The airline, Airlink, has insisted that the flyover met safety standards and protocols agreed earlier with South African aviation officials.<\/p>\n
Some observers have praised the pilots\u2019 skills, calling it a classic example of precision flying, while others believe they were a hair\u2019s breadth away from an unfathomable disaster.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know it\u2019s not the done thing on Facebook for someone who knows what they\u2019re talking about to comment on current events, but here goes,\u201d New Zealand pilot Vaughn Davis wrote on social media.<\/p>\n
\u201c[The] safety margins in this stunt were insufficient. The aircraft were too low. <\/p>\n
\u201cParadoxically, the crowd will have had a better view and seen the aircraft for longer if they\u2019d been higher. <\/p>\n
\u201cDespite the airline\u2019s statement, this won\u2019t have been the planned and authorised altitude. If there\u2019s a flyover at the next match, see if it\u2019s as low.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davis \u2014 a former Air Force Hercules pilot who holds an Air Transport Pilot\u2019s Licence, C and D category instructor ratings, instrument rating, low level aerobatic rating, and a formation lead qualification \u2014 also had a message for All Blacks and NZ Rugby management.<\/p>\n
\u201c… if there\u2019s a similar flyover planned (without a much higher minimum altitude) then you\u2019re putting the team \u2014 your employees \u2014 at unnecessary risk by allowing them to be in the stadium before the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe responsible thing to do (and as a bonus an excellent way to screw with the Boks) would be to advise the host union that you won\u2019t be entering the stadium until the aircraft are safely away. Or, if they misjudge, hit the stadium and kill everyone, not at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
He signed off his post: \u201cSafer flying, everyone\u201d.<\/p>\n
In a statement, a NZ Rugby spokesman acknowledged the flyover tradition but did not say whether the All Blacks would seek any future assurances.<\/p>\n
\u201cFlyovers before test matches in South Africa are a long-standing tradition that fans look forward to, including the two aircraft that flew at low altitude over Cape Town Stadium ahead of the match against South Africa,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNZR is aware that flyovers will take place prior to matches. These flyovers are organised locally and are not something NZR arranges or has oversight of. <\/p>\n
\u201cNZR is not involved in the operational detail of these particular flights, or in the local civil aviation rules and approval processes that govern them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Airlink\u2019s comments<\/p>\n
One of the two Airlink aircraft involved in the flyover in Cape Town was struck by pyrotechnics.<\/p>\n
The airline that owns the two aircraft issued a statement overnight, in which it noted \u201cthe concerns expressed in various social media and online forums regarding yesterday\u2019s formation flyby over Cape Town\u2019s DHL Stadium\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe flight demanded careful planning and rehearsal, as it required navigating at low altitude, at around 150 knots [278km\/h],\u201d Airlink said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe South African Civil Aviation Authority and Air Traffic Navigation Services provided valuable guidance, approval and support to ensure a safe flyby.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe two aircraft were flown by highly experienced crew, with each comprised of three senior captains operating in the roles of commander, co-pilot and safety\/technical officer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe flight data recorded by both aircraft confirms that the flights were performed within the SACAA\u2019s approved and rehearsed safety altitude and speed limits for the flypast.\u201d<\/p>\n
The rules<\/p>\n
A flyover during the All Blacks v South Africa second test match in Cape Town has sparked a safety debate. Photo \/ action press<\/p>\n
South African aviation officials would have had to give special dispensation for the flyover \u2014 the country\u2019s flight safety rules say no aircraft should be flown over built-up areas or over an open-air assembly of people below 1000ft (304m).<\/p>\n
Davis told the Herald that minimum safe heights for visual flying over built-up areas were set out in each country\u2019s civil aviation rules. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn New Zealand, for example, aircraft need to be 1000 feet above and 600 metres away from cities, crowds and so on. That said, aviation events such as air shows and planned flyovers can be authorised to fly closer and lower if safety margins are in place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vaughn Davis (left) in his 1953 DHC-1 Chipmunk plane \u2014 with former RAF pilot Bill Macleod in 2025. Photo \/ Mike Tweed<\/p>\n
But he also added: \u201cThere\u2019s a saying in aviation that \u2018you can\u2019t break the record for low flying \u2014 you can only equal it\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davis started flying gliders and powered aircraft as a teenager, before joining the Air Force from school. <\/p>\n
According to a biography on his Pro Flight website, he trained on the CT4B Airtrainer and Strikemaster jet before receiving his command on the Fokker Friendship and then the C130 Hercules. <\/p>\n
As well as his qualifications, he is also certified to operate adventure rides under the CAA Part 115 regulations in both the Chipmunk and Tiger Moth.<\/p>\n
The NZ CAA responds<\/p>\n
New Zealand\u2019s CAA said it would not be appropriate for it to comment on the Cape Town flyover as it was \u201csubject to South African aviation requirements and oversight\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn New Zealand, Civil Aviation Rule 91.311 requires an aircraft flying under visual flight rules over a congested area of a city, town or settlement, or an open-air assembly of people, to remain at least 1000 feet above the surface or any obstacle within a horizontal radius of 600 metres,\u201d said a CAA spokeswoman.<\/p>\n
\u201cDifferent minimum-height provisions apply in other areas, and there are specified exceptions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are separate provisions for aviation events under Rule 91.703. Where an aviation event requires authorisation from the Director of Civil Aviation, the organiser must provide an event plan covering matters including the flying programme, the site, spectator safety controls and emergency services.\u201d<\/p>\n
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand\u2019s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and is a former aviation reporter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The airline, Airlink, has insisted that the flyover met safety standards and protocols agreed earlier with South African…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":586774,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1443,190,31844,5263,48614,69207,9218,8136,17940,13651,238787,2842,33840,288945,3273,78,2205,28372,33843,194,17576,111,43,139,69,6327,312,11925,3271,1240,765,223,6173,2951,3608,41402,80],"class_list":["post-586773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-about","tag-africa","tag-aircraft","tag-all","tag-assurances","tag-aviator","tag-before","tag-blacks","tag-bosses","tag-cape","tag-ceremonial","tag-experienced","tag-flyover","tag-flyovers","tag-future","tag-in","tag-involved","tag-jet","tag-jets","tag-kiwi","tag-low","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-rugby","tag-says","tag-seek","tag-should","tag-south","tag-test","tag-the","tag-too","tag-town","tag-were","tag-yesterdays","tag-zealand"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=586773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586773\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/586774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=586773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=586773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=586773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}