Open Cockpit - Namibie- 2013.

[John Boucher]

Chaps, thank you for sharing... you have shared and experienced the scenery I flew so many times... ek kry sommer huimwee...

Some comments - it was wonderful seeing some of the fields I have landed at and have good friends there... Eagle Flight Academy out Hartswater way for starters. Dawid Lubbe is a real jewel of the Northern Cape - always friendly and accommodating. It is also a perfect venue for a fly-in way out in the bush!

Then there is Kuruman - boy how many times have I landed there. I know most of the blik pilots and have flown in the PTAR as navigator for 2 of them.

Romance - Corné de Jager - sadly Johan was killed at Kimberley Airport some years ago when he put his Bonanza down. The strip we used as a morning jaunt from Postmasburg if we flew down the Langberge and then my accountant and friend Maarten Coetzee also hangars his Cheetah there.

Then there is Upington International.... need I say anything. Was the visit to the tower an informal one or a formal one? Daardie is nog 'n storie wat by 'n kampvuur oorvertel gaan word!

[Louis Cole]

Chaps, thank you for sharing... you have shared and experienced the scenery I flew so many times... ek kry sommer huimwee...

Some comments - it was wonderful seeing some of the fields I have landed at and have good friends there... Eagle Flight Academy out Hartswater way for starters. Dawid Lubbe is a real jewel of the Northern Cape - always friendly and accommodating. It is also a perfect venue for a fly-in way out in the bush!

Then there is Kuruman - boy how many times have I landed there. I know most of the blik pilots and have flown in the PTAR as navigator for 2 of them.

Romance - Corné de Jager - sadly Johan was killed at Kimberley Airport some years ago when he put his Bonanza down. The strip we used as a morning jaunt from Postmasburg if we flew down the Langberge and then my accountant and friend Maarten Coetzee also hangars his Cheetah there.

Then there is Upington International.... need I say anything. Was the visit to the tower an informal one or a formal one? Daardie is nog 'n storie wat by 'n kampvuur oorvertel gaan word!

John I couldn't agree with you more. Dawid is a good friend of Paul and he graciously accommodated us free of charge for 2 days and the same with Cornie at Romance.
The visit to the Upington tower was an informal one the day after the formal one where I was invited for an uitkak-session of note. We were eventually so desperate to escape from the runway Gestapo at Upington that we were prepared to taxi to Ariamsvlei. We paid a R200 overtime fee each to Customs to arrive early so we could be airborne before the ATC came on duty but were thwarted by the Landing fee officials and an over zealous ATC who decided to rock up early for duty.

Part 3 is going to make Bundy weep as it covers a part of his Two Rivers Odessey route but just on the Namibian side.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz-TJ56K0Pw

[Louis Cole]

Part 4 Gruenau to Duwisib Castle. Gatvol of waiting for the weather to improve and took off in less than perfect conditions. Nice leg though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgHTc-eg ... e=youtu.be

[Louis Cole]

As die kamera 'n bietjie skud op hierdie video dan is dit nie deur my toe doen nie. Vir diegene wat beplan om in Namibie te gaan vlieg, doen julle self 'n guns en vind uit oor die Ooswind. Die manne daar wat ken het net hulle koppe geskud en gemompel dat daardie area is waar die Ooswind gebore word. Ek erken ruiterlik dat ons k.k bang was. Die "control bar" was bloot daar om aan vas te hou en vol krag het jou nie noodwendig hoogte laat kry nie. Ons was baie verlig toe ons by Hammerstein geland het en die ou brandewyn voor ontbyt het baie glad afgegaan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz0TZdxy ... e=youtu.be

[coastwise]

Louis Part 5 has sound track, but no video. Have tried the link a few times, up to part 4 no problems with audio and video

[Louis Cole]

Louis Part 5 has sound track, but no video. Have tried the link a few times, up to part 4 no problems with audio and video

Are you sure because I've just clicked on the link above and the video opened? Can anybody else confirm whether they've had the same problem?

[CVStrong]

Louis Part 5 has sound track, but no video. Have tried the link a few times, up to part 4 no problems with audio and video

Are you sure because I've just clicked on the link above and the video opened? Can anybody else confirm whether they've had the same problem?

Opened perfectly for me

[Louis Cole]

Thanks Craig.
CW I cannot think what the problem could be. Let me know if the problem persists and we'll make another plan.

[kloot piloot]

Also no problem opening it.
Nice episode Louis. That is some serious turbulence at the start !

[Louis Cole]

Also no problem opening it.
Nice episode Louis. That is some serious turbulence at the start !

Thanks Roel. The turbulence was undoubtedly the worst I had ever flown in and it seemed that no pilot input had any effect. Your "slap chips" advice really came in handy as we were totally exhausted when we landed. We planned to fly through to Sesriem that day but we were very relieved when Hammerstein showed up on the GPS.

Roel gave a talk at Microland a while back and advised us not to fight the bar when flying in turbulence and to think of "slap chips" when you get the urge to resist.

[Arnulf]

Hi Louis,

Thanks for the videos and an interesting blog.
I am planning to take my Trike to Namibia in April. In your blog you mention that at times you experienced very strong winds on the ground.
Please give some more information how you secured the trikes in those windy conditions.

Regards,
Arnulf

[Louis Cole]

Hi Louis,

Thanks for the videos and an interesting blog.
I am planning to take my Trike to Namibia in April. In your blog you mention that at times you experienced very strong winds on the ground.
Please give some more information how you secured the trikes in those windy conditions.

Regards,
Arnulf

Arnulf we made sure that our trikes were tied down facing into the wind, wings level and importantly tied to a tree or fixed object or behind our sleeping quarters. Paul's trike had blown over on a previous occasion and he was quite pedantic about tying down properly. We had quite a good tie down system that worked for us. If faced with really strong winds one should consider taking the wing down. Spend some time practicing your tie down procedure. It will save you a lot of money and anxiety.

[Louis Cole]

This leg was without a doubt the highlight of the trip for me. We were quite anxious about the flight over the dessert to Meob Bay but we were rewarded with an incredible experience. Unfortunately I'm losing a lot of quality in the uploading process onto Youtube.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DD-W8Lg ... e=youtu.be

[Blue Max]

Louis en andere, ja dit was seker die beste deel van die trip waaroor ons baie getob het.!
Eers was dit, moes ons langs die berge vlieg en die oostewind wat oor die plato rol trotseer, of moet ons die woestyn aanvat met 5 Litt water en " moenie worry ouens die search and rescue ouens sal julle kry as iets gebeur."
Ja, en na lang besluitloosheid word ons toe ten goede oorreed dat die' namib en langs die see op trip' die beste en veiligste is.
Baie goeie werk gedoen met hierdie vidios wat julle gemaak het, en ek sien uit om wanneer julle klaar is die volledige een by jou te kry.
Sekerlik n inspirasie vir die ouens wie nog planne het.
Die ou wat dink n trike is net gemaak vir 'local flying' maak n groot fout, Daar is baie avontuur en opwinding in trike vlieg.

[Louis Cole]

Nog een van my gunsteling bene van Walvisbaai na Libertas naby Outjo. My spaar vergasser wat ons al vir weke agtervolg het, het ons by Walvisbaai per koerier ingehaal en na 'n lang gesukkel het ek vir die eerste keer op die trip sonder daai ongemaklike gevoel op die maag, opgestyg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d6MeXUtACc