Africa Cup 2013

[Luan]

Hi all,
Okay so having heard about the awesome flying in and around Numbi and the goings on there I promptly booked a camping spot for Saturday night, gathered my most adventures pax and started planning the trip from FABA to Numbi, leaving Saturday morning and returning Sunday morning(Cant get any days off from work). With about 100Hrs and 2 emergency landings on my little Windlass I was feeling confident until I had a look at the WX… The only thing that slightly eases my concerns is the fact that it will be doing predominantly high altitude flying. Any thoughts?
Luan.

[Nkwazi]

Hi all,
Okay so having heard about the awesome flying in and around Numbi and the goings on there I promptly booked a camping spot for Saturday night, gathered my most adventures pax and started planning the trip from FABA to Numbi, leaving Saturday morning and returning Sunday morning(Cant get any days off from work). With about 100Hrs and 2 emergency landings on my little Windlass I was feeling confident until I had a look at the WX… The only thing that slightly eases my concerns is the fact that it will be doing predominantly high altitude flying. Any thoughts?
Luan.

Luan, its quite a daunting flight for even the most seasoned pilots, I've flown to Numbi a few times and the bits over the mountains are always intimidating especially if the wind is blowing. Preferably fly with anothe trike and not alone. Cross the mountains at min 9000ft and if theres a westerly blowing dont try and descend until you are very close to Numbi because of the rotor coming off the mountains. And DONT go to Belfast

[Lassie]

Luan, I will also be flying in on Saturday routing from Standerton, landing in Carolina for feul. I am worried about cloud over the mountains looking at the current wedder reports. Any other slim oukies out there that can advise?

[Nkwazi]

If there's cloud sitting on the mountains, dont even try. Phone Numbi Hotel and check with them in the morning about the clouds hugging the escarpment!

[Luan]

@Nkwasi Thanks for the advise, will do. @Lassie what time are you planning to have wheels up should the skies be friendly? Any other advise for a n00b? Will be watching windfinder 24/7, but not looking good at the moment!

[Tumbleweed]

I advise take off as early as possible i.e. 05h15 and if fuel and visibility OK then don't stuff around, the wind will just get worse.

Maybe someone can advise if the Bantam operator at Numbi is still active? Always helped in the past with an accurate call. Just pre-arrange with him and not wake him up at 06h00.

[Asterix]

Cold fronts is NEVER good news - even up here in the north. It normally brings relatively strong West to North West winds over the interior as air is sucked towards the low pressure system as it rotates east: - on your tail as you cross the mountains..we all know tailwinds and mountains in front is dangerous. And the synoptic chart predicts that this front will not just swipe the east coast - it is strongly developed currently over the South Atlantic and will move well inland by Saturday before rotating away to the east.. Thunderstorms may also develop inland along its leading edge as it wedges in under hotter air.

Please all, make good weather calls? No "get-there-itis" please?

http://www.weathersa.co.za/web/images/a ... er2013.pdf

I can't understand the "perfect timing" of fronts. NEVER in midweek. ALWAYS over weekends. WTF?

[Louis Cole]

Anybody flying from Crosswinds on Friday morning? Would like to fly with some slower aeries. Looking at flying via Lydenburg due to the bad weather forecast for Middelburg.

[Asterix]

Dudes - my personal call is made. I cannot come through Friday morning - Friday is "cut-off" for commission earners in my region (earlier due to the "long weekend") - and they will NOT be impressed if they lose out on income because I was in the sky all day! (No amount of flying is worth the ensuing breakdown in trust.. )

From my perspective - crossing over Magoebaskloof - Saturday morning looks dodgy at best - driving through the kloof to Tzaneen at least twice a week - I have seen the "three seasons": Nice this side, raining in the kloof, windy at Tzaneen.

The Wolkberg is gonna be covered in cloud - and we all know what happens to people trying to "scud" it... For this Saturday, I predict low cloud for Magoebaskloof, on the eastern side of the mountains...I don't do VFR on top anymore - been there, and almost died in August 2008.

Rather than waiting for Sat morning - (I KNOW I'll just stomp around the hangar and then decide in any event to not fly), I'll rather finish up and drive through Friday late afternoon. And have a beer at Numbi. More important to me to have a few drinks with you "thugs" than flying when already I feel uncomfortable with the major weather system moving in from the south. Wind is okay - just uncomfortable. Wind AND mountains...... Sorry - Ek's 'n sissie!

I WILL be there however! I'll load up on fuelcans as well, (we've got four in the hangar). Anything else you need - gimme a shout - I'll bring it along. But I am out for the comp. And I don't like trailering. Too Lazy.

See you in the bar!

[Dish]

If the weathers shit,,, get in your car and drive. Dont risk bad weather... Get there safe and have an awesomely cold beer!

[Nkwazi]

Dudes - my personal call is made. I cannot come through Friday morning - Friday is "cut-off" for commission earners in my region - and they will NOT be impressed if they lose out on income because I was in the sky all day!

From my perspective - crossing over Magoebaskloof - Saturday morning looks dodgy at best - driving through the kloof to Tzaneen at least twice a week - I have seen the "three seasons": Nice this side, raining in the kloof, windy at Tzaneen.

The Wolkberg is gonna be covered in cloud - and we all know what happens to people trying to "scud" it...

Rather than waiting for Sat morning - (I KNOW I'll just stomp around the hangar and then decide in any event to not fly), I'll rather finish up and drive through Friday late afternoon. And have a beer at Numbi. More important to me to have a few drinks with you "thugs" than flying when already I feel uncomfortable with the major weather system moving in from the south. Sorry - Ek's 'n sissie!

I WILL be there however! I'll load up on fuelcans as well, (we've got four in the hangar). Anything else you need - gimme a shout - I'll bring it along. But I am out for the comp. And I don't like trailering. Too Lazy.

See you in the bar!

Rosie, give this man a Stroh

[Asterix]

Dishie and Nkwazi - THANKS dudes. Remember guys - this is NOT your 50 mile "there and back" to your local landmark like Cullinan or Bronkies dam. This is a SERIOUS X country involving huge climb outs - last year going there I only felt comfortable over the Winterveld Mountains once I reached 11000 feet! And the weather was good!

I do not want to put a damper on the 25th Africa Cup. But even LESS - I do not want to read about any of you thugs in the pages under Accidents and Incidents, as we analyze your demise for months and months...

LOTS of flying are there in your years ahead. If the weather dictates that flying will be dangerous in a pile of tubes and canvass - that is that. You cannot change it - and the weather is the BOSS. ( You will only realise this when the shit has ALREADY hit the fan - no pull of from the road my friend - 11000 ft amsl - you are the weather's fool - as you yearn for the feeling of earth under your feet.)

Guys - a MAJOR weather system is moving overland over the weekend. You are all PIC's, and I know you all have brains and pilot skills. Whatever decision you take over the next two days, make an INFORMED and RATIONAL decision. NOT emotional, as in - " I have been looking forward / and I WILL show everybody / etc. etc.

The WEATHER is the BOSS. And the weather does not negotiate. it kills you. Fullstop. Like the Dish says - BE there. More important than trying to FLY there. And never arriving.

Sorry dudes. I love you okes too much!

[Luan]

Alas you guys are right... It is as I feared the sky doesn't look happy, I guess I knew that else I wouldn't have been so hesitant. This is the damn hardest part of being a pilot, saying No-Go. A wise man once told me, a real pilot uses his knowledge to avoid using his skill (which in my opinion I don't have nearly enough of yet). I might just as well still drive down there for a beer and tjop! I cannot wait another year for the wx to maybe be ok, is the runway serviceable during other times of the year? Perhaps get a gaggle of a few trikes and go there when the conditions are more favorable.

[Nkwazi]

The rwy is serviceable all year round. Take a drive and join the festivities, you won't be sorry.

[Nkwazi]

What's happened to the Springs gang?!