Showing up with six two meters boxes and four full luggages loaded carts at Terminal E in PARIS Charles De Gaulle for checking is not that easy and can be prove to be a big problem, specially when the flight is overbooked and the cargo holds full.
But AIR FRANCE did his very best to accommodate all of us and ....the planes. Two very nice people were dedicated to our group, and every thing runs smoothly, finishing even with some seats upgraded.
I have particularly to thanks Captains Thierry BELLOT, Louis JOBARD and Philippe ANGELLIER, operating the 990 AF flight to Johannesburg, for their involvement.
We had a 10 hours flight to Tambo Airport, and after clearing customs and going through the formalities for the planes boxes, we went to AVIS to pick up the three minivans needed to travel to the official hotel, the Riverside Sun Resort in Vandrbijl Park, 94 km south of OR Tambo Johannesburg Airport.
We stopped by the official site where the Championship will start on next sunday after the opening ceremony on saturday, to have the fuel and the batteries Fabien had shipped. Then we kept on driving to Jay-Jay place, five minutes remote from the hotel, where we will stay for practicing the next four days.
As it's winter time here, in South Africa, sunset is around 5.45 pm, and you can't fly past 6 pm. So there was not too much time left... But even arriving at 4.15 pm at the field after an inflight night and a two hours drive, the planes were assembled (the glow engines had to be reinstalled due to the regulation for the flight) and both Fabien and Christophe had a first practice flight in South Africa..... CPLR landing after 6.15 pm... he must be instruments type rated ...!!!!
Facilities here in Jay-Jay JORDAAN place is fantastic, with everything you could dream of, fully guarded, so no need to take apart the planes...
It was time to leave for the hotel to check in, and have diner : since the breakfast in the plane, we just had a Wimpy ( Mcdo) I found in a mall 5 min from the field around 4.30 pm !!
