First you dream, then you fly

Port Elizabeth, Thursday 27 October: Mandy Latimore, African Pilot’s airshow lady who is usually confined to a wheelchair, was hoisted onto the top of Stu Davidson’s Boeing Stearman in her callipers. She was strapped securely to the rack on the top wing and flew for about thirty glorious minutes, facing the 135 km/h wind. Mandy is a founder member of the Disabled Aviation Association, one of the sections of the Aero Club of South Africa, which African Pilot supports. Not only is this a notable feat of extraordinary human proportions, but also this achievement will become an item to be recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. Our gratitude goes to Stu Davidson, who, through his big heart has done much for aviation in South Africa; he is also a man who quietly gets on with the task at hand, expecting very little in return. Peter Wise, PRO for Sasol fuels who are the regular sponsors of the four-ship L-29 team – Sasol Tiger Jet Display Team, kindly handled the sponsorship for Mandy’s flight and for Frans Dely who travelled to Port Elizabeth early especially to photograph the momentous event from an Algoa Flying Club Cessna 172.