Buccaneer fired up in Cape Town

Earlier this week, on 13 January 2022, a sound that had not been heard for years returned to the airport of Cape Town (Republic of South Africa) It was the sound of the two Rolls-Royce Spey engines inside Blackburn Buccaneer S2B ZU-BCR (former RAF XW987) that were fired up. The Buccaneer once belonged to the inventory of Thunder City, a collection of former military fast jets, like Buccaneers, Hunters and Lightnings.

Following the fatal crash of Lightning T5 ZU-BEX on 14 November 2009, the company ceased their flying operations after the accident investigation committee found major shortcomings in its maintenance program. In August 2011, three Buccaneers, three Hunters and three Lightnings were offered for sale. The first time that two of Thunder City’s aircraft flew again after said crash was during the AFB Overberg airshow on 21 April 2012.

For many years the future of the afore mentioned Thunder City fleet was insecure. But it has now turned out that Hangar 51 Aviation at Cape Town has acquired an unknown number of the former Thunder City jets and plans to return these to airworthiness.

The firing up of ZU-BCR’s engines is a first step in a, without any doubt, difficult process that might lead to the world’s only flying Buccaneer.

 Photos: Geurt van den Berg in Scramble archives and Hangar 51 Aviation