South Africa. Wine, Whales and a Dangerous Cape
For Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Michael MacKuen

This is a sightseeing flight in GA aircraft. We aim to enjoy one of the world's most beautiful urban regions. Departing from Cape Town International, the route takes us first over the nation’s oldest city and legislative capital and then through the Cape Winelands to the east, before visiting the Whale-watching coast and the dramatic convergence of two oceans at Cape Agulhus.

At Cape Town International [FACT], we begin our flight at the FBO for Signature Aviation Cape Town (parking Gates 149-150 in the interior General Aviation section at midfield) or simply congregate at the appropriate departure runway. We fly west toward Table Mountain and Cape Town itself. This was the region’s first European outpost founded as a Dutch mariners’ way-station in the 17^th century. The British gained control after the Napoleonic Wars and made the city the capital of the newly formed Cape Colony. After the Boer Wars established the united South Africa, merging the Dutch and English regions, Cape Town became the legislative capital of the new colony (sharing executive and judicial power with the Boer cities of Pretoria and Bloemfontein). Cape Town is a beautiful city that combines historic sites with modern buildings and neighborhoods. It has earned widespread recognition as an attractive destination for visitors. Flying over the city we can note the early Dutch fortress the Castle of Good Hope [GHOPE] and the nineteenth century Parliament Buildings [PARL] and St Georges Cathedral. At Green Point and the new rugby-football DHL Stadium [DHL], we turn to fly over the region’s largest port. We land at Ysterplaat Air Force Base [FAYP]. The 100-year-old airfield was long the center of the South African Air Force's maritime patrols along the Atlantic (think Avro Shackletons and now helicopters). While threatened by budget restrictions, the base continues in operation. The SAAF Museum remains at Ysterplaat and hosts Saturday morning tours.

We depart for Cape Winelands Airport [FAWN]. This facility was formerly Fisantekraal AFB and is now a favorite flight school training airfield in the Cape Town area. (The current owners are actively planning an expansion to become the region’s second international airport.) After a brief stop we hop northward over more recently developed wine country to visit Wintervogel [FAOA], a private farm airfield that offers flight training, picnic spots, and hosts microlight events. Then a jag to the east for quick stop at Morale Coffee To Go [FANZ], a popular coffee stop on R44 which serves drivers, bikers, and occasional flyers. (The airstrip is on the west side of the highway and the coffee is on south end of the strip on the east side. A short walk or taxi on the dirt.)


A cup of Java.

Then a longer look at Diemerskraal Airfield [FADI]. This is a farmstead in the northern Winelands with accommodations for organized festivities, including weddings. If you want to step out of a flying airplane, skydiving is available here. And the friendly folks at Whip-Air Aviation are willing to service our aircraft. The farm owners are very much into aviation.

We head south over Paarl [PAARL] which, with 295,000 people, is the second largest city in the region. This is the commercial capital of the Cape Winelands and the headquarters of the area's major wine and fruit companies. Just to the west lies Paarl Rock, a huge granite formation which is sometimes compared with Australia's Uluru for its dramatic prominence. (This is now a Mecca for rock climbers. For many years it was ignored as the sheer faces proved impossible for casual climbers. With modern techniques, the difficult, dangerous, and beautiful routes now attract the best climbers of today.)

Turning east, we follow the N1 highway which ultimately leads to Johannesburg. We climb over the Drakenstein Range (under which runs the Huguenot Tunnel) through the Du Toitskloof Pass and then on to Worcester Airfield [FAWC]. Surrounded by mountains, the local area became famous for its orchards and vineyards, and especially for its brandy. The airfield hosts both the Worcester Flying Club and the Cape Gliding Club (in action here).

Turning South, we skirt the massive Stettyn's mountain range to reach the Threewaterskloof dam and reservoir [3WATR]. The Western Cape water supply system depends primarily on rainfall and the Threewaterskloof is the key to its success. It was the severe lack of rain in 2017-2018 and reservoir's drop to critical levels that caused the dangerous water shortages of that summer. While saved by rainfall, it took two years of heavy rainfall to replenish the reservoir. The danger became apparent.

Curling back northwest, we cross over the Hottentots Holland mountains into Franschhoek [FRANK] (the French Corner), the valley into which 200 Huguenots fled religious persecution in the late seventeenth century. The French families established farms and then vineyards. In the last thirty years, this once sleepy valley has boomed to become the "food and wine capital" of South Africa.

We land at Stellenbosch [FASH]. This was the second "city" of South Africa and after its seventeenth century founding it soon became the first home of the South African wine industry. It remains a primary center for viticulture and viticulture research. The Mediterranean climate and range of light sandy soils prove ideal for the cultivation of interesting fine wines. And the historic Stellenbosch wine route offers 150 tasting rooms in its role as a successful wine tourism magnet.

The Stellenbosch Flying Club has fostered local training and private aviation. In fact, its bar and restaurant have become a regional favorite. (You can see the facility at midfield.) A good spot for Saturday morning fly-in breakfast.

Then south to the beaches of False Bay and east over Sir Lowry’s Pass [LOWRY]. Now a four land cantilevered superhighway, this was once a formidable ox-cart-breaking track. We then fly over the rich agricultural countryside of the Overberg region. The landscape is dominated by gently undulating hills enclosed by mountains and the ocean. We land at Caledon Airfield [FACG], a large well-groomed dirt field perched on a hilltop two miles south of the prosperous town center. (Note the African Wings facility that will be happy to take you on a whale-watching flight!)

We depart to the south over the Babilonstoring Mountains to the southern coast and beautiful Hermanus [HERM]. This old village has become a very successful beach town that now attracts wealthy retirees and tourists year round. The region’s calling card is its reputation as “The Whale Coast” –  where visitors can watch the Southern Right whale from planes, from boats, from the cliff-tops, and often directly from the city’s waterfront. The city employs the world’s only professional whale crier: since 1992 three people have held the job of watching the scene and sounding his kelp horn when whales have been sighted. Hermanus hosts the annual Whale Festival every September.

We proceed along Walker Bay to Gansbaai {hawns bye} [GBAI] – the Great White Shark capital of the world. Visitors come from around the world to “cage dive” with the great whites in the waters of “Shark Alley” [SHARK] to the east of the harbor. This may be South Africa’s most popular tourist attraction outside of Kruger National Park. You might view this closeup look. Sadly, for all but the local seals, the great whites are being predated by a resurgence of Orcas. We land at the nearby whale-watching airfield at Pearly Beach [FAIJ].

And then along the coast where we see the Buffeljagsbaai Abalone Farm [ABALO] whose aquaculture exports 400 tons of Abalone to the East Asian markets each year. Subsequently we reach the Southern Tip of Africa [STP] and Cape Agulhas [AGUL]. (The southernmost point is a kilometer west of Cape Agulhas itself.) The Portuguese provided the name “Cape of the Needles” because here the magnetic north needles aligned with true north. More significantly, this is the point at which the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. Dramatically, this is where the warm Agulhas Current comes down Africa’s East Coast to meet the frigid cold Antarctic currents from the west. (The Agulhas Current retroflects to the east.) The result can be high winds, storms, and treacherous currents that have claimed more than 2,000 shipwrecks.

We can take a low pass over Struisbaai, the small fishing village whose natives live a traditional life with fishermen setting out from the harbor in the morning and returning with their catch in the evening. Of course, there is also a fair sprinkling of tourist developments around the periphery. We make a quick stop at the small private Andrew’s Field [FAAF], operated by a Struisbaai friend of Andrew’s.

Our final destination is Overberg Air Base [FAOB]. This is a SAAF air base that serves as a weapons research facility for both South Africa and other nations. The Denel Overberg Test Range, just south of the airfield, typically tests the capacities of delivery systems rather than the warheads. Landing permission has been obtained and we are to park at the public area near the tower (at parking places 4, 5, & 6) and wait for security to show us the way.

Documentation
The flightplan can be found here.

Aircraft
The route is 280nm. We shall enjoy GA aircraft with modest speeds, say of 150-170kts. Favorites might include a Beech Bonanza, Cessna 182, Cessna Caravan, Piaggio P.149, Piper Comanche, and Vans RV-14. Of course, you should fly whatever you like. I shall take the Black Square Bonanza in the colors of N70TB.

Additional Scenery
All sceneries are in the default simulator. To enhance the experience, I would recommend the following freeware sceneries. Thanks to these fine authors.

Cape Town International [FACT]. Chak991
Ysterplaat AFB [FAYP]. JLR29
Wintervogel [FAOA]. Jacques Botha
Onverwacht Farm. Morale Coffee to Go [FANZ]. Jacques Botha
Diemerskraal Wellington [FAOC]. Jacques Botha
Stellenbosch [FASH]. Jacques Botha
Kapstadt Runde Cape Town Region [FACG and FAOS]. darshonaut
Hermanus Pearly Beach [FAIJ]. PieFly
Struisbaii Andews Field [FAAF]. Jacques Botha
Overberg AB [FAOB]. Jacques Botha

You can get a full package here. (Note that you may have downloaded these sceneries in the past. But please take a look as many of them have been updated in the last year or two. In addition, some sceneries that are otherwise difficult to get will be included in the package.)

Time and Weather
For takeoff on Saturday, set the simulator at 11:00 am local for December 31, 2025. We typically prefer real weather.

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Wednesday, December 31, 2025. 1800 UTC
Where: RTWR Multiplayer Discord Channel
Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: United States East server.

If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet (linked here). Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!
 

NOTAM. I have tweaked the flight plan around FANZ to point at the dirt strip. If you downloaded the flight plan before 1830UTC on 2025-12-30, then you might download the flight plan again.