Flying at Last

Thankfully the weather has been kinder to us this week and we have been able to make a good stab at catching up with our flying hours. Unlike most other scholars, I wasn’t looking forward to my ‘spinning’ lesson. I thought stalling was bad enough, but spinning nose down towards the earth at a frightening speed, made the stalling experience seem like a walk in the park!! Incredibly I survived and have spent the last few days doing ‘touch and go circuits’ and having great fun.

The runways needed time to dry out so we went to another airfield about 20 mins from here and practiced taking off – flying in a square - and touching the wheels back on the runway before taking off again. The first time I swear I didn’t breath for the first half hour – and my throat was completely dry, not only do you have to remember all the flight controls, and make radio announcements but also have to keep a keen eye out for other students doing the same thing. The idea is that you keep doing circuits until the instructor feels can do them on your own and then fly solo. Today was my third lesson and now I am much calmer about the whole experience. A few more hours and I shall be able to cope without instruction. I can already manage to take off – but my landings are still a bit wobbly. I also managed to navigatetoo and from the airfield without getting lost. I wish it was that easy in a car.

On Saturday Kath wanted to celebrate a wonderful milestone. It was the 10th anniversary of her surgery to have a tumour removed from her spine and despite predictions to the contrary, it has not come back. We organised a chocolate cake and 10 candles for lunch and went out to a French Restaurant in the evening with some of the other students. We had a great time, and I ate springbok – which tasted like a cross between veal and lamb, and crocodile, which was very fishy and had a strange texture. I don’t think I would order either one again, but I’m glad I tried them.

Ground school has been very interesting, we have learnt about navigation, how to plan a flight and how an engine works. I always knew that a car (and plane) used an ‘internal combustion engine’ but didn’t know that the term for steam engines was an ‘external combustion engine’. (There is a point to this story) I also found out that the first cars used steam engines – the first, the ‘Stanley Steamer’ I have seen. In the lobby of the Stanley Hotel in Colorado where I was married.

We are studying Meteorology this week, and today I finally understood why the water went round the wrong way down the plughole in the sink!! I also learnt some really bad news, that behind every warm front that arrives at Port Alfred, a cold front is waiting to bring us more wet and windy weather. And I came to South Africa thinking it would be sunny!

The big news of the day is that Paul, another FSD scholar took his solo flight this morning. It was kept very quiet, he only knew himself when his instructor told him to land and got out! We were studying in our bedrooms and got the news from the cook (how he knew is a mystery) so we made a mad dash, grabbing our cameras to see him land. There were lots of congratulations, big smiles and photo opportunities. The tradition is that after a first solo flight the candidate is carried over to the pool, and they are not allowed to touch the ground until they get a ducking. I have never seen him with such a huge smile. It made me realise what a wonderful thing the FDS charity is.

We all celebrated in the Bar tonight - and Paul, even after struggling out of a very wet flying suite still had his smile.

He is the first one of us to achieve a solo flight, we think that Kath will be next, Martine has still to be cleared medically and I have already been turned down. The whole event made me realise what a narrow escape I had. Not being able to fly solo means no ducking in the freezing cold pool – what a shame ( I don’t think!!)


I am really enjoying my experience; it’s so totally different than anything I have ever done before. When I found out three years ago that I had this illness, I thought that my foreseeable future would be very bleak, now look at me – I’m flying an aircraft in South Africa. Never in my wildest dreams would I have predicted this future.

Although, I do appreciate that my happiness is at the expense of my family, who I miss dreadfully. My husband and I talk every night but I know he hates being on his own and my Grandson started school on Monday for the first time. I am beginning to feel a very long way from home. I think I will be extremely glad to get back to them, and to central heating, windows without drafts and my husband’s wonderful cooking.

But before that I want to learn how to land, fly cross country and get to see something of this beautiful country.