Aviation Pioneers in the Western Cape

This month we are extremely lucky to have John Illsley come to Swellendam and talk to us about Aviation Pioneers in the Western Cape.

This fascinating talk will be an outline of some outstanding milestones in the emergence of flying in the Cape from the 19th century up to 1939 with the start of WW2 and will be given in the Desmond Tutu Room in the Drostdy Museum, Old Gaol complex on Thursday 20 March at 1800 for 18h30. Please note the venue is not to be confused with the Desmond Tutu Library.

John Illsley was born and educated in Johannesburg where he obtained a degree in history from the University of the Witwatersrand. His teaching career spanned 36 years and was spent entirely at Pretoria Boys High School where he headed the History Department; founded the school's Aeronautical Society, and was the longest-serving senior deputy headmaster. He is the author of In Southern Skies, a pictorial history of early aviation in Southern Africa. He holds a private pilot's license and flies two vintage aircraft that he has restored. In short, John knows about aviation and its history.

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