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Medivac is a service that we offer – often having to mobilise at last light to collect a casualty from one of the far corners of Laikipia or Samburu in northern Kenya, with a range of injuries and illness of all magnitudes.  Our pilots and a few members of the Tropic Air support team benefitted from a 2 day refresher ‘first responder’ course, to keep current with the techniques and skills necessary to assist in the case of an emergency.

These two neighbouring lakes in northern Kenya, just a few kilometres apart, couldn’t be more different from one another! Lake Turkana is vast in size with fresh waters that are jade in colour, hosting great numbers of Nile Crocodile and Nile Perch. Lake Logipi is highly alkaline, shrinking in size due to evaporation, supporting no human life, but an important feeding ground for Flamingo and a diversity of other birds.

Photos: Jamie Roberts, Helicopter Pilot

Stunning Lake Turkana – the lifeblood in this extreme landscape – where fresh waters support a diversity of life and livelihoods. ‘The lake is super high at the moment. Full of flamingo too…’ – Kieran Allen – H125 pilot for Tropic Air

The year 2020 marked 30 years in operation! Tropic Air was established in 1990 by Jamie Roberts (photo below) – a young 20-something year old, with a flying licence, an ambition and a dream. With no aircraft of his own, Jamie leased this de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (photo above), from Anthony Dyer – and started offering scenic flights around Mount Kenya.

With thanks to the professionalism and commitment from the great many people that make Tropic Air what it is today, the company has grown and diversified profoundly since.

Despite the difficult past year that almost everyone we know has experienced, we are optimistic that the world will soon turn a corner.

Happy 2021 everyone – let it be good!

Private air charters Kenya, scenic flights Mount Kenya, helicopter adventures East Africa!

For the last 5 weeks we have been based in Dire Dawa, Eastern Ethiopia supporting efforts to control the devastating plagues of locusts that have invaded the Horn of Africa, threatening food security for millions.

Many long hours have been spent on the runway planning logistics, carrying out maintenance tasks (including a 100-hour check) and preparing our aircraft for flights.  We sheltered from the midday sun under the wing, stored some of our equipment here and enjoyed time in this great old abandoned aircraft, that no doubt had a few stories of its own.

November 2020, Dira Dawa, Ethiopia

Wild fires have decimated thousands of acres of savannah lands in the Chyulu Hills, Southern Kenya. Fire fighting efforts, driven by the Kenya Wildlife Service, Big Life Foundation and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, bought the situation under control, with people on the ground putting the leading edges out, and aerial support from Tropic Air mobilising teams to hot spot areas and dropping water onto the flames using a bambi bucket.

Photo credit to Neville Sheldrick, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. September 2020