Tedderfield rocks!

Home of The Airplane Factory and birthplace of our Sling aircraft, Tedderfield Aeropark is abuzz with Slings.. I have seen dozens of planes over the past two days, either in the process of being manufactured here.. from the sheet aluminium start to the finished product, as well as Slings in scheduled maintenance and Slings here for the new CAA mandatory tests. My own ZDL (Sling # 34) and FYA (Sling # 122) are being thoroughly checked, serviced and anto-corrosion treated in expert hands.

Daniel helping with the static pitot tests

Slings on the main apron

My ZDL being serviced

My FYA being serviced

ZDL looking naked without its cowling

The cabin heat pipes on FYA had to be replaced due to deterioration from a faulty exhaust. Left unchecked this would pull toxic carbon monoxide into the cabin if the cabin heat was in use. Fortunately in Durban this is never used, but I have turned it on before on a freezing trip to the Cape, so a good thing to ensure the pipes are in tip-top condition

To Johannesburg

The weather on Tuesday was just perfect for our flight to Johannesburg and for the first time I had negligible headwind taking less time and using less fuel getting there. It's also the first time that both of my planes have been there at the same time. While I flew ZDL, our flight school student followed me in our flight school Sling FYA as we headed for The Airplane Factory, birthplace of my Slings.

CAA grounds Slings

The Civil Aviation Authority caused mayhem this week as they grounded aircraft due to alleged deficiencies in the maintenance programme previously approved for The Airplane Factory, citing regulatory work that ought to have been covered in the last annual inspection of the Non-Type Certified Aircraft, which includes both of my Slings and dozens more.

Controlled airspace

The effect is that the planes need to be cleared for flight through controlled airspace to get them back to the factory in Johannesburg where the missed work can be done.. this includes static pitot test, instrument calibration/verification and a transponder check. Quite a heavy hand as these issues could be systematically checked as part of the ongoing maintenance.

So I will be flying up during the course of the week and will advance my planes next scheduled annual inspection and service to obviate another trip to Johannesburg in a few months.

Here Deon from Aerospace Technologies does confirms that our pitot tube is working correctly

The testing machine puts air pressure into the pitot tube to simulate winds at different airspeeds so the calibration and correctness of the aircraft readings can be ascertained.

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

Madagascar here we come!

 The Airplane Factory and I have worked out provisional dates and routing for our Sling aircraft tour to Madagascar this July (24 Jul - 1 Aug). The 9-day adventure will take us in our 2-seater single engine airplane up the Mozambique coast from Durban to Vilankulos, a 5 hour flight, where we clear customs and immigation into Mozambique for the night. The next morning we fly west over the Mozambique Channel to Toliara International Airport in Madagascar. This is a scary thought, heading out to sea for the 4h 50 min flight over the ocean, bypassing Europa island en route... something I have never done before in a small plane. There should be a group of 4 - 6 aeroplanes flying together each with maritime safety equipment, liferafts etc on board in the event of engine trouble over the sea. 

Our route from Durban over the Mozambique Channel to Madagascar

After landing in Madagascar, we spend another 6 nights touring the east and west coast, taking in the Andasibe National Park, the island Ile St Marie, and Morondava famous for the Avenue of Baobabs.

We return to Vilanjulos again crossing the Mozambique channel. Some of the participating pilots will be coming from Johannesburg and Durban and the tour will be under the umbrella of The Airplane Factory, manufacturers of our fine aircraft based in Johannesburg, and whose directors have successfully completed two trips around the world in their Sling aircraft and two cross-Africa trips to the United States and Europe, proving the handing and endurance capabilities of their totally South African designed and built aircraft.

The "Avenue of Baobabs" near Morondava, Madagascar

Lemurs in the Andasibe National Park, Madagascar

Itinerary

The full itinerary for the trip can be downloaded off my skydrive at this link. Anyone wishing to join us should email me at slingfans@gmail.com although booking decisions for accommodation need to be made now as it is peak season then in Madagascar and Mozambique. Dave 083-7033329

Shorter route

An alternative shorter route for those not wishing to fly the full distances in Madagascar has also been provided for with the pilots of the respective groups meeting at Vilankulos to fly across the Mozambiique Channel together, then separating for a slightly different and shorter route within Madagascar. Enquire if you are interested in this option.

Places we will be staying at include : Vakona Forest Lodge, Andasibe, Zombie Cucumber, Vilankulos, Boraha Village, island Ile St Marie, possibly Le Jardin du Roy, Isalo National Park, Auberge de la Table, Toliara and Pallisandre Cote Ouest, Morondava.

The runway at the hotel Le Jardin du Roy

The runway on the island Ile Sainte Marie, off Madagascar

The Airports we will be landing at can be seen here: (click on the links)

Vilankulos

Toliara

Andasibe

Ile Sainte Marie

Morondava

Le Jardin du Roy, Isalo

Boraha Village on the Ile Sainte Marie, Madagascar

Palissandre Cote Ouest hotel, Morondava

Le Jardin du Roy hotel, Isalo National Park

Sling Africa Tour 2014

And if you missed our Sling tour to Botswana and Victoria Falls last year, click on this link to check out the photos and story of this amazing adventure with 6 Sling Aircraft.

A photo I took of Victoria Falls as we flew around it on our tour last year

If you want to read more information on the maritime safety equipment needed, click on the link to the thread below - Sling Madagascar Tour 2015 - and scroll down to read the various previous posts that have been logged here.

Airliners.net

I'm on Airliners.net - thanks Gary for this superb photo which is being broadcast worldwide..

Here's the link http://www.airliners.net/photo/Durban-Skyye-Flight/The-Airplane-Factory/2591773/L/

400 hours

This week I passed the 400 hours mark - flying time in my Pilot's logbook!! What an incredible adventure and much more to follow this year.

Recent flight to Margate

Selfies

I read the other day that the NTSB accident report of a crash in the USA cited the pilot and passengers taking selfies as the cause of the accident that took both of their lives, so a little more focus (excuse the pun) and less distraction is needed to fly safe. Fortunately my plane has auto-pilot, so one can set the plane to fly straight and level while in selfie-mode. These pics were all taken from the safety of the ground though ha ha

Taking a pic of Trevor

Trevor is responsible for several of the great photos of my aircraft, along with those of Brian Spurr and Gary Shephard.. (see pics in bost below this one) used often in this blog so it was great to be able to take Trevor up into the skyye and take a couple of pics of him for a change, at the controls of ZDL. Trevor is also an avid radio controlled aircraft pilot, so this was his change to fly a bigger plane for a change.

Selfie in the air with Trevor over Durban

Trevor has a steady hand

My Sling ZDL with Trevor

Umhlanga lighthouse and beachfront on a glorious Saturday afternoon

ZDL and FYA

It's great to have photographer friends - here are some great shots of me flying my 2 planes, ZDL and FYA, taken by Trevor Viljoen and Gary Shepherd last week.

Dave takes off from Virginia Airport with Llewellyn

Taking a student for a flight in my flight school Sling FYA

Slinging around Durban