By Garth Calitz

The Industrial town of Secunda was the temporary home of the prestigious Presidents' Trophy Air Race for the 2026 edition. Secunda was built around the world's largest coal-to-liquids fuel facility operated by Sasol. This monster of industry is painfully visible from the airfield. Established in the 1970s to produce synthetic fuel and reduce the country's dependence on imported oil, the town has become a major economic hub in the area. Likewise, the Secunda Flying Club has become a major hub of general aviation in Mpumalanga.

I arrived at Secunda Airfield on Thursday afternoon, expecting a relatively quiet day before the race started the next day, only to find an extremely busy airfield with ongoing flight tests to determine handicaps for aircraft that are not in the PTAR database. Sponsors were erecting their stalls, and the PTAR officials were running through last-minute items to ensure the smooth running of what has become the premier air race in South Africa.

As darkness descended, it was time for the official race briefing hosted by Race Director, Iaan Myburgh, and the handing out of official race numbers to all the competitors. This was followed by a braai and, for most, an early night before the intense competition kicked off on the Friday morning.

The individual responsible for ordering the weather for this year's PTAR definitely deserves a major promotion, as they couldn't have asked for better flying weather. Blue skies, warm temperatures and a slight breeze blowing down runway 29 were what greeted all the competitors on Friday morning. After a bit of frantic re-arranging of aircraft to make sure everyone was in the correct parking, it was time for the morning briefing. Iaan took roll-call and a quick rundown of the day's programme was recapped for anyone who missed it the previous night.

With the formalities out of the way, it was time for the competitors to make their way to their aircraft and wait for their "papers", which were handed out 20 minutes before takeoff time. The teams went into serious race mode once they received their envelopes containing the day's route and other relevant information. These were accompanied by the all-important loggers that accurately record each aircraft's altitude, track and speed for the judges to download on landing.

On Day 1, the fastest aircraft take to the sky first at an interval of one minute. This leads to a fairly boring days flying for the spectators on the ground as the aircraft return with massive gaps between them. With only 20 entrants, the gaps seemed even larger.

Friday evening was kicked off with the customary briefing, followed by a Sheep on the spit with all the sides that anyone could ask for; the catering of this year's PTAR was definitely top drawer. Sadly, the "new improved South Africa" reached the PTAR in a bad way. One of the trunpoints' crew was robbed while manning their post and a decision was made to scrap the visual turnpoints for the second day. This, unfortunately, would increase the workload of both the pilot and navigator, but as it was the same for everyone across the board, it was ultimately a fair call.

Saturday morning arrived with a bit of fog that delayed the start by 1 hour; this was not a major issue, as the low number of entrants didn't put any undue time constraints on the judging team. In the past, when 80-odd aircraft were taking part, this would have made the day very difficult for the team that had to get the results out before the Gala dinner. On day 2, the slowest aircraft leave first, with time gaps that allow for a mass finish if the teams fly a perfect route according to their handicap. The first aircraft off the ground was the rather slow Evektor Harmony, crewed by Rob Jonkers and Leon Boutell (RACE 16). The final aircraft to get airborne was the speedy Lancair Legacy of Dieter Bock and Nicholas Clark (RACE 38), who were an hour behind when they took off.

Unlike conventional air races, where outright speed determines the winner, the PTAR employs a sophisticated handicap system designed to level the playing field between aircraft of vastly different performance capabilities. From classic piston singles to high-performance touring aircraft, crews compete to fly a prescribed route as accurately as possible, making pilot skill and navigation accuracy the deciding factors. Generally, the first few aircraft over the line are highly likely to be on top of the pile, but navigation accuracy, or the lack thereof, may change that very quickly. The first three aircraft to finish were RACE 24, a Piper Cherokee crewed by Henning Ellis and Lukas Eksteen, RACE 53, Piet Meyer and Adriene Visser in a Jabiru J400, and RACE 16, the Evektor of Rob Jonkers and Leon Boutell. This, however, didn't make the long, anxious wait for the final results any easier for them.

The aircraft that was by far the most popular with the spectators was the beautifully restored North American T-6 Harvard flown by Dion Raath and John Sayers, veterans of many PTARs and somehow they always manage to claim second place overall. This team have managed it 3 times, and the aircraft has achieved 5 second places over the years.

Beyond the competition itself, the race provided a significant boost to the local Secunda community. Visitors filled local accommodation establishments and restaurants, while residents were treated to the spectacle of dozens of aircraft arriving and departing throughout the event. The nearby Lake Umuzi precinct served as a hub for many of the participants and supporters during the race weekend. Local vendors were invited to set up shop at the airfield to cater for all the lunch needs of the entire PTAR crowd.

As is always the case, an event like this just doesn't happen on its own; it takes an army of volunteers. The Secunda flying school students were quick to answer the call for help from the host club; all the turning points on day 1 were manned by students, as well as any odd jobs that needed to be done. Special mention must also go to Nigel Musgrave, the Safety Officer and Karen Mathews, who handled all Air Traffic Control Duties.

The airfield got very quiet as the contestants all made their way to their accommodation to get ready for the Gala Dinner and all-important Awards Ceremony that would take place later that evening.

Organising a successful race would be all but impossible without the support of the sponsors, and this year they came to the party in a big way. Please take note of the companies that support GA, and if possible, make them your first choice when you need a product they supply. On a personal note, I would like to thank Property Plus for supplying the accommodation for the entire media contingent for the weekend.

The 2026 President's Trophy Air Race once again demonstrated why it remains one of the most anticipated events on the South African aviation calendar, combining competition, tradition and aviation passion in equal measure.

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