SHOWSTOPPER
MEET MARILYN: The biggest plane at last weekend’s airshow was this Douglas DC-3 Dakota. First built in 1944 for use in the US Air Force, she then served the Royal Air Force, the SA Air Force and the Department of Transport as a civilian aircraft before going to the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was named Marilyn in 2007 and in 2011 sold to a private owner. She still does regular freight runs between Johannesburg and Gaborone in Botswana.
AREALLY good crowd turned up for the Queenstown Flying Club’s Allister Miller centennial celebrations marking the very first landing of an aircraft here in 1917, when Major Allister Miller and his mechanic, Sergeant Way, came to Queenstown to recruit trainee pilots to take part in World War 1.
Proceedings started on a serious note on Friday afternoon with the dedication of a wall of remembrance at the airfield. Alasdair McDonald was master of ceremonies, the MOTHs played their part, Mark Sahd gave a brief history of aviation in these parts and Reg Morgan conducted the actual dedication.
Three of Allister Miller’s grandchildren, Allister and Mike Peter and Anne Moorcroft, were present and Allister gave a brief response after which the Last Post and Reveille were played, followed by an impressive low flypast by three planes.
Included in the semi-circle formed by the wall is an old crane, beautifully restored, which was used during the days of 47 Air School in World War II to lift the engines out of aircraft for servicing or repair. Since the ’40s it has been standing in the open at the police base until club members and friends managed to get it sandblasted, restored and painted and now it stands in a place of honour.
There were some fascinating planes on display, ranging from tiny “mosquitoes” to the comparatively huge Douglas DC-3 Dakota, which Google describes as “universally recognised as the greatest plane of its time”.
The aircraft used to be a passenger aircraft of SAA and came to the show from the Rand. Now about 70 years old, there are still hundreds of them earning their keep around the world, ferrying passengers or cargo.
After all her years of military and civilian service this one, now named Marilyn, has been carrying freight between O R Tambo and Gaborone for the past 10 years.
The Beech 18 is another interesting one. Built in 1959, the one here is the only airworthy one left in Africa and featured in the 2008 movie Amelia with Richard Gere and Hilary Swank about aviating pioneer Amelia Earhart, who disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937. The orange colour on the wings is a relic of the movie.
The Dragon Rapide of the Historic Wings Collection was built in 1944 and attracted much attention, as it should as there are only about 15 or 16 of them still flying worldwide.
I could not help noticing the witch, complete with broomstick and cat, on the side of the 1941 Tiger Moth belonging to the Historic Wings Collection. I’m told the witch was quite a status symbol, indicating that the pilot had completed a certain portion of his training in the old Rhodesian Air Force.
After the proceedings everyone retired to the clubhouse where the Peter brothers were presented with honorary membership of the Queen’s College Old Boys’ Association by national president Bryan Kretschmer.
Hundreds of visitors poured in through the gates of the airfield from early on Saturday for a day unlike any other in the history of the town.
Young and old alike had the unique opportunity to view aircraft, from the vintage to the new, and flips were also on offer.
Regional aerobatics champion Walter Goodrich also showed off his skills during the day.
The windy weather did serve as a bit of a deterrent and prevented some of the aeroplanes from making it to the Komani event – but there was still much on offer for locals and people from further afield to see and admire.
Several stalls offering everything from food to handmade goods were accommodated in the hangar as families made use of the opportunity to have fun at the event.
In addition, a number of vintage tractors and vehicles as well as some motorcycles could be viewed throughout the day.