Gripen fighter jet for Durban Land, Sea and Air Festival

PEOPLE attending the inuagural Durban Land, Sea and Air Festival, on 21 and 22 March, should brace themselves for some thrilling action.

The South African Air Force has confirmed that one of their frontline fighter jets, the Gripen, will appear in the afternoons of each day.

The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company, Saab. It is South Africa’s only operational Frontline Fighter Aircraft and is powered by the Volvo RM12 with a top speed of Mach 2. Using the latest technology it is capable of performing an extensive range of air-to-air and air-to-surface maneuvers. Coming from Limpopo’s Makhado Air Force Base, it will be flown by 2 Squadron Commanding Officer, Lt Col MT Mbhokota.

Festival organiser from Capital Sounds, Brian Emmenis, said: “The Gripen stands out from the rest because of its loud noise and high and low speeds. At a speed of +9 G (9 x body weight), it will perform turns, a fast roll rate and showcase its slow speed capability.”

The much anticipated Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics forms the cornerstone of the festival and will see five international and 10 local pilots battle it out for the winning spot. Day one involves all the pilots and is the final shootout for the 10 South African pilots who will fly off for the coveted five places to take on the internationals on day two.

Day two will kick off with the five top local pilots and the international pilots competing in a known and unknown sequence contest. The competition will conclude with the freestyle competition after which the winner will be announced.

Pilots will be judged primarily on precision and accuracy of figures. There is a maximum time limit for the course after which penalties are incurred. Further penalties are given for low or inaccurate flying. Each figure has a difficulty factor and pilots are awarded a score for each figure out of 10, which is multiplied by the difficulty factor. The pilot with the highest score after penalties is the winner. The score will be presented instantaneously on the big screens.

Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics owner, Nigel Hopkins, said: “The Six Nations Freestyle aerobatic contest to be held on both days will be the competition’s must-see moment. One pilot from each country will compete in this display of unlimited freestyle aerobatics and aerial ballet.”

For more information, visit www.landseaairfestival.co.za.