Pilot's Cabin at the Berg Air Lifestyle Centre

Pre-Christmas I was lucky enough to spend a few days at the Berg Air Lifestyle Centre at El Mirador airfield in the Drakensberg’s Champagne Valley. This included a flight up to the mountains in a Jabiru. 

The Pilot's Cabin

We (me, my wife and daughter) stayed in one of the three very simple but comfortable cabins on the airfield. These are situated on the far side of the runway, with a dip in the ground providing plenty of privacy from the tourists on the ‘Experience’ side. The cabins all overlook a neighbouring game reserve, providing regular views of zebras and a range of antelope - nice for those not as interested in flying.

The cabins provide some of the cheapest, but best rated, accommodation in the area. They provide a single room with attached outdoor toilets and showers. These are simple but clean and well kept. The kitchen is also outdoors and is well provided with cutlery etc. and includes a fridge-freezer. A comfortable patio area gives plenty of room to relax over a meal while watching the animals. It also gave an amazing view of the massive lightning storm on our last night! 

The Airfield

El Mirador airfield is situated at 4,200 feet in the Champagne Valley, a tourist-friendly area on the edge of the Drakensberg mountains. The 800 metre grass runway is orientated 24/06 and slopes notably towards the northern end, where a tall row of eucalyptus trees provide the only obstacle.

It is owned by the Scharf family, Hannes and Martin are both keen glider pilots - as is apparent by a glance in their hangar. While Hannes is temporarily grounded due to a medical complaint, Martin offers instruction.

The field attracts a range of visitors throughout the year. 

The Flight

As I had some glider time booked at Howick later in the week, I chose to treat my daughter to a flight in Martin’s Jabiru.

December is not ideal for flying, with thunderstorms and high winds being common. The morning of our flight there was a substantial cross-wind that would provide a good test for the Jab. This is where experience is important and in the hands of Martin, the little four seater made light work of our take off.

While bumpy lower down, the Jabiru was soon riding a ‘wave’ from the mountains and a climb rate of nearly 1000 feet a minute was sustained with the engine virtually idling, giving some idea of the opportunities for gliding in the area.

While perhaps not the most fun to fly - and this is not helped if you are on the short side, like myself - this was perhaps the best example I’ve had of how practical the Jabiru is. They can be picked up at a reasonable price, offer exceptional fuel burn and can cope with surprisingly demanding conditions. Designed to be cheap to run, many of the engine parts and accessories have their origins in the motor trade, they offer an aircraft that can be used as family transport over a reasonable distance. This particular aircraft is often used to do the family shopping in Johannesburg.

A fifteen minute flight along the main ridge and it was time to return home, The crosswind meant a careful approach and the need to keep ‘flying’ the controls during the taxi, but this was done with consummate ease by our pilot.

The Berg Air Lifestyle Centre

The Scharf family have turned much of the airfield into the ‘Berg Air Lifestyle Centre’. This has turned the field into a genuine tourist attraction in its own right. Partly this consists of three ‘touristy’ shops offering memorabilia, local food, and other goods. 

However, it is the more specialist offerings that stand out. A ‘Bistro’ offers a range of affordable meals, while the neighbouring craft beer site offers something to wash them down with. If you have some biscuits, there is a cheese shop that will help with dessert.

Our favourite, though, was Çhocolate Memories. This shop offered homemade and specialist chocolates. A range of these could be taste tested alongside a range of drinks, but the coffee is highly recommended. Once you have had your fill of chocolate then you can move onto cakes! 

The chocolates were divine, particularly the chocolate covered coffee beans. This ensured at least two visits everyday we were there and a large bag of goodies when we departed.

Things to do and see

The whole valley is very tourist orientated, with a range of activities available. These include zip-lines, quad biking, hiking, and the highly rated Birds of Prey show. The world-famous Drakensberg Boys’ Choir School is in the valley and offer regular shows during term time.

Without doubt our most fun experience was the reptile park where my daughter had huge fun handling the snakes, lizards and tarantulas. This was so good we had to go back the next day!

The Valley Bakery is situated just past the lower end of El Mirador’s runway and offers artisanal bread, a range of baked treats and sit-in meals. The bread was excellent, while the food was very good and reasonably priced.

Eucalyptus everywhere!

The Scharf family have also recently invested in eucalyptus products in a big way. These trees are available in huge numbers in local plantations and the Scharfs have decided to use the oil these trees produce in a range of locally made products. These include hand wash, shampoos, body wash, lip balm and even washing up liquid - all with the Berg Oils logo.

You can see how these are produced if you visit the family’s other property, opposite the popular falconry site. This offers a guided hike that takes in rock painting and a waterfall as well a massage/wellness centre along with more luxurious accommodation.

Conclusion and Contacts

In summary, El Mirador and the Berg Air Experience are well worth a visit, whether you are flying or not.

The Pilot’s Cabins are highly recommended. The addition of a fan would be welcome during the hottest months, but they offer exceptional value for money and give the feeling of being alone in the mountains - with the added benefit of having civilization (and lots of chocolate) only a 50 metre walk away.

https://pilotscabin.guide/

Hannes Scharf - 082 551 2592

Martin Scharf - 083 627 9055 

For more pics see - https://www.flickr.com/photos/119086573@N02/albums/72177720314051708