Last flight of the year

Last view of Durban from the skyye as the year draws to a close

Ending off the year with a flight with my student

We're ready for 2016

Chris joins me in the cockpit

My daughter's boyfriend Chris arrived in South Africa for Christmas - he's the US fighter pilot and the plan was to fly to the Ubizane Game Reserve up northern KZN while my daughter and Llew drove there, but the weather determined otherwise. We ended up driving there and back, but at least it was a chance for this US pilot to get to fly my plane and the occasion for him to ask me for her hand in marriage. They became engaged in January and on the 30th April 2016 they married.

Used to flying an A-10 fighter jet for the US Airforce, Chris was a natural at the flight controls of my Sling ZDL

My daughter Kate joins me for a flight

Chris and Kate, now married

en route to northern KwaZulu-Natal it became clear that the weather was not going to lift and we had to return to base

US Airforce fighter pilot

2015 and the start of 2016 have been exciting times for my family. My daughter became engaged and has now married her US Airforce fighter pilot Chris, seen here on the right with his A-10 aircraft. And in December my son married Lisa.. all in the space of a few months.

To Johannesburg we go

As our aircraft were manufactured by The Airplane Factory in Johannesburg, I prefer to take them back there for most major services. This means we sometimes fly there with friends to fly our plane back, or fly there in our plane with them to bring theirs back. My pal Louis has joined me or me him on several of these flights and on this occasion Ryan joined me on the flight back.

The cockpit of Louis' Sling IS, JAL

Dave and Louis in JAL

We saw some clouds

Tedderfield Aeropark, home of The Airplane Factory, south of Johannesburg

Slings at the factory

The koppies around the Ladysmith area

Ryan and I made the trip back in FYA which I had left at the factory for servicing

You can tell how heavy the cloud cover is by looking at the shadows.. nice open sky today

Arrived safely in Durban with FYA

Durban harbour and the city always an awesome sight after a 3-hour flight from Johannesburg

Vrginia Airport off the wingtip of FYA

On Dutch TV

We had a moment of glory as a Dutch TV company visited Durban and our flight school flew their game show contestants over Durban as part of the show which was subsequently screen in the Netherlands. Awesome to be part of this show.

TV contestant looking forward to the challenge in our flight school microlight