New data reveals terrifying height of Springboks vs All Blacks flyover
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Flyover.
New flight data has revealed just how low the incredible flyover before Saturday’s Springboks vs All Blacks Test actually was.
Two Airlink passenger jets flew over a packed DHL Stadium shortly before kick-off in Cape Town, producing extraordinary footage that quickly went viral around the world.
The television angle made the aircraft appear frighteningly close to the roof of the stadium, prompting widespread debate over the safety of the spectacular stunt.
Now data from flight-tracking service Flightradar24 has provided a clearer indication of the remarkable clearance involved.
Flightradar24 recorded the lowest ADS-B altitude at 50 feet at standard pressure, which it calculated to be approximately 205-210 feet above mean sea level when adjusted for the local atmospheric pressure.
With DHL Stadium standing approximately 164 feet high near sea level, Flightradar24 calculated, within a margin of error, that the aircraft passed just 41-46 feet – approximately 12.5-14 metres – above the stadium roof.
The remarkable figure has added further fuel to the debate surrounding the flyover, with some aviation experts questioning whether the aircraft were simply too low.
Airlink has defended the display, insisting it was carefully planned and rehearsed with the guidance, approval and support of the South African Civil Aviation Authority and Air Traffic Navigation Services.
The airline also said recorded flight data showed the aircraft remained within the altitude and speed parameters approved for the flyover.
Airlink has since voluntarily handed data from both aircraft’s digital flight recorders to the South African Civil Aviation Authority, allowing the regulator to independently review whether the flypast complied with its authorised parameters.
The airline said it would refrain from making any further comment while the SACAA carries out its review.
The flyover was part of the build-up to the second Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, with one of Airlink’s specially liveried aircraft representing South Africa and the other New Zealand.
Similar displays have a long association with major Springbok matches, most famously the South African Airways Boeing 747 flyover before the 1995 Rugby World Cup final at Ellis Park.
South Africa went on to win Saturday’s Test 33-26 to level the four-match series at 1-1.
