It was an old, ugly, pale blue and white Suzuki TS 50cc, cost R900, didn’t always start first time (or second for that matter), and it didn’t go faster than 55kph but I loved that bike more than life itself and the day I got that bike and started driving the neighborhood crazy with that irritating sound that only a 50cc can make, my life changed.
The feeling of freedom I experienced was absolutely magical and a whole new world opened up to me where I could come and go as I please, and where the streets of Pretoria now became my new personal playground. I never did have a license to legally roam the streets but back then the furthest thought from my mind was that what I was doing was actually “illegalâ€Â. I look back on those days of “ignorant bliss†as some of my finest times.
Today I have that same childlike feeling within me – No, my father didn’t buy me another 50cc, I did however pass my MPL flight test yesterday morning and once again I feel like a 16year old boy with this great gift – Freedom. Not to roam the streets but to roam the skies - Legally – Yes, my playground has now become as big as it gets – That big blue thing in the sky as far as the eye can see……it’s mine and yours and there is a lot of it to go play in!
I started dreaming about flying at about the same time I started dreaming about bikes, but seeing that my father would not have been able to organize me a pale blue and white microlight for R900 I settled for the Suzuki at 16 years of age but the dream of flying remained with me. In 1996 when I was a (very) broke B.com student I met a Microlight instructor who promised me a free flip so that I could feel what it was all about even though there was no way in hell I could ever have afforded instruction or a trike at the time. He didn’t make good on this promise and simply didn’t even answer when I wanted to take him up on his offer - Guys, remember that it might just be another flip for you – But it could be a dream come true to someone else.
It was to be 9 years later before I finally did go on a demo flight in a trike (Aerotrike Safari 582). This time I could afford the R170 demo cost and I was hooked before we even got airborne.
My training had ups and downs like everyone else. After 3 hours of flying my instructor started showing me low-levels and how to approach the runway. This low flying scared me so much that I wanted to give it all up and thought that pilots were all crazy
(Now, I know we are! :D ) – This happened again at about 11 hours when I thought that it was going to be impossible for me to ever land a ML and that I should rather be collecting stamps as a hobby – Pretty funny stuff looking back now and that’s the beauty of hindsight I guess - You realize that sometimes you must just carry on and not think about things too much.I subsequently bought myself my own airy – A Aerotrike Safari 582 and she fly's like a dream. The colour? You guessed it, Pale blue and white. This one starts first time though but the sound will still drive the neighbours crazy. :D
Yip – The only difference between men and boys is the size of their toys, and here’s to never growing up and being a member of the ultimate club – Aviation.
Yours in flying
D
Footnote: A big thanks to the fine gentlemen from Petit - Andy Kasparson, Alan Piltz, Anton Grobler, and Jenya Zozhulya for sticking it out with me.
But please remember - fly high,safe and plan ahead
) call aviation. may yours be a long and fruitfull FLING 
