Soutpansberg Airshow and Speed Rally 2023 - Outstanding

By Willie Bodenstein


29.03.2023





Almost 400 Kilometres from Johannesburg and Tswane or 1 hour 30 minutes in Roger Bozzoli's Piper Turbo Arrow is it worth travelling or flying all that way to attend a Speed Rally? Probably not. However, if it forms part of the Soutpansberg Airshow held in Makhado (formerly Louis Trichardt) then it is without doubt not only worth it but one of those events that one should attend at least once in your life.



Last year, the club, a more dedicated group of people will be difficult to find based at Makhado and close to our border with Zimbabwe and Botswana had arranged a Fete and Fly in that also hosted a Speed Rally that was a reasonable success.


Huge smiles! Martin Burt and Juba Joubert


More Smiles. Rodney Chin and Grant Timms.


Paul du Plooy and Peter Lea. Cheers, we'll see you next year for sure!


And more from some happy campers on Saturday Morning.


Camping in style.
More campers, Saturday morning.







The main drag. Food and refreshments to suit every taste as well as nick knacks and nightly life entertainment.

This year they pulled out all the stops and organised what was in my opinion one of the best airshows that I have been too in years.



The Club is fortunate to have as a neighbour AFB Malhado the home of 2 Squadron, the Flying Cheetahs and 85 Combat Flying School. Soon after our arrival midday on Friday we were treated by the validation of the Gripen and Hawk from the base which we had passed a few minutes before landing.





The best of these two was to follow on Saturday when the show at 12.00 the show was officially

The reason for the 12.00 start was the Speed Rally whose competitors took off at 11.30. The second last leg of this year's Holborn Speed Rally Competition drew 14 Teams to this delightful Bushveld Town with its friendly dedicated people.



However, before we can get to the show, we must first get to the Speed Rally whose first competitors were to take to the sky at 11.30 and were set to arrive back approximately an hour later.


The Rally orginising team.
Mark de Jongh with Roger Bozzoli's Piper Arrow PA28R 201T (My ride to the event. Thanks Roger!) They finished in 7th place.


 Sean Gerber and Matthew Ruschenbaum in their first rally flew the impressive Beech Twin Turbo B56TC apparently the only one in the country. They finished in 4th place.


Leon and Lucas Eksteen flew their Piper 300 Cherokee PA32-3si x and finished in 2nd place


Mark Blackburn and Steven Briggs flew Mark's Sling 4 into 12th place.


Hritik Raj and Thabiso Mongalo flew the FLYFOFA Piper Cherokee PA28140 and finished in 14th place.


Neigbouring Toyandou based Vusa Moyo and PatrickMatibe flew the Jabiru J430NG and was placed 9th overall.
The only all-female team of Tsoma Moima and Lindelwa Mdaki flew the FLYFOFA Piper Cherokee PA28140 and was placed 11th.


Fanie Scholtz and Herman Haasbroek flew the Sling 2 and fished 5th.


Husband and Wife Hendrik and Adele Loots finished 3rd in their Sling2.


Loodie Olivier and Willem vd Ryst flew the Moony M20F and finished in 5th place.


Piet Meyer and Adrienne Visser entered Piet's Jabiry J400 and was placed 10th.


Phil Wakely and Marie de Klerk flew the Cessna 210 and finished 8th.


 Quintin Kruger and Johan Whiteman flew the Piper PA28-235 to a well-deserved win!

Final Results






The people that kept the event safe and flowing.

The very special mobile tower. Nigel Musgrave, Safety Director on the left and Conel Keith Fryer Airbos on the right who also did the commentary during the diplays.















































There was break in the show to allow visitors who wanted to or had to leave to get back to the Big Smoke or other places. We did, but before we did, we were treated to some amazing displays by some of our best airshow performers. We took off just as Jason in the Extra 330SC took off in a cloud of smoke. Unfortunately, we missed a large part of the displays.

However, what I saw was enough for me to have made up my mind to be back at Soutpansberg in 2024. The guys are promising something even more spectacular. I can't wait to see what they have up their sleeves!












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Events 2023
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