Gariep 2020 – Event Cancelled

2018 Folded Wings Memorial Jet Weekend

The event was held on the weekend of 24th to 28th October at the Gariep Dam Airfield. This years jet event was the 9th Jet event organised by Jets-r-us.

Pre-registration is essential prior to the event, as it gives the organiser an idea of who comes from which day and till when, as well as to allow for catering each day, the Saturday evening function and to arrange for the memorabilia.

A total of 28 pilots pre-registered with only one not arriving, and an additional 2 pilots arrived for Saturday only. On arrival on Wednesday most pilots parked their trailers to peg out their territory for the next 4 days. The weather was good but rather warm. After trailers were parked, accommodation booked into, all necessary arrangements with various parties that get involved with the weekend done, it was off to the local watering hole. It has become a tradition for all to meet at Tjalatyd on the first night of arrival.

Official flying started on Thursday morning and continued until Sunday around 12h00. The weather stayed good with a constant breeze mostly down the runway until Sunday mid morning when it picked up and got confused and started blowing 180degrees in different directions 50m apart. The wind caught Neville by surprise on landing and Dion his spotter did not know what was happening.

The temperature increased everyday making it rather unbearable in the hot sun. We soon found a solution to the problem by using the fire cart as a sprinkler system. It was enjoyed by all, young and old, as when they heard the petrol engine start up they all came running to have a refreshing shower.

Considering the heat the pilots did very well, the quality of flying by all was of excellent quality. Well done to all pilots. The weekend went off with no major incidents. One person needs a mention as his motto in life while flying a model aircraft is, if something goes wrong he will fight it down to the ground and never give up. Danie Potgieter test flew Marius Lensing’s beautifully finished Raphael jet powered by a 14KG turbine. On the start of the 4th circuit into wind above the runway both ailerons went into severe flutter destroying both servos. Danie very calmly carried on flying another complete circuit with the owner standing next to him saying “Moer hom net daar neer in die veld”. To Marius and everyone present surprise the plane touched down on its wheels in front of all on the runway. Danie instantly became Marius’s all time hero. Well done Danie “Jy kan maar”.

A special thanks to all who attended, pilots, helpers, family, friend etc. It was once again awesome to spend time with all.

On Saturday evening we had a sit down supper at the local bowling club. The local “tannies” made some awesome boere kos which was enjoyed by 48 people.

Special thanks go to all our sponsors as well as organisations that helped to make the event once again a huge success.
Saturday evening supper was partly sponsored by SAMJA
Other sponsors were
Sanjay Kana
Marko Sweiswerke
Jets-r-us
Denny’s Electrical

Thanks to the Aventura Resort for making available their water cart as a stand by fire prevention vehicle and Gariep Nature Reserve for arranging standby personnel in case of an emergency.
See you all in 2019!

2018 Gariep Fly-In

The 11th Jets-R-Us Gariep 2018 event took place on the weekend of 4th to 8th July, The week leading up to the event was stressful for all competitors as the whole country was caught in a cold spell.

Arriving at Gariep on Wednesday morning early we were all highly surprised by the weather, it was breathless, no wind, no clouds, sunny and warm. We were met by the manna from the west coast as they had already arrived at Gariep on the Tuesday afternoon. This was their first visit to a Gariep Fly in. It was really awesome to meet all of them and also those I haven’t seen in years.

The first day is always used to set out the flight line, ready box area, crowd barriers etc. The early birds all got stuck in to do some flying as they could not resist the awesome weather. After booking in at tour beloved accommodation we set off to our local loved watering hole for some refreshments and some good supper. This is the spot where we meet the locals as well as all those that arrive just before sunset. The remainder of the pilots arrived over the next 2 days due to travelling as well as work commitments.

By Friday lunch time all who had preregistered were there. The weather throughout the weekend was awesome. Early morning a slight breeze blew from the dam side that causes the air to be cool but as the sun warms up in the day the weather became excellent.

Flying took place from around 08h00 till after 18h00 every day except Sunday. All the guys with fancy flashing lights on their planes were having fun flying in the calm weather just as the sun was setting over the horizon. A total of 75 pilots registered for the event and a total of 175 aircraft were counted. Planes ranged from foam trainers to twin turbine jets as well as some awesome sounding large war birds. The quality of flying as well as the behaviour of pilots was awesome and fun was had by all who attended. Very few mishaps occurred with only some minor incidences considering the amount of flying that took place

The normal memorabilia was handed out at registration to all pre registered pilots which was caps, beanies, beer glass etc.

Saturday evening was set aside for the annual supper and prize giving. All congregated at the local bowling green for a very good sit down supper. The evening was used to say thank you to all competitors, helpers and sponsors. Each and every pilot that attended received a gift of some sort that evening. A total of 110 people attended the supper.

A few things that was special this weekend was a missing man formation that was flown by 4 pilots chosen to commemorate the passing of 2 pilots and close friends in the weeks leading up to Gariep. We were all deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Louis Genade from Cape Town and Oluf Larsen from Henley airfield. These two gentlemen played their own important role within the model fraternity and will be missed by many.

We had a first ever at an event which is a slot for all junior pilots got to fly together. We had 8 junior pilots ranging from 6 to 17 years old who got to fly at lunch time together very successfully under the watchful eye of their dads, pilots and spectators. They deservingly received a huge round of applause. These youngsters are the future of our hobby.

One youngster stood out over the weekend putting even some of the older pilots to shame and that is young Zandre Potgieter from Mosselbaai. He is only 8 years old and put his dad Theo Potgieter (Grootbek) PMS Python 100cc through its paces. Well done lytie you did well.

The youngsters who participated are:
Christian Robinson 6
Zandre Potgieter 8
Harry Marangellis 9
Gabriel Robinson 10
Daniel Potgieter 11
Jade Powell 14
Pedri Lategan 15
Jaco Spangenberg 17
You are sure to see these youngsters at more events throughout the country. Well done guys.

A special thank you to all pilots, your wives and helpers and last but not least to our sponsors who help make this event what it is.

AMT Composites
Oloff Schoeman
Johan VD Merwe
Sanjay Kana
Jets-r-us
Dennys Electrical
Marko Sweiswerke
Unique Wooden Creations
ASP Aviation
Aerial Concepts
Topflyte Hobbies
RC Toys For Boys
Vision Composites
Bouplan Ontwerpe
Afridrill
Darryl Legg

See you all again at Gariep 2019!

2017 Folded Wings Memorial Jet Weekend

FOLDED WINGS MEMORIAL JET WEEKEND
Previously known as the Greg Casson Meorial Jet Weekend was held at Gariep dam Airfield from the 26th to 29th October 2017.

Pilots from various parts of SA attended the event. A total of 25 pilots pre-registered with 22 arriving at the event. A group of pilots arrived on Wednesday ready for flying on Thursday. Trailers were parked, planes unpacked and it was not long before all were burning paraffin. Most of the day Thursday the guys were able to have many flights as the weather was in our favour.

Friday was a waste of a day as we experienced howling winds 90 degrees cross winds and it was freezing cold. No flights were flown for the day. Time was spent by some doing a tour to the Hydro Electric scheme which was extremely interesting. Friday evening all attended the local water hole to have a good meal and some refreshments.

On Saturday the weather changed for the better. The rest of the pilots who could only attend the event over the weekend arrived. Many successful flights were flown by all with one mishap when Brian’s Butura lost signal and crashed with a total loss of the plane plus all equipment.

Sunday morning most departed for the trek home with a few staying behind to clock in a few extra flights, to end off a good flying weekend and a time to see old friends you only see at events like this.

Danie Potgieter clocked a lot of flights without bringing a jet to the event. He inherited the job to assist the new guys to jets as well as to help all others in sharing his knowledge of flying to all.

A special thanks to all for making the effort to attend and help to make this event so enjoyable. Thank you to our sponsor of the caps.

Looking forward to the next event to be spent with friends and fellow pilots.

2017 Henley Fly-in and Jet Day

HENLEY FLY IN AND JET DAY 23RD T0 25TH FEB

This was an open event to all SAMAA members. The event started on Friday morning but visitors pulled in on Thursday to erect caravans and tents.

Friday we had a good day, weather was great although rather cloudy but this did not stop anyone flying. By Friday evening the place was a hive of activity. The hangar was packed with aircrafts for night time storage. The Henley kitchen was up and running since lunch time serving lunch.
When evening came flying stopped and fires were lit and it was time to braai. A nice social evening was spent around the braai fires. The kitchen was serving light snacks, braai packs and liquid refreshments.

On Saturday we were met by yet another awesome day with flying starting around 06h00. The day started with some low clouds but as the day progressed it got clearer and hotter. Many flights were flown throughout the day with more and more pilots arriving as the day continued. Late Saturday evening pilots with fixed wing aircraft started packing away as the Sunday was set aside for jets only. The evening weather was awesome with once again many braai fires billowing smoke into the night sky.

Sunday morning all who slept at the club were up early ready for another exciting day. The weather in PTA and JHB was apparently not so good but at Henley it was perfect. The first jet flight took place early in the morning and was nonstop thereafter for the entire day.
Overall it was 3 days of awesome weather, awesome flying and time was spent with old friends and many new friends were made.

Pilots attended from near and far, young and old, with the youngest being Waldo and Daniel and the oldest Brian Smith from Kimberly (well he is a fossil). Pilots travelled from as far as Richards Bay, Bloem, Kimberley, Klerksdorp, North West, Sekunda to name a few.

Marius Vosloo and family ran the kitchen for 3 days with food being served as a take away or sit down in the hangar, the food was awesome. Thanks guys the food was appreciated by all. The venue was spotless with the grass well groomed around the entire area. The areas around the hangar, lappa, toilets and camping site was well lit up with floodlights. The runways are in very good condition as is the surrounding area which makes flying much more fun.

A special thanks to all who travelled from near and far to attend the event. It is flying friends like you that make these events such a huge success. It is not about what plane you fly or how you fly as we are all part of the same RC community and are there to support and encourage each other. Thanks again and hope to see you all at the next event at Henley Aeromodellers and Family Entertainment Center, surely the best RC venue in the country.

For all the campers, next time there will be proper ablution facilities for all.

Just for the record a total of 47 pilots participated in this awesome weekend of flying and time spent with friends.

2017 Ficksburg Fly & Braai

FICKSBURG FLY AND BRAAI 8TH – 11TH MARCH

This year’s fly in was the 5th organised by the Ficksburg Flyboys. The event was held at the Maluti Air Airfield which is situated just outside of the town towards Bethlehem. The view and peacefulness is absolutely awesome.

All pilots parked either side of the taxi way and on the one apron. The runway runs down a hill to the right which made it a bit of a challenge for landings but this was soon mastered by all. The entries were stopped at 45 entries with a few more begging to be added. The entries closed at 50 but disappointingly only 33 arrived at the end of the day. This was hard for the organisers as they had catered for larger numbers and were let down at the end.

The majority of pilots and their families chose to camp at the airfield due to the great camping area right where you spend the day sitting to view the flying. They have spotlessly clean ablution facilities for men and women with electricity and hot and cold water. Something to definitely boast about.

The majority of campers arrived on throughout the day on Thursday, as well as, one or two who stayed in the guest houses in town. The field was a hive of activity all day. The weather caught us by surprise with a sudden thunderstorm drenching all as well as the inside of most tents. All was taken in good spirit, after a change of clothes and rearranging some bedding all settled down around the camp fires for a braai.

For the remaining two days pilots started flying from as early as 06h00 and continued until late at nigh. The skies were filled with a huge variety of planes (foamies, large scale, jets, hellies etc) on both day. This event is well worth the effort.

On Friday evening portable braai’s were placed along the taxiway with LED flood lights lighting up the area. Fires were supplied and all congregated in various groups around the braais to prepare food. The braais were later turned into large wood fires to stand around and enjoy the fresh air only to be found in the country. This must be the only airfield where you can sit on the runway, have a braai, and hear the roar of lions as close as 100m away.

On Saturday evening around 80 people congregated around a very large fire pit waiting for the very well prepared sheep braai with pap, gravy, salads and of course the not to be forget famous melktertjies. Partying carried on till late with good music and dancing.

Sunday was actually a non flying day as some left early in the morning. The campers started cleaning, packing up and preparing for the long trip home. A few members of the Bloem team, who had arrived late over the weekend, stayed behind to put in some flights.

The Ficksburg Flyboys is a fairly new club with only six members. Many other clubs and organisations can learn from them. They are a reminder that you don’t need many members or years’ of experience in order to organise a first class event. You just have to put your heart and soul in it and do it for the family. All RC pilots are one family irrespective of your profession, colour or choice and size of aircraft.
Thanks guys and well done on a very well organised event, all who attended are waiting for the dates for 2019. To all pilots these events are nothing without you, your family and friends.

Thank you for attending.

A huge thank you to all the sponsors who contributed in making this an awesome event.

Till next time.

2017 LOMAC RC Model Airshow

The annual LOMAC airshow creates such a hype of excitement for the pilots who get invited to participate in this awesome event.

This year some of the pilots arrived as early as Thursday to get some early flights in at this amazing venue. Pilots came from all corners of the country some as far as Cape Town and George. The hospitality that is offered by LOMAC is hugely appreciated by the pilots as this is not offered at any other event in the country. On arrival at the field on Friday around 3 we found it to be a hive of activity with the organisers sorting out the last minute things. The road had been graded and watered down, parking for the public was graded and crowd control barriers erected and the area set aside for the trade vendors and kiddies’ entertainment was all set out.

On Saturday morning all arrived early to get planes ready before pilots briefing and the usual breakfast that was served in a large tent to all pilots, helpers and wives. A VIP guest was flown in by helicopter before the official opening of the event at 09h00. This special guest was none other than The Stig himself which created quite a stir amongst the crowd. He was part of the flying display where he got to show off his multiple talents. The weather was spot on for an air show, it was quite hot with a slight breeze down the runway.

The crowd started filling up the large spectator area from around 09h00. The public attendance was good but started to dwindle out towards the afternoon possibly due to the important rugby match taking place.

The flying displays put on by visiting pilots as well as some of the local club members kept the public entertained. There were a few items on the program that were a first for the LOMAC crowds to see. Some cardboard props were built and placed on the edge of the flight line and were rigged with some explosives. A pyrotechnic display was done by Leon Breytenbach who holds a licence to do such displays. Two displays were planned for the day, one in the morning and the large one around 16h00. In the morning display none of the props were destroyed as this was reserved for the final show in the afternoon. The show was done with a mini warbird attack over flying the ground troops and tanks and dropping bombs. It all went off with lots of loud bangs, plenty smoke and flames which was surely enjoyed by all.

The Stig show was done where he displayed his multiple talents that included flying of model aircraft. His display was interrupted when a drunk supporter wanted to have some selfies taken of him and the Stig. The Stig fan then thought it a good idea to grab the TX and also show his flying capabilities which ended up with the plane crashing head on into the ground which was a crowd pleaser.

Flying stopped around 17h00 after a very good day was had by all. Disassembling and packing away of aircraft was now the order of the day as all had to get ready for the Saturday evening closing ceremony. The event was organised in the large tent that was used for breakfast and lunches that was served to pilots and helpers.

The evening was kicked off with a prize giving for various achievements throughout the show. Thank you was said to the sponsors and to all the people who helped behind the scenes and the workers who slaved away to make this day a huge success. As Alex the chairman said in the LOMAC way “Well done guys and girls you have achieved your goal”

10th Annual Gariep Fly-in 2017

10TH ANNUAL JETS-R-US FLY IN HELD AT GARIEP

The long awaited tenth Jets-R-Us fly in has come and gone. The event was held at the wonderful venue at Gariep Dam Aviation field and took place over the weekend of 6th to 9th July 2017.

We drove down from JHB on the Wednesday morning early and arrived at Gariep around mid day to be met by some of the pilots from Oudtshoorn. At around 4pm around 60 percent of the preregistered pilots had arrived, all wanting to get a good spot on the taxiway. The weather was absolutely brilliant with warm sunshine and a slight breeze straight down the runway. Trailers were parked, gazebos erected and planes were assembled. With help from some of the pilots the frequency board and windsock was erected. Once the crowd barrier was erected and set out we were ready for flying.

As usual as in all the past events all departed to their accommodation with the majority meeting at the local watering holes for the evening which has become a tradition on the first night.

Thursday morning the field was a buzz of activity with late comers unpacking and assembling of planes and equipment. All were very eager to get the pilots briefing done so they could start flying. Not long after the pilots briefing the pilots took to the skies and they kept the flight line busy all day with all types of aeries and everyone had great fun.

Friday the flying activity was much the same as Thursday with a few more pilots arriving. The weather was really awesome from Wednesday through to Friday. Pilots flew till sunset and some stayed on later to do displays with their planes fitted with landing and wing tip lights to create special effects.

As Saturday approached we were all well aware that this will be the last day of good weather as the forecast was for a cross wind picking up throughout the day. Early morning a slight cross wind blew but got steadily stronger throughout the day. With a few degrees drop in the day time temperature at around midday it got rather miserable and gradually the pilots started packing up for the end of this awesome weekend.

Saturday evening the most pilots, wives and families gathered at the local bowling club for a sit down dinner and a prize giving. I want to thank the local community for the spread they laid on for the supper. A special thanks to my family Paula, daughters Louis and Joanne, Wesley and Stan the Man for helping in decorating the tables. We decided to go the extra mile as this was our tenth year of organising this fly in. Various prizes were handed to the majority of pilots, the pilots name was drawn from a hat and the pilot drew a prize which was donated by some sponsors.

A R50 note was picked up on the taxi way on Friday afternoon and it was decided to do an auction for the money. This money was placed in an envelope and pilots were told that a substantial amount of money was picked up and we would now auction it off and use it as a prize. The envelope was auctioned off by Stan who got the bidders worked up and all started contributing toward auction. The bid closed once the auctioneer dropped the hammer and the last person to bid at that time won the envelope. Andre De Vries from Empangeni won the envelope. The money raised on the auction totalled R635 and was added as a prize. This prize was drawn by Sakkie Breukelman from Richards Bay. A special mention must go to the following pilots, Wynand Swart, Werner Swart, Pierre Fouche, Wesley Denysschen, Oloff Schoemann and Peet Venter for entering and attending all ten of the Jets-r-us fly in events. These gentlemen all received a hand crafted collector’s item clock to commemorate their participation. A hand crafted collector’s item clock was also handed to Darryl Legg who has sat for numerous days at every event doing paintings of various pilots aircraft. We appreciate his participation and dedication to our event and for his continued sponsorship of the painting that is handed out every year. The painting this year was awarded to Marius Lensing for his eagerness and dedication to get involved with this event every year.

All types of aircraft were flown throughout the weekend. The glider of Clint du Toit stood out above all the planes, this was an all composite aircraft with around a 6m span and was powered by a retractable electric motor with a foldable prop.

Thank you to all pilots for bringing your part in keeping the airfield neat and tidy throughout the entire weekend. Catering was done at the field by the local Glass Pont Hotel staff, and pancakes were sold by the local church community. This helped to keep the hungry tummies full for the weekend.

Gariep airfield must be one of the best venues in the country to host a fly in. It has a long enough and wide enough runway in the right direction with the sun all day behind the flight line. A large taxiway to park the planes and trailers on either side and includes a lockable hangar to store the planes overnight. The town offers a wide variety of accommodation ranging from camping, bed and breakfast to self catering. If you have never attended this event make a plan for 2018, you will not be disappointed.

A huge thank you to the sponsors who helped contribute to the flavour of this event.
Topflyte Hobbies, Aerial Concepts, 3WSA, RCB4Toys, CMC Hobbies, AMT Composites, ASP Aviation, Sanjay Kana, Oloff Schoeman, Anonymous 1 and 2, Jets-r-us, Denny’s Electrical, Afridrill, Ian Matten, Cointech, Darryl Legg, Marko Sweiswerke.

2017 LIMEACRES

The 5th Limeacres fly in was held on the weekend of 27th April to 1st May 2017. The event is sponsored by the Petra Diamond mines and Electr-Comp Kimberley. Special thanks goes to GM of Petra Diamond mine, Luctor Roode for making this facility available every year.

The event is organised by Brian Smith from Kimberley Radio Flyers. A total of around 25 pilots attended from around the country with the furthest travelled were Craig Robinson and his two sons all the way from Cape Town. The guys from Cape Town, Gauteng and Upington were the first to arrive on Thursday with the rest only on Friday and Saturday.

It was significantly warmer this year than other years. The wind was pleasant in the morning but started picking up with a slight cross wind in the later part of the afternoon, never the less this did not stop the guys flying and having fun.

A very large range of aircraft were present ranging from gliders, small electrics, large scale to some awesome Turbine jets. A large amount of jets were present and four successful maidens were done on three large jets and one trainer jet. Well done to Alex Kuys, Brian Smith, Jan van Soest and Andre Killian.

Very few casualties were had, the only serious one was when a Drastik wing decided to clap hands in mid air leaving a fuz and stab to travel downwards like an arrow towards the ground. Very little damage to wing other than a broken spar but nothing left of the fuz.

The local town folk were involved with serving lunch and refreshment on two of the days, this was very well appreciated. Saturday evening all pilots, wives and pilots supporters were treated to a dinner in the hotel dining room, the hotel underwent an entire face lift from the bottom upwards, it was a pleasant surprise to all. Ten out of ten to the management they were superb and the supper was of top quality as well. A prize giving was held and every pilot was handed a gift pack put together by the sponsors.

A special mention must go to a pilot who I know has attended many fly ins around the country but very seldom flies more than 3 flights on a foamy. He goes with a car or trailer full of planes and loves to sit and watch others fly and have fun. This was his first time to Limeacres, he brought 3 jets with, assembled one and had it maidened for him and he even got some time to fly it himself. Well done Andre Killian keep it up it will get easier.

Owen Smith who ran the previous events was not there this year as he had an eye operation. Owen you were surely missed, your brother Brian tried to be as witty as you but did not succeed as well, he did a good job nevertheless.

All pilots who attended had a great time and are looking forward to the event next year.
Thank you to all the organisers and friends who attended, see you all next year.

Middleburg Air show 2016

Middleburg Air show

On Saturday 23rd July the Middleburg Aeroclub hosted an air show co sponsored with Capricorn Engineering and organised by Richard Lovit.

Phillip Lewis chairman of LOMAC in Nelspruit has a good relationship with Aeroclub in Nelspruit. During their last two air shows, one earlier this year and one last year, they were given a slot during the show to fly some models. They also made use of the venue to display models and promote their event that usually happens in August. Phillip received an invite from Middleburg Aeroclub to arrange for a jet demo on the day of the show as well as to display some aircrafts. As it would not be of any significant advertising exposure for LOMAC to advertise so far from Nelspruit, the invite was extended to the local model club but they declined to do a display, the invite was then extended to SAMAA.

Bob Skinner, Sanjay Kana and myself left JHB around 5 in the morning and were met on the highway by Stan Fincham on the way to Middleburg. Arriving at around 7am at the airfield there was a hive of activity and people flocking to the air show. We were joined by Phillip and Kevin from Nelspruit as well as Corrie Coetzee from Cors-air. We were allocated a spot next to the control tower and broadcast centre to pack out our display. We parked two trailers side by side with an awning for shade and erected a chain barrier around the outer edge to keep the public at bay. 5 Jet aircraft’s as well as a control line were put out for display.

Throughout the day we had a lot of interesting passers by asking questions. Bob took a lot of old SAMAA newsletters and these were grabbed up by interested parties. All of us were given VIP passes which entitled us access to the VIP area which was in the hangar where food and drinks were served for breakfast and lunch to all helpers, organisers and pilots.

Our slot was just after 10H00 where we were allocated a 8 minute slot time to fly a demo with 2 jets and a 3rd jet on standby. Phillip marshalled his troops onto the edge of the runway accompanied by a marshal with a two way radio who was in contact with ATC and the air show coordinator. As we got the green light we had two jets in the sky and exactly 8 minutes later we touched down. Corrie flew an Aviation design Super Scorpion and I flew a 2.7m Futura kindly lent to me for the demo by Sanjay Kana. Phillip had a Pilot RC Dolphin on standby.

A special thanks to the organisers for this opportunity and their hospitality, as well as to all who helped us erect our display area and for the loaned aircraft for flying and display. A good day was had by all and a lot of new friends were made. Lastly congratulations to the organisers for a well run air show with a very nice line up of display aircraft ranging from parachutes, aerobatic glider display, to a 4 ship jet display.