IRIS - HER EARLY YEARS - Tanzania Game Tracker Safaris

Laura McDermid continues her stories of Iris McCallum’s flying exploits.

I had just accepted a job offer from Robin Hurt, a well-known and respected Professional Hunter (PH). He had recently set up his own company called Tanzania Game Trackers Safaris in Arusha, the safari capital of the world, and had asked me to set up the aviation side of his business.

I RESIGNED FROM LIMBE Leaf Tobacco in Malawi where I had worked for the past three years piloting a Citation SP1, packed up my scant belongings, and in January 1986 began my new job.

I was tasked with finding a fleet of reliable aircraft which would be used to ferry the clients of Tanzania Game Trackers Safaris from the major airports to various bush camps.

I asked a good friend, Buster Ray, to help me with this task. Buster’s father and my dad were PHs together at White Hunters (Africa) Ltd and I recall changing baby Buster’s nappies when I was eight years old. I reckoned he owed me for that, and he was only too keen to join me in this new venture.

Within five months we had managed to source and register a Cessna 206 Stationair 5H-TGT and a Cessna 404 N68071T. In June I bought our third plane through my contacts at Wilson Airport, a Cessna 402C N268PA.

My job was varied; apart from ferrying clients, I was tasked with transporting their precious custom-designed guns. Existing firearms were often modified or in many cases, new ones were built from scratch to ensure that the gun fitted the user’s body type, shooting stance, and preferences.