Sea plane - part II

Flights by request

Fayez and Per, a small young team with many ideas. A team that is always open for costumers suggestions and requests. They can offer twelve up to 15 flights daily to tourists. But in the moment there is no reason to worry that the trips are fully booked. The more there is a chance in tailoring your very individual tour. Per: "By customers request we can circle above particular monuments for instance for some photographs. Therefore we have to put this route in our tour plan. We also can fulfil requests for special routes."

Not has to be mentioned, that the team has to accept several governmental regulations. As it is only allowed for them to fly during daytime, starting at 9 a.m. till half an hour before nightfall. At the same day you can book for take-offs in the morning time, take-offs after 2 p.m. have to be reserved in the morning of the suggested take-off day, as the crew for that flights needs special permissions. All flights of course are due to safety regulations for international passenger flights, as there are for instance use of metal detectors, ban of mobile phones on board, and so on. Of course all safety regulations also are due for the aircraft and the crew. So, discussions with the pilot during take-off and landing are strictly forbidden.

The pleasure of this flights of course has its price (see "Information"). Per: "Our costs per trip are around 130 Dollar. Therefore we need minimum two passengers, for a solo trip the passenger has to pay the double price." In the end nobody wants to fly in a minus with the company account.

And there is another rule: Smoking is strictly forbidden on board. Not because of regulations, but because of Per as he is a strict non-smoker. For this rule the chief pilot takes the liberties with his guests.

A trip to green 18?

On 10th of January 2002 the Cessna 206 started for her inaugural flight. On board official guests only. Since that day slowly but surely the business is increasing. "Until now our passengers mostly are Europeans, without exception they get all enthusiastic," says Per, who is able to explain his guest during the flight some details about the country and the archaeological sites.

From time to time only, the crew of "Ln Aviation" has to refuse a request. Chief pilot Pfingst tells laughing: "Some guests asked me to fly to the oasis, but unfortunately mostly there are no lakes big enough for landing (photographs right - Per Erik Pfingst: take-off and landing runway Nile). To top it the manager of Luxors golf course asked for landing on an artifical small lake between hole 10 and 18. Bad luck for him, but this lake is too small." The Cessna needs about 600 meter free water for take-off and landing. "On a lake or river we need a width of about 50 meter. It depends of wind and locations, sometímes a bit less width will be okay", tells Per. Therefore it's impossible to land on the canals in the agricultural aerea of the West Bank.

So far the Cessna mostly is flying around Luxor. But there will be more offers soon. Some examples: A day trip to Abu Simbel (Per: "There the trip becomes an adventure, the trip itself is the goal"), a trip to Abydos (landing there is possible), over the temples in Esna or Dendera (without landing!), flights to the Red Sea - on request and reservation in advance all this trips are possible. Fayez: "We can fly everywhere, we only need a place with enough space
on water for landing." Theoretically also flights to the oases Siwa or Fayoum or to Cairo are possible. Because of the political crisis in Middle East the region around Taba and Nuweiba in the Northeast of the peninsula Sinai at this time is closed for the crew.

As mentioned before, now Luxor is the centre of sightseeing flights. But Fayez is thinking for the future. At the end he likes to run five or six planes. Stations are planned in Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh. Some will have some more passenger seats, to build up a national airline by seaplane. Per adds: "At the coast of the sea we can offer our aircrafts for search and rescue services. We can fly also with an altitude of only 25 meters." This can be lifesafing for a diver involved in an accident unter water.

That are future plans. At this time only in Luxor you can say: Why not try out a take-off on the river Nile?

Information:

Roundtrip (25 minutes) with the Cessna 206 over the West Bank and Luxor with take-off and touchdown on the Nile near the "Nile Restaurant" in Karnak (picture left - Per Erik Pfingst: The Cessna in parking position). Price p. p. 85 US Dollars. Payment requested cash in any currency, converted by daily bank rates on Dollar basis (US Dollars prefered). Unfortunately credit cards and cheques (cash and traveller) are not accepted. Additional insurance is not necessary, no passport control. Flights due to international safety regulations for passenger aircrafts. Although because of the fairly low altitude (max. 1000 feet) the plane has no cabin pressure adjustment, passengers don't have to worry for any health hazard. You also can book special flights (on request also special trips for photographers) or trips lasting several days all over Egypt (limited luggage capacity!). For such flights a reservation has to be confirmed latest two weeks before the scheduled take-off-time. Because of the equipment as a real sea plane landings on land are not possible.

For more information and reservation please make contact with the owners of this website by clicking the Contact Button.

This aerial shot by Per Erik Pfingst shows Abu Simbel very different from bird's eyes view.