Hundreds of aviation enthusiasts came together with their families to attend the monthly SAAF Fly Day at the Zwartkops Air Force Museum on Saturday.
2nd Lieutenant Abdur-Rahman Adam from the South African Air Force Museum said the SAAF Fly Day is held every first Saturday of the month and is free for the public.
He said the museum brings out retired aircraft that are no longer operational but still able to fly.
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“We have reserve air force pilots of the older generation to come and fly this aircraft and give the public a good show,” said Adam.
He said it was free to attend and spend a day with your family, and that they have braai stalls and displays that show the past regalia of the Air Force and the culture of the Blue Air Force.
“This is an opportunity for children to learn more about the Air Force and what we are capable of, from the older generation to the new generation,” he said.
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He added that it’s nice to donate to the museum to keep the place running and that there are a few new projects on hand, such as the Buccaneers project.
“We have a few retired aircraft that have been decommissioned that you can sit in and enjoy and get to understand what we do here at the museum.”
President of The Friends of the SAAF Museum, Phil Scallan, said they are here to assist the SAAF Museum staff in all the tasks that they require. Their work may be as simple as painting, or as complex as doing a complete restoration of an aircraft that is not capable of flight but is suitable for display.
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He said that there are three branches of friends of the SAAF museum in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, and Pretoria.
“We gather members and raise funds to do tasks that we perform in various branches to restore various aircraft,” said Scallan.
Adam further said that the retired Air Force pilots, the older generation of reserve pilots, put on a great show of formation flying, which gave the public a great memory and a full experience of what the SAAF has to offer.
The fly day started at 08:00 and ended between 13:00 and 14:00.
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