It’s ‘like turning a hair dryer on yourself’ – soaring through the skies in a vintage aeroplane with an open cockpit

10 December 2016 - 13:20 By Roxanne Henderson
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Soaring through the sky in a vintage aeroplane with an open cockpit is like turning a hair dryer on yourself – difficult to breathe in the gusty wind – but the stunning views and the sound and sensation of its engine roaring in motion are worth having to take in air in big gulps.

The Vintage Air Rally is approaching South Africa where aviators‚ flying planes built mostly in the 1920s and 1930s‚ will complete its Crete2Cape edition.

To give TMG Digital an idea of what it is like to fly an old aircraft‚ Alan Evan-Hanes of the Johannesburg Light Plane Club (JLPC) took us up in his 1963 Piper Super Cub.

Flying in the two-seater plane on Friday morning gave me a glimpse of the discomfort the rally's aviators have endured on their journey. The flying crews travel for at least three hours on most days‚ covered in oil‚ the sun beating down on them‚ their cheeks flapping in the wind. The Tiger Moth planes some of the aviators are flying are a tight squeeze and the cockpit is entirely exposed.

Battling the wind for less than half an hour in the relative comfort of the newer Piper Super Cub left my face tingling and ears ringing. Being caught in this sensation for the 35-day duration of the journey must be taxing‚ but as a first-time vintage aircraft passenger I was too excited to truly empathise.

Climbing into the narrow cockpit requires some crafty manoeuvring but inside the aircraft's interior is a feast for the eyes. There are knobs‚ gauges and levers everywhere.

Evan-Hanes does a safety brief‚ strapping me in‚ before preparing for take-off. He had done a safety inspection on the plane in the hangar earlier.

Taxiing to the runway‚ he stops one last time for a final safety check. “This is your last chance to decide if you want to fly. You would rather discover a problem while still on the ground‚” he says.

Once cleared for safety‚ the light plane is quickly off the ground from the Baragwanath Airfield in Westonaria‚ Gauteng.

Flying at about 50m above the ground‚ the terrain below can be seen in significant detail. Cows graze on nearby farms and a cluster of trees growing inside a sink-hole is clearly visible.

We climbed higher at my request‚ soaring at 300m above the ground. Goose bumps begin to form on my forearms in the chilly air. When the light plane jerks in the wind my stomach somersaults.

Evan-Hanes is a knowledgeable guide. He flies the plane over ruins estimated to be about 1‚500 years old.

“Just over that ridge is where Mahatma Gandhi lived‚” he says referring to Tolstoy Farm‚ with Lenasia and Lawley sitting in the distance.

When it is time to return to the airfield I'm slightly disappointed – I wasn't ready for the sensation to end.

Before landing‚ Evan-Hanes asks me to tug at my seatbelt one last time to ensure I am safely strapped in. We touch down with a gentle bounce. “We usually land on one wheel‚” he says.

Back in the hangar‚ he asks me to write in a message book in which he collects the experiences of all his passengers. He will read them when he retires from his aviation hobby.

The JLPC has been in operation since 1919. Today it has about 100 members and 70 aircraft. Membership costs R750 per year‚ of which R300 pays for restaurant vouchers.

“It's open to everybody‚ we are looking for members who are aviation enthusiasts‚” Evan-Hanes says‚ explaining that the sport is struggling to attract new members.

“The problem with aviation has always been that you need an aeroplane and an aeroplane has always needed to be a safe aeroplane. Some of our members manage to get safe aeroplanes‚ two-seaters that are quite capable‚ for about R150‚000. Others are significantly above that.

“The cheapest aeroplane you'd buy would be about 40 years old. We would still regard that as new. The cheapest new aeroplane is in the region of R3-million.”

Evan-Hanes restored his Piper Super Cub himself‚ down to the last nut and bolt‚ with his pilot brother over 20 years. Parts were difficult to source before the internet‚ he says.

In our debriefing talk he again speaks of the importance of safety in flight‚ sitting under a sign that reads: “Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea‚ it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness‚ incapacity or neglect.”

On Monday the Vintage Air Rally will pass through Lanseria Airport before flying to Baragwanath Airfield.

It will complete its journey on December 17 in Cape Town.

 

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