Hi to the locals!

[cvanscho]

Nice to see a Soufefricen region! Makes me all homesick - I'm an expat from Somerset West (Cape) currently living in Co. Kerry, Ireland since mid 2001. I'm a noob teaching myself fixed wing and heli's at the same time :) Current fleet is a Multiplex Easystar (in a number of seperate bits right now :rolleyes: ), DeAg Spit. under construction, blinged ARK X400 heli (a bit too small for me) and a Logo 10 electric heli (wonderful machine, hovering great at present).

Would be great to hear from other expats as well.

Cheers

Chris

[aragon]

Hey Chris. I fly fixed wing and helis too. Mainly slope soaring in the fixed wing arena. Good to see another ZAer.

[cvanscho]

Hi aragon - Where do you slope soar out there?

Hey guys - no other South Africans out there :confused: ?

Cheers

Chris

[aragon]

They're out there. I've come across a handful on here. Maybe they're just shy. ;)

I slope mostly above Llandudno in Cape Town.

[Norman Greene]

Hi Chris
I'm not an expat.
Welcome to Ireland (a little belated) !
Have you got connected into the Irish flying scene yet?
You are in one of the best slope soaring countries in the world here, and there is plenty of other soarers, though sometimes it's hard to meet then until you know the places!
We mainly fly on Dublin/Wicklow mountains slopes since we are on the East coast.

Norman
here are a few Irish slope soaring links....one of them has a map with Irish flying sites shown (east coast) in case that is useful to you.
my web pages: norm_flyer (http://uk.geocities.com/norm_flyer/index.htm)
Dundalk to Dublin & Wicklow to Wexford Slope Soaring Info Here (http://www.greenhobbymodel.com/slopesoaring/)
more info on soaring in Ireland here (http://gliderireland.modelisme.com/)

[cvanscho]

Hi Norman

Thanks for your kind words!

I must admit its a bit lonely here out in Kerry - the only contacts I have made are the following:

1. Padraig O'connor from Tralee who flies a 90 heli (apparently does AV work for the Navy?), only spoken to him on the phone.

2. Liam's shop in Ennis.

3. A very poor reception from a Cork flying Club, who seem to have a policy of not encouraging new members.

4. I think I bought a charger from you!

Generally the wife and I have found it's best to keep quiet about this interest of mine here (it's a bit like owning cats - we are looked at very strangely about that too:D ). Kerry is definitely a whole nother world!!

Apart from heli's and a scale Spitfire I'm building, I must admit I'm finding gliding great. We have some good winds here, but I haven't really researched good slope areas (it's so easy just to launch from your front lawn!). It's also great not being tied to a club or a flying facility. Also keen to get into EDF jets (but only when I am much more confident in my skills).

Cheers

:) Chris

[Norman Greene]

Yeah - Kerry is definitely a whole nother world - isn't it!

There ARE other fliers where you are living, dotted around the area. I meet them every so often, one by one. You should hook up bit by bit.

You have a good point about the club thing, I appreciate the informality of leccie flying and slope soaring also. It is nice, once you have the space to just get on with it!

You really should check out the slopes, you have good ones nearby, and you would be able to ease into jets, doing lightweight jets (just the model - no engine) for sloping is a great way to get into it, and give long duration flights. The landings on soft heather are very tolerant and easy on the models.

Stay in touch, I am not often browsing the So African threads! But send me a PM if you are up our way on a weekend.

Norman

[pantuner]

Alright, another ex-pat checking in here....living in Akron Ohio (just south of Cleveland).

[cvanscho]

Hi there!

Welcome to the SA thread!

How long have you been away from SA?

What kind of flying do you do?

Cheers

Chris

[pantuner]

Hi Chris,

I moved here just over 5 years ago, from Grahamstown. I fly electrics exclusively, and mostly warbirds. Tend to scratch-built most of my planes from 3 views rather than buy kits, although I do have a few kit planes. With the weather being so damn cold here in winter we do a lot of indoor flying, and then in summer the evenings are so long and calm that you can fly the same planes down at the local parks.

Cheers

Steve

[aragon]

I buy a lot of my gear from a shop in Byesville, Ohio. :)

[pantuner]

Hey Aragon -

My Boet lives in Cape Town, in Durbanville; does a little electric flying when he gets a chance. He hasn't hooked up with the indoor crowd yet...although he did mention something about the Belleville Velodrome. Which place up here are you buying from?

Cheers

Steve

[aragon]

Yea, I know about the meets at the Velodrome. Nice venue.

I buy from Roffee's Hobby shop. Mike's great. :)

[asinla]

Hi all. I too am an Expat from Joburg. Living in L.A. now and flying electric heli's Great fun!! Any other SA Heli people out there? Also, any heli fliers still in SA?

Lekker!

[cvanscho]

Hi asinla!

I fly a Logo 10 - georgous machine, but I have to confess I find I'm really battling to progress beyond the tail-in hover.

I tried the smaller Trex-type machines, but really don't like such small fiddly machines that are also twitchier to fly.

What are you flying?

Cheers form a wet Ireland :D

:) Chris

[drexler]

Hi all

I,m a newb starting with heli's. got a HoneyBee CP2 and doing tail in hovering.

I'm flying in Potch.

[cvanscho]

Hi Drex! :)

[aragon]

Welcome Drex ;)

[spacey]

Mmmm...didn't know the groups had a ZA get together? Nice :)

[rorywquin]

Hi all,

Born & bred in Jo'burg but have moved around a just little in the last 10 years and have lived in Holland, USA, Indonesia, Kazakstan, UK, Middle East and I'm shortly off to Japan and Singapore for the next four years.

The travel really messes with my flying which is mainly focused on turbines -I have a Boomerang & a Eurofighter plus several electric and IC planes. Unfortunately all in storage right now and it looks like the jets (and probably the others) will have to stay packed while I'm in Japan. Eish!!

I am actually thinking of taking a drive to a guy this weekend who teaches people who want to fly jets and pay him for a couple of flights with his trainer jets....I need a fix! :D

[Drusky]

Are you gonna come back? Hope you get your fix boet :D

[rorywquin]

Are you gonna come back? Hope you get your fix boet :D

I have to be honest and say probably not! All my family are there but I worry about living in Africa (much as I love it).

I was homesick for SA yesterday when I had a reminder of all the earth tremors we got when I was a kid living in Germiston.....I'm in Tokyo at the moment and my hotel was shaken by two earthquakes yesterday!

The hobby shops here are well stocked and prices are pretty good compared to the UK but, ....I've been struggling to locate clubs here!

[Drusky]

Shame boet, if you don't mind earning less, life is pretty good away from the bigger cities, Jozi, Durbs and CT. PE RAWKS! Love it here, hope I never have to leave. I used to live in Boksburg. We had a filling station in Elspark up the road from where Hani was buried. Used to get "hit" once a month for +-1000 bucks a time or whatever had not gone down the drop safe. After a gunfight with an AK-47 wielding hijacker on the forecourt we decided to pack it in and move to the coast. They didn't get the customer's car but having armour piercing rounds coming at your brothers in such high quantities is food for thought. Good thing we shot back, they didn't like that :D

[cvanscho]

Gone all kinda quiet here? :rolleyes:

Chris

[EINA]

Hi everyone, I'm from Pretoria, no expert but like all the funny stuff. My hanger: PT40, Delta Vortex, Raptor, Wingjet, belt cp and a venture90. Projects currently working on: cnc foam cutter, delta muppet and some kind off canard ( still in design phase)

[cvanscho]

Hi Eina!

Chris

[Mark Burgess]

Hi
I’m an expat living in Loxton, South Australia since 2004. :D
Originally from Westville. Started flying when I was about sixteen at Cato Ridge, Otto’s Bluff Polo Fields and Cato Manor outside Durban. I did my 2 years army at Lohathla N. Cape flying RC target drones (Skylift) in 1983/4.
Still flying strong ! Not much else to do here. www.rmac.riverland.net.au/
Currently flying a Paramount 3D plane using a OS 61 from the Magnus Mallan free RC shop all those years ago. Soon I will be flying a Precision Aerobatics Edge 540 with a DL 50 cc. Just waiting for a Futaba 10c 2.4Ghz radio. :(

[cvanscho]

Hi Mark!

Looks like a good facility you guys have there.

I see some of the guys are into gliders. Have you ever been tempted to try that out?

Cheers

Chris

[Mark Burgess]

Yea I got a Great Planes Spirit 100 which I love to fly, I just find putting the winch out etc a bit of a pain as there are only 3 of us with winchies. I will put an electric motor into it one day when I can get my head around what size to get. Most of the club members have electric gliders and they fly like this……. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFjrelufwtY

I had my plane on that bench minutes before and the flight box under the table is mine. Phew !! :p

[cvanscho]

Oh dear :rolleyes: ! That's deeply embarrassing :o !

Gliding can be a lot more dynamic than that though (I'm talking about the flight part)!

[ClaudeH]

Hi Guys,

I'm from Hazyview in good old SA. Brand new to this hobby and don't even have a plane yet. Looking at an E-flight Apprentice for a beginner AC.

At the moment I'm in Tokyo for the next few weeks. Any one reccomend a good model shop there?

Claude

[mikegbogh]

Hi ClaudeH
Welcome ClaudeH ,to RC groups you live in a nice part of the country, not sure where your local RC club would be , but if you join SAMAA I am sure you will hook up with some flying buddies,who will assist you, you can also join the SARFLY forum for sharing RC info .
Now the big question :D are there any nice slopes in your area that you know of with easy access to the top , Slope glider flyers amongst us are always looking for new mountains to soar off. ;)
regards
Mike

[cvanscho]

Hi Claude! Welcome to RCG and an addictive hobby!

[ClaudeH]

Thanks guys. I am still looking for a first plane and reading the columns is not making it any easyier!
Oh!!! the choices..........Woweee!

[ClaudeH]

Mike, There are a number of slopes in our area and I believe there are quite a few clubs as well. Once I am back home I will try and investigate the options. (I'm stuck in Tokyo until Christmas)