Journey of discovery:Vintage plane offers unique way of exploring Namibia

Popular proverb suggests that a kilometre of road leads nowhere but a kilometre of runway everywhere. It's an adage that has particular relevance for Namibia where individual landmarks are separated by vast distances and many of the most scenic landscapes are situated in remote areas difficult or impossible to reach by car.
It's thus hardly surprising that fly-in-safaris are becoming ever more popular among tourists visiting Namibia. That's partially because foreign visitors lack one thing in particular: time. In today's fast-paced world the journey is often less important than the destination with tourists determined to see and experience as much as possible in the limited time available to them.

For these holidaymakers an aircraft offers the most practical mode of transport allowing them to cover huge distances quickly and affording them the opportunity to use the time saved on travel for exploring their destination, without having to recover from the exertion of a long drive. In addition the plane provides a much more flexible way of getting from point A to B since it doesn't have to follow fixed routes limiting the options available to motorists. Instead tourists who travel by air can take virtually boundless detours over isolated regions beyond the reach of vehicles on the ground.

The growing popularity of fly-in-safaris is evident from the relative large number of operators in the coastal town of Swakopmund offering plane expeditions ranging from a few hours to several days and covering the whole country from Sossusvlei and Lüderitzbucht in the South to the Kaokofeld in the West and Etosha Pan in the North. One of the six charter companies providing this service is Bataleur Aviation, founded by two pilots in October 2006 and enjoying a steady growth in the number of services and staff since then.
Amongst them is the current operational manager Jacques Jacobs. "We want to distinguish ourselves from other charter businesses and focus on longer tours lasting up to seven days rather than scenic flights", he says. These extended excursions are traditionally organized by a tour company with Bataleur Aviation being contracted to provide a pilot flying guests to wherever they want to go and facilitating activities for them at their destination.

Since journeys of this nature are usually designed for bigger groups of people who require more luggage for these lengthy expeditions Bataleur Aviation took a historic decision recently that is bound to shape the fortune of the company in future.
"The Cessna aircraft we are mostly using are limited in the number of passengers and cargo they can carry", explains Jacobs. Taking into account the company's ambition to specialize in longer flying ventures stretching for several days, a bigger aircraft was thus needed.
After considering various options, the charter business eventually set its sights on a vintage aircraft Jacobs first became aware of in advance footage from the movie "Amelia" starring Hillary Swank and Richard Gere and depicting the life of the female aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. The film featured a Beechcraft 18 S that had Jacobs and the three other directors of Bataleur Aviation electrified.
"We called the owners of the old-timer-plane and were informed that it was for sale", remembers Jacobs. Thrilled by the prospect of acquiring it a team was dispatched to South Africa to meet with representatives of Mercy Air, a humanitarian organisation that operated the airplane for the last twelve years and employed it for medical evacuations and aid delivery, most recently in Mozambique.

"We fell in love with the classic plane at first sight and agreed to purchase it at a price of about two million Namibia dollars including registration fees", Jacobs recalls. It's an investment that not only secured Bataleur Aviation a major draw card in the form of a vintage aircraft but also availed them the services of a highly qualified mechanic, who has been maintaining the plane built in 1956 for the last 10 years and will continue to service it in Namibia.
When talking about his company's new asset Jacobs struggles to hide his enthusiasm. "This aircraft still offers mechanical flying the way it was meant to be experienced prior to the introduction of computeraided electronics", he enthuses nostalgically and continues: "This is the only Beechcraft of its type in Africa that is not only in a flying state but in prime condition. This particular model 18 has seen military service during and after World War II and can thus truly be called a classic highly sought after by private collectors."
Bataleur Aviation currently has three pilots available who, after completing a short conversion course, can operate the newly acquired "baby", as Jacobs fondly refers to the Beechcraft. While the aircraft requires a little more fuel, oil and line maintenance, the allure it exudes on tourists as potential customers of Bataleur Aviation far exceeds this minor drawback.

A further advantage inherent to the new plane is a more practical one. Firstly it is a very versatile aircraft which can be used for aerial spraying and fire fighting, as well as ambulance service and skydiving. Secondly it has two engines and thus enables Bataleur Aviation to attract corporate clients like international mining corporations active in Namibia who are often constrained from using single-engine-planes due to security concerns by their insurance companies.
According to Jacobs his company plans to use the Beechcraft for an average of two seven-day-excursions per month. As a result, the plane would be available a further two weeks for scenic flights catered specifically to clients who appreciate the unique experience of air travel in a vintage aircraft.
"We've had several enquiries from people wanting to take a scenic flight on the Beechcraft", says Jacobs, clearly excited about the potential of the new plane. Provided enough of the eleven passenger seats are occupied to make individual trips cost-effective, the number of possible destinations is virtually limitless.
Though not actively marketing this service, Bataleur Aviation currently offers a huge range of day excursions ranging from trips to Epupa, Sossusvlei, Lüderitzbucht and Etosha, as well as other destinations on request. While the Beechcraft could be used for some of these scenic flights, its main purpose will remain as mode of transport for guests, wanting to explore the country over a period of several days.
"About 95 percent of all lodges in the country have an own air strip and the Beechcraft doesn't require a much longer distance for takeoff and landing than other planes", says Jacobs. As such there is virtually no limit to where the classic aircraft can go and clients are thus welcome to draw up their own schedule or approach Bataleur Aviation for a tailor-made schedule.
Customarily pilots employed with or contracted by Bataleur Aviation will collect a tour group at the international airport in Windhoek and take them from there to the various destinations as per the itinerary provided by the tour company. An average excursion covers most of the country and may lead from Windhoek to Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Cape Cross, Damaraland, Epupa and Ongava, with the pilot acting as tour guide and assisting guests during activities like game drives.
To perform this task, Bataleur Aviation has three directly employed pilots as well as two freelancers available who are assisted by two administrative staff, including Jacobs's wife Wiana, who is also one of the four directors of the firm. It's a far cry from the humble beginning of the company, borne from one of the founding members being a director of a medical institute with hospitals in Walvis Bay and Ongwediva.

The ensuing need to fly doctors and nurses between these two towns encouraged the acquisition of the first Cessna 210 and resulted in enquiries from the public about using the aircraft for scenic flights. That in turn prompted the decision to enter the charter business and lead to the purchase or alternatively the leasing of additional planes. Today Bataleur Aviation has three Cessna 210, one Piper Seneca and, of course, the famed Beechcraft at its disposal.
Considering the huge running costs involved in operating a charter business, Jacobs is fully aware that the venture wouldn't survive without paying customers. One senses however that his involvement in Bataleur Aviation is not primarily driven by financial considerations but by the pure love of flying.
This passion is evident from his dedication to the Swakopmund Flying School started and owned by him and his wife. In some respect this venture was the midwife of Bataleur Aviation. After all, this is where the couple met their former students Matthias Braune and Horst Weimann who not only became friends but also co-directors of Bataleur Aviation.
Because the Flying School only has two fulltime instructors it can only accommodate four students every three months - the time required to complete a Private Pilot License. Since its establishment over 30 students have completed various courses and conversions at the flying school which Jacobs describes as "a hobby as opposed to a money-making initiative."
It's the sort of observation that betrays his priorities where financial gain seems almost insignificant. "We are like a big family," he says and concludes: "What unites us is not only our joint love for flying, but also our common desire, to share with our clients the beauty of Namibia as seen from the air."