[WATCH] A day of showing off for skilled pilots and classic beauties
The Jack Taylor Airfield put on its annual Airfield Festival and Spot Landing Competition which attracted many skilled pilots, car enthusiasts and interested locals who viewed the spectacle with deep fascination.
Rows of classic and vintage cars of all makes and models were on show right next to sparkling planes and helicopters, new and old, as the sun crossed overhead on a cloudless day.
Kids and grownups alike rushed to the roaring Aérospatiale Alouette 3 helicopter as skilled pilot Hayley Cummings warmed up the engine and the massive rotors overhead started rotating. In the distance, lightweight airplanes lifted off, took a turn around the airfield and landed again with great precision.
The Jack Taylor Airfield is considered by many to be one of the toughest airfields you’ll ever take off from and land on. The runway is narrower and shorter than most, and the wind around the large open space on the edge of town results in some very skilled pilots hailing from the airfield.
To test their members’ skills, a spot-landing competition was held on Saturday, 13 July. Lightweight airplanes took off from the short runway, skillfully made their way around, measured up their approach and attempted to land as near as humanly possible to a set mark. A few lines were drawn on the landing strip, and the closest to the main line would win the entire competition.
The day saw some incredible weather. The temperature was unseasonably hot and there wasn’t a cloud in sight for kilometres, unlike in previous years, when the spot landing competition has had to be postponed because of unfavourable weather or strong winds.
Many parents, children, couples and car and plane enthusiasts roamed the ground, gawking at every spectacle on show.
