82 Victoria Fall - Maun

13 Feb 2010

I spend all day Friday walking around the falls. At first on the Zimbabwe side, and then on the Zambian side.

The Zimbabwe side is most interesting, but on the Zambian side I could get right down to the “Boiling Pot” with a view looking up on the Zambezi Bridge. It was hot, but getting close to the falls gave a lot of spray, so despite having an umbrella, I got drenched.

Crossing back over the bridge to the Zimbabwe side, I had to pay $30 for a visa again.

This morning, I enjoyed breakfast at the Victoria Falls Hotel, with a wonderful view to the Zambezi Bridge, and the mist rising from the falls.

At 10 I was off to the airport. I had to climb the stairs to the tower in order to file a flight plan. I was told, that a flight plan was supposed to be handed in at least 24 hours before departure! No good – but the controller made a few phone calls, and my flight plan was accepted with departure an hour later.

There was no communication from the tower to BP, so I walked to their depot – only to find, that nobody was around?

I decided not to bother finding the staff, and filled 20 gallons of fuel in the wing tanks from my ferry tank. I was pretty confident, that I could get fuel in Maun.

After taking off from runway 30, I was allowed a right turn out, and permission to fly over the falls one more time. This time I flew right over the falls, before turning towards Botswana.

It was a bumpy ride most of the way at 6.500 feet. 50 NM out of Maun, I descended to 4.500 feet to see, if I could spot some wildlife. It did not take long before I saw a group of Elephants.

5 NM away from the airport, I got in contact with the tower, and I came in for a right base for runway 28. Taxiing to the west apron, I stopped at the BP fuel browser, which was manned. I had refueled in no time, so I could taxi to a parking, where a tie down wire was available..

Maun is the busy center for sight seeing flights to the area.

I had not been able to book a hotel in Maun beforehand, but it took only one phone call from the airport, and I had myself a room for the night. Tomorrow I will try to see, if I can get a room in a lodge in the Okavango Delta – with an airstrip nearby.