By Garth Calitz Photos by Garth Calitz and Trevor Cohen The South African Air Force (SAAF) entered a new chapter on 1 April 2026 with the appointment of Lieutenant General Carl Moatshe as its new Chief, marking a significant leadership transition for one of the country’s most strategically important military services. The change of command was formally marked during a handover parade, hosted at SAAF Mobile Deployment Wing (previously AFB Swartkops) on the last day of March.

By Rob Russell Saturday, the 21st March, heralded the first SAAF technological show at AFB Overberg. Air shows are in rather short supply and are normally very well attended by both the flying communities and the general public. So it was with much excitement that people turned up expecting a good old traditional SAAF air show. It had a late start, in short, due to the finale, that being a 500-strong drone storm. Something not seen in this part of the world and many people ma

By Garth Calitz The South African Air Force (SAAF), once regarded as one of the most capable air arms on the African continent, now finds itself at a critical crossroads. Years of declining budgets, maintenance challenges and the steady erosion of technical skills have left the SAAF struggling to maintain even a modest level of operational readiness. Yet, despite the seriousness of its condition, the SAAF is not beyond recovery. With decisive leadership, realistic planning, a

By Garth Calitz Photos by Trevor Cohen, Esias Riekert and Garth Calitz On 18 November 2025, the quiet skies over Krugersdorp’s Jack Taylor Airfield (FAKR) were filled with wings, cheers and smiles, as hundreds of senior citizens from across Gauteng were given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sample the joys of flight first-hand. The event was almost stopped in its tracks. Firstly, the date had to be hastily changed as the original date clashed with the G-20 summit that too

By Garth Calitz Photos by Garth Calitz and Esias Riecket Anyone living in Pretoria will know that the week before the annual SAAF Museum...

At 11h38 on Sunday, 10 November, the 22 Squadron SAAF (SA Air Force) Oryx helicopter was swiftly mobilized for a critical medical...

By Charles Hugo Photos By Timothy Homan, Fiona Hugo, Trevor Cohen, Dian Townsend and Charles Hugo The final airshow of the 2024 season...

By Dean Wingrin The South African Air Force (SAAF) delivered an unexpected treat to Cape Town's aviation enthusiasts with a stealthy air...

By Charles Hugo Photos by Charles and Fiona Hugo The 2024 rendition of the Newcastle Airshow was originally scheduled for the 18th of May...

As one of the world's premier defence and aviation showcases, the Africa Aerospace and Defence Expo provided a strategic platform for...