My Personal Saturday Challenge (adventure)

[The Agent]

As most of you will have read I was signed out on Tuesday with the brand new license. So Saturday morning another Bantam mate popped into Rhino and of we went to FAWB all uneventful until the final approach as I was abit close on the round out I nearly dropped a wing but caught it and stopped for breakfast. A friend arrived from the Krugersdorp side and we had a chat during breakfast and I decided to follow hin to FAKR wow aal the way across The big dam at HBV and via Magalies to Kdorp with a k@k landing on 26 not having done that there since 1975 I was caught out with the downdraft BUT with the good training I had made the correction and landed safely. From there I decided to go to Rand for a miniagm with some of my Avcom friends, around the outside of Soweto and from the south into Rand, so far 33 l fuel@ 60kntsaverage.
Most of the third leg was very bumpy but so one has to learn. Had lunch and watched and discussed the incomming weather I got clearance from the tower at Rand to go the Pinedene route as FAWK was unmanned. Bliksem as I got close to Midrand it started raining and I called FAGC and they were so nice and cleared me overhead direct to Pinedene, now on the decent to make up some speed and on to Kittyhawk and still the weather was well behind me but I was scared sh!tless. On the Kittyhawk frequency all was Quite and I buzzed past the north direct for Rhino went overhead but by now the weather was getting closer, I went straight onto finals for 27 and landed, and without delay the Bantam was locked up in the hanger.
A very tall B&C was had and 5 min out of the airfield towards FAJS I drove into one of the most violent rain storms ever.

You make your own assumtions if I will try and outrun an on coming weather front.
A total of 4hours 18 min airborne around Gauteng.

[Aerosan]

Hey Agent I saw you when you were on your way to FAKR I was on my way to get the Piper out of the hanger. You came over the field I fly from just next to FAKR. When I saw the Bantam I rememberd your post and knew it was you but Iwas too slow on the radio to give a cal Better luck next time
San

[The Agent]

Demon I must agree with you but I thought I was well ahead of the weather but never again, as you said will rather make the call.

Aerosan how sorry I am to have missed you but will be back to KR as the friend in the Yuma who was with me has bought a hanger at FAKR and is moving in at the end of this month, then I waill be able to stay over.

Wow that first approach onto 26 was hairy, downdraft and all.

[Cali]

Wow Agent it sounds like fun. You can never be too carefull, like demon said call your wife. Ok just keep your headset on when she picks you up coz your gonna hear it all the way home.

You had a nice trip, I never took you for a 'arround the patch' kinda pilot.
Keep us posted on your adventures.

[Tailspin]

Hey agent
Great flight, nice meeting you on Sat, sorry was a bit overwhelmed by the attendance and all that.

Cheers

[Morph]

Wow, Scary stuff. Remember the front can be moving in excess of 50kt. I am usually overcautious and even though I know the plane is capable of flying in rain, at the first hint of rain I divert towards open skies and look for somewhere to land. The thing I remember about highveld storms is they also tend to be short in duration. Sometimes it is worth just sitting it out. I carry a plastic bag to put over the airfilter, because I am paranoid about water ingression into the motor and I always have tie-downs in the plane.

A lesson well learned and thanks for sharing it with us.

[Thunderboy]

WOW - AMAZING I bet you can't wait to get up again

[RV4ker (RIP)]

Nice one OOOOm Agent. Sorry I could not stay for a cold one, but then again you would still have been at Rand had I stayed

[Fairy Flycatcher]

Sounds like a great flight. Its the stuff beers around a fire are made of :D

Like most pilots will tell you... flight training only realy starts after you have your licence.

[Big-D]

Excelent stuff Agent.

Sat morning on my way to the dam I heard someone make a call on SP rules east about 3 Bantams leaving Rhino Park for Wonderboom and I thought of old Oom Agent and his first trip as a legal Bantam flyer.

Sounds like you had alot of fun

Cheers

David