What's New In W. Africa (Nigeria)
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anjouan,
What do you mean about the attitude of Caverton to compassionate leave? Certainly when I work for Schreiner (I guess CHC now) they were always very good in attitude to people with compassionate problems.
What do you mean about the attitude of Caverton to compassionate leave? Certainly when I work for Schreiner (I guess CHC now) they were always very good in attitude to people with compassionate problems.
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algy gang!?
As I hear, one of their expats had a close relative die and the company said he could go on compassionate leave, but only if he agreed to pay his own air fare - sounds like a caring, sharing society
I also hear they've caught a 'big fish' from ACN to be their Chief Pilot - as one of the ACN Nigerian pilots resigned last week, I guess it won't be too difficult to guess who that will be.
I'm told there may be more resignations on the way on the engineering side. With all the 'new' helicopters Caverton claim to have coming, they'll need to recruit some more people, but it must be difficult when all of their people are working either 12/4 or 5/1.
You gets paid your money and makes your choice I suppose. Must be difficult when CHC are taking longer to sort out the pay deal for ACN than an elephant to gestate its young
Certtainly, since the full take-over by CHC it now takes much longer to get any reply to an e-mail than it ever did with Schreiner - if you get one at all. Jan V - please come back 
As I hear, one of their expats had a close relative die and the company said he could go on compassionate leave, but only if he agreed to pay his own air fare - sounds like a caring, sharing society
I also hear they've caught a 'big fish' from ACN to be their Chief Pilot - as one of the ACN Nigerian pilots resigned last week, I guess it won't be too difficult to guess who that will be.
I'm told there may be more resignations on the way on the engineering side. With all the 'new' helicopters Caverton claim to have coming, they'll need to recruit some more people, but it must be difficult when all of their people are working either 12/4 or 5/1.You gets paid your money and makes your choice I suppose. Must be difficult when CHC are taking longer to sort out the pay deal for ACN than an elephant to gestate its young
Certtainly, since the full take-over by CHC it now takes much longer to get any reply to an e-mail than it ever did with Schreiner - if you get one at all. Jan V - please come back
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I heard that most expats, in ACN, are happy with the CHC payscales now that the bosses went there and explained it all to them. A couple of pilots have withdrawn their resignations on the strength of that meeting. As for Caverton getting a "big fish" I think you'll find that most people in ACN will be glad to see the back of him; a total to**er!
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Pilots vs. Aviators, cont.d....
My home away from home was once a happy little fixed-wing base, when visiting helicopter pilots were treated like scum by fixed wing aviators in the bar. Jet Captains with a co-pilot and a trolley dolly to boss around can easily develop big heads, I guess.
They would even snob me for being a Twotter driver! My
0.9 hours of jet time seemed to count for nothing with them when they took me for a bush pilot. I am bush all right, but not that way.
Then all these helos started showing up on the ramp. Next the fixed-wing contract hit the buffers with a hideous clang. Now the aviators creep around the fringes of the gangs of helo drivers trying to get a word in edgewise about the fully-coupled ILS they just shot or having to do seven sectors, only to be ignored.
If I had any compassion then I would be dripping with the stuff but instead I am just sick with laughter. That is because I am a Bad Person, perhaps?
Ask our Nigerian Expat Outlaw if I am lying or even embroidering the naked, ugly truth here. The scenes in the bar would make a cat laugh, these days!
They would even snob me for being a Twotter driver! My
0.9 hours of jet time seemed to count for nothing with them when they took me for a bush pilot. I am bush all right, but not that way.
Then all these helos started showing up on the ramp. Next the fixed-wing contract hit the buffers with a hideous clang. Now the aviators creep around the fringes of the gangs of helo drivers trying to get a word in edgewise about the fully-coupled ILS they just shot or having to do seven sectors, only to be ignored.
If I had any compassion then I would be dripping with the stuff but instead I am just sick with laughter. That is because I am a Bad Person, perhaps?
Ask our Nigerian Expat Outlaw if I am lying or even embroidering the naked, ugly truth here. The scenes in the bar would make a cat laugh, these days!
Chuks dear boy....
Have the Mighty fallen upon hard times? Lordy....to think you all wear the same uniform and swear allegiance to the same masters. Humility is an awful countance for the upper classes is it not? The plankers (with a "pl" sound) will be the the lesser class of beings living in a rotorhead guest house.....always wondered how all those up-turned noses survived rainy season.
I thought bar talk was about women, fast living, pay, and the Boss.....not about slaved ILS approaches. Is Spanish the local language there yet?
Have the Mighty fallen upon hard times? Lordy....to think you all wear the same uniform and swear allegiance to the same masters. Humility is an awful countance for the upper classes is it not? The plankers (with a "pl" sound) will be the the lesser class of beings living in a rotorhead guest house.....always wondered how all those up-turned noses survived rainy season.
I thought bar talk was about women, fast living, pay, and the Boss.....not about slaved ILS approaches. Is Spanish the local language there yet?
"Now the aviators creep around the fringes of the gangs of helo drivers ...."
1. Are helicopter pilots not aviators?
2. You tend to get helicopter pilots in a helicopter company.
3. You can talk to me about your last coupled ILS, if you want, on Sunday as I depart for the last time
1. Are helicopter pilots not aviators?
2. You tend to get helicopter pilots in a helicopter company.
3. You can talk to me about your last coupled ILS, if you want, on Sunday as I depart for the last time
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This may well be my last African rumour post as I'm finally retiring next month, so I'll just have to watch the forum and see what rumours others have for me.
The Bristow crews who have for so long been seen at the Lagos Sheraton every day will shortly be moving down to Snake Island, so I guees there will be less talk of coupled ILSs in the BRC (btw I always thought the autopilot, either SFIM or Sperry flew the coupled ILS and the skill bit came in actually flying it uncoupled oneself?
) Bristow have also bid farewell to Ian Scott who is joining Shell - the loss of a good man. Good luck Ian.
I don't know if the Uncle Bob clone is taking over from him, but it seems the rumours of a national pilot from ACN becoming Chief Pilot at Caverton are getting stronger.
CHC/Aero expatriate pilot and engineers seem reasonably happy with the way things are going with CHC management, but the nationals are not happy and more may defect to Caverton.
Southern Air is still in existence, but nobody really knows where they are going. There are also new operators waiting in the wings with big appetites and strong connections. I think the Nigerian helicopter market may see a few surprises and upsets in the next year or two.
The Bristow crews who have for so long been seen at the Lagos Sheraton every day will shortly be moving down to Snake Island, so I guees there will be less talk of coupled ILSs in the BRC (btw I always thought the autopilot, either SFIM or Sperry flew the coupled ILS and the skill bit came in actually flying it uncoupled oneself?
) Bristow have also bid farewell to Ian Scott who is joining Shell - the loss of a good man. Good luck Ian.I don't know if the Uncle Bob clone is taking over from him, but it seems the rumours of a national pilot from ACN becoming Chief Pilot at Caverton are getting stronger.
CHC/Aero expatriate pilot and engineers seem reasonably happy with the way things are going with CHC management, but the nationals are not happy and more may defect to Caverton.
Southern Air is still in existence, but nobody really knows where they are going. There are also new operators waiting in the wings with big appetites and strong connections. I think the Nigerian helicopter market may see a few surprises and upsets in the next year or two.
Retirement.....the Green License Syndrome will get you like everyone else.....as "Arnold" said...."You'll be back". Scottie being with Shell is just one posting away from Nigeria like Sievert.
Enjoy that retirement....
Enjoy that retirement....
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Umm, yeah, the middle word in the Company name is 'Helicopters' but I guess the aviators just chose to overlook that.
'Are helicopter pilots aviators?' Aviators push buttons to make things happen, or so it seems. And they must have a glass cockpit and a bellybutton to match. Scrambled eggs on the hat instead of on the shirtfront. That sort of thing. So, go figure.
I have figured out the secret identity of some of you but who in the world is Mama Mangrove? Answers on a postcard, please...
'Are helicopter pilots aviators?' Aviators push buttons to make things happen, or so it seems. And they must have a glass cockpit and a bellybutton to match. Scrambled eggs on the hat instead of on the shirtfront. That sort of thing. So, go figure.
I have figured out the secret identity of some of you but who in the world is Mama Mangrove? Answers on a postcard, please...
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Real aviators
I suppose pilots like Ian that flew the EC 155 are real aviators then, as that is apparently how the machine is flown, just by pushing buttons and rumour has it, to top it all, it also does a coupled ILS quite well. Times are changing, even in Nigeria...
You will be missed Ian, take care and keep the rev's up!
You will be missed Ian, take care and keep the rev's up!
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Some of my favourite sounds...
I like to hear the so-called 'cavalry charge' that announces auto-pilot disconnection/hand-flying. For some of the aviators one might as well have a synthesised voice saying 'We are all going to die!'
Yes, just kidding there... I understand that some post-Viet Nam era helicopters do feature glass cockpits, flight management systems, FADEC and most of the other acronyms so beloved of aviators. But when it comes to drinks in the bar, the rotorheads just cannot cut it, somehow.
The best one so far was, as 'Thought for the day,' was that the movie, 'The Flight of the Phoenix' was worth watching for the sake of observing good CRM! Geez, and I thought it was all about some Brit getting scragged!
Well, tastes differ, so that all I thought was, 'Keep taking the pills.' I never thought of CRM in the context of that movie, the first one of the two, but I do have a bigger wristwatch, so there!
Every so often one of my fixed-wing brothers insists on dragging aviation, sorry, aviating, into some merry discussion about sex or hideous tropical diseases. Perhaps this has caused an association between coupled ILS approaches and yaws to form in my mind.
Having seen which way the wind blows I now creep around the fringes of the helo pilot groups, hoping to pass.
On the other hand, years ago the Pan African Airlines guys used to answer the question of, 'What sort of aircraft does Pan African operate' with the answer, 'Seven 47s.'
Can it be said at the end of the day that we are all just one big, happy band of brothers? Umm, probably not!
I like to hear the so-called 'cavalry charge' that announces auto-pilot disconnection/hand-flying. For some of the aviators one might as well have a synthesised voice saying 'We are all going to die!'
Yes, just kidding there... I understand that some post-Viet Nam era helicopters do feature glass cockpits, flight management systems, FADEC and most of the other acronyms so beloved of aviators. But when it comes to drinks in the bar, the rotorheads just cannot cut it, somehow.
The best one so far was, as 'Thought for the day,' was that the movie, 'The Flight of the Phoenix' was worth watching for the sake of observing good CRM! Geez, and I thought it was all about some Brit getting scragged!
Well, tastes differ, so that all I thought was, 'Keep taking the pills.' I never thought of CRM in the context of that movie, the first one of the two, but I do have a bigger wristwatch, so there!
Every so often one of my fixed-wing brothers insists on dragging aviation, sorry, aviating, into some merry discussion about sex or hideous tropical diseases. Perhaps this has caused an association between coupled ILS approaches and yaws to form in my mind.
Having seen which way the wind blows I now creep around the fringes of the helo pilot groups, hoping to pass.
On the other hand, years ago the Pan African Airlines guys used to answer the question of, 'What sort of aircraft does Pan African operate' with the answer, 'Seven 47s.'
Can it be said at the end of the day that we are all just one big, happy band of brothers? Umm, probably not!
I'll have a pint of whatever Chuks is drinking at the moment!
Make it a double 212Man...Chuks hit that one slap over the Right Field wall!
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Well it's been confirmed that a national pilot has actually left ACN and will be taking over as Chief Pilot at Caverton very shortly. There may well now be more Nigerian pilots leaving ACN and joining Caverton as well as several engineers because of the way they're treated by Aero. Bristow also seems to be doing pretty well at getting pilots crossing over from Aero. Although Caverton are getting some nationals joining them, which is just as well as I still can't see them getting any more expats to join them with the roster they offer.
One of my friends was driving into Lagos yesterday and tells me that the Caverton helipad is actually in place in the river opposite the Nigerian Law school and their office their looks close to completion. I guess that means they'll be starting their much advertised shuttle service between the international airport and the heliport pretty soon. Good luck to them and I hope the shuttle picks up very quickly - it's certainly needed with Lagos traffic being the way it is.
Although CHC have now offered their new deal to the Aero staff, there still seems to be some misunderstandings as to what they're actually going to get and I think a few people who were waiting to see before making a decision to move to Bristow will now be going.
One of my friends was driving into Lagos yesterday and tells me that the Caverton helipad is actually in place in the river opposite the Nigerian Law school and their office their looks close to completion. I guess that means they'll be starting their much advertised shuttle service between the international airport and the heliport pretty soon. Good luck to them and I hope the shuttle picks up very quickly - it's certainly needed with Lagos traffic being the way it is.
Although CHC have now offered their new deal to the Aero staff, there still seems to be some misunderstandings as to what they're actually going to get and I think a few people who were waiting to see before making a decision to move to Bristow will now be going.
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From what I understood about the new pay scales from CHC it seems they are trying to undercut everyone else. I didn't get quite clear in my mind what would be on offer when one factored in the productivity allowance vs. base pay.
Low pay must be a rather strange way to go if you want to attract or keep top people, but then they are the biggest operator in the business so that perhaps they do know what they are doing. The bad old days of going down to Bourbon Street and waving a $5 bill are being revived, perhaps?
The scuttlebutt is that numerous folks are walking across to Bristow, yes. It will be interesting to see how things work out in terms of CHC keeping experienced folks and getting new guys who can hack living and working in Nigeria. This will be of more than academic interest to everyone else working in the Nigerian aviation scene.
Low pay must be a rather strange way to go if you want to attract or keep top people, but then they are the biggest operator in the business so that perhaps they do know what they are doing. The bad old days of going down to Bourbon Street and waving a $5 bill are being revived, perhaps?
The scuttlebutt is that numerous folks are walking across to Bristow, yes. It will be interesting to see how things work out in terms of CHC keeping experienced folks and getting new guys who can hack living and working in Nigeria. This will be of more than academic interest to everyone else working in the Nigerian aviation scene.
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Excuse me for being a dunce but I'm new to the world of professional aviators.
Why would a pilot need loss of licence insurance?
What would make one lose their licence?
It's probably very obvious to you but I don't know.
Thanks in advance
H.
Why would a pilot need loss of licence insurance?
What would make one lose their licence?
It's probably very obvious to you but I don't know.
Thanks in advance
H.
Bob Suggs recruiting method....
Chuks,
The story about Bob Suggs has been confirmed by Vern Albert, the PHI Chief Pilot for so many years...Suggs did make that comment about being able to find a helicopter pilot in any gutter in Bourbon Street. Tells you what he thought of the guys out doing the work for him.
The rest of the story as I have heard it....
Bob Suggs was on a recruiting trip to Bourbon Street....saw a helicopter pilot lying face down in the gutter. Suggs rolled him over and offered the drunken pilot a job at PHI. The pilot, blinking away the stupor of his drink.....replied "Bugger off Bob, I am on break from your outfit!"
When is the industry going to learn....people are the most important asset they have? Very few helicopter operators understand that concept.
The story about Bob Suggs has been confirmed by Vern Albert, the PHI Chief Pilot for so many years...Suggs did make that comment about being able to find a helicopter pilot in any gutter in Bourbon Street. Tells you what he thought of the guys out doing the work for him.
The rest of the story as I have heard it....
Bob Suggs was on a recruiting trip to Bourbon Street....saw a helicopter pilot lying face down in the gutter. Suggs rolled him over and offered the drunken pilot a job at PHI. The pilot, blinking away the stupor of his drink.....replied "Bugger off Bob, I am on break from your outfit!"
When is the industry going to learn....people are the most important asset they have? Very few helicopter operators understand that concept.
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Say what?
Dilbert covered that one when he asked his boss what the most important asset was in their company. The answer was 'money.'
Then he asked where 'people' came and I think the answer was 12th, with paperclips being 11th. That sounds about right to me!
Then he asked where 'people' came and I think the answer was 12th, with paperclips being 11th. That sounds about right to me!
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Assets!!
I once tackled my MD with a question about the parent company's glossy and impressive Annual Report.
I asked him to read the 'forword' - it praised the workforce and explained that 'our people are our greatest asset'.
Having just been on a financial management course at HAI I had just learnt all about 'Balance Sheets'.
'Where?' I asked, 'are the employees listed in the Asset Register?'
The MD didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The next time you read about one company being sold to another and you contemplate the fact that in all probability the workforce had been included in the deal without their say-so, imagine when the new owners pitched up the following Monday morning and found empty offices/hangars/crewrooms. The workforce had picked up their skills and taken them elsewhere. Sounds daft doesn't it. But the reality nowadays is that in high tech industries the 'intellectual capital' has increased mobility and shouldn't be taken for granted.
Maybe we are beginning to see the importance of this shift in power when we look at the way helicopter pilots are beginning to realise their true value in the marketplace. There are still a few hard-ball operators who cannot come to terms with the fact that an increasingly complex and sophisticated market will need ever more investment in their workers.
May the trend continue for a while yet - I still have to make up for years of being the poor-man in the aviation world.
I asked him to read the 'forword' - it praised the workforce and explained that 'our people are our greatest asset'.
Having just been on a financial management course at HAI I had just learnt all about 'Balance Sheets'.
'Where?' I asked, 'are the employees listed in the Asset Register?'
The MD didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The next time you read about one company being sold to another and you contemplate the fact that in all probability the workforce had been included in the deal without their say-so, imagine when the new owners pitched up the following Monday morning and found empty offices/hangars/crewrooms. The workforce had picked up their skills and taken them elsewhere. Sounds daft doesn't it. But the reality nowadays is that in high tech industries the 'intellectual capital' has increased mobility and shouldn't be taken for granted.
Maybe we are beginning to see the importance of this shift in power when we look at the way helicopter pilots are beginning to realise their true value in the marketplace. There are still a few hard-ball operators who cannot come to terms with the fact that an increasingly complex and sophisticated market will need ever more investment in their workers.
May the trend continue for a while yet - I still have to make up for years of being the poor-man in the aviation world.
Geoffers....
Well said!
I fear in some places that would fetch you a place on the Black List.
There are more than a few places that do not appreciate such sentiments amongst the seatcovers.
Gets back to my discussion about "They".
The American trucking industry is facing very much the same situation as the helicopter industry.....here are some links that explain what they are doing to cope with the problems. One would hope the helicopter industry world wide could do much the same.
Baic summary: Increase wages, pay recruiting bonuses, become more fleixible on working conditions, newer and better equipment, more time off, longevity bonuses, productiviity bonuses.
Major problems....turnover/retention and sheer lack of qualified, experienced and safe drivers
http://www.workforce.com/section/00/.../23/95/19.html
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=45365
http://www.jsonline.com/bym/news/oct...p?format=print
Well said!
I fear in some places that would fetch you a place on the Black List.
There are more than a few places that do not appreciate such sentiments amongst the seatcovers.
Gets back to my discussion about "They".
The American trucking industry is facing very much the same situation as the helicopter industry.....here are some links that explain what they are doing to cope with the problems. One would hope the helicopter industry world wide could do much the same.
Baic summary: Increase wages, pay recruiting bonuses, become more fleixible on working conditions, newer and better equipment, more time off, longevity bonuses, productiviity bonuses.
Major problems....turnover/retention and sheer lack of qualified, experienced and safe drivers
http://www.workforce.com/section/00/.../23/95/19.html
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=45365
http://www.jsonline.com/bym/news/oct...p?format=print