Pilaansberg - Francistown - Nata

Saying good bye to the Fokkers

Just of landing Pilanesberg

Pilanesberg

A large number of the gaggle at aPilanesberg

The Mgadigadi Pans are full towards Nata

Arriving overhead at the Nata strip, a really rough gravel strip

Flat Free State after we left Lindbergh Lodge

Harties Dam

Lunch with the de Wet family - Ralph's family away from family!!

Ralph with Hentie and Sunet

The wonderful garden at Harties

The view from our bedroom

Day Two

Lindberg Lodge to Haartebeestpoort

Today we get to Meet the Fokkers!!  We have left the two slow aircraft to continue to Botswana by themselves, they are due to meet up with Shaun and JP at Pilansberg, but Shaun smsed early this morning to say that hehas had to pull out.  So we are down to 12 aircraft. 

We had a very pleasant uneventful flight to Aviators Paradise.  I believe that Johan and Bryan have had some excitement, once they landed at Pilansberg with not too much fuel they were told no fuel.  They managed to get a lift to a filling station and filled the big container that Johan is carrying and then diverted to Rustenburg to fill up and then onto Gabarone.  We have not heard from them and so we presume that all went well.

We landed at Aviators Paradise, a strip just east of the Magaliesberg ridge and were met by Ralph, Sanet and Hentie.  It has been great to meet the people that have taken Ralph into their hearts.  And we have been spoilt very well by the de Wets.

Day 1

Grahamstown – Gariep dam – Tempe (Bloemfontein) – Lindberg Lodge.

Flying time – 4.8 Hours

Distance 375 N Miles – (about 700 km)

Fantastic weather, but a slow trip, due to slowing down a lot, to be with 2 of the slower guys, Bryan and Johan, who only fly at about 60 knots, compared to our normal 100 knots!

Unfortunately Lindbergh Lodge had double booked us with a bunch of film crews, so we were relegated to what amounts to staff accommodation, with very poor showers etc!  But, we’ve had worse, so hopefully things will get better!  If you every come up to this part of the world, skip Lindbergh Lodge - on a bad day anyway.  Nothing worse than coming into a bedroom where other guests have been smoking!

The entire countryside is green and there is evidence of lots of ground water all over the place, we made an unfortunate mistake and landed at Gariep, a really nice airfield with two fantastic tar runways and we were charged R100 landing fees, no facilities.   Apparently the airfield has been bought by some Germans and they are keen to turn a profit, the only thing they are going to do is turn aviators away.  Our next landing was at New Tempe, good facilities and R25 landing fees, runways are great and lots of activity and friendly faces.  LSA training school, PPL, helicopters, gyrocopters and meatbombs.   

While at Tempe we received our Botswana Authority, we were told that we would need 3 days so we gave them three weeks and battled like hell and R1400 per application later we eventually got the permission!!  African time at its best.

Namibia applications were a lot easier – but only thanks to the friendly guys from MICAN – the Namibia microlight association.  Without them, we would probably never have got the authority to fly.

 

 

Mary and Martha

Meeting up with Johan just before Gariep
 

Gariep Dam, nice and full.

Flyingnext to Bryanon route to Lindbergh Lodge

Lindberg Lodge

Bryan landing at Lindbergh

Johan landing at Lindbergh

Three aircraft at Lindbergh

Departure gate closing soon

Well, after nearly a year of planning, the last few frantic days are nearly done!!  As usual, I have probably enjoyed the planning as much as the trip - although if I had a normal job - Ha!! - I don’t know where I would have found the time!!  This has taken months, from planning routes, fuel stops, accommodation, gathering pilots and planes, collecting deposits, and now, finalizing permits to Fly into Bots and Namibia!!!

Trying to get 14 pilots to submitt documentation is like trying to herd 14 chickens into 14 different cages!!!!

None of us have flown across SA borders before, so we’re are all in the dark, so to speak, but planning goes a long way!!!

We have split the 14 (22 People) aircraft into 3 groups, according to flying speeds - ranging from 120 km / h to 220 km / h - for practical flying purposes.  Each group will have a leader, to do radio work, and planning etc.

The slow group leave on Friday the 26 April, and the 2 faster groups leave on the 27 th, and we all meet for the first time in Nata, Bots!  Sharon and I will leave with the slow group, to allow us an extra night, to be spent with Ralph in Gaborone!

We also have a CANSA awareness drive running, as on of the passengers, Tommy Nel, is suffering from cancer.  His daughter and a friend will follow us in a vehicle, as ground support, although there will be legs which they will skip, not being able to cover the same distances that we will!!

Below is a bit of detail -

22 People, 14 Aircraft, 17 days, 7000 km, 560 hours of flying, 10 000 l of fuel!!

Plus a groundcrew vehicle with 2 people, who will see us from time to time

Day 1 – Grahamstown – Gariep Dam – Tempe – Lindbergh Lodge

Day 2 – Lindbergh – Pilanesberg – Gaborone

Day 3 – Gaborone – Palapye – Nata – (Magadigadi Pans)

Day 4 Nata – Maun

Day 5 Maun – Kasane – (Okavango)

Day 5 and 6 – Chobe and Vic Falls

Day 7 Kasane – Katima Mulilo – Bagani – (  Through Caprivi to Ngepi camp, on the Kavango river)

Day 8 Bagani – Rundu – Ondangwa

Day 9 Ondangwa – Epupa Falls ( top of Namibia, on Kunene River)

Day 10  Epupa Falls to Palmwag

Day 11 Palmwag – Swakopmund

Day 12 Swakopmund

Day 13 Swakopmund – Betesda – (Sossusvlei)

Day 14 Betesda – Aus – Ai Ais ( Fish River Canyon)

Day 15 Ai Ais – Oranjemund – Springbok – Loeriesfontein - Sutherland

Day 16 Sutherland – Oudtshoorn - Grahamstown

Pilots, Pax and aircraft type

Larry and Sharon McGillewie – Sling

Ron and Loraine Weissenberg – CTSW

Matthys and Tommy Bosch – Sling

Patrick and Sharleen Hill - Jabiru

Darren and Tracy Hanner - Jabiru

Bryan Erasmus – Skyranger

Colin Dettmann and Tommy Nel – Jabiru

Peter and Alison Bain – Jabiru

Piet Swanepoel and Riaan Mulder – Savannah

Billy Pullen – Raven

Johan Du Preez – Oribi

Mike Spearpoint – Kitfox

JP Oerhlerking - Cubby

Shaun Brassell - Cubby

Some Flying pics to whet the appetite!

Botswana and Namibia Fly away, 2013

Well, end of April 2013 sees us set off on our most exciting Fly away to date!!  After nearly a year of planning routes, accommodation, fuel stops, border posts, lists of pilots, aircraft, passengers, a groundcrew etc - we are ready to leave!!!! Well most of us - 2 aircraft are still being built or test flown!!!!

We will have 14 aircraft, with 22 people flying, and a groundcrew of 2, following us in a Hummer.

Aircraft types consist of the following -
2 Slings
4 Jabirus
1 Savannah
1 Oribi
1 CTSW
1 Kitfox
1 Raven
2 Cubbies
1 Skyranger
Speeds will vary a lot, from 70 Kt, to 115 Kt, so we will fly in 3 groups, with a leader and helper to arrange all flight plans etc.

Our route will take us from the Eastern Cape to Pilanesberg, Gaberone, Nata, Maun, Kasane, Caprivi, across the top of Namibia, to Epupa falls, down to Swakopmund, Fish River Canyon, West Coast and eventually back home.
Hightlights are expected to be Magadigadi Pans, Okavango, Chobe, Vic Falls, Caprivi, Northern Namibia, Damaraland, Ai Ais etc!!!

Below is a map!

Watch this space!!