THE MICROLAND THREAD..."Home of the Tailwinds"

[Bundy]

Thanks Frank.

Mulder loaded every conceivable runway in the southern hemisphere onto our GPS a while back so it's probably on there already....

Will check on Fri when I'm at the airfield...

I presume Leeukop/peninsula will be on 124.80?

[mulderpm]

These are the strips I have. Don't know how servicable they all are. Peninsula may be the best choice.

As you said Alan, you have all of them on your GPS just look there. Because I could not confirm Peninsula it is not on your GPS. The rest are. On my GPS background map it has ??? next to it. See above. Franks says it is good then we go there as an alternative. 18/36 clay/grass 124.8MHz, owner Louis Smal. There is also another airfield just 1k to the north called Pitlamatla, S26 55' 10.0" E28 09' 40.0", 13/31, clay/grass, 124.8MHz, owner Henk Coster. On Google E, that one looks the best. I have all their contact details if you want to phone them Al. Just to the north of the dam, just north of Bay Shore, there are two other airfields. Aloe Fjord, S26 51' 8.6" E28 11' 47.2, 08/26, clay/grass, 124.8MHz and Vaal Dam Laszo, S26 50' 56.4" E28 12' 9.0", 08/26, clay/grass, 124.8MHz. We will find a place to land

[Paul Meanwell]

I've done touch an goes near Oranjeville during a training exercise. Don't know the name or direction, but it's a fairly safe landing location for an emergency (or just for practice). Just look out for cattle! Nothing to do there, and you certainly would not leave your airie unattended!

Cheers!
Paul M

[mulderpm]

I see now, Franks co-ordinates are actually for Pitlamatla. Peninsula is at, S26 56' 20.0" E28 09' 31.0" and I still don't see anything there on Google E???? As alternatives we can rather use Pitlamatla or Aloe Fjord/Vaal Dam Laszo (the latter looks like the same place on Google E). Both of these are clearly visible on Google E. It seems as though Pitlamatla also has a short (290m) runway, 04/22. Better choice if the wind picks up and is wrong for Leeukop (12/30).

Alan, none of these are on your GPS.

[Bundy]

Thanks Crusty.

So if I understand your last post correctly, Pitlamatla is actually the alternate Frank was reffering to....thus our "main option'?

Snorted then....

[mulderpm]

[Frank Smallwood]

The Bay Shore, Denysville and Bay Shore runways don't exist. Bay shore area is used for paragliding towing and you could possible land on one of the dirt roads there but a good level field in the area would be better I think. Similarly Denysville and South Bay are not options, long grass and lots of hidden rocks. They may have been airstrips at one time but not any more. Plenty of fields around which would be better. Runway at peninsula does exist and is used I think. If you look on the map associated with ourairports.com you can see the runway clearly not so clear on google earth, which may have an older satellite image. There are good flat fields all around and along the edge of the Dam which would be suitable for outlanding if necessary.
Frequency for Leuwkop is 124.8. Chances are there will be no-one there to hear any transmissions.

Cheers Frank

[mulderpm]

Thanks Frank for the update. Looking at the latest release of Electronic Airfields Directory Africa (their database is updated online monthly) the only airfields in the area which are listed are Leeukop, Vaal Dam Peninsula, Pitlamatla, Aloe Fjord, Vaal Dam Lazso and Bierman Landgoed. Those others are no longer listed, so I gues deserted/overgrown/unusable (withdrawn from service). Pitlamatla seems the best alternative.

See you soon.

[Bundy]

Not having a great work week....dodging strikers....eiskom cutting off power two days in a row....but hey.... it could've been worse...at least I'm not Brazillian!

Dit was nou n p@#$klap! Eina...

[NickSwardt]

You guys are great, every question I have the answer is already posted

Paul if Aiden wants to come along he is more than welcome to drive with Jana

Frank, what time is Sharon planning on driving through, I can arrange that Jana meets her at your house and all drive from there if that is ok?

[mulderpm]

Thanks Nick. Much appreciated but Aidan's not coming with any more. Fishing tournament which he wants to attend....kids

Frank I hope you have a very BIG fire place.

I am going to have to download all the airfields on my GPS and verfy them again. Things have changed and need to be corrected. Bundy, I can delete those

every conceivable runway in the southern hemisphere

for you, or we can sit and customise your list for you. When I search for airfields I use "Nearest" or "Recent". Then the relevant ones are displayed first. I definitly do not scrole through them alphabetically

[Frank Smallwood]

The good news is that WX still looks OK for weekend. The bad news it is going to be F###S cold. They recorded -11 last night and consequently lots of pipes have burst. Hope to be sorted for weekend.
Hi Nick, Jana can drive down with Sharon. She is planning to leave about 07:00 from our house. Then she will be at the Leuwkop airfield soon after we get there.
13 Maroela Ave, Ebotse Golf Estate. If that early is a problem give me a ring (084 359 0276) and we can make other arrangements. Sharon cell number 083 310 6181.
Directions from Centurion as follows:-
Take N1 South towards JHB. When you get to N3 split take N3 south towards Germiston/Durban.
Follow N3 until split to N12/R24. Take N12/R24 east towards Witbank/Benoni
Keep right on N12 (don't go towards OR Tambo on R24)
After 21km take Snake road off ramp. At lights at end of off ramp turn left.
At next robot (about 200m) turn right into Morris Avenue.
After 1km turn left into Van Rooyen Street (this is just past entrance to Benoni Country club)
There are a few speed humps to go over and a stop street where you go straight across. After 2km you come to a T-junction where you turn right into Sarel Cilliers street
Follow road for 150m to roundabout where you go straight across (one entrance to Ebotse is on your left but don't go in there as the lake is in the way)
After 600m the other entrance to Ebotse is ahead of you. There you have to supply your great grandmothers maiden name and blood samples for them to let you in.
I will warn them you are coming in and it shouldn't be a problem.
After going through the security boom follow road to roundabout where you bear right.
At the next stop street turn right into Maroela street. Our house No. 13 is on the right after a couple of hundred metres.

Cheers Frank

[mulderpm]

Frank, I really hope you have an enormous fire place. I am going to suggest to D that she drives down.

[mulderpm]

Ok this is the simplest route. I have done many hrs around FASI. We can avoid all the built up areas.

[NickSwardt]

Thank you frank, I will discuss with jana and get back to you.

We might need to land a view times to defrost but still can't wait