Industry Aerospace Net income unspecified Type of business Private | Revenue unspecified | |
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Key people Owner/Founder Mike Beachy Head; CEO Emilio Titus Founded 1998, Cape Town, South Africa | ||
Bae buccaneer thunder city cape town part 1
Thunder City is an aircraft operating and maintenance company based at the Cape Town International Airport in Cape Town, South Africa. It was well known for owning the largest civilian collection of former military jet aircraft in the world. These aircraft were used to perform in airshows and could also be chartered by the general public for recreational flights, including going supersonic and climbing to altitudes around 50,000 feet. Following a fatal accident in 2009 in which an English Electric Lightning crashed at an airshow, the company ceased flying operations after the accident investigation found major shortcomings in its maintenance programme.
Contents
- Bae buccaneer thunder city cape town part 1
- English electric lightning supersonic fighter jet thunder city
- Company structure
- Fleet
- AAD 2008 controversy
- 2009 Lightning crash
- References
The company's other activities include upgrading older models of the Aerospatiale Puma helicopter with modern avionics and renovating airframes and engines.
English electric lightning supersonic fighter jet thunder city
Company structure
Thunder City Holdings (Pty) Ltd. is the parent company of several subsidiaries:
Fleet
Some of the aircraft are the most recently airworthy examples of the type.
In October 2012, three Lightnings, 3 Buccaneers and four Hawker Hunters were put up for sale.
AAD 2008 controversy
During a display flight at the 2008 African Aerospace and Defence show in Cape Town a pair of Thunder City Lightnings flew close to the city at supersonic speed. Only the higher one of the pair was planned to fly supersonic as it was considered to be high enough so as not to cause alarm, however the lower aircraft also broke the sound barrier. The resulting sonic boom brought many complaints from the public.
2009 Lightning crash
An English Electric Lightning T5, ZU-BEX, (RAF No. XS451) crashed while carrying out a display at the biennial South African Air Force Overberg Airshow held at AFB Overberg near Bredasdorp on 14 November 2009.
The aircraft suffered hydraulic failure after a fire started in the rear of the fuselage. The pilot was killed because his ejection seat failed.
The accident investigation found major shortcomings in the maintenance programme of the aircraft, consequently the South African Civil Aviation Authority suspended the company's operating certificate in March 2010. On 9 September 2010, it was reported that the Thunder City fleet would no longer take paying passengers.
On 22 August 2011 3 Lightnings, 3 Buccaneers and 4 Hunters were listed as 'for sale by private treaty' with Go Industry. The closing date for bids was 27 April 2012. The first time Thunder City participated in an airshow since the 2009 crash was on 21 April 2012 at the AFB Overberg airshow.
A set of Lightning tyres were sold by Thunder City to the Bloodhound SSC Project in August 2012.