PMB TO J-BAY Coastal Route Help

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DavePike
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PMB TO J-BAY Coastal Route Help

Postby DavePike » Tue Dec 09, 2008 10:04 pm

Hi There

I am planning a VFR Flight for next week (Weather Permitting) from Pietermaritzburg to Cape St. Francis +- 5Hrs in the Aircraft I will be flying, is there anyone out there who can offer me helpful advice on getting through the East London and Port Elizabeth Airspaces with the minimal fuss and any special rules I may not be aware of from EasyPlan and charts etc.

The aircraft is transponder equipped and i would like to follow the coast as much as possible flying reasonably low level or as low as permissable along the route.

Information on Port St. Francis/Paradise beach hangerage would be greatly appreciated if there are any members from that area hanging around on the forums.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as this will be my 1st really long distance cross country flight with my previous longest being just under half the flight time. I am planning on a stop in Margate or Port St Johns for a break and to pick up a passenger for the rest of the flight.

Regards

Dave
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Re: PMB TO J-BAY Coastal Route Help

Postby RV4ker (RIP) » Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:22 am

What aerie is it (not serious)

Routing is piss. Make sure you have up to date map for PE.

I have done this trip many times from FAGM via FAMG to FAPG (From memory so don't hold me to it.)

Margate is straight forward and I assume since you from there you happy with that. It is manned, friendly and they have fuel and food. Then low level down to Port St J. Report out at Sanlamere (sp?) Must do a touch and go at Port St Johns. Runway is :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: . Reporting is a bit of a lottery unless you know all the rivers etc. on this leg Usually quiet, but hols may be busier..

Then on to Wavecrest, Trennies or Kob Inn. All worth a stop (check runway condition and length before you land. Plane dependant, but assuming it 3 axis ML it should not be a problem.) Stop over is also option right next to runway if WX is KAK and fishing is awesome there. Nice folks, but just fone ahead. nice to stop for a cuppa and a leg strech before Slummies.

Report Kei Mouth for Slummies, they usually tell you to report again Ganubi. IIRC it painted on side of the hill and there is river mouth. Then under ATC control and depending on schedule traffic they will route you coastwise reporting outbound at Hamburg (MAP)

FAPA is controlled and there is plenty traffic in hols. Check maps and I used GPS to guestimate when I enter the Gen Flying area 124.4. ATZ comes quickly and usually coastwise reporting abeam the tower/field and again outbound and over to 124.4. Kenton is again boundary of the GF.

Routing via PE is a bit :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: . I foned ahead and told them I have not got a clue. They briefed me and I met up with Police porter on first flight who spoke me through it. Unlike other TMA area's you must speak to the tower and sqwark. :?: :?: :?: We did not do the flight (due to WX) via PE last year so this may have changed, but do yourself a favour. Call the ATC at both PE and EL before departure, telling them to expect you and they usually look after you (assuming you not on flight plan). if on FP they will know you are comming and you will have to tell them where you gonna route. I always plan these long routes via fields to break down the trip into shorter hops and routed via Progress. They have their own freq. 122.70 under the TMA. ATC will usually tell you to broadcast nearing progress and then report back on tower freq before going outbound to St F.

Then usually via paradise beach to St F. Speak to Demon or Skybound regarding St F. They know the local gen. Check condition of runways if there has been big rain. Enjoy the trip and take plenty pics.

We usually do the flight in Aug/Sept and then there are huge numbers of whales just off shore which make for great pics. Plenty sharks as well.

my 2c...

PS
Watch WX and Wind. Can change very quickly. Do search on Avcom. There is good advise (and some K@K) regarding this routing. Maybe also PM FAPE (Deon) on Avcom for some WX info before the flight. He is WX guru, based in PE and gets it right far more than not....
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DavePike
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Re: PMB TO J-BAY Coastal Route Help

Postby DavePike » Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:04 am

Wow, information overload, thanks for your very fast and VERY informative reply. I will re-do my flight log in EasyPlan using the new data. I should be phoning around a bit today at some of the airfields etc. to check runway conditions/procedures etc, and I will definitely be in touch with Deon on Avcom for info on WX, the plan is to leave Wednesday next week if the WX is good and spend some time jolling in J-Bay for a day or so :)

The Plane in question is a TL-2000 Sting (MPL 3-Axis)
http://www.tl-ultralight.cz/sting-ultra ... rcraft.php

Once again, thanks for the information it will be invaluable on the trip.

Regards

Dave
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Re: PMB TO J-BAY Coastal Route Help

Postby Morph » Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:41 am

Done it from Cape Town in December and look out for the monstrous whale sharks, great whites and hammerheads. Awesome
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Re: PMB TO J-BAY Coastal Route Help

Postby DavePike » Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:09 am

For anyone who may be interested, I have received some very helpful information from both PE and EL on VFR Rules for their respective Airspaces with regard to a coastal flight from KZN to the Eastern Cape. These rules apply to transponder equipped VFR Aircraft and the information is being pasted below unedited from the respective ATC's.

FAEL
If you are inbound from KZN area and below 1500’ ft, you contact EL on 118,3MHz at the Kei River. ATC will then instruct you to route inbound below 1500’ ft and broadcast on 124,8MHz and to report at Gonubie (15nm East of FAEL). When at Gonubie contact ATC on 118,3MHz and they will route you through the CTR at 1500’ ft and request you to report outbound at Hamburg (25nm West of FAEL). Then you will be transferred to 124,8MHz for TIBA requirements and the FAPA GFA is 124,4MHz and the circuit is 122,0MHz. The rest of the info you can get from FAPE.

FAPE
When you are flying in from KZN through Port Elizabeth airspace, its is mandatory to call APP on 120,4MHz at 30 nm to the east. VFR reference points are Alexandria inland of the coast or Bird Island about 35 nm east of FAPE, about 3 nm out to sea. Its not controlled airspace, but a special rules area. The rivers inbound from the east are Sundays river (20nm east), Coega (14nm east) and most importantly Swartkops (8nm east) which is the CTR boundry.

Subject traffic TWR on 118,1MHz will allow you to route coastwise all the way. however, if it is too busy App will route you north of the CTR.

The reference points for routing north of the CTR are FAUH (15nm north of FAPE), FAEW (which is the CTR boundry to the west, on the coast 12nm north west of FAPE) and FAPZ (3nm inland and 12nm north west of FAPE). FAPZ frequency is 122,7MHz.

If you route coastwise through the CTR, TWR will probably ask you to report at the harbour (just north of RWY 26/08), then Cape Recife (the point of the bay before the coastline veers west), then Sardinia Bay (on final app RWY 08 on the coast) and lastly FAEW (the boundry between APP and TWR).

Once you are on the western side of the CTR, the important rivers are Maitlands (15nm west), Van Stadens (20nm west) and Gamtoos (27nm west). At the Gamtoos river, which is just before Jeffreys Bay, APP will hand you over to 124,8MHz.
it will also be a good idea for you to check the SA AIP as there is information published about VFR routes from / to PE as well as VFR routes to avoid the PE CTR (i.e. for flights not transponder equipped.)
I hope this information is as useful to others as it has been to me along with the other information I have received from Forum users. I should now have more than enough information to plan the flight as safely as humanly possible.

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