As the festive season looms in what was a year most would like to forget its time to start looking around for those gifts that will end the year in a good way. One place to look is definitely FlyGear especially if you are into Bush Flying.
FlyGear is a recently launched division of Flying Frontiers, which has been at the forefront of Bush and Backcountry Flying in South Africa since inception some 10 years ago.
FlyGear was born out of a need for finding quality Flying and Outdoor gear suited to the challenging conditions of Bush Flying and Camping in the African Wilderness. With more than a decade of safari and flying experience, the guys at Flying Frontiers understand what is required of their equipment and it was a natural progression to start testing and then selling gear aimed at the adventurous Aviator.
Breaking the mould of a standard pilot accessory shop, FlyGear has specialised in sourcing unique high-end gear and accessories, and are now the South African dealers for Beringer brakes, wheels and suspensions, TK1 Monster Shocks as well as the tough as nails T3 Tailsprings.
FlyGear is also the SA stockists of the beautiful AVI-8 watch range, featuring timepieces inspired by classic aircraft such as the Hawker Hurricane, P-51 Mustang, Supermarine Spitfire and the Cold War British jets, the Hawker Hunter and Harrier. FlyGear carries stock of a range of these watches, which vary from Quartz Chronographs to Automatics.
Founded in 2012, the AVI-8 brand inspiration and design excellence originate from the collaboration between pilots and engineers who served in air forces around the world. This combination of design, attention to detail, and passion have resulted in the success that is the AVI-8 story. Every collection is an explicit homage to the planes, people and history of military aviation.
With the massive growth worldwide in Bush Flying and the interest generated by popular Youtube content from pilots such as Trent Palmer and Mike Patey, the demand for specialised hardy suspension systems and outdoor gear for pilots has grown.
FlyGear is catering to this need by offering virtually every item to the aspiring bush pilot wanting to take his flying adventure to the next level.
Carefully chosen lightweight camping equipment, such as the ultralight Moon Chair, weighing a mere 1kg, and fitting a small bag 37×12×8cm in size are an example of this. Capable of handling up to 150kg, this is an ideal chair to fit easily into any aircraft, making the coffee break under the wing a much more comfortable experience.
Lightweight folding tables, durable and waterproof duffel bags, as well as lightweight tents, sleeping bags and mattresses make up part of the outdoor range offered by FlyGear.
Small and powerful, the Sofirn range of LED torches are recognised as some of the finest in the world. Built from aircraft-grade aluminium, these torches come with a rechargeable battery and charger, and offer the user a host of different power and user settings, including strobe and SOS, in a beautifully crafted compact torch.
“Plain Gear” on offer includes the standard Fuel Testers and aluminium VFR clipboards, but also really good quality entry-level PNR Headsets, as well as Bluetooth ANR Headsets at very competitive prices.
FlyGear also produces their own sets of Bush Chocks and Tie-Downs in a comprehensive kit including two pairs of lightweight aluminium powder-coated chocks, three tie-downs including pegs, ropes, mallet and carabiners, all neatly packaged in a canvas bag. Weighing just over 1kg, this is the ideal travel kit to keep your aircraft secure when camping or overnighting away from home.
An interesting addition to this range is a lightweight Mini-Compressor, weighing less than 0.5kg, and running off a 2000mah Li-On rechargeable battery. This tiny pump is capable of tyre pressures of up to 7 Bar, or 100PSI, and ideal for topping up low pressures in the field, or for pumping tyres after puncture repairs away from home. The unit has a built-in LED torch, and also acts as a power bank with USB port, useful when needing to charge a phone in an emergency.
STOL & Brake Solutions - At the leading edge of Bush Flying advancements are the Beringer wheel and brake systems. Designed and built in France, these beautifully crafted wheels and brakes have developed a reputation for being the best in the business. BERINGER AERO makes wheels and brakes for a wide range of Aircraft from LSA’s up to certified Aircraft such as the Pilatus PC-6 and Cirrus SR22. The wheel and brake kits include everything required for a bolt-on conversion.
When it comes to landing gear for rough conditions, FlyGear have you covered with the well-known and proven TK1 Monster Shocks, fitted to hundreds of Super Cubs, Kitfoxes, Savages, Huskies and other hard-working bush planes all over the world.
If you’d like to reduce the stresses on the tail of your aircraft (Taildragger of course) and enjoy a comfier ride, they have the T3 Tailspring available. Options are offered for a range of aircraft including Carbon Cub, Kitfox, Rans, Glasair, Savages and many others. FlyGear has imported Custom built T3’s for Bushcat taildraggers as well as other custom fitments. Fitment is quick and normally a bolt-on replacement with minor adjustments required for rudder/tailwheel linkages.
If you’re looking for quirky and original apparel, FlyGear also prints quality cotton T-Shirts with original artwork, both in short and long sleeve versions.
They are constantly adding to their line of great aviation gear. If they don’t have what your after, they would most likely know where to find it!!
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