What's New In W. Africa (Nigeria)
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Bristow in Decline
Bristow looks set to lose a number of staff as the year draws to a close. The reorganization of their staff house in Lagos means that someone eating 3 meals a day there may well now have to pay 50% more than the daily food allowance. CHC, of course, provides 3 cooked meals a day free of charge to its staff and those in Port Harcourt have a cooked lunch or salad alternative provided at work. There have been rumors for some months of an increase in the Bristow food allowance (which is already 25% less than is paid to those CHC staff who are self-catering) but their management seem completely paralyzed by inertia and look likely to put off any decision until at least january. It seems that the mere mention of the word Agbami is now capable of freezing senior managers in their tracks 
. The poor allowances combined with a rapidly falling salary for those paid US$ salaries and the prospect of salaries being reviewed on a performance basis in January means that more Bristow pilots and engineers are likely to follow those who have already moved across in the last few months. The Canadian $ is now trading at 1.002 US$ and €0.68. Most of the guys I know at Bristow have no idea what performance based pay means to them. Will those who fly less get paid less, will those engineers who work shorter shifts get paid less? The threat of CHC moving to the so-called Death Camp has now receded, but quite a few Bristow guys have no idea where they'll be living next year with Shell talking of moving all their 155 crews to Warri, where at least they'll be spared the 2 hours plus journey to and from work they face every day in Port Harcourt.
When the situation gets to be like this in CHC, senior management usually get out to visit the bases and the likes of Christine Baird and Brian Clegg even visit Port Harcourt, stay overnight and talk to and have drinks with the staff. Many Bristow staff, even those in Lagos, have never spoken to Danny Holder and as for the likes of he, Richard Burman or even the likes of Dapo, Paul Weddick or the Major visiting bases and talking to people - heaven forbid that they should be subjected to having to mix with their employees and risk finding out what people really think
CHC will be bringing in at least a couple EC225s in a few months and rumor has it that at least 2 additional ones will be coming in, as well as a 76C++. The initial problems with the AW139 are now behind it and crews flying it love the power it has. A weight upgrade to 6800 kgs next year will make it a formidable machine. There may be a few old Dauphins, but CHCs fleet is largely modern and looking at the hangar facilities in Port Harcourt with huge amounts of new ground equipment in the old hangar and now in the even larger new hangar shows that maintenance is high on the agenda for CHC. It's a bit sad looking along the ramp and seeing old relics on the flight line outside an empty hangar
. I wonder what auditors think when they visit? It's okay of course because the helicopters are flown all the way to Lagos for their servicing most weekends.
There has been some talk on another thread here about CHC being broken up and sold off, possibly to Bristow, but out here in Nigeria things look the other way around
. The poor allowances combined with a rapidly falling salary for those paid US$ salaries and the prospect of salaries being reviewed on a performance basis in January means that more Bristow pilots and engineers are likely to follow those who have already moved across in the last few months. The Canadian $ is now trading at 1.002 US$ and €0.68. Most of the guys I know at Bristow have no idea what performance based pay means to them. Will those who fly less get paid less, will those engineers who work shorter shifts get paid less? The threat of CHC moving to the so-called Death Camp has now receded, but quite a few Bristow guys have no idea where they'll be living next year with Shell talking of moving all their 155 crews to Warri, where at least they'll be spared the 2 hours plus journey to and from work they face every day in Port Harcourt. When the situation gets to be like this in CHC, senior management usually get out to visit the bases and the likes of Christine Baird and Brian Clegg even visit Port Harcourt, stay overnight and talk to and have drinks with the staff. Many Bristow staff, even those in Lagos, have never spoken to Danny Holder and as for the likes of he, Richard Burman or even the likes of Dapo, Paul Weddick or the Major visiting bases and talking to people - heaven forbid that they should be subjected to having to mix with their employees and risk finding out what people really think
CHC will be bringing in at least a couple EC225s in a few months and rumor has it that at least 2 additional ones will be coming in, as well as a 76C++. The initial problems with the AW139 are now behind it and crews flying it love the power it has. A weight upgrade to 6800 kgs next year will make it a formidable machine. There may be a few old Dauphins, but CHCs fleet is largely modern and looking at the hangar facilities in Port Harcourt with huge amounts of new ground equipment in the old hangar and now in the even larger new hangar shows that maintenance is high on the agenda for CHC. It's a bit sad looking along the ramp and seeing old relics on the flight line outside an empty hangar
. I wonder what auditors think when they visit? It's okay of course because the helicopters are flown all the way to Lagos for their servicing most weekends.There has been some talk on another thread here about CHC being broken up and sold off, possibly to Bristow, but out here in Nigeria things look the other way around
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What's up Mama, tired of seeing Crab, cyclic and 3D Cam keeping the Sea King thread at the top of the latest thread with their endless bickering about who's the best and got the shiniest new toys? 
Your focus seems a bit narrow if you're only looking at PH. It may be the only helicopter base for CHC (plus Lagos I guess as it's rumoured that the EC225s will be going there), but remember that Bristow also has bases in Calabar, Eket, Warri, Escravos and Snake Island
Your focus seems a bit narrow if you're only looking at PH. It may be the only helicopter base for CHC (plus Lagos I guess as it's rumoured that the EC225s will be going there), but remember that Bristow also has bases in Calabar, Eket, Warri, Escravos and Snake Island
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Toks,
Okay, I should have mentioned the other Bristow bases. Let's see, Calabar is in a mosquito-infested, unsafe waterside location with a rundown hangar and a couple of what must be the oldest, basic Bell 412s in the fleet (they go perfectly with what must be one of the old S76s in the fleet in PH
). Eket is okay I guess as it has some new 412EPs, but I wouldn't fancy being locked in a hotel every night after that journey from the terminal. Port Harcourt also has a leaky old Shell hangar and the 155s here belong to Shell anyway. Warri again has Shell owned 155s. However, it's probably the nicest Bristow base with a couple modern 412EPs and good housing on that nice looking estate nearby. I'm told that's very nice and only a short journey to work. What to say about Escravos? Been overrun several times, some nice new Bell 407s if you like the small stuff and those C++ machines you have there look much nicer in the PanAfrican/Air Logistics paint job than the Bristow one . From what I hear about the housing it's pretty variable and good you only have to spend 4 weeks there drying out. Lagos has just that one old hangar for helicopters with that strange paint job and the housing is about the same for both, but at least at CHC meals are all free. I'm told Snake Island is real nice, the only down side is those very old Super Pumas. I'm surprised the NCAA allow those and some of those old S76s to stay here . Anything I forgot?
Okay, I should have mentioned the other Bristow bases. Let's see, Calabar is in a mosquito-infested, unsafe waterside location with a rundown hangar and a couple of what must be the oldest, basic Bell 412s in the fleet (they go perfectly with what must be one of the old S76s in the fleet in PH
). Eket is okay I guess as it has some new 412EPs, but I wouldn't fancy being locked in a hotel every night after that journey from the terminal. Port Harcourt also has a leaky old Shell hangar and the 155s here belong to Shell anyway. Warri again has Shell owned 155s. However, it's probably the nicest Bristow base with a couple modern 412EPs and good housing on that nice looking estate nearby. I'm told that's very nice and only a short journey to work. What to say about Escravos? Been overrun several times, some nice new Bell 407s if you like the small stuff and those C++ machines you have there look much nicer in the PanAfrican/Air Logistics paint job than the Bristow one . From what I hear about the housing it's pretty variable and good you only have to spend 4 weeks there drying out. Lagos has just that one old hangar for helicopters with that strange paint job and the housing is about the same for both, but at least at CHC meals are all free. I'm told Snake Island is real nice, the only down side is those very old Super Pumas. I'm surprised the NCAA allow those and some of those old S76s to stay here . Anything I forgot?
Mama,
I would suggest you are too quick to add Dapo to the Axis of Evil at Bristow Nigeria. Yes, one is known by the company he keeps, but one must take a whole measure when marking.
Give the guy a break....he has one heck of a ways to go before he rates being painted a "Mae-Juh"!
I would suggest you are too quick to add Dapo to the Axis of Evil at Bristow Nigeria. Yes, one is known by the company he keeps, but one must take a whole measure when marking.
Give the guy a break....he has one heck of a ways to go before he rates being painted a "Mae-Juh"!
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NEO,
Thought you'd retired! Welcome back.
You can never use the word never in aviation, or as sure as eggs is eggs you'll end up eating them (pun intended
). The world is full of people who have worked for Bristow, are working for Bristow or may work for Bristow. It's like the Grass is Greener thread - when their lawn is looking very lush and well cared for and they offer me a nice sunchair and parasol on it, I'll be there soaking up the sun
Thought you'd retired!
Welcome back. You can never use the word never in aviation, or as sure as eggs is eggs you'll end up eating them (pun intended
). The world is full of people who have worked for Bristow, are working for Bristow or may work for Bristow. It's like the Grass is Greener thread - when their lawn is looking very lush and well cared for and they offer me a nice sunchair and parasol on it, I'll be there soaking up the sun
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SASless
After Shell sells out to the Chinese, Bristows won't have to worry about crewing the 155's. They'll bring in Chinese pilots and engineers.
Read it on the BBC?
Cheers,
Read it on the BBC?
Cheers,
After Shell sells out to the Chinese, Bristows won't have to worry about crewing the 155's. They'll bring in Chinese pilots and engineers.
Chinese civil aviation on all fronts is expanding at a staggering rate and they need every hand they can get plus I can't think of any educated and competant Chinese person who would consider going to Africa.
[QUOTEI can't think of any educated and competant Chinese person who would consider going to Africa.][/QUOTE
Are you saying the Chinese are smarter and more competent than the rest of us.....or are you suggesting under-educated and less than competent folks are those who find themselves at an African operation?
Are you saying the Chinese are smarter and more competent than the rest of us.....or are you suggesting under-educated and less than competent folks are those who find themselves at an African operation?
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Flungdung,
SASless is spot on with what he said. Btw, there are a lot of Chinese who arrived in Nigeria recently, offering their services in the "Oil for Rice" scheme, ready to build them railways, telecom networks, etc...
Are all these guys then the under educated, non competent species of that race? And as for pilots: They are operating quite sophisticated machinery out here...and you don't hear too many complains from them on this site, do you? All those who feel sorry for us out here in the bush may just not have what it takes to be here.
SASless is spot on with what he said. Btw, there are a lot of Chinese who arrived in Nigeria recently, offering their services in the "Oil for Rice" scheme, ready to build them railways, telecom networks, etc...
Are all these guys then the under educated, non competent species of that race? And as for pilots: They are operating quite sophisticated machinery out here...and you don't hear too many complains from them on this site, do you? All those who feel sorry for us out here in the bush may just not have what it takes to be here.
Nigerian In Law
Fareastdrive/Flungdung,
Who exactly do you think you are ? Are you so much more clever than the rest of us that you have managed to get perfect jobs with perfect wages and perfect rosters ? In that case we are not worthy and you should f**k off from this thread and try to find somthing "sane" and in YOUR "right mind" to criticise.
Have a nice day. I will, in AFRICA !!
NEO
Who exactly do you think you are ? Are you so much more clever than the rest of us that you have managed to get perfect jobs with perfect wages and perfect rosters ? In that case we are not worthy and you should f**k off from this thread and try to find somthing "sane" and in YOUR "right mind" to criticise.
Have a nice day. I will, in AFRICA !!
NEO
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NEO,
I think you'll find that flungdung is not a pilot anymore. He's a simulator instructor with CAE at the Rotorsim facility in Italy, hoping to change to a 2/2 roster soon, but making considerably less than you. I don't know what he did before that. Maybe he hasn't realised that it's money that makes many people want to work here.
Fareastdriver,
I must mention that to our Chinese training captain, our other Chinese Captains and our Chinese engineers then. They all seem to be ,most competent, well educated and happy to be earning a salary which gives them a rather better standard of living than all the no-hopers who remain in China
I think you'll find that flungdung is not a pilot anymore. He's a simulator instructor with CAE at the Rotorsim facility in Italy, hoping to change to a 2/2 roster soon, but making considerably less than you. I don't know what he did before that. Maybe he hasn't realised that it's money that makes many people want to work here.
Fareastdriver,
I can't think of any educated and competant Chinese person who would consider going to Africa.
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Musket... errr I mean pokerpilot
Now you've opened a whole can of rotten worms and rumours and you yourself haven't been here in Nigeria for ages...
Chinese engineers will never work on the EC 155; they can’t understand the French maintenance manuals as don't the French...
And as far as pilots are concerned, the only pilot position still vacant on the 155 is yours...
Chinese engineers will never work on the EC 155; they can’t understand the French maintenance manuals as don't the French...
And as far as pilots are concerned, the only pilot position still vacant on the 155 is yours...
Nigerian In Law
I have never said that the money is why I am here. I, like many others, have all sorts of reasons for staying here. Nor have I ever complained about life here, merely commented on it.
There are threads about the Middle East, Far East, USA, Canada and many other places, all of which adopt similar tones from time to time. So what makes you think that those of us who opt for Nigeria are only putting up with s**t because we want/need the money ? What about all those other people ?
Maybe some research before passing judgement would serve you better in future.
NEO
There are threads about the Middle East, Far East, USA, Canada and many other places, all of which adopt similar tones from time to time. So what makes you think that those of us who opt for Nigeria are only putting up with s**t because we want/need the money ? What about all those other people ?
Maybe some research before passing judgement would serve you better in future.
NEO
NEO,
I always wondered about the effects (personal/professional/long and short term/good and bad/positive and negative) upon folks that find it in themselves to be quite happy to stay in Nigeria year after year after year.
It goes without saying there are lots of bad aspects to that situation but I wonder what the good side of the equation looks like. Nigeria has changed over the years thus what I experienced is not the same as it is now.
Just what does make Nigeria a lucrative posting these days?
I always wondered about the effects (personal/professional/long and short term/good and bad/positive and negative) upon folks that find it in themselves to be quite happy to stay in Nigeria year after year after year.
It goes without saying there are lots of bad aspects to that situation but I wonder what the good side of the equation looks like. Nigeria has changed over the years thus what I experienced is not the same as it is now.
Just what does make Nigeria a lucrative posting these days?
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MiragePilote
I thought a change of call sign would be appropriate considering my long absences from PH. Glad to see one small mention of the "Rise of China" gets a little comment out of people. Thought the whole country was cut off from the internet, or everyone was comatose. Good to see helicopter people still have an opinion and are willing to express said opinion.
In fact I read that the Chinese are only in talking to Shell concerning two oil fields. The details weren't mentioned, so who knows what if anything will happen. All that said, China is frantically scrambling to lockup energy resources in Africa. Besides, I think they prefer the Mil designated helicopters. So, keep my seat at the bar and let someone else have my 155 ride.
Cheers,
Pokerpilot33
In fact I read that the Chinese are only in talking to Shell concerning two oil fields. The details weren't mentioned, so who knows what if anything will happen. All that said, China is frantically scrambling to lockup energy resources in Africa. Besides, I think they prefer the Mil designated helicopters. So, keep my seat at the bar and let someone else have my 155 ride.
Cheers,
Pokerpilot33