Hanks Aero Adventures adds "First Officer" safari flight

Hanks Aero Adventures adds "First Officer" safari flight

Hanks Aero Adventures has added what it calls its First Officer program to its menu of African game-watching flights. The program matches up an African-trained and certified flight instructor with visiting fliers. This eliminates the four- to five-day training and test required to certify visiting pilots for a 90-day visitor's flying permit. Thus, the visiting U.S. pilots can begin their flying safari almost immediately after landing in Johannesburg, South Africa.

A 17-day escorted bush-flying tour into prime game-viewing areas of South Africa, Botswana, and Victoria Falls is limited to 14 participants. The tour costs $9,500 per person plus approximately $1,000 for avgas.

Other trip options include a self-fly (non-guided) safari in which the visiting pilot follows a prepared route that's detailed in a Cockpit Trip Kit by Hanks Aero Adventures. Hanks is owned by Nicholas and Christina Hanks, Americans who have been providing guided and self-fly safaris in South Africa since 1995. The flying season is from April until the end of September.

October 4, 2007