To The South African Air Force Museum

The past two years have been a time where I've poured my heart and soul into my photography. My goal has truly been to create some of my best photos yet, and a group that has assisted me immensely in this endeavor has been the South African Air Force Museum at Mobile Deployment Wing Swartkop.

Over the last few monthly museum flight training days, I and a few other photographers have been given the opportunity to see and photograph aircraft from locations that haven't been explored in many years. These include the service road on Bay's Hill, the runway thresholds, and the helicopter square. Each month, I've gone home with photos that I truly believe are some of my finest.

Another shoot we'd wanted to do for a while was the night shoot at the museum. And no, the static display aircraft did not fly after dark, unlike what some movies might have led us to expect from museums at this time of day. That specific night brought the added bonus of some incredible lightning from a summer storm. The Super Frelon photo I took that night remains one of the coolest photos I've ever taken at the museum.

The other big event for us was the annual airshow this year. As usual, we were granted access to the base for the validation days, but this year we were allowed into a few extra locations. The biggest highlight for me, however, was the afternoon we spent on the flightline at hangar 14 with the Hawks from 85 Combat Flying School. It was truly one of those moments I'll remember for many years.

The last big highlight at the museum for me was the memorial service held at the Air Force Memorial. Although we are usually seen in high-vis vests and shorts, we got to dress up a bit for this one. Nothing less than a suit and tie would do. The Gripen flypast we had on that day remains one of the best I've ever seen.

A massive thank you is in order for the South African Air Force Museum and especially the people from the museum who have helped make these photos a reality. These photos will be remembered as some of my favorites I've ever taken. So cheers to the last two years, and here's to the next two and beyond!

Dian Townsend
Av’Tog Media