Foreign Flyer seeks suggestions for SA flight
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Join Date: Feb 2003
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Any Suggestions
Hello chaps,
Will be in SA for a few days in October. Planning a coastal trip in a light aircraft (Cessna/Diamond/Piper) . Routing as follows: Joburg-FABL-FAEL-FAGG-FACT-FABW-FABL-Joburg. Not familiar with the Cape's Airspace and surroundings.
1)
I briefly looked at the charts yesterday and noticed very high ground along the Eastern Cape, and along the coast to Cape Town. Can any of you recommend a paticular routing through/over it.......as the aircraft doesnt have paticularly good climb performance.
2)
Planning to stay over at either FAEL or FAGG, can you recommend any good B&B's?
3)
Anything special along this route that I should look out for??
4)
If I were to do a sight-seeing trip around the CPT area, any recommended routings, procedures?
5)
I believe the WXX is a little unpredictable in this region - any truth to this?
Appologies for all the questions, but as I mentioned, I am totally new to this part of the world, and will be relying on my trusty GPS.
Appreciate any help - thanks
CC
Will be in SA for a few days in October. Planning a coastal trip in a light aircraft (Cessna/Diamond/Piper) . Routing as follows: Joburg-FABL-FAEL-FAGG-FACT-FABW-FABL-Joburg. Not familiar with the Cape's Airspace and surroundings.
1)
I briefly looked at the charts yesterday and noticed very high ground along the Eastern Cape, and along the coast to Cape Town. Can any of you recommend a paticular routing through/over it.......as the aircraft doesnt have paticularly good climb performance.
2)
Planning to stay over at either FAEL or FAGG, can you recommend any good B&B's?
3)
Anything special along this route that I should look out for??
4)
If I were to do a sight-seeing trip around the CPT area, any recommended routings, procedures?
5)
I believe the WXX is a little unpredictable in this region - any truth to this?
Appologies for all the questions, but as I mentioned, I am totally new to this part of the world, and will be relying on my trusty GPS.
Appreciate any help - thanks
CC
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Good Advice
My advice to you (as one who knows SA very well) is to do what a mate of mine from Europe did a few years ago: find a local aviator (there are loads of good blokes), who knows his way around to go along with you.
Gatvol
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DEOne is right, maybe even an Instructor can be had cheap. Its probably the safest way and hopefully he can fill in all the rest of the blanks....
Besides all you need to do at night is park him in a corner feed him good Beer and Boerwoers and he will be ready in the morning.
Besides all you need to do at night is park him in a corner feed him good Beer and Boerwoers and he will be ready in the morning.
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Thanks chaps....
Will ask around and see what info I can get.
Thanks Planecrazi - will make good use of the link.
Will get back and let you know how it went.
Ciao 4 now
CC
Will ask around and see what info I can get.
Thanks Planecrazi - will make good use of the link.
Will get back and let you know how it went.
Ciao 4 now
CC
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Don't be initimidated by the trip - just do it ! I did a similar trip as a low houred PPL and it was one of my best experiences ever. Get a good briefing on local procedures from an instructor before you depart.
Any particular reason for stopping in Bloem? A fun routing is to fly to Margate and then down the wild coast to George. If you stop at George I would reccomend taking a car/bus to Knysna to check that out - there is no airfield at Knysna.
Once at George route inland to Worcester - this is where things get really pretty. There are lots of big mountains in this area but you will be routing between them so no problems for VFR flight. Of course you should be aware of lee waves, turbulence etc. if the wind is blowing. From Worcester you will have to climb over the mountains to get to Cape Town, if that is where you are heading. Not a problem, but once again be aware of mountain flying factors.
There is a very active gliding club at Worcester - Cape Gliding Club - check out their website - you might be able to organise accomodation there.
43 rd airschool is based at Port Alfred so keep your eyes open around that area since they are pretty busy. You might be able to arrange accomodation at the flying school if they have rooms available.
I would recommend stopping off at Stellenbosch - best flying club in the country and very pretty airfield. Plenty of accomodation in Stellenbosch as well. Another GA airfield near Cape Town is Fisantekraal but this is pretty isolated.
What I used to do when I did the trip was to phone ahead and ask the ATC about local procedures. I found them to be most helpfull and it helps that they are expecting you.
The weather can be variable around the western Cape since the area is affected by frontal systems. I would recommend leaving a bit of play in your schedule just in case you lose a day or two to weather. If the weather is bad and you are flying VFR - don't push your luck flying in marginal conditions. Nothing like Cumulus Granitis to ruin your day.
On the way back route to Worcester and then through the Du Toits Kloof valley. The Karoo can get pretty boring since it is pretty desolate, being semi desert, but the weather is pretty much guaranteed to be good. You might want to consider stopping or flying over Kimberley since the Kimberley hole (biggest hand dug hole in the world) is located there. At the hole is a pretty interesting museum detailing the history of the diamond rush.
There is a B@B/ restaurant in the old terminal building / control tower at Beaufort West so you might want to stop off there.
It will be a fantastic trip - enjoy! I did.
Any particular reason for stopping in Bloem? A fun routing is to fly to Margate and then down the wild coast to George. If you stop at George I would reccomend taking a car/bus to Knysna to check that out - there is no airfield at Knysna.
Once at George route inland to Worcester - this is where things get really pretty. There are lots of big mountains in this area but you will be routing between them so no problems for VFR flight. Of course you should be aware of lee waves, turbulence etc. if the wind is blowing. From Worcester you will have to climb over the mountains to get to Cape Town, if that is where you are heading. Not a problem, but once again be aware of mountain flying factors.
There is a very active gliding club at Worcester - Cape Gliding Club - check out their website - you might be able to organise accomodation there.
43 rd airschool is based at Port Alfred so keep your eyes open around that area since they are pretty busy. You might be able to arrange accomodation at the flying school if they have rooms available.
I would recommend stopping off at Stellenbosch - best flying club in the country and very pretty airfield. Plenty of accomodation in Stellenbosch as well. Another GA airfield near Cape Town is Fisantekraal but this is pretty isolated.
What I used to do when I did the trip was to phone ahead and ask the ATC about local procedures. I found them to be most helpfull and it helps that they are expecting you.
The weather can be variable around the western Cape since the area is affected by frontal systems. I would recommend leaving a bit of play in your schedule just in case you lose a day or two to weather. If the weather is bad and you are flying VFR - don't push your luck flying in marginal conditions. Nothing like Cumulus Granitis to ruin your day.
On the way back route to Worcester and then through the Du Toits Kloof valley. The Karoo can get pretty boring since it is pretty desolate, being semi desert, but the weather is pretty much guaranteed to be good. You might want to consider stopping or flying over Kimberley since the Kimberley hole (biggest hand dug hole in the world) is located there. At the hole is a pretty interesting museum detailing the history of the diamond rush.
There is a B@B/ restaurant in the old terminal building / control tower at Beaufort West so you might want to stop off there.
It will be a fantastic trip - enjoy! I did.
Last edited by wheels up; 2nd Oct 2004 at 15:18.
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Steer clear of the babbelas olives at Beaufort West. They cost a fortune and are pickled in red wine. An evening on the p@ss and eating those things is guaranteed to leave you with a mouth like a gorilla's jockstrap.
