The dramatic Airlink flyover ahead of the Springboks’ clash with the All Blacks has sparked a global aviation debate, but South Africans have responded with something else entirely: memes, jokes and an unwavering belief in their pilots.
Long before two jets sent social media into a frenzy over Cape Town’s DHL Stadium, Trevor Noah had already turned South Africa’s relationship with its pilots into comedy.
In a clip now being shared alongside the debate surrounding the dramatic stadium flyover, Noah jokes about South Africa having “world-class pilots”.
The routine plays on a familiar contradiction: South Africans may have plenty to complain about, but when it comes to aviation, there is a peculiar sense of confidence and, of course, a healthy dose of humour.
That joke has found new relevance after the weekend’s spectacular flyover ahead of the Springboks’ Test against the All Blacks.
Two Airlink Embraer jets swept low over DHL Stadium as part of the pre-match spectacle, leaving spectators and viewers around the world stunned by just how close the aircraft appeared to come to the stadium roof. The Springboks went on to beat New Zealand 33-26.
The world was shocked, South Africans made memes
What followed online was a full-blown debate.
International viewers questioned whether the flyover had been too risky, while aviation experts offered differing views on the manoeuvre. Airlink defended the display, saying it had been carefully planned and rehearsed with guidance and approval from the relevant aviation authorities, while some aviation experts still questioned whether such a low pass was wise.
But as the debate grew, South Africans on social media appeared to be having an entirely different conversation.
Instead of collectively panicking, many users responded with the kind of humour that has become synonymous with South African social media.
One viral comment joked: “In South Africa you can depart 30 minutes late but arrive 1 hour early.”
Another wrote simply: “I’m from the future.”
Then there was: “We’ve beeeen doing this .”
Perhaps the comment that best captured the national mood read: “The entire world is shocked, except us.”
And that is precisely where the Trevor Noah joke becomes the perfect cultural callback.
A joke that suddenly feels very relevant.
In the clip, Noah speaks about South Africa’s pilots with exaggerated admiration, joking about the country’s “world-class pilots” and imagining the confidence and humour that might accompany a flight between Durban and Johannesburg.
The comedy works because it exaggerates something many South Africans seem to genuinely believe: our pilots know what they’re doing.
That belief became the centre of the online discourse following the DHL Stadium flyover.
While international audiences replayed footage and debated safety margins, South Africans were sharing memes about pilots being able to bend the laws of time and physics.
One commenter joked about pilots raising passengers “in a humorous way”, while another meme appeared to suggest that South Africans were already familiar with this level of dramatic flying.
The humour was not necessarily a dismissal of the safety concerns. Instead, it revealed a distinctly South African response to the spectacle: if something is shocking enough, it will eventually become funny.
From national pride to global debate
The flyover has sparked serious discussion beyond the memes.
Airlink said the manoeuvre was conducted within approved and rehearsed safety limits and that each aircraft was operated by an experienced crew of senior captains. However, the dramatic footage has also prompted criticism from some aviation experts, showing just how divided the reaction has been.
That divide has played out clearly online.
On one side are those asking whether the aircraft came unnecessarily close to the stadium.
On the other are South Africans proudly celebrating the skill involved.
Expert weighs in
Aviation analyst Phutego Mojapele described the display as an example of the special skills possessed by South African pilots, while other experts have argued that the low-level manoeuvre left little room for error.
And somewhere in the middle of all that serious debate sits Trevor Noah’s joke.
Because this is also about South African humour
The reason the Trevor Noah clip fits so perfectly into this moment is that it captures something deeper than aviation.
South Africans have a habit of turning moments of national anxiety, confusion and disbelief into comedy almost immediately.
A plane appears to skim over a packed stadium?
The rest of the world asks whether everyone is okay.
South Africans ask whether the pilot can get them from Johannesburg to Cape Town before lunch.
The memes about arriving an hour earlier than scheduled, being “from the future” and having “been doing this” are funny because they transform the pilots from the subjects of concern into almost mythical figures capable of performing impossible feats.
It’s the same exaggerated confidence Noah was joking about.
‘World-class pilots’ or just world-class memes?
The DHL Stadium flyover may continue to be debated by aviation professionals, and the questions around such dramatic displays are valid.
But the public reaction has revealed another side of the story.
For many South Africans, the moment has become an unlikely source of national pride — and an even bigger source of comedy.
Perhaps that is why Trevor Noah’s old joke feels so perfectly timed.
Years before a pair of jets had the internet collectively asking, “Did they just fly that low?”, Noah was already joking about the confidence South Africans have in their pilots.
This weekend, social media appeared to prove his point.
The world was shocked. South Africans opened the comments section and said: “We’ve been doing this.”
On a serious note
Airlink has offered the aviation regulator black-box data from the two aircraft.
In a statement to IOL, Airlink’s Linden Birns said, “Airlink, on its own initiative, has volunteered these data sets to the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) so it can independently review and verify that the flypast was in accordance with the flight authorisation.”
At the weekend, Airlink said the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and Air Traffic Navigation Services provided guidance, approval and support to ensure the fly-by was conducted safely.
The airline added that the two aircraft were operated by highly experienced crews, with each aircraft carrying three senior captains serving as commander, co-pilot and safety/technical officer.
The SACAA has confirmed that it will issue a media statement in due course, and once all necessary processes have been completed ** **– IOL
Follow the story
