It was a memorable occasion when AFB Makhado celebrated the Hawk MK 120’s first 10 000 hours in the air last Thursday.

At the Hawk’s controls were Brig Gen John Bayne and Lt Col Kevin Ogden from the base’s 85 Combat School. As part of the celebrations, guests were treated to a celebratory flypast by two of the combat school’s Hawks.

The Hawks first landed at AFB Makhado in September 2005, after a wait of nearly two years while the contracts between the South African Air Force and BAE Systems were finalized. Utilising modern technology, the Hawk was successfully introduced as a lead-in-fighter-trainer aircraft.

The celebrations also afforded stakeholders in the Hawk-project the opportunity to reminisce about the challenges brought on by the project.

“Times were hard, but the effort was worth it,” remarked the officer commanding of the AFB Makhado, Brig Gen Schalk van Heerden, during the event. He also congratulated everybody involved in the project on a job well done and also those who are working towards the celebrations for the Hawk’s 20 000 flying hours.