‘Crazy’ flight: Two passenger planes skim over Cape Town stadium

The sight of two large passenger planes flying just 12 meters above a packed Cape Town stadium left rugby fans stunned before South Africa played New Zealand on Aug. 29.

The Airlink Embraer 190 aircraft flew side by side over DHL Stadium ahead of the second match in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series. One aircraft was painted green, echoing South Africa’s Springboks, while the other was black, recalling New Zealand’s All Blacks. Video posted online by the airline showed the planes making the pass together before kickoff.

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The flight was simply crazy.

This was not a routine display by military jets or the Red Arrows. The two passenger aircraft flew at about 120 knots, or roughly 211 kph. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 later confirmed that they passed only 12 meters above the stadium roof. The second plane flew close enough for its right wing to cut through pyrotechnic smoke.

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It looked very dangerous and in Europe it would probably have been strictly banned.

The stunt alarmed some people in the stands and drew criticism from pilots commenting on the PPRuNe discussion forum. One spectator called it “simply crazy,” while another said it looked dangerous and would probably have been banned in Europe. A different viewer wrote, “Impressive, but crazy,” and another said the live broadcast made it appear even more frightening.

Airlink acknowledged the concerns circulating online. The airline said the flight required careful preparation and rehearsal because the aircraft had to fly at low altitude. South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority and Air Traffic and Navigation Services provided guidance and helped ensure the flight was safe, the airline said. The planes were operated by highly experienced pilots.

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Impressive, but crazy!