South Africa is home to a number of Living Legends of the air and the road and it is too rare that they get together. Legends of the air like the Gooney bird or DC-3 or C-47 that flies on and on, the Tiger Moth, the Waco biplane, the Harvard and the little yellow airplane that once flew 22 days non-stop (illustrated refuelling above), the amazing Piper Cub.Legends of the road like the ’39 Packard, the first car to have air conditioning, the tiny Austin 7 and 8, the world beating Bentleys, the Roesch Talbots, Aston Martin, Riley, Morris and many others that populated the roads before World War 2 – and carry on today.
So we’re having a fly/drive in and there’ll be seats from Rand on the DC-3, plus car transport for those who would like to send their cars ahead.
Tarkastad is a small town in the malaria free Eastern Cape – not far from Queenstown and Cradock – that also has much of legend about it. Just outside the town, at Modderfontein, the battle which marked Jan Smut’s first military success and the start of his campaign that brought the peace of Vereeniging took place. At the aptly named Hell’s kloof, nearby in the Stormberg a whole Commando hid for months defying all efforts to locate them. The twin mountains, Mary and Martha, watch over the town and form part of the scenic magnificence of the Winterberg that surrounds it.
The Airfield is basic with one hangar, a main strip (gravel) of 1200m and a secondary strip of 800m. Avgas will be available for the Fly-in from drums (please book amounts in advance) and fuel is also available at Queenstown (39 nm away) which has a tar strip and is a good alternate. There is a Mogas station within 400m of the field and we will have clean containers and a Landrover to transport them if anyone wants to use Mogas (or diesel). The parking area is within 500m of the sports club and all registered attendees will be temporary members and entitled to use of the sports club facilities for the weekend. The Rhino Inn, situated next to the petrol station, has no accommodation but a great bar and awesome steaks.
There is not a huge amount of accommodation in the area, but there is probably enough. Camping on the airfield next to your plane or car will be permitted with ablution facilities at the club. Formal accommodation ranges from clean and comfortable at the Royal Hotel and Blanco, to frankly luxurious at Lesley’s B&B and two other B&B’s outside town. Additionally some of the townsfolk and surrounding farmers have rooms in their homes they will make available at reasonable rates. Contact details are on the next page.
Provisional Programme
Friday 3rd October 2008
0900 -1730 aircraft arrivals
1400 DC-3 departs Rand for Tarkastad (FATA) – ETA 1630
1830 Welcome cocktail Party at Sports Club.
Saturday 4th October 2008
0700 – J-3 & Tiger Moth air race departs
0900 – 0930 racers return
1000 – 1030 Vintage & Veteran car cavalcade through Tarkastad
1030 – 1230 Concours d’elegance cars and planes
1300 -1430 Spot landing and flour bombing competition
1430 -1445 Prize giving by Mayor Bennett, executive mayor of Tsolwana Municipality
1500 – 1630 Battlefield tour of Modderfontein
1730 – 23 59 Lamb on a spit, braai & dinner dance at the Sports club
Sunday 5th October 2008
0900 -1100 Church services or at leisure
1100 -1230 Veteran & vintage regularity run
1230 – 1430 Picnic lunch
1500 DC-3 departs for Rand
Optional tours to Ntoni Private game reserve, Tsolwana game reserve, Cradock, Mountain Zebra national park, etc.
Dinner at Victoria Hotel, Cradock
Accommodation
Lesley’s B&B email: lesleys@awe.co.za 082 890 5006
Royal Hotel (details will follow)
Blanco Guest farm www.blanco.co.za
Knowsley Country Cottage www.wheretostay.co.za/knowsley
Redcliffe www.wheretostay.co.za/redcliffe
Victoria Hotel, Cradock (75 km away)
Booking
Please book in advance to attend so that the catering, fuel availability, local transport arrangements, etc can be at the right level. Charge is R60 per person – covers landing fees, parking fees, security, and temporary membership of sports club. Does not include drinks, catering or ground transport.
Bookings by fax or email please, using the official form (supplied on request) and fax to 011 646 8895 or email rocketron@telkomsa.net
