Microlighters

AM GATVOL. Got to my hangar on Sat and the regular hangar partner aerie has been replaced by a twin. Took 45 mins to wrestle this beast in and out witout scratching it, the hangar or the Meercat. Long story short it does not fit and when I got to hangar today my aerie was scratched and bumped (Offending elevator still resting on the newly gouged grooves). . I have taken the RV to FAVB where I own my OWN hangar until I can find a long term solution and am now driving again.. like I can afford an extra 8-10hrs a week in the car.

I am gatvol of the communal thing. No one is to blame and it always someone else's fault, but the dent's and dings keep comming. K@K.

ANYBODY know who to speak to at Rand to buy/beg/borrow/steal/RDP ground to erect a hangar (ideally 20x20x5.5 - want to fit Albat, C182, RV4, Cubby, KRII), but will take what I can get as long as I am only one with a key.

Spent the afternoon flying to all the viables
FABB - Council Been trying to get hangar there for 3 years now. 15 mins further than Rand
FASI - (Have to route around FAJS CTR to the west which is not ideal and it far from home - drive time, traffic and squatters are issues)
Panorama - Ground (rougher strip than I remember ), no fuel, no lights, no food, no power, no toilet - 20mins further than Rand.
FAGC - Perfect except for Management
FALA/BarraG/Solitude - Too far. longer to drive there than to fly to destination..
FAVV - Perfect, but it too far from home...

I have given up on FAGC, so Rand is the only real solution for me practically, but I it appears that communal is only way to go. Can anyone confirm that Rand is not going to be selling off SEPARATE erven for hangar development? Spoken to the developers on the corner behind the Boeings and they want R800K for the ground with runway access. After taking into account build costs and the rates and taxes, could then rather buy a plot in south and build my own runway...

PS
Fuel price is down to 8.02 (R9.14 incl.) which is at least some good news...

Howzit Rv4ker

I know FASI is not the perfect solution, and flying to the west, you need to either fly around Jo'Burg CTR on the south or use pinedene on the other side, BUT

1) 3 runways
2) Fuel point (Avgas)
3) Excellent community of pilots
4) You don't buy ground as it's owned by the local powers that be, you pay a yearly levi, according to hanger size. For probably R200000-00 you can build a decent size hanger
5) Eating, drinking etc: SilverWings or Eastwoods

Your Albat will be happy here, there's a nice PC12 looking for a turbine friend....

FASI is my next option, but want to see if I can't get into rand first. I use the aerie as my company car and it saves me HUGE hrs a month. Typical trip would be home to rand (15mins) preflight, fuel etc 15min, flight 1hr, airport to office 10mins. Total time less than 2 hrs vs drive time of 5 hrs. If I go FASI, it will add more than an hr per leg and thus it not effective, but it still better than not flying at all.

Deadline is 31 Dec. If have not made any headway with Rand then will look at FASI again...

Cheers
G

PS
What is security like?
Do the runway lights work?
What is fuel price and is it always available? (I need ±400l a month for the RV (100l a week) and 500l a month for the Albat)
What is best route to get there from Edenvale. I go N14 then past the squatter camp . Is this safe (I often return late at night assuming the runway lights are not U/S)

PPS
PCXII - DROOOOOOOOL (This is my dream aerie. If money was not an issue this would be the plane I bought first...)

RV4ker wrote:FASI is my next option, but want to see if I can't get into rand first. I use the aerie as my company car and it saves me HUGE hrs a month. Typical trip would be home to rand (15mins) preflight, fuel etc 15min, flight 1hr, airport to office 10mins. Total time less than 2 hrs vs drive time of 5 hrs. If I go FASI, it will add more than an hr per leg and thus it not effective, but it still better than not flying at all.

Deadline is 31 Dec. If have not made any headway with Rand then will look at FASI again...

Cheers
G

PS
What is security like?
Do the runway lights work?
What is fuel price and is it always available? (I need ±400l a month for the RV (100l a week) and 500l a month for the Albat)
What is best route to get there from Edenvale. I go N14 then past the squatter camp . Is this safe (I often return late at night assuming the runway lights are not U/S)

PPS
PCXII - DROOOOOOOOL (This is my dream aerie. If money was not an issue this would be the plane I bought first...)

1) Up till 3 months ago, we never had any problems, but lately we do have intruders roaming the ground at night looking for something to steal i.e. runway light cables. They are investigating the issue!
2) The runway lights were working, but 2 weeks back, 400m of cable was stolen.
3) Can't give you the exact price, but it's always available. Our fuel jockey lives 100m from the pump
4) Take the N12 East. Turn-off at Springs/Daveyton. Right at top over highway. Carry on straight, 5th robot right. Road will bend etc till you get to stop street. Straight over and about 600m later you will see the field on your right. Go around circle and you will get the entrance.

Security late at night past the squatters isn't a problem. If it worries you, you can drive through Brakpan home and climb on the highway in Benoni.

Thanks...

RV- I dont know where you live but I can help you out at FAKR in my hanger short term till you have built a hanger- we have 3 planes and a Gyro but we are all mates in the hanger-you could use the space the stinson sat in

Thanks Red, but I based in Edenvale so it a bit far... I will leave the RV in FAVB for the time being until the new squatter has moved out (which i am told will be next week) and then go back into the old hangar and continue the search... I have a couple leads, but fail to see how FAGC can continue to miss an opportunity like this?