Flying with the Capes Aerial Survey 2011

MISSION  25 of  2011

Name of Mission: Flying with the Capes Aerial Survey 2011        
Date of Mission: 7 October 2011   
Aircraft used: Cessna C170B        
Pilot: Reid Wardle      
Beneficiary: Prof. Rutledge S. Boyes  

Objective of the Flight     

The primary aim of the flight over a transect of the Amathole mountains was to take aerial photographs of Afromontane forest patches in the area surrounding the Hogsback mountains, while also filming this habitat and the mountain range for a documentary film with National Geographic.

Beneficiary’s story of the mission        By Prof. Rutledge S. Boyes       

This is our second flight with Reid Wardle and each time it gets better. We feel safer in the turbulent conditions when flying along the mountain range and the Cessna holds a steady line for GPS-marked aerial photographs using high-quality digital cameras and lenses.

We require one more flight in November 2012 before we will be able to publish our results, but we are already using the hundreds of aerial photographs from these first two flights to better manage our tree-planting and Cape parrot nest box projects. In addition, we are able to assess in which forest patches we should focus our enrichment and restoration tree-planting.

We look forward to future flights with Reid in the Amathole Mountains. His Alaskan bush plane is perfect for the job, and the photographic results are spectacular and of great use to the Cape Parrot Project.

We look forward to future flights with The Bateleurs and will continue to promote your important work at every opportunity.