Become a virtual pilot at Lowveld Air Show
There is a saying in the aviation community: "Pilots are scared of the ground and clouds; because the ground hides in the clouds."
These aviators’ keen awareness of potential danger was emphasised when the Kishugu Lowveld Air Show was postponed due to severe weather conditions. “With a cloud base of less than 1 000 feet with rain showers, every pilot decided to put safety first, and locked their airplanes in the hangar,” said Trevor Wilson, Air Show director.
Fortunately long-term weather forecasts are in favour of a bright and sunny day on Friday 16 June, which is also Youth Day and a public holiday. Some of the best aerobatic acts in the world will take to the Lowveld skies during the 2017 Kishugu Lowveld Air Show.
Among the show stoppers are the Flying Lions Aerobatic Team, Nigel Hopkins, a Working on Fire firefighting display of Hueys and Bomber aircraft and the SAAF Silver Falcons. The Kishugu Lowveld Air Show is incorporating a new element this year by introducing a virtual experience for spectators.
State-of-the-art on-board cameras in some of the top acts will offer young and old the chance to see what it is like sitting in the cockpit of these powerful machines. The programme will officially take off at 10:00, but gates will already be open from 08:00 to allow the public early access to choose a spot for the day and enjoy the aviation action. Adult tickets (R120 per person) and tickets for children under 18 (R60) will be on sale at the gate on the day of the show.
Not only is parking included in this price, but preschool children can enjoy free admission. The Kishugu Lowveld Air Show’s Cadet and Youth Day Programme will take place the day before, Thursday 15 June. It is aimed at pupils who have a keen interest in a career in the aviation industry.
For the past three years, this show has attracted more than 5 000 schoolchildren from the Lowveld community per day. “The investment we make in our youth by exposing them to the world of aviation is invaluable. It is an investment in our future,” says Johan Heine, chairman of the Lowveld Air Show.
“We aim to provide a platform for the youth to interact with the aviation sector, as there is a need to mobilise the youth of today to sustain the future of aviation in SA.” He also says that people need to support the promotion of maths, science and technology at school. “This year we dare to excite and promise a fun-filled programme for the pupils on Thursday 15 June and an action-packed day for the whole family on Friday 16 June,” Johan concluded.
