Scores of pupils were taken on a roller-coaster ride of emotions on Saturday as they watched talented pilots perform logic-defying manoeuvres and breathtaking stunts as part of the second annual air show and career expo at the Mthatha Airport.
Dignitaries at the event included premier Phumulo Masualle, ANC MP Mandla Mandela, co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa, King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) mayor Dumani Zozo, philanthropist and KSD councillor Tshepo Machaea and transport MEC Weziwe Tikana.
Hundreds of pupils from 30 schools in Mthatha, Mqanduli, Qumbu, Lusikisiki, Matatiele, Ngcobo, Libode and rural villages such as Mpeko, Qunu, Qweqwe, Gengqe and Bhaziya were invited to be part of the spectacle.
Whoops of shock were followed by whimpers of anguish and then sighs of relief and cheers as the pilots from the SAPS and the SA National Defence Force defied gravity again and again.
At times, some pupils covered their faces as the PC-6 and PC-7 fighter planes climbed the skies only to plummet towards the ground at unbelievable speeds.
One of those in awe was 18-year-old Zimele High School deputy headboy Aphelele Koyo.
He said although he had wanted to become a medical doctor, he was now torn between that and becoming an air traffic controller.
“It’s just unbelievable [what pilots do in the air].”
Chulumanco Dlaba, in Grade 10 at Mthatha International High School, said he had grown up fascinated by watching programmes about plane crashes on television.
Despite this he still wanted to become a pilot.
“I have never seen a plane at close range but now I can proudly say I have,” he said after chatting to a PC-7 fighter plane pilot.
Even Mandla Mandela was amazed by the spectacle, declaring his late grandfather, Nelson Mandela, would have been mesmerised.
“There is something magical about airshows. The aerial manoeuvres and the technical prowess of the pilots inspires us to dream.”
“[Mandela] taught us that no matter how tough the challenge is, we must continue to fly high.”
Masualle told pupils the aviation industry in the Eastern Cape remained largely untapped and urged them to consider the right subject combinations when studying.
He said some pupils wanted to pursue careers in fields that required maths and science and yet they settled for wrong career streams in high school.
He told them the SANDF pilots were highly skilled people but it did not end there.
“For those planes to fly the SANDF also needs competent and highly skilled technical support teams including scientists, strategists, doctors, technicians and engineers. However, you need to study maths and science for those,” he said.
He praised Saturday’s event, saying it offered invaluable information to pupils. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za..