Leg 73, Bali, Cameroon to via Central African Republic to Gbadolite, Democratic Republic of the Congo
DAY11_3.PLN (4.5 KB)
The switch to winter time and moving further East are cutting into the hours I can explore. It was dark at 11 AM already today. Considering the circumference of the Earth is 21639 NM at the equator, every 900 nm further East is one less hour of sunlight. At some point I’ll have to make the switch to playing in the evening/night. Currently sun rise would be at 10:30 pm from my pov.
11-03 Bali FKKG 5:37 AM
11-03 Bafoussam FKKU 5:58 AM
11-03 Foumbot FKFO 6:06 AM
11-03 Nkounja FKKM 6:10 AM
11-03 Tibati FKTI 7:08 AM
11-03 N’gaoundere FKKN 7:30 AM
11-03 Bocaranga FEGC 8:25 AM
11-03 Bossangoa FEFS 9:13 AM
11-03 M’Poko FEFF 10:12 AM
11-03 Bangui FEBA 10:17 AM
11-03 Gbadolite FZFD 11:16 AM Too dark for drone cam, runway lights!
Flight time 5:53 10 stops
Another day with thunder and lightning from start to finish
Climbing or a a couple ridges that form a horseshoe near Ntendzem
Reservoir of the Mapé aka Lake Bankim
Peculiar landscape between Nkounja and Tibati
Trees grow in/along the drainage channels, too dry further out
Lake Mbakaou, dam in the river Sanaga
Ngaoundal, there is a Bauxite mine nearby is about all the info on this town
On the way to N’gaoundere
I guess that ditch is a little more than a ditch in reality to lead a road around it
Crossing the Djerem river
Rainbow at Bocaranga, crossed in to Central African Republic
Near Bobili, it’s really pouring now (except on my windshield)
Arriving at Bossangoa
No info on Bossangoa, onwards to M’Poko
Two drops of water on the windshield if you look closely!
It cleared up a bit near Bado
Not for long, on approach to Bangui
Bafinli just North of Bangui
Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, on the Ubangi river
No info or rather landmarks in the capital.
There are some pictures online including this panoramic shot
The city was taken over by rebel forces in 2013 and the most recent cease fire from 2019 was broken again this year. On 17 February 2020, members of the Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central Africa (FPRC) attacked MINUSCA forces in Birao, leading to 12 FPRC forces being killed. The country has been in a state of civil war since 2012.
Following the Ubangi river for a bit
On the way to Gbadolite
It gets dark early now and fast
Gbadolite, just over the border (the Ubangi river) into Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was known as Versailles of the jungle, Mobutu’s modern high tech city in the jungle.
The airport was also build by Mobutu, large enough to accommodate the Concorde. He further build the largest nuclear bunker of Africa there, room for 500 people, and two palaces.
After Mobutu got ousted in 1997 the city and palaces were raided and the palaces left abandoned
