The final Solo display by the last Cheetah Squadron Solo Display pilot:

Maj Smiley de Villiers - Last Cheetah Sqdn Display Pilot

The crowd had barely caught their breath when Maj Gerhard “Smiley” de Villiers as the last Cheetah solo display pilot accelerated into the display area. Flying his favourite Cheetah C no 347, furnished in the air to air colour scheme, he placed no 347 at a steep bank for a high speed flypast from left to right before executing a few high speed rolls followed by the roll-out and the subsequent vertical climb. While in the vertical power climb under full burner no 347 released 40 flares. The energy of the displaying aircraft with the red orange glow of the Atar back end and the spectacle of light due to the released flares against the orange glow of the setting sun equalled sheer airshow display brilliance. In a recent video interview Smiley de Villiers remarked, during his display routine he easily attains 7.5G! And it showed in his subsequent sequence. The powerful display of beautifully executed routines was kept at low level and almost right on top of the assembled crowd. The energy of some of the manoeuvres resulted in beautiful vortexes especially over the dogtooth. Disappearing from view, Smiley de Villiers addressed the crowd over the public address system and thanked his loyal supporters and members of the Sqdn. Unknown to the crowd at the time he was positioning for his final flypast. Running in low from behind the crowd he passed the crowd with a thunderous over-flight. When the crowd finally came to their senses all that remained in view was the glowing back end of 347! This manoeuvre has been discontinued in SA for the last several years in the interest of safety. Do bear in mind it was the display pilot’s homebase, extensively practised, the nature of the occasion (often performed in the days of the Mirage IIIs) and performed in a controlled environment. Powerful, tight, brilliant use of flares, performed in close proximity to the crowd, contributed to a visually spectacular display as the last solo display for both the type of aircraft and the display pilot. It will be sadly missed from any prominent South African airshow.    

Break

With the soloist touching down on the nearby runway the thirteen Cheetah aircraft started their run-in towards the 3 ASU hangar for the second time. Grouped into two formations the Cheetah aircraft had positioned for the grand finale. The first group known as the “Cobra Formation” led by Lt Col Johannes Joubert “Cobra” with the CAF Lt Gen C. Gagiano as his backseater continued their intended flight path over the 3 ASU hanger. Positioned behind the “Cobra” formation was “Sniper Formation 2” led by Lt Col Glen Gibson “Sniper” in a semi-“vic” formation of five aircraft. On the radio call “Bomb burst….. Go!” nos 4 and 5 - Cheetah Cs, 370 flown by Lt Col Ettienne Potgieter and 371 flown by Maj Colin Spaarke pitched up for a power climb in a shallow left and right angle to form the bottom of the “burst”. Moments later nos 1, 2 and 3  of “Sniper Formation 2” pitched up at the same time for a power climb at a steep angle by nos 2 and 3 (Cheetah Cs no 368 flown by Maj Kevin Ogden and no 359 flown by Maj Jaco Labuschagne) while the no 1, Lt Col Glen Gibson remained at right angles to the original formation.

Streaming flares

In the pitched up profile nos 1,2 and 3 of  “Sniper Formation 2” each streamed 40 flares as a spectacular display of brightly coloured lights. With the “bomb burst” in the background the “Cobra” formation continued towards the crowd for a level over-flight. This sequence of manoeuvres as two separate formations executed in all the three dimensions were only fitting as a testament to the aircraft, its ability and the fighter pilots and ground crews of 2 Sqdn. This formation of thirteen Cheetah aircraft was the largest delta formation flown in the last seventeen years in Southern Africa.