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

[nicow]

All Microland pilots:
Potgietersrus Microlight Club and Limpopo Flight School, invites you all for a Bosveld Breakfast on the 7th of November 2015 at Potgietersrus Airfield.

Everyone is welcome. Microlights, LSA, Gyro's etc.

The setting will be almost the same as last only better. For those who attended last will know how it turned out from the Friday afternoon till the Sunday.

You are most welcome again to make it a flying weekend in our beautiful area.

You can fly in on the Friday afternoon and back on the Sunday or just for the breakfast on the Saturday. Camping facilities is available and we can also arrange very affordable accommodation at a guest house close to the airfield.Camping at the airfield is free,just bring your own tent.

We will post more details shortly.

Please confirm your attendance if possible. But if you decide on the day or the day before to join us you are still most welcome.

Hope to see everybody here. Looking forward to a great JOLL and flying.

We can also be contacted at any time.We have a whatsapp group for the event,just sent your number if you want to be on the group.

Nico - 082 852 5961
Martin - 082 578 1657
Willie – 072 523 2423

[mulderpm]

Bundy has been pretty quiet lately.

Vernon, he is now active on Facebook. A lot of pilots are now also using WhatsApp groups and other online real time social media to communicate.

[vernon11]

Thanks. Face book. The bain of my life.

[mulderpm]

Ok guys, the 21st of November has been confirmed as our end-of-year Christmas theme braai. Mervyn has gracefully accepted to be Father Christmas. We are also trying to arrange for a helicopter to bring Father Christmas.

As there were no funds raised this year, there will have to be a financial donation, which will go towards the entertainment (jumping castle or a water walker) and other extras. Please bring a present for your child, not too big or heavy and limited to a max price of R 200 per child. They must be wrapped and clearly marked with your child's name and delivered the day before. You can either deliver to Microland, Mervyn Rynolds, or to me or to someone else who can take it out to the airfield before the 21st. If you could also bring, on the day, some Christmas crackers and please wear festive clothes. We will supply Christmas hats and our gazebo. If you have a smallish Christmas tree or two, please bring them. Extra fold up chairs may also be a good idea.

Please let me know if you are coming and how many children we can expect. We really want this to be a fun thing for the whole family. Bring your kids...grand kids and grown up kids.

Like last year, we also want to give Johannes a Christmas food hamper or two. If you feel you want to give something then please bring it on the day.

[Paul Meanwell]

Same day as my works Xmas function. Have a blast, sorry I can't be there.

[mulderpm]

Ok Paul. will miss you.

[Bundy]

Bundy has been pretty quiet lately.

Hi Vern....I do still check in every now and then....

I just find other mediums far more navigable and practical for my use thereof.

Hope you keeping well down south Sir!

[mulderpm]

Thanks. Face book. The bain of my life.

Couldn't agree more.

[vernon11]

Yes Alan. All fine down here. Have nothing to fly at the moment. Big disaster a while ago, which forced me to sell the Challi.
Keep well.
Vern.

[Bundy]

Yes Alan. All fine down here. Have nothing to fly at the moment. Big disaster a while ago, which forced me to sell the Challi.
Keep well.
Vern.

I'm sorry to hear that Vern... Sincerely hope you get some wings back soon!

[Bundy]

Anyone going to Potties on Saturday?

I've got Andries Kruger and Peter Bollitho+PAX joining me so far...

Planning to take off at 05h10....routing FABA to Steve Bosch and landing at Bella Bella (pee break and fuel stop)....then airbourne and routing via Kranskop along the N1 to Potties.

120NM total, will have a nice headwind to start but conditions should improve as we drop altitude past Cullinan. Weather reports for both Bella Bella and Potties are favourable both Sat and Sunday.

Let me know if you are planning to fly with? Be nice to add to the gaggle...

Will confirm all after Friday's weather check.

[mulderpm]

To those flying to Potties, enjoy and fly safe.

[Bundy]

We had a great time in Potties.... (see the Potties thread for more photo's)

Really nice to fly with Andries again...and it was my first flight with Peter/Clinton on my wing too.

Stunning scenery and enjoyable conditions mixed with some rock n roll in places...
Nico says "If you can land in Potties...you can land anywhere!"
I must say that after managing to put the plane on the ground right side up I tend to agree...
Challenging landings all round but it all builds up good experience.

The Potties manne have an awesome flying spirit and we thank them for making it such a jol.

Thanks for accompanying me Andries, Peter and Clinton...I look forward to flying with you guys again.

[Bundy]

Great pic by Peter....Rhenosterkop in the background.

[Bundy]

Trip Report.....Tailwinds to Potties Nov 7th and 8th

Having been able to spend precious little time in our plane these last few months it was with great anticipation that I waited for our cross country trip to the Potties Fly In...

Friday saw Andries fly through to FABA from his home base in Secunda and Fanie kindly let him have some space in the Schools hanger overnight. I prepped DBP on the Friday too. Started her, did a thorough check on the airframe and fuelled the plane to capacity.
Saturday arrived and again Windguru was pretty spot on with the predictions. We would have a fairly strong headwind for the first stretch but the conditions in both Warmbaths and Potties were predicted to be fine and there certainly wasn't anything to be cause for alarm.

We were to be 3 trikes flying through together and like clockwork, Andries arrived in the dark on his Beemer and Peter Bollitho and his son Clinton were also soon at Microland hastily doing the final checks and prepwork for our planned 05h10 Take off. We had a quick briefing at the lapa and got strapped in, started up and duly taxied to the holding point for the usual drills. "DBP...rolling 03".....followed shortly by my wingmen, we formed up nicely and headed off north flying nice and tight while we could...

We passed FAKT to the west, skirted the FAWB CTR to the east and as the terrain fell away from us we could start playing with our height to see where the headwind was most favourable...I think we eventually settled at about 5500. Nudist camp inspection with a fly over of Steve Bosch's strip we were soon over the seemingly endless bush and scrub with our halfway stop Warmbad in view on the horizon. We arrived overhead and joined the circuit for a landing on RWY 03 with a couple other airies already parked on the apron. Here we met up with Tribal Croc and Landi in their Explorer, Koos from Ingwe in his Aquilla and a couple road travelling "Chainganger's" in the form of Alpha and Tailspin. Piet Meyer in his trusty Jabbi....and others too.

We must sincerely thank Le Boss (Lourens) and his wife for going to so much trouble to provide some lekker coffee and a few snacks for all those arriving. Warmbad is a really nice spot with great facilities on a par if not even better than Mland. It will be awesome to arrange a little stay over there next year if possible and Lourens seems really keen to assist....I look forward to that.

After enjoying a quick cuppa we were all raring to tackle the last 55NM as we knew the conditions were getting more turbulent. We took off at about 07h30 into a washing machine. The air was just not stable and at times pretty damn bumpy but although uncomfortable it was all good and we rode the bucking ponies along the N1 without much praying. We passed Kranskop and Nylstroom...routed overhead Naboomspruit and had the hills and ridges surrounding Potties in sight. It was clear there was a lot of traffic routing in and out so Comms had to be kept to a minimum but we managed fine and our gaggle (now grown a few) was soon reporting 5 miles out.

Flying lead I was overhead with Piet Meyer in his Jabbi on final approach for 36 below. We duly joined and as I turned base Piet reported strong sink on the threshold. With this in mind I carried on and started my landing approach....bumpy bedonerd.... I round out...and....flare....nope....no flare today....
Boy oh boy... it sure was interesting and Piet wasn't joking.
After getting her down (in one piece) I felt quite relieved and prob a bit chuffed too because it really wasn't an easy one. I vacated right and watched the others in....all challenging...but all down safe and we were finally at our destination.

We were guided into our parking area by the Marshalls, all very professional and much appreciated. Now let me tell you...Potties is not hot...it's f#$%ing hot...and before I'd even finished taxiing I was already in a sweat. (No it wasn't the kak landing... )
We parked the trikes right in front of the flight viewing platform and the marquee....prime VIP parking for us samoosa pilots...just the way it should be.

The usual "meet and greet" and so nice to see some guys and girls I have not seen in ages. Paul Meanwell was there and although some of my wingmen had theories of an afternoon flight, I did not hesitate to go find myself an ice cold beer in the searing heat. I was not alone...
The Chaingang was well represented with Tank and Madman flying in to join Tailspin and Alpha. The latter giving us all a small taste of what's to come when they launch their "Blue Sky Innovations" in Feb. Their plans and products around the Comms market will be a great breath of fresh air and I cant wait to see what they have to offer us!

Jacques and his "SiffAnna" were there....Aunty Sue in her Bantum...Oom Polla, Chris from Benics and many others, but the highlight was probably Paul Coetzer who showed us all how to land a GT like a pronking Springbok!

The Potties manne and their many helpers went all out! The brekkie was great, they kept the beers and coldrinks cold, plentiful and flowing and we enjoyed an awesome evening spit which was just what a bunch of aviators needed. The flying spirit and hospitality we enjoyed was perfect and the hanger talk en kak praat lasted well into the night. We camped under our wings like true bush pilots and tried to get some Zzz's between the symphony of snoring and the occasional tent flapping fart.
The wind picked up in the middle of the night which had a few of us popping our heads out the tent to check on the trikes... but they were all nice and secure.

The trikers (naturally) were up first, prefilghting and packing up tents in the dark. We knew we were in for a bit of a rough ride with the wind blowing from the mountains but at first light we were all ready to climb into the saddle. Andries decided to route back with us instead of taking a "b line" for Secunda, and although I had planned on flying the tailwind straight home, Peter was having some radio issues and he was also concerned about his fuel, wanting to top up a bit in Warmbaths as a precaution.
We decided to therefore just fly back the way we came to accommodate everyone and we were soon lined up for takeoff. We climbed back into the same "washing machine" sky and we got pretty smashed for the first few miles but as we moved away from the heavy terrain, the turbulence subsided to a more comfortable level and we landed in Warmbaths way ahead of schedule due to the tailwind. Peter topped up and we all hit the sky again for the 65NM home stretch.

As if the Weather Gods decided to reward us for our perseverance....the last stretch was smooth as silk and we enjoyed the scenery passing us by at 55 odd knots. Before we knew it we were entering the GF...then SRE and passed the still sleeping Kittyhawk. Bumpsfontein lived up to its name as always and we joined MLand circuit for the final approaches at the end of a great little flyaway.

It was my first excursion up north and I cannot wait to fly back! The Potties guys and girls are an awesome bunch and really went out of their way to accommodate everyone. The scenery along the Waterberg is just beautiful and it was great to meet up with our buddies from further afield over a few beers. I will definitely be back next year. We clocked 240NM in 5.7 hrs worth of flying in conditions that were challenging but tolerable and as always on a cross country there was much to be learnt along the way.

I thank my wing men Andries, Peter and Clinton for joining me, it was a pleasure to fly with you gents and I look forward to the next trip.