PE's Airforce Museum deserves to be discovered

I am often amazed at how many people didn't know that Port Elizabeth has a South African Airforce Museum.  Located behind the airport in a restored World War II hanger, the museum has a great collection of planes, choppers, equipment, uniforms, models and other paraphernalia.  It's easy to get to, just follow  Forrest Hill Drive through Forrest Hill and around to the back of the airport.  The museum will interest both young and old and is absolutely free with a donation box at the door.  AND they are open on Saturdays. Bonus!

Then and Now - Port Elizabeth Airport

I've been collecting historic photos from the Port Elizabeth groups on Facebook to be able to do Then and Now posts and found the "Then" one in this post showing the Port Elizabeth Airport in what I guess was probable somewhere in the 60's.  Perhaps the older folk around here can help me out on this one.  The day after finding this photo I had to drop something off at the airport and snapped the "Now" picture.  Clearly there's a lot more cars, and thus also people, at the airport these days than back then.

 

 

One of the historic highlights of Port Elizabeth was the first flight to Port Elizabeth from Cape Town made by Allister Miller in 1917. As there was no airport at the time yet, Miller landed on the fairway of the PE Golf Course.  This was a huge occasion for the golf course was packed with people.  Having to avoid hitting any people, Miller had to crash his plane into a bunker to stop it.  Luckily only the propeller got damaged, which can still be seen at the Golf Club today.

 

The Port Elizabeth Airport Then

 

Miller himself founded the airport in 1929 when he started the Union Airways in Port Elizabeth after receiving a contract from the Union government to fly mail from Cape Town to the major cities at the time.   Union Airways eventually became South African Airways.  The airport was officially opened in 1936 with a single runway, one hangar and a concrete apron.  During the Second World War the airfield was extended to accommodate 42 Air School for the Royal Air Force and 6 Squadron South African Air Force on the southern and eastern sides of the field.

 

Construction of permanent terminal buildings, runways and an air traffic control building began in 1950 with operations moving to St Albans, some 25 km away, during construction.  The new buildings were officially opened in 1955.  Since then the apron and arrivals and departures building has several upgrades and extensions.  The airport currently has two runways, one of 1,980 meters and the other is 1,677 meters.  In the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup there was talk of extending the runway to about 2000 meters to allows for international flights and although this wasn't done, the airport boasts with international airport status. 

 

The Port Elizabeth Airport Now

Landing at Port Elizabeth Airport

If you have never flown into Port Elizabeth, I have something for you today.  If you have flown into the city before I'm sure you'll still enjoy it.  This week's Video Friday post is a video by Angelo the Explorer shot out the window of the plane as he came in for a landing in Port Elizabeth.  It starts as the plane comes in from the east over Kings Beach, then Humewood and Forest Hill before touching down.

Airshow cockpit footage

A couple of weeks ago the very successful Baywest Port Elizabeth Airshow took place at the PE Airport.  I came across this rad video on the Algoa FM channel featuring some GoPro action from inside the cockpit of one of the planes taking part in the airshow.

The static Albatross

Every day a number of commercial and private planes take off and land at the Port Elizabeth Airport, but outside the airport there are two planes that just hang around, not going anywhere.  The one is a Piaggio P.166, a twin-engine pusher-type utility aircraft developed by the Italian aircraft manufacturer Piaggio Aero.  In the South African military the aircraft is known as the Albatross and was used by the South African Air force from 1969 to 1993.

Arrival of the Blitzbokke

This weekend (the whole week actually) is a big weekend in the Bay.  Its the weekend when the South African leg of the International Rugby Boards 7's world series takes place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.  Its two days of action packed rugby on the field and lots of party action off it.  All 16 teams taking part came in on two flights last night and I was lucky enough to make the special list to get me past the supporters and into the arrivals area.  I love my job.  Anyhow, the South African Blitzbokke were on the first flight and the main reason everybody was there, getting the biggest reception when the teams walked out to their buses.  Here Springbok mascot Bokkie poses for a couple of pictures with Blitbokke stars Branco du Preez and Cecil Afrika.

While waiting for the second flight to land Bokkie had some fun joining in with the marimba band and dancers from African Drumbeat.

Soccer ball structures

When the soccer ball structures on the traffic circles outside the Port Elizabeth Airport were erected before the 2010 FIFA World Cup it made heads turn.  Its become a feature on the city's roads, welcoming visitors to the Friendly City and showing off our sporting heritage.  I stopped at the structures the other day to snap a couple of pictures and wondered how many people who regularly drive past it still notice them.  Just a pity the fades flags haven't been replaced.  If it was my call I would put the South African flag on all of them.  

Plane parking

This is the view of the airport apron from the upstairs area above departures

Welcome Mango

Yesterday (Wednesday, 5 December 2012) was the inaugaral flight by Mango Airline into Port Elizabeth with the airline now offering low cost flights between PE and Johannesburg as well as Cape Town.  I was invited to the launch function at the Port Elizabeth Airport to see the first flight land although I wasn't able to join the pro togs on the tarmac to get some closeup pictures.  The view from the function venue was awesome though when the two fire trucks opened up the water and shot streams of water over her as a welcome.  Plus that sent the pro's running with all their expensive equipment. *snicker*  Anyway, just show how friendly the Friendly City really is.  We even give new arrivals a free "plane wash". 

Coming or going?

I had to go to Johannesburg for work last week and snapped this pic of the South African Airways plane I returned with on the apron at the Port Elizabeth Airport.

Port Elizabeth Airport

The first flight to land in Port Elizabeth, long before the airport was even built, was also the first flight to Port Elizabeth from Cape Town made by Major Allister Mackintosh Miller in 1917.  The Port Elizabeth Airport was established in 1929 and opened in 1936 and was founded by Lieutenant Colonel Miller who needed an airfield to operate his postal service between the city and Cape Town.  During World War II, the airfield was extended to accommodate 42 Air School for the Royal Air Force and 6 Squadron South African Air Force on the southern and eastern sides of the field.  Commercial operations were conducted from the northern side. Construction of the permanent terminal buildings, runways and an air traffic control building began in 1950. The commercial operation was moved to an airfield at St Albans, some 25km from the city centre, for the construction period. The new buildings were officially opened in 1955. In 1973 the apron was extended to accommodate larger aircraft and a new departures terminal was opened in 1980.

The airport has three runways. The main asphalt one 08/26 is 1,980m long, the second asphalt one 17/35,  1,667m long and the third grass one is 1,160m long. There are also 13 aircraft parking bays on the apron and the terminal building measures 8,700 square metres. This facility caters for domestic flights but can be screened off to operate a fully compliant International arrivals and departures section.

Info obtained from Wikipedia

Airport plane

There are two planes on display outside the Port Elizabeth Airport.  The first one is an Impala on top of Aviators Bar and Grill and the second one which is situated next to the parking lot is an Albatross.  The Albatross was a maritime aircraft used by the South African Navy for patrols.