MamaPut

Reuters has been reporting some heavy fighting in the Abonnema and Degema area according to Reuters. As this is a Port Harcourt zone exit point it would be prudent to fly a bit higher or route off track for a few days:

Swamp76

Skyhawk 35 was bashing around Soku yesterday as well, probably the bigger threat.

Unfortunately, if we avoid all the places the militants are shooting at the military, we'd have to close the doors and go home.

Swamp76

The warrants a seperate post:

Can anyone give me some insight into Heli-Malongo? I've tried an internet search and got nothing of use.

Sorry, finally figured out the PPRuNe search function (bloody luddite!)

bristowburnout

I wonder how many of us are fed up with being kept in the dark or just plain lied to by rubbish so-called management who couldn't manage to leave their comfortable offices and get out into those nasty, sweaty, dangerous swamps more than once a year. How many of us are sick at the constant stream of meaningless new initiatives which seem designed to make work for a bunch of idle, useless HR or QA leeches and just waste our time Talking of useless, self-important, bloated leeches has anybody in Bristow read the so-called Newsletter from Randy Organ . half a page taken up with big writing telling us the company name change just in case we can't read small writing More than half a page with a photograph of the leering lump, of an ex-rugby plump forward, looking like Toad of Toad Hall in a shirt and explaining how an undistinguished 32 year career as an RAF storeman made him superbly qualified to be the HR damager of BIAGL As for the garbage about how the friendly HR team will answer your e-mails very rapidly, I suppose 6 - 8 months is what passes for rapid in the storeman's world . He's probably too busy writing his newsletter which looks as if it was produced by a schoolboy as a 3rd grade computer publishing project. Still, I'm sure that now he's recruited an assistant to help him do his work (for that read someone to do all the graft while he writes more issues of the Newsletter and visits the many delightful harbour-side bars almost visible in the charming photo of Glategny Esplanade for a long lunch. I'm sure those dregs sitting in Darrells or Escravos are delighted to know that the island enjoys a vibrant society with top class restaurants and entertainment, just like Eket . Still, you can sympathise with the poor lamb when you realise that life on this charming island can also get pretty rough when you hear that it only needs a strong wind or a foggy day and there are no newspapers or letters and shows how cut off we really are. Rough seas in the winter frequently means little or no fresh food from the mainland for days. It makes you realise how lucky you are to be living in the 5 star luxury of a hotel like Darrells with daily mail deliveries, a copy of The Punch outside your luxury suite every morning and delicious fresh international candle-lit dinners in the superb restaurant compare with poor Randy's sad life on this small island. The similarities continue when you realise that Victor Hugo wrote much of his celebrated ‘Les Miserables’ whilst living in Guernsey (admittedly in exile). However, these days the majority of French visitors we get tend to be Yachtsmen. After all, Darrellsdregs wrote much of his celebrated 'The Glums' whilst living in Eket (admittedly in exile) and the majority of the visitors we get tend to be terrorists or night fighters . But, amazingly the similarity with Guernsey continues because most of the terrorist visitors tend to be yachtsmen, with boats ready and waiting to take their hostages off to enjoy the hospitality of the quaint villages which they inhabit in the many creeks of this beautiful region.

Never mind, once Agbami is awarded and the delayed pay review is announced, there will be queues of pilots and engineers waiting to come to our charming little operations, so conveniently located to the swamps and other African tourist delights

What delights await those who arrive. Excellent Nigerian medical facilities will soon soothe those aching backs brought on by up to 9 hours a day in the anatomically designed Bell 412 or Bell 407 seats which we've been slumped in for up to 9 hours a day. Once Agbami has been announced, storemen (just like what Randy used to be) will have more than enough stores to keep the old, poorly equipped, bone-shakers like the 76A++, 412 and 332s flying without pilots and engineers being threatened if they dare to enter snags in technical logs or refuse to fly them just because they're not really serviceable. No, of course that can't really happen can it? After all, we're now all target Zero and COBI compliant

Can I have the address of Heli Malongo as well please - I'd like to go somewhere a bit less like Guernsey and not have to be forced to read Randy's Ramblings. Oh wait a minute, I almost forgot, I already decided to go - I'm out of here soon . No more candle-lit dinners at Darrells, no more scenic drives to work taking in the breathtaking beauty and wildlife of the swamps, no more Gulder , no more arguments about CLA. It sounds so good, maybe I should just hang on until Deboys announce the new pay review and all the benefits of Agbami flood in

etienne t boy

bbo,

It seems you really like the new Bristow newsletter then . You have Randy Organ, we had the likes of the Shadow and Ian Pilchards and the female Doberman with a wasp in her mouth and a personal hygiene problem, but now they've gone. Mind you, we still have Kent Clark and the Sea Cucumber . our former boss, who did more than anyone to raise standards here (though he made a lot of enemies on the way) has now had a clash of the titans with BC and departed . However it's only a matter of time before Smeg, Braid and the other grease from the old boys and (alleged) girls club get their just deserts and in a Gibbon's fashion disappear from view in the decline and fall of the Dobbin empire. Our EC225s are still held captive in France and things here are spiralling anti-clockwise down the plug. It seems that Nigeria is being overtaken by Angola, but there's a lack of information out here as to what's really available in that country. Are there no Pruners in that country with internet access and English language ready to spill the beans as to what's likely to be on offer there in the next year or two? Their companies should know that there is a large pool of pilots experienced in offshore West Africa who are waiting to leave and experience the delights of Luanda or wherever as long as it's not Nigeria and neither CHC or Bristow

unstable load

etienne m' boy

As far as Angola goes, you already work for one of the companies operating there and Heli Malongo is the other one.

Contact your scheduler and put in for a post there like the rest of us, then take a ticket and join the queue, like the rest of us....

Nigerian Expat Outlaw

Never been there but I reckon St Peter Port is probably a bit of a s**thole mate. Beer is expensive, fags cost the same for a packet as people in Nigeria pay for a roll and as far as I know there aren't too many nightfighters willing to put out for a tenner a night. Not that I go for that myself these days. But still, give me Nigeria anytime.

At the end of the day it's a free world after all, people can choose to go wherever they want and yet many still choose to work in Nigeria. Why ? Another of life's mysteries.

NEO

etienne t boy

There has been a lot of fighting, as previously reported, in the area of Abonemma/Degema and now there are reports this morning of ongoing shooting in and around the Town/Creek Road/Aggrey/Borokiri areas of Port Harcourt. Okrika,home to Ateke Tom is also dangerous at present. The fighting involved boys from Soboma George's 'The Outlaws' versus Commander Igberi Papa/Farah Dagogo of the 'Niger Delta Strike Force' who are reported to have engaged Police and JTF in an attempt to storm Police HQ on Moscow Road and possibly Govt. House. The gang came in speedboats through the waterfront and later withdrew after engagement with JTF. The death toll is supposed to have been high, though it's unlikely we'll ever get any accurate figures. The unsafe areas of town, where you're advised not to go for now are basically any of the areas south of Garrison Junction toward Old GRA and down to Mile 1 on Ikwerre Road. I hope that the fighting is contained by the JTF as last year there were even some sporadic attacks up toward Eleme Junction. If you don't need to go out, stay in your compound until things calm down.

UL, that's fine if you're an expatriate aged under 60, for nationals it's not an option. You guys can get out any time you like and go to any other CHC operation. CHC send pilots and engineers here from Thailand, Filipines and numerous other countries, but I don't see them offering many Nigerians the chance to go and fly in Canada, Thailand or the numerous other CHC Global operations do you?

Swamp76

Etienne T Boy

1. One can get out any time one likes if one is willing to quit. Otherwise, it is at the discretion of management and their whims of infinite judgement and knowledge. Seems we are all needed here.

2. The Thai gentlemen applied to CHC Global, left Thai Aviation Serv, and now tours. The National Pilots do not work for CHC, as Aero has made abundantly clear.

Not particlarly trying to stir up 5hit but rather clarifying the differences. The contracts, employers, pay, benefits and terms are all different. Unstable assumed from your interest in Angola that you were touring. The option is there, but with a change of employer.

Cheers, and fly safe out there.

MamaPut

S76,

So it's exactly as ETB has said, for a Nigerian, he's effectively stuck here. I only know of 2 Nigerians who was taken on by CHC Global. One was told he couldn't work in Nigeria for them. However he had dual nationality. The other was already in a management job with CHC in Aberdeen and was transferred to Capetown as GM there. The others who've left have mostly gone to Qatar, or have dual nationality and have no problem working in other countries.

Two expatriates were kidnapped from a bar in Onne last night, presumably one outside the supposedly secure camps in which most expatriates live?

The pull out of Julius Berger from the region is having a severe knock on effect as they have now started to lay off workers. It is speculated that the company is unlikely to resume operations soon, as the situation in the region has deteriorated with the killing of three soldiers and two civilians on transport boat from Obioku to Yenagoa and the attack on a police station, leaving an inspector dead. Security agencies are finding it difficult to tackle the issue of militancy in the Niger Delta due to the superior knowledge of the creeks by the militants.

With militant unions having forced Chevron Nigeria into laying off over 400 expatriate workers in the next 18 months, there is now also pressure on Shell, with reports in Nigerian newspapers that the government is trying to force it out of the Niger Delta. Shell has long been accused of enthusiastic collaboration with previous military administrations and complicity in the alleged murder of the late Ken Saro Wiwa by the military government of General Sani Abacha. The government are said to be ready to take possession of some of Shell's OMLs in Ogoniland as they have not been developed in the last 10 years. Local newspapers further report that the federal government is said to be investigating an alleged secret deal by Shell with another oil company; Addax to regain the possession of the oil field by proxy. Shell and Addax were said to have struck a deal on the retention of the oil field through Addax since Shell was reportedly aware of the ill motive of the government towards it. If the deal between the two oil companies works out, Shell would invariably have access to the oil bloc even after being eased out of the Niger Delta.

The SPDC, regarded as a colonialist oil company, has been a pioneer and leader of the petroleum industry in Nigeria. It has the largest acreage in the country from which it produces close to 43 per cent of the Nigeria’s oil. SPDC has more than 6,000 kilometers of pipelines and flow lines, 87 flow stations, 8 gas plants and more than 1,000 oil producing wells.

Meanwhile, with the long, lonmg-awaited Agbami contract not having been awarded to a helicopter company as yet, last Thursday Chevron announced that it produced the first oil from the field. Current bproduction rate is 20,000 barrels per day, with an expected increase to 100,000 bpd by next January. The company has stated that it is not worried about political instability in the country, noting that the Agbami field is 70 miles offshore - I hope he won't be forced to eat his words in the light of what happened to the Bonga field recently .

With continued unrest and border raids along the border between Nigeria and Cameroon, a Nigerian court has now decreed that Nigeria should halt the handover of terrority in the Bakassi peninsula, due to happen on 14 August, despite President Yar'Adua's pledge that Nigeria will hand the terrority over.

There seems to be no end to the woes which Nigeria seems to be so easily able to heap on itself, but as long as there is oil there will be oil companies here. As long as there are oil companies producing and exploring, there will be helicopters here and no matter what the danger or perceived danger, there will be pilots willing to come here as long as the money is good enough. The problem at the moment is that CHC and Aero have not sorted out the future of their partnership (if there is to be one at all), leading to the poor morale which accompanies uncertainty. Bristow pilots are still waiting to see what the result of their pay review (due last month) will be. If it's anything like the constant reassurance that they will know about Agbami next week/month, their staff could be waiting for many months yet before they hear anything

Dan Reno

An almost comical but having serious consequence has occurred in the states the past ten years whereas white Africans come to the US and register as African Americans. This gives them many government, head of the line privelages and bennies not afforded the 'regular' whites. And of course, some black national groups call 'foul' but the law has held...thus far. Would a white African have priority, or any benefits over, say, a white American applying for a job in Nigeria? Enquiring minds want to know.

TomBola

Mama,

Actually, Papa's Bar is inside the Federal Lighter Terminal area of Onne Port. The access road to it passes the entrance to the Naval College Base gate which has a fortified gun emplacement. The actual port gates specify that no entry is allowed without ID. The militants arrived by bus and in the shoot-out which followed one national man and one woman were hit and injured. One militant was killed by the Navy, but they still got away with 2 expatriates.

Yet again, it goes to show that security,as has been said, is purely an illusion around Port Harcourt, as the 2 German nationals from Julius Berger were taken from a very heavily protected convoy and their vehicles were hit numerous times. I've heard company bosses and so-called security consultants brush it off as just some kind of inside job as if that makes it any less relevant. The fact is that, no matter who did it, 2 expats were taken from a heavily armed convoy. The pathetic unarmed vans with a few MOPOL which most of us travel with, give little or no protection at all. Leaving at set times and taking set routes as most of us do is also really stupid. Why don't we set more realistic flexible start times, based on leaving at random times and, even if it means taking a longer routing, take more varied routes to work? What does it cost to bullet-proof a vehicle? There was an article recently about a company in Texas which is now offering armoured vehicles specifically for Nigeria - why aren't company managements out here buying them if they expect pilots and engineers to continue working in areas which the majority of embassies have advised their nationals to leave? They could surely go to the oil companies and ask for an increase in rates to enable them to maintain their duty of care to their employees here. After all, all the oil companies are making record profits at the moment and if they refuse to pay, the companies should refuse to fly for them any more

Phone Wind

NEO,

You're not seriously suggesting that Nigeria is a nicer place to be than Guernsey at the moment are you ? I'm worried, have you been sitting in your room at Darrels and drinking Star too long? There are surely only 4reasons pilots come to Nigeria any more -

To build hours because companies here are desperate and will take anyone with a pulse
They are too old to work elswhere
They need the money badly
They're totally bush

I'd suggest that in many cases it's a combination of more than one of the above

unstable load

Would a white African have priority, or any benefits over, say, a white American applying for a job in Nigeria?

I would say MAYBE and only because since the revolution in SA the previously unpopular whites have become valued for their skills and willingness to get stuck in and do the job required. Naturally there will be exceptions to this, but by and large that is the case.

Bear in mind also the fact that the Americans tend to be viewed in a less than favourable light in some parts of Africa (and the rest of the world) for various sins, both real and imagined, so all in all I would say the answer to your question is a qualified definite maybe.

As an aside to this, there is the school of thought that says that the white South Africans are not really Africans even if 5th generation and that they should all be chased into the sea or the nearest available mine shaft for destroying Africa like they have with colonialism.

TukTuk BoomBoom

"80% of the people working here are either piss wrecks or here for the black pussy.."

As explained to me by a guy on his way out of the Nigeria..

Swamp76

Mamaput, I think we are basically saying the same thing. The gentleman who was told he could not work in Nigeria....did he not want to work elsewhere? If no, then why did he apply? Government and unions are involved too when you work in your home country.

As I said, apples and oranges.

AFAIK, he probably does better financially working in Nigeria than he would elsewhere.

Again, as a Nigerian national ETB isn't a CHC employee. Local management has clearly established that. The first step would be to apply to CHC (or Bristow, Heli-Union, etc) and once accepted resign from ACN. Then he would be just like the rest of us, without representation and living the life of adventure.

Not picking on you ETB, just the example at hand.

unstable load

I know a few guys who have been taken on by CHC Global and were told that they could not work in their home countries.
This as it was explained to me has mainly to do with the salaries they earn and the rostering system (6/6) as it would cause friction with the nationals if they were on the floor with their countrymen earning more and on the expat roster.

ETB, my apologies for assuming you were expat. Like Swamp 76 put it, you would first need to join up with Global/Bristow/Heli Union/whoever then dependant on your types/experience etc etc the world would be your oyster.
It's a different and sometimes difficult life, but IMO it beats the Monday to Friday 9-5 gig hands down.

wildlife

UL, well said, it could not be more correct.>Salaries and work roster differences in CHC between the Nationals and expats is the main reason why certain persons cannot work in their home countries.The Aero Nationals as i gather had a chance to remedy that but chose lucre above leisure.
S76,It is understood that when you sign a contract to work with CHC, you may be sent anywhere and the said gentleman understood that before he signed the contract.He did not join CHC just to work in his home country.A known fact though is that if Nigerian nationals applied, they were usually referred to apply to Aero.In the light of almost fractured nuptials, ETB et al live in hope

Good Man In Africa

I hear there is a bit of head hunting going on. A number of BHNL National pilots are getting calls from ACN with offers they can't refuse. Not difficult to tempt them with Bristow cutting everything yet expecting people to live like monks in sealed compounds.

Now COBI has it's first high profile scalp there will be more emails and calls from disgruntled employees no doubt leading to further unseemly departures. Let the groundings begin !! Maybe that will focus someone in Houston's mind ?

MamaPut

According to reports in 'This day' newspaper, Caverton Helicopters is to acquire 5 Bell 412 helicopters in the first quarter of 2009 and is also opening a base in Malabo: