Ivan Rautenbach, the legendary pilot and ‘character of Dundee’, died in a car crash near Tongaat on Monday. Ivan, who was in his late 60s, had gone to the local trading store to buy bread and milk.
“As he came out a guy, in a Polo was apparently (and possibly under the influence) and T-boned him. Ivan passed away later in hospital from internal bleeding.

“The Polo driver also died too. Ivan’s passenger suffered bruising,” said close friend, Shaughn Lake.
Ivan arrived in Dundee in around 1997 to run a crop spraying business. His death-defying flying left farmers and aviation lovers out of breath. He was fearless and also mentioned that he had once performed aerial stunts for a movie shot in Europe.
On the ground, Ivan was a ‘man’s man’ and was a great favourite on the social scene. His famous saying was: “I’m going down town looking for love”.

Shaughn said Ivan was originally from Durban and his dad also ran a crop spraying business and at one time, had over 40 crop sprayers on his books.

Ivan was first a policeman in Durban before taking up his first love – flying. Shaughn said he first met Ivan while still at junior school at an airshow in Hluhluwe. “Ivan was doing acrobatic flying and it was amazing. Nothing fazed him. It is so said that he survived all these stunts to die tragically in a car crash that was not his fault.” Ivan left Dundee some years ago but still kept in close contact with his many friends here.
He is survived by a daughter, Chantal-Lee Rautenbach, (who lives in Guernsey on the Channel Islands) and Justin who lives in Singapore. A memorial will be held for Ivan at the Wings Club, Durban, this afternoon (Friday).