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Range where the climate is ideal for the world reknown choice coffee and tea of Tanzania is grown. Salima of Malawi on the southwestern shore of Lake Malawi is the next landing and visiting site. Another water landing is made at Salima near the Livingstonia Beach Hotel for a relaxing respite at the ideal beach or a cruise on the largest lake within the Rift Valley (known for its great archeological finds of early humanoids). Then perhaps on to Maun, Botswana situated at the southeastern delta of the "Great Okavango Swamps". From Maun, the guest are taken in smaller aircraft to a site known as "Delta Camp" within the swamp and housed in suitable cottages. An option is offered for a guided canoe tours along the network of waterways or walking about on "Chief's Island" adjacent to Delta-Camp. (Note: The Okavango area becomes a lake, as the surrounding area of several thousand square miles receives its rainy season and since there is no outlet for Okvango, its waters disappear through dry season evaporation to its "swamp identity" or dries up entirely. This total process renders Okavango to species of flora and fauna unique to the area with each process of seasons.) After completing this experience the guests are flown next to the "Chobe Reserve" in the northern most area of Botswana at a site known as the Chobe Chilwero Camp besides the Chobe River. The feature here is the abundance of birds numerically and by species in their respective aquatic behavior in their respective seasons of migration. The spectacle gains attention of even the non-bird fanciers. Overnight accomodations here are in attractive and fully functional "A"-Frame cottages aesthetically correct for the setting. Another short flight in the Catalina delivers the guests to a landing on the Zambezi River and taxi to an old established flying-boat jetty, used in the days of flying-boat service to and in Africa. The prinicpal attraction here is the 343 feet high "Victoria Water Falls" in Zimbabwe/Rhodesia, discovered by the British missionary, David Livingstone in 1855. (Note: the same who was presumed lost, then discovered by Henry Morton Stanley with the famous greeting; "Doctor Livingstone, I presume?", near Lake Tanganyika in the village of Ujiji in old "Tanganyika"/Tanzania. By the way; did you know, that although Stanley was born as "John Rowlands" in Wales, he was subsequently adopted by a New Orleans merchant, "Henry Morton Stanley" who gave young Rowlands his own name? Also that young Stanley served in both Confederate and Union services before being employed by the "New York Herald" to search for Livingstone?)..This listing of sites and attractions and services are within the tested guest routes of first operations at this writing with all flights being fully "booked". One retiree has taken TWO complete Catalina Safari trips, and despite Pierre's outlandish "pipe dream" of an idea to most people; bookings for the "Catalina African Safari" are being filled even before some of the schedules are available. Therefore, barring the vagaries of the unseen hand of fate, Pierre Jaunet is embracing at least the success of maintaining another historic chapter for the PBY/CANSO-A/OA-10A/etc. that started out with the design of one "Isaac Laddon" of old Consolidated Aircraft Corporation when the U.S.Navy asked for such a machine, 28 March 1933 and Isaac's Model 28 flying boat was first test-flown 28 October 1935!
Pierre Jaunet's search for a "Catalina" was satisfied when he located R.C.A.F. number 11054, built in 1944 by Canadian Vickers at Cartierville, Quebec that had been operated for various purposes since WW-II. He had it restored and configured to a state beyond the normal "Certificate of Airworthiness" for its intended use. Good Luck Pierre! |
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