The Flying Fish

Sunday, 16 May It was another early start. Normally I’d complain profusely about having to wake up at 0630 on a Sunday (or any other day for that matter), but today was different. See, I don’t mind waking up at the crack of dawn if it means I get to go flying… 3 words: Cessna Citation Mustang. ZS-YES, the new toy on the block, brand spanking new, and the reason for having to wake up early. What do they say about dynamite coming in small packages? Able to carry 4 pax and 2 pilots, she’s not as big as the PC-12, but she’s sleek, sexy and fast! Slipping into the right seat is a breeze; there aren’t any over-head panels for you to scrape your head on, and you don’t have to worry about accidentally kicking the throttle levers because a genius at Cessna left a gap between the seat and the center console so you can just slide your legs in and easily get seated comfortably. All glass and ample leg room Once seated, you feel like you’re in a sports car. This, in my opinion, isn’t that great. Th...

So it’s been over a month since I last flew the Cubby. I could’ve flown at least another 6 hours this last week, upping my total hours to 70 (not that much, but still; every bit counts!) Sadly, it’s still going to be a while until I can fly the yellow beast again. However, on Saturday (1 May), I was offered a flight. Itching to be airborne again, I accepted the offer and before I knew it, I was gingerly lifting myself into a piece of Tupperware. Yup, I was going for a flight in ZU-IOO, a Jabiru. As I settled myself into the seat I found that, while comfortable, it just didn’t feel right; my feet were practically on top of each other, the brakes are operated by hand and situated on the stick which is between the two occupants. But I wasn’t complaining; I’d been wanting to fly in a Jabiru for a while now. I had a quick look around the cockpit to try and familiarize myself with the instruments. Nice and basic; good, that’s what I like. ‘Familiarization’ complete, I hunted for a spot to r...

Can't believe how long ago it was when I did that X-country! Not much has been happening on the flying-side of things. But a fair amount has been going on in general: School is on the go once again, and I'm already counting down the days until the June holidays! I can't wait until I'm free next year :D I haven't flown for over 3 weeks now; I wasn't feeling happy with the aircraft, so I decided to cut back on the flying until I could have everything checked out. And now she's in the process of having her MPI done. It's been about a week and a half since we started, and I doubt we'll be finished by next weekend. Needless to say I'm itching to take to the sky once again! I've been doing a lot of thinking about this whole CPL business. I wanted to start asap, but a few people have advised me against doing so, saying I must focus on my Matric year. At first I disagreed with them, but now I'm beginning to realise that it will be difficult to ju...

Apologies for the length, lack of photos, poor grammar and typos. 12 March, Friday I had been sitting at home, feeling down because I hadn’t found anyone to be my navigator for a Cryptic X-Country on Saturday. While drowning my sorrows in music, I got a phone call from a chap that said he’d be my navigator. A smile lit up my face and I raced around grabbing maps, rulers and pencils; the briefing was in 30 minutes. So far, there were 7 teams taking part. Without the help of my navigator, I’d still be sitting trying to figure out the clues. But thanks to him, we (he) had figured out the clues within no time and we received all the necessary thingies (another map, more things for us to solve and a plastic bag for the goodies that we had to find at each spot). I had a number of worries; - This would be the first time I would be flying with someone other than my dad or instructor. - My navigator had never flown in the Cubby before, and I thought that, because of his height, he wouldn’t be a...

Achieving the status of ‘Private Pilot’ is no walk in the park. I was lucky enough to have my dad teach me the basics, so when I started official training I skipped a few steps. Judging from fellow students, you first get assigned an instructor, and attend a series of briefings. I imagine that one would also apply for a SPL (Student Pilot’s License) during this time. Basically the SPL means that you fill out loads of forms, part with some money, and fight with the CAA. In return for your efforts, you get a license number that you need for all the forms you’re going to be filling out, and it also allows you to write the online exams, and you’re also permitted to fly solo for the purpose of training. But you can read up on all of this in a handy little book called South African Air Law for Private Pilots. After a number of briefings, I imagine you start with the practical aspects of flying, such as straight and level. Most of the time I had a briefing, then we’d fly, then we’d debrief. I...

So, the bright idea of doing my PPL popped into my head sometime near the end of 2008. Why I suddenly decided to do this is beyond me, but I'm glad that I made that decision. My dad is a pilot, so I've been exposed to aviation since I was born, and I often got to fly in the jumpseat of a 737. However I think I only ever really became fascinated with flying in 2007 when I fell in love with the Buccaneer. That jet got me thinking, and before I knew it I was researching all sorts of jets and helicopters, and finding out about the air force and all sorts of other aviation-related things. My dad had also purchased a MicroWings Cubby, which I'm truly in love with. Clever me attended flying lectures at the end of 2008, and I started writing the exams in 2009, which was also my grade 11 year. What possessed me to do this is beyond me (a lot of things are beyond me), but somehow I managed to juggle school, A-levels, flying, and all the ups-and-downs that come with being 17. The prac...

This is a place for me to share my flying adventures with whoever is interested. I'd also like to give people an idea of what becoming a pilot involves, and how one can acheive the ultimate goal (which in my case is getting my CPL and flying in Botswana or Namibia). I am by no means an expert when it comes to flying matters (or anything really), and whatever is expressed here are purely my views and opinions. My facts might not always be correct, but I'll do my best to make sure that they're as accurate as possible. If something doesn't seem right, please feel free to let me know. When in doubt, ASK! In case you're wondering why this has been called "The Flying Fish", it's because I've become known as "Sardine", and I felt that, because of this nickname of mine, 'flying fish' would be a suitable name for a blog about my flying. Please note that all photographs posted here are my own, unless otherwise stated. Welcome and enjoy!