79 Kilaguni - Zanzibar

7. Mar. 2010

I spent most of Wednesday just taking in the view from the terrace of my hotel room, and spending time reading the manual for my new camera! I have not been very good at getting shots from the plane with a telephoto lens, so I thought it may be the time to learn how to shoot pictures in other settings than automatic, such as shutter speed priority shooting.

I wanted to go to see some nearby springs, but the hotel wanted me to pay 3 times the normal rate if I just went on my own, so I gave it a miss.

After breakfast today I walked to the plane parked just outside the electric fence surrounding the lodge. It had been raining heavily with thunder during the night, and it also rained this morning, but at about nine, the rain stopped and I was on my way. I first taxied through the red wet mud and then along the extended runway 12 to take off from the sealed part of runway 1.

I flew about 1500 feet above ground most of the way to Mombasa, looking out for wildlife. I came across plenty of elephants, looking reddish from the red dust/mud, giraffes, buffalos and more. I zigzagged along the route doing a few 360’s to take some photos, trying not to go below 1500 ft. agl.,being the minimum altitude in national parks. I also tried not to fly directly over animals in order not to disturb them.

This one of the advantages about a high wing Cessna: I flew along with flaps at 10, the window fully open, kept up by the wind, and cruising at about 70 kts. – with my elbow out the window. You cannot doo that in a Piper!

I did not talk to anyone on the way, but 25NM out of Mombasa I called the tower, and after reporting passing the control zone boundary, I came in for a left base to runway 03.

On arrival, I was taken by a chap for a tour around the airport in order to pass customs and immigrating, before I could continue to Zanzibar. First to the flight planning office to file a flight plan, and for the navigation charges (about $35) to be worked out, then to another office to pay the landing fee of 10 dollars. Then to a bank to actually pay the navigation charge, then to customs and finally, after having my bag scanned twice, through the immigration. It took time, but everybody was friendly.

Getting fuel was another time consuming effort as my Shell carnet has expired, and Shell haven’t given me a new one for the reason, that the carnet is not accepted in Scandinavia. I had a mail from them saying I could pay by credit card.

 But they did not take credit cards here. And I could not pay by cash either! After some time, the friendly airport marshal staff got hold of a Kenya Airway guy, and it was arranged I could pay him in cash, so he could pay Shell – at a price of about 25% extra.

After 2 hours - in 36 degrees – I was off to Zanzibar, along the coast with all the beach resorts South of Mombasa.

I called the Zanzibar Approach 50 NM out, and came in for a right downwind to runway 36. The tower was rather busy, as he had landing aircraft left and right – I was sequenced as number 2 and on landing told to expedite vacating the runway.

Paying landing fee & parking was swift ($80), and I was through immigration in no time, and 20 minutes later I could get into the hotel pool.