Yay trip report! OK a couple of new airport codes to learn. VVC is Villavicencio Vanguardia and LMC is La Macarena airport. Both airports are located in Colombia's vast plains.
Why would you go to La Macarena? Well it is home to the world's most beautiful river (Caño Cristales) Apart from that you probably wouldn't go, La Macarena village is also considered to be in the "Red Zone," i.e. somwhere which is still a little bit of a guerilla stronghold.
There is only one scheduled flight to La Macarena each week, it is with Colombia's Satena and arrives and departs on a Sunday. If you want to go say for a cheeky weekend, well that's where the fun begins because you have to charter an aeroplane. In this case, a DC3
The photo trip report bit...
The aeroplane
OK this is our shiny bird, HK3037 operated by Aerolineas Llaneras. Surprisingly not part of any major alliance, in fact it doesn't even have an FF programme.
Uncool! The 11 abreast sideways configuration meant that there were an unprecedented 9 middle seats. On the upside everyone got a window seat and there was bags of space left for a motorbike and some cardboard boxes.
Thanks for all your kind comments, I figured it would make a great photo trip report, but then when I saw that one of the baggage handlers was a horse I thought "wow... Flyertalk gold"
Envy you.......When where is your next great trip....would like to join up.
Hey every trip in Colombia is a great trip and you are welcome to join us. Caño Cristales is seasonal July to December so hopefully we will get down there a few more times before the year end. Next one pencilled in is the second weekend of September.
JohnnyColombia
Jul 17, 12, 5:19 pm
Absolutely excellent TR and pictures! Thank you for sharing.
Here is another copy of the video hosted on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-F-cBF5ZbQ
Its worth a watch, I think it is the same plane as in the TR.
bazboy
Jul 18, 12, 6:51 am
Great TR. Beats umpteen bottles of Champagne!
bubster
Jul 18, 12, 7:05 am
Brilliant - funniest report I've seen in a long time.
+1
isaifan
Jul 18, 12, 8:17 am
Wonderful report. I'm going to wiki that river.
JohnnyColombia
Jul 18, 12, 10:16 am
Here is another copy of the video hosted on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-F-cBF5ZbQ
Its worth a watch, I think it is the same plane as in the TR.
Very cool thanks, and yes, same plane
hamburglar
Jul 18, 12, 1:14 pm
Awesome!
tycosiao
Jul 18, 12, 1:33 pm
This is madness yet coolness.
Amazing TR
Herb687
Jul 19, 12, 10:47 am
¡bacano, parce!
Thanks for a great report and some amazing pictures.
Something like this could make a really cool Flyertalk DO in the future for those of you that frequent our CommunityBuzz board.
I'd much rather do a DC-3 flight in Colombia than a "private jet" :rolleyes: (sorry but BBJs in a 3-3 configuration seem to defeat the purpose) charter to the Maldives.
LMC is not only close to Caño Cristales but also Hacienda Napoles, Pablo Escobar's former ranch compound turned theme park.
Johnny not sure if you are an avid airplane buff/planespotter or not but did you happen to notice any other interesting equipment at VVC? Anything like a C-46 or DC-4 by any chance?
JohnnyColombia
Jul 19, 12, 11:04 am
I think the DC-3 that we flew was actually a C-47 converted to a DC-3 after WWII
If you watch the video that Circumknowitall posted, there is a little data plate with info on it
Also in the same video, it says that VVC has 30 DC-3s which is just under 1/3 of all DC-3's still flying. I think there are mainly DC-3s and Cessnas there, I am not buffy enough to notice any of your exotica.
I´ll be honest, I was surprised to find the DC-3 didn't have a normal seating configuration, a canvas bench thing along one side wasn't something I was expecting.
I don't know if you know Herb687 but we are tour operators, I have often thought about putting together a nostalgic aviation day as a package, now I know a bit more about it it is something to go in the queue for content writing. Not necessarily to LMC, instead say a 1 hour flight from VVC to VVC with an explanation about the plane and some photo ops onboard, in the air and on the airfield.
By the way LMC is nowhere near Hacienda Napoles, that's in Puerto Triunfo near Medellin. You have however just identified that elusive destination between Medellín and Villa de Leyva that I need for my Central Colombia bus tour. I owe you a fizzy beer and an arepa.
so3003
Jul 19, 12, 11:14 am
I have often thought about putting together a nostalgic aviation day as a package, now I know a bit more about it it is something to go in the queue for content writing. Not necessarily to LMC, instead say a 1 hour flight from VVC to VVC with an explanation about the plane and some photo ops onboard, in the air and on the airfield.
Now that would be awesome! I'd consider going to South America just to do that actually! (if the wife would let me :rolleyes: )
Great TR and amazing photos, especially of the river. Thanks for sharing this.
JohnnyColombia
Jul 19, 12, 1:07 pm
Now that would be awesome! I'd consider going to South America just to do that actually! (if the wife would let me :rolleyes: )
Great TR and amazing photos, especially of the river. Thanks for sharing this.
Bring the wife too!
(Although bringing your wife to Colombia is a bit like taking your own logs to a forest)
Circumknowitall
Jul 19, 12, 1:46 pm
I don't know if you know Herb687 but we are tour operators, I have often thought about putting together a nostalgic aviation day as a package, now I know a bit more about it it is something to go in the queue for content writing. Not necessarily to LMC, instead say a 1 hour flight from VVC to VVC with an explanation about the plane and some photo ops onboard, in the air and on the airfield.
That sounds awesome! I would be interested
JohnnyColombia
Jul 19, 12, 2:09 pm
That sounds awesome! I would be interested
Well we have requested quotes from the charter company to put on such a day, I am personally keen to offer it because it is cool and unique.
If there is enough interest then I could organise such an FT do. Obviously not wanting to compromise FT's hard line against commercial offerings, we would do it on a not for profit basis for FTers.
We'd probably need about 10 people to make it viable. VVC to LMC RT cost us just over US$3000, if we could get that for half for a one hour flight VVC to VVC then between 10 it would be about US$150 each.
EDIT: By the way Circumknowitall and so3003. I ran out of Marmite last week. Just sayin' ahem, if you happen to be passing.
dickerso
Jul 19, 12, 3:06 pm
Terrific and unique report. Outstanding.
thegrailer
Aug 1, 12, 1:38 pm
The most accurate assessment to date here on FT.
I am in for one of these - let us know how to book on the next trip.
Side note: Are these Johnny Point earning flights?
Cheers -
Bring the wife too!
(Although bringing your wife to Colombia is a bit like taking your own logs to a forest)
HIDDY
Aug 1, 12, 7:27 pm
Great report JC. ^
What a lovely aircraft......ten times better looking than those modern things.
roadwarriorafrica
Aug 2, 12, 6:45 am
An absolute gem of a report. Love it ^^^^^^
JohnnyColombia
Aug 2, 12, 3:39 pm
Side note: Are these Johnny Point earning flights?
Of course Mr Grailer. And as a Johnny Points Esmeralda Aguardiente Elite Plus member you even get to ride the pony back to the terminal building
Bretteee
Aug 2, 12, 4:14 pm
How can one arrange this?
Al Jazeera hada very interesting program about DC 3s in Colombia.
Enjoyed your report. Hilarious.
malkie
Aug 3, 12, 7:00 am
Amazing report :) Very much reminded of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Was there an inflatable life raft in the hold ?
JohnnyColombia
Aug 3, 12, 9:46 am
Amazing report :) Very much reminded of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Was there an inflatable life raft in the hold ?
Nope, didn't see an inflatable life raft anywhere
JohnnyColombia
Aug 3, 12, 10:01 am
Something like this could make a really cool Flyertalk DO in the future for those of you that frequent our CommunityBuzz board.
I'd much rather do a DC-3 flight in Colombia than a "private jet" :rolleyes:
Now that would be awesome! I'd consider going to South America just to do that actually! (if the wife would let me :rolleyes: )
That sounds awesome! I would be interested
I am in for one of these - let us know how to book on the next trip.
How can one arrange this?
Right I have to tippy-toe carefully around the FT terms of service but I have already said in this thread that I would happily make this into an FT DO of some sorts and plan everything this end in Colombia if a gang of you want to come down and fly around in a similarly aged bird.
To avoid this being a commercial post (although it is always a grey area for FT DOs) We will put this together at cost for discerning FTers that wish to do it. So about 15% cheaper.
Obviously you'd need someone with some Community Buzz clout to get the ball rolling and muster the troops, although I could chip in with any planning and suggested itineraries.
The relevant page on our website is Caño Cristales (http://thecolombianway.com/en/our-trips/package/cano-cristales.html) 3 day trip which is what this TR relates to. Since posting this trip report we have also added The DC-3 Experience (http://thecolombianway.com/en/our-trips/day-trips/the-dc-3-experience.html)
I will PM all of you quoted in this post with a link to this post. If you want to go on a DC-3 then that is how it is done.