Flying Adventures in Southern
Africa
 If
you're into flying, you'll find that - in South Africa - the sky's the
limit. That's because we don't offer rocket flights out into space, but
that's about all we don't do.
South Africa is one of the
few places in the world, where you can ride as a passenger in a supersonic
military jet - either in Cape Town
or near Sun City. There are hot air balloon
trips near Johannesburg,
near Hazyview in Mpumalanga,
near Oudtshoorn
in the Little Karoo, in
the desert in Namibia
and - in summer only - in the Western Cape's
Winelands.
 There
are scenic flights in most places along the coast - in either fixed wing
planes, helicopters or microlights. For a real whirl, though, you could
watch your stomach do flick-flacks from the seat of an aerobatic plane
in a number of centres, including Cape Town and the Garden
Route. Air transfers can be more than just transport - most game
lodges have landing strips and flying in is one way to ensure you see your
chosen destination from every possible angle. The Mozambique
islands in the Bazaruto
Archipelago also offer scenic transfers. One of the most flown
over places in Africa has got to be Victoria
Falls. You can do a helicopter flip or a microlight flight over
the falls, which are absolutely spectacular from the air. The gliding in
South Africa is great, with immense thermals in the warm, flat interior
- particularly in summer - and good wave and ridge soaring near the coast.
You could learn to glide at one of the many clubs, or just do a scenic
trip in a glider. Bitterwasser in Namibia
and Gariep Dam in the Free State
are two awesome destinations where international glider pilots often spend
the summer doing long cross country flights or setting personal records.
If you want to learn to fly,
South Africa is the place to do it. With the favourable exchange rate,
you could fly here (as a passenger in a Boeing), spend a month doing your
PPL full time, have a week's holiday on the beach or in the bush, and fly
home and still spend less than you would on just the flying lessons in
either Europe or North America. There are full time residential flying
schools in Port Alfred and Port
Elizabeth, both in the Eastern
Cape, as well as more standard flying schools in most of the other
major centres. |
