Reach for a Dream-Namibia-2013

[Louis Cole]

Thanks Alan, I really appreciate the good wishes. We'll take any advice and help along the way from anyone especially from those who have done similar trips and anyone living in Namibia. Everything happens for a good reason and I'm convinced that the Two Rivers Odyssey will some day still happen for you. I promise to deposit a sample into the sea for you but the Skeleton Coast might have to do.

[CHARLIE WHISKEY]

Hi Louis.
If all is well, I'll be lifting wheels on the 14th May from Kitty Hawk,Lichtenburg,Kuruman,Upington,Keetmanshoop. Will be doing the FishRiver until the 19th. 20th Keetmans,Upington, Koppieskraalpan until the 25th then home via VanZyls rus,Lichtenburg.
Hope ill meet you guys along the way. And if any help is needed call.
Enjoy you flight.

Cheers

[Louis Cole]

Hi CW,
If all goes according to plan we should be around Ais-Ais/Ausenkehr around the 14/15th.Would love to be able to rendezvous with you if we can. We don't have deadlines so I'm sure we could make a plan. I would like to meet with you for a chat some time before we leave .I could fly to Kitty Hawk or we can have breakfast at Aeroden or some place convenient.

[CHARLIE WHISKEY]

Hi Louis

Geen probleem.
We can arrange a meeting.From now till May I'm preparing aerie for trip.
Best flying I've ever done is in the kalahari.
Will be staing over at Canon Lodge (Namibie) - and Fishriver canyon Lodge(Namibie).

0845119866

[Louis Cole]

Cw die twee plekke is ook moontlike oorslaap plekke. Watter datum is jy daar? Ons roete gaan ons van Ais-Ais neem na Ausenkehr waar ons ook moontlik n' dag kan oorbly en van daar na Sendelingsdrif, Rosh Pinah en Aus.

[CHARLIE WHISKEY]

Hi Louis

Canon Lodge - 15-18May
Fishriver lodge - 18- 20 May.
Koppieskraalpan - 20-25 May

Cheers

[Louis Cole]

Anybody who can help with E-mail addresses of CAA in Angola, Botswana and Zambia? Want to apply for Overflight clearances and landing permits in the event that my navigator strays across the border again and I have to negotiate for his release. Received no reply from the E-mail addresses I found in the Airfields Directory for Southern Africa. Strangely enough Zimbabwe's CAA replied the day after I E-mailed them and sent me the necessary clearances and instructions.

[Louis Cole]

Take-off -30 days.

It is hard to believe that it is less than 3 months ago when Blue Max suggested that we tackle our bucket list trip to Namibia after the TRO trip was cancelled. A trip that started out as a jaunt around the southern parts of Namibia has now emerged as a 5000 km. trip to the border of Angola and who knows where-to from there.It is difficult to describe how much planning went into the trip and now Huston, 30 days and counting and some of them are now coming to fruition.

Yesterday Blue Max and I managed to renew our radio licences, apply for our Namibian Overflight clearances and went to the Rivonia Travel Clinic for the necessary jabs, malaria medication and medical certificates.

We’ve now officially got the “Reach for a Dream Foundation” on board as our preferred charity of choice and have undertaken to raise at least R125000 to realise 25 dreams of children with life threatening diseases. Today we walked into Bob Garbett’s Lanseria office at Professional Aviation who, without blinking an eye, sponsored the first dream and donated advertising space on a 75 sq. metre billboard worth R60000 p.m. to ”Reach for a Dream” at no cost. We were just blown away at his generosity.

Flo Momberg of Centurion Flight Centre, now based at Eagles Creek and who I have an enormous regard for, graciously offered to sponsor the branding on our trikes, support vehicle and trailer free of charge and donated spare petrol cans and spare wheels for the trailer on top of tweaking ZU-CEX into shape for the trip.

Marius Nel from Rhino is also helping us with the use of a Drift video camera for our support vehicle and also offered to assist us with the editing of our video material afterwards as well as adverting our trip on Infozone Tv.

Our website http://www.opencockpit.co.za was designed by an amazing lady, Mercia Komen free of charge and we hope you will follow our daily blogs where we will be posting photos and video clips as we go along. Your encouragement, advice and own experiences will be highly appreciated.

[Bundy]

..."two geriatric's in their flying umbrella's"...

Love it!

Godspeed and Goodluck Gents!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did ..... So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
(Mark Twain)

[Louis Cole]

Take-off - 29 days
Imagine my surprise when I opened that little orange RAASA book and discovered that my pilot’s licence had expired on 2013/02/15. Today was very frustrating and realised that we are going to have to jump through a few hoops with officialdom. Namibia’s DCA now require a letter from our CAA to the effect that our aircraft are legally registered in S.A , that we have permission to fly in Namibia and that we have a valid Special Flight Permit, whatever that may be. Guess what I’m doing tomorrow?

Zambia and Botswana apparently are not fond of visiting aircraft such as ours that can land anywhere and that are not fitted with a tracking device or transponder. Angola is not an option anymore and I’m dreading filling in Zimbabwe’s Overflight clearance even though they were the first to respond and forward the required forms. It is starting to look like an all Namibian affair as originally planned.

[Bundy]

It is truly sad when beurocracy becomes the major obstacle in the planning for such an amazing journey. There are Companies who can handle this type of thing for you Louis. I know that Mike and Olivier made full use of a 3rd party when getting their clearances on their South to South and coast to coast trips...I think they went through about 30 countries!!
It may cost you a bit in terms of admin fees but they know which hoops to jump through and it could save you a lot of frustration and time?

May be worth calling James or Mike at the Airplane Factory and asking their advice or for a refferral? They have a great knowlege of the beurocracy involved

This may give you first hand experience why GA is slowly dying all over the continent It's not a lack of pilots....but certainly a lack of common sense in officialdom. They call this place "Darkest Africa"....should be "Daftest Africa" if you ask me.

Best of luck to you, I hope a solution can be found.

[CHARLIE WHISKEY]

Hi Louis

Hanno from Namibie informed me as well. Looks like were all in same boat. I'm going Monday to Raasa to Get fresh ATF and NPL Renewal Then CAA.
I'll keep you informed.

Cheers

[Louis Cole]

Thanks got the necessary forms today and will submit on Monday.

[Louis Cole]

Take-off -28 days
Licence sorted and Special flight permit forms obtained from RAASA today. Very pleased about that. Met a guy from Awesome Aviation who will see if he can assist with the overflight clearances. Weather permitting off to Elands Quad Camp for the weekend with my flying buddy, Blue Max.

[Louis Cole]

It is truly sad when beurocracy becomes the major obstacle in the planning for such an amazing journey. There are Companies who can handle this type of thing for you Louis. I know that Mike and Olivier made full use of a 3rd party when getting their clearances on their South to South and coast to coast trips...I think they went through about 30 countries!!
It may cost you a bit in terms of admin fees but they know which hoops to jump through and it could save you a lot of frustration and time?

May be worth calling James or Mike at the Airplane Factory and asking their advice or for a refferral? They have a great knowlege of the beurocracy involved

This may give you first hand experience why GA is slowly dying all over the continent It's not a lack of pilots....but certainly a lack of common sense in officialdom. They call this place "Darkest Africa"....should be "Daftest Africa" if you ask me.

Best of luck to you, I hope a solution can be found.

Thanks for the advice Alan. I did just that and the guy from Awesome Aviation is working on the Botswana clearances and Hanno from NICAM is doing sterling work from their side to unblock the system. It seems like typical bureaucracy because Namibia DCA are asking our CAA to approve our flight in Namibia and CAA saying they can't approve flights in a foreign country. NICAM through Hanno is now preparing a proposal to overcome this BS.