For the aviation fans

[Bateleur1]

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

 

  And hoping not to have turbulunce

[DJR]

Long ago, when I was a high school kid, I helped our local small town GP fetch and deliver patients. I don't think he ever flew anywhere without a loop or a few rolls. I had total faith in his flying, and only years later when I was grown up, did I understand that he was a bit too much of a maverick and that perhaps I should have been scared.

 

Once we dropped a patient in George where the specialist and the big regional hospital was and then had to make it back home over first the Outeniqua and then the Swartberg mountains with the weather deteriorating and the cloud cover getting thicker by the minute. He climbed as high as the little plane would go and we managed to get over the clouds and over the first hurdle. Next was the more formidable Swartberg mountains, a lot higher and right between us and home. First he took the straightest route, but no matter what, we could not get high enough and could not find a gap in the clouds. It was getting late and nobody felt like landing at Oudtshoorn and waiting there for who knows how long. 

 

He said, no problem, I know where to get through, and we turned Eastwards! To Meiringspoort! I kid you not!

 

Making a big U rather than going straight home. He found the little town of De Rust and that gave away the entrance of Meiringspoort!  For those who don't know it, Meiringspoort is a dramatic cut through the mountains and possibly the only thing from my childhood days that really is bigger and better in reality vs memory!

 

We kept just below the clouds and literally sneaked (snaked to be more accurate)  through the poort. If I say that we had cliffs to the left and the right of us, I am not exaggerating, but I have to admit that we were not quite at road level, perhaps 100 or 300 metres up while the peaks around us were easily a 1000 metres? I remember it as very exciting with many a sharp left and right and the little plane nearly on its side at each turn, but I never though we were cutting it a bit fine. We popped out on the Great Karoo side of the mountains in just a minute of two and from there it was clear all the way home.

 

The stuff memories are made of.

[eddy]

. Next was the more formidable Swartberg mountains, a lot higher and right between us and home. First he took the straightest route, but no matter what, we could not get high enough and could not find a gap in the clouds. It was getting late and nobody felt like landing at Oudtshoorn and waiting there for who knows how long. 

 

 

 

On the morning of new years day 2008, I was on my mountain bike, planning to cycle over the Swartberg pass. My wife following in the car to Prince Albert. As I approached the pass, I decided that the visibility was so poor that I could not be certain approaching traffic would be able to see me through the mist. Whilst packing my bike onto the car, I heard a plane overhead and 25 minutes later came across this :

 

http://caa.co.za/Accidents%20and%20Incidents%20Reports/8416.pdf

 

There had been 2 young girls onboard..... A sight not easily forgotten

Edited May 11, 2020 by eddy

[DJR]

 

On the morning of new years day 2008, I was on my mountain bike, planning to cycle over the Swartberg pass. My wife following in the car to Prince Albert. As I approached the pass, I decided that the visibility was so poor that I could not be certain approaching traffic would be able to see me through the mist. Whilst packing my bike onto the car, I heard a plane overhead and 25 minutes later came across this :

 

http://caa.co.za/Accidents%20and%20Incidents%20Reports/8416.pdf

 

There had been 2 young girls onboard..... A sight not easily forgotten

 

The doctor I flew with lost his own son, I think in the late 1980s, shortly after take off from Oudtshoorn when he (the youngster) crashed. He, himself, lost his one leg just below the knee when he was a pilot in the SAAF, in an Impala (I think) crash. After that he went and studied medicine because the air force wanted to let him fly a desk (his own words). Besides for numerous car crashes, because he drove at full tilt at nearly all times, he also once crashed on landing in The Hell. They had to lift the plane out of there with a helicopter and it was repaired. Later, after I had left, he crashed an experimental plane and lost his other leg as well. Like I said, a bit of a maverick, but boy oh boy, a character of note and always fun to be around with never a dull moment.

Edit: I recall a helicopter mishap too at some stage.

Edited May 11, 2020 by DJR

[The Guy in Pink]

My second aviation memory is from an eight year old me, and is from 25th November 1955 when I was at school in Umbogintwini ;  being almost last day of school for the year we were outside in the playground most of the day while our teachers handled admin etc. 

The bush in front of the school had recently been cleared for playing fields, and we had a clear view from the front of the school  of the Louis Botha airport outside Durban about 10km to the North of the school.   The Louis Botha Airport was officially opened that afternoon. 

 

During  the Morning a flight of some 6 twin tailed Vampire Jets (Training aircraft) practised  for a display they were to give at the official opening in the afternoon.  We had a grandstand view of the display and they flew low and loud over us a few times.. As we were watching one of the Jets flew into the airfield in front of the airport buildings and we saw the massive mushroom cloud of smoke erupt into the air as it hit. 

Edited May 11, 2020 by The Guy in Pink

[Spokey]

On the morning of new years day 2008, I was on my mountain bike, planning to cycle over the Swartberg pass. My wife following in the car to Prince Albert. As I approached the pass, I decided that the visibility was so poor that I could not be certain approaching traffic would be able to see me through the mist. Whilst packing my bike onto the car, I heard a plane overhead and 25 minutes later came across this :

 

http://caa.co.za/Accidents%20and%20Incidents%20Reports/8416.pdf

 

There had been 2 young girls onboard..... A sight not easily forgotten

Jeepers Eddy.....I must admit, I find this kind of accident inexcusable. The mountains are such solid and definite things. It is not rocket science to get airborne and climb above the terrain before heading over the gommo’s. And if without an IF rating you stay on the ground and drink beer. I get angry when I read things like this, even though this is an old accident. Ayeeee! Edited May 11, 2020 by Spokey

[Spokey]

Long ago, when I was a high school kid, I helped our local small town GP fetch and deliver patients. I don't think he ever flew anywhere without a loop or a few rolls. I had total faith in his flying, and only years later when I was grown up, did I understand that he was a bit too much of a maverick and that perhaps I should have been scared.

 

Once we dropped a patient in George where the specialist and the big regional hospital was and then had to make it back home over first the Outeniqua and then the Swartberg mountains with the weather deteriorating and the cloud cover getting thicker by the minute. He climbed as high as the little plane would go and we managed to get over the clouds and over the first hurdle. Next was the more formidable Swartberg mountains, a lot higher and right between us and home. First he took the straightest route, but no matter what, we could not get high enough and could not find a gap in the clouds. It was getting late and nobody felt like landing at Oudtshoorn and waiting there for who knows how long. 

 

He said, no problem, I know where to get through, and we turned Eastwards! To Meiringspoort! I kid you not!

 

Making a big U rather than going straight home. He found the little town of De Rust and that gave away the entrance of Meiringspoort!  For those who don't know it, Meiringspoort is a dramatic cut through the mountains and possibly the only thing from my childhood days that really is bigger and better in reality vs memory!

 

We kept just below the clouds and literally sneaked (snaked to be more accurate)  through the poort. If I say that we had cliffs to the left and the right of us, I am not exaggerating, but I have to admit that we were not quite at road level, perhaps 100 or 300 metres up while the peaks around us were easily a 1000 metres? I remember it as very exciting with many a sharp left and right and the little plane nearly on its side at each turn, but I never though we were cutting it a bit fine. We popped out on the Great Karoo side of the mountains in just a minute of two and from there it was clear all the way home.

 

The stuff memories are made of.

Awesome memories. I have my share of stories flying in shite weather all over Africa. Now older and a little wiser, I am very cautious about going for jollies in little aeroplanes. I am lucky that in my job my boss is very respectful of our decisions when it comes to weather and the various other aspects that determine the safety of a flight. If in doubt have a beer..........then there is no doubt! (Errrr, not that I can do that at work!)

[Bateleur1]

My second aviation memory is from an eight year old me, and is from 25th November 1955 when I was at school in Umbogintwini ;  being almost last day of school for the year we were outside in the playground most of the day while our teachers handled admin etc. 

The bush in front of the school had recently been cleared for playing fields, and we had a clear view from the front of the school  of the Louis Botha airport outside Durban about 10km to the North of the school.   The Louis Botha Airport was officially opened that afternoon. 

 

During  the Morning a flight of some 6 twin tailed Vampire Jets (Training aircraft) practised  for a display they were to give at the official opening in the afternoon.  We had a grandstand view of the display and they flew low and loud over us a few times.. As we were watching one of the Jets flew into the airfield in front of the airport buildings and we saw the massive mushroom cloud of smoke erupt into the air as it hit. 

 

Reminds me when I did basics in the Air Force at Hoedspruit.  The one day I went to the medics at Drakensig for x-rays.  While we were waiting for our transport back, a F1 came to do a practice for the sportsday the comming weekend.  So we got to see the pilot do all his stunts over Drakensig.  That was pretty awesome.  Turns out we were the only one to see the display as at the sports day the F1 took off from Hoedspruit and as it approached Drakensig it had a bird strike and the pilot lost its engine.  We did not immediately knew of the bird strike and only found out about it later.  We just saw the F1 gliding over our heads turning back towards the Air base and we could still see it on final to the runway but then the aircraft lost too much speed and went down.  At that distance we could not see the pilot ejecting (well we did not see the parachute) and a couple of seconds later the smoke coming up.  Some seriously worried PF friends and family all of a sudden. Luckily the pilot did eject and was unharmed.

[Karooryder]

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.

This reminded me of one of my most memorable turbulence memories which is very similar to yours! Flying from Sishen to Lanseria on Fly88's 1900 one summer afternoon, we approach the Highveld and the Cumulonimbus clouds start piling, looking like the wall in GOT.

 

I was sitting just behind the cockpit and Fly88 was always very casual: open cockpit door, Captain and FO chatting to passengers, cooler with beverages for the take etc. The cloud cover is nearing and the Captain navigates the gaps in the weather but as he runs out of gaps the chap starts sweating profusely...suddenly it's dark outside and you literally HEAR the thunder. Rain is now beating down on the 1900 which is falling and climbing like a big dipper - you know that sensation when, in an instant, you become so disorientated that you do not know top from bottom? With every dip the sound of the engines are drowned out by the storm and when we climb out again you hear this high pitch revving of the props. At some point warning buzzers sound in the cockpit and I see the FO frantically reaching for some kind of manual or checklist behind her but the storm is so bad that it is literally not possible to read back one sentence, let alone run a checklist. The cockpit instrument panel looks like a disco when a fast song plays and every now and then I hear the Captain, an elderly gent, saying "hou vas!". In the cabin, much of the refreshments enjoyed during the first part of the flight have now been deposited in sick bags and the always jolly chats of mining contractors - who always made up the bulk of the pax - have now been replaced with total silence and the occasional scream when the aircraft dips or shakes...

 

And just like that, it's over. We break the clouds and land safely at Lanseria with the prettiest sunset on our backs. We all had a good (and relieved) laugh when the Captain tjirped on the PA System: "Friends, please stay seated while we drive whats left of this bakkie to the terminal building".

 

Good times!

[eddy]

Jeepers Eddy.....I must admit, I find this kind of accident inexcusable. The mountains are such solid and definite things. It is not rocket science to get airborne and climb above the terrain before heading over the gommo’s. And if without an IF rating you stay on the ground and drink beer. I get angry when I read things like this, even though this is an old accident. Ayeeee!

Yip, weather was too dodgy to cycle safely in, but this idiot decided to try and sneak through under the cloud with his girlfriend and her two small children in an underpowered plane because "once you are over the Swartberg, the weather should be fine all the way home".

[Bateleur1]

...

 

And just like that, it's over. We break the clouds and land safely at Lanseria with the prettiest sunset on our backs. We all had a good (and relieved) laugh when the Captain tjirped on the PA System: "Friends, please stay seated while we drive whats left of this bakkie to the terminal building".

 

Good times!

 

[Robbie Stewart]

Reminds me when I did basics in the Air Force at Hoedspruit.  The one day I went to the medics at Drakensig for x-rays.  While we were waiting for our transport back, a F1 came to do a practice for the sportsday the comming weekend.  So we got to see the pilot do all his stunts over Drakensig.  That was pretty awesome.  Turns out we were the only one to see the display as at the sports day the F1 took off from Hoedspruit and as it approached Drakensig it had a bird strike and the pilot lost its engine.  We did not immediately knew of the bird strike and only found out about it later.  We just saw the F1 gliding over our heads turning back towards the Air base and we could still see it on final to the runway but then the aircraft lost too much speed and went down.  At that distance we could not see the pilot ejecting (well we did not see the parachute) and a couple of seconds later the smoke coming up.  Some seriously worried PF friends and family all of a sudden. Luckily the pilot did eject and was unharmed.

 

 

And as a coincidence, I was watching this on YT last night. At least for these pilots, their ejection seats worked. I was an unfortunate witness to Dave Stock's crash of the EE Lightning, ZU-BEX, at TFDC Overberg back on November 14, 2009. His ejection seat failed and he sadly died in the resultant crash. Brian Emmenis kept on repeating that Dave ejected safely, yet no-one saw his parachute. It was such a surreal day.

 

 

[Robbie Stewart]

Jeepers Eddy.....I must admit, I find this kind of accident inexcusable. The mountains are such solid and definite things. It is not rocket science to get airborne and climb above the terrain before heading over the gommo’s. And if without an IF rating you stay on the ground and drink beer. I get angry when I read things like this, even though this is an old accident. Ayeeee!

 

Since you hang around Hoekwil, I am sure you have run into Mark Bosman at some stage. He's the bloke wearing the kikoi's all the time. He was driving up the Swartberg Pass with his partner and their daughter at the time. They came across the scene, and it must have just happened moments before they got there. I recall him telling me the story back then. He used to be a client of mine.

[Bateleur1]

And as a coincidence, I was watching this on YT last night. At least for these pilots, their ejection seats worked. I was an unfortunate witness to Dave Stock's crash of the EE Lightning, ZU-BEX, at TFDC Overberg back on November 14, 2009. His ejection seat failed and he sadly died in the resultant crash. Brian Emmenis kept on repeating that Dave ejected safely, yet no-one saw his parachute. It was such a surreal day.

 

 

 

This one was also pretty impressive.

 

[Bonus]

I remember seeing the Fairford accident on the TV News. The pilots were luck to walk away! 

[Bateleur1]

Then there is always this one ...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhWaKFQHLbs