AVAILABILITY OF FUEL ON RUNWAYS.

[Blue Max]

Recently I went on my first country trip.. I had to lick @rse to get somebody to help me to get fuel.
Help from three very well known Lodges with runways were refused...After many phone calls I mannage to arrange fuel after having to change fligh plans....On landing at the particular airport I had to wait an hour for a dirty empty soap container to arrive at the airport. It took me another half hour to clean it and send the messenger back to fetch some fuel..
Ek moes maar my bek hou want ek was die ou wie verlee was....
Ek belowe alle trike pilots, as julle op my runway land help ek julle om baie vinnig weg te kom en om brandstof vir julle vanuit n skoon kan te voorsien..
Kom land by my in die Loskop Vallei S25 01 942 E029 08 027. Dit is n lieflike Bosveld detinasie waar jy kan oorslaap en vanuit jou bed na jou aerie in die hanger le en kyk..!!!

[aeroden]

Hi Paul,
Glad you had a nice round trip and are save at home.
You are more than welcome to bring your flying mates and come
and spent the night. Fuel will always be available.
Aeroden

[BOATCH]

Nadat ek n stel afgetrap het met n persoon wat hier by my brandstof gekry het is ek baie versigtig. As daar iemand my bel ry ek na hulle toe sluit my hanger oop ,gee vir hulle n kan en my bakkie se sleutels en verduidelik hulle waar die naaste motorhawe is .Dinge kan baie maklik skeef loop,en dan is die persoon wat probeer help in die moeilikheid.Die brandstof wat ons by die motorhawe koop is nie altyd sonder water en ander vuiligheid nie.

[RV4ker (RIP)]

Pproblem we have had is a guy fones asks for fuel at x time. (I help when I can, but I am often not around on the weekends when guys fly). Fuel guy then closes his business goes out to the field and waits, and waits and waits. Then when the aerie arrives pilot is grumpy because he is late and can't understand why the fuel guy is not that excited to see him. What about the poor bugger sitting at the field waiting. Our fuel guy has a R250 call out fee since he is away from the workshop and he has been dropped in the shit so many times by guys not pitching. He makes almost bugger all out of the fuel (avgas) but get stuffed around plenty. (He is passionate aviator, but also needs to make a living)...

My take would be get on here, AVCOM, EAA & microfly mailgroups and post your route and intentions. Gather some cell numbers and try meet the boys on your way round the country. I have ferried a couple little aeries with limited fuel around the place and I have never been stuck. Sometimes it takes a while and I have slept under the wing or walked the 10km into town, but usually you can flag down a local, go to the local Midas or Co-Op and bum a drum. eg. Sales Rep in Prieska, Farmer & tractor in Bloemhof to jump start a dead battery, bummed a lift into Wollies on back of TLB, Council dump truck in Schweizer, business contact in FAKD, Mr delivery at Potch (ordered a Pizza and then asked the guy to give me a lift into town) etc.... Frustrating, but if you see it as one of the joys of X-country flying then it becomes adventure in itself. I have done 2 trips where we purposefully did not arrange anything since we did not know where we were going. Do it on the fly and make a plan... Most are hugely accommodating and in return for a 5min flip around the patch it a win win situation.....

just my 2c....

PS
I have found the lodges in general to be less than accommodating, but they often have fuel issues themselves and often the fuel is stored in less than ideal circumstances....

[thermalator]

I'm not a trike piloot, this is a third hand story of a mate of mine who got a trike specifically to fly this barnstorming trip up the east coast from knysna to kenya & back (< 100h exp).

He did it with his fishing gear in the wing & 6 months of Africa time. Staying weeks at a time if fishing & friends were good.

Equipped with an 80l army fuel bladder, he would either pay a local with bicycle to fill the bladder. Or he would taxi the trike wingless.

Landing on beaches , asking no permissions, no FP's. He once took off sitting on the bladder when he saw some officious looking dudes coming up the beach.

[RV4ker (RIP)]

Taxi's are also great. Ja the taxi to soweto type hiace. Works a charm and they don't mind if you load your 25l petrol..

[thermalator]

Ive had a good experience at the outpost of Solitaire in nam (FYSO) Petrol station 500m from strip. The locals also drop in there regularly for coffee & apple strudel.

I also have B&B contacts in De Aar that bring Jerry cans to the field.

Would really like to organise B&B to fetch & carry in Keetmanshoop because the People who supply fuel there are ripoffs.

I rather pay someone for their time esp if you are paying for transport & accomodation, rather than callout fees & then they pump fuel without flow meters, got charged 90 liters for only 50 l in Keetmans last time.