Flight Performance and Planning

Waxed this exam with 88% pass this am. Am pretty stoked, it was an incredibly hard exam and took me back to Matric Science days. Glad I got past this one without too much of a fuss, although I am still not sure how I did it. :-) Have Human Performance on Monday, Air Law on Wednesday and Navigation on Friday so it's going to be a busy week ahead and not too much fun this weekend.

Sling 4-seater ready for around the World

The larger 4-seater prototype of our aeroplane has just taken to the air for the first time and is ready for it's Around-the-World promotional adventure.

Well done guys, this is an awesome achievement for a South African-based designa and construction. I look forward to following your trip around the world and to the delivery of our own Sling in August.

Neat chopper

There are quite a few neat aircraft at Light Flight where I train. Here's a chopper I captured yesterday. Home built and very cool. One of the limitations with them I always thought is that you are stuck where they land, but you will see the clever little wheels (like a wheelbarrow) the owner has made.. you lift up each side with the fulcrum and clip the wheel on. When both sides are done the helicoper is pushed easily in and out of the hangar. Simple but effective.

Oh, did I tell you I got lost this week? Not too hectic and within a few ks of my home field, but part of my training to venture out on my own and find my way back. I was retracing my flight to the N3 highway when my instructor spotted me cruising the skies from the ground and diverted me back to the field. Next exam is on Tueday - Human Preformance - and Friday I write (or click .. its an online exam) Flight Planning and Performance, a little more tricky... loads of graphs and stuff.

First Exams - 92% pass

Inbetween visiting Pietermaritzburg Airport, and a quick visit to Cape Town where I can be seen practising my take-off skills, I have been hitting the study books - Monday did my Radio Licence, and this morning wrote my first PPL exam... and hey, a pass of 92% in Principles of Flight is a good start. Have registered for 2 more exams next week and hope to hit off 2 a week until I am done.

Groot Constantia was the home of the first Govenor of the Cape Colony founded by the Dutch in 1652. A good place as any at Simon van der Stel's former residence to show that flying is just a matter of getting your feet off the ground.

Little strips separate us

In preparation for my Radio Licence exam Monday I visited the Pietermaritzburg Airport Control Tower and got some better insight into how the little strips on the board representing the air traffic in the area are separated. Scary stuff, but it seems to work.

First hour solo

Just completed 1,1 hours solo.. and beautiful landings.. so proud of myself. Here instructor Noel gives me the thumbs up, after touching down on a crisp Cato Ridge morning at Light Flight.

Gorillas/helicopters in the mist?

Getting up at the crack of dawn usually ensures smooth air, but also an early morning mist/fog blanket that takes an hour or two to clear. I taxied out to the holding point, waited a bit, taxied back and had some more coffee and eventually decided it was ok to take off from 01 as it progressively cleared. The airfields surrounding us were clear and we even had a bit of excitement as a military Puma helicopter paid a visit with a fly past and I was able to capture an action shot as we hurried up abeam while it slowed for us.

My landings are coming along beutifully and I expect to do some more solo in the morning. I have also booked my first PPL exam for next Wednesday and write my Restricted Radio Licence on Monday night. So busy few days ahead.

Sling 4-seater for Around-the-World

Working on the canopy assemply for the new Sling 4-seater, South Africa's Airplane Factory is under pressure to finish the prototype.

Due to be launched by the Director of Civil Aviation on Tuesday 19th July, the Sling will set off on it’s Around-the-World endurance adventure the next day. Due to time constraints and practical implications flying over Africa, the route has been amended to the following:

Tedderfield airfield in Johannesburg to Pilanesberg to clear customs then direct to Pointe Noire, Republic of the Congo. This is a 15,5 hour flight. Then the flight to Dakar is a long one.. 4200km around the coast of Africa (to avoid politics) which, due to a massive fuel load, will take 24 hours flying. The 3 remaining legs to the Azores (in the Atlantic off Portugal), New Foundland (Canada), and Oshkosh (Wisconsin USA)  come in at 15 hours each, so that shouldn’t prove too much of a problem. A substantial benefit of this route is that it has four stops only en route. Few long legs is really the way to go.. Easy flying, cheaper landings,  sleeping in the plane. The Sling will return to South Africa heading west again completing a cicumnavigation.

You can catch the Google Earth route of the Sling 4-seater on the website here.

What a way to launch a product. Go Sling Go!!

Hot Stuff

Here are some sketches from Mike of our Sling in red livery. Going to add some decent stripes, but this is "Hot Stuff" in the making.