Microlighters

There is a new branch of SAPS called Border Air Patrol, and their staff have just returned from a training course at CAA on what to look for etc.

One of the PE based aircraft has just been grounded at the Uitenhage airfield by the SAPS for missing one of it's documents.

This is just to give you the heads up, so that you ensure that you have all your necessary documentation on you, like licence, Authority to fly or CofA, a radio station licence, map etc. These are local based police guys, and can show up at any time at any airfield.

Looks like the CAA are getting their act together in policing the regs?

It is absolutely amazing! Thieves, muggers, rapists and the like can go around doing precisely what they like and the police either dont have enough man power, vehicles and equipment to do their job.

However, it is now possible to find aircraft, manpower and equipment to control a minority of privileged people who are generally law abiding citizens doing their daily jobs or enjoying themselves.

You will always be legal as long as you dont fly and you pay your taxes! After that you can do exactly what you like. This sucks

waveflyer wrote:You will always be legal as long as you dont fly and you pay your taxes! After that you can do exactly what you like. This sucks

Waveflyer – nearly … as long as ….

• You don’t fly
• You don’t own a gun
• You don’t resist when being mugged
• You don’t talk back to hijackers
• You don’t argue when traffic police seek bribes
• You don’t question how come convicted murderers are released on R 1,000 bail
• You don’t expect the police to appear within 8 hours of a genuine emergency
• You don’t question the government’s anti-tobacco effort in lieu of other things
• You don’t question why all 16 seat vehicles have right of way
• You don’t question why you need many big dogs and serious security systems
• You don’t question why the mayor has 24 personal security officers
• You don’t etc. etc.
• And then you pay your taxes, VAT, rates, levies, tariffs, etc. etc

Only after that you can do exactly what you like! Regards

Re-reading my own post, I would have had to check the date to ensure it was not 1 April

Guys this was real. It was their first inspection ever. After Uitenhage they moved off to another 2 local airfields yesterday. As it is local police services conducting these inspections, these newly trained guys do exist in your town too and one could expect them to pitch up soon

The guys who got grounded yesterday until the relevant documents were flown in by another aerie, reported that the Police guys, were extremely polite, courteous and demonstrated a great sense of humour.

The guy who assisted in training these guys is a member of the AvCom forum and he echoed the same regarding their approach and personalities. He also gave the following list that you can use as a checklist, and will be what the Border Patrol guys will be looking for.

(b) if the aircraft is engaged in a domestic flight -
(i) the certificate of registration;
(ii) the certificate of airworthiness (or authority to fly);
(iii) the appropriate licence of each flight crew member;
(iv) the aircraft radio station licence;
(v) the certificate of release to service (if type certified);
(vi) the aircraft flight manual referred to in regulation 91.03.2 or an equivalent document;
(vii) the mass and balance report;
(viii) the flight folio;
(ix) the MEL, if applicable;
(x) the noise certificate, if such certificate has been issued for the type of aircraft; and
(xi) the list of visual signals for use by intercepting and intercepted aircraft.

Not enough space on my trike for all the paperwork. I keep them at my house in the safe. Only take copies on a x-country flight.

I can just see these documents all going through the prop at somepoint!

Its fine when you're flying a large blik aerie to carry all this gumpf around, but I really dont have sufficient reasonable space to carry this with most of the time what a ridiculous burden.

I have colour copies laminated in pouch. Originals in Safe...

PS
Am sure you could fold in half before laminating and it then A5 size...

This is bollocks - I gotta wait 4 hours for the coppers to show up at my house after I am burgled but they have the time to waste to send some n00b to come ground my aerie after I spent 25 hours MINIMUM learning how to fly it and being drummed into my head how important it is to have it serviced regularly?

Meanwhile - Mr Taxi F-tard that slams into the back of my R330,000 car, he does not have a license, I can afford the repair, but he can roam the countryside and slam into poor Jane who cannot afford to keep her 30yr Roadworthy golf on the road!

I am sorry - I am slightly F$C@!D off here!

DarkHelmet wrote:This is bollocks - I gotta wait 4 hours for the coppers to show up at my house after I am burgled but they have the time to waste to send some n00b to come ground my aerie after I spent 25 hours MINIMUM learning how to fly it and being drummed into my head how important it is to have it serviced regularly?

Meanwhile - Mr Taxi F-tard that slams into the back of my R330,000 car, he does not have a license, I can afford the repair, but he can roam the countryside and slam into poor Jane who cannot afford to keep her 30yr Roadworthy golf on the road!

I am sorry - I am slightly F$C@!D off here!

Sorry to hear DH, if it's any consolation I was in my clients 4x4 yesterday and we accidentally "relocated" a taxi across an intersection . He braked hard infront of us causing the car to nosedive and ended up stopping to talk to another taxi, in the process blocked all traffic.

My client hooted a few times as did the people behind and was told to #$%% off, so my client calmly put the car in low range, gently touched bumpers (read nudgebar) and after having the taxis wheels lock and not stop him, 5m later we went round. The look on his face was priceless - there was no damage to either vehicle and his taxi was empty.

Plus to top it off whilst going to Pretoria yesterday aswell, a taxi was driving in yellow line and metro cop was going through in a rush. The taxi eventually pulled over thinking the cop was after him. The cop got out walked over to taxi pulled out the keys and threw them in the bush and drove off. Wouldn't we all like to do that?

my question is what happens if you are happely flying along and you drop your precious poutch with everything in it where ever you go now you are illeagal! and without a licence. If you were flying away how do you get back? will they allow you to fly to your home base?
Surely it takes one phone call to confirm identity,licence, Authority to fly or CofA, radio licence etc.? The caa should have all of this on record!!

I agree that we should all be leagal but surely in such a brutal country the time and effort could be spend much better at this point in time. Maybe in ten years when the worst crime is a traffic offence and not the rape of a 2yr old child

I must be clear that Im not agains the officers who has to do their job Im pivved at the powers who be.

my 2c worth

DH, you not the only one that a little pi$$ed off.

Don't any of you guys have panier bags?

The A5 size flight folio that Solo Wings provide with a trike, contains all the necessary documentation. If no paniers you can even stuff an A5 size book down your shirt, or find somewhere to put in your seat pocket/seat cover.

I think that there may be a misconception as to why these guys are doing the inspections. It is not just to check your legality, but their main thrust (from what I understand) is to check for illegal transport of goods such as perlemoen or drugs etc. Since they were doing that, they were requested to check up on the other bits too since they were there.

I bet if an unlicenced car driver or unroadworthy vehichle was involved in an accident causing you some injury or loss, I bet you would be the first to say, where are the cops - why did they not stop this person from driving? Should policing illegal pilots/aeroplanes be any different?

We are all in the same boat here - and thanks for pointing that angle out Skybound - my gripe is not with the fact that I have to carry the docs, it is the same gripe we all have with crime in general and I needed to vent badly last night!

DH, you are not alone.

I think when living in SA you have to accept certain things, like that the soft, traceable targets will always be first on the 'crime prevention' list, whilst the more serious crimes go largely unpunished/unpoliced.

I wasn't born here, but I still think we have things good in SA and is my country of choice.

(But I have always wondered why don't the traffic cops ever do an inspection at a taxi rank )

Regulation 94.06.7 (a), states that you don't have to have a current, approved flight manual or flight folio on board if such carriage is not safely possible.

So if you pannier bags are not big enough, or have holes in, or you can't read it in flight reasonably or you don't have anywhere practical to keep it, you don't need it on board.