morning flight

I had a fun adventure this morning. Schalk recently learned to fly a gyrocopter and bought one. He uses it to check the property--game counts, poacher watch, checking the fences and waterholes.

And he took me up this morning!

I hardly know how to describe it. As you can see in the picture, it's small and there are no doors. You sit, strapped in, and have full access to the open air. We flew pretty close to the ground in order to see things, so I got a good look.

We flew around about half of Harnas' 10,000 hectares (about 38 square miles, if my figuring is right). We saw herds of kudu, wildebeasts, springbok. We saw baboons, warthogs, zebras, giraffes (including the downed male). It gave me a new perspective on just how big Harnas is and how it's laid out.

I have to admit that I love flying--especially in small aircrafts that really give you the sense that you're flying, not like the big jumbo jets that don't feel any different usually than being in a house. This vehicle was amazingly stable. I thought it would be more battered around by the wind, but it felt secure and smooth. Schalk's take-off and landing were smooth, too. For a beginning pilot, he flys like a pro.

It makes me want to fly! Is this next on my list of adventures?