By Garth Calitz

On a particularly rainy Saturday, November 25, Springs Flying Club, in collaboration with The South African Power Flight Association, organized a navigation rally. Pilots from Baragwanath, Eagles Creek, Rhino Park, Kitty Hawk, and Brits responded to the invitation. Unfortunately, the weather conditions prevented members from Ermelo, the reigning club champions, from traveling to Springs to defend their title.

Fun Rallies are gaining popularity among the broader flying community and act as a testing ground for promising teams that wish to advance from the "Fun" category to the "Unlimited" level, with the potential to compete internationally.

Jonty Esser, the Chairman of SAPFA, has implemented training courses on the evening before the Rallies. The significantly improved results achieved by competitors since the program's inception clearly indicate its success.

Saturday morning came, and the weather initially appeared favorable, with a high cloud base and occasional patches of rain. Everything was set to proceed, as usual, with pilots having the final say on whether to take off. Following a delightful breakfast sponsored by Springs Flying Club, the briefing commenced, and the final review of the route maps was conducted.

The Unlimited class did not have the privilege of planning their route in advance, as they receive their papers only 40 minutes before take-off and must complete all their planning within the limited space of the aircraft cockpit.

The three unlimited entrants were the first to take off, and soon after they ascended into the gray East Rand, the weather began to change, with light rain beginning to fall.

The start of the rain instantly disqualified competitors using aircraft with wooden propellers, as the rain would cause significant damage to them.

Even as conditions deteriorated, seven out of the nine teams managed to take off. Unfortunately, the situation did not get better, prompting three teams to end their efforts for the day as the cloud base lowered and rain persisted. Meanwhile, two teams returned to their home base as the weather around Springs rapidly worsened.

Jonty put together a highly challenging route task list for the unlimited teams, which Mary de Klerk described as a “monkey puzzle” after the event. The on-route photo recognition was also mixed up, adding to the difficulty of identifying the ground features. Competitions of this caliber keep the top teams alert and prepare them well for international contests.

The competition also included a spot landing upon returning to Springs. Unfortunately, some teams had to land in heavy rain. Two perfect Bingos were achieved by the unlimited competitors, and one was recorded in the fun class.

Following a welcoming cup of coffee at the clubhouse and an eager wait for the results, Jonty commenced the prize-giving ceremony, starting with the unlimited category results. Rob Jonkers and Martin Meyer claimed the top spot with an impressive score of 288. Rob and Martin are based at Kitty Hawk.

In second place were Thys van der Merwe and Mary de Klerk, achieving a commendable score of 769.

The third position was secured by the husband and wife duo, Frank and Cally Eckard, who achieved a score of 953. All the teams in the unlimited class were flying Cessna aircraft, specifically two C172s and a C150.

Johan van Eeden and Cor Esterhuizen, flying an RV7A, claimed victory in the Fun class with an impressive score of 62. They were encouraged to participate in the unlimited class for the next rally.

James and Nicola du Preez, another team from Springs, secured second place while competing in a Sling 2, performing admirably with a score of 512.

To leave no doubt about which team won the call-out challenge, David Ross and James Braid, also from Springs, secured third place in another Sling 2 with a score of 837.

The Call Out Club Rally was a tremendous success, and gratitude is owed to Jonty, as organizing such an event requires countless hours of planning. Thanks also go to the sponsors: Multi Metal – Springs, Delmas Drum, Interactive Trading – Wadeville, Eric Addison, Johan van Eeden, Cor Esterhuyzen, Gavin Edwards, and, of course, the gracious hosts, the Springs Flying Club. We also appreciate all the competitors who participated despite the unfavorable weather conditions.

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