One of the joys of having an aircraft is having the ability to fly in to various airshows, especially those that you would never have considered attending due to the distance. Bethlehem (FABM) lies about 99nm south of Baragwanath, an easy hour’s flight. It would be a shame not to take the chance to attend…
Category: flying
Secunda Speed Rally 2019 – Day 1
I’ve been trying to get involved in competition flying for a long time, but it has always seemed to not work out for one reason or another. I’ve been able to go to see the rally taking place at Middelberg and Springs in the past but haven’t been able to take part. This weekend though,…
DIY External Aircraft GoPro mounting
I’m getting a little bored with the in-cockpit got GoPro shots. I feel like there are only two angles really – either out the front or looking at the wing. While these do have some interest, I’m keen to try some external camera shots. The problem here is airways going to be how to safely…
Nylstroom Taildraggers (Almost)
Every year, The Nylstroom Airfield (FANY) plays host to a weekend of taildraggers. Folks fly their non nosewheel equipped aircraft in on the Friday or Saturday and stay over and (probably) have a few drinks in the evening and fly back on the Sunday morning. It is a celebration of all things Taildragger and aviation…
Currency vs proficiency
The other day I offered to help one of our club members to move his aircraft to another airport for its MPI/Annual. No problem, right? Except it’s a controlled airport I’ve never landed at before (at least during the day – I did a touch and go there on my night cross country but the…
Trip report – El Mirador (FALQ)
Trip Report – El Mirador I’ve been meaning to make this trip for a couple of weeks now – it’s a very manageable long cross country flight with a few challenges thrown in.
Revalidated
It is a year since I passed my initial flight test for my PPL. According to South African air law, after one year, you need to revalidate your PPL (and thereafter every two years). This is done via a ground briefing/exam and a flight test. In the year since I got my PPL I have…
Breakfast in Villiers
It’s a public holiday – Worker’s Day and those of us who work are restless to get some air between us and the ground. There is some discussion in the club WhatsApp group about a suitable location for breakfast – some guys want to go to Thabazimbi for the NGK Meifees (May fest) but many…
That Sling Smile
Yesterday I was fortunate enough to be able to take my friend Ari flying. He may not know it but he’s actually my aviation mentor – one heck of a nice guy who has a knack of thinking about general aviation in ways I haven’t thought of. He’s a commercial instrument rated pilot with more…