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Swartkop 2011

41 Squadron
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Museum flight

South Africa AFB Swartkop,

The base is the oldest operational air base in South Africa and home to 17 Squadron, 41 Squadron and the SAAF Museum.

Zwartkop AFB was established in April 1921 and was South Africa's first air force base and is home of the SAAF Museum. The base is located on the western side of the main runway. The name was officially changed to 'Swartkop' on 1 April 1949.

The SAAF commenced vacating the base in 1999, with the intention of leaving only the SAAF Museum behind and thus the base is now known as 'Swartkop', an extension of AFB Waterkloof. The SAAF Historic Flight has already moved to the airfield and airfield has been proclaimed a heritage site. The proposed future name for the airfield is Zwartkop Air Station. However, the SAAF then changed it's mind and it is not known when the SAAF will eventually vacate all its operational units. The SAAF Museum occupies the northern side of the base, while the active SAAF units occupy the southern end of the base. At the moment there is a proposal to rename the base again to Zwartkop.

From the museum part of the air base the local flying can be watched and easily photographed. On a normal day you will see most of the locally based types flying and maybe some visits from nearby Waterkloof AFB 

17 Squadron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Based at Swartkop are the following units;

17 Squadron.
Formed on 1 September 1939, 17 Squadron formed part of the Airways Wing at Swartkop, flying ex-SAA Junkers Ju-52/3m's, but was disbanded on 1 December that year. In 1957 the squadron started to fly helicopters in the form of three Sikorsky S-55s and the surviving S-51 for air-sea rescue duties. In December 1960 the squadron received the Alouette II and in mid-1961 moved to Ysterplaat. Alouette IIIs were received in 1962, with A flight stationed in Pretoria and B Flight at Bloemfontein, while C Flight and Training Flight remained at Ysterplaat.
17 Squadron and its two Flights eventually moved to its current base Swartkop. A Puma flight was added in 1992, but in 1994 they were replaced by the new Oryx. However, the last two Pumas were only retired in 1997. The squadron currently flies the A109 LUH and Oryx helicopters.

41 Squadron

This squadron was formed at Waterkloof on 16 October 1940 with the Hawker Hartbees. 41 Squadron was reformed in January 1963 as the first part-time Army co-operation unit, flying Austers, later Cessna 185s, from Grand Central Aerodrome. By October 1968 the squadron was flying only the Cessna 185 when it was transferred back to the SAAF and moved to Swartkop in May 1973. In February 1974 the squadron re-equipped with the Bosbok and in July 1976 they received the Kudu. After flying the Kudu from Lanseria Airport, in late 1988 the squadron re-equipped with the Cessna Caravan and is now based at AFB Waterkloof. Later, Beech KingAirs were acquired from 21 and 35 Squadrons. A Pilatus PC-12 was acquired in July 1997.
 



 
 

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