Durban - It was all systems go for the this year’s “I Can Dream” Newcastle Airshow, which would be celebrating 10 years, announced the organisers.
The airshow will take place on June 4 at Newcastle Airport, in the Amajuba District.
It has become one of the largest one-day events in the district and boosts the local district and Newcastle by R6 million.
It will also be the 10th anniversary of the award-winning airshow in South Africa.
The airshow won two awards in 2019. The team was awarded the second-best airshow in South Africa and they also won an award from the South Africa Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) for transformation in aviation.
One of the organisers of the event, Johan Pieters, said that since the show started 10 years ago, the theme had been ‘I Can Dream’.
“The reason behind this is that people can dream to become pilots or dream that they will also one day have the opportunity to fly in an aircraft. Ninety five percent of the local Amajuba community have never flown in an aircraft, while 80% had never seen a Boeing or an Airbus up close,” Pieters said.
The organisers said the driving forces behind this year’s event was the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs and KZN Tourism with the event organising being handled by the Champ Group of Companies led by Johan Pieters, Christo van de Vyver and Romano Raghoo.
This year, only adult visitors will pay an admission fee while scholars and pensioners will enter free of charge.
“We had a look at the economic situation of the district and the country and together with our sponsors decided to only charge for adults,” Pieters said.
This year promises to be a jammed-packed day with plenty of activities for the entire family.
Of the many highlights the show will have this year, Brochem and Checkers will host an educational guidance day at the airshow. The educational guidance day is geared at Grade 11 maths and science pupils from the Amajuba District with about 1 000 pupils attending. The pupils will be addressed by the SACAA, The South African Air Force (SAAF) as well as private pilots, and will be given the chance to learn more about aviation as well as possible career paths that can be chosen in the various aviation fields.
The show will open at 10.30am with a spectacular Hawk display from the South African Air Force and Parachute jumpers.
For the adrenaline junkies, all the action will be found in the sky and visitors can look forward to a fun-filled day, and will see acts from South Africa’s top aerobatic teams, the SAAF will be in full force at this year’s show and visitors will get the chance to see the SAAF with five PC 7 flypast, Casa 212 free fall demonstration and the Hawks display, an A109 helicopter will be on display for the public.
Families that want to shop, there will be stalls, major vehicle dealerships offering advice on your next vehicle purchase, as well as plenty of food and drink stalls and a beer garden.
Those in a party mood after the airshow about 4pm, there will be an afterparty hosted by Needles Bar at the Pines Wedding and Conference Village.
Daily News