Microlighters

I see on the aviation calender that there is a fun rally at Brits on 9th November. Is this still on and what does this entail?

Hallo Piet,
As far as I know it is on but will confirm for you.

It is great fun and you will need a co-pilot/navigator. It is also a cheap and fun way to improve flying skills, precision flying and navigation.

In short: Mary de Klerk and Frank Eckardt (recipients of countless Protea National colours in Rally flying) will give a short class on how to navigate and calculate a pre-determined route. First time rally flyers are made to feel welcome and are assisted on the know how of it all.

Then follows the briefing on the specific route for the day. You are given a info pack containing maps, turn points and photos of landmarks you need to identify along the route. You get a set time to do your calculations and off you go, each team separated by several minutes. No GPS, only maps and a logger supplied by the organisers to download your track afterwards. Typically a task will be between 1 and 1.5 hours for the day.

Objective: To fly the course at your chosen cruise speed, to log each turn point within your cruise speed's timeframe (penalties foe arriving too early or too late at the turn point), compensating for head, cross and tailwinds. Just to ensure that you do not get bored along the way, you receive a set of 10 photos of landmarks. Halve of the photos are on your route and the others are false (taken at other places). You need to locate the "true" photos as you fly along and plot them onto your map. These are typically photos of farm dams, windmills, rails crossing roads etc.

The flight might be ended of with a precision landing, depending on the availability of landing judges. On landing, you hand in your maps and logger and after downloading your flight winners and positions are announced.

Expect a tiring but rewarding day.

Edit: PS This is intended for enclosed 3 axis aircraft only, and not for trikes (maps in the wind ).

Just spoke to organiser Hans Schwebel, the fun rally is on and you should be at Brits (FABS) between 08h00 and 08h30.

Saturday is also the annual Peter Hengst Memorial Fly-in and everyone is welcome for a nice breakfast.

Are you only allowed a pilot and navigator? I am planning to take my twin 15 year old daughters flying Saturday and they know nothing about nav etc but thought it would be nice for them to experience this. Will show them the basics of nav all for the fun and experience else I will just stop by for the breakfast.
what is the cost of entry for the rally?

Edit: PS This is intended for enclosed 3 axis aircraft only, and not for trikes (maps in the wind ).[/quote]

That's wierd. I've flown in a fun rally in a trike from Springs organised by Frank and Mary. It's good fun and excellent for your flying skills.

Can't see a reason why you cannot take both the girls with. That's an extra pair of eyes in the cockpit for the photo recognition part.
Not sure about costs, phone Hans Schwebel zero82 65six 3005 for all the info.

Nkwazi, where did you put the photos ? The blikkies normally have them prestick'ed all over the windscreen

We have kneeboards so the navigator will have the map and the pilot has the photo's. Flown many comps like this, sometimes I also stick the photo's on my back!!!

Nkwazi wrote:We have kneeboards so the navigator will have the map and the pilot has the photo's. Flown many comps like this, sometimes I also stick the photo's on my back!!!

As long as it is not a target

Any idea as to the cost etc. of this rally and what time we can expect to finish? Have some work commitments and would love to do the Rally and schedule the other things for later the day

Entry is R 200.00. Includes info pack, maps etc. Bring your own stopwatch.
Briefing at 09h00.
Take-off at 10h00.
Max course duration 1.5 hours.
Debrief and prize giving afterwards. Should be finished no later than 12h00.