Flowers of the Eastern Cape #22 - Proteas

The Eastern Cape is alive with flowers at the moment and a trip to the van Staden's Wild Flower Reserve is well worth the visit.

This Protea Eximia is looking quite spectacular with the back lighting. 

The Pincushion protea (Leucospermum cuneiforme) is putting on a magnificent display.

Continuing with things that fly

This Red-veined Dropwing posed very obligingly at the van Staden's Wild Flower Reserve today.

 These are one of the most common dragon flies in the region.

Skywatch Friday - The ups and downs of flying

Seeing that this is my week for aircraft my Skywatch theme today is a Boeing Stearman (ZU-BED) being taken through her paces at the Port Elizabeth airshow.

Here she comes for her first manoeuvre..........

Going up and coming down.....................if I was in there I am not so sure that my breakfast would still be were it should be.

  

And now it's time to leave.

Visit Skywatch for more pictures from around the world.

Just Harvards

What would any airshow be without its display of Harvards. Originally built as training aircraft way back  in the 1940's, these aircraft have long since been moth balled as trainers and now reside in private collections around the world.

This gracious old lady in the old livery of the South African Airforce, was on display at the Port Elizabeth Airshow this weekend. I remember watching these in the skies over Pretoria, well over 50 years ago. I think she belongs to the SAAF Museum.

ZU-AZX, in the livery of the USA Navy, belongs to Stu Davidson and is waiting for it's turn in the skies

ZU-AZX being taken through her paces.

As old as she is, she still has what it takes.

Historic Fly by

Mustang Sally (N72FT)  in a historic fly by with the Silver Falcons at the Port Elizabeth Airshow. It is historic, because this is is the first fly by with a Mustang and the last flight that the current Silver Falcons Team will be doing together.

The reason you can only see three Silver Falcons is because number 3 is just behind the group and number 2 had to do an emergency landing, a short while before, because she had lost an oil cap. Visibility was so poor because of the oil spraying on the windshield that the team leader had to bring her back for the landing. After number 2 was safely down, the team leader powered up and rejoined the team for the fly by.