Author: tropicair

Offering customised paint jobs, Tropic Air has 10 years of experience working on a range of aircraft, each one being unique in design and colour. 

The project involves stripping the aircraft to bare metal, treating any corrosion, use of high-quality paints including the undercoat, and works carried out by a trained spray crew applied as per the paint manufactures instruction.

Some amazing facts: 

After completing a professional paint work, the aircraft is re-weighed and it’s incredible to discover how much weight has been lost.

A clean paint job make all surfaces, especially the wings, more efficient in flight.

Our team is professional, experienced and creative, and can work side-by-side with you to deliver your dream make over.

Photos: Andrey Joseph, taken at Tropic Air, Nanyuki

In August history was made – not only for two daring Red Bull wingsuit athletes, but also for Mount Kenya, as the first ever tandem wingsuit jump took place.  Román (Spanish) and Álvarez (Chilian) launched from the open doors of a Tropic Air helicopter at 18,000 feet, souring over the dramatic landscape up to 230 kilometers per hour, and safely landing at Lake Michaelson! A great deal of logistics was involved to coordinate this task, and factors such as weather and altitude are essential for consideration.

Wingsuit flying, a variation of skydiving, propels athletes through the air at astonishing speeds, made possible by the use of webbed-sleeved jumpsuits (and parachutes for landing), requiring impeccable body control and balance.

Tropic Air was thrilled to be part of this incredible event, witnessing another form of flying – we thought we’d seen it all!

Deep in a remote part of Great Rift Valley is the territory of the Pokot people.  A scenic boundless haven, which is also a desolate and baking hot land, where survival has been challenged and evolution of strong and resilient people now stand. 

A culture of great pride and great solidarity, colourful in their dress, open and warm by nature and free in their spirits.  But most of all the Pokot stand true to themselves uninfluenced by society and the pace of life that traps the majority of us. A respected system of law and order is led by a council of elders. 

For a couple of hours by pre-arrangement, we have the honour to step into their lives, witness their traditions and become immersed in their world. 

Tropic Air offers a range of scenic flights – both full day and half day, and the Pokot excursion is an add-on to our ‘Suguta and Lake Turkana’ trip, or our ‘Lakes of the Great Rift Valley’ trip. 

We are extremely excited to have launched helicopter operations in Tanzania – a dream for many years! TROPIC HELICOPTERS LTD.

A country with so much variety, space and richness of life, with the expansive Serengeti plains (the epitome of ‘safari’), and the magnificent and vast Ngorongoro Crater. The incredible Mountains of Ol Doinyo Lengai and Kilimanjaro, the soda Lakes of Manyara, Eyasi and Natron .. there are no bounds for adventure in Tanzania.

From our private base in Usa River, just outside of Arusha, we are operating an Airbus H130 helicopter. With thanks to Tanzanian National Parks (TANAPA) we have been a granted provisional permit for helicopter operations in TANAPA Aerodromes, and for evacuations off Mount Kilimanjaro in collaboration with the Mount Kilimanjaro Rescue Team. We are grateful to TANAPA for bestowing their trust in us, and we are are proud to be the first Tanzania AOC holder selected to provide these services..

For more info email: info@tropictz.com

The World Rally Championship (WRC), which was first held on Kenyan soils 70 years ago, took place for just the 3^rd time in two decades (in June 2023).  The thrilling high speed modern generation event was held Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley – the 7^th of the 13 round championship – and the only one on the African continent!

If you can imagine cars producing 360kW from turbocharged, three-cylinder engines, with power sent to all four wheels and a suspension tuned to maximise grip – that’s just part of the thrill.  LOCATION – the wilderness, sandy roads, hairpin turns, and flats where speeds of up to 200km/hour are reached in seconds!  The DUST is iconic!

Tropic Air was privileged, for the 2^nd year running, to fly the international TV crew, and legendary cameraman Bart Van Aert, who provided incredible aerial coverage from a Shotover camera mounted onto the nose of the helicopter.  Our pilots delivered their best flying skills with faultless manoeuvres!

Media manager and photographer Joe Andreys was on site, and captured amazing images of the action!

A remote pastoralist community living on the summit of the Ndoto Mountains in northern Kenya, have welcomed the Tropic Air helicopters and our guests on countless occasions. We land here on the grassy glades on route to the deserts of the north, because its such a beautiful (and cool) spot that overlooks the low arid lands of Samburu, and because the people that live here are exceptionally hospitable.

On our last visit we were overwhelmed by a little boy who showed us a carved wooden helicopter that he had hand crafted – a perfect replica of our H130! WOW! Although we stop regularly, its usually for just a short 20 minute break, and hardly enough time to do a study of the machine (you’d think!). The boy is deaf, and it is his friends who alert him to the sounds of the helicopter landing – and a small crowd of excited children sprint to landing spot. This boys talent clearly is natural and intrinsic, and we can’t wait to see what his next creation might be!

Photos: Jamie Roberts