Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa 18 Hours In the Air ???

Yep, I forgot about a few things mentioned here... also an antihistamine to help prevent the stopped ears... and the eyemask, pillows and soft ear plugs are in my carry on at all times. Have not invested in good headphones yet, but don't fly to AK more than every few years or so unfortunately.

We went through Frankfurt, and SAA lost us for the flight to JBurg. An eight hour layover turned into 16 and the trip from Thunder Bay Ontario to JBurg was 46 hours. It was a good thing we booked 2 days in Port Elizabeth to get aclimatised and rested
Randy

I dislike the idea of my guns going into the hands of EUropean handlers. Been to Europe - several different regions - on vacation several times now, prefer not to go again. Much like the direct route and get it over with with me and the lugggage and the guns all arriving at one time most of the time.

18 hours in the air? maybe if you count the air travel from DFW to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Jo'burg. You might even have a few minutes left-over for a charter into the bush before you reach 18 total hours. Delta Non-stop is great!

Mark,

I can see your point on the issue of travelling with guns through Europe. But suppose RSA is not your final hunting destination. You can access a lot more of Africa directly from Europe than you can directly from the U.S. I'd much rather route through Europe and have the Euro's handle my guncase than I would through Jo'-burg and have Africans handle it.

The answer to 18 hours in the air is Halcion. Take the pill, watch 15 minutes of the movie, put the eye shades on, wake up, you're their! Time warp in a pill.

My first trip was Dalls to JFk and 15.5 hours from JFK to Jo-Burg. I was fit to be tied by the time I got there. Didn't sleep a wink and the guys next to me were about 6-4, 250#. On the return trip, I took two nyquil and two beers and slept just about the whole trip.

This is important. Make sure to walk occasionally and message your legs. A common problem from sitting to long is blood clots. Finding out you have one in a bush camp is bad news.

Ambien is your friend. It will take 8-9 hours off the flight (it does for me anyway). It can be painful, but remember that when you get off the plane YOU ARE IN AFRICA!!

Mike

Flew from Chicago to HK many a times 15 hrs.....you get used to it after a while, but that first trip was pure torture. Dont be afraid to get up and move around a little. I bought a book that had all 3 Lord of the Rings book it and read thru it.....quite entertaining.

Since I haven't seen it yet -- drink your water, from before boarding till you are back home. The plane AC sucks you biltong dry (as far as your innards are concerned) and getting stopped up is far more likely than getting the runs. Ambien is your friend, but try it out beforehand to see how you react.

The second trip is easier than the first, as is the third. Just pretend you are going to combat instead of being a tourist. You gotta suffer a bit before they spoil you on safari.

Oh, and don't take Larium the same day as your plane flight!!

And take a good inflatable seat cushion. The old bum gets mighty sore in thos thinly padded SAA saets!

First time on the NY to Joberg stretch I was seated amongst a NY City dance troop on their way to Cape Town. It turned all to be a very short flight. If the lovely Gazelle like ladies had spent any more time leaning over my seat I could have joined that infamous club, the one that starts at 5,280 feet high.

AMBIEN.

On our flight back to Atlanta from SA, I popped one about an hour into it with a glass of wine. The very next thing I heard was, "We will land in a hour". My wife then puched me and said, "You SOB, I just watched three meals, ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you didn't move an inch". I slept for 16 hours and it couldn't have been a better flying experience. I highly recommend Ambien. Its the only way to travel.

African is nothing compared to a c141 with full combat equipment for 6 hours and then have to exit the aircraft onto a hostile dz. You have movies, food, can walk around etc, it is a very small mental exercise.

The trip over is not bad going with all the anticipation, trip back hurts. Like hitting your thumb with a hammer and agreeing to do it all over again, but like my coaches used to say, no pain, no gain. I would go any chance you get.

"nothing compared to a c141 with full combat equipment for 6 hours and then have to exit the aircraft onto a hostile dz. You have movies, food, can walk around etc, it is a very small mental exercise."

Amen to that.

Semper Fi! Guy

You must have been on my flight! Those are my dimensions! Small world, eh?

Amen on the walking around to prevent blood clots. Asprin helps with that as well.

Flight time varies because some planes refuel on that little atol in the middle of the ocean, and some planes are faster than other and weather conditions also make a difference..The airlines have certainly done nothing to improve themselves over the years, quite the opposite, it used to be a comfortable adventure to fly to Africa, with good food, great wine, wonderfull service, not to mention more seating room, and the little perks constantly, alas no more the love! You gotta be tougher today.

I have made that flight over 50 times I suspect, for the last 20 plus years I have not enjoyed it, as it seems to always get worse, never did really love that flight, but as I age I dread it, and I don't go nearly as often today as I used to and I may not go again, we'll see. After you have been in this business 45 years, like everything else you burn out, so I concentrate on my roping, my horses and hunt birds in Texas and deer in my back yard mostly..I suspect that in a few years, God willing, I will once again feel the call of Africa, we'll see.

I never can sleep. Its painful if I take something and still can't sleep. But its all worth it to see the other side of the world......Ipod with a few audio books works well. I do plan on taking a seat cushion next time. The worn out seats in the Namibia Air planes hurt my skinny butt.....

Last November it was 15:10 ATL - JNB, and 17:30 JNB - ATL. Overall, it was 40 hours from entering the first aqirport to leaving the last one.
Grueling indeed, but a small price to pay.
Sleep was much easier on the return flight without the anticipation (and the screaming toddler in the next row up...).