Microlighters

Hi

I'm a little "fresh" (50hours) in this game and need some help on flying in the Karoo. I might move there permanently soon and very concerned about carb ice-ing, frost etc etc. Any advice on any topic regarding flying in the karoo is welcome. Our farm is near Williston (Carnarvon Fraserburg Sutherland)

Peter

We had a lovely flight to Carnavon, and back via Williston and Sutherland last year. Did not think much about carbon icing, more about willyshrinking. At Sutherland we landed on the golf course (pre-arranged), filled up, put on all our clothes, and climbed to FL010 to avoid the westerly over the "Skurweberge".

See http://zu-dve.com/carnavon.htm

Don't think carb icing will be much of a problem there. Finding somewhere to go to see something other than...


Will be more of a challenge....

On flipside, basically you have a MOER of a big runway for forced lobs....

Yes Gert
Ek het jou "log" van julle trip na Carnarvon gevolg. Ek kom self van die Karoo en weet dat dit elke oggend onder vriespunt is. Dit bly intresant dat carb icing nie 'n probleem sal wees nie. Iss dit iets te doen met die spoed wat ons vlieg en die vriespunt van die tweeslag mengsel? Sekerlik moet dit ten minste 5-10 grade kouer wees as op die grond. "By the way", dit lyk maar so plat daar onder, behalwe die paaie is daar nie baie plek vir noodlandings nie. Miskien na Verneukpan se kant toe.

Groete

Peter Happy Valley Greyton (jy was al daar)

Carb icing kan op enige temp gebeur, en gevoonluk is dit hoer as laer temp's... As Dew point and Ambient naby is passop veral as dit "humid" is.... Die "moisture" in die lug is die "issue" Baie water (humidity) soos in KZN is moerse proebleem, maar waar dit droog is kan dit -20 wees and daar sal nie carb icing wees nie want daar is nie "moisture" in die lug om in die carb te ice nie....

Please excuse the englikaans, alhoewel ek in afrikaans skool gegaan het was dit baie baie lank terug.....

I have flown over that area a few times and never had any problems with carb icing.

But if you look at the phodie you will notice nothing, yes, vast expanses of nothing. Take water and lots of it. Climb higher than 1500ft AGL and talk to Cape Town Information, 126.5 (IIRC). Last time there was this really hot chick, she even gave us the rugby scores, and you don't feel so alone up there.

Morph wrote:I have flown over that area a few times and never had any problems with carb icing.

But if you look at the phodie you will notice nothing, yes, vast expanses of nothing. Take water and lots of it. Climb higher than 1500ft AGL and talk to Cape Town Information, 126.5 (IIRC). Last time there was this really hot chick, she even gave us the rugby scores, and you don't feel so alone up there.

Morph,

You are so correct. You must hope that your fuel is empty before your water bottle is dry. One last thing, never fly with plakkies, always wear proper walking shoes. You never know when you will need them.

Regards,

Hi ZU BBV,

Also read here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carburetor_heat

and here

http://www.flycorvair.com/carbice.html

Fly safe

Kind regards,

Gunter Rostek

Also found this.

http://www.geocities.com/rainbowaerodreams/Rotax.html

read point No 6. The Type of Air Filter and the Maintenance Done to It

Kind regards,

Gunter Rostek.

Flying in the Karoo is not really much different than flying in the Northern Cape - Kalahari type country eg Postmasburg.

As for Sutherland - eish, the town with the highest temperature differential in South Africa.

What I do in the Cheetah as habit and trained to do so is when decending from a high altitude and you have set throttle at say 3000rpm or lower, then I would just give it a full power burst for a few seconds. Engine temps also tend to come down drastically at these times show watch the temps. Does not help closing off the throttle and you have an engine that is as good as ice cold at start! The supercooling only really in winter at the altitudes we fly at.. The carb icing
can happen right through the year - as described by RV4ker!

One of your PPL routines on decent Base Leg / Finals - CARB HEAT ON then @ 200/300ft CARB HEAT OFF in case of TOUCH & GO or ABORTED APPROACH.

No comment on the technical advice- agree!

With regard to the nothing - how wrong can you be. You are so lucky to be able to go and enjoy the Karoo. The absence of buildings, highways and you name it does not mean there is nothing. You will be able to enjoy the most beautiful sunsets, landscapes, clear skies at night and everything that nature has to offer. Not to mention the people you are going to meet - warm, friendly and down to earth.

Go with an open mind and we will talk again - you will never look back.

Good luck with your new venture and may God bless you.

Sure I'm lucky, but trike flying is like biking, always nice to have another one somewhere close to help appreciate the beauty of things.
Peter

cjkrit wrote:With regard to the nothing - how wrong can you be. You are so lucky to be able to go and enjoy the Karoo. The absence of buildings, highways and you name it does not mean there is nothing. You will be able to enjoy the most beautiful sunsets, landscapes, clear skies at night and everything that nature has to offer. Not to mention the people you are going to meet - warm, friendly and down to earth..

different emphasis. I agree the folks are the best. I was trying to emphasise the remoteness, and thus danger to yourself if you go down and you do not have water

Agreed 100%. Folks are great, but spaces between them are HUGE

Guys, I am not so sure carb icing will be a problem, surely with the low humidity, carb icing is a very remote possibility - do not have much experience with the Karoo weather year round, but in May, I found the air to be very dry?

Dobbs