SWAKOP for beginners !!!

[desertnomad]

SWAKOP = STELLENBOSCH

For a fresh CPL graduate,with Little or No experience,a dream come true, -must be to start of his/her flying career in Swakopmund,NAMIBIA !!!
The Rolls-Royce of the aviation business for beginners, equel to a student attending Matieland in Stellenbosch.

Cessna 210's ,the workhorse of the Namib dominate and roam the sky,with at least 5 charter companies to chose from in town.
I had the privilege myself, to fly in huge formations,explore the coast at 'low level', land with a 90 degree X-wind, gusting at 30Knots, get lost in the desert, build up some valuable command (PIC) time - MPL-licence holders can only dream of and the most important, made friends for life !!!!
Not even to speak about the social life in Swakop..............

Hard to believe whether Eros and/or Maun can live up to this.....?!!

Cheers,

[Bob3213]

I have to agree with you , DesertNomad! I too had the opportunity of flying in SWK many moons ago. I always have to burst out laughing when I hear other pilots brag about their "younger days". Saw a movie about what the fellas are doing there. Low level, wing overs, ect. That truely was the life!!! Friends for life? DEFINATLY!!!!

[italianpilot]

Hi!!
Can you please give me more information about some company there? I can't find much in the net..
Also PM if you wish!!
thanx!!
:ok:

[forkingfishing]

Those memories will never I die, I watch the Swakop movie at least once a week! It was a good time and place for us and its still going to be the same for many others you have to treasure it!

heavy situation ;)

[desertnomad]

Got hold of the Swakop Movie...........what a BEAUT !!!!!
It's a legend !

Wonder what the guys misses the most, Sossus Scenic Air race,Opuwo pies,Skydiver's bar,Formation t/o's & landings, Airwolf, the Bohlen at 50ft or the late afternoon Arandis-trips ??????! :}

[Springbok747]

Hi desertnomad, sounds like fun! Can you please PM me the details of the companies that oporates there.:O
Thanks

[derekonfloats]

Nomad.... I fly the Yukon here in canada and would love to fly the type of flying you described in your post. Ive flown a lot of low level ... smoke jumpers and patrol... and on the way home. Bush flying takes good stick and rudder.... I am very interested in some Ex pat type experience and would appreciate a point in a good direction... Thanks from a felow aviator ..aviatwer...aviatre...Pilot:ok:

[wondering]

http://www.pleasureflights.com.na/ :ok:

[Sparkles1]

Anyone know of where i can get my hands on the swakop movie that everyones talking about:D

[CJ750]

:}:}:}

I must agree with everyone about Namibia ( South West to us old timers). I was there in the mid to late 80's in Windhoek and enjoyeed every minute . I think it was the best grounding/ experience i could have asked for. In those days we did not have GPS just maps and sometimes 4 in one trip to Katima. Lovely country and lovely people. I think in some ways the youngsters of today hmissed out on some good experience .

Does anyone remember Louw Schoeman and his idiosincrisies about his trips into Sarusas. Sometimes when i sit at FL450 in the middle of the night i wish i was back there flyingover the desert and having fun.

To all those still there enjoy i am jealous.

[Voel]

Known Louw Schoeman very well. Used to fly his Cherokee 6 from Eros to WHK Int'l as the runway was to short at Eros for all his luggage and pax. Luckily the sky cops were still in Pretoria. We used to give him take-off clearance with one hand on the crash alarm:confused: . But with close to 4500 meters of runway, that was no problem getting airborne.

[Deutscher]

I'm getting a lot of "heimweh" reading this. I was born in South West Africa in the town of Outjo. Flown there many, many years. It was the best flying of my whole life. One of the best foundations for a young pilot today if you have just started out in aviation.

[CJ750]

still cannot find the movie we have read about. PLEASE point me in the right direction. :ugh:

[Bob3213]

CJ750, you can almost call the "swakop experience"-movie the underground porno of aviation... Most of the stuff on it, is something you dont want CAA to see :} , thus not being published on the net. Although, almost everyone might have it or has seen it... It is up to the editor of the movie to publish it.

And reason #2: it is too big to email. The movie is 30min long. 30min of AWESOME flying and memories!!!!

[CJ750]

:}Bob3213 check your PM please.:}:}:}:}

[arrow208]

Where to start………..

Gone are the days of jumping across dune belts at lighting speed inches of the deck playing hide and seek, soaring with the eagles at 20 000 ft, flying formation that would make the air force jealous, doing approaches using ‘man made features’ with no margin for error, and so much more…….

How can one forget the awesome parties that lasted long after the mist has cleared! Doing an early morning scenic through valleys, over rivers, seeing wildlife all round and stopping off for a few hours to enjoy that famous Opuwo pie. Thereafter starting the amazing race down the Skeleton Coast in search of that ice cold ‘TAFEL’ awaiting one at the entrance to the skydivers!

Then tomorrow we do it all over again but heading south across the desert this time. Waving to the locals on the Kuiseb banks, dodging vultures “next to” the Tsondab, saying hi to the boys at Sesriem before ending up at the all too famous Sossus Vlei! But before touching down in Swakop we’ll first investigate the Diamond Camps in the search for survivors, patrolling the Forbidden Coast scattered with ship wrecks and finally ending the flight with a low past over a famous dune south of the Swakop river! Again we take the ‘TAFEL’ awaiting us to the right of runway 24 short!

To the boys and girls that roamed the skies of the mighty Namib, hats of to all, we’re in a league of our own! Made friends for life and the good times we will have again pretty soon.

On another topic, I actually know the dude that made that video that is doing the rounds. Said he made it for the selected few that occupied the Namib at the time and it would not be up for grabs on the net! Was told there is an updated version in progress that is going well with even more spectacular shots of the boys mastering the art of ‘bush’ flying!!

Arrow…..

[allovertheplace]

Had some of the best times of my flying career in good ol swakop. Who will ever forget the never ending parties in Grunies,railway approaches and all the rest that will be xperienced nowhere else in the world.

I can agree that it is probably the best starting place for low time pilots looking to build a couple of good hours and good times.

Will do it all over again!!!

aotp....:)