Vlamgat Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

Knagur Green: Due to no response from the CO after the request to maintain or replace the cache, I am archiving it to, stop it showing on the listings and/or to create place for the geocaching community.

The Geocache Maintenance guideline explains a CO's responsibility towards checking and maintaining the cache when problems are reported.

Please note that if geocaches are archived by a reviewer or Geocaching HQ for lack of maintenance, they are not eligible for unarchival. This is explained in the Help Center

If the CO feels that this cache has been archived in error please feel free to contact me within 30 days, via email or message via my profile ,quoting the GC number concerned

Thank you for understanding

Knagur Green
Groundspeak Volunteer Reviewer

More
Hidden : 5/12/2009
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

The Mirage F1 of the SAAF
The cache is not at the above coordinates\ (Safe Parking)
Permission has been obtained to place this cache

The Museum is open weekdays from 08h30 to 16h00 and on Saturday from 10h00 to 15h30. The Museum is closed on Sundays, Christmas Day and New Years Day.

VLAMGAT

Mirage F1AZ and Mirage F1CZ
The South African Air Force (SAAF) flew both the Mirage F1AZ ground-attack version as well as the radar-equipped Mirage F1CZ fighter.

The first two examples of the first order (48 aircraft, comprising 32 F1AZ and 16 F1CZ) were delivered on 5 April 1975. Both of these F1CZs were transported under a blanket of secrecy by a SAAF C-130 Hercules. In July of the same year, the remainder of the F1CZs were delivered, and 3 Squadron was re-commissioned to operate the aircraft from AFB Waterkloof. In 1975 the F1CZs also appeared at a South African airshow, but the public wasn't informed that the aircraft were already operational in the SAAF.

The F1AZ was developed in conjunction with Dassault and the SAAF as a dedicated ground attack variant. The AZ variant has a laser-based rangefinder, permitting extremely accurate fuzing and aiming of unguided munitions, which consist of bombs and rockets. Optical design was by ARMSCOR in South Africa, by the Optics (later ELOPTRO) division of that company. Despite their retirement in 1997, the accuracy of the F1AZ's armament delivery is still considered classified information by the SAAF, but observer analysis by informed news services (e.g., Jane's Defence Weekly) and pilot reports (e.g., Commandant Dick Lord, 'Vlamgat', 1999) conclude that the AZ variant has accuracies within the order disclosed by the USAF for their F-15E Strike Eagle in unguided ballistic mode. (Source: Jane's 'F15', Electronic Arts, 1996; Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 2000)

The F1AZs were delivered between November 1975 and October 1976. They were assigned to 1 Squadron, stationed at AFB Waterkloof. This acquisition was also kept secret from the rest of the world — 1 Squadron was not allowed to display its new aircraft until February 1980.

The SAAF retired the F1CZs in 1992, followed by the F1AZs in 1997. In 1998, the University of Stellenbosch acquired an F1CZ for its aeronautical Engineering department.

As an experiment, Aerosud, a South African aero-engineering concern, equipped a Mirage F1 with a Klimov RD-33 engine, the same engine used in the MiG-29. This development was dubbed the "SuperMirage" F1, and held the distinction of being the first Western aircraft to perform a display at the MAKS Airshow in Moscow.

At the waypoint you will find a blue Mirage F1AZ number XYZ (Beware the exhibits are moved around sometimes to accomodate events)

The final cache location is S25 48.abc E28 09.def
Where abc =( X x Y x Z x Y ) + X + Z
And def =( X x Y x Z x X x Y x Z ) –( X x Y x Z x Y )

FTF Honours go to ===== adysally

NOTE- The cache is about 15M off the final location. The hint will help you if you do not spot it!

I have purposefully left it as such to remind me that when we hid it away we did not have enough time for the GPS to settle, as we recieved a call, at that moment, that one of the SAAF choppers was down and the OC had to leave immediately. The extra effort required to find this cache is just a token for the airmen who lost their lives that day.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Nyy va nyy vgf whfg nabgure ..........

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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