The Flight to South Africa, Lanseria Airport

This is the first leg with 5 of us onboard the Mustang. Fuel usage is computed very carefully using the WSI Optima program that gives us the usage for the leg based on the altitude and the wind aloft.

Here is our brief for this leg:

Amazing what we have done so far. If someone would have told me that one day I would be flying a plane to South Africa....I would answer "in my wildest dreams", but here I am today.

3 countries and FL360 for the leg

Lanseria is one of the airports servicing Johannesburg in South Africa

I Am Not Kidding When I Say "Edge of the Falls"

A little rainbow for some encouragement and then the big Jump

Oh no !!!

On the edge of life or death

This is fun/risky, you cannot get closer than this from dropping out into oblivion

Great shot, but for me, I am still very much scared of heights...

Livingstone, Zambia, Here We Come!

I have seen the Victoria Falls twice over the past 30 years and every time they amaze me. The first time I was adventurous and did the rafting on the Zambezi river and the latest time a little kayaking close to the Hippos, we shall see what this time will bring.

Our crew is increasing with Stuart Auerbach waiting for us in Livingstone to fly the Mustang back to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, in time for the TBM Convention with me. He has been here for 24 hours and has already checked the rafting down the Zambezi River and the helicopter tour of the falls of his list...will Air Journey be able surprise him and the rest of the group with a fun outing while at the Falls?

Our Lodge was the David Livingstone Lodge situated on the edge of the Zambezi River

A smiling crew for our discovery of the Falls

We were told not to get too close to this guy and that he was in charge but I must say he wasnt very thorough in his explanations on what to see and do. I guess monkeys don't make good tour guides...

What a site...

No idea what they are referring to

the whole Crew

Yesterday, it was Stuart in that boat...

Jeffrey greeted us with some singing and music...a little too close to the big drop in my opinion.

We decided to do the Helicopter tour of the falls. Our helicopter flight path is a 25 min ride all the way over and then down the river barely 20 feet above the falls. I have a great video that will be posted later

we have a South African lady pilot, very professional

What a sight...

3 blades make it a lot easier

View from our room window and they are not kidding

Very peaceful

For lunch, we settled on an island overlooking the falls

and guess what, we took them all for a swim to the edge of the Falls, breathtaking!

In some places the current can be overwhelming and you risk the possibility of being pushed over the edge but our spot chosen by our guide was a natural pool that was quiet and seemingly safe

The 3 first contenders

Our sunset cruiser on the Zambezi River took us to discover more wildlife...this hippo is yawning, not attacking (or so we were told). 

The best spot for viewing the animals

and Jeffrey gave us more singing

The Livingstone Pilot Brief

This is the longest leg, so far,  of the Journey at 950 NM. The Mustang is a stretch for this leg. We unload some luggage to the PC12 and we fuel up to the rim, I even added an additional 21 liters right before start up, it's not much, but, better safe than sorry.

Here is what it looks like:

The flight route was given every shortcut available plus a straight-in for landing. We landed with nearly 800 pounds 200 above my minimum.

A Last Look at Quilalea Before Heading to Livingstone, Zambia

We truly enjoyed this remote destination. It was exactly what we needed for pure relaxation after all the flying and safaris.

It is the perfect getaway for honeymooners! Every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, your butler chooses the location and sets up your table, from the side of the pool to the beach for dinner to the trees of the cliff for lunch..never the same place, always new. Its quite enjoyable

A sunset not like the others

Remember the name and the spelling

The shape and sail of the boat off the Mozambique coast have not changed over the centuries

A flash back to Ibo...this is an office with custom iron work done in France which was initially used as a ballast on an empty ship headed for the island for slaves. In order for the slaves to be loaded onboard, the intricate iron work was left behind.  The French have a long history of slavery in this part of the world

The star shape fort from above

A Side Trip in the Helicopter to Ibo

Ibo is one of the Quirimbas Islands off the coast of Mozambique in the Indian Ocean.

What a dream for any pilot to be able to command a helicopter and go exploring nearby islands...we did just that.

Not much of a runway for an airplane but plenty nice for the helicopter 

Of course the big noisy bird attracts the local people

Ibo is known for their silversmiths. They continue to use the same techniques as many generations prior and the outcome is a beautiful product with many different shapes. It is quite fascinating to watch the locals work the silver and set it into the different forms for jewelry.

What is amazing with Ybo is how time has passed through. It used to be a bustling place for centuries but now it has sort of disappeared from the face of the earth. The only thing left is tourism. A number of South Africans have invested in the islands and hope to bring more tourism to this untouched place

The main church stands the same way the Portuguese built it but the majority of the population is muslim

The church is still in use

There is a big tide surrounding the island leaving many boats in the sand at low tide. In the past, this area was so busy due to its deep water harbor which is still in existence today.

This star shaped fort was also built by the Portuguese. It was recently used by the Portuguese during the Civil War for Mozambique's independence 

The views from the helicopter allowed us to discover the true depths of the harbor.