Epic Moments At Matsieng Air Show
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday May 28, 2018 12:11
Botswana’s skies were decorated with a plethora of aircraft engine smoke streams and cheers from crowds spiced up a sunny Saturday at the airshow in Rasesa.
The pilots left the crowd in awe and yearning for more twisting, rolling and turning around their flying machines meticulously in the air as if they were small birds. The show kicked-off Saturday morning with stunt plane demonstrations and a parachute team performance amongst other aeronautic attractions. The crowd was left asking for more during the skydive parachute drop when the Botswana flag was raised in the skies, showing the beautiful colours of Blue, Black and white.
The special air demonstration squadron took off in the afternoon, flying its trademark diamond formation and doing tricks that put the planes within a wingspan of each other. This was just a fine particle in the event filled show of stunts and viewers couldn’t help but stare at the sky all day. One aircraft that made the day was the Bat Hawk which is a Light Sport Aircraft produced by Micro Aviation South Africa.
The aerobatic team showed why they are the crowd’s favourite as their stunts left spectators glued to the sky. Neville Ferreira also displayed a blissful Extra 300 Aerobatics with his two-seater aerobatic monoplane, before Puma Energy Flying Lions T5 Harvard team came and left sketches in the sky with their amazing formations. South Africa’s premiere aerobatic team didn’t just fly but made death-defying aerobatic stunts and the aviation fanatics could not handle the excitement. The audience was treated to synchronised aerobatic displays from L39 and L29 Albatross Jet Formation.
The Aero L-29 Albatross is used as an agile jet trainer, tactical reconnaissance aircraft and light ground support fighter.
But it was the world record wall of fire that left people amazed because it was unexpected especially for first timers. It started with a plane approaching, followed by fire sweeping across the spectators’ field of vision. The wall of fire was made up of dynamite, electric blasting caps and detonation cord. While it didn’t break the record of the world’s longest Wall of Flame set at the Yuma Airs show in 2009 the fire was felt around the place and it was great photo opportunity for lens men.
In its seven years, the WesBank International Airshow has proven to be a hot pot of amazing sportsmanship, opportunities for attendees to make business connections and a great time for friends and family
The air show was organised by the Matsieng Trust and sponsored by WesBank Botswana, a division of First National Bank of Botswana.