PRETORIA - Aviation enthusiasts gathered in Valhalla, Pretoria, as the SA Air Force Museum's annual Airshow took flight.
The air force showcased its capabilities with the hope that the next generation will be inspired to join flight school.
Hosted at South Africa’s oldest air force base, AFB Zwartkop, the Air Force Museum's Annual Airshow is letting dreams take flight.
It's more than just a spectacle; it’s about rebuilding public confidence in the South African Air Force.
South African Air Force Deputy Chief, Lancelot Mathebula, said it was important for members of the public to understand what the air force does.
“There are a few members (of the public) who understand that we do not only talk about the Air Force, but we talk about the South African National Defence Force as a collective.
“We do have medical doctors, we do have pilots, we do have engineers and we are also introducing the space capabilities, so therefore we have space specialists who are now at Hangar 2, which hopefully you'll be able to get to see.
“I'm very, very impressed as the Deputy Chief of the South African Air Force with the amount of talent and the amount of resilience and capabilities and the skills of our young pilots."
With the Defence Department facing an estimated R30-billion funding shortfall, spectators said events like these are a welcome distraction.
“It shows the citizens that the air force is actually working,” one spectator said.