Ysterplaas Airshow

After a beautiful day on Friday and using the public holiday as an excuse to sit in a coffee shop for a couple of hours followed by a stroll around Kalk Bay, I was almost surprised at how great the follow-up weather on Saturday was!

3 of a kind! Can you see
the family resemblance?

By around 9 this morning, breakfast was eaten, lunch was made, and Lisa, Jessica and I were on our way out the door on another beautiful day! On today’s agenda was nothing less than driving out to Milnerton for the Ysterplaas air show! I struggle a bit with the concept of an air show because of the waste and how much fuel is burned in preparation for and during the two-day show terrifies me. But I don’t recall ever going to an air show, so I was excited all the same.

It was another hot day but for most of the morning, the cool Cape wind kept us from overheating.

Lisa at the controls in a military tank

The displays put up were full of information and a couple were even active. Lisa had the energy and excitement of a child, keeping us engaged and excited alongside her as we watched and explored. There were divers from the navy in a tank who fetched our coins for us if we threw them in and tankers we were invited to step into.

In the air there were jets spinning circles and flying upside down, big old planes that looked like they were from WWII-era, helicopters flying in a line, and of course: the mock battle. The mock battle, I must say, was definitely the coolest of all. It all began with 11 people jumping from a plane and reminding me that I want to do that one day soon… and what followed was quite impressive. I know that I understand very little about the skill actually required to fly these aircraft, but in what I have begun to imagine, I am blown away by the precision and skill displayed this afternoon. This is when I realized why people go to the air show. The “mock battle” alone made it worth it. Seriously.