GEORGE NEWS - Twelve vintage pre-1949 Tiger Moth biplanes on the international Vintage Air Rally from Crete to the Cape, will land at George Airport on Friday 16 December at 06:45 for a two hour visit.
Georgians and visitors with long camera lenses are expected to throng to the George airport as the largest group of Tiger Moths seen in recent times will be in one place at the same time.
These 1920's era classic aircrafts departed from Crete on Saturday 12 November on the 13 000 km flight across 10 countries in 35 days which will end in Stellenbosch on Saturday 17 December.
Twenty international teams supported by 10 aircraft, of which some are also vintage, and two helicopters are recreating the pioneer days of flight from the 1920s while raising funds for charity.
The first leg of the journey was a 400 km flight that took three hours across the Mediterranean to Egypt from where they flew to Cairo becoming the first aircraft in 80 years to land at the pyramids. The flight then took them south along the Nile to Aswan and on to the Sudan and Ethiopia.
In Kenya on the flight to Wilson Airport in Nairobi a Boeing Stearman bi-plane experienced total engine failure 140 km from Nairobi and had to do a forced landing resulting in material damage to the aircraft. One of the accompanying helicopters was immediately dispatched to rescue the two crew members who were unscathed.
The next leg started on Monday 28 November when the flight continued into Tanzania flying past Mt Kilimanjaro and then it is on to Zanzibar, Zambia and Botswana.
The rally will enter South African airspace on Monday 12 December with Baragwanath being the first port of call.
A rest day at the Blue Mountain Valley Airport in Gauteng will give the pilots and crew a welcome opportunity to relax before taking-off for the Gariep Dam. The following day, Thursday 15 December, it is an overnight stay at Plettenberg Bay.
On the last day of the journey after a short touchdown in George the pilots will leave for Stellenbosch where the rally ends with a final dinner in Cape Town.
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