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Old 8th May 2017, 21:40
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MrBernoulli
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Long ago and far away ......
Posts: 1,399
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Found?

I am not at all familiar with Uganda but I did spend many years aviating in southern Africa, flying small to medium piston and turbine aircraft. I know how quickly old bush airfields can disappear, when Mother Nature is allowed to reclaim her territory. All the more so in equatorial Africa, I reckon!

In any event, I believe I may have found your old Paraa Lodge airstrip! Copy and paste these coordinates (2.291267, 31.558284) in to Google Maps satellite view and you will see that the view is centred on the remains of a south-west to north-east oriented runway, that was probably at least 600 meters in length. Look carefully!

It wasn't too hard to find, as I just stuck to the principle that it wouldn't be far from a road, and these African bush roads don't tend to change much. I initially followed the road going north-east from Parra Lodge but the general vegetation didn't seem promising when compared to your "surrounded by heavy bush" description. I then tried the other road that soon heads north from the Lodge, and there it was, less than a miles west of the Lodge, as the crow flies! But as I say, I have experience of recognising bushstrips from above, even abandoned ones.

I accept that the surrounding bush is not now as dense as you may remember it, but the reason for that is obvious. The Google Maps satellite view clearly shows the many livestock/human tracks through the bush here - the trees are steadily disappearing as the local population deforest it (woodcutting for cooking) and overgrazing with their livestock. It might be within the Murchison Falls National Park, but there is clear evidence of settlement all over the place, hutted villages aplenty, as well as the 'hard' accommodation near the Lodge for the staff. Zooming out in Google Maps satellite view makes it clear that the dense woodland is disappearing!

Anyway, hope this helps rekindle your memories!

PS: ou toppie, with a Pprune alias like that, one might assume you have African connections a little further south, perhaps closer to the Limpopo River? ;-)
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