Category: Category1

Visiting the Hamar and Mursi people in the Omo Delta, Ethiopia.

The Hamar are semi nomadic livestock keepers, they wear colourful beaded jewellery and an ochre mixture on their body and hair. They are a tribe with unique rituals. The men take part in a bull jumping ceremony in order to reach adulthood, and the young women are whipped to show their love for men – their scars are testament to this. The women wear a neck collar which is their tribal equivalent of a wedding ring.

The Mursi attribute overwhelming cultural importance to cattle. Most occasions, particularly marriage, is marked with the exchanging of cattle.

The Mursi use horns, bones, shells and skins. The women are known for their clay lip plates. Extreme drought has made it more and more difficult for Mursi families to remain sustainable through their traditional activities of cultivation and cattle herding.

Only two pockets of Swayne’s Hartebeest still live wild in their original territory. Established to protect this endemic and endangered species, this tiny 54km2 protected area, named Senkelle Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary lies in the Oromia region of  Ethiopia and along with the 600+ Swayne’s Hartebeest, the Sanctuary also has reedbuck, greater kudus, orbis, spotted hyenas, serval and civet cats and warthogs, as well as 91 species of bird.
How lucky, just by chance we flew right over.

Ethiopia by Helicopter, contact us for details on these amazing adventures!

How quickly the landscape changes when it rains. This normally, semi-arid corner of Samburu is now under water! The runway at Sasaab is virtually an island – and keeping things fun for our pilots!

Thank you Capt Angus Melesi for the photos – flying our Cessna 182 here!

Tropic Air carries out private charter flights throughout Kenya, using our fleet of Cessna aircraft.

We are thrilled to introduce a Uganda-Kenya 12 day flying safari for up to 10 people on an exclusive group basis. This is a rare opportunity to combine Kenya’s BIG FIVE with the rarest primates on earth – the Mountain Gorilla, and the endangered Chimpanzee.

With 15 years of safari experience in Uganda and other East African countries through our helicopter operation, Tropic Air is now offering a more affordable option to visit lesser known parks, for larger group sizes using our Cessna Grand Caravan.

Like our helicopter adventures, the safari is a private and immensely exciting experience, with the Caravan, pilot and a professional guide staying with the guests throughout the safari.

Please contact Flick on safaris@tropicairkenya.com for a concept itinerary and rates.  We hope you find this as exciting as us, and we look forward to your feedback.

New Faces!

We are thrilled to introduce Tatiya and Angus!

Tatiya Tukero Naikuni has joined Tropic Air Helicopters. He is a talented helicopter pilot, with experience to carry out a diversity of flying tasks, and is currently providing support to the British Army Training Units in Kenya (BATUK). (left)

With six years of flying under his belt, Angus Melesi is Tropic Air’s newest line pilot, currently flying the Cessna 182. Before joining Tropic Air he worked for the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Tsavo providing air support for conservation and anti-poaching. (right)

Promotions!

Associated with with Tropic Air since 2012, Timmy Flowers joined as a full time as a line pilot in 2015.  A year later he became Helicopter Training Captain and this year was promoted to Helicopter Chief Pilot.  During the last 6 months alone, Timmy has been instrumental in supporting scientific research in the Danakil Depression (Ethiopia), providing cyclone relief in Mozambique, and introducing and implementing an aerial fire fighting capability to the list of Tropic Air’s services in the Utility sector. (left)

In just under two years since joining Tropic Air as a fixed wing line pilot, Iain Njiraini has been promoted to Chief Pilot Fixed Wing division.  His calm and professional approach to flying, his excellent people skills, and his natural abilities as a pilot, has moved him quickly into this leading role.   Iain is fully qualified with an ATPL license (Airline Transport Pilot – the highest license that a pilot can obtain). (right)

A week by helicopter in Uganda

First stop: 2 nights in Kidepo National Park, located in the north-eastern most corner of this most wonderful country in eastern Africa.

From the base of Apoka Lodge, a Wildplaces Africa property, we explored the savannah plains – a 1,440km2 wilderness with two river systems (Kidepo and Narus), surrounded on all sides by distant hills and mountains, and with a rich diversity of wildlife and birdlife.

The scenery alone is spectacular, yet its remoteness (Uganda’s least visited park), density of buffalo, herds of giraffe and elephant, the iconic sausage trees and the vast borassus palm forests, all add to the appeal.

All photos @ Ricardo Ferreira, Manager of Apoka Lodge