THE MICROLAND THREAD..."Home of the Tailwinds"

[Bateleur]

Hallo, hallo, hallo! I am still alive and kicking! See you all on Saturday. Paulus, hoe lyk die weer vir more oggend?

[Bateleur]

Ag nee Paulus, ek het vergeet Monique se kar is by die garage. Die kar het 30000km op en die head moes vervang word, kan jy dit glo!!! In any case, ek kan nie vlieg more nie, ek moet die kids skool toe vat. Vrydag lyk nie te bad nie. Saterdag lyk hond k&k. Sondag lyk weer mooi.

[mulderpm]

Saaks reg Stefanus. Ek hoop jy vind Microland. Dit is oos van Pretoria

Ek gaan more oggend en seker weer Sondag vlieg. Ek het Frydag oggend n' vergadering.....met die verskafer, en ek is die voorsitter..ek kan nie laat wees nie

Sien uit om te hoor van jou Botswana trip. Jy het seker gesien ons gaan volgende jaar n' flieg safari doen in Botswana. Johan (Air Hog) probeer om Kyknt te betrek. Daar is baia belangstelling...let's see. Jy kom saam...ne!

[Robbie Shaw]

The truth about what REALLY happened.....

Ever since I changed over from flying trikes, to fixed wing, I have noticed a gradual decline in the number of early morning take-offs. The pillow just seems way more appealing than the frigid winter air. Getting lazy I guess, BUT! .... I made the effort to join these "tail winded" dudes from Microland. 04H00 and I was up, along with the rest of the family who had some pretty choice utterances from the depths of their slumber.
With a spring in my step, and a pep in my smile, I joyously skipped out of the front door in anticipation for the 06h30 take off giving me plenty of time for a thorough pre-flight and a leisurely cup of coffee.
I arrived at Petit at 05h10 and spent some therapeutic time reading my favorite aviation magazine on the toilet in my hanger. YIP! .... I know, I am about as proud of my private toilet, as I am about my aeroplane.
06h28, and my hanger door is locked. Everything checked and ready to go. I didn't really need the loo, but you know how it goes .... two hour flight .... errrr!!!, sooooow ...., lazy, lazy, I strolled out to the back of the hanger whipped it out and killed the weeds.

152.5 hrs on the hobbs:
06h33 and the engine gingerly sprang to life. With 55 Liters on board, I had plenty of sous for the flight ahead. Renosterkop, is only 1 hour, and 45 minutes away.
With great excitement, I taxied out with the glorious Jo-burg sun on my face. An eager 7 knot north easterly wind held the wind sock out. Crossed or not, this was easy, this was fun! Throttle open .....

152.6 on the Hobbs:
Overhead Microland. Two trikes on the ground greeted with a welcome as warm as the sun on my face. I’m flying a little screw because the wind is crossed, and my feet are a little cold. Trikes are off the ground with a few humorous exchanges and we are soon zone outbound with a respectable ground speed of 47 Kts.

153.1 on the Hobbs:
Routing between Rhino Park and Zynkraal. ground speed has slowed a bit to around 40 Kts. The sun has been masked by the morning haze, but in the distance we can see Renosterkop protruding out of the low cloud in all of its glory. There is a tiny radio mast on top and I alter my heading. Paul obviously had the same idea and I caught a wee bit of prop wash. At about that time I felt the faintest sensation of needing to pee.

153.4 on the Hobbs:
We are just north of Bronhorstpuit dam and the little radio mast on top of Renosterkop seems a little bigger. My feet are f@#%ing cold. We have slowed to a ground speed of 31 Kts and I need the loo. The five cups of coffee at the restaurant last night have made friends with cup from this morning are hinting at making their way out. Just got slammed with prop wash again from the trike up front. Loosening the shoulder harness has helped alleviate some pressure on my bladder.

153.9 on the Hobbs:
We have about ten miles to run but that f@#king radio mast isn't getting any bigger. I cannot feel my feet and my bladder feels like it's the size of a small hippopotamus. I have popped the button on my jean pant to make some space and pulled my zip down. It feels a little better now, so I look around on the ground for a spot to land, but NADA!!!!
While looking at the map for the closest runway in complete and utter desperation, I try to think of an excuse to tell those f@#king prop wash generators up front why I WILL NOT BE FLYING WITH THEM ANYMORE! Can this stupid plane not go any faster!!!

I Don't give a F*#K about the HOBBS!!!:
Desperation is the mother of all invention!!! Finally I had a use for that bottle of Valpre' water I have carried with all that other RAMP inspection S@#t!
This little blue bottle was suddenly WAY more of an asset than that shitty toilet in the corner of my hanger. It was about to become the toilet and the thought of p@#sing in it was heavenly.
It was pulled from a pocket behind the passenger’s seat with extreme vigor. With one hand on the stick pulling back to keep the speed in check with the trikes, I removed the blue bottle cap with my teeth and retained it in my mouth for future use. There was nowhere to pour the water out and drinking it would only complicate my already DIRE problem. There was only option.... open the door and pour the water out!
With no hands immediately available, I pinched the stick between my knees and opened the door.(This felt SOOOO good!!!)
Now therein lay the next debacle. God hates me!! It's a two piece door that splits horizontally in the centre of the door. Two doors .... one hand! The top half started to flap up and down. and I had no hand to catch it! It suddenly dawned on me that this was a bad idea. The thought of whipping out my junk and taking aim directly out the door fleeted across my mind. To hell with the bottle!!!
As I leaned over with paul on my left, his passenger waved!!!! Sanity prevailed the idea was aborted.
I spat the lid out and held the water bottle with my teeth. Once the door was closed, In agonizing pain, I bent over to pick the lid up off of the floor and caught sight of the fuel level hose under the panel.

OH F@#K !

Problem number two! The hour and a half flight had consumed lots of fuel. In a very stuttery, squeaky voice I proclaimed in public air space that I was going to return to Petit.
Paul excitedly responded on the radio with some comment about only being about 2 miles from the most beautiful scenery.
I DIDN"T CARE!!!!!
I was returning .... alone .... NOW!!!!

The flight back was fast. The sensation of peeing in my pants was now overcome by an irrational fear of running out of fuel. I opened the throttle and put the nose down which scored a few extra knots. Keeping the ball (the panel mounted one) in the centre got me an extra 3 KTS. The ground speed was an unimaginable 87 KTS!!!
Rhino Park seemed like a good place for a precautionary, but the speed was good and the fuel level was not dropping as fast as I had imagined, so I pressed on back to Petit.
The harrowing return flight lasted just 32 minutes but it felt faster. I joined directly onto down wind and realised that although the wind was crossed my bladder was not allowing a go-round.

So ..... Paul ..... Alan ...... since I missed the destination, can we do it again next week?

Byron love reading your story , well done mate ....

[Bateleur]

Die Botswana trip wat julle beplan lyk baie nice, ek sal verseker belangstel om saam te gaan. Ons praat Saterdag.

[mulderpm]

Had a lekker flight this morning. Oom Paula in his Thunderbird doing circuits. Still not sold....very strange.

Mervyn is cool with the new dates for the Botswana trip next year. We are going to be a great gaggel.

See you all this Saturday at the braai.

[Robbie Shaw]

Sorry guys ..... Unable to make it ...... Have a cold one for me ...

Thanks

[NickSwardt]

If wind guru is anything to go by we're going to need umbrellas for the braai tomorrow

See you guys tomorrow, umbrella and all

[Paul Meanwell]

I'm still hoping the weather guru's are off the mark and I can still fly in!

I don't mind the wind, but cloud and rain make it better by car!

If the latter is the case, then the wife is bringing me and I'll have some beers to hand!

[mulderpm]

I don't mind the wind, but cloud and rain make it better by car!

If the latter is the case, then the wife is bringing me and I'll have some beers to hand!

The guru is pretty good. Hoping to meet your wife.!! We will be there

[mulderpm]

ISee you guys tomorrow, umbrella and all

Nick, julle is n' sterre

[ME 109]

Lekker braai manne...Wish I could join in the Botswana discussion!

[Robbie Shaw]

I'm still hoping the weather guru's are off the mark and I can still fly in!

I don't mind the wind, but cloud and rain make it better by car!

If the latter is the case, then the wife is bringing me and I'll have some beers to hand!

Paul by the looks of it the car with wife driving and a beer in hand is the way to arrive

[Robbie Shaw]

For what ever this is worth ....... August to be gone with you and take the horrible windy days with you ...lol

[Robbie Shaw]

Have been awake since 03.15 the wind has not stops blowing and the droplets of rain have fallen all night .... I must say the rain is a good thing as we need it so badly ...... That's life I suppose....