By Garth Calitz

Kudos to the Botswana Tourism Organization for delivering an outstanding airshow, truly a memorable event for the record books.

The show officially began shortly after 12:00. President Ian Khama had just arrived when a group of skydivers appeared from a Bell helicopter belonging to the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), with one of them carrying a large Botswana flag. As he gradually descended, a Rumba band played the National Anthem of Botswana.

A procession of vintage cars made its way down the taxiway, headed by a vehicle with members of Botswana Tourism. This was followed by a group of bikers from one of the local Gaborone bike clubs, and finally, the FMX riders on their specially designed MX bikes.

The flying displays officially began with two Botswana Defence Force Bell 412 helicopters carrying the Botswana national flag and the BDF flag.

The sky was filled with both civilian and military parachutes as the skydivers were deployed from a military Casa 235 aircraft.

The Botswana Wildlife Preservation unit conducted a fly-past using a Quest Kodiak, accompanied by four Jabirus. These aircraft are widely utilized in the battle against poaching.

The subsequent group of BDF aircraft to soar over the increasingly large crowd consisted of helicopters, with the formidable Super Puma at the forefront, followed by two Airbus AS350 helicopters, previously known as the Eurocopter Squirrel.

The Falcons, the official aerobatics team of the BDF, executed a brief performance in their Pilatus PC7s. Following their display, they executed a flawless formation landing, with one aircraft touching down on the taxiway directly in front of the crowd.

Once the PC7s had landed safely, a skirmish broke out between two groups of troops. To support the BDF members, a Canadair CF5 fighter was summoned, executing a low pass accompanied by a massive burst of fire.

The civilian segment of the show commenced with a spectacular performance by Team Extreme. Jason Beamish took to the skies in his Extra 300, followed by a simultaneous take-off by Nigel Hopkins and Mark Hensman. This high-impact aerobatic display left the Botswana audience breathless.

The Puma Energy Flying Lions, led by Scully Levin, followed with Arnie Meneghelli, Ellis Levin, and Sean Thackwray delivering a flawless performance. The radial roar of the Pratt and Whitney engines is always a hit with the crowd.

Maintaining the Airshow schedule was a significant challenge for Chris Briers, François Hankou, and their team because they had to pause the event for commercial flights, as Sir Seretse Khama Airport continued to function as an operational international airport during the show.

Neville Ferreira soared into the stunning Botswana skies in his Slick 540, captivating the local audience with a high-energy, high-impact performance. He is set to compete in the World Freestyle Aerobatics Championships in Malelane later this year. The Slick 540 and 360 are designs and constructions proudly originating from South Africa.

Once Neville was on the ground, Jason Beamish landed his J3 Cub on what is likely the world's smallest aircraft carrier. Vaughn Russel Smith drives a modified vehicle at precisely the right speed, allowing Jason to land on top of it and then take off again. The teamwork and precision are crucial to successfully executing this display.

From the roar of engines to the quiet grace of a glider soaring through the air, Gary Whitecross provided an exhilarating performance with his Pilatus B4 glider. Gary competes in aerobatic contests against powered aircraft. To get airborne, Gary relies on Derek Hopkins, who uses a Lombada motor glider to tow him into the sky.

From the calm of the glider to the thunder of Drift cars, the initial motorsport events set the stage. Two drift cars, joined by Johan “Juba” Joubert in his Alouette II helicopter, provided plenty of excitement for motorsport enthusiasts. Motorsport is increasingly featured at airshows, notably highlighted by the Adrenaline show at Wonderboom Airport.

Continuing with the motorsport theme, the daring individuals on their FMX bikes performed various stunts on a specially built take-off and landing ramp.

Nigel Hopkins soared into the sky with his Extra 330sc in a solo performance, showcasing the skills that propelled him to the pinnacle of Unlimited aerobatics in South Africa. Nigel is one of our hopefuls for achieving top honors at the forthcoming World Championships.

The event experienced a brief "interruption" when a vehicle was seemingly parked in the wrong spot; Menno Parsons' Bell UH1 Huey stepped in to relocate it, placing it in the center of the show to the astonishment of the now sizable audience.

Miss Botswana, Thata Kenosi, was "abducted" in front of a crowd during a victory drive down the taxiway. Fortunately, the motorcycle rapid deployment team was present and swiftly pursued the kidnappers. Dylan Smith’s motorcycle was attached to the skid of Juba’s Alouette and promptly deployed. Thanks to their swift action, Thata was safely rescued.

During the afternoon, many of the earlier performances were repeated, and Jason Beamish impressed the audience with a solo performance in his Absolute Aviation Extra 300.

Little Annie, the stunning Antanov AN2, piloted by the father and son duo Mark and Jon-Mark Hill, showcased this elegant aircraft as the shadows stretched. This specific AN2 was flown from Russia three years ago to allow orphans to experience flight with the Just Love Mission.

The Torre Pitts Special team captivated the audience with a late afternoon performance using their impeccably maintained Pitts Specials. They needed to land swiftly since the same team was scheduled to perform the Show Finale.

Neville Ferreira's second performance was truly remarkable. Shortly after take-off, Neville flew the entire length of the display line upside down. The standout moment was his extremely fast pass at 250 knots (500 km/h).

As the show came to an end, the FMX stunt riders captivated everyone once more with their aerial skills. What these performers achieve on motorcycles is truly astonishing.

Jason performed another truck top landing before the show concluded with a stunning twilight display by the Puma Energy Flying Lions. The sound of Harvards at sunset is truly something special.

Tammi Mac Alister and your team, congratulations on organizing one of the most incredible airshows we've seen in a long time. Brian Emmenis and the Capital Sounds team, you make the airshows an absolute delight for everyone who attends.

Hope to see you all next year at the 2018 Gaborone Airshow

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