Zandvlei Trust

Muizenberg has its third air mail delivery in 1986.

This extract from the  Muizenberg News January 1987 (supplied by Dave and Cynthia Privett).
Author unknown. Pictures of the Bleriot and postcard from The Cape Odyssey newspaper No 32,
Nov - Dec 2003 Volume 3 issue 11.

Sunrise Beach became an airport for a special airmail delivery on the 27th December 1986. The occasion was the 75th anniversary of the first airmail delivery on the continent of Africa which strangely enough was between Kenilworth and Muizenberg.  The story of the pioneer event was interesting.

In Britain in September 1911 a pioneer aerial mail was organised in conjunction with the coronation of King George V. The flight was between London and Windsor and a South African Mr Evelyn (Bok) Driver was one of the pilots. He, Captain Guy Livingstone and Compton Paterson formed the African Aviation Syndicate and 2 aircraft were shipped to Cape Town, a Farman-type bi-plane and a Bleriot monoplane.
These planes were assembled at Kenilworth. Paterson flew the Farman on a test flight to Green Point Common and he landed perfectly. On take off the next morning a gust of wind caught the small plane and it crashed. This was a sad setback for the African Aviation Syndicate. The Cape Town Publicity Association had planned a fortnight for the second half of December 1911 and the Minister of Posts and Telegraphs had sanction the conveyance of mail by air.  Special postcards were printed by Messes Whitehead / Morris and these were being sold for 1/- (10c). A special hand stamp for franking the postcards had been provided by the Post Office and like the design of the postcard had been patterned on those used in the pioneer airmail in Britain. They were date stamped in Muizenberg and Kenilworth and then circulated by ordinary mail. The total number of cards was 2597.

photograph from the Telkom Exploratorium

In the remaining aircraft Evelyn Driver took off from the Kenilworth Race Course in the remaining aircraft on 19h15 on the 27th December 1911and piloted the machine for a safe touch down 7 1/2 minutes later at Oldhams Field on the verges of Zandvlei in Muizenberg. Oldham was a chemist and his field was used as a dairy farm and sports ground. At the field Mr P.J Hutchings the Post Master at Muizenberg, received the post and gave the pilot a return post. The aircraft was safely back at Kenilworth at 20h10.

photograph by Noel Otten

Beriot monoplane, at a French Aircraft Museum.

 The birds eye view of Muizenberg then called "The Brighton of South Africa" shows what this intrepid pilot must have seen of the place. ( See picture above)
A second flight from Kenilworth to Muizenberg and back was flown by the same pilot and plane on the 3rd January 1912.

Now the third flight has taken place and very nearly ended in a serious mishap when SKYPUP 25 VKZ micro-light aircraft piloted by Peter Westerman suffered an engine failure as he was coming in to land at the Sunrise Beach car park. Fortunately the pilot managed a bumpy landing damaging the plane but delivering the mailbag containing 1000 Commemorative Covers specially printed by the Aerophilatelic Society and also 50 copies of the Muizenberg News as a special certified airmail delivery.
The Post Master of Muizenberg, Mr John Matthee took them to the post office where they were stamped and the pilot hand signed them. Meanwhile a reception was held in the committee room at the Pavilion. Mr Rudi Jeidel of the Aerophilatelic Society gave the history of the occasion and the Stellenbosch Farmers Winery made a generous donation of sparkling wine which was used to toast the birth of the airmail of South Africa.

The pilot could not attend the ceremony as he was busy signing the 1000 envelopes. The real hero of the flight was perhaps forgotten with his aircraft in need of some repair. A bottle of sparkling wine provided some solace for the injured aviator.  The 1000 signed envelopes were sold for R5.00 and are expected to appreciate in value. The injured aircraft had to be trailered home by road and is expected to be in the air again quite soon.

An article from the Argus newspaper on 26/09/201. The day was perfect flying weather on Sunday 25/09/2011 as they flew along the peninsula.   updated 27/09/2011