Microlighters

How successful have your game counting flips been? Have you been shot at?

Boet in law asked when I got a couple hours to come help - productive or not nice long 1.5km strip in Thabazimbi type terrain.

Boet in law asked when I got a couple hours to come help - productive or not nice long 1.5km strip in Thabazimbi type terrain.

DH and I will come help, tell your Brother in law that ll we ask in return is somewhere to sleep and braai.

When are we going?

D

Normally not very good in a area with trees. Kudu etc stand still under the trees, and trikes fly to fast to see them / get them moving. Helicopter can hover, and get them moving, and turn more easily. Dangerous ocupation in a trike. Beware hills, wires etc!

All depends on vegation cover, and species to count. Obviously weather as well. Bushbuck tend to run like hell from anything that flies, so easier to see.

Have done lots in a heli, very good, and some in a trike, only moderate success.

LM

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isn't this the aim of NOT zappin through the sky at Mach 2+, here in the Bushveld it takes some time to get accustomed to "spotting" the game. Even if you don't.... another great excuse to take 2 the sky!

I love doing it! Gotta have a trained eye in the backseat! Some wingtip cameras come in handy and fly a zigzag pattern on the gps.

scary like hell over them bushes! Carefull when spotter shouts "circle left!". Easy to hit yer own propwash!

Big D wrote:

Boet in law asked when I got a couple hours to come help - productive or not nice long 1.5km strip in Thabazimbi type terrain.

DH and I will come help, tell your Brother in law that ll we ask in return is somewhere to sleep and braai.

When are we going?

D

Big D you're like a sky prostitute , who's your pimp I got to think about the logistics of it. The airstrip is about 80m wide, 1.5km long if not longer - but no hangars . Think the elephants will tamper with the planes? Esp the one we just shot in the ass . Air strip is far from camp 30mins drive.

Has anyone, even with a helicopter had poachers etc shoot at them?

i've had lots of sucsess with counting, i do kuruman's municipal game park twice a year. important to have someboddy that can spot the game quickly and know the farm / park, dont fly to low, and fly a aqccurate grid preferably twice / even 3 times. i also make a list of animals to be counted, makes it easier just to make a tick / mark. it also helps if you know the terain. with big herds, take a photo and do the count later when you can zoom in and do a more accurate count without the annimals running / moving to much.

Have never been shot at but chased a lot of poachers and got good video footage and photos of them fleeing with a carcass in their posession which was then published in the local newspaper.

On the second part of this posting (POACHERS) I suggest the fitment of a 050 Browning which will revert your a/c to a single seater which my Bantam is mounted below and can you imagine the fun to be had.

Slow_Poke wrote:
Have never been shot at but chased a lot of poachers and got good video footage and photos of them fleeing with a carcass in their posession which was then published in the local newspaper.

Show us the pics Slow_poke

WILL TRY TO POST A BIT LATER

I used my micros extensively in Zim for locating ostrich nests, game counting, anti poaching and general ranch management. Aircraft used starting early eighties were C172, C182, Quicksilver MX1, Quicksilver MX2, and last in Zim was a Cosmos Chronos weightshift. +/- 900 hours there in total. Now if only I had the Bushbaby..............
I was never shot at that I know of but then although many, our poachers were fairly low tech. Biggest danger was the lack of LZs, very wooded. Had a total of 5 forced landings, all in the old single ignition MXes with no ailerons. 3 engine outs, 2 wind related precautionary. 2 of the engine outs put me into the trees. Total injuries: 1 small cut on my pinkie.

a bit fuzzy... but who spotted the warthog??

6 o clock from the ele's :D ....Do I win a prize?

Did it once with only 40 hours on the Log. I was cr@p at it. Lessons learnt:

1. I fly the plane
2. Pax counts the game

Period!!!!!!

eish.. hoping BIL (brother in law) pic up on our skills...good reason 2 fly somewhere...hmmm