First SAAF 3 Ship Rooivalk Formation

Trip Start Feb 05, 1990
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Trip End Jan 31, 2005


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What I did
3 Ship Flypast

Flag of South Africa  , Free State,
Thursday, July 25, 2002

On the 25th of July 2002 I took off with Danie Bellingan in 676 with Lt Col Marais + Tertius Graham and Eugene Viljoen + Stephen Bull in Magma Formation.  This was to be the first SAAF 3-Ship Rooivalk flight.  It was a 1.5 hour flight and had the added benefit of being done in front of the Portfolio Committee on Defence who were visiting 16 Squadron.

They were very important VIP's as they visited 16 Squadron a few times to decide on governments continued support for the Rooivalk program.  Luckily they did decide to buy in to the continuation of the Rooivalk and government later subsidized the Squadron outside of the SAAF budget. 

Any case, on the 30th of August I took off with Tertius in 677 as part of the first 4-Ship formation under callsign Kestril Formation
3-Ship on 25 Jul 2002
3-Ship on 25 Jul 2002
.  If I remember correctly it was Tertius Graham and I, Lt Col Reynolds + Danie Bellingan (Formo Lead), Eugene Viljoen + Marius Smith and Lt Col Bates + Stephen Bull.

The Rooivalk were being delivered to the Squadron thick and fast in preparation for out big Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) show coming up at FAWK.  This lead to the photographs of all 8 of the production Rooivalk available at that stage in front of the 16 Squadron hangar, what an awe sum sight!

We were so used to having new aircraft arrive that the first 5-Ship formation was nearly a by-the-way event.  It occurred on the 16th of September 2002 under callsign V07E when Tertius and I took off in 678 helping to fly the Squadron AAD display aircraft (4) + spare up for the AAD Waterkloof Air Show.
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