A quick update. Although we would love to tell you Mack is in the air... He is not π.
Mack is still in #Heraklion, #Greece π¬π·and waiting to depart for #Alexandria, #Egypt. As the route for #Africa had to be changed last minute, it does take some time for Mack and his team to get all the pieces of the puzzle back into place. Endeavours such as these require many moving parts to fit neatly. So, meanwhile, let us give you an insight into the work needed behind the scenes:
β‘οΈ Calculation of the range of the aircraft βοΈ (i.e. distance it can fly with a given amount of fuel, considering weight, etc.) and identification of potential airports en route within range
β‘οΈ Finding an airport of entry within range: to enter a country legally from another country, it requires landing in specifically designated "international" airports dealing with customs & immigration
β‘οΈ Finding an airport that has the specific fuel needed for an aircraft (JetA1, Avgas, Mogas)
β‘οΈ Know about General Aviation restrictions (in opposition to airliners) for a given country
β‘οΈ Obtain a "permit": many countries π request prior permission to enter their airspace. The request times and processing times for these vary
β‘οΈ Take into account specific political situations
β‘οΈ Know specific covid-regulations per country
β‘οΈ Identify the climate/season/time of year
β‘οΈ Find or contact known local fixers and helpers on the ground
β‘οΈ The specific weather on the day you want to fly
β‘οΈ The health of the pilot on the day of flying
β‘οΈ The health of the plane on the day of flying
Etc, etc...
When organising the "Route" in advance, it is a given that one of these parts will almost for sure fail at some stage π π. So, when it works out, that is already quite a feat actually... πͺ
It might therefore look as if we are already on African "pole pole" time (slowly, slowly in Swahili), but we'd rather go slow and steady, than overrun ourselves. Again, safety first and "Time to spare, go by air"!
We have dedicated a team now praying πto the Greek Gods and any other djin available π§π§ββοΈπ π¦ΈββοΈπ§ββοΈ, are dancing πΊaround the fire π₯, burning incense, to make all the pieces fall into place. We can use all the help we need: Go on, burn a candle for Mack, do the Hula-dance, or chant some incantations to the African gods. All is good as long as you don't forget to send us some pictures of what you are doing to help!!! ππ€£π€
