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Mac and
Alma MacDonald
In April 2005, I got an e-mail from a wonderful couple, Mac
and Alma MacDonald from Zimba, Zambia (Africa). Mac
expressed his interest in the 912 Chinook Plus 2 and so our
correspondence began. It would be a combination of e-mails
and a couple phone calls to confirm the order and to get
everything in place and after much discussion and planning,
his Chinook Plus 2 took sail to Durban, South Africa for its
long journey home in July 2005. Mac shares a bit of his
story with us but we can only imagine the difficulties he
faced building his Chinook in Africa. They do not have all
the luxuries we have in being able to go to the local
hardware store to get any extra supplies nor the luxury of a
painting facility. I thought you all might enjoy how Mac
made his dream of flying his own 912 Chinook Plus 2 come
true and it all gives us a little perspective on how lucky
we often are at having some of the amenities Mac and Alma
could only wish for.
The After Five Office
It all started one
afternoon while sitting in the After Five Office overlooking
the Zambezi River “Let’s build a plane” said my husband.
“Okay”, I said, little realizing that I had just signed away
a couple of years of my life. This was in 2005. So out came
the mags that had been collected over the years, Kit Plane,
South Pacific Flyer, South African Flyer, etc. After much
deliberation, the Chinook 912 was short listed, along with a
couple of others. Then the emailing began ….and to cut a
long story short, the Chinook was selected due to Paulette
of ASAP prompt and helpful replies to our queries. The order
was placed and while waiting for the plane to arrive, we had
to do something about a hanger and an air strip. Everything
had to be built from scratch. We employed a Woodcutter, a
Brickie and started. ……
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| The Site was
selected… |
The
Woodcutters set to work... |
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| The bricks
were made… |
And the
ladies filled the dongas. |
The kit duly arrived after some drama - the paint being the
biggest headache due to it being classified as dangerous
goods. The building team was organised - Mac, the chief
engineer, myself the Stores Person and Charles, the general
dogs body. The construction of the Chinook was no problem,
it was the finishing details that took the time and when you
are in Zambia, there are no corner shops to go to for a
little something that had been forgotten. The kit from ASAP
was as complete as one would want. Another reason for
wanting a plane, it’s a two day journey to the nearest town,
Livingstone, 300 kms away on some of the worst roads
imaginable. From the farm to tar is 150 kms and that takes 6
hours.
Lo kyah ga lo Indeke half way
Then came Officialdom! First of all,
permission had to be obtained to import the kit and then to
BUILD the airstrip and then six months after that – the
inspection. We had to bring in a representative from the
Office of the President, a Colonel from the Zambian Air
Force and the Aerodrome Inspector for the Department of
Transport. We cannot speak too highly of all departments
involved , they gave us every encouragement possible.
The Colonel, Happy Mutenga (OTP) and Timothy of DCA.
Then came Mac’s license…….. more Officialdom – this time in
Lusaka. Eventually he obtained his Microlite License after a
special dispensation. Then came the registration of his
plane, radio license, permission to fly, permit to fly his
plane, permit to operate out of his air strip, now named
Bimbi.
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| Washing the plane - how it’s
done in Africa |
Our lovely
little Chinook – finally finished |
The construction was done over the
hottest time of the year with the temperatures in the high
40’s C most days. Now we had to put our money where our
mouth was. We were rain delayed for ages and then Mac
decided Xmas day would be a good day to begin.
On finals on his
first flight by the Zambezi River….
The first flight had Mac dripping with sweat and not just
from the ambient temperature – takeoff was fraught with
danger as the plane wanted to go into the hillside (but
after advice from Paulette about tightening the rudder
pedals, there has been no problems since). He then got
airborne and flew around for a while and then thought –“I
can’t stay up here forever” and” that bloody runway looks
awfully small!” - he came in for a perfect landing! I lie –
it was his second flight that was perfect, he bounced on his
first.
Bimbi Airstrip,
the Zambezi River and a successful landing
The end of the saga…. Apart from the hippos regularly
standing on the strip markers and breaking them, and walking
on the strip leaving big plug marks, wasps nesting in the
pito tube, the monkey unscrewing anything that she can find,
it’s been a long and rewarding experience in the end. Asked
if he would do it again? Yes – because the next time, he
won’t have to go through the whole rigmarole of licensing an
airstrip and getting a licence It’s not easy making things
happen in an African country.
Actually they are quite proud of him in DCA Lusaka – the
other day he was introduced to some young pilots in the
hallway of the building “Please meet Mr. Macdonald, our
oldest Pilot in Zambia!”
Oh, by the way – he will be 75 years of age in July of this
year.
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Pre-flight checks
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Mac and Blossom |
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Mac & Charles |
Instrument Panel |
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