What makes Africa such a great place...

[Mark CRUISE]

Hellooo everyone,

This post is just out of mere curiosity. I find on this forum that alot of pilots love it over there and was just wandering why?

[JJflyer]

Africa with the exception of RSA radar enviroment is the final frontier or Wild West. Flying is very different from that of US or Europe. I have been told that you either hate it or love it. I have not made up my mind yet , but I have been bit by the bug and I am going back in a few days time. Still after 6 months in a hole like Congo coming back to CDG was like coming to heaven.

There are marked differences in geographical areas and between coutries. Kenya is quite different from Gabon, while you might love Kenya you could hate it in Gabon and vice versa. Africa is actually hard to describe, you need to try it yourself and decide on your own.

[maxrated]

The "technocrats" that blessed the world with JAR OPS dont have any authority here !

Real flying happens in Africa where the pilots have to make real decisions, not the mundane sop/jar ops orientated flying that I've done in europe where the most complex decision I ever made as a pilot was deciding whether I wanted chicken or fish for my inflight meal.

Certainly the enviroment is not as controlled/safe as europe but then even flying American Airlines these days seems to be a calculated risk as is being controlled by Swiss atc's (investigation pending I beleive).
A flight is as safe as the pilot/operator makes it.

People also complain about corruption and ineptness of working in Africa, but they have obviously not learned how to manipulate the system yet, a bottle of scotch and a $100 note will get you infinately further in your bussiness quests and more cheaply, than an entire corruption of Lawyers would get you in an equivalent situation in Europe.

Not to forget beautifull countries , stunning scenery , mostly friendly people and good quality of living and cheap beer / food / servants, etc etc.plus lots of excellent flying opportunities and some oportunities to make some serious cash, if you know where to look.

[togabutton]

I currently fly in the USA having relocated here after spending my life in South Africa and most of my professional flying career flying all over Africa. I will NEVER regret flying in Africa - my judgement and skills are the better for it. In darkest AFRICA you as pilot learn critical survival skills. Its the kind of environment that produces the world's top pilots because they do not fly in a nursemaid environment. Pilots there learn the importance of really keeping a lookout for traffic - TCAS what's that? TCAS is not much use when all the bandits are not mode C transponder equipped! You have to use your ears to build a 3D picture of whats happening out there and correct the ATC at times - this of course pertains to those aircraft that bother to talk on the radio or those who bother to talk English. Lets not forget the absence of Nav aids or serviceable nav aids, active war zones and special procedures for flying there, tough approaches onto real short tight dirt strips etc. Some folk may turn up their nose at this stuff, but there is no doubt in my mind that learning to fly there and factoring all this crap into your day makes you not only a better pilot, but a better human being. When the poo hits the fan, I bet the pilot with African flying experience comes out tops.

Having flown in the US for a short while now, I cannot believe how easy it is to fly here. Make no mistake, flying in the US is wonderful and the facilities and resources available to EVERY pilot are incredible. In fact I wish these were available to my mates in Africa, BUT take this support away and I think US and European pilots are lost. I probably will be shot down in flames for this posting, but who are the guys I used to hear on the radio that were lost and confused in for example Angola???? Americans in G4 jets etc that could not shoot an NDB letdown - just shows you, that you have to get back to basics sometimes!!! At the end of the day it is raw seat of the pants flying skills that will save your bacon when the fancy avionics fail or you have to land NOW!!!

Some of the folks I have met in the US initially turned their noses up at me because I am from Africa. Let me tell you, I will always be proudly South African:p :D I sure proved them wrong when I aced my B737 checkride in their sim. Fly SAFE guys!

[Mobotu]

I agree with Togabutton on the "real flying experience in Africa"

Where else can one become proficient on flying a 60 tonne aircraft below 100 ft for hours on end so as not to get a SAM 7 up your butt!:eek:

[Doudou]

I wanna go there! :D sounds much more fun, and the more I listen (or read), poeple speakin about Africa, the more I'm attracted. Hope to be there one day (still have to finish this ****in CPL)
Fly safe guys

[Gunship]

I will STOP complaing for two weeks !!!

Thanks togabutton, maxrated and jjflyer for opening my eyes in seeing the "nice" things about being "African" again.

We seem to know too much about all the negatives and seem to forget all the positive things.

One long ride in the tube in London with a f*ck*d Brit, 3 Punks and a Devil Worshipper gave me cravings about Africa ... we just do not have THAT type of sh*t - well not so damn open and in your face ...

Re flying : Africa rules m8 :D

[international hog driver]

The bar/internet cafe in Lubango

The beach at Sumbe after a long day.

The down town strip at Wako Kungo

9 stacked above you over LU beacon & some one calls low fuel and approach does not answer........

The fence sepataring the strip and minefield at Chipindo

Angola Air Service FBO when all your companys plane cant get clearence.

finally, NEXT WEEK when the circus comes to town and we all want fuel when we arrive, now that will be real fun.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

.Africa:::

The weather office in Luanda. :D

Table Mountain with the tablecloth on it.

When the Harmatten suddenly catches you 500 miles from Agadez.

Wondering if they will actually launch the two Mig 29 sitting on the runway at Dire Dawa waiting while the tower has a look at your airplane as you do the requested identification flyby.

Suddenly coming up on the lush Nile Valley after hours of light brown.

Watching the herds of animals moving around on the Serengeti plain.

Wondering if they would ever find you if you crashed in the Rain Forest in Gabon ?

The first time you see the Hassan 11 Mosque on the horizon coming up on Casablanca.

Victoria Falls.

When you don't have to ask, whats a robot? :D :D

Just a few more things about Africa.

Cat Driver:

....................
:D The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no.:D

[AMEX]

The true value of life, friendship.

[captain69]

The self appointed security at Hargeysa.

Bed Bugs in Yambio

Diving off Djibutu

Bloodied caravan pilot in the Wilson Aeroclub after passenger was shot while landing somewhere in Somalia

Rhino at the end of R14 Wilson

Ahha the good old days

[jetjackel]

If you have flown in Africa and don't know, you never will. If you have the opportunity to fly in Africa you'll understand.

[MamboBaas]

Once the mosquito has tasted your blood there will always be a part of Africa left in you, ready to draw you back if you should venture to leave her charms

[shenzi_rubani_HTAR]

Ha Ha!
Captain 69, I remember that friggin Rhino off of 14! Always got people started in the right frame of mind on the trips down ti KIA.
You must have had a sun downer or two out on the patio at the ACEA watching planes bounce in on 07 as well then!
Ever forget to take your hat off?

[captain69]

Not sure what u mean, though did have my Victoria Bitter hat nicked outside a joint one night.

[Sultan Ismail]

The sound of a DC 4 at 1500agl.

Went down to SA last Friday on MH 203, picked up a car and went out to my place at Crowthorne, when I got out of the car the only sound was birdsong, and then out of the South came the DC 4, the first one I had seen in the air since the '60's, what a "Welcome Home".
Whoever you were, thank you.

The rest of the weekend was birdsong, braais and the circuit guys from Grand Central.

Monday, and back on MH 202.

BTW, I only saw two motorbikes all weekend, an HD and a BMW, if you have been to KL, you'll understand.

[MamboBaas]

The whole African experience. It's a continent with some of the world's poorest people, who are often appallingly abused by their so-called leaders, but in most places the people one meets are unfailingly cheerful.

[4granted]

Guys
Africa is a KUK plek.....dont go tuning all this romantic, sentimental stuff here....
Suddenly CAASA are going to be unindated with validation requests.....come on OAKES..!!!!
We all know whats out there, and as Gunns said, somtimes need to be reminded that it is in FACT a great bluddy place to FLY!:eek:
Today from IRIN:

1 - ANGOLA: WFP warns of funding shortfall
2 - BURUNDI: Hundreds more flee as conflict escalates, UN agency says
3 - CAMEROON-NIGERIA: Dormant treaties to be revisited
4 - COTE D IVOIRE: Thousands demonstrate for government
5 - DRC: 15,312 foreign forces withdrawn so far, says UN
6 - DRC-RWANDA: Rwandan ex-combatant mission arrives in Kigali
7 - GLOBAL: New handbook out on reception, integration of resettled
refugees
8 - GUINEA: Infrastructure project targets rural poor
9 - KENYA: No word from US on Somali Bantu FGM reports - UNHCR
10 - MOZAMBIQUE: World Bank urged to pay for its "mistake"
11 - SOMALIA: Fears of renewed fighting in Baidoa as curfew imposed
12 - ZIMBABWE: Government defends HIV/AIDS programme
13 - ZIMBABWE: MDC protests clampdown

This is one days summery of political upheavel on the continent..theres actually more but I only subscribe to my area of interest...
Togabutton...any regrets for leaving??
Im going mad here in this "so called first world"...agh ....Africa, MAMA Africa.....I will die there !
ok snuff said
HB4g....soon to be zs......

[maxrated]

Thanx for that 4granted, so what you're trying to say is that there's alot of potential flying oportunities for contract pilots in the short to medium future in Africa.

War = UN = Red cross= lots of flying.

C ya there.

[4granted]

more to come near that place they call IRAKK...

[gravitysux]

So George phones Koffi:
G= Georges Bush
K= Koffis Annans

G: "Koffi..I wanna go to war.."
K: "Ok George..where and when???"
G: "Irakk!"
K: "What ya gonna use George?"
G: "lots!"
K: "Its gonna cost you.."
G: "How much"
K: " lets see ..100 000 refugees...10000 victims..mmmm alot George?"
G:" How much Koffi???"
K:" Lets see UNHCR, WFP, ICRC..oh and MSF(they got the nobel prize you know..) not forgetting all those OIL revenue NGOS...
K: " 250 million $ per month?"
G: " ok checks in the post"


And we all go to work..... ..aint it wonderfull!!!!!Guys thats where we are as a Human race ....Im so Proud...
Ahh Democracy
Gunns dont you like it?
Lets go to work boet...nice evening YALL...B K

[JJflyer]

I am heading back tomorrow...

Very excited about it.

A new country and new people new position with a new job, old continent old tricks.

This is the final frontier in Aviation. You can do everything you can only dream about doing in the first world... Some hard work ahead though.

Check in with you guys on 126.9 for a chat on discreet.


Keep the blue side up

[ZAZOO]

Oooh Home, sweet PHC :D

Yep, back in town and already buzzing all over the place, God I missed the view guys.

Wonder who all this new faces are in the crew room, boy this is scary :eek:

Well if you need any info on this side of the equator just give me a shout.

Zazoooom