Lowveld Aero Club honours its members
Wings and Solo is the event where the club honours student pilots who are doing their training and have either gone solo or have received their pilot licence. On the evening they receive a badge and a certificate.
MBOMBELA – Each year the Lowveld Aero Club’s Wings and Solo evening is a very special event, but this year was extra special as a young pilot, Jannes Scheepers, who lost his life last week while flying, was honoured as well.
Members of the Lowveld Aero Club gathered at Nou’s Toeka dressed to impress on Saturday evening for a memorable night.
Pilots from as far as Hoedspruit attended. In an opening speech by Mark Jackson, a Working on Fire pilot, people were reminded to always be careful and to trust their gut when flying.
Koos de Wet of the Lowveld Aero Club, one of the pilots who spotted Scheepers’ wreckage, spoke to Lowvelder about this experience. He searched for more than five hours before they found the plane. He said the feeling of relief couldn’t be explained.
“My goal was to give his parents the closure that they deserved,” he said. One of the things that De Wet will remember forever was the beautiful setting. “It was like a little piece of heaven,” he said. This whole experience has taught him once again to be more aware and more careful when flying.
Wings and Solo is the event where the club honours student pilots who are doing their training and have either gone solo or have received their pilot licence. On the evening they receive a badge and a certificate.
Other members who have achieved excellence in aviation are also honoured and recognised. This event takes place annually and has been a tradition for the club since it opened in 1953. “We want to give all the Lowveld pilots an evening where they can enjoy themselves with other people with the same passion,” De Wet said. It is the oldest of its kind in South Africa. It was established as a social flying club at which enthusiasts could mingle, live out their dreams and enjoy aviation to the full.
Members are a passionate, warm-hearted family who make the most of every opportunity to add a little sunshine to everybody’s day. After all the formalities guests enjoyed a wholesome meal and danced the night away.
• Student pilot of the year: Org van Rensburg
• Light sport pilot of the year: Jan Kruger
• Pilot of the year: Craig Todd
• Professional pilot of the year: Rob Descroizelles
• Aviator of the year: Tosh Ross
• Chairman’s cup: Victor Picoto
• Certificate for exceptional contribution to aviation 2015:
Dr Robbie Nel
• Certificate for exceptional contribution to aviation 2014: Johan Heine.
