Up in the air at the Kishugu Lowveld Airshow

MBOMBELA – Helicopter rides, food and toy stalls and wonderful aerobatics were the order of the day at this year’s Kishugu Lowveld Air Show.

Friday started out cloudy, but the show went on and it soon made way for clear skies and sunshine.

“We watched the weather on a daily basis, so we knew that we can fly on the day,” said Naranda Leeuwner, Kishugu spokesman.

“We have a pretty accurate weather-prediction system that helped us a lot.”

The show had a 25 per cent increase in attendance over last year’s 5 000 visitors.

Revellers witnessed stunts by the Flying Lions Aerobatics Team, as well as a special appearance by the South African Air Force’s Silver Falcons.

Working on Fire firefighting display of Hueys and Bomber aircraft was another highlight.

The Gripen fighter jet, which took mere minutes to reach Nelspruit Airfield from its take-off point in Hoedspruit, was the ultimate showstopper, wowing the crowd with its supersonic speed.

This year the air show also incorporated a new element by introducing a virtual experience for spectators.

State-of-the-art on-board cameras in some of the top acts offered young and old the opportunity to see what it was like in the cockpit of these powerful machines.

Kishugu Aviation and Working on Fire (WOF) firefighting teams that took part in the campaign to fight the recent

fires in Knysna, as well as WOF workers, were celebrated on the day.
Food and toys stalls kept children and their parents on their feet, but mostly their eyes were glued to the