80-year-old pilot helps farmers find lost sheep

Magnus Olafsson, an 80-year-old pilot from Sveinsstadir, has spent the past 40 years helping farmers search for sheep in the mountain grazing lands of Northeast Iceland, mbl.is reports.

While most people search on foot or horseback, Olafsson supports them from the air. This September, he bought a Cessna 172N registered as TF-KRA. The aircraft has a 180 horsepower engine and is a popular model among private pilots in Iceland and elsewhere.

Olafsson earned his private pilot licence in 1986, when he was 40. He has since logged nearly 1,700 flight hours.

Last year, his previous aircraft, a Cessna 172 Hawk XP registered as TF-FBI, was destroyed in a landing accident at Blonduos. Nobody was injured, and the incident did not stop him from flying.

During a search last weekend, Olafsson flew across the mountain grazing lands of Grimstunguheidi and Haukadalsheidi, then south over Storisandur and into Fljotsdrog. Sheep from local farmers flocks often move into those areas.

Although the most remote parts of the grazing lands are thoroughly searched during the main autumn round-up, a few stragglers often remain and must be found later. Olafsson said the aircraft was useful for locating them, as he knows the terrain well both from the ground and from the air.

Olafsson said his interest in flying was less about aircraft technology than about enjoying the view, taking photographs and seeing places that would otherwise be difficult for him to reach.

He also emphasised the importance of being able to make a safe landing if something goes wrong and of not taking off unless weather conditions are suitable. If conditions deteriorate, he said, the only option is to turn back, land and wait for another opportunity.