Remax New Tempe Warbirds Airshow 2008

MIRAGE ! ! !

The name alone sends shivers of anticipation down an aviation enthusiast’s spine at the prospect of seeing one of these classic delta wings in action. One of the best loved aircraft ever flown by the SAAF the mere mention that one of these aircraft will be flying at an airshow ensures that the public arrive in droves. And at the 2008 Remax New Tempe Warbirds show they did, to a virtual sell out gate, and they were not to be disappointed.

The Black Lady

One of the best known Mirage IIIs in the world has to be Mirage IIICZ, number 800 known by all as The Black Widow, resplendent in her gloss black and gold colour scheme. She is also the only flying Mirage IIIC variant in the world. The 2008 Remax airshow held at the New Tempe airfield in Bloemfontien saw this magnificent aircraft grace the skies over Bloemfontein to the great delight of the appreciative crowds. The pilot, Glenn Warden demonstrated the aircraft superbly with a combination of high speed passes as well as a touch and go. His last flypast saw a seasoned aviation scribe left dumbstruck in awe. Glenn, that last pass was superb.

Although Glenn is the public figurehead of this aircraft a word of thanks must go to the tireless (and largely unseen) ground support team for this magnificent lady. They surely deserve all the thanks and recognition we can give them. Without their efforts we would not be treated to the displays given by Glenn. At Tempe an incident with a blown tyre upon landing on the Friday evening gave cause that the ground crew worked late into the night to enable Black Widow to be available for her centre stage display the following day. Helicopters Bloemfontein is the home various SAAF helicopter squadrons. It was thus no surprise to have most of the currently operational SAAF helicopters taking part in the displays. 16 Squadron had two of their powerful Rooivalk attack helicopters in attendance and the crowds thronged around the one on static display talking to the crews and learning about the beast as well as having an opportunity to purchase memorabilia. 87 HFS displayed an Oryx and an Augusta A109LUH. The flying display consisted of a duo display between the Oryx and an A109LUH showing the various tasks performed by these two helicopters.

First public display - A109 LUH SAAF with floatation gear