AFB Swartkop is an air force

Air force

An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...

 base in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. It is managed as part of AFB Waterkloof

AFB Waterkloof

Air Force Base Waterkloof is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is situated on the outskirts of Pretoria, and is the SAAF's busiest airbase.The base's name, Waterkloof, is Afrikaans, it means Water Ravine in English....

 and houses one of the three branches of the South African Air Force Museum

South African Air Force Museum

The South African Air Force Museum houses, exhibits and restores material related to the history of the South African Air Force. The Museum is divided into three locations, AFB Swartkop outside Pretoria, AFB Ysterplaat in Cape Town and at the Port Elizabeth airport.-AFB Swartkop:Swartkop is the...

. The name of the air force base, Swartkop means Black hill in Afrikaans

Afrikaans

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...

.

AFB Swartkop is located in the town Centurion

Centurion, Gauteng

Centurion is an area with 279,430 inhabitants in Gauteng Province of South Africa, located between Pretoria and Midrand . Formerly an independent municipality, with its own town council, it is now part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality...

 (previously Verwoerdburg) in the Gauteng Province of South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, between Pretoria

Pretoria

Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...

 and Midrand (Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...

), which is a part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.

History

In April 1921 Zwartkop (which was a farm at the time) was acquired to build the airfield. The SAAF claims Swartkop is the second oldest airstation in the world and the oldest operational airstation in the world.

The Chief of the South African Air Force opened the relocated SAAF Museum at AFB Swartkop in 1993.

Over the years many distinguished Squadrons have been based at Swartkop. This includes 26 Squadron SAAF

26 Squadron SAAF

26 Squadron SAAF is a disbanded squadron of the South African Air Force. The squadron was based at Takoradi, Gold Coast on the West Coast of Africa during World war II. They flew Vickers Wellingtons on anti-submarine and convoy escort patrols over the Atlantic. The squadron was seconded to No. 298...

 which was formed there on 24 August 1942.

South African Air Force Memorial

The South African Air Force Memorial is located at Swartkop. It contains an honour roll of SAAF personnel who have been killed on duty as well as a memorial to personnel of all nations that died during the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan

British Commonwealth Air Training Plan

The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...

in South Africa.

External links

• AFB Swartkop on saairforce.co.za
• Swartkop SAAF Museum website