A visit to the Secunda fly in and two other delightful fields
By Willie Bodenstein
26.04.2025
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After a rather long absence with no events the Secunda Flying Club this past Saturday organised a fly in and navigation rally which unfortunately for reasons unknown were rather poorly attended.
The good news though is that the club, which were the originators and hosts of the successful series of speed rally's will this year host a number of other events details of which we will publish as soon as it is available.
ZU-VAL at Fly Inn Estates ready for departure
Crisp and clear and smooth air with one of the numerous power stations in the background. In the foreground the disastrous damage done to the environment by the open cast coal mining
Part of the huge SASOL plant
Our approach to field prior to landing
Some of the visiting aircraft
The clubhouse
Navigation rally briefing and some of the competitors
Some of the departures
JJ le Grange and son Quintin. Quintin is one of our freelance reporters
I flew with Karl Jensen in ZU-VAL, we leaving Fly in Estates at 07.30 and arrived at Secunda after one of the smoothest flights I have ever had. After refuelling, at a bargain prize of R27.00 per litre, we taxied to the clubhouse for a delicious breakfast bun and coffee and some obligatory aircraft chatter with friends before we made our way to Brakpan/Benoni Airfield.
When at Brakkies be sure to visit Gordon Dyne's awesome mancave with its astonishing collection of aircraft models and other aviation memorabilia. You can't miss it, just look for the two full scale Mirage F1's, one on the ground and another mounted on a pole.
Whilst there we popped into Ivan van der Schaar's hanger. Ivan now flies for Qatar as a captain. He and son Jeandre had just returned from an aerobatic session in their Pilot's Post decaled Pits Special.
Time to leave we decided to stop at Petit but flying overhead the field it looked deserted. Ony one of the hangars' doors were open. So off we were to Kiyttyhawk which has by now almost become a compulsory stop for strawberry milkshakes. We did, however broke tradition and opted for coffee milkshakes, a first ever for me and it was delicious!
The air at the field was abuzz with sound of high-performance engines as a number of the Sport Aerobic club's members were practising the sequences.
Then it was time to go home and we flew the quick hop back to Fly In Estate where we chatted for a while when I eventually left Karl to spend some quality time with the pixie plane.
May, many thanks to Karl as well as to Gordon and Susan Dyne and daughters for hosting us and the delicious coffee and cupcakes. Salt of the earth people all of them.
op Guns RCs at Mobile Deployment Wing AFB Swartkop
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