58
GA
/ Vol. 5 / No.9 / SEPTEMBER 2013
U
lundi Airport is an airport
serving the towns of Ulundi,
Nongoma and Melmoth in
the Zululand Municipal District of
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Its of-
ficial name is the Prince Mangosuthu
Buthelezi Airport. The airport has
a fully staffed and equipped rescue
and fire department is on site and
is qualified to operate at category
4 5 levels. The Airport Precinct has
extensive terminal facilities, hangar
space, land for development, parking
for aircraft and automobiles, a fuel
depot, hangar space and a fully op-
erational radio navigational approach
system.
The Ulundi airport was built
as an international gateway to the
Zulu kingdom and its main runway
can accommodate B737 airliners.
We were flown up for the opening
of the race by kind favour of Federal
Air on ZS OJC being one of their
Cessna 208 caravans piloted by the
A team of Luke Rattray and Jon van
Duyn .The Kzn weather had not been
kind and it rained all night on the
Thursday and was still raining when
I left Dbn bound for my flight ex
PMB. Justin Scott and his marketing
team had done a good job and there
were entrants for the race. Well done
to Capital Sounds Brian Emmenis,
Air Teams Chris Briers and the rest
of the outstanding organizing team
on continuing to facilitate the Kzn
winter air tours main aim namely to
bring aviation to the people. Also the
Province too for backing it.I had a
chat to MEC Ina Cronje on the flight
back to PMB and one things for sure
she is happy and the Kzn winter air
tour is here to stay. Aviation brought
to the people mission accomplished!
The course took Competitors
to Pongola. Ladysmith, Ixopo,
Scottburgh, Amamzimtoti and the
Durban and Umhlanga beachfronts.
I also had a chat to Federal Airs
director of special operations Carl
Trieloff a competitor in the race of
champions about Fed Airs tax shuttle
operation in Kzn. They already
operate daily flight between Virginia
PMB and Ulundi .Chantelle Hickley,
Director of base operation in PMB
and Ulundi and the person responsible
for my flying arrangements pulled it
off as usual and was there along with
husband Pierre in support of Fed
Airs operations. They are looking
at some new routes which may
include Margate which is exciting
news for South Coast residents.
A very nice touch o the part of
the organizers was that they arranged
for video presentation and lectures for
aspiring young aviators in a specially
erected tent in front of the tower. Fed
Aor also took these people for flips
and allowed them to accompany the
pilots in the race in the Caravan for
a navigation excercise seeing and
the C208 being turbine powered
was not in the race itself.
In charge of safety of the
event was the very experienced
Francois ("hosepipe" ) Hanekom
and he did well ably assisted
by director John Neilon.
The Race was the biggest ever
air sport sponsorship in SA. The
competitor's race fuel was be covered
and the entry fee was R2000. In
addition there were huge attractions
and activities around the air race.
When foul weather caused the
postponement of racing on day 1
the organizers speedily thinking
out of the square arranged a great
spot landing competition which
endured for some 4 hours and
was really exciting and kept all
competitors on their toes despite
the freezing cold and rain.
King Goodwill arrived amongst
much fanfare in the middle of Friday
in his HS 125 800 ZS CAG and duly
disembarked duly saluted by a troop
of suitably attired Zulu dancers. I
went on board and got some shots
an impressive machine indeed.
Ladies
Since its first race in 2007, it is the
women who seems to have that fine
balance between speed and pinpoint
navigational skills down to a T at the
Race of Champions, as this two-day
handicap air event has seen two
female pilots taking the top honours,
compared to the only male winner
so far, 2011 champion Rudi Marx.
Two of the Durban Wings
Club's top female pilots, Mary
de Klerk and Arddyn Moolman,
have previously taken home the
Champions Trophy. De Klerk's
superb flying at the 2007 Race
of Champions will not only
go down as one of the finest
performances yet, but she also
holds the honour of being the first
winner of the very popular air race.
Moolman followed up De Klerk's
remarkable win by flying her
Cessna 172 to victory a year later
at the 2008 Race of Champions
that was held in Tzaneen.
Both of these super female
champion pilots were in action
and Mary won the spot landing
competition held on Friday as the
weather with a low cloud base was
not suitable for the actual race.
Top pic: Short finals Ulun-
dis runway 05 in the Fed Air
Caravan
Left: Oh so close for this
Cessna 206.
Below: