Have a burning conservation question? Well, Peace Parks TV thought that the best man to answer your questions was none other than Hannes van Wyk, Peace Parks Foundation’s Chief Pilot and Aviation Manager. To get the ball rolling, Hannes begins by answering a question that isn’t quite focused on conservation, but rather on his very long legs and the challenges that this present when flying.
Let’s Ask Hannes
So how does Hannes get his long legs into the cockpit? Well, unfortunately for Limpopo National Park’s Senior Project Manager, Dr Bradley Schroder, Hannes has turned all attention on him to help us better understand this burning question.
As the duo regularly fly together to conduct operations across the more inaccessible areas of Limpopo National Park, both Hannes and Bradley must often navigate the issue of getting in and out of a rather small cockpit. This is otherwise regarded as a ‘tall person problem’. Thanks to years of practice, both men do it in an almost seamless manner, despite having to give their legs a good shake-out at the end of each flight.
What Does Hannes Do?
Hannes’ job is probably the envy of many, but although he gets some incredible sight-seeing opportunities from the sky, his trained eye and exceptional piloting skills play a vital role in the monitoring and protection of our conservation areas, not to mention having to expertly navigate some landings around Africa’s wildlife.
Aircraft, like the one seen in the video above, are critical force multipliers that are used in wildlife management and conservation. As they can cover large distances in short periods of time, they have proven to be particularly useful in large national parks like Maputo and Limpopo where road networks are limited.
Have A Burning Conservation Question?
Don’t forget to send in your burning conservation questions for Hannes via any one of Peace Parks TV’s social media channels. He really is a font of knowledge when it comes to all things in the natural world so when in doubt, #AskHannes!
