This unit flew the Inaugural fly past in '94 and the Rugby World Cup '96 fly past.

No. 17 Squadron was formed on September 1,1939, in the last days of peace before the fury of World War II burst on the world. For a few months it formed part of the Airways Wing at Swartkop, flying ex-South African Airways Junkers Ju-52/3ms, but was then disbanded on December 1, to amalgamate with Nos. 18 and 19 Squadrons to form No. 50 Squadron. After this unpromising start, it languished in the SAAF files till October 8,1942, when it was re-formed at MAF Depot, Voortrekkerhoogte as a general reconnaissance squadron. In December that year the Squadron left for the Middle East. It arrived at Aden in January 1943, for training and to carry out convoy escort duties, and conversion to Blenheim Vs took place. In May 1943 the squadron moved to Egypt and in August converted to Ventura G.R.V. light bombers. In October No. 17 Squadron moved again, this time to Palestine for convoy escort duties and anti-submarine patrols.

It stayed in Palestine for the next seven months, acquiring the distinction of having the lowest accident-rate in the entire Middle East - it did not suffer an operational casualty till January 1944, when one of its aircraft failed to return from a convoy escort in bad weather. In May 1944 the squadron returned to North Africa and flew anti-submarine patrols in co-operation with surface vessels until July 25,1944, when it moved to Sardinia, where it was reinforced by several crews from the disbanded No. 608 Squadron RAF. By this time World War II was nearing its end, but the pace showed no signs of slackening and there was certainly no diminution of No. l7 Squadron's workload - in August l944 it notched up a record 1 281 flying hours, 899 of which were operational and 705 at night. Late in 1944 the squadron returned to North Africa, although it still maintained some detachments in Italy and, in 1945, now based in Egypt, it began training for conversion to Wellingtons and Warwick G.R.Vs.

In September 1945 it returned to South Africa, where it was eventually reassembled at Brooklyn, near Cape Town, flying 16 Warwicks for a few months until its disbandment on March 31,1946 - been based at Kimberley and Waterkloof. Unlike some of the other squadrons disbanded just after World War II, No. 17 spent only 13 months in mothballs before being re-formed on June 1,1947, as a mixed regular and part-time unit, equipped with Venturas and Harvards in its familiar maritime role. Known as the City of Cape Town Squadron, No. 17 was a top-line unit, and proved it in 1950 when it won the efficiency award for regular squadrons while attending a weapons camp held at Langebaanweg. In 1955 this fine squadron was disbanded, but on December 1, 1957, it was re-formed at Langebaanweg as the SAAF's first purely helicopter unit, flying three Sikorsky S-55s and the Air Force's sole surviving 5-51, on air-sea rescue duties. The helicopter's versatility, as demonstrated by No. 17 Squadron, soon brought it added tasks, and among other things No. 17 co-operated with the South African Police in a major internal-security operation in 1960.

In December that year the squadron received its first Alouette IIs, and seven months later moved to Ysterplaat air base near Cape Town. In time it received Alouette Ills, and A and B Flights were stationed in Pretoria and Bloemfontein, while C and Training Flights remained at Ysterplaat. No. 17 Squadron and its Alouettes built a solid reputation for flying in many different situations and conditions - in November 1964, B Flight hit the newspaper headlines when one of its machines picked up the wife of the lighthouse-keeper on remote Bird Island and flew her to Cape Town for an emergency operation. Nor has C Flight's memorable rescue of the crew of the wrecked S A Seafarer in 1966 been forgotten. On October 30,1970, while the squadron was parading at Ysterplaat to receive its unit colours, one of C Flight's pilots, Lieutenant D. Foote, was actually engaged in a mountain rescue-flight not far away. The squadron presence at Ysterplaat is no more. Soon after Lieutenant Foote's exploit, C Flight became the nucleus for the re-formed No. 16 Squadron, while Training Flight was turned into the Helicopter Conversion Unit.

A Puma flight was added in 1992, but in 1993, replaced by the Oryx. The aircraft and flight crews were transferred from 19 squadron. The squadron took part in the Presidential inauguration in '94 and the rugby world cup of '96. Fifteen members of the squadron have received the Honorus Crux medal for bravery. Currently based at AFB Swartkop and fly Alouette and Oryx helicopters.