July 14, 2011. The Virginia Airport in Durban North is all a-hustle and a-bustle when I head down there on Thursday afternoon, two days before the Durban Airshow 2011.
Virginia Airport’s all abuzz, cars already parked way up the road, with aviation fans lined up to enjoy the spectacle as some of the country’s top pilots put their planes and teams through their paces ahead of Africa’s greatest airshow.
And the best part about it, for the fans, is that a sneak preview at the preparations comes at no cost.
On the scene are members of the organising committee, safety and security officials, airport staff, ever-hopeful photographers (dreaming of that front page scoop), TV crews, members of the military, members of the Wings club and many more, including media man and spokesman for the show, Ray de Vries. A veteran of event communications, including many Comrades and Dusi Canoe Marathons, Ray certainly knows his way around and introduces me to some key players in the show.
Local lads
Among them is a team of locals, flying the Ecko Unltd Yaks, all from Durban North, La Lucia and Mount Edgecombe. Just as I’m about to secure an interview with the lads, they rush off to a team debriefing, while the team from the Silver Falcons get set for their practice run. It’s all rather manic, as the pilots make sure that every detail is taken care of.
Durban Airshow preview, picture gallery, website and ticketing information
An airshow regular and Durban Airshow insider informs me that this is technically known as a “Validation”, and it’s a regulation that each team performing at the show has to have a full dress rehearsal before the event. Lucky old me . . . I’m one of about 100 souls at the club who get to witness a full show, with some daredevil (but highly controlled) manoeuvres and numerous fly pasts thrown in.
Eish. It’s a dog’s life. Very spectacular indeed from the Silver Falcons; this is a performance you don’t want to miss.
Ray fills me in on some of the facts behind the show. The headline sponsor for the 2011 Durban Airshow is the City of Durban and they are hoping to exceed the footfall of the 2010 event which hit about 15 000 (including the crews, officials and those working at the event). “The city’s been brilliant, they can see the strategic value of the Durban Airshow. At least 25% of those who attend are not from Durban,” says Ray. “That equates to significant spend, conservatively estimated at around R15 million.”
I asked Ray about safety, security and other regulations around the event.
“We have to comply with event legislation and all stipulation made by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority). We do this without any exception. On duty at the show are members of Durban Disaster; Fire Services; Metro Police; SAPS; private security companies; medical personnel. We liaise all the time with the Air Traffic Control centre and with the show’s Command Centre.”
It turns out that this event is the second-longest running civil aviation show in the world, and the biggest in Africa. More than 110 journalists have applied for accreditation for the 55th edition of the Durban Airshow. They will be sending images and copy around the world, while it will also be streamed live via the internet to an estimated 250 000 online followers.
Ray picked out his highlights for the show:
*The Mustang PF1 (highly regarded US-made fighter circa WW2, one of only two in SA, and never seen at the Durban Airshow before).
*Hawk fighter from the SA Air Force, also never seen at the show before (identical model to Britain’s famous Red Arrows).
*The famous Silver Falcons (pictured and mentioned above)
*The powerful show-stopping Oryx helicopter
*Possible fly-past by a Comair commercial jet.
“Get down to the show,” concluded Ray, “We obviously want footfall at the show, and those sitting outside or at home on the balcony are going to miss out on lots of displays, exhibitions, competitions and the chance to see the craft up close and personal. It’s going to be even better than last year,” he promised. – Pictures and copy by Garth Johnstone