Helicopter Night Flights in Nigeria

[Patode]

Please, can some knowledgable persons enlighten me on the regulations about helicopter night operations in Nigeria. I have gone through the NCAR and can't find anything.

[GoodGrief]

VFR night is prohibited. You have to be in the nest at sunset.
Flying around Nigeria at night is IMC condition anyway, it's as dark as in a bears a$$ and you wouldn't know which way is up.
BTDT...

[timprice]

Never flown in a bears A$$ so I will take your word on that:ok:

[Tango123]

Imho many other things like prolonged over water flying, single enging ops in the Delta........ should also be prohibited, since there is no proper SAR.

Really ridiculous that the oil companys can't establish a SAR organisation (or won't pay for it) since they are earning so much money.

It's just one of the gearboxes (or engine if SE) that quits, then the crew and pax are in deep sh1t.

Saw this on BBC the other day (really shows that some are becoming super rich on oil): http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26385687

[Geoff Williams]

Yes you can, we did it in the ACN/CHC days. The OGP companies required it for aeromedical purposes. IFR of course. It was based on the weather reports at both the destination and at PHC. No different to the cloud we nearly always flew in during daylight ops.

Flying out of NAF or Elf or Agip was like flying in daylight due to the flare offs. As often was the case flying off shore. SAR was the responsibility of the companies although at the time, the only winch capable aircraft were those at QIT. CHC had winches but then, were not fitted to the aircraft as it removed payload of course, and the oil companies didn't like that!!

Cheers
Geoff

[xtremalsound]

Hello guys,

In nigeria you can flight night time under IFR rules, in any EMS service or if you think the place is not safe...

I have flown some presidential support flight and we landed in Naf base night time..
All the oil companys required night off shore current, so almost of the weeks, you can see helicopters flying training nights flights around ph.

Cheers,

[Patode]

This is very informative. We were once told that helicopter flight at nights are prohibited, except for saving lives as well as night training. I have not seen it written anywhere.This is what I am asking for. If there is any regulation, someone should please quote the source.

[SASless]

Nigeria, night flight, Monsoon, interesting concept.

Accurate weather reporting, forecasting?:ooh:

Adequate Flight Following?:ouch:

Accurate, serviceable ground based navaids?:rolleyes:

Accurate Triage of Casevac Patient?:ugh:

SAR....yeah right!:=

Anyone currently flying in Nigeria want to give a detailed brief upon the changes that have taken place that bring the Offshore Operations up to say.....North Sea Standards or even just Gulf of Mexico Standards for that matter?

[pohm1]

We have Target Zero and Client Promise, do they count?

P1

[ambidextrous]

Following on from SASless and what changes, if any, to night operations have taken place in the last ten years. A Bell 412 was lost approx. twelve years ago flown by an American Capt and a Beninois co-pilot. To the best of my knowledge their remains and the wreck still lie at the bottom of the Gulf of Benin although I'd like to be proven wrong on that? Perhaps Shell Management could comment!
PS: If your going to be available for night CASEVAC/MEDEVAC in the Niger Delta it might pay to inform your Life Insurance company as to whether they will still pay out in the event of an accident?
With fraternal greetings,
ambi

[SASless]

An effort to locate the wreckage was attempted and the ROV that was sent down was lost.....at a cost of a Million Dollars or so.

There Endeth the Lesson!

[Patode]

This is what I have been able to get from people who fly in that part of the world. "A Medevac flight at night is considered to be from take-off, to relevant intermediate stops, then to landing at the base of origin, where the aircraft and crew are to continue the night standby until the completion of their duty period".

[SASless]

Ah yes....flying old, ratty...really ratty...212's from Wari to Escravos and spend the night in the Six Star Deluxe Accommodation there....with the unexpressed intent to not leave the ground until well after Breakfast in the Five Star Dining Hall the next Morning.

Yes....the acme of professionalism it was in those days.....until the Centre of Excellence came along an eclipsed the Standard bearers.

My plan if called out....was to take off....get out of sight....and if the destination was not visible from the Downwind...return to the heliport citing inclement weather and go back to Bed until Daylight and the Morning Racket awoke me.

[Keke Napep]

You won't find any rules, but it won't be permitted except for training, medevac or offshore emergency.
For years, the ruling classes in Nigeria have been afraid that helicopters could be used to move coup perpetrators under cover of darkness. With political uncertainty and deviousness as usual building up as a prelude to the 2015 elections and Boko Haram winning the battle for control of the north east of Nigeria, it'll never happen any time soon.
Add to that the proposed joint venture SAR for an auto-hover SAR S92 which was effectively scuppered by Shell (as usual) because they refuse to participate in any joint venture in which they don't have a controlling interest. With no effective SAR (either by day or night) how could any responsible company carry out a risk assessment for night flying and allow it to go ahead. To be honest, I wonder if any company has even carried out an honest risk assessment for night training in Nigeria - after all there's still no night SAR, so any crews involved in it are at a barely acceptable level of risk.
It's not just by night - how can anybody safely land an S76 on the Langley when the deck doesn't even have a D value to operate an R22 Mariner :yuk:. Ah, yes, I'm sure Wacko Jacko has a slick staff answer for that :sad::ugh:

[SASless]

Ah but think of the great training value of flying past the Refinery to nearest flow station with a huge flare beside it....doing two circuits then straight back to the IA.

Far better just to write off Night Flying as a bad job and wait for daylight.