Angel Falls, Still Looking

Last night Uncle Bob and I pored over some old aviation maps of the Venezuelan highlands from which Angel Falls emanates. We also looked, on a more recent aviation map, at previous tracks that Bob (and, twice, I also) have flown in and around where Angel Falls is supposedly located. On the old map, I noted that the stream on which Angel Falls is located did not show the branch on which the Falls is actually located. I dug out a copy of a hand-drawn map, depicting the relative locations and directions of cliffs, the various rivers and tributaries in and around the Falls. When we compared this hand drawing with the aviation maps, we discovered that they generally did not show the little side stream (which also appears on the Google maps!) that represents Angel Falls' source.

We now have a better idea of what to look for when we overfly that part of the country. If the clouds cooperate, I believe we will be able to see the Falls this time! We know where to look and which direction to look (northwesterly), and the most advantageous position for the airplane to be in order to be looking obliquely toward the Falls -- for obvious reasons, you can't really see these Falls if you are directly above them.

Last night we weighed most of our stuff: "Aircraft parts", Maps and Documents, Food box, Tools, Survival gear, empty reserve tank (which will be filled with 20 gallons of 100 octane low-lead gasoline), Cabin supplies (including earphones, intercom and those all-important 1.25 liter jugs used to hold what the long-suffering bladder cannot -- there are no "rest-stops" along the freeways of the sky!). Today we will load these things and the life boat into the airplane and fly it up to the paved runway north of Huntsville. Tonight we will pack and weigh our luggage to have it ready to stow aboard for our take-off tomorrow morning.