Fly in Safaris

[WRITER: Chris Chiparaushe ] [ PHOTO: Wilderness Air, Central Air Transport Services ] “So much to do and see and yet so little time!“

This quote adapted from John Gunther’s famous quote rings true for many safari guests. Africa’s unspoilt and pristine wildlife areas attract many visitors that are drawn to their natural beauty and remoteness. One feels a sense of space and connection with nature as natural sounds fill the air. The more remote the location, away from the hustle and bustle of civilisation, the better. In order to enjoy such incredible vistas, one still has to get there in the first place. Most of these places are inaccessible by road and water. For some, road access takes so long, eating into that valuable and scarce resource – time. This leaves air access as the only option in many cases. Welcome to the world of the Fly-in safari.

Fly-in safaris in Africa are said to have originated in Kenya. They allow one to spend more time on the ground looking for animals rather than spending time getting from point A to point B. They allow one to do and see more on a safari holiday. Fly-in safaris have opened up access to off the beaten track areas enhancing the safari offering. Apart from providing access, Fly-in safaris add to the spirit of adventure and excitement as one takes off and lands on dirt airstrips while getting an aerial view of wildlife and the areas that one would explore on land. An aerial view gives you a full picture of the area you will be exploring. Indeed, some of these light aircraft are used for scenic flights.

While some people are nervous about flying on these small aircraft, they are a very convenient way of getting around these vast areas and most flights are not very long. In the next two issues of Travel and Leisure Zambia and Zimbabwe, we look at some of the people that have made a career of flying guests into these remote areas and hear their stories. Often times, when guests get back home, they talk about the great or not so great guide they had on safari, the animals they saw and the camp/lodge they stayed in. Not much is said of the pilot that got them there but they are a vital cog in the whole safari package. We will also take a brief look at some of the aircraft used in these remote areas. In this issue we profile two pilots from Wilderness Air.

TINASHE CHISEWE

Born and bred in Harare Zimbabwe, Tinashe remembers vividly when the seed to be a pilot was planted in his head. It was on the 31st of October 1993 when the Concorde flew to Zimbabwe. While there were a hundred lucky ones that managed to board this incredible machine, little Tinashe, then ten years old, was among the hundreds that thronged the airport to catch a glimpse of this spectacle. Tinashe remembers wondering what it would be like to be in charge of such a machine. The dream of flying would later come true, sixteen years later.

In the meantime, Tinashe would go to school and onto university to study for a degree in Business Administration majoring in Finance, graduating in 2007.While looking for a job in finance, an opportunity presented itself to start flying lessons at the then Harare International Airport. However, he was advised to move to South Africa but his parents could not afford to sponsor him. Luckily, his elder sister came to the rescue and this saw him moving to South Africa to train at Westline Aviation in Bloemfontein. Armed with a commercial pilot’s licence, Tinashe returned to Zimbabwe in 2011 to find an aviation industry on its knees. There were no jobs! He started hustling to make a living selling clothes from Dubai until he landed his first job at Wilderness Air in 2014.Tinashe has risen through to the position of Flight Operations Manager. Tinashe sees his role as very important, being the first and last interface with guests on safari and finds it fulfilling when guests leave with a sense of satisfaction and a promise to come back at their earliest convenience. For him, a sincere handshake and ‘thank you’ for a great holiday from guests are music to his ears. He rates Mana Pools as his favourite national park both from a safari and flying perspective (a good challenge for a pilot as it is always a crosswind landing). When I asked him how he put guests that are nervous about flying at ease, he said he often cracked a few appropriate jokes (he is the resident Wilderness Safaris Zambezi region Master of Ceremony at functions). He says he tells them to sit closer to the front where there is less aircraft motion, to look out for the horizon and that if they do not see him sweating, then all is well. He also reminds them that turbulence does not bring an aircraft down.

“His message to young aspiring pilots out there: Dreams do come true but they do require hard work and dedication. Never give up on the dream. Knock on doors, speak to people and once they see your dedication, they will back you up,”

NATSAI CHIREMBA

“Many times, I feel guests do not feel confident with me flying them. Having a woman on a single crew flight and someone of a small stature who sits on cushions freaks them out.”

Natsai is 1.56 m tall but is a competent pilot and who does her job like any other pilot and does not let the lack of confidence of some guests put her down. She says she just concentrates on doing her job as best she can. The last born in a family of ten, Natsai grew up in Pasipamire village in the Buhera district of Zimbabwe. Her father was a school teacher in the same village. Although she loved planes from an early age, opportunities of seeing one let alone flying on one were very rare and although her brother was a pilot, her first ever flight was her first flying lesson!

One of the greatest challenges she has faced in her career was the lack of a mentor as she had to figure out most things herself since her brother had passed on. And figure them out she did! Since joining Wilderness Air in 2014, she hasn’t looked back. Today, she balances being a wife, a pilot and a mother to two children aged four and two months! As they say, dynamite comes is small packages.

What does she love about flying into safari camps and lodges? She enjoys the beautiful scenery in the remote areas, the camps themselves and the animals. Her favourite animal is the baboon which is her totem. She also enjoys chatting to guests that she will be flying as they have a sense of anticipation and she is able to fill them in on what to expect. Flying also affords her the opportunity to spend time in cities from time to time and she does what most ladies do… go shopping.

Natsai spends time playing with her kids when she is not working as well as surfing the internet and watching documentaries. She is also a big fan of Bush Pilots TV program. She says she relates to the situations the pilots faced (technical faults, bad weather, etc.) and learnt a lot from what they experienced.

There is no limit to what you can achieve. “If I could do it then you can do it too.” This is Natsai’s message to young aspiring girl pilots out there.