SAAF Museum Airshow 2026 Delivers Spectacular Celebration of Aviation Heritage

By Garth Calitz

Photos By Garth Calitz and Trevor Cohen

Thousands of aviation enthusiasts braved the cold at Air Force Base Swartkop on Saturday, 6 June, for the annual South African Air Force (SAAF) Museum Airshow. Reports from the SA Weather Service confirmed that Friday night was the coldest night in 2026, but the subzero temperatures did not deter the 11000-odd aviation enthusiasts that qued at the gates from as early as 6 am. They were rewarded with several visiting aircraft arriving with a beautiful sunrise as the background.

Set against the backdrop of one of the world's oldest operational military airbases, the airshow offered visitors a rare opportunity to experience South Africa’s aviation history both in the air and on the ground. From vintage military aircraft and classic trainers to modern aviation displays, the event celebrated the rich legacy of the South African Air Force while hopefully inspiring a new generation of aviation enthusiasts.

The buildup to the show started on the previous Wednesday with the annual Gautrain Helicopter race. Gautrain has, since its inception in 2010, partnered with the SAAF Museum to ease the transportation of the many visitors to the airshow. This joint initiative has made it possible for many young people to visit the show that otherwise would not have had the opportunity.

While making a quick visit to one of the many coffee vendors dotted all over the crowd area, I noticed they had a portable weather station on the counter, and the ambient temperature was a crisp 2° C, which made me appreciate the coffee even more. At exactly 7:30, Brian Emmins from Capital Sounds welcomed the growing crowd and announced the parade of all the emergency services that would be keeping everyone safe for the day. The emergency services parade has become customary at the airshows held at Swartkops. It is a perfect way to acknowledge the work done by these dedicated people, even if we all hope that the parade is the last we will see of them for the day. The parade was accompanied by a gaggle of paramotors that opperate out of the nearby Grasslands airfield.

Once the parade had cleared the runway, a SAAF Casa 212 got airborne carrying a load of skydivers from various SANDF units. The sky then filled up with canopies as they descended to the ground to hand over a scroll to the newly appointed Deputy Chief of the South African Airforce Major General Lancelot Mathebula. He then addressed the crowd and, in his speech, acknowledged the 106-year history of the SAAF.

The crowd didn't have to wait too long for the biggest drawcard of the day, the fast jets, in this case, the BAE Hawks from 85 Combat Flying School. The three-ship formation was led by the commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Mohau “Doberman” Vundla, who was flanked by Major Niel “Skyrim” Marais and Lieutenant Colonel Lee-Roy “Shinobi” Goosen. The latter then broke off for an impressive solo display of the versatile trainer's abilities.

The SAAF Museum Airshow has always relied on the civilian show pilots to bolster the show, and this year, the first to take to the air was Johnnie Smith in his Extra 330 LX. Johnnie recently returned to airshows and aerobatics after taking a long sabbatical. It's great to see him once again strutting his stuff in the air.

No airshow in South Africa is complete without a visit by the Puma Energy Flying Lions; they have been thrilling crowds for 27 years all around Africa. Sadly, due to pilot availability, Swatrkop only received two of the normal four aircraft, this in no way diminished the spectacle of flying skill showcased by Arnie Meneghelli and Dion Raath.

The Harvards barely had time to taxi off the runway when two SAAF helicopters from very different eras took to the sky. An Aérospatiale Alouette III from the SAAF Museum, flown by Major Francois Esterhuizen, was joined by an Agusta A109 in the hands of Lieutenant Colonel Iwan Robbertse, operated by 17 Squadron, who are based at Swartkops. The aerial ballet performed by these two expert pilots in vastly different machinery had the crowd gasping in awe.

The pace of the show slowed significantly with a brilliant display of the British and American Second World War trainers. Steve Brown and Grant Timms gracefully showed off the abilities of the pilot makers from both sides of the Atlantic. Both of these lovingly restored classics belong to the Classic Flying Collection, which is based at Springs airfield.

Sticking to the historic theme, it was now time for the SAAF Museum to take centre stage with a beautiful mass flypast of Ex-SAAF aircraft. The formation was led by a Cessna 185 in the original SA Army livery, followed by another Cessna 185 in Cammo and a Bosbok. The formation was completed by three Harvards from the Harvard Club of SA and the SAAF Museum. After the initial pass, the two Cessnas broke off and landed, leaving the Bosbok and Harvards to continue the display. The two Harvards from the Harvard Club then broke off and demonstrated some tight formation flying, ending with a perfectly executed formation landing.

Andre van Zyl has become a staple on the South African airshow circuit; his abilities with his Magni M22 autogyro are fast reaching legendary status amongst people who appreciate his finesse in the rather different aircraft. Andre danced around the sky before racing his son in, believe it or not, his wife's Masarati. This spectacle had the crowd rushing to the fences to see who won.

The pace once again slowed as four stunning De Havilland Chipmunks took to the sky in a display of precision formation flying. The formation led by Steve Brown perfectly showcased this 80-year-old legend of the air. Many of the older generation pilots cut their flying teeth in these magnificent machines.

Everyone who was lulled into a relaxed state by the Chipmunks was suddenly jolted back into the modern world by the sound of a jet being pushed to the limit. “Shinobi” was on the prowl with the “Gannet”, a BAE Hawk painted to pay homage to the badge of the 85 Combat Flying School. This tradition was started with a specially painted Impala in the 1980s.

Anyone who lived through the 80s will disagree with experts when they say sound can not be seen. It took just the first few bars of the theme song from "Air Wolf" for everyone to build a picture of a Bell 222 beating the air into submission. Fortunately, we didn't have to rely only on memories, as Rcket HEMS were there to showcase not one but two of the amazing helicopters. The first was a rescue helicopter, followed by a brilliant display by Henley Air's Chairman, Andre Coetzee, in a Checkers Sixty60-branded machine.

Bell Helicopters stayed in the forefront with the legendary Bell UH-1H Iroquois, better known as the "Huey", which was airborne on its way to save a snakebite victim (simulated by Capital Sounds crew). Jan Bothma showed why the Huey has become the literal and symbolic backbone of many air forces' mobility operations since the 1960s and still continues to this day.

Sling Aircraft have taken the world by storm with their very diverse range of light aircraft that fit basically every need in general aviation, from bush flying to family holidays and everything in between. Sling has put together a wonderful display to showcase its range for the general public. The formation was led by Grant Timms in a Sling High Wing. He was joined by Riaan Denner in a Sling II taildragger and Jason Adriaan in the Flagship Sling TSi.

The large crowd were kept entertained throughout the day by the commentary team, which consisted of Brian Emmenis from Capital Sounds. He was joined by Lieutenant Colonel Joyce Shoroma, who has become the voice of the SAAF, as well as many experts in specific fields. Capital Sounds brilliant choice of accompanying music is a recipe no one else has quite seemed to replicate.

The South African Airforce is still relied on to support humaniterian mission in hard-to-reach areas in the country, often as a result of natural disasters like the recent floods in the northern part of the country. 44 Squadron is always at the ready to assist with a cargo drop if needed. They were more than willing to show off this skill to the public at the show.

This brought to a close the morning segment of the show, and soon after a short lunch break, the SAAF Museum took another mass flypast of historic aircraft. They were closely followed by a brilliant solo display by Iwan Robbertse in the Agusta A109. Sadly, as the repeats started, some of the public seemed to think it was time to leave, as they had seen everything.

The Classic Flying Collection Chipmunk formation was next on the cards and they performed flawlessly as usual. As soon as the Chippies were safe on the ground, Andre van Zyl took to the air for his second display, topped off once again with a race against the Masarati.

Grant Timms quickly jumped out of the Chipmunk into the waiting Bosbok and delivered a display that would have any 42 Squadron instructor suffering a conarary. He clearly showed why the "Bossie", as it was affectionately known by the Bush War generation, was a firm favourite for all who flew them.

Johnnie Smith repeated his display in his newly painted Extra 330LX, followed by yet another masterclass in formation accuracy by Arnie and Dion in the Puma Flying Lions Harvards.

By now, the sun was setting, and the light was turning a beautiful gold hue, ideal for the photographers. The SAAF's new and old helicopter formation took to the sky once again. This rendition just looked so much better, not because they flew any better, but because the light was just amazing.

The SAAF Casa 212 once again took to the air with a load of skydivers ready to drop in for the closing ceremony. One of the skydivers took quite a hard landing and had to be taken away in an ambulance. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope his injuries are not too severe. The show was then closed by the Officer Commanding the South African Air Force Museum.

The final display of the day was a three-ship Hawk formation in golden hour, and it lived up to its name. The normally grey aircraft were bathed in brilliant golden sunlight, creating a spectacle rarely seen.

A quick synopsis of the airshow, I feel that for the general public, the day was a bit too long, and the long pauses between displays could have been shorter, which in turn would have made the day a lot shorter for the 30-second generation that are normally glued to their phones. Overall, it was a brilliant show considering that all the civilian pilots considered their participation as a donation.

The continued success of the SAAF Museum Airshow highlights the important role the museum plays in preserving South Africa’s aviation heritage. Through events such as this, the museum not only safeguards historically significant aircraft but also keeps their stories alive for future generations. Unfortunately, the SAAFM is almost solely reliant on donations and gate takings for its survival, so if you do find yourself in Pretoria on the first Saturday of each month, please pop in to the museum, and if possible, leave a donation so we can continue to see these amazing aircraft in the skies where they belong. Well done to all involved, and we look forward to joining you for the 2027 version.

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