TWIRLING PLANES AND SMOKE SHOWS

Amari Maré

@amari.mare

On Saturday, 7 June, the annual Airshow took place in Potchefstroom. This was a thrilling experience for little ones, adrenaline junkies and photographers.  

Despite the icy Saturday morning, nothing held the crowds back. The lines grew longer as people waited for the floodgates to open and find their perfect spot for the day. Photographers, with cameras bigger than my head, stood front and centre. The little ones didn’t know whether to look at the cool flying machines or the advertised kites, which were sold out fast thanks to the perfect weather. The rich aroma of coffee filled the air as people found their way to the many smiling vendors…

Skydivers landed gracefully, kicking the day off with an adrenaline rush. The show consisted of aerobatics and action-packed displays. Everything the flying birds did was narrated so that everyone would understand what they were seeing. People stared in awe as the planes flew upside down and did loops in the air, waving to the tiny people below. 

The airshow consisted of more than boring aeroplanes. They also had a helicopter that took people for a ride in the sky, a sailplane that was taken higher and higher by another plane and then let go to ride the ripples of the wind to reach the ground, a jet (L- 39 Albatross) painted a movie-like atmosphere and people couldn’t take their eyes off of the jet, and a Formation Aerobatics team, comprising of 4 Pitts Special “planes”, mesmerised the crowd with twirls and loops, leaving smoke patterns in the sky. South Africa’s youngest aerobatic pilot, Tristan Eeles, stunned the audience with his talent in his Reclam Extra 330Sc. 

These different pilots and their talents gave the audience a show worth seeing and learning about. The Airshow calendar goes on to spread wonder and smoke wherever it flies.

Potchefstroom airshow 2025 (Source: Amari Mare)

Edited by Isabel Burgers