Pat Patten of Flying Medical Service Talks to IFR Magazine About Flying the Gauges in the Wilds of Africa

Pat Patten of Flying Medical Service Talks to <i>IFR</i> Magazine About Flying the Gauges in the Wilds of Africa

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

IFR flying in Tanzania primarily involves self-reporting in uncontrolled airspace, a stark contrast to the radar vectors and ATC common in the U.S.
Flying Medical Service pilot Pat Patten navigates hundreds of miles using dead reckoning.
His challenging flights require avoiding severe thunderstorms and wildlife, such as elephants on runways in the dark.

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In the U.S., IFR flying may be all about radar vectors and ATC. But in Tanzania, it’s mostly self-reporting your position in uncontrolled airspace. Come hear how Flying Medical Service pilot Pat Patten flies hundreds of miles on dead reckoning, stays out of the worst of the thunderstorms, and avoids running into elephants on the runway in the dark of the African night.

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