The Democratic Republic of Congo | Melting Tarmac Deafening Downpours

The Democratic Republic of Congo—Africa’s only nation split by two time zones—is a country so vast and road-poor that, unless you’re ready to travel like Livingstone, the only real way in or out is by air. After Laurent Kabila overthrew Mobutu Sese Seko in 1998, the aviation sector had to claw its way back from near-collapse. With little international support, Congolese operators were left to improvise. Crews from the former Soviet Union flew Antonov and Let turboprops deep into the interior, often with expired Certificates of Airworthiness. Out-of-retirement Boeing and McDonnell Douglas jetliners lumbered back into service, ferrying people and cargo to some of the world’s most remote and unforgiving airstrips.

Western pilots looking for adventure—or something more dangerous—joined a small, tight-knit band of Congolese aviators. In 2006, the skies were a surreal patch-work: Soviet freighters, weathered American jets, rare types from forgotten corners of aviation. Landings were often on ragged strips, hemmed in by jungle or guarded by men with rifles. By 2012, much of that eclectic fleet was gone; operators folded, Antonov's grounded, and too many aircraft ended their stories in the wreckage of accidents. Others were simply abandoned, their carcasses slowly being reclaimed by grass, moss and mould at the edges of forgotten airfields.

This book, part of a series on African aviation, captures that fleeting era through the lens of Guido Potters, whose exclusive photographs—taken between 2005 and 2012—and spans 304 pages across 13 chapters. One chapter ventures across the River Congo into neighbouring Brazzaville. Rich in rare and elusive aircraft, this volume will appeal to enthusiasts of exotic aviation, followers of African air transport, and those drawn to flying off the beaten path. Detailed type-and- registration cross-references make it a valuable resource for researchers and aviation historians alike.