The Latest

01/07/2008

Started the new engines today. Right one ran very smoothly, but the left one's fuel flow was down below 6 usg/h. So we'll set the fuel flow pressures and try again. Both alternators were also not showing a charge. Me thinks we connected them the wrong way round???!!! Hopefully we'll get that all set tomorrow and then I'll fly across to Rand Airport for Clive Cliffton to install the engine monitoring system. Oh, and on the mag issue...we did'nt have to replace the points they were ok! Better safe then at the bottom of the Atlantic!

26/06/2008

My fiance Tracy who will be flying right seat went solo today! She flew and landed with great prescision. The pattern was busy and she battled to get her radio calls in. Well done Tracy. So now I can sit back and read the news paper when we fly.

23/06/2008

The engines are in! But...... there's a Bulletin out that the points in the mags have to be changed..Yes these new ones!!! So we wait again for parts to change! So frustrating. Are we ever going to get going. Oh, we ran out of options for overhauling the CSU's. So we are in for R 40k to have them overhauled.....this hurts!

03/06/2008

Oooooohhhhh!!! We took off the CSU's and they are Woodward units. To have them overhauled R 20k each. That took my breath away. We didn't think they would be so much. Looking at other options.

03/06/2008

Motors are out! Engine mounts off to be sand blasted and crack checked.

02/06/2008

Hey...Hey...Hey..... THE MOTORS HAVE ARRIVED!!! Are they not things of beauty!! Ricky will start removing the old ones tomorrow. Anf that's me standing next to one of my new beauty's.

30/05/2008

Aircraft back from Clive Cliffton. New Nav/comm and HF radio fitted. Ordered the latest approach plates from Aerad and Jeppesen. Aircraft goes into Midrand Aircraft tomorrow for engine removal and...... Hey Hey Hey the factory reman engines from the USA arrive tomorrow at OR Tambo. Aircraft Engines and Accessories will have them delivered on Monday. The next step once the new engines have been fitted would be to put a couple of hours on them to get the temp's, pressures and fuel flows set. Then off to have the ferry tank fitted!

15/05/2008

Well a lot has happend since my last post. The most serious issue of all is that my son Bradley had a motorcycle accident on April 30th, broke his leg and landed up in ICU for ten days. This after a doctor miss diagnosed his injuries. He is now well on his way to recovery. Any one want a motorX bike??? So I'm going to have to delay our departure again. We will probley leave July 7th. The count clock has been reset.

21/04/2008

The Seneca went into Cliffton Electronic's today to have the HF radio and another Nav Comm fitted. It look like we will have to delay our departure to June 15th because of the late arrival of the engines. We just wont have enough time to fit them and put some hours on them before we leave. So I have reset the clock on this page for depature on June 15, 2008.

02/04/2008

Today in 2 months we depart from Lanseria and our first stop will be Ondangwa. The time just seems to be flying by, pun intended! Ordered the factory engines today through Aircraft Engines and Accessories. Peter Lastruccii managed to secure rate of R 8.03 to the US$. Delivery should be in early May. Cutting it a bit fine for departure on June 2nd!!!

21/03/2008

Knots2u mods are completed at last! The trim barrel has been ordered, and we are going to replace all the left hand cables, throttle, prop and mixture. They are very tight. The right hand side are perfect and were replaced a couple of years ago. Ferry tank has been delivered to Welco Air who will do the pressure test and the installation. Once out of the MPI the Seneca (Livern) will be off to Cliffton Electronics again to fit the HF radio and a King KX 165.

05/03/2008

Keeping an eye on fuel availability... It would appear now that we are going to have to change our route slightly up Africa. Originally we were going to fly from Ondangwa Namibia to Libreville. But Libreville don't keep stocks of AVGAS anymore. So, we'll fill the plane and fly through to the Island of Sao Tome instead of Libreville. Been to Libreville and if I don't have to go there I would rather go to Sao Tome. Sao Tome is off the coast of Africa at the same latitude as Libreville. There isn't any AVGAS there either, so we'll spend the night and then fly through to Accra in Ghana.Spend the night again and then fly through to Grand Canaria. A long leg of some 1621 nm.

29/02/2008

The Rand has gone to hell so I have postponed the placing of the order for the engines. Not sure how long I can wait for the Rand to recover a bit before I having to order. It's always been my luck to get nailed when it comes to forex!!

05/02/2008

The Seneca went in today for its MPI. Besides the MPI we are going to replace the right main gear trunnion with the new reinforced type. The left one has already been done, and we will look at how to do the plumbing for the ferry tank. I'm also going to remove the heater at the back. Dead weight were not going to use it! The next item will be the trim barrel bearings which a are a bit suspect. And finnish off the Knots 2U mods.

01/02/2008

This weekend we tested our emersion suits and life jackets. It brings back memories of my last trip with Monty. The suits are very hot and uncomfortable. Having to sit in them for up to 12 hours at a time. Click on the image to enlarge.

28/01/2008

With a tear in my eye and a very heavy heart, my beloved Piper Cherokee 235 ZS-DXI has been sold! I had the plane for 11 years and I have nearly 850 hours on type. She took Monty and I to Oshkosh and back. Across the mighty Atlantic Ocean twice. Towards the end I wasn't flying her because I was concentrating on the Seneca and this trip. She deserves to be in the air where she belongs!

Picture was taken at Santa Maria in the Azores. Click on the image to enlarge.

15/01/2008

New year has come and gone and we are almost at the end of January 2008. The time is just flying by, no pun inteneded. Now the maze of paper work to get the ferry tank modification for the Seneca to be approved.

20/12/2007

I thought I would test the capacity and fill the ferry tank with water. Well the capacity is correct but when we were draining it we found a small leak on one of the welds on the baffle plates. Fixed that, however in the new year I going to fill it again and leave it for 24 hours and see if there are anymore leaks.

12/12/2007

Hey hey... got the ferry tank back from fabrication. My goodness it's big!! Total capacity 206usg (780 liters) and useable 200usg. Now to have it fitted and to get the plumbing done.

10/12/2007

Putting the Knots 2 u speed and stall kits on the Seneca. I had these installed on the Cherokee for the flight to Oshkosh in 2003 and found them to be very good. However when installing flap hinge fairings on the right wing...every bolt had seized onto the bearing. So replaced all the flap hinge bearings on both wings. What a job and so frustrating!!!

04/12/2007

Starting to get quotes in for my engines that need overhauling. Not cheap!! Will probably go for factory remans. But gotta sell my Cherokee 235 first!

15/10/2007

Finalised the design of the ferry tank and it's now being fabricated by Aviation Rebuliders at Rand Airport. Many thanks to all those who helped me with my calculations etc.

01/10/2007

I have had my VHF and HF radio's, storm scope taken out of my beloved Cherokee 235 (ZS-DXI Dixie) and having them installed into my new bird Livern, a Seneca II (ZS-LVN). Clive and CJ from Cliffton Electronics doing a fine job there. You should have seen the mess under the instrument panel.....years and years of fiddling!!

01/06/2007

Went up to Zimbabwe to take part in the annual Zim Air Rally. What a lot of fun and we, and that's Monty Jeffreries and myself had. Came stone last.... but what a party and some good flying too!

19/04/2007

I have been doing a lot of planning for the route. Checking distances, fuel loads etc. And I think we have pretty much settled on the route.

23/10/2006

Well there has been quite a bit of interest. We look forward to speaking to you all and thank you for your support.

We'll keep you updated as to the progress of the adventure.