Almost every young boy has once dreamed of taking to the skies as a fast jet pilot. Unfortunately only for very few can the dream become a reality to work as a military pilot flying fast jets. Consiquently, the thrill of flying military jet aircraft is almost impossible to obtain for the average person. One man with a vision, which is to make this dream become a reality, not only for himself but for almost everyone, is South African entrepreneur Mike Beachy Head, founder and chief pilot of Thunder City.Founded in 1996, this remarkable company located in Cape Town, South Africa operates with the aim of keeping former military fighter jets in flying condition to offer flights to paying private customers. Presently, Thunder City owns four ex-British English Electric/BAe Lightnings, three Blackburn/BAe Buccaneers, 7 Hawker Hunters and one BAe Strikemaster. Two of these types are the only flying examples of their type in the world , the supersonic BAe (former English Electric) Lightning intercepror and BAe (former Blackburn) Buccaneer fighter/bomber. The former was used as an air superiority fighter within the RAF and was well known for its impressive climb rate and tremendous speed. Apart from the RAF the Lightning was also used by the Saudi and Kuweiti Air Forces.

The Buccaneer was a tactical strike aircraft capable of delivery of nuclear ordnance if neccassary. In relation to forign of sales the Buccaneer, like the Lightning was not a great success with the only one export customer being the SAAF (South African Air Force) which purchased only 16 aircraft of the type. One of these aircraft was lost on the ferry flight while the remaining 15 served within the No. 24 Sqn based at Waterkloof AFB Pretoria. Royal Air Force Buccaneers flew the last operational missions during the first Gulf War in 1991. All BAe Lightnings at Thunder City are ex RAF aircraft. Apart from two F.Mk 6 single seater (ZU-BEY, ex-XP 693 and ZU-BEW, ex-XR 773) Thunder City also owns two T.Mk 5 dual seat (ZU-BBD, ex-XS 452, and ZU -BEX, ex-XS 451). The Lightening is powered by two Rolls Royce Avon 302 turbofans each rated at 72,77 kN thrust providing a top speed of Mach 2.27 (app. 2,415 km/h). The tremendous climb rate (260 m/sec) is, even by today’s standard, formidable performance. However, the Lightning’s greatest disadvantage was its limited range due to its thirst for fuel. When taking off with full after burners the Lightning consumes app. 3,000 lt of Jet-A1, which is almost the entire capacity of its internal belly tank! Limited range and outdated avionics were the primary reasons why the RAF retired the Lightning from active service in 1988.

Throughout it`s entire career the Lightning never fired a single shot in anger, nevertheless it was credited with the downing of an RAF Bae Harrier which represented a hazard as it coninoued to fly after the pilot had ejected. However a type that did see considerable action was the Blackburn Buccaneer. The SAAF utilised the Buccaneer S.Mk 50 from 1965 until 1991 flying several missions in the Angolian confict. The Royal Air Force operated the Buccaneer during the 1991 Gulf war in the laser designation and fighter/bomber roles. The Buccaneer made it`s maiden flight on April, the 30th 1958 and saw service until 1994. Powered by two Rolls Royce Spey Mk 101 turbofans without afterburners, each rated at 49 kN, the Buccaneer could reach a top speed of 1,040 km/h at sea level. The Bucc`s strenght was it`s ability to deliver ordnance at high subsonic speed at very low level by utilising its sophisticated terrain following radar. Initially developed for the Royal Navy the RN Bucc employed folding wings, re-enforced landing gear and a tail hook for arrester landings on carrier decks.

The first aircraft purchased by Mike Beachy Head was an ex-Red Arrows Hawker Hunter F.Mk6 as RAF surplus. The experience gained from the deal confirmed Mike’s decision to purschase only British aircraft. The supply of spare parts has always been critical issue in keeping the planes flying, particularly when compared with American or Russian made jets, the supply of spare parts for British aircraft is much better. Another key factor was the availability of skilled personel trained in the maintainance of British aircraft in South Africa. The primary maintenance team presently consists of British specialists, who are also reponsible for the training of their South African colleagues.

For big boys (or girls) Thunder City is just pure heaven – for the right amount of money one can take a fast jet flight which usualy lasts for 35 to 45 minutes. Several mission profiles are available including ultra high, super fast (which means in case of the Lightning going super sonic), aerobatic, low level or a combination of any of these profiles. Some of these flights are not for everyone’s liking which is why missions can be customised for the individual. Safety is the main priority in Thunder City highlighted by the fact that more than 1,600 successful missions have been flown without a single incident this not only highlights pilot`s professionism but also the very high maintenance standards applied. The operation of aircraft from the 1960´s doesn`t only require detailed technical knowledge or mechanical skills but also a considerable amount of spare parts.

Fortunately Thunder City presently maintains a vast amount of the critical spares, nevertheless the availability of these parts will eventually become a problem. At the present rate of ongoing operations there will be definitely a lack of these parts sometime in the future. Due to the fact that none of these parts are still in production they must purchase them from existing stocks. Some are rare and difficult to source while others have reached unacceptable price levels, explains Ulf Spindler with sadness in his voice. Ulf is responsible for Thunder City’s PR. However Ulf could confirm that the supply of spare parts is definitely secure for the next few years, however how long all four Lightnings and two Buccaneers can be operated is unknown. The Hawker Hunter is in a much better position, due to the fact that the type was built in much larger numbers and as such spares are still quite plentiful.

The flight preparations and the missions normally take about half a day. After a tour around the hangar one receives his/her flight gear as well as a suitable helmet. Then instruction in the use of the intercom and oxygen system is provided. After that comes a briefing by the pilot where the upcoming mission is discussed. The flight passenger also gets detailed instructions in the use of the ejection seat (in case of an emergency) and provided all necessary safety information. After the preflight-check and the final instruction the mission is go. There is one videocamera installed in the cockpit, another one is mounted in the passengers helmet, so the whole mission is recorded with the passenger receiving a DVD of his mission after landing.

Of course every passenger must be in good physical condition with a physical examination not required. Everybody who is aged between 10 and 80 years is allowed to fly a mission so as such almost everybody can do it. The oldest passenger, who ever flew in on of Thunder Citys jet was 82 years old! The only thing is, that the mission profile is adapted to the age and condition of the passenger. Persons who have problems with their heart or having asthmatic problems should contact their doctor before applying for a mission. A small hint: one should not have a full-size breakfast before a mission in a fast jet – especially if this is your first mission! The only limitations are the size and the weight of the passenger: he/she shouldn´t be smaller than 1.50 m but also no taller than 2.00m and the max weight shouldn´t exceed 130kg!

The mission flight path couldn’t be more picturesque with the Cape of Good Hope offering a wonderful vista as a highlight of the mission. The only disadvantage is that a little bit more time be made available as the weather conditions are arguably not always perfect, especially at the Cape where the sun is not always shining. If the weather isn´t good enough a short trip can be made to the local vinyards, for example at Stellenboosch to prepare oneself with a nice glass of Shiraz or Pinotage for the great adventure (if the flight takes place the following, day it’s recommended to stay for a glass or two). From terrain following flying through the mountains north of Cape Town to a low-level flight above the sea level of the South Atlantic or the Pacific, its is all included in the repertoire. On enquiring about the main flying route Thunder Citys CEO, Emilio Titus response is it’s from Cape Town, straight up!” laughs Titus. “You see the earth, ocean, mountains, and go down West along the coast – if you go any further south, you'll hit Antarctica.”

Before joining Thunder City as the new CEO Emilio Titus was the Global General Aviation Manager for the Shell Corporation, who`s branch Shell Aviation is a major sponsor for Thunder City. Without sufficient sponsorship the current operation of such an establishment as Thunder City just wouldn’t be possible. The income raised by the flights just covers the costs (fuel, etc.) for the flight itself. This is why it is of crucial importance to have powerful partners on board. Beside Shell Aviation the Company Cobham and the mobile phone company Vodacom are Thunder City’s two major sponsors. In corporation with Cobham, Thunder City also offers an upgrade package for Puma helicopter and its derivates (fully digitalised glass cockpit including state-of-the-art avionics). This activity and the fact, that Thunder City is a certified aircraft maintenance organisation, which offers maintenance for several aircraft and helicopter types together with the aforementioned corporate sponsorship keeps the entire fleet of vintage jets in flying continuous condition.

Robert Kysela

Special thanks to Emilio Titus, Gavin Withers, Ulf Spindler as well as Donald Fraser Bett for their great support