Episode 52 Flight It Up
This episode of the youth radio broadcast Level Up - Flight It Up on Radio Islam International aired on Sunday 6th September 2026, hosted by Ziyaad Plaatjes alongside co-hosts Nabihah and Isa.
The segment focuses on local South African news updates and an in-depth feature segment on historical aviation milestones.
Key Discussion Topics
1. Severe Weather Across South Africa
• A powerful cutoff low-pressure system (Yellow Level 4 warning) caused heavy winds, torrential rain, hail, and localized flooding across the Eastern Cape, Karoo, Garden Route, and Gauteng (including Boksburg and Benoni).
2. South African Travelers & Nepal Floods
• Nine South Africans returned safely following catastrophic flash floods in Nepal during a spiritual trip to Mount Kailash.
• Search and rescue operations continue for six South Africans who remain missing due to severe mudslides and road damage.
3. Recent Local Incidents
• Sharpville Massacre Legal Action: Survivors and descendants filed a class-action lawsuit in the Gauteng High Court to challenge a 65-year-old law preventing them from claiming government damages.
• Spring Day Transit Vandalism: Severe window-smashing vandalism targeting municipal buses in Tshwane disrupted public transport, drawing strong community condemnation.
• Disaster Relief: Local Muslim charities dispatched blankets and hot meals to affected families in KwaZulu-Natal (Inanda Valley and Mpumalanga) following destructive spring storms.
• Ecotourism Boost: Environmental monitors reported a healthy return of local marine bird life along the Kowie River in Port Alfred.
Feature Segment: Aviation History & Milestones
The co-hosts opened with a discussion of Airlink’s recent low-level flyover above Cape Town’s DHL Stadium before a South Africa vs. New Zealand rugby test match. According to flight tracking data, the jets cleared the stadium roof by approximately 12.5–14 meters (41–46 ft), setting a documented low-altitude pass record for passenger jets over a major structure.
South African Aviation Milestones
• 1909: Albert Kimling completed South Africa’s first powered flight at Nahoon Racecourse in East London.
• 1934–1935: South African Airways (SAA) was officially established, launching scheduled flights using a Junkers Ju 52.
• 1952: The de Havilland Comet landed at Palmietfontein Airport as the first passenger jet to land in South Africa.
• 1994: A Douglas DC-4 Skymaster (Lebombo) set a world record for the longest non-stop piston-engine transport flight with the same passenger group, flying over 15,000 km to Oshkosh, Wisconsin (with actor John Travolta on board).
• 1995: SAA’s Boeing 747 (Lebombo) performed the iconic flyover ahead of the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final with "Good Luck Bokke" painted on its underside.
• Historic Visits: Major international arrivals featured over the years include the Concorde, Airbus A380 testing, Air Force One, and Air Europa’s inaugural direct flight connecting Madrid and Johannesburg (launched June 2026).
Early Pioneer Milestones from Islamic History
• Abbas ibn Firnas (852 & 875 CE): Conducted an early parachute-style jump from the Minaret of Cordoba and later achieved a controlled glider flight using a wooden frame, silk, and eagle feathers in Spain.
• Al-Jawhari (c. 1000 CE): Researched early aerodynamic flight theories in Nishapur using custom wooden wings.
• Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi (1632 CE): Successfully glided across the Bosphorus Strait from Istanbul’s Galata Tower to Üsküdar.
• Lagâri Hasan Çelebi (1633 CE): Launched a manned gunpowder-propelled rocket flight, climbing roughly 300 meters before landing safely in the sea with custom wings.
Listen to Level Up with Ziyaad, Nabihah, and Isa Plaatjes on Radio Islam International MW 1548
Episode 52: Flight It Up
Sunday 06 September 2026 / 24th Rabi al-Awwal 1448AH 14h00 - 15h00 (CAT)
Watch Level Up with Ziyaad, Nabihah, and Isa Plaatjes on Radio Islam International MW 1548
Episode 52: Flight It Up
Sunday 06 September 2026 / 24th Rabi al-Awwal 1448AH 14h00 - 15h00 (CAT)
Read the Transcript for Level Up with Ziyaad, Nabihah, and Isa Plaatjes on Radio Islam International MW 1548
Episode 52: Flight It Up
Sunday 06 September 2026 / 24th Rabi al-Awwal 1448AH 14h00 - 15h00 (CAT)
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To dear listeners, it's just past 200 p.m. right here in South Africa and it's
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our favorite day of the week a 24th day of Rabiel Aal 1448 ah
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alhamdulillah and it corresponds to Sunday the 6th of September 2026.
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I'm Zad Plachis and with me are my co-hosts Nabiha and Issa Plachis.
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Welcome to Level Up where we listen, learn, and grow inshallah with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's guidance and we break down the week's news and talk
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about what really matters to young Muslims today. Our WhatsApp line is open. The number is 0727861548.
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You can call in on 0185472
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or DM us on love.com. That's I ov zoom
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m. We on Instagram, Facebook, x, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tik Tok, threads,
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upscroll, and now on WhatsApp. We have a WhatsApp channel as well.
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So the past few days um I think from like Thursday or Friday we've had some really heavy weather here in South
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Africa we've had um you know very heavy winds uh we had heavy hail storms
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uh we've had some rain uh flooding and may Allah make it uh beneficial rain for
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us and beneficial weather for us. I mean we need the wind, we need the sun, we need the uh rain, we need all those elements but may Allah make it
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beneficial and unharmful for us and keep us safe uh during this time inshallah.
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Inshallah I mean yes. So uh the South African weather service had issued an urgent yellow level 4 warning for this weekend that you know just passed and
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that we're currently in where a powerful cut off low pressure system moved across the country. You know, communities
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across the eastern Cape Karu and Garden Route braced themselves for damaging interior winds, massive coastal waves,
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and torrential rain that carried a high risk of localized flooding. Um, listeners were urged to secure their
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properties and avoid traveling near low-lying bridges. And I'm sure I showed you yesterday something that happened um
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which area was it? um where the roof actually the the wind actually made the entire roof come off of a certain
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building. Um which area was it? I can't remember now. I can't remember. I think it was it not here in Johannesburg.
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Somewhere in Johannesburg I think it was did they was it Lindro or Lyndon or I feel like it was something with the owl?
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I can't remember but I do know there was heavy I think it was Friday night heavy hail storms in Boxburg and Benoni. There
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was even been snow I think in the Eastern Cape. Um so we've had like really weird weather this weekend. Um
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but yeah, may Allah keep us all safe inshallah. And talking about whether um you know there's still that that natural
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disaster that happened in Nepal. Um nine South Africans including Sulash Pelle and her daughter Keshi have returned home to South Africa after narrowly
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escaping catastrophic flash floods in Nepal. Sulash Pelle and Keshny landed safely at King Shaka International
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Airport in Durban. Seven other members of the traveling group arrived at an airport in Johannesburg. The group had
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traveled to the region for a spiritual journey to Mount Kaish organized by the Moanchi Foundation, South Africa. They managed to leave the affected area 2
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days before the severe floods and landslides struck the border region. So, alhamdulillah they were, you know, very
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lucky. I mean in 2 days and it was it's devastating. So meanwhile the the six South Africans who went missing during
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the catastrophic flash floods have not been found yet. Search and rescue teams are still looking for the six South
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Africans. Heavy mud landslides and damaged roads are making the search very hard. Some family members have traveled
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to Nepal to help look for their loved ones. South African and Nepalese authorities are working with groups to track their latest known locations.
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Sure.
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And in other news, in a world filled with AI, South Africa still managed to create the most creative epic original content.
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Yes. I was actually just thinking that um haters will say it's AI.
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Well, if you see the footage um from and if you don't know what we're talking about, it's the two Alink um planes that flew over the DHL stadium last weekend.
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Um it was so low and the the angles that people got the footage from, it did look
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like it was AI and I think because AI is almost so real and people's
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cameras are so good these days, it's hard to distinguish between the two. But I think after the break, Issa is going
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to talk more about it and also about some of the um aviation milestones in South Africa and as as well as some of
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the Islamic um you know the Muslim world um what what we've contributed to aviation.
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Alhamdulillah. Inshallah mean. Yes. And in a historic legal move, survivors and descendants of the 1960 Sharpville
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massacre have filed an application in the Khao High Court. They are seeking a class action lawsuit against the
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government to overturn a 65year-old law that blocks them from claiming damages.
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One elderly survivor shared her emotional testimony, expressing that after decades of silence, the community
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is finally seeking a formal path to structural healing and compensation.
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Alhamdulillah, I'm glad, you know, because you always hear um a certain type of people say never forget, never
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forget um you know, the wrong done unto them, but when it comes to others, it's always, oh, that's history, move on. And
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you know the the thing is there's still scars left behind through generations and without going into too much it it also still impacts today.
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No, alhamdulillah you know um there has to be some sort of healing whether it's
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financial compensation or you know there's something that that that needs to be done. I mean that's why the truth
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and reconciliation commission was set up as well. Um, you know, people need to be held accountable for for their actions.
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Um, and it it needs to be said and, you know, kids need to learn about the history as well.
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Exactly. The real history, not the history that was altered and put into history textbooks.
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Yeah. And I think that's one of the things that Issa is going to discuss after the break is, you know, what we were taught about aviation and what
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actually happened um are two different things. And I think it's a lot a lot of the subjects that we are taught at school we are forced um to learn about
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western civilization obviously now alhamdulillah you know like here in South Africa there is a bit more South
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African history that you know uh kids are being taught when we were at school it was just you know like the world wars
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and you know what happened in the Roman Empire and you know stuff that happened in the western civilization And there's
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actually um in the Islamic world there there was more that happened and there
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was stuff that happened um events that happened that actually triggered the
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events that we learned about that we thought were the official events um not to get into too much detail but you know what I'm what I'm going at.
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Yeah. And then in other news in spring day transport sabotage in Schwan. So for community members commuting north, the
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city of Chuane had to pull multiple municipal buses off the road on spring day following targeted acts of
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vandalism. Unknown perpetrators smash the windows of operating buses. Local community leaders have strongly
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condemned the acts, emphasizing how destroying public transit hits um workingclass families and elderly
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residents the hardest. Yeah, I think the spring day celebrations were a bit out of hand this year because I saw quite a
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few um stories and videos circulating of people, you know, there's um this like
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celebration that they do in the locations. Um and obviously it's it's spread elsewhere throughout the country,
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but on spring day you take a bucket of water and then you um throw it over somebody else.
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Oh yeah. But um and it's it's it's been going on for a while, but kids used to throw it on each other, you know, it's
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like spring day um you know, and also washing your selfcleansing, getting rid of all the the bad energy,
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but uh it's sparked it's it's moved into more disrespectful and you know, like
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vandalism and people pull other people out of cars. they um hurt the elderly if
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they you know like start to you know like um what's the word retaliate not retaliate but actually you know
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reprimand the kids for for for what they're doing and um it one of the
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incidents someone was was fatally wounded because because of it was one of the kids that were obviously doing this and
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you know people are like it's a lesson to be learned but it's a harsh lesson because somebody died. But at the same
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time, um you know, people who don't want to be involved in these celebrations, just respect them, you know.
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Um if you want to do it amongst your friends, then it's it's okay. But you know, you don't pull people out of the
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car. You don't, you know, throw water or throw water on on their car, on their property or on them if they don't want
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to because not everybody wants to, you know, be part of that celebration and it's just sad that it ended in a in a death.
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Sure. Yeah, it is. Um before I go into a little bit of a good news, I just wanted to well actually this is also part of it
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is good news in Quazula Natal more specifically in Nanda Valley and Monteil. So because of the massive spring storms that battered parts of it
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uh in the Inand Valley heavy downpours uprooted mature trees and damaged roofs.
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But here's the good part. Local Muslim charity organizations have proactively dispatched blankets and hot meals to
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affected families. Alhamdulillah. So that's always good. Alhamdulillah.
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And then um let me just tell you a little bit of good news also before um uh we get into the break. So on a
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brighter note in Eastern Cape uh more specifically Port Alfred environment environmental monitors on the Kawi River
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in Port Alfred noted a healthy healthy return of local marine bird life bringing a peaceful boost to ecoourism.
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Alhamdulillah.
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Okay. I wonder if it um is one of them is the Tata Ospray that was just launched this week.
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If you would like to join the conversation, I would subline 0727861548
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or you can call in on 0185472 or you can even DM us on.com
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on social media. That's ov zoom m. Let's go for a break and when we get back I'll
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be sharing some key aviation milestones in South Africa and in Islam inshallah
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tutoring mentoring homeschool assistance concessions facilitation and more
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visit after faj academy the dawn of excellence
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and welcome back to level up if you've Please tune in. We've been catching up on the latest news locally and
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internationally. If you missed it, be sure to check out the Radio Islam International Soundcloud during the week for the podcast as well as our
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website.com for the video podcast. But right now, I'll be sharing some historical moments
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in aviation in South Africa and some Islamic aviation milestones. If you would like
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to join the conversation, our subline is open. The number is 0727861548
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or you can call in on 0185472 or you can even DM us on at.com on social media. That's I O V E Z A C O M.
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As mentioned earlier last weekend before the rugby match uh between South Africa
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and New Zealand pilots flew to Alink Planes over the DHL stadium in Cape Town
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and was so close to the top of the stadium that the footage went viral.
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A large online debate followed the widely circulated footage from different angles.
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Most nitizens applaud the p pilots for their skill and of course South Africans
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were proud as always of the achievements of their fellow countrymen.
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While others were calling it reckless and dangerous. Did you think it was reckless and dangerous or did you think that it was a good skill issa?
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I think it was um a good skill.
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Good skill. Okay. So you want to also apply fly a plane solo and then
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I actually wanted to say that um there were quite a few people who made jokes and and and it seems like it's a a thing
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of South Africans for whenever something happens then they like to cash in and make jokes and memes about it and there
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were quite a few and then at first because I didn't watch the game so I didn't know about it I just saw like these earing planes everywhere and I'm
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thinking what's going on and then finally I realized what happened. So I think as South Africans we like to do that. Um I'm not sure if there's anyone
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you know anywhere else in the country they do the same thing but as South Africans you know we always make a joke out of things or meme out of things and
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then companies and businesses use it in their um you know like social media posts to boost their post and so on.
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Yeah, I think um we always a jolly nation. Alhamdulillah. And um you know
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like even in adversity we we find humor in it. I think it's our our way of dealing with the trauma. Um, but you
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know, talking about the the brands and stuff, I did see, you know, quite a few brands like showing that they're delivering something at the top of the
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stadium um or that their products were dropped uh from the from the planes and
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uh but yeah, on a serious note, well, not a serious note cuz it was Donald Trump, but he and I think Americans themselves say it was so close to 911.
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Um and you know like we're like a terrorist nation and so it was you know like a like a big debate and obviously
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you know world leaders got involved um aviation authorities got involved and we we so but we so used to it we didn't
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even realize it was a problem and we we used to either driving our cars low with a very low suspension over speed bumps
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driving our planes low you know it's something we do and um you know other people must join the party.
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No, because um there I saw also quite a few things that said is this there's there were like aviation laws coming up
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and they say they're not supposed to do this and this and that and the other. But yeah, you guys can get into it.
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Yes. And there was even a game that was created which you can view on our website al.com which Issa played and
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Yes. I think got a quite high score actually.
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I'm doing it was actually I was playing for about an hour and I could like it. Really?
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Okay. And I saw that you have to dodge hard. Yeah. Our unofficial national bird.
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Yes. And then go past the stadium. If you crash onto the stadium or get hit by a hara, then you lose.
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Oh, okay.
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Yes. And then I think just last week we spoke about world records. So we asked
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Google what is the closest a plane has flown over or close to a building. And
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then the response was that one of the closest documented lowaltitude passes by large commercial passenger jets over a
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major structure occurred during a pre-match fly over above Cape Town's DHL stadium in South Africa.
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So there there it is. We we it's a world record. Um I think that's why people didn't like it is that South Africa again broke another record.
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Yeah. So because the the world's record is in Cape Town which is in South Africa. So so then yeah they had to
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bring out the laws and the regulations and so on. Yeah. Yeah.
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And I mean nobody was harmed alhamdulill and and everybody enjoyed it. So I mean you know and it wasn't like they uh flew
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directly into the stadium. They were above the stadium.
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Yes. And in the Cape Town stadium flyby the event, two commercial airlink in
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barrier Egypt flew in tight formation directly over the 55,000
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seat stadium just before a rugby test match between South Africa and New Zealand.
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The clearance flight tracking data and analyzers from flight radar 24 indicated that the lead
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aircraft cleared the top of the stadium roof by roughly 41 to 46 ft which is
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12.5 to 14 m equivalent to about the height of a fourstory building. And then
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the controversy. While dramatic video angles made it clear as though the tail
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of the first jet nearly skimmed the roof structure and flew through stadium proto
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techniques. The airline and aviation authorities defended the stunt, stating it was fully planned, rehearsed, and
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executed within approved safety parameters.
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But let's look at a few historic aviation moments in South Africa.
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So South Africa's first powered flight took place on the 28th of December 1909
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when French aviator Albert Kimling flew a voison
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biplane over the Nahun racecourse in East London.
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Albert Kimling achieved an altitude of about 6 m and a speed of 30 m per hour during his historic 1909 flight.
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Kimling made a follow-up flight on the 1st of January 1910 which ended in a minor crash recorded as South Africa's first airplane accident.
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On the 19th of March 1910, Kimberling flew the country's first airplane passenger Thomas Thorton and its first
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female passenger, journalist, Julia Stansford, in Johannesburg.
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Engineer John Weston built South Africa's first locally designed aircraft prototype in 1907 later flying a
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modified version near Kimberly on the 16th of June 1911.
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So um 1909 quite a long time.
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Yes. Uh but also it's good to hear that the person who flew the first aircraft also crashed had the first accident. No,
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not good, but I mean as in um you know he did everything first. Um yeah.
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What you actually mean to say is that he was the one who flew it and who crashed it and not someone else crashed it. Was that is that what you tried to say?
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That's basically what I wanted to say.
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And it's good also that they took a journalist with them.
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No, it's to document it, but also, you know, to show that the our profession has been around for a long time.
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Yes. And then the South African Airways officially took its first flight on the 1st of February 1934 after the South
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African government took over Union Airways as recorded in the official SAA
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brief history. SAA was officially born when the government absorbed Union Airways.
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On the 6th of August 1935, SAA launched its first major scheduled
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service from Rand airport using a Junas Ju 52 to 3 m named Yang Fang Rebec. And
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then the first scheduled flight flew from Gerston to Cape Town stopping in Kimberly and Bowoot West. And the
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historic first passenger jet flight to land in South Africa was the D Havland
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commit operated by BOAC in August 1952.
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The jet landed at Palm Fontaine airport near Johannesburg because the runways at the time were too short for regular jet operations.
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After dropping off passengers at Pal Palm Fontaine, the empty aircraft flew to Young Airport which is now Orumbbo
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International Airport to prepare for the return trip.
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Later in the 1950s, the heavland aircraft in South Africa and South African Airways work closely
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together with commits even being chartered by SAA.
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The heavland established a strong foothold in southern Africa starting in
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the 1930s with sales service and air training subsidaries subsidiaries.
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Familiar models like the tiger moth and the DH98 mosquito became famous parts of
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the South African aviation history. the the name of the aircraft is Mosquito.
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So, you know, it was an annoyance.
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It obviously was the noise that it made, you know, like how the drones make today. It sounds like that. So, I'm assuming it also made that noise. Um,
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but uh when Issa said Yansmats airport, I still remember when it was called Yansmats before it became our Tambbo.
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Um, not giving my age away.
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You sound like such an old person. When which year was it changed to Ora Tambbo? Do you know? Do you remember?
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I I don't remember. It's like when they changed Han Stadium to Mali Bongu I don't remember the year but I remember
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when it when it changed. It was probably in the late '9s or early 2000s obviously since you know we a democratic country.
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Uh so from 94 upwards and then the Douglas DC4 Sky Master
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named Leombo set a world record in July 1994 for the longest proper flight in
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one direction with an unchanged passenger group.
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The record blreaking flight destination was that it flew over 15,000 kilometers
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9,320 mi across two oceans from South Africa to the experimental aircraft association
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fly in Oshkosh Oshkosh uh Wisconsin USA. So, alhamdulillah, we
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26 minutes
broke another world record. But when you said it flew over two oceans, I think a lot of pilots fly over two oceans here in South Africa when they go past Cape Town.
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And then record details was that it achieved the longest time and distance for a single direction piston engine
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transport flight carrying the exact same group of passengers the entire way.
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Special guests were Hollywood actor and pilot John Travolta was on board during the historic
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journey. It won the award for best transport aircraft in the classic history at the Oshkosh air show.
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What What year was that again? Because I feel like I heard it on the radio or something.
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In I think July 1994.
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Okay. So then I did hear it. I do remember hearing um that we will broke a world record and it was to America cuz I
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can remember I I don't remember the kilometers but I know the flight itself was like 20 something hours or something. It was quite quite a long time.
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Mhm. And then uh the 1995 Rugby World Cup final flyover featured a South
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African Airways Boeing 747 200 also named Le Bombo that flew over the Ellis
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Park Stadium in Johannesburg with Good Luck Ba painted on its underside. The
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plane was pilot piloted by SAA Captain Laur.
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Good luck bucker was written under the wings and fuse ledge and the event took place on the 24th of June 1995 just
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before South Africa played New Zealand in the final. That one I definitely remember.
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Not to give away my age again. The secret stunt started a famous South African tradition of stadium flyovers at
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major rugby matches which includes last week controversial
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controversial flyover. But we as South Africans are used to this as we have seen this over stadiums and even the union building.
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Yeah, we are used to it. It's a we've grown up see seeing this so it's nothing new for us.
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You I just wanted to say you said um that gives away your age but you didn't really say that you know you were a teenager or you were a kid during that
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you know you could have been which you were you were a child who remembered the 1995 event. So don't make like you're so old though.
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So I could have just been born also and I remember watching it on TV. That's definitely not it.
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And then famous low-level fly pass.
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Although the union buildings in Pritoria are historically tied to major presidential inaugurations and national
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milestones rather than regular commercial flight parts. Historic flyovers at the Union buildings include
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Tabucki's inauguration June 1999. South African Airways famously executed a
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triple Boeing 747 formation fly pass that thundered over the amphitheater amphitheater.
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Jacob Zuma's inauguration May 2014 SAA pilots performed a low-level fly pass to celebrate the presidential swearing in ceremony.
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See, do you remember that one? Cuz you always say I remember this. I remember that. That was the year Issa was born. Do you remember that one?
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I do remember the the the flights.
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Unfortunately, we weren't at any of them. But if you ever go like to Boxburg or Benoni, um there's a lot of lowflying planes as they come in to the airport.
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So I think even that people live near, you know, the airport and they see it on a daily basis. So that's why I say, you
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know, like we as South Africans, we've grown up seeing it all the time. Um, so you know, it's nothing new.
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And then Sel Roma's inauguration, coordinated flying formations by SAA and
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the South African National Defense Force marked the event over Chuane.
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While recent viral aviation events such as Heirlink's low stadium fly over at Cape Town Stadium for the spring box
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match has sparked the discussions and safely reviews by the South African
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Civil Aviation Authority daily or routine commercial flyovers do not occur over the Union buildings.
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The Airbus A380 Super Jumbo first landed in South Africa
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at Our Tambbo International Airport in Johannesburg on the 26th of November
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2006 as part of a global testing and routing tour.
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The first landing in 2006 was the was when the test aircraft arrived in
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Johannesburg from Tulus, France. Before continuing testing, Air France operated the first commercial A380
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passenger flight into Aurorambo International Airport on the 18th of February 2010.
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I don't remember the 2006, but I remember the 2010. And when Issa said, "Oh, Tambo International Airport," it sounded like he worked for AXA.
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Airlines like Emirates and Kes currently schedule regular super jumbo flights connecting Johannesburg,
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Johannesburg to global hubs like Dubai and Sydney. The aircraft has also made
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special visits or training landings at other South African locations such as
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King Shaka International Airport in Durban.
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The British Airways Concord made several historic and rare visits to South Africa for testing record-breaking flights and
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private charters. The key visits to South Africa include 1973 the British
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prototype Concord2 visited the Johannesburg and Cape Town in January and February for high
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altitude and hot and high performance trials.
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The 1976 Concord G BB DG G returned to
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Johannesburg for further hot and high testing and conducted supersonic trials
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over the ocean near Cape Town. 1985 a charted Concord GC
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set a new London to Cape Town speed record of 8 hours and 8 minutes of during a coned world cruise connection.
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1992 BMW charted Concord GOAC to launch its new 3 series range operating special
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promotional flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town. I spoke to some of the journalists that were actually on that
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trip um because it was a media launch and they they took um I think it was you
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know the journalist and their spouse at the time and most of them said that that was like the best launch they had ever been on.
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Obviously, I mean, if you went in a Concord and was specially charted by BMW for you to fly, uh, then definitely that was the best loot you've ever been on.
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Then 200 2000 an American VIP chartered tour operated
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by Amber Crumbi and Kent bought brought Concord G B A D to Cape Town via Washington, Morocco and Lagos.
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In June 2013, Air Force One landed at Air Force Base Wring
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the US President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their family for
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the official state visit. And in December 2013, Air Force One returned to
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South Africa to transport US delegations attending the official memorial service for former President Nelson Mandela.
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So we've had a lot of, you know, like um famous planes like the Concord and Air Force One landing here in South Africa
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as well. So we've had there's like a lot of historic moments actually. Alhamdulillah.
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Alhamdulillah. And lastly, Air Europia operated its first ever flight to South
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Africa on the 25th of June 2026, marking the airlines historic entry to
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subsaharan Africa. The route was a direct connection between Adulo Suarez
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Madrid Bah Bahra airport MAD and O Tambbo International
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Airport in Johannesburg. Now operating three times a week departing Madrid on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
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returning from Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
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The aircraft used is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. This has been welcomed by
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the Department of Tourism as a major boost for trade, tourism, and connectivity to Europe and Latin America.
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It sounds like you work for Air Europa because um you're telling us exactly when they're operating Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays.
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Um I was going to say the exact same thing not just for Air Europa but for the fact that he's um working for aviation.
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You know it just sounds like and the way he says uh oh Tambo International Airport.
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Let's take a brief look at some of Islamic aviation milestones. So the history of aviation includes pioneering
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milestones from the Islamic world primarily dating back to the Islamic golden age and the Ottoman Empire
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centuries before the Wright brothers or Leonardo dinci sketches Muslim polymats
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were observing bird aerody aerodynamics and attempting control human flight.
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Here are the key historical milestones in aviation from Islamic history. The
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early parachute prototype 852 CE before making his famous glider
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attempt. The andian polymath Abbas bin Fernas conducted what
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many historians could consider a precure to the modern parachute jump. He wrapped
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38 minutes
himself in a loose canvas like cloak stiffened with a wooden strut and jumped
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from the minerate of the great mosque of Gordoba. The fabric caught enough air to
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break his fall, allowing him to land with only minor injuries. Please do not try this at home. Thank you very much.
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I remember that when we were doing uh you were doing Muslim inventors um or innovators or something and you
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mentioned um this Iben Fernas Abbas Iban Fernas.
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Yes, I do remember that. And then the first controller glider flight 875
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CE at the age of 70. Basin Veras designed a much more sophisticated
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aircraft constructed of a lightweight wooden frame, silk and real eagle feathers.
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39 minutes
He launched himself from a cliff in the Jabal Alas mountains near Cordoba, Spain. He successfully glided through
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the air, remaining some remaining airborne for several minutes. Some accounts claim
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up to 10 minutes while being watched by a crowd of onlookers.
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Ibin for crash landed a badly injured in his back in his back. He famously
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realized his design flaw. He had studied how birds take off but forgot to give
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his machine a tail a rudder to slow down and stabilize the landing. His work on
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39 minutes, 45 seconds
the orthopter or framework later heavily influenced
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early European flight theories. Today NASA honors his legacy by naming a lunar crater after him. Alhamdulillah.
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Alhamdulillah. But you said he was 70 years old. So life begins at 70.
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Then aerodynamic theory research 100 CE. An Islamic scholar from central
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Asia named Al Jawari is bin Hammed al Jawari
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attempted a flight in Nappa modernday Iran using custommade wooden wings. The
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long-d distanceance glider flight 1632 CE during the height of the Ottoman Empire and poly Istanbul polymath named
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Huzzafen Ahmed Celebi built an unpowered glider with large bodymounted wings.
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Huzzafen jumped from the top of the historic Galata tower in Istanbul. Using strong wind
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currents, he successfully glided across the Bosphorus Strat, landing safely in
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Doug Consula Square in US.
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This event is highly celebrated as one of the earliest recorded successful intercontinental
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glider flights in human history. The first man rocket flight 1632
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1633 CE just a year after Hzaran's glider flight his brother Lagari Asen
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Zalei achieved a milestone in jet and rocket prop pollution
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during celebrations for the birth of Sultan Morad I's daughter seventh
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fourth daughter. Legari built a seven wing continical
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cage packed with over 140 lb of gunpowder. He sat inside the cage,
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ignited the fuel, and blasted roughly 300 m into the air before using a set of
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boltin wings to gently glide down into the sea, surviving the explosion completely unharmed.
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Alhamdulillah. But I think that's something that you definitely shouldn't try at home.
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None of those. But at least I mean, they tried it. You know, they what what's that thing called? Tried and tested. um
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trial and error. They did that so that we don't have to and alhamdulillah for the fact that it was done by um Muslims
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first. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. And you you know it shows that that in Islam
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the contributions made to not just Islam to society as a whole.
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43 minutes
Yes. I mean like a simple thing like aviation. They said that it was documented and that one of the people
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that Issa spoke about they named a crater um after INASA is now acknowledging. Mhm.
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You know, alhamdulillah. Yes. We can continue on another day about this. There's a lot more to talk about. So once again, if
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43 minutes, 23 seconds
you would like to join the conversation during the week, you can do so on our social media pages at iloves.com. That's
43:31
43 minutes, 31 seconds
iO Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tik Tok,
43:39
43 minutes, 39 seconds
Threads, Ups, Scrolled, and now we have a WhatsApp channel as well. You're welcome to read the articles on our website as well as listen, watch, and
43:47
43 minutes, 47 seconds
read the past episodes on our website, ilza.com.
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43 minutes, 52 seconds
And if you've missed any of the other Level Up episodes or you'd like to just go back and listen to it, you are welcome to do so on the Radio Islam
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44 minutes
International SoundCloud to our dear listeners for joining us on
44:07
44 minutes, 7 seconds
this lovely rainy, cold, and dark and gloomy Sunday afternoon.
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Please join us every Sunday right here on Radio Islam International from 2 to 300 p.m. Inshallah.
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44 minutes, 20 seconds
from myself Nabiha from Isa and from Zad. Enjoy your Sunday and we wish you an wonderful blessed week ahead. Inshallah.
