994.807074.5771.896
 7Roger DeareExtra 300ZS-OLR1706.58633.801751.491145.765237.6453.228
Pitts S2E

Advanced

 Rank Pilot Aeroplane Registration Totals O/all %
 1Eugene Du PreezExtra 330SCZS-THS2853.902673.313026.413248.5111802.1382.590
 2Gary GlassonPitts FalconZU-FTP2875.322653.212992.353194.4411715.3281.983
 3Mark SampsonXA41ZU-XAX2763.752620.262541.233186.8011112.0577.761
 4Pierre Du PlooyGiles 202ZU-ZOZ2771.102239.032827.113131.0910968.3276.755
 5Adam PucjlowskiZlin 50ZS-OKZ2511.372049.562775.482976.0810312.4972.166
 6Cliff LotterYak 55ZU-EHZ2612.531852.622767.892571.769804.8068.613
 7Kayle WoollExtra 300ZS-BDE2542.002131.352809.852249.579732.7668.109
 8Andrew FletcherZlin 50ZU-ZLN2509.931577.462361.062479.338927.7862.476
Giles 202

Unlimited

 Rank Pilot Aeroplane Registration Totals O/all %
 1Nigel HopkinsExtra 330SCZS-XSC3906.924266.464116.864404.6216694.8682.281
 2Patrick DavidsonGamebirdN536GC3892.814215.823995.544480.3716584.5481.737
 3Barrie EelesExtra 330SCZS-XBE3856.053785.783962.484271.0615875.3678.242
Patrick Davidson in his brand new Redbull Gamebird

Freestyle

 Rank Pilot Aeroplane Registration 4m Free Totals O/all %
 1Nigel HopkinsExtra 330SCZS-XSC3409.973409.9785.249
 2Barrie EelesExtra 330SCZS-XBE3118.773118.7777.969
 3Patrick DavidsonGamebirdN536GC2990.312990.3174.758
 4Mark HensmanMX2N540MX2950.142950.1473.754
 5Mark SampsonXA41ZU-XAX2712.862712.8667.822
Nigel Hopkins in his Extra 330SC

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.

Cliff Lotter and Annie Boon

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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