Howick Gliding Club

Tacked onto the end of a visit to the Drakensbergs during 2024, I found myself in Howick the last Sunday before Christmas and, in case I fly down in the future, I made sure to visit the town’s small but friendly airfield.

Known mainly for its Gliding Club the airfield is situated just off the R617 to the south-west of Howick and has a long grass strip orientated 35/17 at 3,600ft, sloping noticeably downward towards the north.

One of the noticeable things about Howick was how open and friendly the locals were - the whole place having a very relaxed feel. The Flying Club was no exception, with a small gaggle of pilots sat outside that quickly welcomed our small party.

They were happy to answer my wife's and her friend’s questions and within 60 seconds Johan Saayman offered the chance of an introductory flight in a Scheibe SF-25 Motorfalke.

The paperwork involved in becoming a temporary member of the club took a few minutes to complete and then Johan then gave a thorough safety briefing before we strapped into the motor-glider.

It might be fair to say that Johan had a better view than me!

It was my first flight in a Motorfalke and while the take-off appeared normal enough on the climb out it became clear that the machine is not exactly overpowered, making it clear why Johan and briefed a series of decision heights despite the aircraft’s good gliding characteristics. It is perhaps the first time I have appreciated the climb rate of my Bantam!

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The priceless commentary to the video above is provided by Mary Webb, a friend of my wife. Joanna never gets that excited!

Departing over the dam, it was great to see a large number of wind-surfers enjoying a welcome break in the previously very wet weather. A few gentle circuits to gain height and we headed over town to the Howick falls.

With me at the controls we headed north east to the Karkloof falls. The Motorfalke was surprisingly heavy on the controls and had a slight tendency to roll right, but otherwise was pleasant to fly.

Heading back to Howick, we picked up some thermal activity under a likely looking cloud and Johan demonstrated the tight turns required to stay in a narrow column of rising air.

On the way back we practiced some stalls and recoveries before setting course for the airfield. Despite a reasonable crosswind, Johan made the landing look easy and a very enjoyable 45 minutes came to a close.

It was then back to Aeroden and flying DEN with my usual copilot, and now photographer, India - my daughter.

A big thank you to Johan and the Howick Gliding Club. For more information see the club’s Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/HowickFlyingClub or their website https://hgc.org.za/faq/