MY BASE WAS THE administrative centre of a medium sized reserve. It was more or less in the middle of the southern half of the park, and its only asset was the small waterhole in front of the main building which attracted an endless array of game, day and night.
It had been an old mission station, build in 1927. It could have been a beautiful old building with high ornate ceilings, wooden floors and wooden sash windows. It’s a double story with offices as well as a kitchen downstairs and four bedrooms upstairs. Huge colonial verandas all around the front. The building was rotting, smeared in baboon shit and mostly without water and power.
The province was in the throes of a terrible drought. The reserve had run out of water and every day from sunrise to sunset a water truck had to drive around providing water to the lodges and waterholes for game. The wind did not stop howling, so much so that you felt it pounding the building. Whistling, rattling sounds emanated from every window and door. Every day the sun beat down onto the parched land heating to it to 40 degrees C. There was not a blade of grass anywhere and no tree carried even the smallest leaf. The animals were starving to death and many would never make it to summer.
At sunrise I’m at the helicopter, removing covers and tie downs, my mind filled with my mental pre-flight. There’s a lot to be done in the few hours of cool air before the oppressive heat takes over. Everyone is in place, expectant.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2024-Ausgabe von SA Flyer Magazine.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2024-Ausgabe von SA Flyer Magazine.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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SACRIFICE
John continues his anecdotes about the sacrifices he has had to make in the course of his helicopter bush flying career.
KENYA - SAA PARTNERSHIP DELAY
KENYA AIRWAYS AND South African Airways announced the establishment of a highly anticipated Pan-African Airline Group three years ago.
TO PARIS FOR LUNCH
One morning I arrived back at Lanseria from a two day charter to a dreary Northern Cape iron mine. Entering the terminal, I removed my wings and epaulets, thrust them into my flight bag, and headed for the restaurant.
IRIS GOES TO SOMALIA
Having spent the last couple of years flying to a rota, I was thoroughly enjoying the freedom and randomness of flying charters at Sunbird Aviation.
TELEPORTATION
One of the best clients for whom I ever flew was BP, the British oil giant. I was with them in Algeria for about seven years, from the very start of their large gas projects, right in the heart of the Sahara Desert, near the small towns of In Amenas and In Salah.
RIGHT SEAT RULES NO. 16 FUEL SYSTEMS WHY SO COMPLICATED?
You know those aggranoying people who say, “Oh I wouldn't fly in one of those little things - you can't just pull over and fix it if something goes wrong\"? What makes this particularly irritating is that the bastards are right.
WHY CAN AEROPLANES FLY UPSIDE-DOWN¿
In 1945, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, precursor of NASA and source of much of our knowledge about practical aerodynamics, published a hefty compendium of aerofoil data, NACA Technical Report 824, which later appeared in book form under the title Theory of Wing Sections.
TRAVOLTA'S CROOKED PILOTS?
TWO PILOTS ARE CHARGED with embezzling close to $800,000 from John Travolta.
STELLENBOSCH AIR SHOW
The Western Cape does not get as many airshows as the Joburg area - which is a shame as it has great airshow performers and one of the best venues in the world for a flying club airshow.
PIPER'S COMANCHE 180 - IT TICKS ALL THE BOXES
The Comanche is a fabulous plane - that was frankly just too good to be a Piper.
