An old topic, I know.. but I have flown the 75 miles between Standerton and the East Rand often. The North Westerly can become a serious issue. I once took of from Beginsel (Standerton) after 11h00 on a Monday morning, waiting for the ground fog to lift. I spent 3 hours of
hell in the air, landing at Microland just as Fanie pulled out through the gate in his blue Mazda bakkie. Some days later he related to me how he told Tersia (his wife), as he watched me landing through his windscreen: " Hierdie ou het gekak."
And then there was the morning two years ago in the midst of winter, taxiing through hard frost @ Microland, where I took of, and sailed to Beginsel in 45 minutes. Landed on the farm with frozen feet - and then my Dad phones me by chance, enquiring about my flying plans! ( He just got up, making coffee in the kitchen!)
Dad: "Where are you?"
Asterix: "On the runway, in my plane."
Dad: "Are you gonna fly?"
Asterix:" Umm - what do you mean?"
Dad: " I mean - are you going to fly to Beginsel?"
Asterix: " Dad - I AM on Beginsel. On the runway. Just landed."
Dad: " How the hell did you do that?"
Asterix: " I took of and flew in Geel Kerneels, what do you mean "how did I do that?"
Then there was the time that I took of from Beginsel, and flew 1/4 of the way in an hour. My ete for the whole flight started to show as 5 hours, where normally it is 90 minutes - 2hours. After an hour in the air, I decided that this was not going to work, I turned around over Leeupan, and was overhead Beginsel again in - WAIT FOR IT:
12 minutes!! 
Came blowing back in over the opstal like a bat out of hell, people on the ground nearly broke their necks checking me out, and then I flew an excruciating long finals. Touchdown to fullstop was like 30 metres or so.
Serious headwind troubles some times over the highveld!
