07h30 on the 29th I sent the required search and rescue sms to various parties and departed RWY 20 at the Delta 200 for FAUP. The early morning was almost windlass and the weather report showed favourable conditions for the trip.
The RAF was loaded and the airspeed indicated 95mph as I levelled off at 1000ft. There was already a bit of a headwind, Johan Froneman from Saldanha was away and so I routed direct to Vredendal and landed 2 hours later. The ever helpful Dirk van Zyl was there to provide the required fuel and loan me a headset with a gel cup - the flightcom headsets belonging to EXP were like a vice grip on my head and were already giving me a headache.
Eben called and informed me that there was a 30 kt northerly at Upington. I decided to press on.
Fully Fuelled I set off for Louriesfontein and beyond at 11h00. Shortly after takeoff the northerly wind made its presence known and I knew that this was going to be a long trip. I choose to go west of the escarpment as the head winds were too strong and too turbulent to climb and route over the escarpment to Louriesfontein. Approximately 25 miles west of Louriesfontein with the wind still turbulent, hot and dry and after a two pass precautionery, I decided not to land at the bush strip I had found, as I figured that I would not get airbourne again as the density altitude was high and the strip was relatively short.
Instead I pressed on towards a pan which was some 150 miles from Vredendal. There was only one degree difference between the outside and inside temperature. 30 deg C at 3500 ft. Dust devils were continuously forming all around me and each encounter lifted the RAF at over 1000 ft/ minute and swung it off course.
At one stage a couple of these dust devils in succession took me to 6000ft which offered a 3 degree drop in temperature but reduced the ground speed to below 45 mph. JHB west did not answer and I descended to 1000ft AGL - hotter but faster.
3.3 hours from Vredendal I landed at the pan and picked up my lunch that I had dropped in the hot turbulent conditions. I also made a note to write to those sweet companies that package their sweets in plastic bags that tear suddenly and allow the contents to escape. Pipes.
I refueled with the 50 litres from the gerry cans on the passenger seat and set off for Leon Bower which took 45 minutes. I took on another 25 litres from Leon before setting off on the final leg for FAUP. The head wind was now just off the nose to the west and was becomming less gusty. An hour out I already knew that I would land on 01.
I touched down at Upington international 10.5 hours after departure from the Delta 200.
7.7 hours of flying and covering 438 miles of harsh country and in harsh conditions.
The temperature on runway 01 was 34 degrees C at 18h00.
The Mocke family were there to great me and I was happy to see them, and to be back at the RAF HQ.
The next day in Upington it was businessas usual with 4 RAF gyro's in various stages of the build and 10 student owned RAF's parked in the hangar. I got to fly the last proving hour in a brand new RAF 2000 - super smooth and smelt like a new luxury german car with the leather seats.
Captain Mark Maddams took me back to Cape Town in an hour with SA Airlink.
Gyro's remain formidable aircraft.
markb
RAF 2000
- Dust devil
- EXP delivered
Well written Mark 