Durban night flight

Click on the link to watch the short YouTube video clip of my night landing.

The view over the cockpit of the Durban beachfront as we scoot over the sea towards the harbour

We had an amazing night flight along the Durban beachfront tonight. To keep my night rating current before taking a passenger I need to have done 5 take-offs and landings in the past 90 days. 

So while Llewellyn waited on the ground I did some circuits and improved on my landing skills. 

Initially I used full flaps but this gives you a sharper descent path. At night this is a little tricky as the illusion at night is that the land is further away from you - this is because it is so dark down there. The outcome is that you bump onto the ground before you think you should be touching down and you need to anticipate this. Changing the flaps to setting one helped me float a little longer and the landings were great thereafter. 

The night lights of Durban were stunning and clear and we just did a short flight to Umhlanga and then back to the harbour before returning to Virginia.

The Durban beachfront hotels and the piers out into the sea

The red cockpit and headlamp lights help you see better at night

The Durban stadium and beachfront as we headed past Virginia airport to the harbour

Before I could take a passenger I needed to complete 5 circuits and landings by myself - I am allowed to be a danger to myself but not to passengers ha ha

Llew takes a photo of me as I taxi in our Sling ZDL to the take-off point

Runway 05 Virginia Airport on final approach to landing

Clear skies after the rain

What an awesome night to do a night flight over Durban after the rains had cleared the sky. We saw night racing at Greyville Race Course and even got to see the Sharks beat the Lions from far above Kings Park rugby Stadium tonight. For my co-pilot Brandon, it was his first night flight and the views were spectacular.. the photos cannot do justice to it!

Kings Park Rugby Stadium with the Sharks playing the Lions (26 - 23 win)

Instructors and Night flight

A whirlwind day today with a sudden ad hoc inspection of the Flight School by Raasa, the administrative body delegated by the Civil Aviation Authority that looks after Part 62 aviation training organisations. That all went well, along with a decision in favour of my completing my Instructor's training in our own plane ZDL for my National Flight Instructor rating.

The Durban skyline was clear after the cold front and rain which washed away the smog

 The Raasa inspection was followed by my third Instructor's "patter" training flight, raking up 3,5 hours towards the 15 needed for the licence as well as exams.

The sun was setting over Durban as my Instructor Brad and I returned to Virginia

Feeling slightly strange sitting in the left seat but flying the plane as Brad gives me instructor "patter" training

ZDL cockpit by day

My day flight was followed by a bite to eat then a short night flight from Virginia to King Shaka International where we did a touch and go, this time with me back in the left seat

Llewellyn and I with our night lights on

The Umhlanga beachfront, pier and lighthouse by night

Approaching King Shaka runway 24 by night

Cruising at Night

The air was quite warm tonight with what appeared to be an inversion.. many fires and lots of smoke being capped in and hanging over the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban where the Spingboks took on Wales defeating them in an international rugby match. Taking off from Durban we could see the huge traffic jam of fans getting to the Stadium and on our return in the dark we were in time for the closing minutes of the game and defeat for the Welsh team. Go Bokke Go!

To keep current with my night rating I need at least 3 take-offs and landings every 90 days, so I did some circuits in Pietermaritzburg, each landing becoming darker as the sun had set on our way there. Llewellyn waited for me on the ground whilst I perfected my landings, then joined me for the flight home in the darkness. The lights of the homes are amazing, but the darkness is crazy.. not even Alverstone tower in the dark of the mountain could be seen. Stunning evening to be out and the full moon was rising as we landed. 

Sunset as we fly from Durban to Pietermaritzburg

Ready to practice some landings in the gathering dark at Pietermaritzburg

The computer EFIS and GPS in the dimmed night mode is still quite bright

Durban Harbour and the Bluff as we fly over Cooper's Lighthouse

Llewellyn (left) and Dave fly to Virginia

The red cabin and headlamp lighting is optimal for night vision

Pietermaritzburg Airport

Dinner in Southbroom

The red cabin light is optimal for night vision

The darkness ahead beckons for those who dare

 It's amazing to have friends who can fly with us on jaunts around South Africa. SAA (his airplane registration) pilot Marc's flying tales inspired me to get my licence.. initially an NPL licence like his, then I convinced him to upgrade to the PPL licence and follow me in getting my night rating. This has taken us in our respective planes on adventures to Cape Town and the southern-most tip of Africa, to Mozambique, Mkuze Game Reserve, Clarens and Golden Gate, night escapades for dinner in Margate and in March we are off to Botswana - Okavango Delta and Chobe, and then to Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls.

Llew and ZDL Margate

Last night we ventured off to Margate on a night flight on a beautiful evening, although it became quite hot and windy. We got to Margate Airport where we parked the planes, hired a car for the evening and drove to Southbroom for dinner, flying home much later. I had pre-arranged with Virginia airport to leave their runway lights on for us and we only managed to get to bed after midnight. Awesome flying but the pics just cannot do justice to the spectacular view of the sparkling lights that danced below us. The half-moon cruised in and out of wispy clouds that trailed it.

Durban Harbour with the reflection of our onboard flight computer (Efis) and GPS 

Night flight to Margate

Breaking out of the comfort zone of our local sky, we did our first night flight to Margate for dinner last night, returning to Virginia just before lights-out. Margate and Pietermaritzburg both have a system of 7-clicks of your radio button to activate the lights-on switch, but Virginia have gone on to power-saving and switch off theirs completely at 10pm.

50-

 We set off from Virginia as the sun was going down and had arranged a taxi to fetch us at Margate Airport to go to the Crayfish Inn in nearby Ramsgate for Llewellyn's birthday. The wind was pumping 30-40kts (50-70kmh) but is was blowing from the north straight down the runway and gave us an awesome tailwind all the way there. The flight was about 40mins and arriving in Margate we could see the bright lights of Margate but only blackness where we imagined the runway would be. I was a bit hesitant to turn the lights of the runway on too early in case they had an auto-timed turn-off function as we were landing; so round about when we thought it was time to land I tapped the radio button 7 times and the lights sprung to life lighting up the runway below. It was like magic. I lined the plane up for a landing and Llewellyn managed to take a short video clip which is posted on YouTube here.

With the sun going down and the darkness quickly gathering we headed down the coastline to the Margate seaside resort.

The Crayfish Inn in Ramsgate, near Margate

Our Sling ZDL stands proud on the Margate airport apron

Lights and blackness below as we head back to Durban with a headwind that slowed us down from our usual 110kts (200kmh) to half that speed at times. Ascending to 3500ft the wind was a little calmer, but not much.

Durban's Bluff and the blackness of the harbour come into view

 

King Shaka by night

I took Louis for a touch-and-go at King Shaka International, a 5-minute flight from our home base at Virginia in Durban, last night. The sky was clear and the Virginia Tower was closed but King Shaka had no problem allowing us a quick visit.  The wind was almost negligible but they routed us to runway 24 from the north and thereafter we did some landings at take-offs at Virginia from both sides - both 05 and 23. We also flew along the coast past the city and refinery and climbed up to 2 500 feet almost touching the clouds which looked dark and mysterious by night. Awesome!

Louis gets the feel of Durban by night

 

The sparkling lights of suburbia below

The red light glow keeping your night vision intact and the dashboard lit

Durban beachfront with illuminated piers - no pics of King Shaka as it was full-on concentration landing by night