Gabs Airshow Celebrates BOT50
Thalefang Charles | Monday September 26, 2016 15:56
The event began with skydivers flying an oversize Botswana flag while the national anthem was being sung to mark the official opening of the stunt filled show.
The show got to an explosive start as the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) fighter jets demonstrated an air ambush by dropping down large bombs that startled the crowd with deafening noise, large explosive balls of fire and black smoke.
The presidential jet, Bombadier Global 6000 known as OK1 also performed a fly-past escorted by BDF jets, but it was not President Ian Khama in the controls as he usually relishes showing off his flying skills in such events. Khama only got behind the aircraft controls later in the day in the presidential helicopter giving students from Ralegonyane Secondary School’s Marimba Band a moment of lifetime of being flown by a President.
South African aircraft acrobatics champions, Nigel Hopkins and Jason Beamish wowed the crowd with their amazing flying stunts. Hopkins performed frightening stunts with the motorbike stunt riders as they jumped over his flying aircraft. Another exciting show was the helicopter chase between two car-spin masters and a chopper.
The highlight of the event came towards the sunset when 21 skydivers, including four women and only one motswana, jumped from the BDF C-130 to perform a stunt of making a figure 50 in the air during their high speed free-fall.
Speaking to the media, Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism Tshekedi Khama said the event would consider partnering with Matsieng Airshow to make it one of Africa’s biggest airshow that would draw aviation fanatics from across the world.
“We want to make this event to be one of the biggest events in the international calendar of aviation. We want to attract affluent people from Europe, America and Middle East to come and be part of this,” said Khama.
The event was organised by Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO).