Sharing flying experiences in South Africa
About FlyingFA
FA is the ICAO code for South Africa, so FlyingFA, is all about aviation in South / Southern Africa. The site and brand creator is Danie Gordon, a private pilot from Johannesburg.
Be sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel. We take great care to make quality content for the aviation community in Southern Africa. Content is also regularly posted to Instagram and we look forward to connecting with you there.
Check out the latest long format videos under “featured videos” or visit Youtube directly. Please visit the Blog section as we share adventures, tips & tricks for general aviation.
We are keen to hear from you on what questions or topics you’d like to cover, so please get in touch!
Latest News
A new segment: Short Final!
Jan 2026: "Short Final" is a new series on @FlyingFA dedicated to unpacking South African General Aviation news, safety data, and AIID reports.
Short Final Ep1: Concerning General Aviation Accidents in Q4 2025.
Short Final Ep2: Engine Failure at 300ft! Instructor and passenger walks away.
Our goal is to provide context, honor those lost, and foster a stronger safety culture through shared learning. Please drop a comment and let us know what content you would like us to cover.
24 Aug 2025: Wow, 2025 has been a great year for flying for me. After completing my night rating in December 2024, I started the pursuit of getting my instrument rating earlier this year. I’m almost 80% of the way there. It really has been a rewarding experience, but certainly much harder than I anticipated. Keep a look out for a blog post soon on my experience and advice to anyone pursuing CPL or an IF rating in South Africa.
This year I’ve done a few trips to Bloemfontein and I’ve also made my first flights to Kruger International Airport (Nelspruit) and the Drakensburg (El Mirador). I’ve done my first ILS / VOR approaches at FALA and FAKN. I’m planning to complete my instrument rating in September in conjunction with an endoresement for RNAV / PBN. I’m looking forward to creating more content - please let me know if there are specific topics of interest for you.
2025, the year in aviation, so far!
New blog posts: Flying to Skukuza and Flying to Kimberley
22 Dec 2024: Visit the Blog section as I share tips and tricks and my experience flying to Skukuza (Kruger National Park) and Kimberley (Northern Cape).
Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas!
Sharing the magic of flight with aunt Nora!
18 May 2024: Check out my latest video (see link on the left) where I take you through everything I do on a typical local flight to prepare and fly. I narrate the whole experience from pre flight to take off and landing.
Also check out my latest blogs reviewing airfields in South Africa and take a moment to leave a comment on what you’d like to see next.
Fly safe everyone.
New blog post: Which Flying App Should I Use?
18 November 2023: I have been using various EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) applications for several years. In this blog post, I compare Skydemon, Air Nav Pro, Garmin Pilot, and Foreflight, and ultimately conclude that Skydemon is the best EFB for VFR flying in South Africa. I discuss the pros and cons of each app, and provide detailed information about my own experiences using them. I also discuss the challenges of integrating Garmin avionics with non-Garmin EFBs.
Video on buying an aircraft just landed!
3 September 2023: I’ve just published my latest video that covers the purchase of ZS-DED, the process, considerations and costs.
Read my blog post about upcoming content.
Featured videos
"The engine just rolled back to idle, and I immediately pitched over for the glide." Imagine being 300 feet above the cliffs of the Eastern Cape when your engine goes quiet. This was the reality for instructor Brad Isaacson on a clear Saturday morning flying his Sling 2 in November 2025. In this exclusive interview, Brad recounts the split-second decisions that led to a successful ditching in the trees near Port St. Johns.
In the final quarter of 2025, the South African General Aviation community faced an unprecedented challenge: 5 accidents in just 6 weeks—4 of which were fatal. This sudden spike in fatalities was so unusual that the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) issued an urgent safety alarm notice in early December 2025.
Embark on an unforgettable aviation adventure as we celebrate the Google Cloud Regional Launch in South Africa! Join us for a pilot's-eye view of Johannesburg and discover the transformative power of cloud computing. Get ready for stunning visuals and a tech-filled journey!
Sharing the magic of flight with someone makes for a really great day. My aunt, Nora, joins me for her first flight in a small aircraft. In this video I answer the question "Can you just get into you aircraft and fly wherever, whenever you want?" and "How do pilots avoid other aircraft in a congested uncontrolled airspace?".
In this video, I share my journey to buying my first aircraft. I talk about the factors I considered, the challenges I faced, and the lessons I learned along the way. I also discuss the costs involved and what I paid in South Africa. If you are thinking about buying an aircraft, this video is for you!
This video is a must-watch for anyone who loves airplanes. I'll take you on a journey from the beginning to the end of my 1974 Piper Cherokee Pathfinder 235 refurbishment. A brand new paint job, interior and panel look. Find out why I did it and the inspiration behind it all.
Celebrating 50 years of ZS-DED and owning a plane for 2 years! Close calls with altitude errors forced a major upgrade that I needed to make to keep my 1974 GA plane future-proof, but keeping budget in mind.
"The sky is not the limit, it's just the beginning."
