great times

[lamercyfly]

..one of my most memorable flights around SA in an Aquilla 503. About 3300km in 7 days..Groutville KZN North Coast to Springbok and back, in an Anti Clockwise direction. At each take-off we were loaded to approx 430kg. So we crossed the Drakensberg at about 410kg after fuel burn, having left Escort Ultra City fully loaded. Anyone still want to argue that a 503 can't fly at altitude? Gotta confess though, we could not get over at Little Switzerland. My max ceiling was level with that fuel station at the entrance to the hotel, near the top. Flew up and down the ridge hunting for a thermal. Got one off the little pinnacle just South of the filling station, and orbited up to 9000feet before crossing over. But that was the ONLY time the little 503 needed some help from nature to get us up and over ANY mountain or range we had to cross on that entire trip.

By the way, all the 'yellow pins' on google maps are some of the places I have landed in my years of flying around SA.

There was a video I made, but sadly saved quality not the best, but it gives a feeling of a day's flying around Springbok. You can find it on youtube. Search Namaqualand microlight safari..

Hope this inspires you to go on an adventure with your trike..

[lion]

The 503 is a great motor. Talking about some of the most memorable flights I did was from JHB to Lamercy in my first gyro ZU-LEO around 20 plus years ago. I got a bit lost as I was looking for the Ballito airfield and someone on the radio told me to follow the N2 in a southerly direction until I saw the Lamercy grass strip, which I did. What a relief to see the long grass runway and cross runways at Lamercy! After landing you spoke to me on the radio and said ''hey gyro, are you going to stop and say hello?!' I replied that I am here for two weeks and you kindly arranged hangarage for me. Those days there were less than 20 Magni's in SA so were still a novelty..Flying the Natal coast was an absolute highlight and I loved operating from Lamercy, so much so I flew that route and hangered at Lamercy a number of times and was very keen to buy a hangar at your airfield. Moya(spelling) was still in nappies! Those were the days Sitting outside your tuck shop under the plant/creeper covered lapa sipping beer after a days flying, things couldn't be better. Dave, thanks for your hospitality all those years ago. I still remember the tame mossie you guys had there..

[lamercyfly]

Yeah. Those were incredibly good days. .. thanks for triggering my memory..I remember you well:) Moya, that tough barefooted sun bleached blond little boy turns 21 in a few weeks.. how the years have flown by. Good years. Every one. No regrets