NEO....they cannot be in dire straits yet....my voicemail has not gone off! Wonder which places they have the vacancies at? I really wonder who they have flying 212's? I still keep my Green License close to hand....no telling when you might have to dust it off to earn a living....the helicopter business being what it is in the USA (and other OLOG locales).
SAS,
Hang on to it, things are picking up for sure. A lot of deep water exploration in proven concessions, resumption of inshore drilling programmes, Sao Tome joint agreement. Lots going on, just waiting for the pay rise................. Watch that space!!
Well it looks as if there's plenty happening in Nigeria and more new helicopters are on their way there, but rumour has it that ACN certainly and possibly Bristow are now getting so short of crews and engineers that they can't always fly the aircraft they already have. I have heard talk of a substantial pay rise in an effort to get more crews out to Nigeria. Any PPRuNers with either company like to comment? What's happened to HPB and NEO - they've been quiet the last week or so!
There are also a number of contradictory rumours that ACN may be divesting itself of its fixed wing business.
We very rarely hear anything from the CHC pilots in Equatorial Guinea or Angola. Come on guys - what's happening there. I have heard rumours that CHC are tightening up on personal freedom of people in Angola and this combined with the attitude of a certain manager in SA is causing a number of people to start looking elsewhere. What's happening with the new Super Puma which arrived from Norway a few months ago?
Why do we almost never hear from the Francophone African countries? Most of the pilots in these places speak English and there was quite a long thread about Cameroon on the African Aviation Forum not too long ago. I hear they're getting pretty short of pilots there too. Despite the fact they only have 1 full-time operational helicopter there they recently lost 1 pilot to Nigeria (again - Nigeria 5 - Cameroon Nil!! ) and one even to Sudan - must say something about the local management I think as Cameroon has to be one of the best countries in the region.
I hear the CHC/Schreiner operation in Sudan is starting very shortly - if not already. It would be interesting to hear from the guys who are there how conditions are.
To quote Mike Norris....a former BHL boss type....when asked when Bristow Nigeria would go to 6/6 rotation like ACN....his response was "when we can no longer crew the operation on the 8/4 rotation....".
I would assume pay increases, etc......will be handled the same way....free market economy prevails....supply and demand sets the prices to include labor.
Google "Heglig, Sudan" . It should give you some idea of what kind of problems CHC are facing. mind you all this happened a couple of years ago. Perhaps the natives are not so restless these days.
I’m told that CHC have already started in Sudan, but it’s difficult to find out much as yet because they haven’t got their internet sorted out.
As for Nigeria, ACN are going to be paying in US dollars next year. Hope the $ has come up by then, or they’ll have even more problems getting staff than they do now when they’re paying in euros. There have been a few instances recently of Aero being unable to fly helicopters because of a lack of crews. I heard that they’re more likely to split the fixed wing off into a separate division than to sell it. Then they can see whether it really makes any money or not and it will have to function as a profit making unit in its own right. ACN may also have more engineers available as CHC are going to be laying off the majority of the staff in Hoofddorp next year (that news is a nice Christmas present for them – the bosses have made their fortunes selling out the company, now it’s time to give the workers their reward too).
I hear that several CHC pilots in Africa are thinking of leaving because of the management skills of good old smiling Bob D weaving the same magic as he did when he was at Aberdeen! If ever the pilot numbers in Aberdeen get too high they could send him back there to help out!!
You’re right Mama, Cameroon is one of the nicest countries in the West African region, but the problem there is the same as in the last paragraph – until they think about changing the water and the contents in the ‘goldfish bowl’, they’ll have a problem keeping good people. Maybe CHC will do something about that as well, but I doubt it – they just have too many other problems with their larger operations to try and fix.
As I told you, before the new CHC AS332 in Angola is now Angolan registred and is currently flown by Angolan and CHC crews. 2 others purely Sonair owned AS332 are also flying in this area. (as well as S76 A++ and C+, and AS 365N3).
Expats crews accomodations are brand new and very comfortable, but Luanda is still Luanda ! so called "freedom restrictions" appliy not only to CHC crew but to all expats. They are originated from the local expats managing organization.
It seems anyway it's a little bit cooler on this southern side of the "gulf" than on the western's.
Sorry, I travelled. You are right, nothing much comes out of Malabo or Angola or Cameroun, shame as we could all compare notes.
Looks like Bristow are trying to lock the gate after the horse has bolted. Adverts on Flight International website job page for pilots and engineers for every rotary type they have !! ACN had one a while ago, but the low wages put a lot off, plus I hear they don't like to hire people who live a long way away (like Ozzies) because the air fares are too high !! Talk about cheap.......
The "Bristow" ad....omitted the company name...claimed expansion as the need for recruiting pilots. Makes one wonder just how stupid pilots must be in order not to be able to figure out which company it is that is being confidentially represented by the headhunter?
Or, is this merely a way for the admin folks at Redhill, assuming there are any left, to sit back and prevent any interruption to their tea drinking.
I am curious why Bristow would not post an ad using the company name and set forth some details of the offer such as they did for years when George Puddy ran that part of the show.
Rumor has it that Fred Layton is now in Redhill as OLOG's VP for Africa and also still MD of Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria). I would send my CV direct to Fred and cut out all the middlemen.....at least it would seem to be far more efficient that way. At least it would get directed to the hiring wallah.
I managed to visit Cameroun for the first time recently. What a pleasant change from Nigeria!!
When I went to the airport in Douala I was struck by the complete difference between the 2 helicopter operations there. Heli Union have a nice, small hangar and operate a 365N and a 365C3. They seem to have a small staff and fly quite a lot. I'm told that they also do some of the maintenance on the Presidential helicopter.
Schreiner have a 365N3 which doesn't fly every day and a 365N which I'm told is on some kind of a contract with no crew, though it seems they sometimes end up flying both aircraft even though they have the crew for only one. They also have a Twin Otter based in Douala and a Dash 8 and 2 more Twin Otters in Tchad. Their hangar can only be described as a mess!! It looks like a Porsche 911 rear end and it can't possibly keep out the weather during rainy season. It seems that it leaks so much their offices there are unusable. They have a huge staff for such a small operation. I was told that they have an expat Managing Director, a pilot, who works 6/6 while his deputy, the GM (not a pilot) works 5/1 - wierd . They also have an Operations Manager, deputy Operations manager, Chief Pilot, Administration Manager ( a French lady who is locally employed), Accountant (expat 5/1), Technical Manager, deputy Technical Manager, logistics controllers....... I can't imagine CHC will allow things to continue like that for long for just a couple of helicopters and a few fixed wing. I met one 'Indian', but almost everyone else seems to be a 'chief'. Has CHC made much difference to the operation there? I'm sure they must have visited already.
In Nigeria, there's such a shortage of helicopter pilots, all the companies will take on pilots for 2 crew ops to age 65.
ACN still have their S76 in Lagos flying for Petrobrass, but looks like that will finish in the next week or so.
Saw a couple of the Caverton people, but looking tired and not very happy. Seems their lot aren't too good at coming up with some of the things they promise - nah Nigeria - ohhhhhh
I have sent a resume to Bristow, but never received a reply. I have about 12000 hours, lots of 212/412 time aged 57. FAA ATP and looking for work. Any contacts would be appreciated. email is
I actually condescended to check out the rumoured working conditions for Lagos-based r/w pilots (I am f/w aviator, me) by taking a trip on the jumpseat from Lagos (DNMM) to Snake Island and then way offshore to the Bonga Field and back. My findings:
Good:
Free sandwiches.
Change of scenery.
Not so good:
Cockpit air conditioning not working, somehow.
Far too many dials and switches littering non-EFIS cockpit (v. confusing).
Surprising amount of serious weather found at FL015.
Alarming dress sense exhibited by oil workers offshore (pony tails, grubby orange boiler suits). Tsk, tsk....
Still waiting for promised Air Medal.
Conclusions: No serious grounds for moaning when forced to do up to seven (7) sectors in cockpit temperatures up to 28 degrees C. with (sadly often) no sandwiches.
Newsflash II:
Departed Lagos on Virgin yesterday morning from Rwy 19L (Rwy 19R closed for resurfacing to be completed 'any time from now') with confirmed sighting of open hangar doors and one Agusta 109 helicopter parked out on the Caverton ramp, rotors not running. So Caverton still exists. No confirmed Skip sightings since a while now, however. Is he shunning us, Mennonite style? If so, what did we do wrong? Advice on a postcard, please....
In conclusion, let me state that I am perhaps a better person for this brief glimpse into the life of those little blue rhomboids that appear on our TCAS every time we overfly the oil patch. My goodness, what a lot goes on out there at low, almost sea-, level! A whole different world, as it were....
Hi all,
I take it that all the operators out in Nigeria are looking for 3000 hours or more? Is this the case for all crew, do they have only local FO or do they bring those in as well.
I hear that Shell are not happy with the EC155 and looking to start using Bell 412s in Nigeria. Anybody else heard if that's true?
chuks
Caverton were flying every day last week to Otta for Winners church, so they're definitely existing.
By skips, do you mean the 'ebullient gentleman' or his noisy sidekick? The former has departed Nigeria, never to return and I heard that the latter was going on leave, so maybe he's out already.
I usually go flashing past that Caverton hangar at the speed of heat, vision fixed upon my 328's flight display so that I can speak my lines as PNF. It was only yesterday that I could spare a glance rightwards over my shoulder as the mighty A340-600 sundered the surly bonds headed for realms empyrian. Then I got a crick in my neck thanks to the new super-deluxe seats that aim your gaze 30 degrees left of centreline, thus making it v. difficult to look out the relatively tiny windows.
As to who or what I may have been referring to, I would simply say that nothing here is to be construed to refer to anyone living, dead, deported, departed or just temporarily vanished, practically all of this being a pure work of fiction. And the truthful bits are obviously written by someone who doesn't know what he is talking about anyway. Otherwise, dear boy, I would be a manager, Q.E.D. So I guess that puts me in the clear.
) and one even to Sudan - must say something about the local management I think as Cameroon has to be one of the best countries in the region.
. They also have an Operations Manager, deputy Operations manager, Chief Pilot, Administration Manager ( a French lady who is locally employed), Accountant (expat 5/1), Technical Manager, deputy Technical Manager, logistics controllers....... I can't imagine CHC will allow things to continue like that for long for just a couple of helicopters and a few fixed wing. I met one 'Indian', but almost everyone else seems to be a 'chief'. Has CHC made much difference to the operation there? I'm sure they must have visited already.
Linear Mode
