The 15th Rand Airport Challenge 2019
The SAPFA Committee, particularly Rob Jonkers and Mary de Klerk, who organised a very thorough workshop recently on Rally Flying, saw their efforts bear fruit at the annual Rand Airport Challenge, when a record eight teams took part in the Intermediate form of the sport.
The SAPFA Committee, particularly Rob Jonkers and Mary de Klerk, who organised a very thorough workshop recently on Rally Flying, saw their efforts bear fruit at the annual Rand Airport Challenge, when a record eight teams took part in the Intermediate form of the sport. In previous years most participants preferred to stick to the simplest and easiest form which is the Fun Rally, but this year pilots and navigators were encouraged to enter the more difficult category. The reason for this upgrade was to elevate the teams’ skills levels, so that they can participate at national level, thereby building up a new breed of South African champion rally pilots and navigators.
The navigators and pilots in the Intermediate category had one hour to plot the entire route and had to do so in the cockpit, which was a first for most of them. They also had far more photo targets to identify and these were mixed up instead of being sequential and only one per leg. The pilots had only a five second window to get through each turn-point, instead of 15 seconds for the fun entrants of the rally.
My husband Frank and I gave the pilots the task of flying an arc, which is a curved track between two turn-points and a follow-the-feature where they have to fly along a road, river or railway line. Every pilot flew the arc perfectly and really enjoyed the challenge. The route took them south from Rand Airport, around Suikerbosrand to Heidelberg, then down to two turn points on the banks of the Vaal Dam and back again near Vereeniging to the Finish Point at Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve.
Rand Airport, which sponsors the Rand Airport Challenge Trophy, also waived landing fees on the days for the participants. The Intermediate trophy was won by the defending team of Shane Brits and Karen Stroud who have put a great deal of effort into the sport.