The Puma helicopter which famously flew Nelson Mandela to Ellis Park for the 1995 Rugby World Cup final is set to return to the skies soon, after being out of action for more than five years.
She last flew in 2016 under her previous owners, and is currently undergoing a major overhaul at Hangar51 Aviation here at the airport in Gqeberha.
The engineers told PE Express that they are busy with P4 maintenance of the chopper which will be followed by engine and functional testing. They will then await inspection and clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority.
Hangar 51 Aviation reached out to local engineering firm Northfield Engineering recently to assist them in positioning the main rotor head back on the helicopter, which they have been servicing for their client – a group of private investors in the Bay.
The main rotor head is a multi-million-rand piece of equipment. It weighs 480 kg and needed to be lifted several metres and placed back in position on the Puma chopper.
Through Northfield Engineering’s NF Hire division, its flagship crane-truck, BA the Badger, was used to lift and place the main rotor head.
“The beauty of the Fassi knuckle boom crane on BA is that it is remotely controlled, and this ensures that equipment weighing several tons can be lifted and accurately placed,” said Northfield Engineering’s marketing manager, Neil Bisseker. The entire operation took a little more than an hour to complete.
Northfield Engineering was called back the next day to place the four six-metre-long rotor blades in position on the main rotor head. Another crane-truck in the NF Hire fleet, JFK, was used for this job.
“It was a very interesting project to be involved in,” said Bisseker.
“I believe the entire community of Nelson Mandela Bay, and the aviation industry in particular, is excited to see this grand old lady back in the air as soon as possible.
Built in France in the late 1970s, this Puma helicopter has a storied history.
She saw service in the Angolan war and was then famously used to fly late President Nelson Mandela to Ellis Park for the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final. That iconic moment, when Madiba wore his number 6 Springbok jersey and lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy alongside Francois Pienaar, inspired the Clint Eastwood-directed mo-vie Invictus. This very-same Puma helicopter then also featured in that movie.
