Travelling by air taxi is the ultimate way to experience an African safari!
It allows you to take off and land as close as possible to your stay in national parks or reserves, most of the time on simple dirt airstrips. Several aircraft models are used, depending on the country, the air routes, and the number of passengers expected for the flight. These range from the small single-engine 5-seater Cessna 206 to the 12-seater Cessna C208 Grand Caravan, or even the Pilatus PC12 (to name only a few models).
Bush pilots are experienced professional pilots. Some seasoned veterans have many years of flying behind them and know their country and the airstrips used inside out. There is therefore no question regarding the competence of these pilots or the safety of the flights.
Unless you charter a private flight or have a very specific request prior to confirmation of your trip, these air taxis operate daily rotations along precise, pre-established routes. There is therefore no question of taking detours, changing flight altitude for a better view of a site, or for taking photographs. This is not a scenic safari flight but a means of transport. The logic is the same as for regular air travel. Only the size of the aircraft and the airstrips differ.
Nevertheless, the view of certain places such as the Okavango Delta, the Ngorongoro Crater, the banks of the Zambezi, or the dunes of the Namib Desert from the air is always remarkable, even without taking a single photograph. A sight for our eyes alone!
Only a few drawbacks:
- these small aircraft are more sensitive to turbulence and are not air-conditioned (except for certain aircraft such as the Pilatus PC12). If you are prone to motion sickness, the flight may not be very pleasant, even in calm, clear, windless conditions. It is therefore advisable to take an effective treatment to minimise the effects of air sickness. Flights scheduled in the morning are also less prone to the turbulence caused by warm air. We can therefore try to organise the flight schedule accordingly, depending on the options offered by the airlines.
- luggage weight is very limited, including hand luggage and any camera bag.
Generally, you will need to stay under 20kg all-inclusive per person, or even 15kg on certain flights. And use only soft bags, without wheels.
Of course, we will provide you with all this information in the travel booklet prepared before your departure. But if you think you may not be able to stay within this maximum weight, you will need to book an additional seat at the time of confirmation. Otherwise, for obvious safety reasons, the pilot will prevent you from boarding or ask you to leave some of your luggage on the airstrip. This is especially true if the flight is full.
In addition, you will be asked for your weight at the time of booking, as some airlines, for safety reasons on small aircraft, may not accept a passenger whose weight exceeds this limit.
