New Event
Bantam world record meet 16th June 2011
- New Zealand once had a gathering of 32 Bantam aircraft at one venue, and that made it a world record gathering for them. We are intent on breaking that record
and have organised a gathering at Numbi Hotel in Hazyview on the 16th June 2011. The Numbi Hotel has given us special rates for that long weekend.
We have 35 Bantams booked so far, and expect at least another 25 that are in the process of booking.
Pilots from near and far will arrive on that Thursday 16th June which is a public holiday. We will not fly on Thursday as most pilots will have had enough flying for one day. Our flying program will start on Friday morning after breakfast.
On Friday we will take-off from Numbi and fly out to the Blyde River Canyon. Fly up through the canyon to visit Bourke's Luck potholes, gods window and all the waterfalls in the Graskop area. This is the most beautiful part of the country to fly around. After a flying tour of that Graskop area, we will land at the Graskop runway, and a bus will be there to carry us to Harry's Pancake den for a lunch. After lunch we will take-off from Graskop and fly down to Sabie, and do a scenic flight around all the major waterfalls in the area, including Horse shoe, Bridalveil, Sabie, lonecreek, mac mac falls and pools. We will then fly down to Witklip dam and land there and stretch legs. After take-off from Witklip we fly back to Hazyview via Drome Z. Then we have a relax, braai and "kuier " with everyone.
On Saturday morning after breakfast we fly out to Phabeni Gate (On the Kruger Park Boundary.) and fly down the Kruger Park south eastern boundary all the way to Kaapmuiden. We now head for C.C.Poccock's Barberton Valley airfield where we will stop for drinks ect. Now we fly up to Kaapschehoop where we will see the rock formations that we will have a talk presented to us about, on Friday evening, about the significance of that discovery. After Kaapschehoop we fly on to Bagdad, where we will all land and have lunch. The Carte Blanche team of photographers will meet our 50 + aircraft on that field to film it all. We have arranged a Helicopter to take up any other photographers that need aerial shots. This is where we will do the official count on Saturday 18th June. After Bagdad, we will fly back to Hazyview via Longmere and Klipkoppie dams. Then we have our final party that evening.
On Sunday morning after breakfast everyone will depart if and when they want to. This promises to be a wonderful weekend of flying for those of you that love flying.
We have organised 8 local experienced pilots to be squadron leaders of flights of 7 aircraft each. Us local pilots will fly all the routes and become familiar with the area before all the Bantam guests arrive in June. Each squadron of 7 aircraft will have their own printed caps in different colours. ( So I need to find 8 colours.! for caps.)
Micro Aviation will be giving out caps, badges and patches for the occasion.
There will be fuel for sale at Hazyview. ( Mogas 95 oct. )
