Pilot’s brush with death ends in triumph

Willie Jordaan, senior engineer at Union Junction, and his co-pilot, Five Delport, flew the full 1 188.7 km in South Africa’s 2009 President’s Trophy Air Race to finish eighth and win two trophies. This was after the engine of their Piper Archer stopped and then restarted just 8 m from the ground.

World’s biggest air race

The President’s Trophy Air Race has been held annually since 1937 and is classified as the biggest air race in the world. It takes place over two days. In its 72 years, the race has never had a fatal accident.

The race this year was between Bloemfontein, the Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape. It attracted a record entry of 113 aircraft, ranging from a two-seater Jabiru SP, to an ex-military Harvard T6. It is a map navigation race where no GPS equipment is allowed.

Willie says, “On the second day, between Bloemfontein and Hoopstad, the plane’s engine stopped following a fuel tank change at a height of 60 m above ground. The plane had to be flown off the route for an emergency landing. Fortunately, the engine fired up again at 8 m above the ground, but had to be flown across the route for 2 km before enough height was gained to cross power lines and get back on route again.”

This detour put a dent in their time and cost them third place. “During the excursion, three planes passed us. Then, just four kilometers before the end, a T6 Harvard and a RV7 racer also overtook us,” adds Willie.

Six second behind second plane

However, they had come third on the first day, a mere six seconds behind the second plane – and this after a turbulent 1 500 m nose dive over 5 km that challenged all of the pilots. Willie lost his headphones twice during this dive, but one pilot cracked a vertebra and another team had to make an emergency landing with a broken propeller.

Willie and Five did well to finish the race in eighth and win the Placo Trophy for the first Piper home. They also won the trophy for the best club performance. They flew for the Witbank Aeronautical Association. The first ten aircraft home were less than four minutes apart. Fifty-two planes finished within the first ten minutes.