Saturday 3rd October on the Highveld dawned with excellent weather prospects, no rain forecasted and no wind, a real perfect day out for flying, especially for rally pilots. Teams started to arrive before 8 am, with the competition directors Rob Jonkers and Martin Meyer setting up the maps and route packs at the Harvard Café function room.

Competitors
Competitors

A total of 9 teams entered, 7 in the Fun class and 2 in the Open class, with 2 novice teams having entered for the first time. The Grand Central Rally is hosted as a yearly event by Superior Pilot Services, with the aim of promoting precision and sport flying to budding students as a skills building exercise.

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By Mike Wright

SAPFA designed a Flying Competition to introduce Pilots and Navigators to the exciting world of Competition Flying and thereby improve their general flying skills.

The competition is loosely based on the FAI Rally and Precision competitions but with many of the complications removed.

As this competition is designed for the new comer, those pilots who have already obtained Provincial or National Colours assist the newcomers with their preparation or to compete as Navigators. Pilots with Provincial or National Colours compete in a separate open class.

Competitors
Competitors

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By Francois and Caroline Marais

It was an exciting day at the Bethlehem Airfield on Saturday 29 August 2015 when the Bethlehem Aero Club hosted another fun Navigation Rally in conjunction with The South African Power Flying Association (SAPFA). The rally was organised by Martin Meyer and Rob Jonkers who did a sterling job preparing the flight maps, photographs and everything else needed. Frank Eckard, who had organized more rallies than he cares to remember, was present in an advisory position.

14 teams entered the event – 3 from Harrismith, 1 from Springs, 1 from Reitz, 1 from Brits and 8 Bethlehem residents.

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Thys van der Merwe did not have a navigator and a local aviation enthusiast (Martin Nagel) was asked to join him as navigator – what an experience for somebody that came as an spectator to end up as an navigator!

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