Cape Town - Jo'Burg in a Helicopter

[Wilson CT]

Hi. I am scheduled to fly from FACT - FALA early next week and I just wanted to find out if anyone has any useful information, tips or experiences about the flight or similar flights?

[121,9_za]

Will you be flying IFR or VFR?

[JetPark]

One assumes that this fellow - at age 19 - is new PPL (H) looking to run a piston engine helicopter VFR through to FALA.

Wilson - pm me if you wish - I have done this trip many times in everything from an R22, 300C, Bell 47 etc. etc. up to a Long Ranger.

You will be saddle sore by the time you get there but it is a fun trip if you plan well. You will certainly not be routing direct!!! :D

[Wilson CT]

It's a VFR flight. I actually don't have any hours on helicopters but have 130hrs on fixed wing :suspect: and it's also not in a piston engine machine. It's in a JetRanger. :oh: I'm going up with an instructor to log my first few hours. I'm planning to stop at Beaufort West and New Tempe in Bloem to refuel and then maybe take 3 or 4 Jerry cans if its needed? :\

[Contract Dog]

be carefull at new tempe, its a bastard to find VFR and there is a glider circut where you are NOT allowed to fly in powered a/c (I cant remember where in the circut it was as I was last there 9 years ago) but trust me, the glider boys get PISSED OFF if you go bombing through their air space!:E

enjoy the trip, sounds like fun!

Dog

[Wilson CT]

Thanks. Im sure I will. When i leave i will give them a call and let them know that im coming and find out what their ops are for the day. Thanks again for advice.

[B Sousa]

Try not to make it a boring trip of flying all day just to set speed records. A cross country such as this should be enjoyable as well as a learning experience. (take your camera). See if you can stretch it out a bit so you are not working? from dawn to dusk, but doing proper flight planning, then your flight, then a debrief and plan for the next day with some time for a sundowner in the early evening.
Utilize all the Radios, GPS etc and you will come away with a few hours and some good training.
Most of all............Fly Safe.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Leave your GPS at home and take along a sack of 1:500000 charts. Helps you to get to know the route a lot better, gives you something to do and you may even learn something about navigation and avoid becoming just another dribbling low time button pusher.

[Alfred Kamara]

Solid rust twotter just gave you the best advice.
Enjoy it.

[Wilson CT]

Thanks guys. I did the flight and the GPS in the aircraft was broken, so i used the maps anyway. Low level all the way up to Jo'burg. Was a great flight. Doing it again in 5 weeks time. This time there and back. Cheers for now.

[birrddog]

Want to do this myself. Keen to hear about your experience.

Did a great trip from FALA to Zambia (FALA->Francistown->Chobe->Livingstong->~300 miles up the Zambezi from Livingston) in a B407 low level.

Kept adding animal sightings in my position reports, much to the chagrin of jets at >30kft, although they kept asking for updates.

Hovering around a good sighting was done on more than one occasion ;-)

Did another trip FACT to FAPE low level along the coast... another awesome trip.

IMNSHO this is what flying is about. Take your time and enjoy the experience (if possible).

DISCLAIMER: Expensive as f*** in a turbine helicopter, but soooo much fun.