Viva FIFA 2010!
How cool can it get! Africa, Six World Cup Soccer Games including Finals, Wildlife and Bush Flying to three countries all in two weeks. That's how my brother and I will be spending the last two weeks of the World Cup (25-June to 11 July) this year. We will be flying between the games in a C-182 to Kruger National Park, Botswana and Zambia and we will be watching 6 of the best games including the finals on the 11th in Jobo!
This is the flight charts for one of the legs. I plan to fill this all out with pictures and experiences of bush flying in Africa. Stay Tuned!
Day 1:
Well, it all started early on a Sunday morning amidst the World Cup frenzy in South Africa. We started our journey at Grand Central Airport (FAGC) in Johannesburg at 7:30 am. Our tour operator/safety pilot -- Markus Mollman -- from Bushpilot Advebtures, was late due to some weather build up. When Markus arrived, we exchanged pleasantries and then headed to the airplane.
There are 182's and there are 182's:
This one was the latter category! Pretty old and very basic. A 1970's model with a smaller body. The airframe was solid for training, especially for bush flying since it had enlarged wheels. However, I could see that this is not a x-country aircraft for 3 adults. My brother doesn't do so well in motion and this was going to be tough! The doors did not seal well and the air vents were marginally functional.
Quick check of the instruments: basic guages were there. One VOR/DME (no glideslope), NDB and an old Garmin 100 with no database! We had to program all from scratch.
We strapped in and I asked Markus if he had the checklist. That's when I got my first indication of what's ahead.
Markus: We don't use checklist.
Me: ok! What do you do then?
Markus: "Too Many Pilots Forget How It Goes"
Me: I would without a checklist!
Markus: That's an acronym I use as a checklist.
T test controls trim throttle friction temp
M master mixture mags
P pitot primer pressure
F fuel on and enough flaps
H hatches harness
I instruments
G gyros
Leg 1: FAGC to FAMD (Grand Central to Mala Mala) - 2.5 hours
Well, that's one way to do it. I knew I would feel more comfortable with a proper checklist and had already downloaded the checklist app onto my iPhone and had a full C182 version (without G1000) in there. That quickly became my companion. But this aircraft did not have many of the instruments and also many things in it did not work such as fuel drains, beacon light, etc.
Markus offered to do the radio work while I fired up and prepped the aircraft. We taxiied to runway 17, did our runup and rolled down the runway at 8:38am. FAGC is at 5300 feet and from the outset we had density altitude and mountain flying to deal with. Right turn out and a climb to 8000 set us on toward Mala Mala, the great wildlife reserve adjacent to the Kruger National Park!
The flight was largely uneventful until we found ourselves faced with a thick layer of clouds 50 miles from Mala Mala. Couple of turns to lose altitude did the trick, but all had to be done in a tight valley with strong winds which made for both an interesting scenery and careful maneuvering to ensure the mountains don't become uncomfortably big on the screen!
Nearing Mala Mala, we decided we would take runway 16. The airport is a private strip in the midst of this incredible game reserve. Markus said the best way to ensure runway is ok is to fly over at low altitude in downwind, buzz the animals off and then do a teardrop return for landing. I don't like the idea of a teardrop maneuver near ground, so i opted for a more benign extended downwind, base and final. As it happened, there was a twin commuter (Islander if I am not mistaking) ahead of us who had to backtrack on the runway after landing, so we had to extend our downwind by a mile. We set up nicely for a long final and on short final I could sense Markus was somewhat nervous, since this was our first flight and his hands and feet were ready for "rescue"! Landing was smooth and a relief for Markus. We backtracked on runway 34, parked the plane and our guide was already waiting for us in his trusty Land Cruiser. We locked up and they had to actually put wires around the aircraft to prevent Hyenas from chewing the tires!
Mala Mala was a fantastic place. Our lodge was just perfect and our guide, Ryan, was the consummate gentleman what with all the stupid questions we had piled up for him. We saw every animal imaginable up close and personal. The evening was a great African feast and the next morning, we went out to see even more animals fully dressed in rain gear. We headed out to airport for our flight back to Grand Central and the round of 16 match game awaiting us to the Ellis Park Stadium.
Day 2 - Leg 1: FAMD to FAGC (Mala Mala to Grand Central) 2.0 hours
The weather was clearly cloudy, with low ceilings (around 800 to 1000'). Mountains were everywhere and despite Markus' confidence to negotiate the mountains, I opted to file IFR. At the airport, I found a Citation II parked with pilots just outside. It belonged to the owner of the reserve. I went to the pilots for the latest "pirep". A good idea indeed. We took off, and circled around the airport to gain altitude and once we were comfortably high, we headed into the clouds and up to 8000' where we skimmed above them and the mountains. I asked Markus for the approach plates for FAGC and he said the airport does not have an Instrument Approach! I found that odd as this was a large airport within the capital city with many navaids around. It would be easy to design an IAP for it. Nonetheless, we were stuck. Markus' IFR charts were also paltry so, we were essentially going "direct" and talking to ATC. I knew I needed to find a "whole" and punch through and cancel IFR in order to be able to approach and land and when the opportunity was found, that's what I did. Controllers in Johannesburg are polite, but firm. The airspace was tightened up significantly due to the World Cup, so we preferred VFR approach under the TMA if possible. We approached and landed safely on Runway 17 at 2:50pm in time for a little rest before the massive round of 16 game at 8:30 pm that night!
This is the flight charts for one of the legs. I plan to fill this all out with pictures and experiences of bush flying in Africa. Stay Tuned!
Day 1:
Well, it all started early on a Sunday morning amidst the World Cup frenzy in South Africa. We started our journey at Grand Central Airport (FAGC) in Johannesburg at 7:30 am. Our tour operator/safety pilot -- Markus Mollman -- from Bushpilot Advebtures, was late due to some weather build up. When Markus arrived, we exchanged pleasantries and then headed to the airplane.
There are 182's and there are 182's:
This one was the latter category! Pretty old and very basic. A 1970's model with a smaller body. The airframe was solid for training, especially for bush flying since it had enlarged wheels. However, I could see that this is not a x-country aircraft for 3 adults. My brother doesn't do so well in motion and this was going to be tough! The doors did not seal well and the air vents were marginally functional.
Quick check of the instruments: basic guages were there. One VOR/DME (no glideslope), NDB and an old Garmin 100 with no database! We had to program all from scratch.
We strapped in and I asked Markus if he had the checklist. That's when I got my first indication of what's ahead.
Markus: We don't use checklist.
Me: ok! What do you do then?
Markus: "Too Many Pilots Forget How It Goes"
Me: I would without a checklist!
Markus: That's an acronym I use as a checklist.
T test controls trim throttle friction temp
M master mixture mags
P pitot primer pressure
F fuel on and enough flaps
H hatches harness
I instruments
G gyros
Leg 1: FAGC to FAMD (Grand Central to Mala Mala) - 2.5 hours
Well, that's one way to do it. I knew I would feel more comfortable with a proper checklist and had already downloaded the checklist app onto my iPhone and had a full C182 version (without G1000) in there. That quickly became my companion. But this aircraft did not have many of the instruments and also many things in it did not work such as fuel drains, beacon light, etc.
Markus offered to do the radio work while I fired up and prepped the aircraft. We taxiied to runway 17, did our runup and rolled down the runway at 8:38am. FAGC is at 5300 feet and from the outset we had density altitude and mountain flying to deal with. Right turn out and a climb to 8000 set us on toward Mala Mala, the great wildlife reserve adjacent to the Kruger National Park!
The flight was largely uneventful until we found ourselves faced with a thick layer of clouds 50 miles from Mala Mala. Couple of turns to lose altitude did the trick, but all had to be done in a tight valley with strong winds which made for both an interesting scenery and careful maneuvering to ensure the mountains don't become uncomfortably big on the screen!
Nearing Mala Mala, we decided we would take runway 16. The airport is a private strip in the midst of this incredible game reserve. Markus said the best way to ensure runway is ok is to fly over at low altitude in downwind, buzz the animals off and then do a teardrop return for landing. I don't like the idea of a teardrop maneuver near ground, so i opted for a more benign extended downwind, base and final. As it happened, there was a twin commuter (Islander if I am not mistaking) ahead of us who had to backtrack on the runway after landing, so we had to extend our downwind by a mile. We set up nicely for a long final and on short final I could sense Markus was somewhat nervous, since this was our first flight and his hands and feet were ready for "rescue"! Landing was smooth and a relief for Markus. We backtracked on runway 34, parked the plane and our guide was already waiting for us in his trusty Land Cruiser. We locked up and they had to actually put wires around the aircraft to prevent Hyenas from chewing the tires!
Mala Mala was a fantastic place. Our lodge was just perfect and our guide, Ryan, was the consummate gentleman what with all the stupid questions we had piled up for him. We saw every animal imaginable up close and personal. The evening was a great African feast and the next morning, we went out to see even more animals fully dressed in rain gear. We headed out to airport for our flight back to Grand Central and the round of 16 match game awaiting us to the Ellis Park Stadium.
Day 2 - Leg 1: FAMD to FAGC (Mala Mala to Grand Central) 2.0 hours
The weather was clearly cloudy, with low ceilings (around 800 to 1000'). Mountains were everywhere and despite Markus' confidence to negotiate the mountains, I opted to file IFR. At the airport, I found a Citation II parked with pilots just outside. It belonged to the owner of the reserve. I went to the pilots for the latest "pirep". A good idea indeed. We took off, and circled around the airport to gain altitude and once we were comfortably high, we headed into the clouds and up to 8000' where we skimmed above them and the mountains. I asked Markus for the approach plates for FAGC and he said the airport does not have an Instrument Approach! I found that odd as this was a large airport within the capital city with many navaids around. It would be easy to design an IAP for it. Nonetheless, we were stuck. Markus' IFR charts were also paltry so, we were essentially going "direct" and talking to ATC. I knew I needed to find a "whole" and punch through and cancel IFR in order to be able to approach and land and when the opportunity was found, that's what I did. Controllers in Johannesburg are polite, but firm. The airspace was tightened up significantly due to the World Cup, so we preferred VFR approach under the TMA if possible. We approached and landed safely on Runway 17 at 2:50pm in time for a little rest before the massive round of 16 game at 8:30 pm that night!
What a start to the journey.
Day 3 - Onward to Okavango Delta in Botswana
Leg 1: FAGC - FAPN - Pilanesberg - Elev 3400' - Runways 05/23 - 55 minutes
Our first leg started at 8:30 am to this border town for checking out of South Africa! A short flight. Pilanesberg is situated at the foot of the mountains to the north of SA. It houses a number of luxury resorts and as a result the airport is well equipped with long runways and good facilities. We got fueled up, did passport control, customs clearance and all in about 1 hour. The customs lady wanted to have all the serial numbers of our cameras, electronic devices, etc. A very strange request for departing passengers, but one we had to comply with.
Looking at the skies, it was evident that the weather is not VFR north of us. I wanted a high and smooth flight for Sean since we were going to be flying to northern Botswana for 4 hours. We opted to file IFR at 10,000'.
Leg 2: FAPN - FBMN - Maon Botswana - Elev 3100' - Runways 08/26 - 3.7 hours
We departed FAPN and headed north. Up ahead was the great Kalahari desert. You do not want to be stuck down there with no water! There are no roads, no people, nothing. Well not nothing. In fact, the desert is home to some very dangerous animals. So, tending to our new re-manned engine was even more important now. Up we went to 10,000' in thick solid clouds. But we were still in bumpy clouds. Flying IFR in basic steam gauges was fun, but without a functioning Autopilot and no other useful instruments, it was taxing after an hour. I asked the controller if we could go up to 12,000 and we were soon approved. At that altitude we were enjoying smooth air over thick solid clouds. Sean was fast sleep and we had hours to burn. Markus and I exchanged experiences of flying. He had been flying for 3 years and mostly been doing bush piloting and all in Africa. I shared some of my experiences of flying, especially IFR in the US and Canada. Markus had no IFR charts and we had to do the same thing as the day before -- find good weather ahead and dip down VFR. Fortunately weather up north was good.
Flying IFR in Africa is not the same as what you are used to in US or Europe. There are no radars, no altitude encoding transponders and no proper hand-off between controllers. For example, the controller in Botswana with whom we checked in, still thought we were at 10,000 even though we had a clearance to 12,000! That is why even for IFR there is a strict adherence to directional altitude assignment -- a good practice in Africa since you are essentially on your own.
For most of the flight, we saw nothing but clouds and then when we descended below them, nothing but barren land. This was the forgotten Kalahari. The name conjures thoughts of desolate death. After about 3 hours of flight, we began to see signs of life -- water flowing from the massive rivers of Angola and Namibia, making the Okavango delta -- the largest inland delta in the world.
Our destination was the port of entry, the city of Maun (must pronounce it with a deep Arabic "A"). Approach to Maun was smooth until about 5 miles out. This is a relatively busy airport with many small planes serving the whole delta There were 3 aircraft approaching from various directions. The controller spoke in a deep Botswana accent, making it difficult to understand for me. Adding to the confusion was that instead of guiding us all into a proper circuit for landing, they confused it all by sending us to different directions. We were to land on Runway 08 and I was cleared first to report joining base. Then the controller said in a very gibberish way that I should go to the MNV VOR and report (which is about 3 miles to the west of the airport), we did that and after a few more dancing routines, we were cleared for a straight in landing. It was a messy way to do it, but I guess this is Africa! That was part of the fun.
We landed, cleared customs and immigration, got fuel (I managed to bargain and get an exemption for the 17% VAT). Then we headed just outside the airport for a terrific Botswana beef burger. The quality of the beef here is fantastic. We then prepared for the 3rd and final leg of our flight to our resort in the delta.
Leg 3: FBMN to Shindi - Okavango delta - Elev 3100' - Gravel Strip 09/27 - 50 minutes
Taking off from FBMN we were cleared to 4,000'. This is busy airspace with many aircraft flying to numerous lodges and resorts in the vast delta. Cessna Caravans were popular as were every kind of single aircraft imaginable. This is see and avoid territory. You must be alert as the controllers are just guessing. There are no radars, so they have no clue where you are.
Soon we were circling the strip at Shindi. I set up for a soft field approach into runway 09 after doing a fly by to clear the runway of animals and we landed with no issues. Our guide was awaiting us -- a South African man with a great demeanor. We parked the aircraft on the grass and off we went to Shindi -- a magical place indeed. Before going to the lodge, we joined another group for a private tour of the reserve which was terrific as the sun was about to set and we saw not only magnificent animals, but also some of the most spectacular sunset sceneries in the world.
Day 3 - Onward to Okavango Delta in Botswana
Leg 1: FAGC - FAPN - Pilanesberg - Elev 3400' - Runways 05/23 - 55 minutes
Our first leg started at 8:30 am to this border town for checking out of South Africa! A short flight. Pilanesberg is situated at the foot of the mountains to the north of SA. It houses a number of luxury resorts and as a result the airport is well equipped with long runways and good facilities. We got fueled up, did passport control, customs clearance and all in about 1 hour. The customs lady wanted to have all the serial numbers of our cameras, electronic devices, etc. A very strange request for departing passengers, but one we had to comply with.
Looking at the skies, it was evident that the weather is not VFR north of us. I wanted a high and smooth flight for Sean since we were going to be flying to northern Botswana for 4 hours. We opted to file IFR at 10,000'.
Leg 2: FAPN - FBMN - Maon Botswana - Elev 3100' - Runways 08/26 - 3.7 hours
We departed FAPN and headed north. Up ahead was the great Kalahari desert. You do not want to be stuck down there with no water! There are no roads, no people, nothing. Well not nothing. In fact, the desert is home to some very dangerous animals. So, tending to our new re-manned engine was even more important now. Up we went to 10,000' in thick solid clouds. But we were still in bumpy clouds. Flying IFR in basic steam gauges was fun, but without a functioning Autopilot and no other useful instruments, it was taxing after an hour. I asked the controller if we could go up to 12,000 and we were soon approved. At that altitude we were enjoying smooth air over thick solid clouds. Sean was fast sleep and we had hours to burn. Markus and I exchanged experiences of flying. He had been flying for 3 years and mostly been doing bush piloting and all in Africa. I shared some of my experiences of flying, especially IFR in the US and Canada. Markus had no IFR charts and we had to do the same thing as the day before -- find good weather ahead and dip down VFR. Fortunately weather up north was good.
Flying IFR in Africa is not the same as what you are used to in US or Europe. There are no radars, no altitude encoding transponders and no proper hand-off between controllers. For example, the controller in Botswana with whom we checked in, still thought we were at 10,000 even though we had a clearance to 12,000! That is why even for IFR there is a strict adherence to directional altitude assignment -- a good practice in Africa since you are essentially on your own.
For most of the flight, we saw nothing but clouds and then when we descended below them, nothing but barren land. This was the forgotten Kalahari. The name conjures thoughts of desolate death. After about 3 hours of flight, we began to see signs of life -- water flowing from the massive rivers of Angola and Namibia, making the Okavango delta -- the largest inland delta in the world.
Our destination was the port of entry, the city of Maun (must pronounce it with a deep Arabic "A"). Approach to Maun was smooth until about 5 miles out. This is a relatively busy airport with many small planes serving the whole delta There were 3 aircraft approaching from various directions. The controller spoke in a deep Botswana accent, making it difficult to understand for me. Adding to the confusion was that instead of guiding us all into a proper circuit for landing, they confused it all by sending us to different directions. We were to land on Runway 08 and I was cleared first to report joining base. Then the controller said in a very gibberish way that I should go to the MNV VOR and report (which is about 3 miles to the west of the airport), we did that and after a few more dancing routines, we were cleared for a straight in landing. It was a messy way to do it, but I guess this is Africa! That was part of the fun.
We landed, cleared customs and immigration, got fuel (I managed to bargain and get an exemption for the 17% VAT). Then we headed just outside the airport for a terrific Botswana beef burger. The quality of the beef here is fantastic. We then prepared for the 3rd and final leg of our flight to our resort in the delta.
Leg 3: FBMN to Shindi - Okavango delta - Elev 3100' - Gravel Strip 09/27 - 50 minutes
Taking off from FBMN we were cleared to 4,000'. This is busy airspace with many aircraft flying to numerous lodges and resorts in the vast delta. Cessna Caravans were popular as were every kind of single aircraft imaginable. This is see and avoid territory. You must be alert as the controllers are just guessing. There are no radars, so they have no clue where you are.
Soon we were circling the strip at Shindi. I set up for a soft field approach into runway 09 after doing a fly by to clear the runway of animals and we landed with no issues. Our guide was awaiting us -- a South African man with a great demeanor. We parked the aircraft on the grass and off we went to Shindi -- a magical place indeed. Before going to the lodge, we joined another group for a private tour of the reserve which was terrific as the sun was about to set and we saw not only magnificent animals, but also some of the most spectacular sunset sceneries in the world.
Chobe river and the Victoria Falls
Perhaps no natural landmark is as alluring as the Victoria Falls -- names after the British Monarch by the English adventurer, Livingston. We set out from Shindi early afternoon and our route would take us along the Botswana-Namibia border all the way to the border town of Kasane for clearing customs out of Botswana.
The best way to make this journey is to head north until you hit the river Chobe and then follow it all the way to kasane. We stayed on the Namibian side of the river and flew rather slow and low ~100 knots and 100-300' off the ground. From that vantage point, we could see the rich wildlife along the river on the Botswana's border. It was magnificent to see everything from hypos to herds of elephants roaming freely along the water.
Arrival in Kasane was without incident. However, upon departure we were told that we had to wait until the presidential plane landed and the VIP's were cleared. So, we waited and soon enough Bombardier Global Express landed and the president along with his entourage came out. We greeted him from a distance, bargained for our landing fees and off we went toward Zambia.
The 25 or so miles to Livingston seemed like a century because of the wait and anticipation of seeing Victoria Falls. Soon, the falls appeared in the distance. We asked Livingston approach if we could do circuit around the falls. Ever anticipating such requests, we were cleared for a left-turn circuit over the falls at 6,000'.
Folks, the falls is every bit as beautiful as I had ever heard and then some. From the air, it is a majestic scene. From up-close it is one of the most amazing natural places that belongs to movies and legends. Enjoy these pictures.
The best way to make this journey is to head north until you hit the river Chobe and then follow it all the way to kasane. We stayed on the Namibian side of the river and flew rather slow and low ~100 knots and 100-300' off the ground. From that vantage point, we could see the rich wildlife along the river on the Botswana's border. It was magnificent to see everything from hypos to herds of elephants roaming freely along the water.
Arrival in Kasane was without incident. However, upon departure we were told that we had to wait until the presidential plane landed and the VIP's were cleared. So, we waited and soon enough Bombardier Global Express landed and the president along with his entourage came out. We greeted him from a distance, bargained for our landing fees and off we went toward Zambia.
The 25 or so miles to Livingston seemed like a century because of the wait and anticipation of seeing Victoria Falls. Soon, the falls appeared in the distance. We asked Livingston approach if we could do circuit around the falls. Ever anticipating such requests, we were cleared for a left-turn circuit over the falls at 6,000'.
Folks, the falls is every bit as beautiful as I had ever heard and then some. From the air, it is a majestic scene. From up-close it is one of the most amazing natural places that belongs to movies and legends. Enjoy these pictures.
Mashatu Game Reserve & Our Return to JBO
Saying goodbye to Zambia and the Victoria Falls, we headed to the airport and filed IFR all the way to our next big destination -- The Limpopo Valley in southern Botswana. This is home to the Mashatu reserve which is owned and operated by the same people that own Mala Mala. Expect that you'll see a bunch more Impala!
1-July (Canada Day!)
The Flight from Livingston (FLLI) to Limpopo Valley (FBLV) was the longest of the whole trip -- over 4 hours. We had to fly along the border over to Botswana before turning south in order to avoid Zimbabwean airspace. Navigation in this part of the country is quite an art. There are practically no distinguishable landmarks for hundreds of miles. VOR receivers are few and far in between and their reception is dodgy. Somewhere along the route we were able to convince them to allow us to fly all the way to Limpopo and clear customs there versus a midway station since we were running late. Sunset was at 6:00pm and by all counts, we estimated to arrive in Limpopo around 5:50pm. This was cutting it short and we would be at the mercy of winds. So, we started charting a slightly more straight course than normal and flew slightly into Zimbabwean airspace! What a thrill. We found this immaculately clear lake (see picture below) and many other interesting landmarks. Interestingly we even made a position report to the Boatswain ATC and they took no note of our diversion. We guessed this was normal practice.
We were running extremely tight and the sky was darkening fast. By 5:45, we could make out the airport in the distant. I turned the landing lights on and amazingly saw runway lights come on! We landed at exactly 5:50 pm proving the detour was worthwhile! I realized the the runway lights were actually reflective night plates placed on an angle to reflect off the landing lights. Very smart, cheap and cheerful solution indeed.
Limpopo Valley's Mashatu reserve is a good 45 minutes away from the airport in very uneven roads. But before we could head that way, we had to drive all the way to the border and "awaken" the border control and actually "check in" to the country. The border is actually a dilapidated old farm house and finding the lady with the "stamp" was a little challenge. Once we were done, we drove a full hour to Mashatu. Once you get there, it is very pretty. We stayed in luxury tents as you can see and the next day we say every Impala, Antelope, Cantaloupe and the like under the sun. We even saw three cheetah's resting on top of a hill and kind of being indifferent to the passing Impalas at the foothills. A very interesting place, though if you've been to Mala Mala, you could very well skip this one.
2-July Final Day
Our final day saw us flying from Limpopo to Polokwane (FAPP) in South Africa for customs clearance. The route would take you through mountainous terrain and the ceilings were well below 3000'. I decided to file IFR again and flight one 1.1 hours was almost entirely in clouds. That gave my hand-flying techniques quite a workout. Thankfully we had a little opening and ducked under to VFR conditions for landing in Polokwane (just love saying that name!). We cleared customs and filed IFR all the way back to Grand Central (FAGC) near Johannesburg. The weather was bad and at 8,000' we were still in clouds. We had a big dilemma. If we stayed IFR, JBO controllers would vector us around in big circles and expect us to be equipped with arrival and approach plates. Markus didn't have those. So, we needed to get close enough to JBO in IFR and then duck under the clouds, cancel IFR and proceed direct VFR to FAGC. If we couldn't do that, things would get very interesting since we would have had to get an embarrassing approach briefing from the ATC. I reckon this would not be very pleasing to the controllers.
I requested different altitudes (up and down) but was refused a couple of times. This told me, JBO airspace was busy. No wonder. There was a big game going on at Soccer City that night for which we, and thousands of others, were heading to JBO. Finally, when we were within 50 nm of JBO, I could see that we had a window to duck under and cancel IFR. I asked the ATC if I can descend to 6,000 and then cancel IFR and she said no. I then did the honorable thing and canceled IFR first and slowly descended to 6,000'. I did mention to her that I will be in clouds for 2-3 minutes and she should be aware to keep the airspace clear. I did not understand her logic of not allowing me to continue IFR until I am clear, but then again -- WAKA WAKA -- This is AFRICA..
We finally touched down back in FAGC -- Grand Central -- where we started this entire journey; ten flying legs, three countries + two country overflies, 20 hours and thousands of miles later ... This is one for the books and down memory lane for years to come.
A truly once-in-a-lifetime journey.
1-July (Canada Day!)
The Flight from Livingston (FLLI) to Limpopo Valley (FBLV) was the longest of the whole trip -- over 4 hours. We had to fly along the border over to Botswana before turning south in order to avoid Zimbabwean airspace. Navigation in this part of the country is quite an art. There are practically no distinguishable landmarks for hundreds of miles. VOR receivers are few and far in between and their reception is dodgy. Somewhere along the route we were able to convince them to allow us to fly all the way to Limpopo and clear customs there versus a midway station since we were running late. Sunset was at 6:00pm and by all counts, we estimated to arrive in Limpopo around 5:50pm. This was cutting it short and we would be at the mercy of winds. So, we started charting a slightly more straight course than normal and flew slightly into Zimbabwean airspace! What a thrill. We found this immaculately clear lake (see picture below) and many other interesting landmarks. Interestingly we even made a position report to the Boatswain ATC and they took no note of our diversion. We guessed this was normal practice.
We were running extremely tight and the sky was darkening fast. By 5:45, we could make out the airport in the distant. I turned the landing lights on and amazingly saw runway lights come on! We landed at exactly 5:50 pm proving the detour was worthwhile! I realized the the runway lights were actually reflective night plates placed on an angle to reflect off the landing lights. Very smart, cheap and cheerful solution indeed.
Limpopo Valley's Mashatu reserve is a good 45 minutes away from the airport in very uneven roads. But before we could head that way, we had to drive all the way to the border and "awaken" the border control and actually "check in" to the country. The border is actually a dilapidated old farm house and finding the lady with the "stamp" was a little challenge. Once we were done, we drove a full hour to Mashatu. Once you get there, it is very pretty. We stayed in luxury tents as you can see and the next day we say every Impala, Antelope, Cantaloupe and the like under the sun. We even saw three cheetah's resting on top of a hill and kind of being indifferent to the passing Impalas at the foothills. A very interesting place, though if you've been to Mala Mala, you could very well skip this one.
2-July Final Day
Our final day saw us flying from Limpopo to Polokwane (FAPP) in South Africa for customs clearance. The route would take you through mountainous terrain and the ceilings were well below 3000'. I decided to file IFR again and flight one 1.1 hours was almost entirely in clouds. That gave my hand-flying techniques quite a workout. Thankfully we had a little opening and ducked under to VFR conditions for landing in Polokwane (just love saying that name!). We cleared customs and filed IFR all the way back to Grand Central (FAGC) near Johannesburg. The weather was bad and at 8,000' we were still in clouds. We had a big dilemma. If we stayed IFR, JBO controllers would vector us around in big circles and expect us to be equipped with arrival and approach plates. Markus didn't have those. So, we needed to get close enough to JBO in IFR and then duck under the clouds, cancel IFR and proceed direct VFR to FAGC. If we couldn't do that, things would get very interesting since we would have had to get an embarrassing approach briefing from the ATC. I reckon this would not be very pleasing to the controllers.
I requested different altitudes (up and down) but was refused a couple of times. This told me, JBO airspace was busy. No wonder. There was a big game going on at Soccer City that night for which we, and thousands of others, were heading to JBO. Finally, when we were within 50 nm of JBO, I could see that we had a window to duck under and cancel IFR. I asked the ATC if I can descend to 6,000 and then cancel IFR and she said no. I then did the honorable thing and canceled IFR first and slowly descended to 6,000'. I did mention to her that I will be in clouds for 2-3 minutes and she should be aware to keep the airspace clear. I did not understand her logic of not allowing me to continue IFR until I am clear, but then again -- WAKA WAKA -- This is AFRICA..
We finally touched down back in FAGC -- Grand Central -- where we started this entire journey; ten flying legs, three countries + two country overflies, 20 hours and thousands of miles later ... This is one for the books and down memory lane for years to come.
A truly once-in-a-lifetime journey.