Ben Wilhelmi

Scenes in the bush, northern Tanzania

 

 

When there are no official public transport...

 

Hard work for this woman.

 

Notice how nobody stepped out to lighten the car...

 

 

This Masai lady uses an umbrella obviously not from the rain nowhere to be seen but from the scorching sun. Temperatures can come close to 50C at the bottom of the Rift valley.

 

A dust storm or dust devil passing by. Pretty harmless except for a slow and low flying plane. Very common near the equator.

 

 

Kids are the same everywhere!

 

Kids are the happiest in the rain season which only lasts a couple of months.

Floods in Tanzania these days, aerial shots

 

Katasunga plain in Katavi NP but that is a normal recurrence in the rainy seasons, except we are not really in a rainy season. The weathermen blame a dipole in the Indian ocean for the last weeks or months. At least the buffaloes are happy and safe.

 

More seriously farmers are losing their harvests and people have died, 44 in the last months, life must be hell down there.

 

Some rivers disappear.

 

 

An airstrip that nearly becomes an island could be of no use...Mbuyu airstrip, Selous reserve.

 

The biggest river in Tanzania, the Rufiji, has overflowed too, Selous.

 

 

 

Rains in the bush

 

A sudden downpour often creates flooding in no time.

 

And the kids just love every bit of those rains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dar es Salaam in the rains

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dar es Salaam, street photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dar es Salaam in the rain

 

 

 

 On the main road.

 

 

 

Aerial photography in South Sudan

 

A flooded hamlet in September.

 

 

The White Nile near Bor.

 

The Nile near Juba.

 

A flooded village, Agok, 2 months ago.

 

One passenger was a saint?

 

The Nile.

 

A swamp somewhere near Pibor. Many swampy areas in South Sudan.

 

A flooded refugee camp, Rubkona.

 

A woman soaping herself on the road.

Dar es Salaam, the rains

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aerial photography, South Sudan

 

A flooded village. The rains have been stronger and dragging longer than usual. That didn’t help the current humanitarian crisis.

 

 

In some areas, those wrecks litter the roads, like one every few km!. This Cruiser seems to have been blown up. Whatever was salvageable has been removed.

 

Bad news for those travellers. A break down in the middle of nowhere…

 

Stormy weather, minimal art.

 

 

Meet the White Nile.

Aerial photography, South Sudan

 

The weather is just irregular. One day, perfect blue sky, the next, this.

 

On the Nile shoreline, a hamlet.

 

A flooded refugee camp. Bad luck, only the camp is flooded. Such a vast expanse of land and to choose that low bit…

 

 

 

Just after take off out of Juba, the Nile.

 

More of these little grassy islands. I’m on a mission to find out.

Dar es salaam, rains, street pictures

 

 

 

 

White players seem more favored than African ones…not a shortage though.

 

 

 

outreach clinics in the Tanzanian bush, Flying Medical Service

 

Flying Medical Service  operates on about 26 remote villages. Here is our doctor of the day treating a kid’s wound.

 

A nurse busy with vaccination cards and syringes.

 

Monik, an airstrip on lake Natron. Extinct volcano Shombole above and active volcano Lengai below

 

A one-legged man goes home after a treatment on his stump.

 

Bush airstrips show challenges sometimes minor, sometimes serious. Slopes, altitude, difficult terrain and surroundings, flash floods…

Dar es Salaam in the rain

 

One day last month in the middle of the rainy seasons, the rain was  intense in Dar. Some pictures in the slums…

 

or alongside the main road…

 

 

this is the airport road.

 

This street vendor was selling windshield wipers.

 

Nice t-shirt…”I’m so hot”? With a veil in such a conservative society…

aerial photography, rainy season, Tanzania

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

aerials in rainy season, Tanzania

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tanzania, bush flying

 

Rains always bring some sense of fun.

airstrip being flooded…

just after take off, it was a bit sloshy but a C 206 does wonders.

 

Tanzania is definitely not short of hills and mountains.

 

safety is not very well understood by everybody.

 

birds on final…

rainy season in Tanzania, aerial pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kenya, pictures while driving

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flying the bush in Tanzania

 

 

 

 

flooded airstrip. Propeller strikes happened because of soft ground there even when the ground looked dry. So nowadays, the company policy is to avoid this strip when water is apparent.

 

Bush fire are always a hazard. Will e fid our plane intact net morning? Those fires can be natural of course but are also man made, poachers or park authorities for fire control. Since these incompetent people only manage their nose picking, we have reasons to be concerned.

 

 

some of the numerous visitors we’ve got to chase before take off in national parks.

 

I had just landed on this flooded airstrip and didn’t waste time to grab my camera to witness the next planes to come.

 

some airstrips are real highways but there are always animals crossing to keep us alert.

rainy season, Tanzania, aerials

 

 

the orange color in the gully means fresh muddy waters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tanzania in the rains, photography

 

the volcano Lengai trapped in clouds.

 

what are these boys thinking? Herders’ lives revolve around good pastures, and rains.

 

 

Irish green grass makes the cows and the shepherds happy.

 

let’s land quickly….

 

 

overfilled lake.

 

dramatic clouds on already stunning landscapes!

bush flying, Tanzania

 

Flying Medical Service has definitely some of the best bush airstrips! Whether for the challenge or the sceneries. Here a flooded strip at Monik.

 

a volcano, Lengai and an active one that is.

 

a bit of low flying in Olduvai gorge.

 

downhill airstrip, one way in, one way out, no discussion. Wind is not a factor really.

 

our new recruit.

 

the advantage of this place is that the strip can be set anywhere, just throw a few rocks (which won’t stay white very long) et voilà.

 

I don’t fly this Herc’, though this is one of the very few big bush beasts I’d love to get a job onto, and watching a C 130 bush take off is always impressive.

 

Rift Valley, just a few small villages, a coupla airstrips down there…

 

time to kick some butts before I can take off from one of the Katavi park airstrips. Animals are common on strips of course, but such a variety, not so much. Zebras, Cape elands and waterbucks all together, what a treat. Even if it meant I had to run and yell like an idiot to chase them away. The other idiots were busy nose-picking somewhere. I won’t give names here but my fellow pilots know which green men I'm referring to.

Tanzania in the rainy seasons, aerials

 some rains appeared in northern Tanzania over the last weeks. Speculations are now flying around. early rains or just a glitch of mother Nature?

those rain seasons are usually spectacular, intense and dramatic. It’s always wise to polish your cameras and have them ready, fresh batteries, empty cards (and know what your buffer capacity in RAW format!).

a delta on lake Natron filled up with muddy waters.

 

near the border with Kenya, lake Natron. Once in a while some heavy downpour up in Kenya will feed the river and a mudflow will color the lake on the northern part.

 

happy wildebeests. There are a few groups here and there in Tanzania which don’t take part in the famous migration across the Mara river.

 

happy farmers. Well supposedly as these guys are notorious complainers here too.

 

easy job for the herders. No need to walk up all the way to Sudan or even Somalia as it is the case in drought. See the map and appreciate the effort from the Masai herders who have done this some bad dry years!

 

lake Natron.

 

 

 

extinct volcano Shompole on lake Natron.

aerial photography, rain season, Tanzania

 

those orange spots are rare puddles of water in a normally dry and scorched area.

 

lake Natron.

 

 

 

northern part of Natron, mud flow coming from the Kenyan river.

 

view from the north, the volcano Lengai on the horizon. Exceptional visibility that day, like 100 miles.

Cape elands (in a secret location, just in case hunters follow the blog)

 

a long and wide airstrip in the Sonjo Valley.

 

the Sonjo Valley, between Natron and Loliondo

Tanzania, wet season, aerials

 

 

right this one is not an aerial but I had just crossed that thick steely cloud prior to landing.

 

 

 

an ox, a hoe…the old way.

 

clothes washing

 

a man-made dam, common scenery.

 

various muddy waters mingle in this pond.

 

beautiful green grass, people and cattle will be equally happy. Those rains will keep conversations alive for a while.

rain season in Tanzania, aerials

 

one of Flying Medical Service 206’s at an airstrip named Mpopong’i. Skies get interesting in a rain season in Africa…

 

the downpours get intense though usually short. Within a week or so the sceneries will have changed drastically.

 

 

 

 

 

the roads from uncomfortable can often become just impassable.

 

usually dry rocky beds most of the year…

bush flying in wet season, Tanzania

 

 

We had just landed in Oljoro, not on any map, cloudy but dry weather. All at once the clouds let go all their contents. The airstrip got flooded within 5 minutes.

 

the airstrip…

 

 

at least somebody else got happy with that weather. I was happy too just for the experience. We’d have to take off at some point…

 

 

It didn’t look too good but then the Cessna 206 is such a bush beast…

 

and off we went, a few splashes here and there on the run when one can feel the airplane slowing down but here is the picture to prove we got airborne. The strip is that diagonal from top left to low right. Interestingly enough, seeing this amount of flooding would keep me away from landing. I couldn’t wait to see next airstrip.

 

here is it, Olpirikata, 10 miles away till not on any map sand a total different landscape. We didn’t land, this is soft ground and we’ve had 2 propeller strikes here in the past! So that silver ribbon doesn’t bode well.

bush flying, Tanzania

 

a Flying Medical Service mobile clinic in the Rift valley. Trees are rare in this place so either the nurse hangs the scale on the hut either on the wing hook like here.

 

the sun is quite harsh on lake Natron. So umbrellas made in China became popular as soon as they appeared some years ago.

 

Stunning vista covering most of lake Natron. There are about early 10 airstrips around and none of them is registered so no commercial flight brings tourists here.

 

a crazy sloped airstrip located on a ridge.

 

same place in he Ngorongoro area, different season.

 

after a violent downpour the airstrip gets flooded. The take off was interesting

 

yup the airstrip lies in there, picture shot just after take off.

 

or here, that is the thin shiny strip. We didn’t land that day. We know this soil here is really soft. We learnt it the hard way: 2 of our aeroplanes sank in on landing and hit the propeller.

rain season in Tanzania, aerials

 

happy zebras running in a filled up pond

 

shower just before landing.

 

an airstrip covered by new grass and white flowers. The lake downhill has been quickly filled up.

 

a river that is dried mot of the time. So to see it that full is quite impressive.

 

elsewhere people and cattle cross a lake by foot.

 

the Ngonrongoro crater is 700 m deep, its bottom is quite flat so the smallest rain an fill up that little lake.

 

the active volcano Lengai getting ready for a thunderstorm.

 

colors have changed quickly and dust is gone.

 

2 pictures 5 minute apart. One area is getting finally wet whereas the one below has been drenched a few times already.

 

the area was dry when I landed then a storm started and within 5 minutes the landscapes had changed drastically.

believe me or not the same airstrip can be seen on this picture. The take off was interesting to put it mildly.

bush flying in Africa, photography

 

Nairobi, mafia deal, insurance scam, jealous competitors… no truth ever came out for that bombed KingAir. The plane stayed in full view of the tourists clearing customs for weeks. Welcome to Africa.

 

Below are pictures in Tanzania where I have been living for 14 years.

More peaceful, a Flying Medical Service clinic.

 

the slopes of Empakai crater, one airstrip lies on a sloped ridge. Look carefully, you’ll see an airplane on this picture, a Flying Medical Service.

 

 

 

after a serious rainshower.

 

sandy airstrip, inexperienced pilot and that was it for the day for that Cessna 206. No injuries.

 

oops they forgot to lower the landing gear, or so they claimed… That Let 410 was eventually sold after some repairs.

 

A Cessna 206 on landing in the middle of nowhere, or the middle of everywhere as read once in a Colorado village.

rain season in Tanzania, aerial photography

 

Arusha is now being washed away by serious downpours, people and properties are at risk… though seen from the air, everything looks peaceful and beautiful.

 

 

 

 

a storm is brewing a few miles away. I had time to take off before it arrived on us.

 

the rivers and ponds are all full which is a blessing when the water level stays within the norms

 

 

rain season in Tanzania, aerial shoots

 

Lake Natron, salted and usually quite dry most of the year got flooded recently which explains the beautiful cloud reflection. But the river from Kenya just brought a big amount of mud and sediment. Nice colors and contrasts.

The muddy waters in the delta only shows that orange tone.

 

A rare waterfall, it probably won’t last as it is most likely fed by upper rains.

 

Flamingoes on flooded plains.

 

This is near Arusha, an area that can look like a dust bowl at other time of the year. This country can sure show a lot of extreme feats!

Tanzania, aerial photography

 

Once in a while in flight, I open my window and get a picture. Tanzania is an incredible beautiful country.

Mount Monduli and mount Meru further.

 

A common rainshower over the Serengeti.

 

Colored salts on lake Natron.

 

Long shadows, early morning.

 

The top of Mount Meru at about 15.000 feet.

 

volcan Lengai and lake Natron

 

lake Natron, the only breeding place for flamingoes in the whole Africa. And there are salt extraction projects to trash the place…

 

A Masai village, one early morning.

 

Those holes are boreholes. No idea why in this case they are so close to each other.

 

A bit of the Rift valley, lake Natron.

around lake Natron in the rain, aerial photography

Unfortunately there are some picture thieves out there. I might have to readjust my web address across my pictures. Of course better have some pictures stolen than not sharing them...

Anyway let's not get depressed by scumbags, let's enjoy the beauty of Tanzanian landscapes in the rain season. This is lake Natron but for once I snapped around the lake, wawy from the colorful salt pans.

 

Remaining salts floating, usually covering 90% of the lake surface in the dry season has now mostly disappeared, swallowed by the water rise.

 

 

The delta near volcano Shombole on the Kenyan border.

Mud and salts mixing.

 

That brown hue is muddy water flowing from a Kenyan river.

 

 Orange mud pushing blue salt water.

 

and more mud floating amidst red salts.

Tanzania, flying the bush

 

Caravan landing in the hilly area around lake Manyara.

 

Twin Otter landing.

 

Big puncture obviously, on a replacement tyre. I was angry at the Dar es Salaam workshop who had given us that piece of crap which was worse than the previous punctured tyre…

 

Melted battery terminal resulting in 3 days in a hotel waiting for the new battery.

 

typical scene in a park: a Land Rover alongside an airstrip.

 

Sad view in Arusha airport, a lousy pilot trashed this F406 on take off. He could have killed dozens of people, not only his passengers but also the various people in other aircraft or on the airport. He had stopped a few meters short of a big plane being boarded and the fuel station…

 

A Cessna 206 dwarfed by a huge Mil 26.

 

Flying loosely formation with a Cessna 404.

 

Ndutu airstrip quite flooded and momentarily out of service. This strip is famous for being soft when wet. Rains can be intense and change the landscapes within minutes.

 

One of the Flying Medical Service 206’s and active volcano Lengai shot on infrared film

Tanzania in the rains, aerials

 

it is always fascinating to observe the drastic changes in one country between dry and wet seasons.

This place, Olorbelin, is located on salt lake Natron, very often described as a harsh and most unhospitable place. Yet no one would guess that in the wet season. This greenery won’t last very long of course but t is very impressive in the meantime.

 

Monik, another village around the lake, fares a bit better because there is a spring nearby but this rocky river bed is usually dry. Here a truck got tuck.

 

various muds mixing in a delta.

 

dry rocky river bed usually.

 

some light rains coming.

 

some weather over the Gol mountains. Pilots normally fly higher except Flying Medical Service because we have a few airstrips located in these very mountains. It can be challenging to land on those sometimes.

 

flooded swamp.

 

interesting mix of salts and mud on lake Natron.

 

lake Natron, mud brought by flowing rivers.

 

momentarily flooded area.

Tanzania, flying the bush

 

superb landscape in the Serengeti. A large De Havilland DHC 7 landing.

 

Kigoma, a large UN operated Mil 26.

 

Early morning.

 

Twin Otter DHC 6 on landing.

 

Wildebeests crossing while I’m busy landing.

 

Caravan taking off, Seronera in the Serengeti.

 

A Caravan overflying lake Manyara.

 

Being overtaken by a F406 at close range.

 

During a storm at Seronera…

rain season, Tanzania, aerial photography

 

dramatic skies are the norm.

 

Irish green grass is another norm whereas the soil might have been dusty prior.

 

 

Usually dry river beds is all one sees most yearlong. Flash floods are common and dangerous after a rain shower.

 

lake Natron has lost most of its colorful salt pans.

Deltas get flooded.

River shorelines might disappear.

 

Interesting patterns appear but might change from one day to the next.

 

mud flows invade lake Natron, and other lakes.

 

Another river that is dry the other 350 days or so of the year.

photography with a Rolleiflex, Tanzania

 

that is the Tanzanian bush with that old medium format camera on a slide film, the excellent Fuji Velvia 50 . Mine is from 1961, still produces sharp pictures especially with a film like that.

This shot is from October when the first rains were coming, here a thunderstorm brewing late afternoon. These Masai kids were a bit shy but that never lasts, curiosity is too strong usually.

 

Lake Natron in the Rift valley….

Natron is a salt lake always offering interesting salted patterns and bright colors. Here is a vertical shot of those salt pans.

 

Masai people attending a Flying Medical Service clinic near the Serengeti.

Kids are always around even if they need no medical treatment or vaccination.

aerial photography in Tanzania

 obviously shot in a rain season. The transformation from dusty to wet landscapes is always spectacular, magic.