Uis Fly-In: A spectacle of aviation and community spirit

10th anniversary event
Strangers became friends, united by their shared passion for the timeless beauty found in the skies above.
Jochen Sell
  • 2 Days Ago
This year’s annual Uis Fly-in, organized by LISAMA (Light Sport and Amateur-built Aircraft Association of Namibia), marked a historic moment in the Namibia aviation calendar.

It was the 10th anniversary of this event, which once again captivated aviation enthusiasts and locals in the picturesque town of Uis. The program included skydiving, formation and acrobatic flying, public demonstration and gyrocopter flights.

Pilots, aviation friends and their families arrived with a total of 39 aircraft showcasing the thrill of flight and the strong sense of community. As in the previous years, the fly-in attracted pilots and their family and friends from South Africa, Germany and Switzerland as well.

With the majestic Brandberg as a backdrop, Uis offered the perfect venue in perfect weather conditions from sunrise to sunset. The Uis community was again a perfect host, supplying ample accommodation in town, as well as camping facilities at the airfield.

The excellent gravel runway with enough parking for all aircraft rounded off all expectations.

The Friday program started off with 24 participants showcasing their flying skills. After some sightseeing flights and after a well-deserved coffee and breakfast served at the airfield, it was time for the 08:30 pilots’ briefing.

Dr. Henk Koster, an accomplished rally and precision pilot, has organized a number of events for the weekend. He made sure that all pilots taking part in all the exercises attended the briefing. After the completion of the pilot and aircraft registrations, the first exercise was the navigational skills test. The route took the pilots and their navigators around the majestic Brandberg. Each aircraft was equipped with a logger that recorded every turn the pilots took and showed the mishaps of those who got lost in the desolate Namibian vastness.

On the Saturday and Sunday, pilots and their navigators treated the spectators by showing off their exceptional flying skills during the spot landing exercise. This was followed by a skills flying test where speed and accuracy around three pylons within proximity of the airfield were tested.

On the Sunday evening, the prize-giving ceremony was conducted to acknowledge not only the skill of the flight crew, but to those who did it in the spirit and joy of flying. Prizes were handed out as follows:

Navigation Exercise

1 V5-KBV – Riaan Burger / 2 V5-TOL – Frank Stein / 3 V5-UOP – Matt Totten.

Pylon Skills Test

1 V5-UKR – Jens Rubow / 2 V5-UWH – Heiner Schlusche / 3 V5-UVC – Laura Braune.

Spot Landings

1 V5-UKR – Jens Rubow / 2 V5-LUV – Nadia Braune / 3 V5-USL – Frikkie Kruger.

Overall

1 V5-UKR – Jens Rubow / 2 V5-UOP – Matt Totten / 3 V5-RYN – Ingo Hasse.

The Uis Fly-In not only showcased the excitement of aviation, but also fostered a sense of camaraderie and community spirit. Families and friends gathered to enjoy the festivities and savour local cuisine catered by Brandberg Restcamp. Strangers became friends, united by their shared passion for flight.

As the event drew to a close, the memories of this remarkable celebration of flight lingered, leaving behind a promise of future soaring adventures. The Uis Fly-In stands as a testament to the unifying power of aviation, reminding us of the timeless beauty found in the skies above.

During the entire event, all pilots showed great flying skills, airmanship and radio procedures, as no air-traffic control was present and unmanned airfield procedures were followed.

Multiple simultaneous movements were conducted by the aviators during the Fly-in and never was there any encroachment or congestion of airspace or runways.

Lisama would also like to thank the many sponsors. Without their contribution, this event would not have had the character and spirit of general flying in Namibia.

In addition, a big thanks goes out to the executive director of the Namibian Civil Aviation who provided the guidance and approval to conduct such an event, not only within the legal framework, but in a safe manner as well.