Flying in South Africa

[swbok]

A quick wrap for those PPL's who enjoy flying on holiday. South Africa is a wonderful place for general aviation. Cessna and piper fleets are ubiquitous.

The validation for foreign licences has to be sorted out. This does need some prior organisation. SA CAA are based in Pretoria. Conveniently, Halfway House (Jo'burg) or Pretoria at Wonderboom have several good schools for training and hire/fly. (Don't know Lanseria)

Other particularly good schools I'd recommend:

43 Air School - big, professional
Good Hope Flying Club (CPT) - runway wait can be annoying but it's a wonderful flight around the cape peninsula - truly stunning
George - small school but very competent. Nice flying over wilderness lagoons
Pretoria Flying School - friendly, honest and great school to use as a base for flying safari's to Kruger Park (check yr avgas refueling locations before T/O!)

BTW one to avoid: Stellenbosch Flying Club (unless you're white and spit afrikaans - v. much a closed club! Forget calling/emails in English - no response. I popped into the club out of curiousity - all conversation ceased!)

Enjoy (& take a GPS)!

[tomboo]

What kind of flying experience is required and is there much difference in RT/procedures ?

[Sam Rutherford]

In theory, just paperwork and a check-ride - how much you'd want/need to do with an instructor before your check depends on your level of experience/competence/confidence.

It's all broadly similar to flying anywhere else, certainly nothing to worry about.

Fly safe, have fun, Sam.



PS I like FASH flying club, and have always found them very friendly! :)

[Doodlebug]

Here's what you do: next time you go there you say 'Jammer dat ek 'n soutpiel is, ek werk daaraan om myself te verbeter!' You will get 5-star treatment. :}

Silly jokes aside, surely you know that all these little flying clubs tend to be just that: 'clubby'. They're hierarchical, endlessly bureaucratic and there's always some insufferable old know-it-all floating about. The older the club, the worse it is. But they've always been polite and welcoming to me at the Stellenbosch Flying Club (as a non-Afrikaaner, too!).

[swbok]

The validation itself not difficult. Air law and radio are straight forward. The flying standards in SA are probably slightly higher than some other countries at PPL level but shouldn't pose a problem either unless you've just passed your PPL.

The real issue with the validation is the time factor eating into your flying holiday. No solo hire/fly until the SA CAA have issued your validation. The quickest way I know is to complete the tests with the school and take the docs into the CAA in Mid-Rand (bang in the middle between Jo'burg and Pretoria). Fly out Friday night, Sat/Sun flying,Mon morning at the caa and you're ready to go. :D

Any decent flying school in SA will be able to brief you on the validation.

Some links that may be of value:

Bushpilot Adventures - Foreign License Validation (http://www.bushpilot.co.za/validation.htm)

Pilot and Flight Crew Training School | Grand Central South Africa (http://www.fts.co.za/foreign_licence_validation.html)

You can also contact to the CAA directly about validation (Aeronautical Information Circular AIC 30.7 from 16 March 2007):
Tel: (011) 545-1000
Fax: (011) 545-1465
E-Mail: [email protected] AIC 30.7

Hope this helps.

[silverknapper]

Whilst this smacks of a one hit wonder ad, I to agree with the sentiment. Did a lot of flying there a few years back and had a wonderful tIme.
Choose carefully where to go, as with anywhere there are a few crooks. But what an experience if done well.

[TCU]

Always take a flight with the GHFC when in Cape Town....usually in Warrior ZS-KBK. Being asked to "follow the 747" remains a flying highlight! Take a photo along and they will fix you up with a temporary membership....mine gets pulled out the draw each year

Had cause to pop into Stellenbosch when KBK's alternator belt decided to give up the ghost over False Bay a couple of years ago...."is that a burning smell?", the instructor casually remarked with the surf crashing below. I can only recall a pleasant welcome at a lovely airfield...and a ride back to CPT in the GHFC "bakkie"!

If you are looking for a great days flying out of CPT ask your instructor to plan for either Lamberts Bay (West Coast), Tanqua (Karoo) or Andrews Field (Cape Agulhas), the later the Southerly most airfield on the continent

[Justiciar]

Good timing!

I am off on the 12th March to stay with friends in Cape Town. I am hoping to do a little flying at a local field. I think he mentioned Paarl. Does any one know of such an airfield? Unfortunately I won't have time for a full validation so it will be with an instructor but lookign forward to it none the less.

[skwinty]

Paarl East Airport (FA16)



Paarl East Airport Map | South Africa Airports (http://www.maplandia.com/south-africa/airports/paarl-east-airport/)

[172driver]

I flew out of Paarl some years ago (like Justiciar, no time for validation, went with an instructor). Great place to fly, went all around the Cape and Cape Town. Unfortunately don't have contact details any more.

[Justiciar]

Now I know where I am going: Fisantekraal Airfield, Durbanville

Where is the best place to pick up a chart of the local area? Not for flight planning but general orientation. Does anyone have a scan they could share?

[seat 0A]

Just planned a flight in Stellenbosch for the end of March.
Got a swift reply to my request. Seems very friendly :ok:
Looking forward to the experience to fly over that lovely countryside.

[Tasslehoff]

Same here, spoke to stellenbosch minutes after this thread started. Very helpfully staff, I will also be flying with them as a student PPL from the UK at the end of March as I will be home on holiday for a few weeks!

Strange... I had to force to speak (not "spit":= as swbok refers to the use of the language) Afrikaans as both ladies I spoke to spoke English over the phone to me, even though my Afrikaans accent is fairly obvious and so were theirs...

:ok: Doodlebug

[swbok]

Justiciar:

general orientation? Google maps :)

Otherwise CNA is a bookstore chain in SA with maps/atlas/tourist resources et al.

More aviation specific, you might wish to buy the Cape Town map (1:250K) from Jepp. (IMO not as good as the local SA VFR maps but useful to have as preparation before you arrive.)

BTW Fiskantekraal is a touch in the middle of no-where! My memories are of a very dry and brown airfield. No landing fees. Excellent training with officially two but strangely enough actually four runways - cross-wind training was a blast esp. with the strong SE wind :cool:

Although you'll probably head off to the GFA, I'd strongly recommend a jolly around the cape peninsula!

Have fun! Lucky you!

[Justiciar]

swbok

Thanks. I believe that my friends are not far from the airfield. I have been sent some photos which appears to show a training fleet which includes DA20s and a hard runway.

Jepps map should have occured to me! Thanks.

[seat 0A]

Did a one hour sightseeing flight in Stellenbosch yesterday.
Very pleasant experience all around. Nice people on a nice airfield in stunning surroundings.
Very pleasant instructor pilot, since I do not have a SA license. Young chap with only 250 hours. Very nice day, can recommend it highly.