LIFT captured a historic, proudly South African moment as its Airbus A320 took to the skies in formation with the South African Air Force Hawks at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2026 expo that took place at the Waterkloof Airbase in Pretoria.
The aircraft, ZS-GAO – affectionately known as “Oscar”, sporting a Europcar livery, was flown in formation with the South African Air Force Hawks, giving those at AAD 2026 a memorable view of the aircraft flying together. While the flyover lasted only moments, it was the result of months of preparation and collaboration between LIFT, Global Airways and the teams involved. It was a proud moment for everyone who played a part in bringing the flight together.
For LIFT’s Director of Flight Operations, Des Warden, safety guided every stage of the preparation, from a formal risk assessment and coordination with aviation authorities to simulator rehearsals covering both normal and abnormal scenarios. “Our first question was how to do this safely. We brought the right people together, assessed the risks and rehearsed the sequence in the simulator, including what we would do if things didn’t go as planned. The display was different from our everyday flying, but the same discipline, crew coordination and commitment to operating within the aircraft’s approved limits applied,” says Warden.
The flight deck crew comprised three experienced A320 captains: Capt. Des Warden, Capt. Brad Bennetts and Capt. Warren Penney, with dedicated responsibilities for flying, aircraft systems and energy management, and safety oversight.
Behind the scenes, teams across LIFT and Global Airways worked together to get the aircraft, crew and supporting operations ready for the display. For everyone involved, seeing “Oscar” alongside the SAAF Hawks was a proud moment, bringing months of work to life in the skies above Waterkloof.
“We’re incredibly proud to have been part of such a special moment at AAD 2026. Bringing our aircraft together with the South African Air Force Hawks was a powerful reminder of what South African aviation can achieve when we work together. We’re grateful to everyone across LIFT, Global Airways and our aviation partners who helped make this possible, and we’re proud to have shared a moment that we hope gave many South Africans a real sense of pride,” said Cilliers Jordaan, Chief Commercial Officer at LIFT.
To view the Behind The Scenes, watch this video featuring LIFT’s Director of Flight Operations, Des Warden, explaining the build-up.
