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
