On the 27th of January Deon Borrett flew from Serpentine and ended up 4km short of Rheenendal, flying a 28km direct line.

Township Tours and Meal

Flyers Lodge now offers group Township Tours. We discover local culture, experience a traditional healer and enjoy some local cuisine.

Deon Borrett from Flyers Lodge enjoys taking his guests on a Township Tour so that they can have a good understanding of how the majority of people live in South Africa.

The Tour takes place in Thembelethu, a neighbourhood of George where mostly Xhosa people stay. The Township is a combination of state/municipal housing projects and shanty town built by migrant workers.

The Tour will explore the culture and lifestyle of a typical Township life.  We also visit some local healers, churches and the local business to get a true feel of the way of life in the African Township. There is poverty for sure but also lots of life and hope in the dusty streets. There are mostly happy smiling faces and a sense of community in the Township.

We visit a local house and have dinner, tasting local cuisine that is well prepared and very tasty. There is also a local bar with very cheap beer to savour and an opportunity to engage with many interesting people. This is a genuine experience and no special arrangements, besides the food and dinner, have been made so that one can visit and experience the reality of life in the Township with its joy and hardships as well.

Africa is a wonderful place and must be explored in all its splendor.

Groups can book with Deon and will be met at the entrance to the township to be guided through the tour. The proceeds of the dinner go to the host of the dinner to help improve their family’s lives.

So make a booking for your group and enjoy.

 French Canadians on a Township Tour

Vlerksweef: Gespes vas, vlerk op, ’n draffie... en vlieg!

2012-12-01 04:35

Heidi Sonnekus, Die Burger

As mens oor die Kaaimanspas George toe ry, swiep daar dikwels vlerkswewers oor jou kop op pad na die strand by Leentjiesklip. Op ander dae lanseer hulle vanaf Sedgefield – soms tel mens tot 30 kleurryke vlerke in die lug. Die spul het Heidi Sonnekus nuuskierig gemaak, en sy het gaan ondersoek instel.

Die idee dat mens vrywillig teen ’n steil heuwel afhol en jouself die lug inwerp met net ’n lapvlerk om jou bo te hou, het my maag laat draai. Maar ek kon nie teenoor my dogter of gryse moeder erken ek is vrek bang nie!

Toe Deon Borrett, instrukteur en tandem-vlerkswewer, ’n valhelm op my kop plak en sê: “Kom”, kon ek net maar mond toeknyp (sodat ek nie kan gil nie, my kind) en saamwerk.

Die bakbeen-lanseerdraffie met die instrukteur aan jou vasgegespe was toe heel maklik en baie kort.

Deon se rooi-en-grys vlerk wíl vlieg en lig mens oor Sedgefield se boomtoppe en die Swartvlei-meer. Eerste gewaarwording: Dis so stil en rustig. En: Mens voel glad nie onstabiel of selfs ’n bietjie onveilig nie. Deon lewer rustig kommentaar oor wat hy doen en wys landmerke uit.

My hart het stadiger begin klop en ek kon my nou heeltyds bekommer oor ouma Nem (79), wat volgende gelanseer sou word. Sy is maar vyf voet twee duim lank, haar enkels is swak en sy het laas in 1962 gehardloop.

Haar grootste bekommernis voor die tyd was dat stukkies van haar sou af- of uitval tydens die vlug en verlore raak: tande, skoene of bril... Maar toe haar beurt kom, het sy nie ’n oomblik gehuiwer nie.

Lucille en Jörg Bueble het baie mooi na haar gekyk en binne sekondes het ons verby mekaar gesweef. Haar glimlag het van oor tot oor gestrek en sy het nuuskierig rondgekyk.

Vir haar was dit ’n wonderlikheid dat sy haar wêreld op so ’n manier uit die lug kon beskou: Sy het haar as jong bruid in die omgewing kom vestig en het die geografie net padlangs ervaar.

As mens die lanseerdery sit en dophou van die grond af, lyk die landslag nogal moeilik. Die ouens kom sit redelik vinnig op ’n klein stukkie gras tussen hoë bome.

Daar loop mense rond, ander ouens lanseer, daar is karre en soms kinders.

Uit die lug blyk die ervaring aansienlik minder skrikwekkend, miskien omdat Deon jou deurlopend vertel wat jy met jou eie lyf moet doen om uit syne se pad te bly.

Hy beheer die vlerk se spoed sekuur en ons land sag en netjies op ons voete. Hy trek sy vlerk grond toe en help gespes losmaak.

Intussen kom land Jörg met Ouma: Hy weet sy is broos en Lucille staan reg om haar te “vang” en sagkens op die grond neer te sit, plat op haar sitvlak, netjies gekussing in haar stoelharnas.

Sy kon haarself oriënteer voordat hulle haar opgehelp en uitgevra het oor vlugnaarheid (niks!) en aan die elmboog van die lanseerterrein af begelei.

Lucille lag oor ons bekommernis. Jörg vlieg al sewe jaar plaaslik en Deon 17 jaar. Die twee het al die veiligheidskwalifikasies.

Hulle vlerksweef dikwels met oumense, kinders en selfs rolstoel-gebruikers.

“Mens kry net ’n ekstra paar hande vir die lanseer- en landslag,” sê sy. ’n Ander opsie is om van hul driewiel-vlerkswewer gebruik te maak wat met ’n enjin werk en dit moontlik maak om in minimum windtoestande te vlieg.

“Ons bedryf is uiters afhanklik van wind- en weerstoestande,” sê Deon. Hulle werk die hele tyd met die oog en oor op weerberigte van alle soorte, en moet soms verskuif van Sedgefield na Kleinkranz of Wilderness om die beste sweef-omstandighede te verseker.

Vertoef mens ’n wyle daarbo op die bult, vind mens jouself amper in ’n parallelle heelal. Doer onder is die N2 waarop jy gewoonlik rondzoem. Vandag is dit irrelevant want die son bak op jou vel, jy ruik bloekomblare en die wind waai deur jou hare. Om jou is dit hemel-, see- en rivierblou. Vlerkswewers wapper soos helder vlinders om die lanseerbult.

Hou mens die proses dop, besef jy daar is ’n orde en tydsaamheid aan alles wat gebeur: vlerk op die grond, toue reguit, helm op, gespes vas, veiligheidsroetine, vlerk op, draffie... vlieg.

Helpers ontspan en kom gesels met die wagtende passasiers. Deurentyd met die oog in die lug om reg te staan vir die landing – vir die passasier ’n ewigheid of ’n asemteug van 20 minute later.

Die landing: vlerk af, maak seker jou passasier is stewig op sy voete, gespes los, helm af...

Die avontuur eindig gewoonlik met breë glimlagge en opgewonde gebare. ’n Ervaring wat jy in jou hart bewaar om later in jou gedagtes en deur jou foto’s te herleef.

Ouma staan reg: vyf voet twee in haar sokkies en onverskrokke. Lucille en ’n helper staan voor, Jörg is besig met gespes.

Die landing. Jörg het Ouma netjies en sagkens neergesit. Lucille maak seker dat Ouma nie duiselig of vlugsiek is nie voordat sy haar regop help.
Foto’s: Heleen Sonnekus

To view the article, click here.

From the 15th of November 2012 all Skywings registered sites will become members only sites. See list of sites on website www.skywingsparaglidingclub.co.za

All the sites are still open to anyone from locals, visiting pilots to foreign pilots who will join the club as country members (membership is only R100 per year). Your number is for life and so if you return a few years later you can just pay and give your original number. Locals, which means anyone within the Garden Route Triangle of Oudtshoorn to Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay and are residents of this area, will then have full membership and be entitled to vote. The area in question includes surrounding towns and villages as well as inner towns like Knysna, Sedgefield and Wilderness.

Payment points and membership application points are at these two locations: Wilderness Spa and Hydro at the Wilderness Beach Hotel (GPS: 33°59'55.34"S  22°36'52.24"E) and Fynboskruin restaurant and club house at entrance to Gerrickes point at the Mini golf course in Sedgefield (GPS: 34° 0'37.19"S  22°45'20.24"E).

Why are we doing this? Listed in no particular order of importance below:

1.       To ensure that every pilot who launches from our sites is a member of SAHPA and that will include temporary foreign membership.

2.       We also need to have better control on who and what happens on our sites as the pressures from landowners and other role players has reached levels where they hold the club responsible for actions taken by visiting pilots.

3.       For safety we want to know some details of the pilots and their gliders in case there is an accident or someone goes missing.

4.       For discipline as Skywings has taken a zero tolerance to rogue pilots, pilots who act unsafely or fly with unsafe equipment.

5.       Some landowners insist on strict control and access to their land. They want to know who is on their land at all times.

6.       Maintenance of launch sites.

7.       Third Party insurance cover for SAHPA members if one damages property.

General Rules for Most Sites

1. SAHPA licensed and Skywings Member abides by their constitutions.

2. No smoking.

3. No littering.

4. Don’t damage any fauna or flora. Don’t collect any fauna or flora.

5. Don’t be a public nuisance – respect private landowners.

6. Obey any special rules on the boards.

Special rules for Motorized wings

1.       Paramotors, Motorized Hangliders and Trikes - in accordance with Municipal instructions no launching between Map of Africa and Kleinkrantz Car Park but not including the Kleinkrantz Car Park that is available for launching. The no launch zones include public parks and grounds. This rule is applicable year round.

2.       Trikes on the beaches - as far as we understand it’s illegal to launch from the beach anywhere in South Africa. So we will be forced to report any infringement as it’s our duty as a SAHPA registered club. Where this area overlaps on our launch sites then naturally it’s the club rule.

3.       From December – January all Skywings sites will be no launch zones for any motorized wings. With the exception of Kleinkrantz Car Park (Trikes and Foot launched) and Kleinkrantz Dune (foot launched).

4.       Keep to height restrictions and don’t fly low past houses and create a nuisance.

Special rules – Landowners with Privacy complaints and other requirements.

Map of Africa – The owners of the house to the right and left of launch have made complaints about privacy issues. We decided to try accommodating their requests so avoid loitering directly in front of their houses or flying low over their roofs and keep a reasonable distance of between 20-30m for the westerly positioned house at the beacon (from take-off the house right). The houses to the EAST of Launch will have a minimum of 40m. If the landowners gesture or shout fly away politely and report this to the club. Please see photos and GPS co-ordinates.

33°59'34.43"S   22°34'12.67"E

Holiday landing beyond the rocky line on the beach, in other words away from the main beach towards the east. Beach has Blue flag status so even more sensitive. Don’t land among beach goers.

House to the West of Wilderness Beach Hotel /Kleinkrantz

All pilots when flying along the ridge either from Kleinkrantz Car Park or from Wilderness Beach Hotel and heading to west please avoid low flying in front or over the house in this picture where the vehicles are parked,  it’s about 1 km from the Beach Hotel.

These are GPS location 33°59'51.72"S     22°36'8.89"E for house.

Paradise Ridge – Please avoid flying low and looking into beautiful house on the ridge, fly past and enjoy the other 8km of ridge.

Sedgefield - Obey the sign boarded restriction the first house on the ridge flying in westerly direction 1,5 km away.

Serpentine – Access through coded gate (GPS: 33°58'57.50"S  22°36'55.82"E); contact the club and don’t climb over the fence. Landing at Ebb and Flow (GPS: 33°59'21.42"S  22°36'33.57"E) is allowed but the main landing is the Island lake (GPS: 33°59'23.30"S  22°38'4.30"E) and the piece of land next the road opposite the Polo fields (GPS: 33°59'12.77"S  22°37'49.62"E). Don’t land in Polo fields or any of surrounding fields due to the horses.

Gerrickes Point – Please pay the fees at entrance entering without paying correct fees will earn you a life ban from this site. Guides take note one of your party transgresses your whole company will be banned by the owner. Smoking and fires even within the vehicle will result in life ban from this site and same applies to Guides. This area is a private nature reserve and the owner lives downwind from the launch. Don’t speed as the road is narrow and the owner uses it daily.

Goosevalley  - All pilots call Deon Borrett before going to fly 072 1990622 as owner wants warning that pilots will be using his property so he can pass on special rules for the day. Don’t drive into lands. Don’t drive on tracks after rains. No smoking or fires, life ban will be a result if you transgress. The area is Protea and wild flowers harvesting area as well the threat of legal ramifications for both owners in regard to fire control.

Uplands – Please contact Observer before flying.  No commercial activity without prior arrangements with owner.

Hartenbos – Car Park. The Grass Launch Site in front of House is closed!

Only the Public Park to the west is open. Respect property owners and try not to trample the dunes.

Dana Bay – Some sites are on private land, respect neighbor’s rights andcontact Observer before flying.

General rules on behavior:

1.       Don’t fly low over houses and loiter or shout or become a nuisance for the landowners.

2.       Don’t enter into fights or arguments with landowners, retreat quietly even if you think yourself in the right and then inform the club.

3.       Obey all the rules of Authorities like San Parks, Municipality, Town Council, ATC and naturally SAHPA.

4.       Call Observers before flying sites in if you not sure of rules, ignorance is not an excuse.

SITES LIST:

Please go to www.skywingsparaglidingclub.co.za for full site list and other special rules. Please note the Website is under construction so not all the details are perfect or complete please call the local Observers before flying new sites. Their details can be found on the Committee list otherwise contact relevant committee member. Skywings sign boards are being re-made with all new rules and regulations. This will take up to 3 months but just refer to website when in doubt.