PARAMOTORING UGANDA – EXPLORING THE PEARL OF AFRICA FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE
(Posted 23rd December 2014)
(Jean Michel Hausman, Pilot, Producer and Director of the film: ‘Paramotor Tour of Uganda 2014’)
When I met Jean Michel earlier this year together with the then Brussels Airlines’ Manager for Uganda, Benjamin Puissant, who had requested for the meeting, all I knew was that someone wanted to fly across our country and was seeking assistance and support to film Uganda’s attractions from a different perspective.
A planned 3 ½ week trip, covering some 2.000 kilometres and basically trying to capture most if not all the highlights, including national parks, rivers, lakes and mountains looked like attempting to climb Mt. Everest, given the challenges with permits, licenses and logistics. But hey, what would life be without a bit of a challenge here and there I thought and signed up to be part of the project there and then. Apart from giving advice on how to go about to secure the relevant permits to actually fly such a contraption in Uganda, where the air service regulations make no mention of such flying machines, did I volunteer to use my extensive contacts across the country’s hospitality industry and with relevant government bodies.
I was to help get these permits and, an equally challenging part, needed to have lodge and hotel owners come on board and accommodate Jean Michel and his ground team of two for free, against getting access to the footage taken of their property and the surrounding areas.
Friendly operators were swift to commit themselves and progressively did an itinerary take shape, which indeed allowed to film Uganda’s main attractions from a paramotor craft, never done before.
Brussels Airlines, which sponsored the fuel needed for the trip and took care of other logistics, had committed to use the edited version of what was to be compressed from over 70 hours of footage, on their inbound flights to Entebbe. This would showcase the country to passengers coming to Uganda either on business or for a vacation. That of course excited the other parties contacted by me who saw an opportunity to showcase themselves in a new format, plus get their own edited short film for upload to their company websites or on YouTube.
(Flight into the sunset)
Time was running and with my frequent travels it became paramount to tie up loose ends as soon as possible, while chasing the permit letters from various Ugandan government bodies. After meeting our Tourism Minister Dr. Maria Mutagamba twice, she was convinced of the benefits this would bring to Uganda’s tourism marketing. Still, that part of physically getting the permit letters I could not have accomplished without the support of Miss Anne Awori from the Ministry, who, knowing the red tape and its inherent foot traps, cut across it all and came through to finally get the green light for Jean Michel to take off.
(Excited Ugandans watch Jean Michel take off)
The Uganda Wildlife Authority, courtesy of the letter of introduction from the Minister, granted free entrance for the support vehicle and the team while also waiving the film license fees. This constituted another huge saving for the project, for which Jean Michel invested his annual leave and considerable resources on his own, to accomplish his dream. Companies and organizations like the Rhino Fund Uganda, Nalubale Rafting, Marasa Africa, Geolodges Uganda, the Lake Albert Lodge, Ndali Lodge near Fort Portal, Chameleon Hill Lodge at Lake Mutanda and the Mihingo Lodge in Lake Mburo among others were all part and parcel of the project and I thank them for coming through on first request, a grand gesture and sign how they support Uganda’s tourism marketing with their own individual efforts.
(Part of the route map)
The route mapped out, eventually slightly changed due to at times severe weather conditions, left Kampala for Jinja and the rafting experience on the upper Nile before moving via Mt. Elgon’s Sipi Falls and across the Karamoja region to Kidepo Valley National Park.
Murchisons Falls too was on the list as was the Kabwoya Game Reserve and the Lake Albert Lodge, before heading for Fort Portal. The crater lakes around Ndali Lodge provided the backdrop for some excellent footage, before moving on to Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Kazinga Channel and lakes Edward and George. Across Bwindi Forest and Lake Mutanda did the aerial journey pass Lake Bunyonyi before flying towards Mbarara town and Lake Mburo National Park. A detour to the Ssese Islands then completed the circuit from which over 70 hours of raw footage were shot, which are now with the editing team of Maisha Productions. They will, free of charge for that matter, compress the material into a 15 and a 30 minute version of a journey across Uganda’s skies.
Some pictures and select video footage is already available via the Facebook page of the Paramotor Tour Uganda 2014 which can be accessed by clicking on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paramotor-Tour-Uganda-2014/922563244429365
More will be posted as time goes by and the vast amount of footage has been edited and pictures selected from among the thousands taken during the tour.
Details about Destination Uganda are available via www.ugandawildlife.org and www.visituganda.com
