FLY IN MY PROPWASH..!!!

[Blue Max]

N ou kan jou password vergeet en jy kan vergeet hoe om die fotos te laai, jy moet net nie vergeet om te 'round-out' nie..
Ek traai weer..If they go throug it will be a major step..!!!

[Blue Max]

Ek kom reg!!!

[Asterix]

Hi Oom Polla - sien jy kom nou reg met die fouties!! Jy maak my moer jaloers!! Geniet hom verder, jy is 'n ou yster!!

[bryan]

Hi oom Paul
Glad to hear you guys are safe at Port Nolloth. Keep it Up !!! We are following your progress enviously. Hope you catch that tail wind to Cape Town over the next two days otherwise you are in for headwinds Saturday and Sunday. If you are routing past East London can assist with Fuel and accomodation. Let me know . Larry has my contact details.

Regards
Bryan Erasmus
ZU BFR

[AEROYOTA]

Die' trip laat mens se hart tjoklits pomp, groot droom van my wat jy uitleef!

Geniet elke oomblik daarvan!

[Blue Max]

Good Morning…
Frustasie beteken jy probeer iets doen en jy kry dit nie reg nie…
Gisteroggend het ek n uur se tikwerk verloor omdat ek dit direk op die site gedoen het.
Vanoggend was ek 04H00 reeds gestort ,aangetrek en voor die rekenaar.!!!
Het n uur en half gesoek sonder welslae na n runway by Saldanha en Stellenbosh op google…In die proses het die rekenaar gevries en moes ek hom roe in die microwave sit om te ondooi..
Jislaaik n ou kan nie sonder n laptop, cellfoon en rekenaar hierdie trip doen nie…Maar hulle kan jou ook laat sukkel…
Was vir n dag en half vadgekeer in Pofadder..Aitfilters skoongemaak en geleer om n aerie nog beter vas te maak in die wind… Dit werk en n ou slap lekkerder..
Ons het met ons trikes op n grondpad voor die lodge geland en hulle naby ons kamers vasgemaak..Ge-eet, gerus en gelees..
Vanaf Pofadder vat ons koers oor Aggenys na Port Nolleth..Omtrent 140 NM…Ons vlieg oor landskappe met name soos Knersvlakte , Kaiing veld..en dele van Richtersveld….Eensame verlate plekke…Ek sal fotos pos by die volgende geleenheid..
Na 2 h 40 min land ons by Port Nolleth…..Sharron se trike se trottle hak vas en sy sit die mags af so entjie bo die grond en land veilig..
Die Polisie kom groet ons en help met die sekuriteit van die trikes..Kaptein Frieskas is sy naam en hy was ook n MLP op sy tyd…!!! Gaan weer n trike koop se hy..!!!
Vanoggend gaan ons Stellenbosh toe via Hondeklip baai, Vredendal en Saldanha..
Ek nip biekie oor die radiowerk!!! Want klink my ons vlieg naby Langebaan verby..
Praat later en sal pics opsit..!!!

[Blue Max]

Port Nolleth en ons land op n pan..
As jy nog nie geleer het om n trike vas te maak nie is Pofadder en Port Nolleth net die plekke om te kom oefen..Kaptein Frieskas het ons kom groet en sy mense gestuur om ons besonderhede te neem...I suspect they check the movements of diamonds in the area..He himself is an x MLP..We landed on a pan and went to our lodge on other side of town..The police took charge of our trikes and we had no worries..
This is where Sharron made a .mags off landing . due to a stickey throttle...!!!( No big deal!!!!)
Minor repairs to Larries trike on the elctrical side..
Marvelous lyttle bay.( Mc Dougles Bay.)..Our accommodation on the beachfront worked out at R160 a person..
To windy lyttle place to my liking..!!!Will skip it as a retirement option..!!!
Check Photos..

[gertcoetzee]

Karl and myself happened to be at Saldanha when you guys landed - it was great meeting you! Next time let us know in advance, then we can arrange a better reception.

I phoned Thursday evening and were told you were safe at Stellenbosch, tell more about your hop over the mountains?

[Asterix]

Hi All, I just spoke to Oom Polla, aka Blue Max, at 12h25.

He is safe in Grahamstown, (on a game drive, as a matter of fact) They cut across from the West coast North of Cape Town to avoid all the controls, Stellenbosch, PE, Grahamstown. ( More or less from our conversation)

The front has now moved in, and Oom Polla has decided to wait it all out untill Tuesday or Wednesday, and kuier 'n bietjie with his old friend situated in Grahamstown.

The rest of the party has now left him for their own fields, and over the next days he will be making his way up north along the east coast, solo.

Blue Max asked me to post the following - he spent some time with very experienced pilots who taught him to be more carefull. (he asked me to post this..)

Oom Polla - enjoy die paar dae breek van vlieg - en baie sterkte en mooi winde jou toegewens op jou trip terug boontoe. Ons is genuine trots op jou - hou net aan versigtig wees - niks jaag jou nie!!

As jy terug is dan reel ons 'n naweek daar by jou plek, ons nooi almal wat wil kom, ek vlieg 'n bottle duur Champagne saam, en ons vier jou "accomplishment"! Jy is regtig 'n ou yster!!

[Anton@FAGL]

Go Oom Paul, ons is trots op jou!!! Ons sal `n paar braaie moet hou om al die stories te hoor.

Sterkte namens almal by die klub.

Groete
Anton
Groblersdal Vliegklub

[Blue Max]

Ok..Lost two hrs of typing cause I worked directly on the forum instead of via ‘word.’.so now I have to do it all over again.!!!
The latest pictures covers our flight from Pofadder to Port Nolleth..The 136 nm took us 2 and a half hours non stop..The wind was very favourable because of our timing.!!!( I mean Larry,s timing).
I forgot to mention one of our Lady Pilots (Erika) damage the prop of her trike when landing on a stoney runway earlier at Twee riviere camp in the Ghalagari. Our Mechanical boffin( Christian) fixed it with glue and sand and a bit of pannelbeating.!!
Larry Mcgee and his wife Sharron are both ML instructors. Together they acted as our leaders..
Larry was constantly busy on his cell and or a laptop enquiring about wheather conditions and wind directions and predictions..Needless to say it took a lot of stress away.
In the air We get instructions as to frequencies and when to change them .. On approaching a runway or landing strip the leaders are always ahead to check out the condition and presence of crosswinds .. .. Always checking on the safety of their buddies…Where is Paul?..come closer Paul!……you are to close…make a orbit to the right…. careful, the wind will blow you into the sea …orbit to left…come closer…ect... ect...warn us when you change direction please.!!
Everything is well organized by the ground crew who are constantly fetching fuel and organizing overnight accommodation..
Early morning we left Port Nolleth….Our aim was to make best use of a slight NW tailwind and see where it takes us..We flew all along the coast and had to refill at a small runway at a saltmine in a dry riverbed.
We flew over a section of coast which is badly damaged by mine activities with very few attempts of soil restouration. Followed by the Namakwaland coastline…Further south along the coast the scenary gets more interesting..
From there the wind took us to Saldanabay where we landed in a strong crosswind causing one of the trikes to goose-step…A bend rear axle needed repairs afterwards aswell as the shoulder joint of the pilot.. With the help of a local doctor by the name of Gert Coetzee ( Yes, THE Gertcoetzee!!! ) the shoulder were attended to while another big name in microlight flying (Johan (?))took the axle of the trike apart and had it repaired while we were waiting for our friend to return from the hospital…
In the mean time Larry was studying the wind and announced that if we can leave at latest 16 h 30 we might be able to reach Stellenbosh( which was another +-65 nm away) before it gets dark…(providing the wind does not change direction!!!!)
We left 16h30.. Along the way to Stellenbosh we flew in view of Table Mountain..I took 100 photos to proof to the world that I was within view with my trike..!!!
We arrived at Stellenbosh as it was getting dark and the lights of buildings and motor vehicles greeted us when we landed...I fastened my trike in the light of a torch..We were taken by a few local pilots to their clubhouse. A word of welcome and admiration was spoken by one of the senior gentlemen…
Ek kan nie goed genoeg verduidelik hoe hoflik en vriendelik ons deur die Stellenbossers behandel was nie..Dit is regtig n Larney klub ..Ek glo nie daar is baie trikes daar nie…Die ouens vlieg veel duurder aeries daar..!!!
En…die klub is n bynes van bedrywigheid op n Vrydagaand..Dit lag en gesels en almal praat net aeries,,en daar is n paar oulike dames wie ook lede is..!!!
Een van die klublede, het ons geneem na ons oornag huis…ek het soos n klip geslaap min wetend wat le voor!!

[Blue Max]

Ek merk ek het nie eintlik foto,s geneem by Saldanha nie.Stupid... Daar het soveeeeel gebeur...Ek dink ek was opgeneem in al die aksie van n landing wat skeef gegaan het en al die vreemde gesigte om my...Bv toe toe Gert Coetzee hom ewe bedees aan my voorstel het ek nooit geklik ek is met gertcoetzee van Microlighters faam deurmekaar nie. ...Verskoon tog...
Hier volg n paar foties van die Weskus en Tafelberg tot by Stellenbosh...

[wiskeyfoxtrot]

Fantastic oom, the trip seems like a good one so far.
Fly safe and keep the pictures coming!. Hope to hear from you again soon.
There are a lot of flyers here who are very envious of your trip.

Later

[nicow]

Dankie vir die fotos,jy maak ons lekker jaloers!

[Blue Max]

Stellenbosh via Swellendam na Worcester.
Die eerste deel van hierdie dag sal ek nie weer wil beleef nie..!!!…Gelukkig weet n ou nie hierdie dinge as jy opstyg nie..!!!
Almal wie al in hierdie deel van die Kaap was weet dit is die Kaap van Storms.!!! En daar le baie bote onder op die see bodem…
Die voorspelling vir die dag beduie daar is n Suidweste wind..Die ouens by die klub het elkeen n verduideliking hoe om die maklikste oor die berge te kom…
Larry gee die nodige aanwyssings en waarskuwings en vir die eerste keer is daar nie tyd om te sikel as ons opstyg nie maar elkeen gaan net voluit om hoogte te kry ten einde deur die ‘poort’ in die berge te kom en dan daarna links op in die valei Swellendam se rigting..Vir n oomblik wonder ek waarom daar so baie motors en mense met kamaras was om ons aft te sien…???
Onmiddelik toe ons opstyg rapporteer iemand dat daar tubulensie in die lug is maar nie so erg dat dit onhanteerbaar is nie..!!
As ek voor my kyk sien ek net my chommies maak dit voluit oppad boontoe.!!! En soos gewoonlik is ek agterna….My oe is vasgeglue op die poort en die trike voor en bo my…Ons is nog duskant die poort en ek probeer om na 8000 vt te klim..!!!Die Rotex enginetjie huil soos ek hom trap maar wil nie hoogte kry nie...wel trap daai throttle nog harder, en stadig begin sy klim....Shoe !!! dit het my laat worrey..!!!
Skielik vlieg die ou voor my nie meer reguit na die poort nie maar swenk skerp na links.!!!Ek verstaan nie, die opdrag was om deur die poort te gaan en anderkant in die valei sal ons N.O. koers inslaan….Hoe nader ek aan die poort kom hoe meer druk die wind my weg en hoe meer moet ek my rigting korriggeer om nie die poort mis te vlieg nie..totdat ek ook in die posisie kom soos die trike voor my en ook na links vlieg ten einde nie die poort mis ve vlieg nie.!!! Want dit is die enigste deurgang..!!!
Die uitsig is swak, dit is hel koud en ek het nie handskoene aan nie..My vingers ys..Die wind waai…ek vlieg moer hoog…9200 vt….en ek is kak bang… (Daar is twee meisiekinders wat saam met ons vlieg en ek het later gehoor Erika het tot by 10,000 vt geklim….)anyway, toe ek deur die poort is maak die valei voor ons oop en ek verander rigting na links..Daar is nog steeds hoe berge aan weerskante van my maar ek is veel nader aan die berge links van my..
My spoed begin optel en voor ek kan bly word daaroor staan my grondspoed meter op 106 nm ph….Dit is omtrent 200 km per uur… Gelukkig bly dit nie daar nie en kom af na tussen 80 en 90 nm ph….Larry ons leier is links voor my, nader na die berge se kant toe..Skielik se hy “ I am in severe turbulence “…en met die draai sy trike om en verander van rigting.. ek kon nie verder kyk nie want ekself beland toe ook daarin..al wat ek weet die trike was rond gegooi, ondertoe , boontoe en na die kante toe..vir oomblikke het ek op my voetrest.s gestaan dan weer op my sitplek gehang…Skielik het ek geweet waarom dar so baie ouens was fotos van ons kom neem het toe ons opgestyg het..!!!
Gelukkig het dit nie te lank aangehou nie en was die res van die trip na Worcester redelik vinnig verby met n moeilike landing wat op almal gewag het…
Langs hierdie deel van die kus het dinge vinnig gebeur…Skuins verby Kaap Augulas, Die winderigste plek is S.A. tot by Mosselbaai. Waar ons weer brandstof inneem…Daarna is dit Stanley Island naby Plet…..n Eiland in die Keurbooms rivier met n landingstrook amper tot by jou kamer… Vyster akkommodasie en jy kom met n boot of vliegtuig tot by die lodge,,… Fantasties…n warm ete n dop of twee..n bad en n rowwe dag kom tot n eind…
Een dag se vlieg bly oor van Stanley Eiland tot by Ghrahamstown waar die res van die span bly..Daarvandaan is dit ek alleen verder…
Praat later weer…