Wildlife transportation has achieved a new milestone after Bar Aviation Uganda successfully flew a group of Rhinos from South Africa to Congo earlier this month. The transport was monumental as it strongly emphasized Uganda's ever-firm and leading commitment to protecting wildlife, boosting confidence within the aviation industry for playing its part for nature.
Rhinos on a Lockheed L-100 Hercules
With its main base in Entebbe International Airport, Bar Aviation Uganda offers five distinctive services, primarily airline charter services, pilot training, medical evacuation flights, scheduled commercial domestic flights, and aircraft maintenance services. The air service company houses the Beechcraft 1900D, Pilatus PC-12, Cessna Caravan 208B, Cessna C-172, Challenger 604, and the Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules for its fixed-wing fleet.
Photo: Bar Aviation Uganda
There's also a rotary-winged fleet consisting of the EC 130 Eurocopter, Bell 505, B206 Jet Ranger, and Bell 412 EPi. For the transportation of 18 rhinos during the weekend of June 3rd and 4th, Bar Aviation Uganda could use only the largest aircraft in its fleet – the Lockheed L-100-300 Hercules. Registered 5X-SBR, the aircraft only joined the fleet in mid-April and was formerly operated by Florida-based private charter Gulf Air as N2731G.
Safely stored in open containers, the group of 18 white rhinos was loaded onto the aircraft with the help of several humans and lifting cranes. Once the cargo and crew were ready, the aircraft flew from Durban King Shaka International to Lusaka Kenneth Kaunda International Airport and then flew to Kinshasa N'Djili Senior International Airport. These rhinos were later transported by road to Garamba National Park as their new home.
Photo: Bar Aviation Uganda
The overall successful transportation of these endangered rhinos further solidifies Uganda as a critical player in worldwide conservation efforts. It also highlights the rapid development and the improving competence of Uganda's aviation industry, as displayed by Bar Aviation Uganda. The company's Chief Executive Officer, Barak Orland, said:
"This is an incredibly profound moment for us at BAR Aviation. Our team worked tirelessly over many months to make this dream into reality, and we are delighted that we could be part of something so meaningful for both our country’s image abroad as well as for global conservation efforts”.
Photo: Bar Uganda Aviation
Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today!
Improving Uganda's aviation industry, one flight at a time
Despite being relatively green in the air service sector after being founded in 2008, Bar Aviation Uganda has grown to achieve a remarkable reputation as being efficient and safe. And besides transporting the magnificent rhinos, Bar Aviation Uganda has also consistently played its part in enhancing the outlook of Uganda's aviation industry through the successful completion of similar missions.
These include missions when it delivered a Bell 412 helicopter via its Lockheed aircraft from Italy to Somalia. The air services company also prides itself in having an experienced crew team. With an average of 16 years of flying and over 50,000 flights conducted, the company's crew reliably and safely performs all required flight operations.
The company also invests significantly in the training and production of several new and younger pilots that emerge industry-ready. Essentially, the air services company aims to make aviation an indispensable part of Ugandan and global business.
