Ysterplaat Aviators Evening
Date: 19 November 2009
By Dean Wingrin
AFB Ysterplaat, near Cape Town, held its bi-annual Aviators Evening on Thursday 19 November. The Aviators Evening is an open event, bringing military and civilian aviators and enthusiats together in relaxed and friendly surroundings.
While previous evenings involved invited guests and supper supplied by the Officers Mess, this evevening turned out to be something special!
Guests gathered at the Officers Mess where introductions were made and tribute paid to Dave Stock, an ex-SAAF test pilot and flyer extroidinaire who died heroically when the English Electric Lighning T5 he was flying crashed at an aircrash the previous Saturday.
Busses then shuttled the guests to the 22 Squadron hanger, where two Super Lynx and an Oryx were on display, as well as various support equipment. The Super Lynx was open for everyone to drool over and take plenty of photos.35 Squadron provided a C-47TP Dakota outside, while the Museum had Mirage F1AZ 213 on display.
Even snacks were provided in 22 Squadrons new and very fancy offices.
However, the highlight of the evening was the the Shackleton engine run under the beautiful starry sky and crescent moon. This is the last airworthy Shackleton MR3 in the world. The engine run was concluded with the attending fire bowsers spraying water over the aircraft.
All were then driven back to the Officers Mess were the guests were entertained by a choir, then a great supper served.
Congratulations and thank you Ysterplaat.
Please excuse the photo quality, I did not have a tripod (forgot!) and had to hand-hold the camera.
