Good stuff here.
One thing that you will come across in SA that you rarely get here is gravel strips. You must never come to a halt on a gravel airfield with the engine at any higher power setting more than the POH stationary setting (usually 1,000 - 1,200rpm or whatever the book says). Anything else and you will get multiple prop chips (even with the aircraft stood on gravel at the stationary RPM, from outside you can hear the odd 'ping'). Use the absolute minimum power possible to pull away from stationary - you can increase it once you're rolling - some finesse is required for this.
Run ups are done whilst rolling on the taxy-out unless you are lucky and the strip has a concrete run up pan that is kept well clear of Gravel.
As for high density altitude strips, you have to consider leaning on the ground at full throttle to the rich side of the peak rpm, or else you often don't get anything like full power. On a high-altitude gravel strip you have to do this on the roll during the taxy-out as well - not an easy thing to do. This is even more important when heading up into the highveld in an aircraft usually based near the coast.
As ever, the POH overrides my club bar chat here - and local instructors will know the normal procedures for their club aircraft...
Other than that enjoy it, SA is a fabulous, cheap and friendly flying environment, and closer to UK practice than the US (standard overhead joins.. yippee)
cheers!
foggy.
Last edited by foghorn; 9th October 2002 at 12:55.