View Full Version : Kruger Mpumalanga (FAKN)
Sayagain...?
15th Jul 2003, 16:31
Heard from a pilot the new Kruger Mpumalanga have some of the most unfriendly:( personnel in the aviation business. Apart from them closing at 19h00 which means you cannot get out if you try!, it seems South Africa is going the same way the old Jan Smuts went some years ago when a well known aviation magazine voted them the most unfriendly in the world.
Anyone had a similar experience?
BAKELA
15th Jul 2003, 17:53
Sayagain, maybe they are smiling, they just forgot to tell their faces about it...:}.
I reckon your friend is quite right. I know Mparalanga means the place where the sun rises from...or something like that...but the crowd at KMIA thinks their airport IS the place the sun comes from....:}.
I've also heard that the amount of aircraft parked on the ramp at any one time is not what the business plan projected...oops. :eek:
Sir Cumference
15th Jul 2003, 21:31
I was going Nairobi to Durban recently in a King Air 200. One of the options was to route Nairobi and then to Kruger as a point of entry and refuelling. Winds finally took care of that option as the leg really is quite marginal. However i am VERY glad that I did not persevere as I would have firstly arrived at about 19h30 and secondly I was keen to see the "new friendly airport!"
Management must take heed when attitudes like that abound. I am sure that the majority of aircraft visiting will be the smaller turboprops etc and not the huge Boeing types. The smaller aircraft will just continue to go to good old Nelspruit if they do not need a point of entry. Bye bye business! :{
Flew there the other day in a baron for buisiness. Firstly place looks nice but not R300 million nice, which is what I was told it cost to build. then got into huge argument with just about every staff member on the apron when they told me that I had to go to international arrivals and clear customs,while I was trying to tell them that I just flew over Swaziland from Richards Bay and did not take off from there, until I could prove the flight plan to them. As for the apron traffic, we were one of two a/c on it. Definitely wont be flying there in a hurry.
Sayagain...?
21st Jul 2003, 00:05
It was also mentioned that IF might be a nightmare there with all the granite hills all over the place. Maybe I can get the pilot that mentioned his concern to join this forum....
Tokoloshe
21st Jul 2003, 02:59
Sad truth is that there are some good people there who were forced to move across from the FANS. The real nobscone in charge of the whole place is an arrogant american who thinks he really does own the place. On my very first trip there on day two of the airports existence I received huge verbal abuse from this character: I was walking across the apron to the control tower without a safety vest????
He was oblivious to the fact that we had brought the ATC's across from the old airport to see if the control tower was ready.
We were the only two aircraft (Piper Cruisers) on the whole airport.:confused: :confused:
Next time you buy a ticket to there, check the taxes; seems like they have their own special tax, something to do with uplifting the local community. The only uplifting going on is parts of the airport fence when the sun goes down.......
The upside is that the old airport is still going and the people there are as friendly as before :D :D :D :D :D
Rhodie
21st Jul 2003, 15:50
Agree with above...
Went there the other day in a "little" C182...
If they could have parked me any further away from anywhere they would have...
Me, not going there again - Nelspruit still welcomes the "little people".
Sir Cumference
21st Jul 2003, 16:02
Sad thing is that the 'clowns' running this airport most probably think that they are doing a great job! They must realise that they are never going to have three and four wide bodies on finals at one time and that they must look after the little guys. These little guys are going to be their bread and butter. For me, good old Nelspruit and as mentioned elsewhere on this thread, their friendly welcome.
Did a checkride for a pilot in a 206. He battled with the procedure.
Would not like to do it in a 737. (like I see Nationwide is now doing)
:O :O