Just down from Kilimanjaro. Wondering if anyone has experience renting/chartering in northern Tanzania.
Thanks,
DP

There's always this guy. Just unbutton your shirt...

http://www.bush-air.com/

Gump

GumpAir wrote:There's always this guy. Just unbutton your shirt...

http://www.bush-air.com/

Gump

Amazing. If that guy could kiss his own ass he would. Oh wait, that's what his videos did.

Cheating death in the air, blowing up cars with a shotgun, and flying around with hot co-pilot trainees?

I assumed that was just another average day in the life of Gump....

RanchPilot wrote:Cheating death in the air, blowing up cars with a shotgun, and flying around with hot co-pilot trainees?

Melissa is actually a pretty good friend of mine. She stopped by this summer on her way home after flying an airshow and parked her Edge 540 next to a Maule. First words out of her mouth when she got out of the Edge were "that's a nice Maule!" She's a VERY cool chick and a great pilot

I think that Captain Crash watched too many episodes of Dog the Bounty Hunter.

denalipilot wrote:Just down from Kilimanjaro. Wondering if anyone has experience renting/chartering in northern Tanzania.
Thanks,
DP

Talk about a long shot... Good luck.

RanchPilot wrote:Cheating death in the air, blowing up cars with a shotgun, and flying around with hot co-pilot trainees?

I assumed that was just another average day in the life of Gump....

Well, of course it is....

I just keep my shirt buttoned up and don't have cool videos!

Gump

Tanzania is the land or red tape. I lived across the border in both Uganda and Kenya. Both of them are pretty amenable to expat pilots. Tanzania, after decades of socialist rule, are very slow to act and have rules for everything. Heck it could take anything from two to four hours to get a customs guy to nod his head in the direction of your aircraft, not like they actually inspected it. There are a few flight schools down near Dar and there was one, at one time, in Arusha. They would be your best bet to rent (albeit with one of their pilots riding along) an airplane. The entire country of Kenya only has around 500-700 aircraft and Tanzania, half that. Most are working contracts with safari camps or UN projects. Not much private flying, fuel is very costly, huge taxes on import of aircraft and parts (think 100%). So none of that "I had a farm in Africa" crap going on anymore with Mr. Redford cruising around in his biplane.

Spent some time there, and there are Supercubs around with tundra tires and bellypods. Try contact <www.coastal.cc>, they arrange bush charters. By far the most common vehicle is the Cessna Caravan, but they could find a Supercub for you. Like dogpilot says, forget flying yourself. You'd need a Tanzania license, yada yada.

Too bad about Melissa Pemberton risking tarnishing her image by association with that South African clown, Erik. She's a very accomplished pilot with a healthy airshow booking schedule for her Edge 540, and she's competed in the World Aerobatic Championships, Unlimited Class. She never went to Bush-Air for training, she was invited down by Erik, probably didn't realize he was setting it up as a promo thing for himself. She's had an interest in the humanitarian side of Africa for some time, mostly in Ghana. Anyway, Bush Air is in South Africa, darkening their aviation reputation, thousands of miles away from Tanzania.

Back on topic, here's some Tanzania Supercubs I saw on the ramp in Zanzibar while waiting for my plane earlier this year.

Karmutzen wrote:Too bad about Melissa Pemberton risking tarnishing her image by association with that South African clown, Erik. She's a very accomplished pilot with a healthy airshow booking schedule for her Edge 540, and she's competed in the World Aerobatic Championships, Unlimited Class. She never went to Bush-Air for training, she was invited down by Erik, probably didn't realize he was setting it up as a promo thing for himself.

I meant no disrespect by calling her a trainee. I had no idea she had a bio like this (http://www.sportsgal.com/bio.html), and you certainly don't get that impression from the video. He's doing her a real disservice by using her as little more than a (good looking) prop.

Thanks for the replies. Please keep them coming. Right now it's looking like the support flights between the safari lodges might be an option.
DP

I believe that Leo Flowler from Lake Clark Air in Port Alsworth, Alaska is now living near Lake Victoria.

Lake Clark Air would know how to reach him

907-278-2054 in Anchorage

GR

Just down from Kilimanjaro......Thanks,
DP

Hey DP, congrats on Kili!!! Not a hike for the faint of heart, you're setting a good example for those of us that think we're too old to get out the walking stick.

Well, back home in the states now. Thanks for the thread responses, but in the end there was more than plenty to keep fully occupied on the ground. I do think the aerial vantage would really help with appreciating the landscape though. As some of you know it's just enormous. I'll try to get around to posting some pics.

There is a good-sized airport in Arusha with lots of Caravan traffic and several FBOs. In Serengeti and the other parks there are plenty of excellent gravel strips to support the safari lodges, as someone noted. I saw regular Caravan activity, as well as some 182 flights occurring. Not sure if you could hang around and talk your way onto a flight, but it couldn't hurt to try. One commercial venture offers hot air balloon flights over the Serengeti in the Seronera area. $500 for an hour. They seem to do these at daybreak, which takes advantage of sunrise and also likely the smoothest air of the day.

Speaking of weather, the choices boil down to A) wet season and B) dry season. Seems you either get some clouds and curtains of showers, or conditions for serious serious midday thermals and hot dry winds.

Low and slow Beryl Markham-style would be purely awesome. Lots of landable terrain for the big-tire crowd. Kevin, Pops and Courierguy would hardly know where to begin. Just watch out for the lions.

Cheers,

Simon

Denalipilot,

Your post brought back memories. This backwoods farm boy got to do a similar trip in the mid 80's, what an eye opener. At the time, things were hot in that part of the world, unrest in western Africa, the airline could not fuel there, so we had to go by way of London, stopped at Athens Greece for passengers, but could not get off the plane because the airport had been bombed earlier in the year. Road blocks all over Kenya, auotmatic weapons, how exiciting. Similar problems now, it has just shifted a little east. Anyway, we probably saw a lot of the same area, though I spent most of the time on the Kenya side (saw, but did not climb Kilimanjaro). One of the highlights of the trip was the ride in a DC3 out of Nairobi to the plains, did not do the balloon ride because of the cost (was $500 then too), but have regretted that I didn't. Brought home lots of pictures, always thought it would be fun to go back to hunt, flying would be a bonus. Great that you got to spend some time there.

Steve