Cheetah D's continue to fly!
Date: 23 April 2008
By Dean Wingrin
Although the official retirement date for the SAAF Cheetah C and D aircraft was 2 April, the SAAF will continue to fly the Cheetah D on a special assignment with the Test Flight and Development Centre at AFB Overberg.
Two aircraft will be used for ordinance deployment testing of a new missile designed for the Gripen, but will first be tested on the Cheetah "to make sure it's safe". A third Cheetah (862) will be used for spares.
Eventually, once this testing is done, the remaining two Cheetah will be decommissioned and handed to the air force Museum.
The three aircraft were photogrpahed on Tuesday 22 April at AFB Durban. They stopped at the base to refuelling while on their way to AFB Overberg. Sadly, this would be the last flight for Cheetah 862.
Photos and details of the three Cheetah at AFB Durban were supplied by Eddie Seymore, who would like to thank Maj. Francois Rossouw for the 'heads-up".
