UP COMING EVENTS
Our Next Events
SA Landing National Championships
Event: SA Landing Championships
Where: Brakpan Airfield
Dates: 7th November 2020
Organiser – Contact Frank Eckard e-mail: frank.eckard@mweb.co.za cell: 083 269 1516
Virtual WRFC Champs
Event: Virtual Rally
Where: At Home
Dates: 14th November 2020
Organiser – Contact Frank Eckard e-mail: frank.eckard@mweb.co.za cell: 083 269 1516
Springs Speed Rally #4
Event: Speed Rally
Where: Springs Airfield
Dates: 27th & 28th November 2020
Organiser – Contact Jonty Esser e-mail: jonty@promptroofing.co.za cell: 082 855 9435
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Stellenbosch Fun Rally
By Alewyn Burger
27 February 2016 was a beautiful day and one of those days that if you had a flying machine you just had to get airborne! So we made the flying even more fun by having our first Fun Rally for the year. Tony Russel from SAPFA (South African Power Flying Association) as always did not disappoint and worked out a cracker of a route, the hardest one to date! 17 teams from across the Western Cape and one from the Big smoke met at 8am for a briefing on proceedings. a Safety Briefing was then held by Space du Preez our resident Chief Flight Instructor. Maps and Clue sheets were then handed out and the confusion began!
Virginia Navigation Rally 2016
Virginia Navigation Rally 2016
Durban Wings Club hosted the annual Virginia Navigation Rally on Saturday the 5th March. While the skys were clear and sunny, a very strong wind was blowing down the coast, this challenged the competitors to slow their aircraft down while flying south and trying to get the most speed while returning up the coast.
PTAR 2016 - Provisional Handicaps
In an unprecedented move,
The South African Power Flying Association releases the 2016 PTAR Handicaps before Entries open
Chairman of the South African Power Flying Association, Frank Eckard stated that ....” due to the constant improvement in systems, methods and technologies, SAPFA is able to publish a List of Handicaps, for more than 260 aircraft that have competed in the PTAR over the last seven years, before entries open….…and 12 weeks before the race”
Competitors are encouraged to Click Here to view their handicaps.
Rand Airport Challenge 2016
SAPFA Rand Airport Challenge – 30 January 2016 by Rob Jonkers
The South African Power Flying Association held the 12th Consecutive year of the Rand Airport Challenge on Saturday the 30th January 2016. It was an excellent weather day for flying, with no convection clouds brewing, although there was around a steady 15 kt easterly wind. This attracted 14 teams to participate in the rally, 5 in open class and 9 in the fun class, with 4 newbie first timer teams, which is a welcome sign that there is good interest in the sport.
World Air Games 2015 - Dubai
by Cally Eckard
The World Air Games were held in Dubai in the first two weeks of December, and were the first to be held since Turin (Italy) in 2009. The World Air Games comprises many disciplines, and new ones are introduced each WAG as new technology, apparatus and sports appear in the aviation world. Amongst these are various types of skydiving, aerobatics, and disciplines involving gliders, paramotors, microlights, balloons, air ships and helicopters. The selected South African team were Frank and Cally Eckard for General Aviation (ANR), Nigel Hopkins for aerobatics and Paul Jackson for paramotors.
The Eckard team were selected from their results in the World Rally Championships in Poland in 2014, but the discipline implemented at the WAG in Dubai is a new one, called Air Navigation Race (ANR) and this is the first time it has been used in an international competition. For most of the teams it was therefore a brand new sport requiring a brand new set of skills. Instead of flying along a track and crossing turnpoints, the planes are given a zigzag “corridor” on a map, and are severely penalised for infringing out of the corridor. Only the start and finish points are timed. The competitive section only takes about 15 mins, and navigation is on a much smaller scale than rally, and requires good communication and teamwork between pilot and navigator. Software has been developed to enable the map and track of the plane to be seen online in real time, making it more spectator-friendly.
For more information go to the World Air Games website at https://www.wagdubai.ae/ under the Press Section you can view all the photos and videos. The opening and closing ceremonies were spectacular and worth watching.