South Africa’s first flying school opened in Kimberley in 1913, and as such, the town is regarded as the cradle of aviation in the country. Pilots of the South African Aviation Corps, later to become the South African Air Force, were trained in here.
The museum can be found on the site of the original flying school and houses a life-size replica of the Compton-Paterson bi-plane as used for the training of pilots who included the nucleus of the future South African Air Force.
The first female on the African continent to receive her pilot’s license, Ann Maria Bocciarelli, was trained at this facility.
A national monument on the site comprises a memorial, and there’s also a reconstructed hangar. The overall focus is to commemorate the role played by early aviators in establishing the South African Air Force.
A geocache can be found outside the grounds of the museum. One can visit the site by appointment with a guide from the McGregor Museum. Small groups only.
