Botswana Makgadigadi Area

[alan pepper]

I am putting a trike trip together to fly the area around the pans. From the17th July for 8 days. Based at Elephant Sands camp site, 50km north of Nata, it has a sand strip of 300m. We will be trailering up. If anyone is interested to join us drop me a line. alan@basslake .co.za

[mulderpm]

Hi Alan, your trip sounds great. It is most certainly one of the places I want to go. Because Botswana is sparsely populated and very wild, like in animals and desolate places, it is very very inhospitable. You have to go with at least one flying wingman and if possible ground support (the latter is not so important because they can't get to you anyway). I have driven around the country many times and it looks very risky to fly there.

I would love to go but the support, flying and ground, must be bullet proof. You must know the guys that you are relying on very well and you must know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they will be there for you, or you will be dead/eaten, regardless if you survive the crash. I have seen dead cattle on the pans because they got lost. I was driving alone and it scared me!

Now, having said all that, when are we going? Because of the unreachableness, the pans and the delta has been a flying destination of ambition for me, like Mozambique. Oh...one other thing...they..Botswana...doesn't have an Aero Club. I.e.. I believe to get clearance is tiering!

Lets see how things go. Many have done this!

[juangerrits]

Hi Alan,
You must have an ATF from CAAB before you go. If you fly without you will be in big trouble. Get the ATF from Mr Chominyana at CAAB. His email adress is ochominyana@caab.co.bw. He is very helpfull. Enjoy the trip.
Juan

[alan pepper]

Hi guys. Sorry I have been off air for a few days.
I have been to Botswana 5 times in the past 10 years. I have taken a few groups up there and have flown both the delta and the pans. As long as you get all the required paper work in order it is not a problem to get the needed authority. You must be careful not to fly in restricted areas. It is quite easy to cross the line and it can be very costly. They do not accept sorry as an excuse. When flying the pans it is a good idea not to stray too far from the trails that cross the pan. If you land out in the middle of the pan in a soft area you will not be able to walk out and nobody can get to you except a helicopter. When doing the paper work you agree to cover all costs of recovery.
It is a lot more difficult to fly the delta as you can only land on airstrips and you have to have prior permission from the owners. The authorities don't want microlights flying across the delta. If you have an engine out and land in the papyrus there is no way out.
Flying the pans is hard to describe. It should be on every pilots bucket list. It is breathtaking and creates a special camaraderie. It is more than just flying; it is the camping and the 4x4 trails,
I unfortunately have to postpone due to work commitments but if you are interested in a later date lets keep in touch.
Alan