Flying Adventure: Indian Ocean Coast – Day 1 (FAWB – FAKN – FQMA):

We are heading out to Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, today. It’s the start of an unplanned flying adventure.
In essence, that means we haven’t made any bookings for any destination. We will decide each day what we feel like doing and where we feel like flying to. Pretty awesome, he finds.

His companion’s wish was to spend time at the beach. As Mozambique has a very long coast line, it was obvious that he obtained a flight permit for Mozambique so that we can expand our choices of destinations.
By courtesy of the Mozambican civil aviation authority, the validity of our permit was extended by an additional two days. This allows us to fly into Mozambique today already.

We decide to take advantage of this and head out to Maputo. That takes us to the wished for coastline on the first day. It’s a good way to start this tour.

Pretoria to Kruger

The weather looks generally good for our route, but cloud and visibility at Kruger are still below VFR minima as we are about to depart. He expects that to clear up by mid day as the temperatures rise. In case it does not, our Plan B is to fly to Graskop on the escarpment’s ridge and wait for clearer skies at the Angels’ View hotel.

The clouds have lifted and are breaking up as we reach the escarpment and we enjoy a beautiful descent through the Ngodwana valley and over the escarpment into Kruger International Airport.
As we are the only international flight, border clearing is fast and easy. We are therefore soon again on our way across the border and down to the coast.

Kruger to Maputo

It is not unusual when entering Mozambican airspace, that you cannot get hold of Maputo control or Beira Information. Radio equipment is sometimes weak and underpowered. Thus when you fly at lower flight levels, you are often not able to establish contact until you get closer.

It is however common practice in Mozambique that other aircraft at higher flight levels will relay your message to and from control. Needless to say then, that you should cooperate in such an event, and offer your assistance where needed.

However on this day, we are having no problem contacting Maputo and are cleared inbound. It’s a beautiful approach over the Maputo harbor and then over the city’s outskirts down onto runway 05.

Maputo

It is a “long walk to freedom”. You have to carry your bags for a considerable distance from the apron office to the international wing for immigration. And no trollies are allowed outside the terminal building. It is that prospect of a cold Mac Mahon, that is waiting for you, which keeps you moving.

We clear arrival formalities pretty smoothly for Mozambican standards, and the dispatch supervisor turns out to be a pretty helpful chap. We are therefore soon off to town where we check in at the StayEasy Maputo hotel for the night. The hotel is conveniently located, close to the airport on the main beach and within walking distance to the main attractions.

After a stroll along the beachfront, we stop at Campo di Mare for an excellent seafood dinner. It is then time to start pondering about where we should head off to tomorrow. A few cold Mac Mahon and the sounds of the ocean shall bring clarity.