We started to taxi down the long strip at 4.47pm and the little RV-7 was quickly airborne, rising rapidly. The control tower had been a little naughty, letting us go less than two minutes after a Mango Boeing 737 had departed. So we picked up a bit of turbulence and Matt soon banked off to the left, just a fraction before the tower instructed him to do so. Within minutes we were up at 2000 feet, with the Western Cape spread out magnificently below, heading north-east towards the Hottentots Holland hills, Cape Town's wine country. Beyond lay the snow-capped peaks of the Hex River Mountains, towering 2000 meters into the blue sky. It was a perfect winter's afternoon: virtually windless, sunny, cool and clear. We pushed up to 3000 feet, sending regular radio messages out to surrounding traffic about who we were and where we were going. Western Cape airspace is not busy like London's but we heard a few calls from other pilots nipping around the hills and valleys, enjoying the stunning flying conditions. The RV-7 is a tiny two-seater but very quick for its size. After warning me, Matt put it into a dive and we both rose in our seats with negative gravity, our heads brushing the perspex top of the cockpit. As we neared the snow peaks we climbed to 7500 feet and it grew much colder. The mountain tops looked bleak, white and pristine, snow glistening in the sun. Soon we were headed back towards Cape Town International airport and made a perfect touchdown. Matt had clocked up another hour in his training schedule. The Van's RV-7 plane is a kit aircraft made by Van's Aircraft in Oregon. The QSL is from KPNW, Eugene, OR, heard in Los Angeles in 1987. Pic shows the snow-covered Hex River Mountains.
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