Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

[mic]

thanks, got back in 2hours 29min achieving some good ground speeds high up with relatively smooth conditions considering the heat downstairs, The safari seems like a flying ball room compared to a normal bb space wise. she flys sweet ou ! jy moet my nie so weg jaag met die temperatuure wat ek moet koel hou, ek kannie eers totsiens se

[KFA]

Watter Safari was saam?

[Boet]

Ou Grote s`n. Sorry Mike, I had as much the jitters as u obviously did. It was 35deg when you left, and that is what worried me. Like I said, she`s an easy aeroplane to fly. Was this your first flight in a Safari??

[Boet]

And then, just for a short while, Loeriesfontein international was very busy, with 4 aeroplanes and 5 pilots around. And then VERY quiet again, after they left! Sorry I dit not say ghoebaai, but glad you obviously had a pleasant flight!!

[mic]

i sat in frans's when he first started his one flying and godfrey took me up for a 5min flip about 6 months ago in this one but i didnt have a cushion so i couldnt see out front to fly and land it, all i could see were the rudder ''perils''

[Boet]

So my friend phoned lost night. "Uncle Boet, 70 of my meatmasters have gone AWOL!!" Meatmasters are the rage here now, it is a very hardy type of sheep that thrives where others turns up their toes, and start to push up daisies. My calculation is that he stands to lose more than 100k.....not on, and I can not help but to feel sorry for my friend. So we took off at sparrows this morning, to go look for his lost flock. The land where we search borders on the mountains. On the way there we fly across some very rough terrain, and I think, "Pleeeaaase Rotaxie, don`t die on me now!!" No wind this morning, otherwise it would have been interesting. The area we have to search is all flat,featureless countryside, with short bushes and shrubs,and the only trees are the Prosopis invaders along the rivers, all reasonably green after some good rains a couple of weeks ago. We check every flock of sheep on his land, and the neighbours`, just to make sure THEY were honest. Hard to miss anything from about 500 ft up.The Sishen Saldanha railway runs through the land, and I think THAT is where the problem lay. We can see suspicious tracks, but that is all. 70 sheep just gone. Stock theft has become a huge problem here, and a VERY expensive one too. If we found his missing sheep, the flight would have been a lot more enjoyable!

Fly safe.

[Boet]

And yesterday Loeriesfontein International was BUSY again. Kobus Luttig popped over to come have a look at the Sling coming togther. The Savannah sure looks a lot better now after it has been removed from the box!!

[Boet]

As normal, I worries myself wide-awake at 04.30 this morning. The weather too perfect to let it go to waste. After yesterday`s terrible heat, and what was to come today, the morning air was nice and cool, and not the slightest breath of wind. Can`t let this go to waste!! So I go flying. Nice to be able to release all the controlls, and your little aerie just mozeys on like nothing is happening.
Soon the big salt and gypsum transporting trucks start roaring by, leaving a dust trail that surely must be bad for the environment, and very destructive to the poor gravel road. As a matter of intrest, the road going North past Loeriesfontein International, to Kakamas, is the longest gravel road in South Africa without ANY town in between. There is niks, nada, buggerall, for more than 300kilometers. Just a sometimes, or should that read MOST of the time, neclected and terribly corrugated, VERY dust road with very few turns or hills. Meandering NNE, untill, if you are lucky, and not stranded somewhere in between with a LOT of punctures, you will reach Kakamas and the Orange river.
The lack of wind lets the dust lay still on the road for a long time, after all the trucks went past, seven this morning. And then the dust starts to look like early morning mist! Fortunately, up here, looking down from my lofty perch, I am not bothered by the dust. I notice my one tank starting to suck bubbles, and change tanks. Time to go back........
On short final, I promise myself a greaser. Mmmmm, lucky this morning.
I decide to refuel before leaving for graft. Measures both tanks with Oupa G`s petrol dip stick. This thing is VERY accurate, and should be part of every Bushbaby and Explorer`s kit. Thanks Oupa!! Damn, I was cutting it fine this morning. Four liters left in the right tank, and 10 in the left tank. Syphons twenty five liters in, and measure. Yep, shows a total of 39 liters on board. Safe to go fly on another perfect day!
And then some people can not understand why pilots are looking at life from a totally different perspective, and a smile hovering close by!!

[bobthebuilder]

Boet..... That was such a well written story with beautiful pictures. I'm filled with envy. You live in a beautful part of the world.

[Boet]

Thanks Bob, I am blessed with exeptional flying freedom here, and lovely countryside. My Dad used to say: The air is so clear, you can see ahead 14 days into your future!. And a friend from Joburg remarked: I do not trust this clear air, I want to see what I am breathing!

Fly safe!!

[avgas]

Dis 'n moerse lang dipstick
Ek het 'n kort dipstick van hout "dowel" gemaak maar meet in 10L inkrimente. Works lekka.
A dipstick is as essential as a fuel strainer and pitot cover

[Boet]

Works for me. Much moore accurate in 5 liter incriments!! Must I make you one as well?













In KFA se beroemde woorde: Die hoek van die koek bepaal die hang van die slang.

[avgas]

No worry Boet.
Daai honeymoon dipstick werk goed, maar my stompie meet 10l en is goed genog vir my, drankie baie vir die offer
I work on 20L per hour during planning and then land with plenty reserve 10L a side enough for short hop around the airfield but on longer trips I like to land with at least 10l in each tank. Including header tank gives you 25L or 1 hour+ safely. @17l/h=1.4hrs
I would not fly out of big busy fields with same quantity

[Boet]

Now WTF?

[KFA]

Hy het seker gedink jy het 'n structural lift nodig ou Boeta man.........