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

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 adventure to Margate

Marc and Lee flew in from Light Flight Cato Ridge as the sun was about to set and Llewellyn and I in ZDL set off with them for Margate at sunset. It's only a 45 min flight away with a tailwind and we expected to arrive in the dark. I had organised a taxi for 6.45pm and a booking at the fabulous Burlesque restaurant in nearby Ramsgate for dinner. I said before we need to carry spare toothbrushes and a change of undies in the plane for emergencies, but I forgot.

Beautiful sunset with a bit of an inversion and haze as we head along the coastline

Unexpectedly about 15 minutes out of Margate the voltage of the battery dipped and the lights on the aircraft instruments dimmed with a warning message coming up - Low Voltage supply. The usual red glow of the cabin lights went out and the radio and the transponder went on the blink. I carry a back-up manual radio, but without a connection to the headsets it was almost impossible to make or receive a transmission, although there seemed to be enough power in the aircraft to hear Marc calling us, but not enough for us to transmit. I turned off all instruments that we could do without and switched off the light switch. And resorted to cellphone messaging. Marc needed to switch on the runway lights (7 clicks of the radio button) and land and vacate the runway and we would come in after him without lights.. all of which we performed ok.. except that we couldn't see the runway surface so had to feel our way down until the wheels bumped and we were down safely.

 

We contacted Jean from the Airplane Factory, disrupting his Saturday evening, and he, as usual was obliging and helpful. We really just needed assurance that we could fly safely back to Durban in tandem with Marc later. As long as the engine was running there should be no danger of the electrical fault affecting the operation of the engine.

Dinner at Burlesque was fantastic and well worth the flight. Superb presentation, lovely atmosphere and great tasting chicken dish, prawn curry (below) and sole, with yummy calamari starters and superb cheesecake for desert.

The Airplane Factory's incredible after-sales service saw Jean, Director of The Airplane Factory, fly down to Durban on Sunday and tackle the plane's electrical system to trouble-shoot the fault. We had managed at 10pm to find an B&B across the road from the Airport and stay over for the night while SAA flew back to Durban. It took most of the day after Jean had been battered by high winds and turbulence over the Berg getting there and he meticulously went through each power and earth cable checking for integrity. A few connections were tightened, the main battery and the regulator replaced, labelled and taken back for testing and by 4 pm we were ready to try a restart. The engine started immediately and despite worsening weather conditions we each thought we would be able to get hom for the night. The ATC at Virginia indicated the clouds had moved lower to 800 ft and the weather was closing in (with rain expected Monday) so we phoned Pietermaritzburg and they said the clouds were high there. A decision was taken that we would follow Jean to Pietermaritzburg and he would then continue to Johannesburg and we would either land in Pmb and be collected by my kids, or if clear we would fly through to Virginia.

As we got closer to Pmb the clouds were clearing and there was blue sky above although there was still a terrible haze. In the pic Jean is slightly ahead and then zoomed off to the north whilst we continued a north-easterly course for Pietermaritzburg. I was ain cell contact with a team of advisors (what great mates to have.. Marc, Brad, Louis and their connections in the different cities) and with advice that the coast was clearer we decided to head east to the coast short of Pietermaritburg as the clouds were settling on the mountains between Pmb and the coast and we would definitely have been stuck there. My daughter had in the meantime set off by car to collect is in Pmb. Despite some clouds low over the mountains we managed to break through to the coast at Amanzimtoti and from there the coastal clouds were high enough to make it home. Thanks guys for the team effort.

Flying out into the dark moonless night without instrument power

Pre-flight checks on the planes before we set off from Virginia

In the air routing from Virginia to Margate as the sun was setting

Port Shepstone lights by night

 

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

 

New Year flying

The plan was to fly to Margate then spend the 5 days holiday flying around the wild coast for breakfasts or lunch. However, the weather was playing up so we ended up driving there and spending 4 nights under low cloud and steamy hot or rainy days. We then drove back to fetch the planes - our Sling ZDL and Marc's Sling SAA - on Thursday and spend the day flying the Wild Coast and Port St John's, then overnight in Margate and back to Durban on Friday early... in time to put in half the morning and the afternoon back at work.

 

So Happy New Year to everyone. Here's to some happy flying in 2013. Next trip on the cards is our first international flight to Mocambique in April. The weather should be great and Inhambane is calling us. Again both ZDL and SAA will convoy it there and have some fun in the Mocam skies.

 

 

On the apron at Margate Airport

Our friends Marc and Lee with Sling IS SAA

The approach to Port St John's is quite scary flying over one mountain, then a gorge gap to the next with the runway, and possibilities of up or down-drafts on finals.

Port St John's - my favourite, mountain-top runway

Maps - yes I do take them with!

Me at the controls.. coming up for the coastline



Margate 122,7 and runway 22 on the way

Ready for an early morning start back to Durban

The South Coast coastline stretches out with the dot of SAA above the spinner

Look ma, no hands.. autopilot snap as I fly solo to Durban

This looks like home - Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban

To Margate for breakfast

A stunning view of the Bluff as we rounded the harbour entrance taking advantage of the glorious summer sunshine to have breakfast in Margate this morning.

View of the Durban Stadium on take-off from Virginia

My son Mark has a holiday job for engineering experience as part of his 3rd year curriculum, working at the coal terminal at Durban Harbour.... seen here in this pic from over the Bluff.

The bridge across to the Wild Coast Sun



We had a great tailwind to Margate but then of course a headwind back - the flight there only 35 mins, the flight back 50 mins

Great breakfast and coffee at Margate airport before heading back.