Unreal Aircraft of Ivan Roslyakov
No one knows how our colleague, Ivan Roslyakov, managed to shoot this panorama.
Witnesses say, it seemed that Ivan managed to open the airplane window to take some photos, before the co-pilot came running eyes full of terror, and grabbed Ivan's camera.
Others say, Ivan himself gave his camera to the co-pilot, and had him lean outside the small cockpit window to take some photos of Ivan along the way.
When Ivan came to visit me, I asked him how he shot this panorama.
— You can't figure it out on your own? — he laughed, while taking off his jacket.
Then I noticed a propeller on his back, the same as Karlsson had, and everything became clear at once :)
I'll let Ivan speak for himself.
On our way back from the 20-day trek to the base camp at Mount Everest, my friends and I decided to fly Nepal Airlines from one of the most famous mountain airports in the world — Lukla — to the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu.
Travelers visit this most popular part of Himalayas from all over the world to see the highest Mountain of our planet and to witness the beautiful landscape. Mountain trekking, though considered a serious challenge, is accessible to people of practically any age. Getting to the trailhead can be a challenging addition to the trekking itself, which can take a week by foot, a day by car, or 40 minutes by air in a compact airplane. However, it is the flight that takes the most courage!
In order to save time, approximately 100 national park visitors a year choose to fly. Aero taxis fly only in the mornings, when the wind is not as strong as in the daytime.
One of the unexpected surprises before our departure was that we had to switch airplanes. The local mechanic explained to us that the previously scheduled airplane would not be able to fly, as its motor wasn't powerful enough to fly under the conditions of the increased wind.
After arriving to the airport at 6 am, we had to wait for over two hours, until a new more powerful plane had arrived.
The flight through the mountains can easily compete with any rollercoaster ride! Unexpected shaking and air pocket falls are inevitable and add to travelers' extreme experience. However, the one thing that can distract passengers from the worrisome thoughts about the quality and reliability of these aero taxis are the views that open in front of their eyes!
Passengers can gaze not only at distant snow peaks, but also foothills with lots of villages and agriculture terraces widely spread throughout the mountainous country.
You can view the photo panorama that I shot during this flight here.
14 October 2011
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Photogallery
Lukla runaway
Milky river Dudh Kosi
Jiri village
Outside view from the plane
Terrace farming in Nepal
Lhotse, 8516 m, 4th highest mountain of the World
Lukla
Rolwalling
Gyachun Kang at sunset, 7916 m
First sight of Everest on approach to Lukla
Everest panorama
Lukla at night
