For the aviation fans

[Long Wheel Base]

Like the SAA livery on the tail plane.

 

I recall seeing an Impala on a stick outside the "Moth" hall in Kimberley some time back.

Apprentices did it as training.

[SwissVan]

This Impala is parked in Technical permanently. We use it for training on how to drive around live aircraft. You can see the "road" markings on the ground.

IMG_20190125_081750.jpg

How to drive around live aircraft..... LOL

How not to get sucked and compressed....

You heavy metal okes

????

[Bateleur1]

Heard via a Navy forum that I follow that the DoD hasn't paid SITA for IT services, and the SA Navy Fund email account is being switched off today. Will be operating with Gmail until it's resolved.

 

When I read that I was just smiling.  My old Employer and one of my old clients.  I am so freaking glad I do not have to deal with BS now.

[DJR]

As a kid I grew up in the sticks. Our neighbour was the local GP and he had his own plane for transporting patients in the out and beyond. My occasional job was to help load and unload and my pay was free joyrides and aerobatic maneuvers. He was a bit of a maverick pilot, which I only later realized was not a good thing at all. He lost his one leg in a crash while flying for the air force, then studied medicine, bought and flew several planes and helicopters with his prosthetic leg and all, later started an air ambulance service. Crashed several more times and lost his other leg too (yes, I know its sounds like a crazy story, and I suppose it is, but 100% true).

 

The most memorable flight I did with him was in his Tiger Moth (the toy). Most hair raising flight was through Meiringspoort as a way to get through the Swartberg Mountains when the cloud cover prevented us from going over. Most fun stuff were loops and rolls almost every time we went anywhere. (I never get air sick, but suffer terribly from sea sickness, perhaps those days made me immune?) Crazy stuff? Like landing at night on a dirt runway in the middle of the Karoo, by nothing more than moonlight and the lights of one car? Flying into and out of The Hell? 

 

Imagine my utter shock when I flew a commercial airliner for the first time and they shoved me in cattle class. Still hate it! 

 

I have no pictures of those days, the Moth is just a Net one!

[PhilipV]

As a kid I grew up in the sticks. Our neighbour was the local GP and he had his own plane for transporting patients in the out and beyond. My occasional job was to help load and unload and my pay was free joyrides and aerobatic maneuvers. He was a bit of a maverick pilot, which I only later realized was not a good thing at all. He lost his one leg in a crash while flying for the air force, then studied medicine, bought and flew several planes and helicopters with his prosthetic leg and all, later started an air ambulance service. Crashed several more times and lost his other leg too (yes, I know its sounds like a crazy story, and I suppose it is, but 100% true).

 

The most memorable flight I did with him was in his Tiger Moth (the toy). Most hair raising flight was through Meiringspoort as a way to get through the Swartberg Mountains when the cloud cover prevented us from going over. Most fun stuff were loops and rolls almost every time we went anywhere. (I never get air sick, but suffer terribly from sea sickness, perhaps those days made me immune?) Crazy stuff? Like landing at night on a dirt runway in the middle of the Karoo, by nothing more than moonlight and the lights of one car? Flying into and out of The Hell?

 

Imagine my utter shock when I flew a commercial airliner for the first time and they shoved me in cattle class. Still hate it!

 

I have no pictures of those days, the Moth is just a Net one!

My lus for become a pilot ended at the Prins Albert airstrip.

Flew with an uncle (who was a nephew of the people we visited) to Beaufort Wes on his Cessna to go fill up because he didn't have enough fuel to fly back home in Pretoria.

Upon returning to PA we landed in a crosswind, and he came in way to fast, this led to us bouncing from one wheel to the next a couple of times until he managed to get us down safely. We measured one hundred paces (steps) between where the left wheel picked up and the right touched down. Repeated a couple of times.

It was an eff-up. Afterwards we heard that the firewall bent in the "incident."

 

But I have wonderful memories of flying in other Cessna's and Harvard's, and the bad ones fade, so maybe I should go back to thinking about a PPL....

[Long Wheel Base]

My lus for become a pilot ended at the Prins Albert airstrip.

Flew with an uncle (who was a nephew of the people we visited) to Beaufort Wes on his Cessna to go fill up because he didn't have enough fuel to fly back home in Pretoria.

Upon returning to PA we landed in a crosswind, and he came in way to fast, this led to us bouncing from one wheel to the next a couple of times until he managed to get us down safely. We measured one hundred paces (steps) between where the left wheel picked up and the right touched down. Repeated a couple of times.

It was an eff-up. Afterwards we heard that the firewall bent in the "incident."

 

But I have wonderful memories of flying in other Cessna's and Harvard's, and the bad ones fade, so maybe I should go back to thinking about a PPL....

That must have been scary. What cessna?

[DJR]

My lus for become a pilot ended at the Prins Albert airstrip..........

We buzzed that on several occasions to chase stray sheep off before turning around to land. At the time I just thought it was normal, and that that was how it worked everywhere.

[PhilipV]

That must have been scary. What cessna?

I think it was a 180? But that part of the memory has faded. I do remember it being a tail dragger with a big enough second row of seats as he flew his family and luggage down as well.

 

Lovely way of traveling across the country for a long weekend. Fly down, have someone pick you up and fly home. Traffic is for peasants.

[Long Wheel Base]

I think it was a 180? But that part of the memory has faded. I do remember it being a tail dragger with a big enough second row of seats as he flew his family and luggage down as well.

 

Lovely way of traveling across the country for a long weekend. Fly down, have someone pick you up and fly home. Traffic is for peasants.

Sounds like a 180. I am a fan of its sibling the 182. Basically the same but nose gear. I miss working on those real aircraft.

[Karooryder]

Anyone know what's happening at ORT? Looks like all incoming air traffic is holding (check Avcom, quite spectacular!). Weather maybe?

Edited January 27, 2019 by Karooryder

[Lotus]

Could be the storm we're experiencing tonight. Seems like the incoming flights are being held up, takeoffs seem to be continuing.

Edited January 27, 2019 by Lotus

[Long Wheel Base]

Anyone know what's happening at ORT? Looks like all incoming air traffic is holding (check Avcom, quite spectacular!). Weather maybe?

 

 

Could be the storm we're experiencing tonight. Seems like the incoming flights are being held up, takeoffs seem to be continuing.

I stay closeish to ORT but in normal weather conditions I don't see or hear any(or very few)aircraft. BUT when they all of a sudden come over my place low and heading north west then I know the either holding or ducking from some serious storm cells(They usually come from the South). They did this most evenings last week and last night.

[kosmonooit]

 Anyone know a decent site that give live and meaningful weather radar locally? (web site not app)

 

I don't find Weather SA very useful

 

http://www.weathersa.co.za/observations/radar

[Bateleur1]

 Anyone know a decent site that give live and meaningful weather radar locally? (web site not app)

 

I don't find Weather SA very useful

 

http://www.weathersa.co.za/observations/radar

 

Won't be able to give you a constructive nor usefull answer but the weathersa website is in my opinion actually a sad story.  6+ years ago you could access the weather radar images of the whole SA and keep an eye on the weather.  It was real time and no fuss.  Then somewhere along the line the smelt money and changed the website and you had to pay bucketloads of money get to those images.  The site went pretty much south from then on.

[Ed-Zulu]

 Anyone know a decent site that give live and meaningful weather radar locally? (web site not app)

 

I don't find Weather SA very useful

 

http://www.weathersa.co.za/observations/radar

http://www.weatherphotos.co.za/

 

Try this one, let me know if it suits, otherwise YR or Windguru will be the alternatives

[Long Wheel Base]

 Anyone know a decent site that give live and meaningful weather radar locally? (web site not app)

 

I don't find Weather SA very useful

 

http://www.weathersa.co.za/observations/radar

I find this one pretty cool