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Sydney Kawadza Senior Features Writer—

Zimbabwe next month plays host to a leg of the first-ever and longest vintage air rally — the Crete2Cape — which will transcend across Africa in yet another major boost for the country’s tourism sector.The VintageAirRally draws participants from 17 countries, flying close to 13 000 kilometres and making 37 stops across Africa.

The air rally, running over 35 days, will involve vintage biplanes, many of which, are from the 1920s and 1930s.

The 20 teams, including nine vintage biplane, started the journey across the continent in Sitia, Crete, Greece on November 12.

In Zimbabwe, the planes will be in Victoria Falls and Bulawayo between December 7 and 10.

The VAR, run on similar lines like the vintage motor rally, is expected to end on December 17 in Cape Town, South Africa.

According to Prepare2go, the organisers, the route will recreate the 1931 Imperial Airways “Africa Route” where the planes will be flying low along the Nile from Cairo to Khartoum, part the highlands of Ethiopia, down the plans of Kenya and over East Africa.

“Then off again past Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti, on to the island of Zanzibar and even further south, crossing Zambia, over the Victoria Falls to Bulawayo in Zimbabwe.

“The final days of this breath-taking journey takes them into Botswana and South Africa, to the Cape, the journey’s end.”

Some of the stop off points include Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mbeya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.

However, it is the Southern Africa leg of the VAR, particularly the Victoria Falls, which has excited tourism authorities in Zimbabwe, aircraft enthusiasts and tourists in general ahead of the festive season.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority destination marketing executive director Jeffreys Manjengwa said the VAR was a positive development for the tourism sector.

“We are very excited that Zimbabwe would be hosting the air rally and it boosts our initiatives to bring tourists to Zimbabwe.

“The air rally puts Africa and Zimbabwe, in particular, on the tourism map.

“It is also great that the organisers chose to have the rally in Victoria Falls where we have one of the Seven Wonders of the World,” he said.

Meikles Hospitality managing director Sebastien Benning, whose hotels, Victoria Falls Hotels would host participants said the rally provided an opportunity to boost tourism in Zimbabwe.

“This is a great opportunity for tourism in Zimbabwe and we hope to showcase some of the best tourism packages offered in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Other local partners involved in the rally include Inspiration of Zimbabwe, Puma Energy and Love for Africa.

Meanwhile, the air rally will also host some air shows in Egypt, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.

Bruno van den Bossche, representing the organisers, said although vintage air rallies have been held before across the world, the Crete2Cape Edition was the first and largest in Africa.

“The VintageAirRally, running on similar concepts as the vintage car rallies, has generated a lot of interest across the world and host countries should expect to gain from the spectacular event,” he said.

“There never has been an attempt by this number of vintage biplanes to travel this distance across Africa.”

A BBC Facebook video post on the event attracted more than 380 000 views after going on air.

The interest the VAR has generated is expected to boost tourism attraction across the world.

Seven modern airplanes and three helicopters will be functioning as support crews for the older planes while a number of activities are lined up along the route.

“A number of school competitions are being run during the rally and lucky

children would take a ride in one of the plane.

“The vintage planes would be involved in seed bombing in selected areas where the planes would drop ball of ready-to-germinate seed to promote reforestation,” Van den Bossche said.

Efforts would also be made to promote awareness on the project to protect the endangered vulture species.

“Nine out of the 11 vulture species face extinction and awareness programmes run through Bird Life International would also be on during the rally,” he said.

He hailed Zimbabwe for providing excellent logistical provisions for the rally.

Prepare2go, the organisers of the Crete2Cape VintageAirRally boast years of experience of similar events have successfully flown groups of modern and vintage aircraft, on the same route for the past seven years.

The VAR is led by Sam Rutherford, founder of prepare2go, who has over 15 trans-Africa trips in his career, either in planes, helicopters or land rovers.

Word from rally organisers

This is a flying rally across Africa, from Crete to Cape Town, for aircraft built before December 31, 1939.

Following in the footsteps of the pioneering flights in the 1920s — we’ll connect some of the most beautiful and evocative points in Africa. Flying low along the Nile from Cairo to Khartoum, past the highlands of Ethiopia before the plains of Kenya and the home of African aviation in Nairobi. Then off again past Kilimanjaro into the Serengeti — and on to the spice island of Zanzibar.

After a short pause to enjoy the Indian ocean, we continue, crossing Zambia to Victoria Falls, before continuing to Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. Our final days take us across Botswana and into stunning South Africa — to the Cape, journey’s end. A rally such as this has not been done before. Ever.

Throughout we will be staying in a wide variety of locations, from five star hotels to tented camps (and everything in between).

Obligatory equipment will include a sleeping bag, full black tie and a beginners guide to Swahili (all three items will be needed at some stage or another, perhaps simultaneously!).

There will be trials and tribulations, mechanical and human stress — all in stunning visual settings.

The support aircraft (both aeroplanes and helicopters) will be busy keeping the show in the air (and perhaps helping the vintage aeroplanes that have made precautionary landings here, there and everywhere). — Vintageairrally.

The flying teams

Flying teams come from six different continents and specific countries represented are:

◆ Australia

◆ Belgium

◆ Botswana

◆ Canada

◆ Cyprus

◆ Egypt

◆ France

◆ Germany

◆ Ireland

◆ Lithuania

◆ Namibia

◆ New Zealand

◆ Russia

◆ South Africa

◆ UK

◆ US

◆ Zimbabwe