And by hump, I mean over the hump of the (peak season) figurative camel’s back. The season has progressed to its busy state, just as the thermostat has risen and the lifeline Luangwa river has narrowed to a shallow stream of luring water. September has been a busy month. I have not logged serious hours, but I have had the joy of cheating gravity a total of 105 times in a short time of 23 days. That’s an average of 4.5 legs per flying day. It sure sounds like a lot, especially when one compares it to a long-haul pilot, but once you become flying fit then it’s not too intense. The most legs I’m allowed to do in one day is 8, which happened a couple of times! I can see the need for a kidney belt if you feel like a madalla (old person in Njanja).
Camp life (part 2/2)
In the hotter months (August – November) one feels the need for a short siesta after lunch. It is very uncommon for it to rain here during the dry season so, fortunately, humidity is kept at bay, but on the other hand, there is dust and a lot of it.
Camp life (part 1/2)
This will be an attempt to explain the ins and outs of what it is like to live in the bush at a remote camp. I’ll run you through a typical day of a bush pilot at Remote Africa Safaris, although I must admit that no two days are ever the same as it is a very dynamic job and destinations, flight times, people, weather and plenty of other factors change constantly. Continue reading “Camp life (part 1/2)”
Exciting new airfields visited
The season is in full swing and the last couple of days has been busy. Ask any pilot and they will always be excited to visit a new airfield. Different scenery, different scenario, new challenges are always welcome. Some of the airfields that I visited in the last couple of days here in eastern Zambia are Mwanya where I am based, Kapamba, Jeki, Mpika, Shiwa Ngandu, Luawata, Mwaleshi, Royal and the international airports Mfuwe and Kenneth Kaunda in Lusaka.
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