Watch This Crazy Cockpit Video Of A Cessna Landing In A Hole In The Jungle
There are austere airstrips and then there’s this.
If you follow aerospace enthusiasts and pilots on social media, especially Instagram, you see a lot of takeoffs and landings from short and austere airstrips, some of which are seemingly located at the ends of the world. Long before social media was a thing, I had a fascination with this unique flavor of aviation and for good reason. Extreme bush flying certainly has a certain romance and air of adventure to it, and it definitely isn't short on risk. In an age of viral content, at a certain point, you feel like you have seen it all—until you realize you haven't. Case in point, the video below of a Cessna—likely a 206 Stationair—landing in what appears to be nothing more than a tree line break and a trail in a dense jungle wilderness.
I really don't have any background for this clip. If you read the comments, many are wondering if this was some sort of drug-running operation. I have no idea if that is the case, but the reality is light planes land in some very rough terrain every day, providing what is often a single point lifeline to far-flung communities, many of which are of indigenous peoples. In most of those cases, the airstrips are at least a bit better cleared than this, although they can have their own extreme challenges where there is little room for error or contingencies. Still, this is an extreme example of that by any measure.
Maybe we will find out more about this video. As usual, we ask our readers to let us know if it looks familiar or if they have any additional information on it. But one thing is certain, if you want to fly into this location you have to be very comfortable with commitment, because you will be landing once you turn onto final approach, whether you want to or not.
Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com
