Microlighting over Luangwa

As the night noises surrendered to the sounds of the morning and the dawn chorus started to filter through the air, I joined John Coppinger, Tafika Camp’s owner, and his wife Carol, to a grass airstrip just outside camp.

John originally bought his microlight to help with game counts and monitoring, but now offers 15-minute flight experiences for his guests, just as the sun rises.

After a safety briefing, I climbed into the microlight – surprisingly comfortable – and John positioned himself in the pilot’s seat.

And then we were off!  The microlight is an amazing invention – able to soar into the sky within a few seconds of acceleration, it can reach a height of some 1500 feet, or swoop down low over game.

Our flight was an exciting one – we buzzed low over hippos, sweeping along the bends of the river, flew high to see a huge herd of buffalo, and, most exciting, tracked a pack of wild dog as they headed out from the den on a hunting reccy.

The flight was smooth and bump-free, and John has a two-way radio fixed up to the safety helmets, meaning you can listen and talk.  I loved my microlight trip – the only downside was that I couldn’t stay up longer!  It’s a totally new way to view the world that you will have previously only seen on foot or from the back of a game viewing vehicle.

As we glided smoothly back down to earth I thought I just HAVE to recommend this to guests!