Lowveld Aero Club honours those who take to the skies
The Lowveld Aero Club (LAC), one of the oldest continuous clubs in the country, held its Wings & Solo annual event at the Old Nelspruit Airport on Saturday.
MBOMBELA – The Lowveld Aero Club (LAC), one of the oldest continuous clubs in the country, held its Wings & Solo annual event at the Old Nelspruit Airport on Saturday.
Werner van der Merwe, LAC instructor, said their club has a rich history in the Lowveld. It has a flight school, which forms an integral part of the fabric of aviation in the region.
He said the Wings & Solo event was combined with flying activities earlier in the day.
“Twelve aircraft participated in the event, which consisted of a short field take-off, a spot landing (trying to land as close as possible to a mark on the runway) and a short field landing,” he said.
The flights were followed by the annual awards ceremony.
The flying activity was held in fairly windy conditions, which led to a spectacular display of skill from the pilots.
Read More: Lowveld Aero Club honours its members
During the awards ceremony, those who contributed to aviation and its development, as well as those who played an active role at the club, were honoured.
Student pilots who received their wings or went solo throughout the year were also honoured.
The club was founded in 1956 and has played an integral part in the aviation sector in the Lowveld region. It forms part of the fabric of aviation in the Lowveld.
The club has close to 200 members with an active flying school and social scene.
It is open on weekdays between 08:00 to 16:00. Introductory flights can be booked during office hours, but the flights can take place seven days a week and outside office hours.
The LAC is open to anyone who shares their passion for aviation, whether they fly or not.
“We believe there are two types of aviators; those who fly and those who don’t fly yet,” added Van der Merwe.
Queries can be sent to admin@lowveldaeroclub.org.za or the office can be contacted on 013-741-3636.
The top-three ranked pilots after the flying activity were as follows
• Christo Theron (ZU-FAB)
• Ettienne Oosthuizen (ZU-DZH)
• Danie Terblanche (ZS-BOY)
Solo awards
• Christiaan Uphaus
• Donald van der Merwe
• Fourie van Rhyn
• Alexander Bezuidenhoudt
• Henri Steyl
• Pieter du Preez
• Alexandra Butcher
• Gert Stefanus du Toit
Wings
• Dewald Swart (private pilot licence)
• Lisa Constable (private pilot licence)
• Adriaan Smuts (private pilot licence)
• Janus Erasmus (airline transport pilot’s licence, which is the highest licence category attainable)
Individual trophies
• Student pilot of the year – Henri Steyl (for his attitude and airmanship)
• Light sport aircraft pilot of the year – Michiel Jansen (placed first at this year’s Race for Rhinos, which is the biggest air race in the world)
• Pilot of the year – Tosh Ross (for his dedicated support to young pilots and his contribution to the successful deployment of the first Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in Africa)
• Chairmans Cup – Jaco Fourie (for his dedication to and support of the LAC)
• Aviator of the year – Mark Jackson (for his support of the LAC, attitude, airmanship and pioneering spirit dedicated to developing the aviation sector with specific emphasis on his leading role in the success of the first Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in Africa. His diligence and dedication remains an inspiration to the entire industry).
