Cape Town honours Ysterplaat heroes
Aug
20
Written by:
8/20/2010 3:58 PM
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
MEDIA REMINDER
20 August 2010
Cape Town honours Ysterplaat heroes
DEPENDING on the weather tomorrow, Saturday 21 August, Capetonians could witness a dramatic fly past of the aircraft most commonly used in South Africa for fire-fighting and other disaster relief operations.
These are the C47-TP Dakota fixed wing aircraft, the M2 Oryx helicopter and the Super Lynx helicopter.
The fly past is part of a military parade in the city centre by Air Force Base Ysterplaat, which is to exercise its ‘right to freedom of entry’ into Cape Town for the first time.
Led by Officer Commanding, Colonel Bill Cowan, the parade will involve 160 members of the unit, performing one of the highest standards of drill ever to be witnessed in the streets of Cape Town.
Located in Brooklyn, Air Force Base Ysterplaat was awarded this prestigious 'freedom of entry' award by the City of Cape Town in recognition of its humanitarian role in search-and-rescue, disaster-relief and maritime reconnaissance operations.
During a special City Hall ceremony, Deputy Executive Mayor, Alderman Ian Neilson, will take the salute and formally hand over the official Freedom of Entry scroll to Colonel Cowan.
All media are invited to record this historic event:
Date: Saturday, 21 August 2010
Time: 11:00 - Military Parade by Air Force Base Ysterplaat
Fly past of the Dakota, Oryx and Super Lynx (depending on the weather)
Speech by Alderman Ian Neilson, Deputy Executive Mayor of Cape Town
Venue: Cape Town City Hall, Darling Street, Cape Town
For the past 80 years, Ysterplaat has provided crucial aerial support to the City of Cape Town, Provincial Government, SA Police Service, the National Sea Rescue Institute and Wilderness Search & Rescue.
During the World Cup tournament, the air force base played a vital role in ensuring air space security over Cape Town Stadium, Fan Park and the Fan Walk. This was deemed the largest airspace security operation in the history of the South African Air Force.
Voted South Africa’s best Air Force Base for three consecutive years, Ysterplaat is home to 35 Squadron and 22 Squadron.
35 Squadron operates the Dakota aircraft in maritime air patrol, air transport, aerial photo reconnaissance, and search and rescue missions. 22 Squadron operates the Oryx helicopter in performing mountain rescue, air-sea rescue, crime prevention, flood relief and fire-fighting missions.
End
Issued by: Communication Department, City of Cape Town
Media inquiries:
* Fritz Marx, Manager: Protocol and Mayoral Events, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 1217 or Cell: 084 410 1332
* Captain Jacqueline van Schalkwyk, Corporate Communication Officer, Ysterplaat Air Force Base, (021) 508 6135 or Cell: 072 122 1973