The Rep 23 June 2017.compressed

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THE REPRESENTATIVE 23 June 2017
ROUND&ABOUT
Magnificent event for flying machines
CHUX FOURIE AND
SONJA RAASCH
A
REALLY good crowd turned up for
the Queenstown Flying Club’s
Allister Miller centennial
celebrations marking the very first
landing of an aircraft here in 1917, when
Major Allister Miller and his mechanic,
Sergeant Way, came to Queenstown to
recruit trainee pilots to take part in
World War 1.
Proceedings started on a serious note
on Friday afternoon with the dedication
of a wall of remembrance at the airfield.
Alasdair McDonald was master of
ceremonies, the MOTHs played their
part, Mark Sahd gave a brief history of
aviation in these parts and Reg Morgan
conducted the actual dedication.
Three of Allister Miller’s
grandchildren, Allister and Mike Peter
and Anne Moorcroft, were present and
Allister gave a brief response after
which the Last Post and Reveille were
played, followed by an impressive low
flypast by three planes.
Included in the semi-circle formed by
the wall is an old crane, beautifully
restored, which was used during the
days of 47 Air School in World War II to
lift the engines out of aircraft for
servicing or repair. Since the ’40s it has
been standing in the open at the police
base until club members and friends
managed to get it sandblasted, restored
and painted and now it stands in a
place of honour.
There were some fascinating planes
on display, ranging from tiny
“mosquitoes” to the comparatively huge
Douglas DC-3 Dakota, which Google
describes as “universally recognised as
the greatest plane of its time”.
The aircraft used to be a passenger
aircraft of SAA and came to the show
from the Rand. Now about 70 years old,
there are still hundreds of them earning
their keep around the world, ferrying
passengers or cargo.
After all her years of military and
civilian service this one, now named
Marilyn, has been carrying freight
between O R Tambo and Gaborone for
the past 10 years.
The Beech 18 is another interesting
one. Built in 1959, the one here is the
only airworthy one left in Africa and
featured in the 2008 movie Amelia with
Richard Gere and Hilary Swank about
aviating pioneer Amelia Earhart, who
disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in
ON THE NOTICE BOARD
THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN: Here from Johannesburg to fly the Douglas DC-3
Dakota, Captain Flippie Vermeulen and Captain Lorrie Raath look back at their
passengers with a smile
Picture: CHARLOTTE VAN DER BERG
1937. The orange colour on the wings is
a relic of the movie.
The Dragon Rapide of the Historic
Wings Collection was built in 1944 and
attracted much attention, as it should
as there are only about 15 or 16 of them
still flying worldwide.
I could not help noticing the witch,
FLYING MACHINES: On view at the airshow were, from left, Historic
Wings Collection’s 1941 Tiger Moth (complete with witch), the rare 1959
Beech 18 with the orange paintwork on the wings that featured in the
film ‘Amelia’ and the Douglas DC-3 Dakota from Johannesburg that still
earns its keep as a cargo carrier
Picture: CHUX FOURIE
complete with broomstick and cat, on
the side of the 1941 Tiger Moth
belonging to the Historic Wings
Collection. I’m told the witch was quite
a status symbol, indicating that the pilot
had completed a certain portion of his
training in the old Rhodesian Air Force.
After the proceedings everyone
retired to the clubhouse where the Peter
brothers were presented with honorary
membership of the Queen’s College Old
Boys’ Association by national president
Bryan Kretschmer.
Hundreds of visitors poured in
through the gates of the airfield from
early on Saturday for a day unlike any
other in the history of the town.
Young and old alike had the unique
opportunity to view aircraft, from the
vintage to the new, and flips were also
on offer.
Regional aerobatics champion Walter
Goodrich also showed off his skills
during the day.
The windy weather did serve as a bit
of a deterrent and prevented some of
the aeroplanes from making it to the
Komani event – but there was still
much on offer for locals and people
from further afield to see and admire.
Several stalls offering everything from
food to handmade goods were
accommodated in the hangar as
families made use of the opportunity to
have fun at the event.
In addition, a number of vintage
tractors and vehicles as well as some
motorcycles could be viewed
throughout the day.
THE Notice Board is intended to
help people advertise events and
avoid clashes.
The date, event and venue may
appear free of charge for three
months, but these details must
reach The Rep by noon on
Mondays, to appear in that
Fr i d ay ’s edition. E-mail
chuxf@timesmedia.co.za or call (045)
839-4040.
Friday June 23: Stepping Stone
raffle draw; GHS and Queen’s
College exams end; Round Table
steak house, Queenstown Golf
Club; Ramadan ends; Old
Queenstonia Association
roadhouse, St George’s Hall,
3-6.30pm; BMF conversation with
finance minister Malusi Gigaba,
Queens Casino, 5pm.
Saturday, June 24: Round Table
golf day from 8am; Henderson
Valley mountain bike race,
Ferndale, Cathcart.
Monday June 26: Queen’s
College interhouse mountain run,
2.30pm; Border Agricultural
Society AGM, Showgrounds,
5.30pm.
Wednesday June 28: Stepping
Stone Gr 7 cake sale; GHS school
p h ot o s .
Thursday June 29: GHS
individual general knowledge quiz,
7.30am, inter-house general
knowledge quiz, 11am.
Friday June 30: Schools close;
Closing date for applications –
Queen’s College.
Saturday-Monday July 1-3: Cape
Schools rugby and cross country
weeks, Cape Town.
Tuesday July 4: Sale in execution,
77 Komani Street, 10am.
Saturday-Wednesday July 1-5:
Interprovincial squash, Cape Town,
Bloemfontein, Johannesburg.
Wednesday July 12: T h i st l e d o w n
Pre-School application forms
available, 7.30am-2pm.
Sunday-Friday July 2-14: Va r i o u s
interprovincial hockey
tournaments, KZN and Cape Town;
Last day for inspection of
supplementary valuation roll,
various venues.
Friday July 7: Squash section
steak evening and player auction
for closed championships,
Queenstown Golf Club.
Saturday-Sunday July 8-9:
Queenstown closed
championships, golf club.
Monday-Friday July 10-14: U16
Grant Khomo rugby week,
B l o e m fo n t e i n .
Friday July 14: Last day for
inspection of supplementary
valuation roll.
Monday-Saturday July 17-22: U18
Craven and Academy rugby
weeks, Johannesburg.
Sunday July 25: A p p l i c at i o n
forms available from Olivet
College.
Friday July 28: Balmoral
enrolment applications close;
Hangklip Primary applications
close.
Saturday July 29: Hangklip High
School sport v Aliwal North (FNB
Classic Clash) (home).
Friday-Sunday July 28-30:
Hoërskool Hangklip reunion.
Monday July 31: A p p l i c at i o n s
close, GHS.
Saturday August 5: SAPS
Widows and Orphans golf day;
Hangklip High School sport v
Burgersdorp (away).
Saturday August 12: Hangklip
High School sport v Port Rex
( away ) .
Friday August 18: The Rep’s
blanket drive ends.
Saturday August 19: Queen’s
College matric dance.
Saturday August 26:
Southbourne Primary School golf
d ay.
Friday September 29: Closing
date for applications – Hangklip
High School.
CROSSING THE BRIDGE: Edwin Grobbelaar from East London and Audrey Stemberg of
Komani were married at the Queens Hotel
Picture: NANI STUDIO