BMC, King Shaka Airport and playtime...

[ZULU1]

Thought I would share this...Yesterday whilst in Durban I get a call from Bill Yeo (aka Topman or Kitchen Boy), ATNS/ATC and the consultants from Munich airport are looking for a few pilots to help with Taxi trials at the new airport. So it was late and ETA being 4,30. I was not going to miss out on a opportunity to view the toys...Now Bill is a self appointed PR manager for our club, must say he does a great job at it. Manages to round up Len Kohler and failed with the rest who missed out incidentally!!

So we get to the gate, total chaos reigns, contractors everywhere, buses, you name it its like a mini town. Plus double dust !! We look at each other thinking "What have we let ourselves in for"?

We get admitted (correct word) drive to the tower, briefed and then paired with a military pilot, a take off / landing schedule, a radio, a bus and a fireman driver, two frequencies, map and a whole KSIA to play with...just brilliant. Now off you go chaps..6 buses and a squadron of pilots.. Simulate a take off with a push back from the bay, taxi around the roads (not yet taxi ways), then to holding point with take off details with different airlines and call details. Now I "flew" a 380 from Air France, a 737 from BA (Comair) a HS125 and others. Tempted to state a Air Zim engine fell off on finals over Mt Edgecombe. It really brushed up our radio work. All little boys with a whole airfield to play on and willing people to play with..

So at the debrief they wished comments, the landing lights and flarepath lights are too bright.

After this exercise we no longer taxi to holding point we now "push back" and await taxi instructions....

All I can say is it was a brilliant evening and we are hopefully going to do it again next week, so BMC members wait for Bills call...

Then we test the Mode S transponders however the SSR is not quite finished.

Now Bills next project is a full blown fly in before the opening..Go Topman !

Zulu1

[pietmeyer]

Sounds like you had fun. You should have called me. I could have fitted my new strobe to my car and joined you on the runway