THIS CALENDAR HIGHLIGHT has been hosted from one end of South Africa to the other by enthusiastic flying clubs. In 2023 it was hosted by Middleburg in Mpumalanga and in 2022 by the Saldanha Flying Club in the south western Cape. This year it moved all the way the other extreme end of the country - to Louis Trichardt in the far north of Limpopo.
Floris and Bianca Prinsloo of the Soutpansberg Vliegklub rolled out the red carpet for the race competitors and organisers.
The opportunity was taken to give the civil airport a full makeover and competitors and the race organisers and marshals were welcomed with wonderful hospitality. Interestingly, the entrants were limited to just 40 - a long way down from the races of around ten years ago, which attracted over 100 entries. On the day, of the 39 aircraft that entered, three did not arrive, leaving 36 participants.
The excitement generated by the race was evident in the number of entries from the region where many farmers have their own aircraft. Three flying clubs - the Tzaneen based Letaba Club, Soutpansberg and even Sandton's Eagles Creek Flying Club contributed newbie entrants. Newbies Edri Vorster and Johan Pieterse from Tzaneen's Letaba Club took third place in their Cessna 172.
This story is from the June 2024 edition of SA Flyer Magazine.
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This story is from the June 2024 edition of SA Flyer Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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