VOORSITTERSBRIEF

2004 het ‘n verandering in die klubbestuur gesien. Dit het meegebring dat die jaar propvol aktiwiteite en verrassings was.  Die ledetal het met 14 gegroei tot 53 lede.  Nuwe lisensies sluit in 3 MPL, 12 PPL,  1 CPL en 2 HPPL.   4 MPL vlieëniers het hulle PPL’s verwerf.

Die klub se finansies het hierdie jaar ‘n hupstoot gekry, en ons kan met trots sê dat bykans al die lede se ledegelde opbetaal is.

Daar is enkele verbeterings by die klubgebou aangebring, waaronder die skadunetafdak, geskenk deur Alnet, KM Bolts en BEC.  Die speelpark vir die kinders is bykans voltooi, en die swembad spog met ‘n nuwe pomp en filter.  Die behoefte vir nuwe eetgerei in die klubhuis het ontstaan en daar is aangekoop vir 40 persone.    Ons is reeds besig met die drukwerk van sertifikate, sodat elke vlieënier wat sy lisensie verwerf het se sertifikaat in die klubhuis vertoon kan  word.

Op die vliegveld het ons ‘n elektroniese weerstasie gekry, wat per SMS akkurate weersomstadig-hede deurgee.  Die Stadsraad het na vele onderhandeling die groen lig gegee vir nuwe aanloopbaanligte en die opgradering van die gras ‘taxiway’.  Daar sal ook binnekort ‘n rooi lig op die koppie aangebring word.  Daar is hierdie jaar suksesvol gepoog om ‘n konstante beskik-baarheid van brandstof teen ‘n billike prys te voorsien.

 2004 se lugskou was die beste en grootste ooit.  Die sukses daarvan is te danke aan harde werk van ‘n handjievol klublede, waaronder ons vir Eddie Vorster wil uitsonder en bedank.  Ons sou graag meer van die lede in die toekoms betrokke wil sien, aangesien alle klublede daarby baat vind.

Ons het hierdie jaar 5 veiligheidsdae aangebied in samewerking met die vliegskool, wat goed bygewoon is deur die lede.  Saam met hierdie dae het ons pretvliegoefeninge (navigasie en presisielandings) aangebied wat ‘n fantastiese sportmangees onder die vlieëniers openbaar het. 

Siem tydens een van die klubdae

Ons het heelwat wegvliegaktiwiteite gehad, waaronder Phalaborwa, Hippo Pools, Tshipise, Nylstroom en ‘n nagvlug na Pietersburg.  Ons het ook die Defence Airshow bygewoon, asook Virginia Lugskou,  EAA Wonderboom en die Pietersburg Lugskou.

Van ons klublede het in die Presidentstrofee Lugwedren gevlieg, en ‘n paar was betrokke by die draaipunte.

Daar is heelwat nuwe vliegtuie in die klub, waaronder Carel Minnaar se C210 (ZS-PIX), Conrad Kruger se C210T (ZS-MOB), Theo van Zyl se Baron 58 (ZS-INW), Dicky Maritz se Tecnam (ZU-WOA) en die Cubby (ZU-CUB), Louis Visser met sy C150’s en C172, Ettiene Swanepoel se R44 en toe later ‘n nuwer R44, en Innus Oosthuyse se KIS (ZU-CJY).  OMJ het hierdie jaar nuwe verf, bekleedsel, enjin en lugskroef gekry.  MOB en CUU spog ook met nuwe verf en CMT is terug fabriek toe vir ‘n opgradering.

Ongelukkig het ons hierdie jaar ‘n groot vriend en entoesiastiese medevlieënier in ‘n vliegongeluk verloor.  Frikkie Heinemann was ‘n baie aktiewe klublid en is in Julie oorlede.  Ons sal hom altyd onthou en sy teenwoordigheid en sy humorsin mis.

Ek wil graag vir Willie, ons klub sekretaris bedank vir sy harde werk met die finansies, webwerf en die uitstekende nuusbrief.

Ek wil graag al die lede ‘n geseënde Kerstydperk en voorspoedige nuwe jaar  toewens.

Dicky Maritz

BELANGRIKE DATUMS

25 Junie 2005 – Lugskou

WEERSTASIE NUUS

Die outomatiese weerstasie  is opgegradeer en werk nou vir Mtn, Vodacom en Cell C.  Die nommer het ook verander na 36995 vir al die netwerke.  Stuur ‘n sms met ‘FATZ’ as inhoud na 36995 en die weerstasie sal die huidige weersituasie in Tzaneen vir jou terug sms.  Daar is weerstasies by Lanseria (FALA), Microland by Bapsfontein (MICR), Circus vliegveld   (MLCI) en Tzaneen.  Besoek  gerus www.realti.co.za  vir meer inligting.

HUMOR

ZS-EKH: "Wonderboom tower, ZS-EKH, student pilot, I am out of fuel." 
Wonderboom Tower: "EKH, reduce airspeed to best glide!! Do you have the airfield in sight?!?!!"
ZS-EKH: "Uh...tower, I am on the apron; I just want to know where the fuel bay is."

WHEN SANTA CAME TO TOWN

T’was the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,
Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ.
The aircraft were fastened to tie downs with care
in hopes that come morning, they all still be there.

The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots,
while peak gusts from three two zero reached 39 knots.
When over the radio, there arose such a clatter,
I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter.

A voice clearly heard over static and snow,
asked for clearance to land at the airport below.
He barked out his transmission so lively and quick,
I could have sworn that the call sign he used was "St.Nick".

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Sure that it was only Horizon's late Dash.
Then he called his position, there could be no denial,
"This is St. Nicholas and I'm turning on final."

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
A Rutan sleigh, and eight Reindeer.
Cleared for the landing down the glide slope he came,
As he passed all fixes, he called them by name:

"Now Ringo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun!
On Comet! On Cupid! "What pills was he takin'?
Those last couple of fixes left the controllers confused,
they called down to the office to give me the news.
The message they left was both urgent and dour:
"When Santa lands, could he please call the tower?"

He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking,
Then I heard "Exit at Charlie," and "Taxi to parking."
He slowed to a taxi and exited Three-Two,
as he came down the taxiway the sleigh bells' jingle grew.

He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk,
I ran out to him with my best set of chocks.
He was dressed all in fur, which was covered with frost
and his beard was all browned from  Reindeer exhaust.

His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale
and he puffed on a pipe, but he didn't inhale.
His cheeks were rosy and jiggled like jelly,
His boots were as black as a crop dusters belly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old fool,
and he kindly informed me that he needed some fuel.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his toes,
led me to know he was desperate to powder his nose.

I spoke not a word, but went straight to work,
and I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk.
He came out of the restroom with a sigh of relief,
and then picked up a phone for a flight service brief.

And I thought as he silently scribed in his log,
that with Rudolph, he could land in eighth-mile fog.
Next, he completed his preflight, from the front to the rear,
then he put on his headset, and I heard him yell "Clear!"

And laying a finger on his push-to-talk,
He called up the tower for his clearance and squawk.
"After departure fly heading three two zero," the tower called forth,
"and watch for a Luscombe inbound from the North."

Then I heard him exclaim, 'ere he climbed in the night,
Merry Christmas to all, I have traffic in sight...