An Epic Cross Country

The trip to Stellenbosch for the South African Rally Nationals always felt like it was months away until suddenly it arrived. We had initially planned to fly down to Stellenbosch for a fun rally to get to know the area. We would then leave Bonsai there for the two weeks before Nationals but a bout of poorly timed bad weather meant that didn’t quite work out as planned.

To prevent another stressful debacle, we decided to fly down to Mossel Bay over the Easter weekend, leaving on the Saturday. This would give us the long weekend to get to Mossel Bay where we could stay with family for the week until we were ready to hop across to Stellenbosch to practice for the few days before Nationals started. Failing that, we would have more than a week to get to Stellenbosch if we needed it.

The delay and the fact that we would be making our own way meant that I had much more freedom to plan the trip and so I spent many hours scouring maps, researching airfields, fuel availability and repeatedly checking the weather forecast.

We planned to split the trip roughly in half with our first stop at New Tempe, just outside of Bloemfontein, followed by an overnight stop planned at Gariep. We took off at 8AM, a bit later than planned but the weather was predicted to be great along the route and we had plenty of time.

Requesting FL085, we had one of the smoothest flights I have ever experienced so I trimmed up and we enjoyed the view. At just under 3 hours, this would be my longest single leg flight to date! We joined overhead New Tempe and landed as the only aircraft in the circuit. Surprised at how quiet the airfield was on a Saturday, we filled up and stopped for a stretch and cooldrink when we realised that while the airfield may be quiet, the restaurant is certainly very popular. Lunch would have to wait until our next stop because it looked like ordering food may take a while.  

The flight to Gariep was just as smooth and quiet as the first leg. Once again, we were again the only aircraft in the circuit and I circled overhead a few times, trying unsuccessfully to find the windsock. Unable to find it I scoured the area for anything that may hint about the wind direction. With no clues, I chose a runway and after landing, we discovered the windsock hanging limp with not a hint of a breeze. No wonder we couldn’t see it!

Where New Tempe was quiet, Gariep appeared abandoned. There was not a single person or car in sight, town was some distance away and there was definitely no restaurant. Some parked aircraft suggested that the airfield was still in use and so I phoned to arrange for fuel. The experience was so unpleasant (and expensive) that we abandoned our overnight plans and decided to push on to Beaufort West if we could refuel in time.

Although they took their time to arrive, we still had 2h30m light remaining before official sunset for a 2h30min flight, assuming that I maintained the leisurely pace of 80kts. Luckily, the planning was done and ready just in case, so I quickly filed a flight plan and off we went, picking up the pace a bit. We had another beautiful flight, this time over the Karoo. Notorious for being so hot, we had surprisingly little turbulence and no wind so we spent the flight marvelling at the empty, dry and uninhabited landscape.

We landed as the sun was setting in a spectacular fashion. Beaufort West is known to have quite a big flight school and so we were surprised that it was so quiet as we landed on their beautiful runway and taxied to the tie down area. We were extremely glad to see some people at the airfield! The people turned out to be security who, while very friendly, had no ideas for accommodation, which we had mistakenly thought would be available at the airfield. As a tiny town in the middle of the Karoo, there weren’t many transport options either. They roused some staff living at the field and we contacted the very friendly ATC, Tyler, who kindly drove us into town for dinner and dropped us at the Wagon Wheel for the night. Thanks again Tyler!  

The receptionist assured us that transport would be easier in the morning and the lady on duty in the morning could help us get back to the airfield. After a good night’s rest, we discovered that it wouldn’t be that easy, especially since it was Sunday on Easter weekend, with most people already at their destination and only skeleton staff in the bustling town of Beaufort West. We finally got hold of someone who drove the staff to the Wagon Wheel in the mornings and he dropped us at the airfield after his rounds. Another later than planned start but the last leg was a short 2.5 hour hop over the mountains.

This mountain crossing had been giving me sleepless nights for weeks. I had been cautioned about wind and rotors and turbulence and had been given so many recommendations that my head was still spinning. I decided higher is better, which meant that we would likely need clearance from George Approach. Coming from typically unmanned fields, and having never flown over anything larger than the Magaliesburg, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was a bit nervous about it all!

All the worrying turned out to be in vain this time. The weather was spectacular and we stared in awe at the beautiful surroundings as we flew through the Meiringspoort Pass, descending via Oudtshoorn and then through the Robinson Pass before the final descent into Mossel Bay. George Approach was extremely friendly and accommodating and not at all as rushed and clipped as often experienced in Gauteng!

I couldn’t land without doing my first flight over the sea, so we celebrated with a lap around the Mossel Bay’s point, looking for dolphins and trying to spot our home for the next week. The visibility was amazing, but we sadly didn’t spot any sea life.

As we finished our scenic loop, we could see the clouds starting to form along the shore bringing in the cold front that would be arriving later that afternoon. We tied down on the apron, feeling elated that we actually did it! Who knew that barely a year after getting my PPL, I would be venturing this far across the country?!