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The SA Armour Museum visits the SA Air Force Museum at AFB Swartkops

On Friday 4 March and Saturday 5 March, 4 members from the SA Armour Museum paid a benchmark visit to the SA Air Force Museum at AFB Swartkops in Pretoria. The visit had been arranged by Col Andre Retief from the SA Army Armour Formation HQ.

Lt Col Sunny Motsiri, WO 1 Bennie vd Westhuizen, WO 1 Sieg Marais and WO 1 Dennis Green met up with Col Retief at AFB Swartkops on Friday morning before meeting Lt Col Willem Nel the officer commanding the SAAF Musuem and members of his unit.

Col Nel told the members about the history of the SAAF Museum and how the Museum is run. We had the chance to meet the people running the finances, planning the events (and they have a full programme), gathering statistics, people involed with the exhibits, restoring aircarft and many more. We had a chance to walk through the exhibit halls and hangers.

On the first Saturday of each month, a flying day is held, and as 6 March was the first Saturday, we had a look at what happens at the Museum.

 
Lt Col Willem Nel and WO 1 Sieg Marais at the P51 Mustang as used by 2 Squadron during the Korean War.

Besides the various aircraft to be flown, there was food stalls and beer hanger, members of the Alfa Romeo club, the Volkswagen club, and many small stalls selling model planes and tanks, badges, books and other items. The Musuem has a very active Friends of the Museum organisation.

Lt Col Sunny Motsiri is in the rear seat with Col Bakkies Smit in the pilot seat of this Harvard. Col Motsiri had about a 35 minute flight out to the Hartebeespoort Dam. The three Sergeant Majors enjoyed a trip in a Puma helicopter with Brig Gen John Church behind the controls.