Author Topic: My African Dream (Read 224116 times)

Sardine · « **Reply #1260 on:** October 16, 2019, 05:42:28 am »

Story is one page back

Thursday
6am pre-flight.

Moody clouds.

Sardine · « **Reply #1261 on:** October 16, 2019, 05:44:49 am »

Friday
A new day dawns.

SUPing

Great end to a great day.

Sardine · « **Reply #1262 on:** October 16, 2019, 05:46:41 am »

Saturday

Morning walkies.

Trying to get artsy.

Sardine · « **Reply #1263 on:** October 16, 2019, 05:49:08 am »

Sunday

Moody clouds

Yummy food

Stunning afternoon

Sardine · « **Reply #1264 on:** October 16, 2019, 05:51:17 am »

Monday

Moon-set

Sunrise

Sardine · « **Reply #1265 on:** October 16, 2019, 05:52:11 am »

Tuesday

Shongololo

TeeJay · « **Reply #1266 on:** October 16, 2019, 05:59:58 am »

You're living now eh

Bike_Buddies · « **Reply #1267 on:** October 16, 2019, 07:53:55 am »

@Sardine

Do you work and charter for the Kwandwe Reserve itself ?

Sardine · « **Reply #1268 on:** October 16, 2019, 08:23:04 am »

Quote from: Bike_Buddies on October 16, 2019, 07:53:55 am

@Sardine

Do you work and charter for the Kwandwe Reserve itself ?

Hi @Bike_Buddies,
Nope.
The aircraft is owned by someone, Absolute Flight Services manages it, and they have an agreement with Kwandwe to do the passenger transfers. So I am employed by the Absolute Aviation Group.
So if someone wanted to charter the aircraft, they could in theory. But Kwandwe is the main client so everything would need to fit in with their times.

Bike_Buddies · « **Reply #1269 on:** October 16, 2019, 08:31:26 am »

ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS · « **Reply #1270 on:** October 16, 2019, 11:38:54 am »

Heather how much fuel does your new plane burn per hour?

Sardine · « **Reply #1271 on:** October 16, 2019, 12:31:18 pm »

Quote from: ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS on October 16, 2019, 11:38:54 am

Heather how much fuel does your new plane burn per hour?

Hi @ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS ,

We work on about 400lbs/hr, 240l.
The higher we go, and the longer the legs, the better the fuel burn.

Right now we use about 200-250lbs on a 30min hop, climbing from sea level to 9000ft.

And our speed in the cruise is about 160-170kts (about 300km/h).

Ri · « **Reply #1272 on:** October 16, 2019, 05:31:24 pm »

Fantastic holiday story, glad you got such a lovely break. Is it still considered SUP'ing if one is on one's knees?

Sardine · « **Reply #1273 on:** October 16, 2019, 07:33:56 pm »

Quote from: Ri on October 16, 2019, 05:31:24 pm

Fantastic holiday story, glad you got such a lovely break. Is it still considered SUP'ing if one is on one's knees?

Thank you

Good question! KUP'ing?
Kudo's to my sister though - her first time on a SUP! She even managed to ram me off of mine.

silvrav · « **Reply #1274 on:** October 17, 2019, 01:01:36 am »

Done at 07h20 but can only rinse at 10h00? Does it take that long for the engine to cool down?

Mr Zog · « **Reply #1275 on:** October 17, 2019, 01:25:38 am »

Quote from: silvrav on October 17, 2019, 01:01:36 am

Done at 07h20 but can only rinse at 10h00? Does it take that long for the engine to cool down?

I'll butt in here, I used to work for the SAAF and did stuff like that

Short answer is yes, it takes a long time to cool down.

Longer answer would go into stuff like the seals that have to be at the correct temp or they could let water into places you don't want water etc. The temps that the gas turbine engines run at are very high, I dunno what the exact temps on Sardine's plane are, but I remember that the engine on the Alo III would run deep in the 400 deg C. The compressor is usually cooler, the turbine is much hotter, but washing the compressor means that water will also pass through the turbine. Turbines can get moerofa hot, and it's ok to fly through rain, but a compressor wash is done without the engine lit, so getting cold water onto hot turbine blades and seals etc could cause minute little stress cracks which will let go when you are up in the air with devastating results.

silvrav · « **Reply #1276 on:** October 17, 2019, 01:51:34 am »

Quote from: Mr Zog on October 17, 2019, 01:25:38 am

Quote from: silvrav on October 17, 2019, 01:01:36 am
Done at 07h20 but can only rinse at 10h00? Does it take that long for the engine to cool down?

I'll butt in here, I used to work for the SAAF and did stuff like that

Short answer is yes, it takes a long time to cool down.

Longer answer would go into stuff like the seals that have to be at the correct temp or they could let water into places you don't want water etc. The temps that the gas turbine engines run at are very high, I dunno what the exact temps on Sardine's plane are, but I remember that the engine on the Alo III would run deep in the 400 deg C. The compressor is usually cooler, the turbine is much hotter, but washing the compressor means that water will also pass through the turbine. Turbines can get moerofa hot, and it's ok to fly through rain, but a compressor wash is done without the engine lit, so getting cold water onto hot turbine blades and seals etc could cause minute little stress cracks which will let go when you are up in the air with devastating results.

Thanks Mr Zog. Thinking about it more I realise 2.5hours isnt actually that long

EssBee · « **Reply #1277 on:** October 17, 2019, 01:11:16 pm »

All very interesting!!!

Sardine · « **Reply #1278 on:** October 17, 2019, 01:22:36 pm »

Quote from: silvrav on October 17, 2019, 01:51:34 am

Quote from: Mr Zog on October 17, 2019, 01:25:38 am
Quote from: silvrav on October 17, 2019, 01:01:36 am
Done at 07h20 but can only rinse at 10h00? Does it take that long for the engine to cool down?

I'll butt in here, I used to work for the SAAF and did stuff like that

Short answer is yes, it takes a long time to cool down.

Longer answer would go into stuff like the seals that have to be at the correct temp or they could let water into places you don't want water etc. The temps that the gas turbine engines run at are very high, I dunno what the exact temps on Sardine's plane are, but I remember that the engine on the Alo III would run deep in the 400 deg C. The compressor is usually cooler, the turbine is much hotter, but washing the compressor means that water will also pass through the turbine. Turbines can get moerofa hot, and it's ok to fly through rain, but a compressor wash is done without the engine lit, so getting cold water onto hot turbine blades and seals etc could cause minute little stress cracks which will let go when you are up in the air with devastating results.

Thanks Mr Zog. Thinking about it more I realise 2.5hours isnt actually that long

Gary has hit the nail on the head.

At idle, the ITT (inter turbine temperature- between the power and compressor turbines) sits at about 580degC on a cool (23ish) day at sea level. It has a maximum idle ITT of 700degC.

On take off it can go up to a maximum of 850degC.

So in 2.5hrs it cooled down to about 50degC.

Sardine · « **Reply #1279 on:** October 17, 2019, 01:37:59 pm »

Fortunately I had enough forethought to check the weather yesterday. It was forecast to hit 39 today.
So I scrapped my plan of going for a hike, and asked Edgy if I could borrow his XRrrrrrr. He very kindly said I could take it for the day.

When my alarm went off at 05:30 it was already hot. I laced up and went for a run. Yesterday I went cycling and discovered all sorts of fun tracks and paths, so today I explored a little more on foot. I surprised myself by doing 9km. It was hot and tough and the furthest I have run since the marathon.

By 08:30 it was 32 degrees.

I picked up the XR at 10:00. Andre managed to get it ever so slightly lower. I felt a little better having ridden it briefly the other day. I still flailed around like a fish out of water when I didn’t plan which foot to put down first when I stopped to chuck go-go juice in.

And then I was off. Sweet winding tarmac to Bathurst. It was like being blasted by a hairdryer, but it was good to be on a bike. The closer I got to Bathurst, the hotter it got.
I had to stand every few km to get my sweaty jeans to dry. Yuck!

I pulled in to The Pink Lady Milkshake Parlor, strategically parking so that I could dismount with minimal flailing.
I was going to have a coffee but the sound of a fresh strawberry milkshake was just too appealing!

So I took 30 minutes to relax and read and sip my pink drink.

Then it was back on to the beast and into the hairdryer.
I was going to take a different route back but it all looked like gravel and I don’t know the area, so I stuck to the tar.

Nothing like a R200 milkshake

So, XR impressions. I find it a little smoother than the DR, and the seat is much more comfortable! I just need to make sure to plan my stops carefully and I should be fine.