By Kayla Floyd
Johan Guyt stood along the flightline on Sunday, July 21, when an airplane in the markings of his homeland, South Africa, touched down on the runway. As the airplane drew closer, other similarities caused him to pause — the airplane, a North American T-6, or Harvard, looked just like the ones he used to fly in the South African Air Force.
As the airplane landed, Johan was stunned to see the numbers 7693 on the side. That exact Harvard was the one he flew while doing his training for the South African Air Force back in 1993. Even beyond that, Johan learned from his father’s logbooks that it his father had flown the same airplane during his time in the Air Force in 1957.
“I have always dreamed of coming to Oshkosh,” Johan said. “It is my pilgrimage as a pilot. I have been trying to get here for three years, but something always stopped me. Now that I am here, I have had a once-in-a-lifetime experience and surprise with finding a plane that means so much to me I had no idea what happened to the plane after it was sold.
“Oshkosh is amazing, everything about it. I find myself walking around on my way to one plane, but on the way I see so many more interesting planes that I never even make it to my original goal. There is such beauty to be found in the uniqueness of airplanes. I come here and think about how such a small percent of people have the abilities to defy human abilities and fly. Everything about Oshkosh is amazing. We are all here for the same purpose,” said Johan.
Ever since Johan was a kid all he ever wanted to do was be in the Air Force. He watched his father fly when he was younger, but all of the fly-ins in South Africa at the time were sparsely attended due to the status of the economy. Johan’s first time in Oshkosh has now been marked by such a memorable experience.
“It still smells the same,” he said of the Harvard. “It smells like sweat, tears, and fear. It took me right back to my days flying in the Air Force. It was a very emotional experience for me.”
When the airplane sold in 1995 Johan had no idea where it had gone. Thanks to AirVenture he now knows that it is owned by Arnie Angelici and has had some updates done since 1995. Located in the Warbirds area, the South African airplane stands out with its original paint scheme and the dual-language English/Afrikaans placards on the airframe.