Harare Zimbabwe

 

Lat = 17 degrees, 49.3 minutes South

Long = 31 degrees, 3.1 minutes East

 

Wednesday 23rd March 1988

 

Abdi Khanda had left the Crown Plaza hotel and had taken a taxi to a private airfield twenty miles south of Harare where he kept his Cessna Skyhawk.

He entered the nearby hanger where his plane was standing and walked over to the mechanic who was sitting down having a drink. “Is my plane fuelled and ready to depart?”

“Yes Mr.Khanda, all you need to do is file your flight plan at the office.” Khanda handed the mechanic a $100 Zimbabwean note. “Many thanks Mr.Khanda.”

Khanda walked out to the nearby office to file his flight plan, the office was deserted, he rang the bell on the desk and a man came running out from an adjoining room. “Hello Mr. Khanda it’s good to see you again, off on another journey.”

“Just a journey down to Mutare again to see my cousin.”

Khanda handed over his flight plan; it was quickly checked and filed in a cabinet. “Have a safe flight, Mr. Khanda.”

“See you tomorrow,” Khanda replied.

Khanda returned to his plane in the hanger and began the preflight exterior checks.