Cargo Flying in Africa

[Big Beer Belly]

By guys with machetes, still my favorite FI story.

Oh shoot... did I tell that story before? :0

Memory's going and my gut's growing!


BBB

 

[JFReservist]

Cliff,

A few things...

1. If you haven't flown with the company before, or aren't familiar with the principals - get an advance!!! This has been done before... you won't get the whole contract, but you may get enough to get out of there.

2. What everyone has posted is spot on, get your malaria pills before you go, or drink lots of gin. I'm a bourbon man myself, so it's the pills for me. You'll need to smile and its true, TIA.

3. Parts of Africa are really nice. The other 98% of it could be, but... TIA.

4. At some point, expect the shakedown from your handler, ATC or the local controlling agency or all included. Remember, they know the dollar and what its worth, euros are good and seem to be standard along with the local CFA. If you're company doesn't have $5 grand in cash for you to carry around, you're in trouble. I got stuck in a west african city due to an all cash bill. Fuel, Landing/NAV/Ramp Check/ all in cash because their card machine was down. Good times.

5. #$#$ air france!!! Sorry, but position reports coming in opposite direction ILS in FRENCH don't help. Long story. The crews are great to party with though (the cabin crews...)

6. Catering (don't get catering except from the 4 star european hotels), not that you'll feel like eating for a few weeks...

7. If you're company doesn't have ten grand for you to carry around, you're wrong. Or was it 15...

Good Luck, and feel free to pm me. Funny though, I've never been to Kenya, I'm sure its different!

 

[AC560]

Most outfits use a 1NM offset to the right until you get to a radar environment

Ideal curiosity if somebody can indulge me. If everyone is offsetting 1NM to the right then wouldn't that be the same as flying the airway?

 

[AC560]

IAlso, drink only bottled water,

And to add make sure you check every single bottle of water, pop, beer, etc. to make sure it is actually sealed. While I haven't experienced this in Africa in China they pluck the water bottles out of the trash and refilll them/screw the cap back on.

 

[tjsatter]

Ideal curiosity if somebody can indulge me. If everyone is offsetting 1NM to the right then wouldn't that be the same as flying the airway?

yes, but it gives you a 2 NM offset against oncoming traffic if they are ALSO offsetting. SAme principal as on the North Atlantic

tj

 

[AC560]

yes, but it gives you a 2 NM offset against oncoming traffic if they are ALSO offsetting. SAme principal as on the North Atlantic

Makes better sense probably should have thought of that myself, thanks for the explanation.

 

[metrodriver]

If you are there for a long time, don't pop malaria pills. They are (very) bad for you over longer periods of time. Europe and the better clinics in Africa have some pretty good medication against malaria once you have the disease, some of this stuff has not yet made it past FDA approval (malaria is not a big thing in the US, so why should they hurry?), eventhough side-effects are less and of lower intensity than what is currently approved in the US, even compared to the pills you take before hand. A visit to a good (like university hospital) travel clinic will tell you more.

In all the fees don't forget the royalties. In the Congo it is $0.10 per kg.

Just had my fifth "experience" with food poisening in 4 years of flying in africa. Four times Lagos (3 of which in our former crew hotel affectionately known as the Jail-house) and now from a chicken bought in a restaurant down the street from our current hotel. The other occasion was bad catering out of Nairobi. Kept me puking once an hour on a 10 hr flight across the atlantic in a BA businessclass seat. Thank god (the purser in this case) for the seat, but what a miserable experience it was.

Happiness in Lagos starts at V1. Sadly, it's like an ugly prostitute: she keeps pulling you back, just can't shake her off.

 

[Fedora]

P.S. Those tings that look like air fresheners plugged into the wall of your hotel room? They are really mosuito repellant. So don't unplug them for too long. (they smell terrible)

 

[Colonel Savage]

Hey Cliff! Welcome to the "Dark Continent". Lot's of good advice has been given here. The IATA voice reports and a good listening watch on 126.9 are a must. Most outfits use a 1NM offset to the right until you get to a radar environment (even then, ATC may not have a clue where you are and will keep asking for DME to a fix.)
Lagos and the other Nigerian airports are a particular concern. If ATC won't answer, go to the tower when in range and get the weather and runway, and stay with them for the let down and approach. They also often want cash for landing fees, fuel, and departure fees (they won't file your flt plan until they get their money). If your company gives you cash for this, make sure that you close the cockpit door before accessing it and never reveal to any ground personnel where it is kept. Keep your head on a swivel during the ride to and from the hotel and make sure van doors are locked. Don't eat salads or fruits that may be washed with the local tap water. (oranges and bananas that have a skin to peel off are OK) We don't leave the hotels in Nigeria unless we are going back to the airport.
Nairobi and Joberg are better destinations with decent facilities, and sightseeing and safari's are good take in's there.
Tripoli can be a good fuel stop with a quick turn, but make sure you get a hold of someone before showing up in their airspace. (there's an airport about 300 miles south of there which will take your position report and pass it on to Tripoli - we used that a lot. (there was a Ruskie crew that arrived in Tripoli ahead of us saying that they couldn't get a hold of anyone before they got there, and the tower was trying to violate them) Be creative in your attempts to communicate, and don't freak out when you can't talk to anyone - it happens a lot - when you do get contact, pass as many waypoint eta's as you can and realize that they don't talk to each other on the ground so you will have to start fresh with each controller.
All that being said, I found that Africa on the whole is quite doable if you keep that good sense of humor and try to help out the other aircraft in the system when you can with a relay, etc.
Good Flying to you, I've had my fill since Gemini rolled belly up. Lot's of memorable times with some great guys.
Fedora

Fedora- Where did you fly the CV 990/880?

 

[DeathPencil]

Cippro and Immodium.