Microlighters

Greetings

Can someone please advise me as to whether one, when flying a gyro, has to clear immigration/customs at an airfield port of entry/exit or can this be done at a normal border post by taxiing through. I've seen photo's of guys going through by taxiing - what's the lowdown on this?

Cheers

NOT by trying to taxi through please.
It is illegal, cowboy stuff and whilst others may well have got away with it in the early days when gyros were a novelty and customs officials didn't know any better, those days are long gone and you will very likely run into a lot of red-tape and brown stuff were you to try it now. These days gyros frequently visit neighbouring countries and the same customs / entry & exit protocols apply (and are expected to be complied with) as per any other visiting aircraft. The Botswana authorities are both welcoming and tolerant of gyros in their airspace, but it will only take one or two cowboy incidents to change that and we'll all be the poorer off for it. (I heard when I was last there that they had already banned trikes from flying over the delta because of incidents of low flying in contravention of minimum height restrictions...)

If you need any advice as to the admin & procedures to fly into Bots please feel free to ask (or just do a forum search and you'll find all the info!)

Thank you for the reply, I thought as much but wondered how others had got away with taxiing through the border posts.

I agree with you that all it takes is one cowboy to cock it up for everyone!

Once again, thank you.

Enjoy Steve! Flying in a gyro is without doubt one of the most fun and maginificent ways to enjoy Botswana's spectacular scenery!

I agree with Dave 100%

This is a photo taken from my Gyro of Dave and Jonathan over Botswana's vast expanses.
Viva Gyro's!!

Also nice in a trike.

I did this trip about a year ago to Bots and Zim. See notes at the bottom of the article. http://www.savannahac.co.za/news.php
John Waterson