On Wednesday, 12 February 2020, the Lowveld Air Show committee reached a decision to postpone the 2020 Lowveld Air Show during a special meeting that was held.
Since the 2017 air show, the committee has considered the option of only hosting an air show once every two years. We played with the idea, but continued hosting it each year due to public demand. “The 2019 air show was one of our biggest and most successful air shows ever hosted. The new approach of a shorter air show and other factors that contributed to it being such a great success, made this an incredibly hard decision to make,” Johan Heine, Chairperson of the Lowveld Air Show committee stated. “We understand most of our valued partners, each year, look forward to form part of this very popular Lowveld family event.
However, the economic downturn, financial pressure, and the significant escalation of air show costs, the wise decision was put into effect now, to only host an air show every two years, starting 2021,” Johan continued.
By hosting it bi-annually, it will allow all our partners the opportunity for long term budget planning and possibly bigger and more sponsorships which will enable us to always present an air show on the highest standards everyone has become accustomed to. Johan said they invite all interested corporates and business owners who would like to get involved in the second biggest event hosted in the Lowveld, to contact them, as planning is already underway for next year.
“We would like to make use of this opportunity to thank all our loyal supporters which include sponsors, participants, exhibitors, and most importantly the public who come to enjoy this massive family event every year. We truly value you.”
It will always stay our main priority to bring the world of aviation to the Lowveld community in conjunction with our main aviation partner, Kishugu. Their main purpose is to expose the public and our youth to the many careers in the aviation industry.
We are certainly committed and excited to get planning underway for a bigger and better Lowveld Air Show 2021.
Some of the Aviation Central media arrived Friday afternoon from Wonderboom National Airport in Pretoria and others on Saturday morning with some validations happening before the large crowds flocked to the airfield for an airshow that has won numerous airshow awards.
The skies over the old Nelspruit airfield were once again filled with aerobatic display teams, vintage aircraft, helicopters, jets and jet airliners to name a few. This years show had a different twist of the program with the theme fast and furious, the show started in the afternoon and had no repeats of display acts during the course of the afternoon with airboss Johan Heine keeping a watchful eye on display teams.
Ramp Controller Frank Smook
Capitals Sounds Brian Emmenis and his team provided commentary in between the battle of the DJs with Jacaranda who partnered up with airshow Organisers Kishugu and sponsor Absa for a different vibe to the Lowveld airshow during display acts. Before the airshow started, the Lowveld Model Aircraft Club (LOMAC) provided remote control (RC) aircraft displays with their different scales of aircraft in their club, For new photographers to Aviation, its a good learning curve to capture Rc aircraft.
The show opened with BMW Motorcycles revving down the runway, just before a paradrop with different member’s of the skydiving community on the airshow scene, their jump ship was ‘Little Annie’ an Antonov two flown by Jon-Marc Hill and Colonel Keith Fryer. The An2 also led the vintage formation and dropped a large amount of marshmallows for children aspiring to be pilots one day. The Yak18T which was also flown in the formation by spotter pilot, Riaan Prinsloo. Comair Boeing 737 Captain Ivan van der Schaar flew his Randolph sponsored Boeing Stearman. Danie Terblanche flew the ‘crazy pilot display’ in the well known STOL capability Husky.
BMW MotorcyclesBig South African Flag carried by Ralph RidgeVintage Aircraft Formation
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) as well as South African National Parks put together A mock battle with poachers and members of the SANDF coming into contact with each other a patrol. The put on act just shows what happens on a daily occurrence in the Kruger National Park and South Africa’s borders. The South African Airforce was unfortunately not present at this years show, due to the countries inauguration taking place on the 25th May later this month. Air Force Base Hoedspruit exhibited some of the SAAFs duties in the form of life boats, dummy bombs, etc in one of the hangers.
A total of five Extra 300 series aircraft were at the airshow, Nashua sponsored Andrew Blackwood Murray flew his solo display in his Extra 300LP. Arnie Meneghelli and Ellis Levin flew the first double inverted ribbon cut in the world at an airshow. Team Extreme had both Nigel Hopkins in his Extra 330 and Jason Beamish in his new Extra 330, they joined up with Mark Sampson in his newly painted Sbach and Mark Hensman in his MX2 for the full Team Extreme display. The Raptor RVs with the new number five Johan von Solms completing his first display.
Double inverted Ribbon CutNashua Extra 300LPTeam Extreme
Two Pitts Special display teams flew their usual routine,The Cows put up a threeship with Captain Scully Levins daughter Sally Bates flying one of the aircraft,not many women airshow display pilots on the airshow scene. Nigel Hopkins led the Goodyear Eagles sponsored Pitts Specials with Johan von Solms and Jason Beamish. A light aircraft display consisted of two Bathawks and two Kitfox’s showed the short takeoff capability’s and a asset in the bushveld area.
Cows Pitts S2CGoodyear Eagles PittsBathawkKitfox
Jet display’s by a L39 ZU-IBN owned by Middelburg’s Richard Lovett and flown by Pierre Gouws joined up with Mike Weingartz in the Impala MK1 ZU-IMP. The Airlink Embraer E190, flew a beautiful tight display. Airlink have displayed at most Nelspruit airshows now, and the E190 is definitely a crowd favourite.
L39 & Impala MK1Embraer 190
Helicopter displays included a Gazelle flown by Juba Jourbert who raced to Jaguar cars, he also joined up with a Airbus Helicopters H125,Bell Huey and a Enstrom. We don’t often see such choppers in a display like we did. It was like a licorice all sorts formation. Three Working on Fire Hueys flew a sunset display with the use of two bambi buckets throwing water in show centre. The Flying Lions ended the display flying with a sunset show mixed with pyrotechnics to end another safe airshow.
Gazelle flown by Juba JourbertAirbus Helicopters H125,Bell Huey and a Enstrom.Working on Fire Hueys
We would like to thanks Monica Fourie, Naranda Leeuwener and the rest of Kishugu for taking the time to keep the media up to date with the show months before. Also big thank you to StayEasy Emnotweni, Nelspruit for the wonderful accommodation! Till next year, Thanks Nelspruit for the support!
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We will be having collection points in Pretoria North, Centurion, Durban, Rand Airport and Swartkop AFB (2nd Feb only) . If you opt for this you will not need to pay courier cost. Please take note of the rules on this option. Shipments will be made to these points on 11th Jan, 19th Jan and 2nd Feb 2019. If you place an order the shipment will be send to the collection point on the next shipment date after your order has been received (11th Jan, 19th Jan and 2nd Feb) After it has arrived at the collection point, we will contact you with the details on collection once they are ready for collection.
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R250.00
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3
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R350.00
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4
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R450.00
R100.00
5
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R550.00
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We will be doing two posts on this prestige event, one focusing on the Airshow side of things and a 2nd focusing on the full event.
Francois Hanekom
Lt. Col. FrancoisHanekom From SAAF got the DON TILLEY “Safety in Aviation” Award for his roll in Aviation Safety at Airshows 2017, He was involved on the safety side of things at a few airshows during 2017 in South Africa and Botswana. He was also the Airboss for the SAAF Museum Airshow 2017. Well deserved award!
3rd Place went to Lowveld Air Show hosted by Kishugu. The 2017 Airshow season was not easygoing for the team at Kishugu as the show had to be moved after a tropical storm was moving in and was on its strongest on show day. The team made an good call to move the show to an later date. What a show it was! Well-done to the team at Lowveld Air Show 2017.
2nd Place went to one of my favors for the 2017 (and 2016) year.
The Winner of the 2017 Airshow of the year award goes to Adrenaline Show 2017
Adrenalin Team
Christian Maiorana, Chris Briers, Mark Mansfield and all the Rest! Well done guys, and as Athol said, you set the bar so high, you will have to go to all extream to get the 2018 award. What made them pull to the top was the well timed end to the show on the Saturday evening
