Leica S on Safari

[jaapv]

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I can relate to that. The plane was a Beechcraft Baron. The dirt strip had been chewed up by an RAF Hercules doing parachute training, using it several times an hour for days on end. The Baron could simply not work up takeoff speed in the sand and the pilot flipped up the undercarriage  whilst still on the ground just before he hit the treeline, releasing the plane from the drag so it jumped into the air. Scary is an understatement. I sat in the righthand seat.

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

Less is more, Neil. Redundancy is a positive, which you already have with your wife's Nikon. Relying on baksheesh to carry more than the allowance is not reliable (or particularly ethical).

I'm seeing more airlines doing weight checks of handcarry, so it may be worth coming prepared to move some items to check-in that you would rather handcarry. I've done this recently with camera bodies and laptops on non-connecting flights (where it's much simpler to track anything that goes missing.

 

On a tangent...

Many years ago, working in Papua New Guinea, I was doing a Rig move where what could not be transferred full distance by chopper longline, was loaded out in a Twin Otter with all of the seats removed. We were operating from a dirt strip, with the end of the strip being a river at 90º, followed by jungle, and a river valley leading up to a mountain pass at ~10k'.

I loaded the first flight up to the max (or beyond...), including a base layer of 200l. drums of fuel. When the plane "took off", it went past us middway down the strip at about jogging speed, and disappeared off the end of the runway. The only sign that it hadn't crashed was that I could still hear the struggling engines, and there was no big bang. A few seconds later, I could see the plane flying up the river, below the height of the trees on the banks. Once he cleared the trees, the pilot had to go into a slow height-building circuit, to manage to get the altitude to be able to skim through the pass.

When he came back for a reload a few hours later, he made me fly with him in the co-pilot's seat, so I got to experience what he had just been through. It was...interesting, and could have required a nappy change.

 

Those days were a lot for fun mate......nowadays its boring with all the HES BS :( 

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[gbealnz]

It's only boring if you're alive, believe me.

With an aircraft that is slightly weight limited (as most/all are) I am constantly "assessing" people's weights in my head as they line up, and fueling accordingly.

The last thing I need is to be sitting in Coroners Court and be asked if I realised I was overweight (A/C weight that is).

Simpler to be on the numbers, or under. OK, so I am an old pilot.

Gary

[Manoleica]

When we went flying in the DeHavilland Rapide (Duxford Uk) we all had to be weighed, heaviest seated towards the cockpit! They used a set of bathroom scales!! Fuel has precedence over passengers or cargo..having had minimal I mean minimal helicopter experience am I correct in thinking that helicopters are more critical on weight?

Edited August 14, 2016 by Manoleica

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

I'll be flying in a Boing 777 and a A320...............im sure my hand luggage won't be an issue

[Manoleica]

I'll be flying in a Boing 777 and a A320...............im sure my hand luggage won't be an issue

How sure are you!

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

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How sure are you!

 

Emirates don't fly Cessna and Fastjet use A319

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[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

I'm taking

Leica S and 120mm

Nikon D5 with 600mm f4

Thats it

 

My wife is taking;

D500 80/400

D810 70/200 f2.8

 

Were cool

[Manoleica]

I'm taking

Leica S and 120mm

Nikon D5 with 600mm f4

Thats it

 

My wife is taking;

D500 80/400

D810 70/200 f2.8

 

Were cool

Enjoy & Safe Journeys.. L

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

Enjoy & Safe Journeys.. L

 

Thank you Sir

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

I'm hoping to take some more pictures like THESE when I go back in Feb :) And a few more here.

 

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[R3D-D0T]

Damn, poor guy

Wouldn't you need long lens for that? Beyond 180mm?

[jaapv]

Not really. Cheetahs are often quite approachable and harmless to humans. Superb capture, BTW.

[EoinC]

It's only boring if you're alive, believe me.

With an aircraft that is slightly weight limited (as most/all are) I am constantly "assessing" people's weights in my head as they line up, and fueling accordingly.

The last thing I need is to be sitting in Coroners Court and be asked if I realised I was overweight (A/C weight that is).

Simpler to be on the numbers, or under. OK, so I am an old pilot.

Gary

I'm with you, Gary. We might have had a lot of fun back in the day, but many of the pilots I knew back then are no longer alive - they didn't get to be old pilots.

 

I had several (very) close calls back then, but was fortunate to have the Gods smiling on those days. PNG is a rather unforgiving aviation playground when the Gods stop smiling.