For the aviation fans

[SwissVan]

anyone know whats up with teh strange flight paths in JHB of late ?

 

We dont normally get planes coming over our house unless there is a storm approaching, but lately it seems the odd plane out of ORT takes off in the southerly direction and does a hard bank Eastwards straight after take off. They are coming very low over my place.

 

Also the odd fighter jet, that based on the sound, comes in from pretoria (you can hear it from miles away), does a u turn and then heads back.

 

 

Coupled with CV-19 lockdown.... sounds like a war of the worlds scenario brewing....

 

All those supposed satellites of Musks flying in a straight line...Pah…. those were probably alien drones scouting for a pending invasion

[Bonus]

Coupled with CV-19 lockdown.... sounds like a war of the worlds scenario brewing....

 

All those supposed satellites of Musks flying in a straight line...Pah…. those were probably alien drones scouting for a pending invasion

 

What's the worst that could happen? 

 

;-)

[richardkzn]

They could take away all the bicycles

[SwissVan]

What's the worst that could happen? 

 

;-)

The govt tells us not to go outside under any circumstances while they prepare to flatten the alien invaders

[Bonus]

I've been watching Youtube videos of various planes hitting Turbulence. I've had a few bumpy rides over the years but nothing like some of the videos show!

 

Almost every overnight flight between SA and Europe that I've ever been on has had a
"rough patch" in the middle - as you fly over the hot African "Centerlands". Cold sweat time for me! 

 

The three most memorable bad occasions were:

 

On an SAA flight, a B747 flying south. I was only a few rows from the very back of the plane and we spent an hour flying through some heavy weather where the plane was fish-tailing like I couldn't believe. Had never experienced that left/right motion before but apparently the 747 was known for it thanks to its huge tail fin.

 

On an Air France flight south, (during the day actually) on a B777ER - we hit some bad air and dropped like a stone, twice. I loved the daylight flight because with a window seat you could actually see us weaving slowly between the Thunderheads! The two drops were bad though and when we landed in SA people clapped. I'd never seen that before.

 

On a Virgin Atlantic flight flying north - an A340-600 - the plane hit some slightly rough weather over Botswana, just a bit of chop really, but over and over..... and it lasted until we crossed the Mediterranean after Algeria 9 hrs later! All night long. The problem with "light turbulence" is that you know it usually precedes heavier turbulence, so you're on edge waiting for it to happen...…

 

Couple of things I have learned over the years -

 

It takes an hour or so of slight bumping around for my body to "get used to it" and after that I'm sort of OK (in Spanish they say "Custombre") with the unusual movement of it.

 

It takes very little actual bumpiness to adversely affect me - I've driven at speed down dirt roads in SA in a bakkie and had it 100 times worse, without a care in the world. I guess it's as much about "being in control" as anything?

 

I always wear my seat belt. Every second I'm in my seat I'm belted in, just a bit looser in the night but still buckled up!

 

I am aware that in anything but the most severe of storms the plane is actually going to be ok. Even when it looks like the wings are "flapping a fair bit" and that flashing light out there on the end of the wing is going up and down - it's fine...…..

 

Onwards and upwards eh?

 

:-) 

[Kranswurm]

I've been watching Youtube videos of various planes hitting Turbulence. I've had a few bumpy rides over the years but nothing like some of the videos show!

 

Almost every overnight flight between SA and Europe that I've ever been on has had a

"rough patch" in the middle - as you fly over the hot African "Centerlands". Cold sweat time for me! 

 

The three most memorable bad occasions were:

 

On an SAA flight, a B747 flying south. I was only a few rows from the very back of the plane and we spent an hour flying through some heavy weather where the plane was fish-tailing like I couldn't believe. Had never experienced that left/right motion before but apparently the 747 was known for it thanks to its huge tail fin.

 

On an Air France flight south, (during the day actually) on a B777ER - we hit some bad air and dropped like a stone, twice. I loved the daylight flight because with a window seat you could actually see us weaving slowly between the Thunderheads! The two drops were bad though and when we landed in SA people clapped. I'd never seen that before.

 

On a Virgin Atlantic flight flying north - an A340-600 - the plane hit some slightly rough weather over Botswana, just a bit of chop really, but over and over..... and it lasted until we crossed the Mediterranean after Algeria 9 hrs later! All night long. The problem with "light turbulence" is that you know it usually precedes heavier turbulence, so you're on edge waiting for it to happen...…

 

Couple of things I have learned over the years -

 

It takes an hour or so of slight bumping around for my body to "get used to it" and after that I'm sort of OK (in Spanish they say "Custombre") with the unusual movement of it.

 

It takes very little actual bumpiness to adversely affect me - I've driven at speed down dirt roads in SA in a bakkie and had it 100 times worse, without a care in the world. I guess it's as much about "being in control" as anything?

 

I always wear my seat belt. Every second I'm in my seat I'm belted in, just a bit looser in the night but still buckled up!

 

I am aware that in anything but the most severe of storms the plane is actually going to be ok. Even when it looks like the wings are "flapping a fair bit" and that flashing light out there on the end of the wing is going up and down - it's fine...…..

 

Onwards and upwards eh?

 

:-) 

I spent 21 years in Botswana and flew on many King Air chartered flights to various site meetings around the country.Gweta,Hukuntsi Bobonong Lethlekane etc

The mornings were fine but summer over the CKGR in the afternoons was spectacular for storms 

Those little bags behind the seat in front of you were full by the time we hit Gabs.

I am impervious to it and me and a select few hard okes would revel and polish off the beers and peanuts so the cooler box was empty when we disembarked

[The Guy in Pink]

My earliest aviation memory is from 1952 when aged five my family travelled by air from London to Johannesburg, in a Skymaster I think. The trip route was London, Rome, Kharthoum, Nairobi, livingston, Johannesburg, and took about 3 days.

I can remember pieces of it; my mother pointing our the River Tiber above Rome; her being frightened at the site of am armed policeman - maybe also in Rome as we drove in a taxi in the city (British police were still required then to read the riot act aloud before being armed).; a toy springbok with real springbok skin give to me by the air hostess; and the Vic falls from the air.

[SwissVan]

My earliest aviation memory is from 1952 when aged five my family travelled by air from London to Johannesburg, in a Skymaster I think. The trip route was London, Rome, Kharthoum, Nairobi, livingston, Johannesburg, and took about 3 days.

I can remember pieces of it; my mother pointing our the River Tiber above Rome; her being frightened at the site of am armed policeman - maybe also in Rome as we drove in a taxi in the city (British police were still required then to read the riot act aloud before being armed).; a toy springbok with real springbok skin give to me by the air hostess; and the Vic falls from the air.

 

When flying long distance was still an adventure instead of a drag...

[Spokey]

I've been watching Youtube videos of various planes hitting Turbulence. I've had a few bumpy rides over the years but nothing like some of the videos show!

 

Almost every overnight flight between SA and Europe that I've ever been on has had a

"rough patch" in the middle - as you fly over the hot African "Centerlands". Cold sweat time for me! 

 

The three most memorable bad occasions were:

 

On an SAA flight, a B747 flying south. I was only a few rows from the very back of the plane and we spent an hour flying through some heavy weather where the plane was fish-tailing like I couldn't believe. Had never experienced that left/right motion before but apparently the 747 was known for it thanks to its huge tail fin.

 

On an Air France flight south, (during the day actually) on a B777ER - we hit some bad air and dropped like a stone, twice. I loved the daylight flight because with a window seat you could actually see us weaving slowly between the Thunderheads! The two drops were bad though and when we landed in SA people clapped. I'd never seen that before.

 

On a Virgin Atlantic flight flying north - an A340-600 - the plane hit some slightly rough weather over Botswana, just a bit of chop really, but over and over..... and it lasted until we crossed the Mediterranean after Algeria 9 hrs later! All night long. The problem with "light turbulence" is that you know it usually precedes heavier turbulence, so you're on edge waiting for it to happen...…

 

Couple of things I have learned over the years -

 

It takes an hour or so of slight bumping around for my body to "get used to it" and after that I'm sort of OK (in Spanish they say "Custombre") with the unusual movement of it.

 

It takes very little actual bumpiness to adversely affect me - I've driven at speed down dirt roads in SA in a bakkie and had it 100 times worse, without a care in the world. I guess it's as much about "being in control" as anything?

 

I always wear my seat belt. Every second I'm in my seat I'm belted in, just a bit looser in the night but still buckled up!

 

I am aware that in anything but the most severe of storms the plane is actually going to be ok. Even when it looks like the wings are "flapping a fair bit" and that flashing light out there on the end of the wing is going up and down - it's fine...…..

 

Onwards and upwards eh?

 

:-)

 

Man, I generally enjoy the bumps. After many years as a freight dog when I entered the corporate world I had to learn to be very “bump conscious”. We will change altitude as often as required to search for smooth air, well, if the levels are available. Worst I had was Kuwait to Bali when we were between FL 450 and down to FL310 to try and obtain a smooth ride.

I also always keep my belt on, whether piloting the beast or paxing.

[Bonus]

Man, I generally enjoy the bumps. After many years as a freight dog when I entered the corporate world I had to learn to be very “bump conscious”. We will change altitude as often as required to search for smooth air, well, if the levels are available. Worst I had was Kuwait to Bali when we were between FL 450 and down to FL310 to try and obtain a smooth ride.

I also always keep my belt on, whether piloting the beast or paxing.

 

I distinctly remember the Air France flight climbing to get over bad weather - you could hear the engine note change. 

[SwissVan]

Man, I generally enjoy the bumps. After many years as a freight dog when I entered the corporate world I had to learn to be very “bump conscious”. We will change altitude as often as required to search for smooth air, well, if the levels are available. Worst I had was Kuwait to Bali when we were between FL 450 and down to FL310 to try and obtain a smooth ride.

I also always keep my belt on, whether piloting the beast or paxing.

Same here, always keep my seat belt on, might loosen it slightly to allow some wiggle room.

 

I saw a guy hit his head on the roof of a king air during a check flight from lanseria, he didn’t bother with his seatbelt, ended up with a neck injury for a few weeks.

[Bonus]

Same here, always keep my seat belt on, might loosen it slightly to allow some wiggle room.

 

I saw a guy hit his head on the roof of a king air during a check flight from lanseria, he didn’t bother with his seatbelt, ended up with a neck injury for a few weeks.

 

Yep, without a seat belt, when the plane drops but you stay "where you are" you're in trouble!

[patham]

 

 

On an Air France flight south, (during the day actually) on a B777ER - we hit some bad air and dropped like a stone, twice. I loved the daylight flight because with a window seat you could actually see us weaving slowly between the Thunderheads! The two drops were bad though and when we landed in SA people clapped. I'd never seen that before.

 

 

 

I have been on a Q400 on the last flight out from a mining town before an impending cyclone arrived. Wall to wall lowish cloud cover, but at cruising altitude (guessing about 24 000 feet), there were a multitude of cumulo-nimbus pinnacles heading up as far as the eye could see. They looked as though they stretched as far up as they did down from our level

 

We threaded a very roundabout route to skirt them all on the way home. But the flight itself was pretty calm.

 

And yes, I am always buckled in, although on the long hauls I tend to give myself a bit of slack for wiggle room.

[mazambaan]

I spent 21 years in Botswana and flew on many King Air chartered flights to various site meetings around the country.Gweta,Hukuntsi Bobonong Lethlekane etc

The mornings were fine but summer over the CKGR in the afternoons was spectacular for storms 

Those little bags behind the seat in front of you were full by the time we hit Gabs.

I am impervious to it and me and a select few hard okes would revel and polish off the beers and peanuts so the cooler box was empty when we disembarked

 

I also did my share of "little" charter flights and was enjoying it; except when you don't offload your bladder before flying, then still tuck into a few beers. Knyp vas.

 

But I was woken up by one flight from Queenstown into the back of a cold front, even the pilot (and one of the passengers who was a PPL) was streaming sweat, going lower and lower to find a gap (no instruments in the plane). A few total whiteout moments and hail (well it sounded like it!) had us all a twitter. Much kissing of the ground when we reached Pmb.

[Kranswurm]

I also did my share of "little" charter flights and was enjoying it; except when you don't offload your bladder before flying, then still tuck into a few beers. Knyp vas.

 

But I was woken up by one flight from Queenstown into the back of a cold front, even the pilot (and one of the passengers who was a PPL) was streaming sweat, going lower and lower to find a gap (no instruments in the plane). A few total whiteout moments and hail (well it sounded like it!) had us all a twitter. Much kissing of the ground when we reached Pmb.

Two stories about beers

 

We flew back from Benguerra Island in a small plane and I suffered.This was before the new airport in Maputo and the old airport was a sh*thole literally and figuratively after the war.The toilets were worse than the long drops in Malawi.No problem.

 

One of my mates has his own plane and also used to ferry twitchers to an island off Moz in his spare time.No toilet on board.The okes were quaffing the beers and crushing the cans on the way back.Halfway through the flight they were uncrushing them

[Bateleur1]

A bit of turbulence is almost normal for me but there are two flights that stand out for me.

 

I was on a SA Airlink Jetstream 41 from Upington to Johannesburg.  About twenty minutes after takeoff we hit quite a bit of weather with lighting and all around us.  We shook around quite a bit and that continued for the majority of the flight and we only got to smooth weather minutes before landing in Joburg.  The funny thing was there was this big guy sitting a few seats in front of me who you could see was not in his comfort zone at all.  The pilot flying was a lady and she put us down on the runway pretty hard.  So as we taxi to the terminal he phones his wife to come and get him from the airport.  He said to her. "We just crashed at Joburg.  It was a woman who flew the plane.  From tommorow you will not drive my bakkie again"

 

The second flight was on Airbus A319 from Durban to Joburg.  The pilot mentioned just before takeoff that we will be getting some bad weather on the second half of the flight.  So we took off from Durban and it was rather cool to see how bank left and right quite a bit through the clouds on our climb out from Durban.  The cabin crew quite quickly started server the drinks and snacks but the were halfway through serving while we were climbing still when all of the sudden the captain got on the pa system with only the words "Cabin crew be seated immediatly".  The still motored with those trolleys back to the galley and they just had time to secure everything in the galley when we got shaken pretty badly.  It was like a big rotweiler got hold of the plane and shook us around like a toy.  The crew were holding on like crazy in the back and cups were flying around in the cabin from everybody who did not hold on to their stuff.  It went like that for a couple of minutes before it got a bit less bumpy.

 

Oh and I always keep my belt on as well and tought my children as well that those belts stay on.