On Monday, October 22nd, the season of baptism flights was inaugurated in a practical way.
The agency “El Caminante” was present -early in the morning- accompanying its 14 passengers to enjoy an unforgettable experience at the end of the world.
In an imposing scenic setting, and despite the cold, European tourists of various nationalities boarded our fleet of aircraft to fly over the city and take an unforgettable image of the city from a height of just 500 meters (1,500 feet), contemplating the Le Martial Glacier, the Cañadón de La Oveja, Mount Susana, heading west and the border with Chile.
Close to the “Lapataia” National Park, the aircraft entered the Beagle Channel (for environmental preservation reasons, the National Park is not flown over), sighting La Ensenada and Lapataia Bay, and the majesty of Rendonda Island in the middle of both.
This flight reaches the border with the sister Republic of Chile, close to milestone XXVI, where a smooth 180º turn is made to head east and to the Faro de Les Éclaireurs (“The Illuminators”The trip will take us laterally around the Hoste and Navarino Islands and we will be able to appreciate the Murray Channel, south of Tierra del Fuego.
On bright, cloudless days, it is possible to make out the foothills of Cape Horn, located about 68 nautical miles south of Ushuaia, but this was not the case.
The sighting of the lighthouse, warning the sailors, produces a sensation of romantic adventure that the passengers definitely catch and take with them in their retinas. From there, the planes headed towards Ushuaia Bay, where the time of day allows the best photos of Ushuaia to be taken since the sun’s rays favor photographic exposure. Passengers react with admiration as the pilots prepare for landing at the old Ushuaia airport, home of the Aeroclub.
The “time is flying by” and the half hour of this flight is coming to an end. The comments are always similar, from “How wonderful!” to “How short the ride was!”, the satisfaction is clearly perceived. And it is logical, this flight can be made in almost all weather conditions, although it is preferable to do it in the morning.
Fourteen pilgrims bid farewell with affection, taking with them the best thing about traveling the world: the intense experiences of our planet. The truth: what a great way to start the 2012-2013 season.