Imagine landing your own plane in the heart of the African bush, with giraffes grazing just beyond the runway. That's the magic of Skukuza Airport, the gateway to Kruger National Park. In my latest blog, I share my experience flying to this incredible destination, from navigating the airspace to the thrill of spotting wildlife from above. Get ready for a safari adventure like no other!

Kimberley Airport (FAKM) is a great refueling stop for General Aviation pilots flying between Johannesburg and Cape Town. It has long wide runways and provides access to all the amenities of the Kimberley city. Kimberley boasts a ton of history and won’t disappoint a history buff seeking a weekend away to learn more about the South African story.

Upington Airport (FAUP) is a good refueling stop for pilots flying between Johannesburg and Namibia. It has the second longest runway in South Africa (4900m) and is suitable for large aircraft including Boeing 747s. The airspace around Upington is sparsely populated with few emergency landing options in the last 30 minutes of the flight from Kathu. Upington itself is a 10 minute drive from the airport and offers various attractions for tourists.

I have been using various EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) applications for several years. In this 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.

So you're considering flying to Aviators Paradise (FAAP)? With a name like that, who wouldn't? But what's there and why would you?

Find out what I’m thinking about and the projects I’m taking on next at #FlyingFA. Please tell me what you would like to see happen first.