Pirates in the Channel of Mozambique

The Comoros & Mayotte

Today, we explore the Channel of Mozambique and fly from the Comoros Islands to Majotte, searching for Sailing Ships and wrecks.

The Comoros is formed by Ngazidja (Grande Comore), Mwali (Mohéli), and Ndzwani (Anjouan), three major islands in the Indian Ocean, located in the Mozambique Channel between the African coast and Madagascar, with no land borders. The islands emerged from the floor of the Indian Ocean as a result of volcanic activity and are often called the "perfume islands" for their fragrant plant life and scenic beauty. Comoros is the third-smallest country in Africa at 1,862 km². All three islands feature rugged topography with steep peaks formed by volcanic activity. The highest point is the active volcano Karthala on Grande Comore, rising to about 2,361m. Comoros has experienced more than 20 coups or attempted coups, with various heads of state assassinated. President Azali Assoumani has consolidated power since 2019 by cracking down on the opposition and limiting press freedom. In January 2025, his ruling party won parliamentary elections, taking 28 out of 33 seats; opposition parties rejected the results. Under the constitution of 2001, each island elects its own governor and legislative assembly. The government of each island is free to administer its own affairs so long as its actions do not infringe upon the rights of the other islands or the federal union. Comoros' economy gained momentum in 2025, with real GDP growth estimated at 3.8%, driven by construction linked to the Galawa Hotel, El-Maarouf Hospital, and infrastructure for the 2027 Indian Ocean Island Games. Remittances from the large diaspora are a major economic pillar.

Mayotte is a special case: it is an overseas department of France. It is geographically part of the Comoro Islands, but politically French. The Union of the Comoros claims it but does not administer it.  We depart from Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport (FMCH), the principal international airport of the Comoros, on the Island of Grande Comore. It is the only airport in the country equipped to handle international flights. We fly along the island and cross over to the Island of Mohéli and land at Mohéli Bandar (FMCI). The airport does not publish a METAR — the nearest weather station is Dzaoudzi Pamandzi International Airport, 174 km away. It's a small, simple airfield serving the least populated of the three Comorian islands, known for its pristine nature and sea turtles. We head over to the Island of Anjouan and land at Ouani (FMCV). Anjouan is the most densely populated island of the Comoros. Airlines serving the route include Int'Air Îles, Comores Aviation International, and Ewa Air, connecting to Mohéli, Dzaoudzi, and Moroni. Now we fly once more across the Mozambique Channel and arrive in Europe - kind of. We reach Majotte, a French Overseas Department. It is an outermost region of the European Union and, as an overseas department of France, part of the eurozone. We land at Chirongui (FMCR), a small general aviation airstrip on the main island of Mayotte (Grande-Terre). It's a minimal facility with no scheduled commercial service. We head over to the Petite-Terre Island, fly around it clockwise, and land at Aéroport de Mayotte – Marcel Henry (FMCZ). The airport faces significant vulnerability to tropical cyclones and to rising sea levels, given its elevation of only 7 meters. Time permitting, we should jump into a helicopter and check out the many sailing ships and shipwrecks that come with the ship addons for Majotte.

The flight is 200 miles long with 3 landings. The flight plans are here. There is no flight plan for the helicopter flight.

A typical aircraft for the area could be the Brittan-Norman Islander, the Caravan, or a Cessna 404. Since we want to operate from a 1000-foot runway, I will be in the Islander. For the helicopter flight, I will probably be in the Huey again. As always, please fly what you like.

Recommended scenery:

Pamandzi – FMCZ

Sailing Ships and Wrecks

Sailships Library

Scilly Sailships

Dapani – FMCR

Prince Said Ibrahim – FMCH

The complete package is here.

We try real weather. Please set your simulator for a 10 am departure.

Multiplayer Particulars:

Date and time: Sunday, May 17, 2026. 16:00 UTC

Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: United States East server

These flights are events posted at DigitalThemePark. For these Sunday flights, we use DTP’s Discord Server for communication.

If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet (linked here). Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!