Visited sister in Margate

One of the reasons I continue to live in Durban is that it's "lekker by die see". I took a 45 min flight down the coast today to visit my sister and brother-in-law on holiday there. We had all the kids for the weekend so we also needed the car. I then flew one way with my step-son Calvin whilst Llew drove with the other kids, then for the home journey we swopped and he flew back whilst I drove the car home. It was Llew's first flight solo as a licenced pilot so it was quite an exciting day. We had a great braai in Margate overlooking the beach and enjoyed the catchup with my sis - also taking Kim and Gert for a flight over the Margate beachfront.

Dave, sister Kim and her husband Gert

Calvin and Dave flying along the coast to Margate

We did some low level flying too down to 100ft along the shoreline

My sister Kim with our Sling ZDL at Margate Airport after her flip

Gert relaxed after his flight along the Margate beachfront

Llewellyn takes a selfie during his solo flight home - his first as a licenced pilot

First PPL pilot @ Durban Skyye

My flight school's first PPL student to qualify for his licence, my husband Lllewellyn, seen here in the Sling 2 aircraft we own together and which will take us across to Madagascar next month. Llew has been flying with me from the start but was determined to pass all the exams, do the hours and get his own licence which arrived from the CAA yesterday.

Both Llew and I qualified for our licences in our Sling aircraft ZDL

The proud holder of a Private Pilot Licence (PPL) which qualifies Llew to fly airplanes over 600kg MAUW and for any plane that requires less than 2 pilots

Dave gives Llew the thumbs up and congratulates him on his licence

Flight test in ZDL

Llewellyn lines up for pre-takeoff checks in our Sling ZDL for his final PPL flight test today in the GF. Tomorrow he does his test Nav exercise to Margate to complete his PPL training and become our first student to qualify for his PPL licence with our flight school. Good luck for the nav tomorrow Llew!!

Llewellyn in the left seat for his flight test in ZDL

Long weekend

 Beautiful long weekend for flying. My partner and co-owner of our Sling, Llewellyn, is due to do his pilot's licence flight test today, so we did a flight to the General Flying training area yesterday to run through the procedures on the skills test and let him practice the manouvres.

I also started a new student off on his quest for a National Pilot's licence and we did some of the preliminary exercises in the GFA.

Durban's Bluff and harbour from the wingtips of our Sling ZDL

Dave and Llewellyn (right) in ZDL

Passing our World Cup Football Stadium along the Durban beachfront

The Bluff, where I used to live and where my Bluff office is situated

Student Gordon flying with Dave

Cross-country exercise

Trying out my selfie stick before embarking on our cross-country practice run before Llew's solo cross-country flights to Isithebe, Empangeni and Richards Bay

Ready to roll

As we looked out to the blue yonder we were contemplating our trip to Madagascar in July when we will be turning out to sea and flying for 4 1/2 hours towards the horizon hoping to find land soon.

The beautiful coastline north of Durban

We landed in Isithebe, then Empangeni and now Richards Bay where we stopped for a bite to eat before the return journey

Winging our way happily on a Sunday afternoon

There are countless river estuaries along the coastline

Umhlanga comes into view

The Umhlanga Lighthouse, shortly before landing back at Virginia

Flying around Durban

We are heading to Durban's best months for flying - March and April where the skyye's clear of rain and the summer heat subsides.

 

It's the month Llew is going to finish his licence in our plane, so he's getting some good practice in this week



Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium

Durban beachfront and Stadium off the wingtip of our Sling ZDL

Left or Right

As joint owners of our Sling ZDL we have notched up well over 100 hours flying together over huge mountains, past many scary clouds and thunderstorms from one side of Southern Africa to the other, but this was the first flight we have done together with Llew in the left seat and me in the right with me being comfortable flying from both sides now. Most right-handed instructors prefer the right seat, but I am left-handed and it has taken a bit of adjustment to fly with my right hand. Fortunately I did my early training in the Foxbat which has a centre Y-stick, needing the pilot's right hand to control the plane from the left seat so my first flying experience was with my right hand. 

Llew gets into the left seat while I handle the selfie

 We did a jaunt to Pietermaritzburg hoping to have a toasted sandwich in the coffee shop there which opens when the scheduled Airlink jet flies in, but unfortunately they don't serve food over the weekend.

The air was pretty bumpy today with crosswind landings in both Pietermaritzburg and Durban, but the visibility was excellent and we got some good snaps of Durban's beautiful stadium and coastline.

Llewellyn prepares for the flight to Pietermaritzburg

Gazing intently ahead for oncoming traffic

Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium in all its glory

On a clear day you can see forever

Thumbs-up Dave (left, in the right seat) and Llew (right, in the left seat) ha ha

Durban Harbour as we turn inland for Light Flight, then on to Pietermaritzburg

Pietermaritzburg Airport

Looking a bit windswept as the wind was gusting 25kts

Our Durban Skyye Sling ZDL at Pietermaritburg Airport

In a first, our flight school CFI, Brad, was passing by in the flight school Sling FYA and took a snap of us alongside before we continued on our separate ways

The Bluff and Harbour entrance as we rounded it on the return leg to Durban

Congratulatory drink after our first flight in reversed seats

Mishap on Runway 16 Pietermaritzburg

It is never pleasant to report a mishap.. fortunately not me, but unfortunately in our jointly owned Sling ZDL... Llewellyn on his first solo cross-country training flight to Pietermaritzburg as PIC.

From the pics it appears that there was a harder than normal touchdown on the nosewheel which collapsed, letting the plane grind to a halt on the propellers in the middle of runway 16. Eye-witness reports however was that there appeared to be nothing unusual about the landing which looked perfectly within all limits, but that the nosewheel had collapsed. Chatting to the insurance assessor, he is of the opinion that the high incidence of nose-wheel collapses on the Sling Aircraft, compared to other aircraft, indicates that the design of the wheel could be improved and that the margin for landing deviations from normal is too narrow. So perhaps this is something for The Airplane Factory to react on.

In the meantime, timing is very bad as we are due to leave on our Sling Africa Tour to Botswana and Vic Falls in 10 days and this is leaving little time for repairs. Andrew from The Airplane Factory has been marvellous in getting spares down to Pmb within a day or so and whilst the plane has been temporarily repaired it needs to get a special permit to fly it back to Johannesburg for full tolerances testing and clearance from the CAA to fly. It also means we have to fly to Bots with a temporary fixed propeller until we can get a new constant-speed hub and propellers ordered. Damn!!

Collapsed nosewheel of ZDL

Oops, luckily didn't flip over and the props kept the fusilage off the deck. This also shows where the centre of gravity is and why it's important even when taxiing and after landing to hold the stick back to keep pressure off the nose-wheel.

Practicing Navex

Llewellyn does his navigation exercise to Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday so we did a practice one today, making sure he could file a flight plan and handle the navigation by map with the plane onboard computer Efis switched off. The sky was bright and clear, although the sun was baking down and the workload handling headings, radio work and timing the legs of the flight almost overwhelming. But we had a great flight and noted that the upgrade of Pmb airport is almost complete. What a lovely little airport. Llew should have his licence in ZDL by the time we fly to Botswana in March.

Nagle Dam and KwaZulu-Natal's own Table Mountain to the left

Llew is sure he can do this when he does his training exercise on Tuesday

The harbour and Durban's Bluff on our return from Pietermaritzburg