75th Chipmunk Fly-in Springs
On Saturday 22 May, I attended the Chipmunk 75th anniversary fly-in at the Springs airfield in the East Rand. Most of the participating aircraft arrived before eight in the morning.
Amongst the types in attendance were De Havilland Tiger Moths and Chipmunks. Other aircraft included home built planes, microlights, Slings and many SkyReach BushCats. The SkyReach factory where the aircraft are built is based at the Springs airfield. The event was well attended with more than fifty aircraft making an appearance.
There was a chill in the early morning air which had the pilots of the open cockpit type aircraft such as the Tiger Moths and microlights dressed warmly as they flew in from various airports around Gauteng to the Springs airfield. The highlight of the fly-in was Captain Flippie Vermeulen arriving from Rand Airport in the De Havilland Dragon Rapide owned by Mark Sahd. The Rapide is the only aircraft of its kind in southern Africa. Flippie flew overhead to join a formation of three Chipmunks.
Once the Rapide landed and taxied, the public marveled at the beauty of this historic aircraft. Flippie Vermeulen commented that he had a pleasant flight from Queenstown where the aircraft is based apart from how cold his legs got during the flight.
Members of the Historical War Collectors and re-enactment society gathered today as well, setting up beautiful period displays of World War Two. They often hold gatherings at these fly-ins as many of the aircraft present today flew during that period. Tiger Moths and Chipmunks where both used as trainer aircraft in the Royal Air Force and South African Air Force for many years to train young student pilots before they went off to war.