First Solo flights today

Sjoe, was landing perfectly on Monday but the paperwork and insurance was not in place for my solo, so managed my first flights on my ace today after work and shortly before the beautiful sun was ready to set after a stunning day in Durban.

Was pretty awesome.. not the most perfect landings on runway 19 but I did ok, the second circuit better than the first. Thanks Noel and Brad for the patience and effort you have put in to getting me to this point. Can only get better. Had to rush off to Pietermaritzburg as the sun did set for the second part of my Radio Course with Sakkie, the ATC at the Pietermaritzburg Airport. So will have to postpone the regulation celebration drinks to the weekend....!!

To Johannesburg for the weekend

 We flew up to an icy Johannesburg at the weekend to have a look at our new Sling aircraft in production at The Airplane Factory at Tedderfield Airfield. Ice glazed over the water features in the morrning as we felt the Joburg chill.

Some excitement as I flew from Lanseria airport to Tedderfield in a Sling, being collected by the designer and factory CEO Mike Blythe.

Llewellyn and I enjoy a drink at the Airport

Kulula flew us to Lanseria

Check out the photos of our Sling in production at The Airplane Factory on my separate Flying blog by clicking on the link here.


Watering the frost-bitten garden in a dry Johannesburg





In the air over Scottburgh

On my first dual cross-country with instructor Noel over the sea off Scottburgh. I did a 3 hour flight from Cato Ridge to Richmond, Ixopo, Fredenheim, Margate and Scottburgh before heading back to Light Flight.

Next week I should be handling my first solo flight.

Fathers' Day

Thank you kids for an awesome Fathers' Day. I got spoilt in the morning with breakfast in bed and a full lunch cooked by Kate-Lynn and mom.

And a photo tray, braai light, soaps and socks... thanks brats. We walked on the beach and later used our Shark's casino vouchers to notch up R400,00.

Awesome day! Lucky Dad!

Mates on study vacation

Mark (MC), Jarred, Mark (MB), Tim and Kate-Lynn meet up for a bite to eat and probably all-night computer games

Kate-Lynn spoils Mark with a head massage

It's great when the kids are on holiday as we get to see more of them and their mates. We also managed to capture some shots last night of the awesome eclipse of the moon - a red moon, only to be seen again in 4 years.



Durban Rainbow

Mark looking for the pot of gold

There was an awesome full rainbow in the sky over Durban today - 180 degrees ending in the middle of the new Stadium. Only seen a 180 degrees rainbow once before. Incredible and a full spectrum of the colours visible.

Mark home for Winter

This is the longest Mark has grown his hair and arrived home looking like a hobo. Kate-Lynn and I fetched him from the Airport for the winter holidays away from the cold and wet of Stellenbosch in the Cape. It was great to see my boy after our last visit there on his birthday in February.

Durban send-off for Comrades

We were up at 4am this morning to see our guests Zander, Richard, Matt and Gary off for the start of the Comrades Marathon from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.

There was a jubilant, excited atmosphere as the 15 000 runners jostled for position and a huge roar as the gun boomed at the Start on a slightly chilly, dark but clear Durban morning.

This was followed by a spectacular dawn break seen from the Berea with the Moses Mabhida Stadium breaking the shoreline and horizon.



Comrades Weekend in Durban

We're having a Comrades Weekend at the Guesthouse this weekend in support of the runners taking part in this year's uprun from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. We have runners from Johannesburg and New York including 2 guys who have run the Antarctic Marathon and are now up for the Comrades challenge. In the photos are Jaco, Kate, Debbie, Matt, Gary and Llewellyn. The New Yorkers didn't join us for customary pasta which we enjoyed at Mamas.

First Flying Lesson

Brad (right) from Light Flight School took me on my first formal lesson today in the School's Foxbat.

The lesson was great and felt quite different with more resonsibility than when I went on my demo flight two years ago. We covered lessons/exercises 1-8 and at the end I was given the PPL Pilots' Manual which I spent the rest of the day wading through to bring me up to speed with the exercises we covered in the lesson.

I have chosen to do my National Pilots Licence (NPL) instead of PPL as Light Flight School seems the most cost-efficient and fun way to get my licence and the Sling Aircraft we have bought needs only an NPL Licence. So I'll be taking to the skies on a regular basis now to see if I can get my licence in the next few months.

The Sling it is!

Today we bought an aeroplane... and the Sling it is. It will be a partnership venture with Llewellyn sharing ownership with me and we finalised the order from The Airplane Factory in South Africa today.

The Sling is a locally made plane with an imported Rotax 912uls engine with a cruising speed of 110 knots (200 kmh). The specs are impressive and the plane has proved itself on an around the world and a trans-Africa trip.

Exciting times ahead.!!! Thanks to Neville, Marc, Michel and Mike for the guidance and input in reaching this decision. Thanks also to the offers and flights from the other contenders... all are great planes and the choice was difficult.

Dave does Battle

The Battlefields aircraft fly-in where we stayed Sat night

I flew this RV12

Kate-Lynn points out the Anglo-Zulu and Anglo-Boer battlesites

The Voortrekker monument at the Blood River battlesite

Dave and Kate-Lynn on the wagon

Kate-Lynn, Llewellyn and the kids with the Russian YAK aircraft

Our beautiful KZN countryside around Dundee

Kate-Lynn poses at the Battle of Blood River site

The Battlefields of KwaZulu-Natal bring tourists from afar and we were tourists in our Province on Saturday when we took a drive up to the Battlefields area and stayed the night in Dundee.

Arriving at 8.30am after a 4-hour drive, we were just in time to see the start of droves of little aeroplanes flying in for the annual Fly-in at Battlefields Country Lodge. I took to the skies in an RV12 and we checked out the various planes with a view to possibly buying one and going for flying lessons.

In the afternoon we drove to the site of the Anglo-Boer Battle of Blood River which commemorates the victory of the Voortrekkers on Dec 16th 1838. We went on to Isandlwana, the scene of a Anglo-Zulu battle later that century and circled back to Dundee after a drive over dusty roads through beautiful countryside for our overnight stay.

Researching for flight

I passed my Aviation medical today which means that I am fit to fly. I have spent the last week on intensive research to find a suitable new or second hand aeroplane to buy.

There are plenty of magazines and websites out there and a whole community of friendly guys willing to give you their time and experience in negotiating the minefield of choices. Most are migrating to a "glass cockpit" and moving away from the analogue dials that made up the cockpit of old.

Here is a pic of what I would see as an optimal glass cockpit allowing the plane to be flown by either the pilot or passenger with equal instrumentation before him.

Have you checked out my new Flying blog - Do Eagles Dare?

Baking for the Guesthouse

Hey we've been trying some baking for the guesthouse. Here Llewellyn turns out some pineapple bran muffins and I baked an egg soufle' for breakfast. The guesthouse was full over the Indaba Tourism Show these past few days.

A few days in Johannesburg



Down a Gold Mine while Dave holds up the roof



Lauren and Dave on the Anaconda

We spent a great few days in Johannesburg using the Wednesday Freedom Day public holiday to break away. Here we are - Llewellyn and the kids and I - at Gold Reef City where we went down a gold mine for the first time and went on a few crazy rides... the Anaconda, my favourite. We also went to the Johannesburg Zoo, Rand Airport to check aeroplanes and a little shopping. Click here to see more pics.

Does this really hold up the roof? 3000 m mine shafts!

See more pics of the holiday break here.

First Couchsurfing guests

Meet Patrick and Clothilda from Germany - our first Couchsurfing guests since we joined the voluntary network of people who are prepared to share their homes. Patrick is working on a contract in Johannesburg and Clothilda flew out from Germany to tour South Africa with Patrick and take a break from the ships she sails in as Engineer.

Ralph comes to Durban

Great to see my friend Ralph (right) and Jackie again. Can you have been in Gauteng so long?

Kate-Lynn looking swish!

Dave takes to the skies

Climbing into an aeroplane and lifting off into the skies is not as easy as it looks, but pretty cool.

I went for a demo flight lesson today and am considering getting my licence. No pics of me flying the plane though as I was concentrating heavily while I zoomed over Tala game reserve while clutching the flight controls.

Good Friday holidays

It' s a welcome break for the Easter public holidays... and the beachfront in Durban is glorious... hot autumn sun, beautiful sand and yummy cocktails on the Moyo Pier at uShaka.

Out and About in Durban

Enjoying dinner out with friends in Durban and sipping Martinis and "Dutch Slappers" cocktails at the Guesthouse - myself - Dave, Ian, Claude and Llewellyn. (if you havn't tasted one of my signature Martinis, then you havn't experienced the best).