Africa Namibia

Well this was my 2nd long RV trip. Cross the South African Borders to Namibia, a land of many contrast, big watery swamps, to salt lakes, to huge fresh water lakes and then barren desserts.

Executive Summary:
Here is the Google Earth Route File, for your Google Earth viewing pleasure
http://www.rudigreyling.com/pictures/rv7_namib_2009/google_earth_route.kmz

Here is a picture of our anticipated route.


Day 1 (17 May): Home -> FAPN (Pilansberg) -> FYKM (Katima Mulilo): Stay 2 nights and refuel

Day 3 (19 May): FYKM (Katima Mulilo) -> FYTM (Tsumeb) Refuel -> FYMO (Mokuti): Stay 2 nights

Day 5 (21 May): FYMO (Mokuti) -> Scenic route -> FYSM (Swakop): Stay 2 nights and refuel

Day 7 (23 May): FYSM (Swakop) -> FYWE (Aeros) Refuel -> GBV -> FAPN (Pilansburg) -> Home

For those that are interested can see our tracks, via Cell phone GPS tracker, it is FREE. Isn?t technology great?
http://www.vfrplanner.org/app/nav/tracker/index.htm
Then click on VFR TRACKER MAP.

You need to register to see the tracks?look out for the RV7 tracks from the 17th of May onwards.


Total Distance Travel: 2500 sm / 4000 km, with +/- 16 Hours of flying.
Weather played along, blue skies, no thunder storms, no dust storms, and the coastal fog stayed away from the airfields.

This is my first time in Namibia and it was splendid. The great untouched country. Sometimes while flying you look and can?t see signs of civilization, you are glad your backup buddy is sitting somewhere on your wingtip loose formation.

Below are a couple of pictures and write-ups of trip day 1 & 2

DESTINATION 1: CAPRIVI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caprivi_Region

The Caprivi is a heavily tropical area, with high temperatures and much rainfall during the December-to-March rainy season, making it the wettest region of Namibia. The terrain is mostly made up of swamps, floodplains, wetland, and woodland.

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My wife and I set of early from FASI to meet up wing wingman at FAPN to clear customs and fill up.

Anxiously ready for the trip:


Another Kimberly hole somewhere over Botswana. Civilization gets sparse pretty quickly over Botswana, just the mines bring some activity


Over the Makgadigadi Salt Pans:



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Then suddenly lots of water in the Caprivi:


The Katima Mulilo airport in the middle of almost no-where.


We waited for 2 hours for customs, ?No Transport? and eventually our host drove us to the border to clear customs. We stayed over for a small company specializing in Zambezi house boat/fishing trips.
Their Base Camp on the river:


The next day we went out on a river cruise:
No not this type of boat?


?but this type:


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When sunset approached the skipper chose a white sandy island and we parked for the night, sleeping in the tents on top of the boat, not another human soul, light or sound around.


The next morning we were woken by a beautiful sunrise:


?and a Zambezi Island Breakfast.


Some FLIGHT DATA:
Trip Time for the longest leg this time: FAPN ? FYKM : Flight time 3H41, 87.5 liters fuel used, Distance 565sm/906km, FL085, Lots of headwind.
Notes: My wingman, runs a carbureted RV, so he can?t go lean of peak and not balls to the wall either otherwise his fuel burn goes through the roof, so I back off a bit so we can stay in loose formation as backup for each other over this barren areas.
NB: We were very dissapointed with the Katima Customs delays and the hefty fuel price (+/- R16 / liter) and fuel levy charges (+ VAT + Call out + Credit Card Fees) at Katima, Note to others plan only to use it for small fuel top-ups or avoid.


DAY 3,4 to follow soon...

This is so cool! It's the stuff we only get to see on the Discovery Channel over here in the USA. Thanks for sharing!

Vic

Beautiful country Rudi - looks like a good place to carry a PLB! I love the river trip - that looks soul-satisfying....

Great trip! I am so frustrated sitting here behind my desk this week while we are experiencing good flying weather for the first time in months..... But this is inspirational, thank you.

TODR

Thanks for the report! I don't know why my friends left South Africa!

Cool

Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful

DAY 3 & 4

DESTINATION 2: ETOSHA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etosha

Etosha was first established in 1907, when Namibia was a German colony known as South West Africa. At the time, the park?s original 100,000 km? (38,500 mile?) made it the largest game reserve in the world? The Etosha Pan dominates the park. The salt pan desert is roughly 130 km long and as wide as 50 km in places. The salt pan is usually dry, but fills with water briefly in the summer, when it attracts pelicans and flamingos in particular. Perennial springs attract a variety of animals and birds throughout the year

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Flight day 2:
FYKM ? FYTM (Refuel) - FYMO
The flight from Katima to Tsumeb was very bumpy?wonder why one gets thermals over the desert ;-)
We climbed to FL85 to try and smooth it out, but still bumpy. So there we sit, too high to see good ground features. 2 Things stood out.

The river coming into the Caprivi Strip


The 90degree artificial border between Namibia and Botswana, see our flight plan where we clipped the corner. You can?t miss this international border line.


We refueled at Tsumeb and then on to Etosha. From the air the Etosha pans look like an inland see.



The shallow water, sand banks and sun makes for some interesting colours


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We landed at Mokuti Lodge, for a 2 night stay


This is where we parked and jip you are seeing correct?


? after landing we saw I had low tyre pressure on the right wheel. We quickly detached the wheel spat so that it does not crush it when it goes completely flat.

We deflated the wheel completely and then used some ?tire weld? on it, then I taxied up and down the runway 10 times to distribute the ?tire weld? goo evenly inside the tyre. I decided to leave the wheel spat off for the duration of the trip in case it goes flat again.

Mokuti lodge is your standard luxury hotel with good outdoor amenities.


But we were here for the Etosha Park and some game watching. Here is the gate to the park


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100 meters into the park our first game, a giraffe

Then some small game, a duiker.


Springbuck


Eagle


Giraffe at the pans


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A roller


A Gemsbuck


A Giraffe drinking by bending its knees, unusual cause usually the split open their front legs to drink.


Then close to sunset we saw some elephants


We saw lots of game, but these were the highlights of this stop over.

Stay tuned for destination 3, day 5,6 with some spectacular dessert views and animals.

Regards
Rudi

Thanks for sharing!

Your part of the world is such beautiful country and what a treat it would be to fly around there. I remember that Namibia was fantastic from airliner height. What a treat to fly an RV over it! I'm envious.

Ironflight said:

Beautiful country Rudi - looks like a good place to carry a PLB! I love the river trip - that looks soul-satisfying....

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This is Africa Paul...I'm not sure who'll come looking

Thanks Rudi

It is really nice to see the beauty of this part of the world from a new perspective.

I have seen it many times from 35,000 feet but mostly after dark.

Thanks for taking us along

Destination 3

DESTINATION 3: SWAKOPMUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swakopmund

Swakopmund City (German for "Mouth of the Swakop") is a city on the Atlantic coast of northwestern Namibia, 280 km (175 miles) west of Windhoek, Namibia's capital. As a seaside resort, the weather is cooler here in December to January (Namibia's summer months). Swakopmund is a beach resort and an example of German colonial architecture. It was founded in 1892 as the main harbour for German South-West Africa.

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Flight day 3:
FYMO - FYSM
The flight from Mokuti to Swakopmund was smooth and over real desert! We got the chance to take some in flight formation pictures.

Wingman


Who?s taking pictures of who?


Some of the terrain we encountered en route








The Swakopmund airport on finals, you can see the sea fog just on the outskirts of the airfield.


Refuel with some palm trees in the desert?


Then park in the sand


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Some of the German Architecture in this little tourist town








Then a beautiful west coast sun set.


...The next morning we went on a living desert tour, to find wonderfull desert creatures, this was one of the vehicles?


?that took us into this terrain?


Our first desert creature a burrowing lizard without legs


A small chameleon caught in the action


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A small shiny lizard with a bite grip like a bull dog, he never lets go


A new ear ornament for my wife


A lizard that hides in the sand, with a transparent skin, you can see his organs and bone structure


A Bigger chameleon


A Sidewinder snake


Sandbording anyone?


The next day we set back for home flying over some interesting territory




All in all a worthy trip, Namibia is an unforgettable place, I will be back. But definitely by air, since by road will take for ever.

I love my RV.
Rudi

Rudy,

Thanks for taking the time to post this trip report. I've been anxiously awaiting each installment. Beautiful photos of beautiful places.

Guy

Namibia Trip

Thanks Rudi. Await your next trip and report.
Brings back memories...spent 5 years in Lusaka/Jo'Burg/Windhoek. Katima was a favorite weekend haunt after a drive through Chobe. All my stories are land-based though they include night-time visitors

Suresh

trip

Absolutely stunning pics Rudi! Any comments on the politics in Namibia? People friendly? Sounds like the winter weather is good...
Pardon my ignorance.

777Dave said:

Absolutely stunning pics Rudi! Any comments on the politics in Namibia? People friendly? Sounds like the winter weather is good...
Pardon my ignorance.

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Hi Dave,
Namibia is a very stable country compared to rest of africa, almost on par with South Africa and Egypt. The people are very friendly and a lot of them are of German origin. Winter is the best time to tour, because summer can be very hot in this prodominant Dessert country.
Regards
Rudi