It is no news that the Federal Government of Nigeria airwing now have their own helicopter-AB139 in its fleet . Needless to say that the two helicopters in her fleet from NNPC being flown and maintained by Paan/Aero will be withdrawn to patrol the pipelines all over the country. The 139 is for the airforce and flown by them too . I saw the white coloured AB139 at the presidential wing during the holiday and what came to my mind was the 'Osubi' incident with the Mill-35 on her ferry flight en-route Port Harcourt from Lagos. On another occassion a crew was swopping seat in a Super Puma with rotors running! The rest is history and i hope it will not repeat itself-this time with 001 on board! Looking at the background and flying experience of the crew. We have many of them-airforce- in the general aviation and their capabillities when it comes to instrument environment! I hope the aviation adviser to Mr. President is reading this forum too.Now after two sorties with the President, the AB139 is grounded! Is it 'Tokunbo'? before my next coment. Who knows the outcome of these crews training in Italy? I heard them flying in and out of 'Aso-Rock' on night training the last time.
Heard their performance was dismal and the navy might be called to operate the AB139.
Last night a boat carrying Hyundai Heavy Industries personnel from Port Harcourt to Bonny Island was attacked by a number of other speedboats carrying armed men. During the attack one Dutch civilian and one Nigerian Navy man were killed. The Captain of the boat died today. 6 others were injured. Helicopters are needed even more out here now, because more expats, and many Nigerians, are refusing to be transported by boat. Unfortunately, it's getting more difficult to find enough people to come and work here and as more newcomers do come, the overall experience level decreases. If not for the harmattan causing many helicopters to have been grounded for much of the last 3 weeks, I'm sure there would have been red faces as the companies tried to find new excuses for them being grounded because of lack of crews . This is not surprising when only token measures are taken to improve security of staffs . Aero takes security so seriously that their security officer kindly posted a nice list with the names of all staff, their house numbers and a request for telephone numbers, on a noticeboard accessible by anybody. Bristow as usual, just talks about what it might do. Caverton does nothing. With all the unrest in the area I wonder if the people back in YVR are wondering if their investment of several million dollars in Port harcourt is safe? If I were an investor in the company I would be asking about it.
Looking at the Caverton website, I see that it's really up to date. The major focus is still on the A109E - which left the country last year after it was sold. There's a nice photograph of their grounded Dauphin, the departed 109 and the yellow AS350 (the only helicopter still flying - unless the one 'on its way coming' is flying somewhere today ). With no more income from NPA, a large, unused hangar, offices, luxury passenger lounge and waterside heliport in Lagos, all built at enormous expense, plus the passenger facility which they refurbished at NAF Base Port Harcourt and a new hangar being built there - where's all the money coming from ? I'm sure that one leased AS350 doesn't generate the income to fund it all. They must been down millions of dollars over the few years they've been around. There was also the recent fiasco with the Let410 they brought in, without even having secured permission to use Mobil's airstrip on Bonny Island. They must have at least 5 or 6 pilots just to man one helicopter which operates single crew. Still, it's good to see that 'cavertonmanagement' is still optimistic about the future . Presumably it's just a rich man's hobby rather than a serious money-making enterprise.
The 5 Chinese hostages abducted last week, and 1 of the Italian hostages abducted from Brass terminal 43 days ago, have been released today. At the same time, unfortunately, the captain of the ferry boat attacked 2 days ago, died of his injuries.
What is the maggic that ACN/CHC is using in re-employing all their runaway national pilots ? Is it more 'cowries' that we are not aware of or something else? In the last two months, Four of their runaways have since returned . Two from Caverton, one from PAAN/Presidency and the last one from that private construction company based in Naf base. Rumour has it that Aero have sworn to bring back all their past national pilots by all means. Two out of these are on their way to Canada for thier ATPL .
There is this strong rumour too that Sunny is having a change of mind of staying put in Caverton . His effort is being fustrated by Sola who knows nothing than to cut corners with the system/Clients.Grab from clients and not providing the servises. Aero is waiting for you Sunny! Abandone their Avensus before EFCC's visit, very soon. To account for the NPA/NMA elephant contracts. They will appreciate you better since Sola's pointed shoe is not your size. I hope you will not be 'disgraced' out like your former Chief Pilot was out of that place. Dont forget to take your 'HRM mistress' along !
phone wind.....now you dunnit! All that extra hazard pay will disappear as the Rubes upstairs will insist the insurgency and criminal kidnappings have come to an end and everything is tickety boo!
The february 2007 issue of National Geographic has an interesting, well-written and pretty accurate account of what's happening in the Niger Delta (Curse of the Black Gold, Hope and Betrayal in the Niger Delta).
Meanwhile 6 Filipinos and one Nigerian were taken hostage from a cargo ship near Chanomi creek, close to Warri. The ship is operated by German company Baco Line. This brings the number of expatriate hostages currently (January 21) being held, to 9.
The Nigerian Navy's response to this today has been to start mobilising ships for a 4 day exercise which they'll conduct off Bonny Island. They'll also have Nigerian Navy A109s and possibly the NAF Mi-35Ps of 97 SOG from Port Harcourt NAF Base. Considering the success the militants have had against the military conventional forces so far, it will be interesting to see if the same number of ships finish the exercise as start it . Last year the Nigerian Navy arrested 8 of its officers over the disappearance of a ship the MT African Pride which was in the custody of the Nigerian Navy in Lagos after being impounded for suspected bunkering operations
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has said that it will kill 24 Phillipino hostages in its custody in 72 hours if its demands to the Nigerian government are not met. (There are differing reports of between 6 and 24 Phillipinos taken hostage from a cargo shup near Chanomi Creek, Warri). In response the Phillipino government has stopped the deployment of any more of its nationals to Nigeria until the government can guaraantee their safety. It's getting nastier by the week and I hope that the plight of the hostages will be resolved without more violence.
Mama,
I think the following statement carries more credibility then those been released up til now:
From MEND
We wish to deny reports of our involvement in the kidnap of filipino seamen off a cargo ship in escravos, delta state, on saturday january 20, 2007.
These misleading reports were carried in the vanguard edition of sunday January 21, 2007 and some other national dailies.
It is pathetic that these dailies feed the nigerian public with such falsehood without bothering to verify the authenticity of their information. We do not attack cargo vessels, issue ultimatums nor do we execute hostages in our custody without good reason. The continued detention of asari and alamieseigha does not in our opinion, constitute sufficient justification for taking a human life.
This action was carried out by a community in the vicinity of the
abduction, for reasons they will explain. To our knowledge, this abduction was carried out by individuals working on behalf of dubious groups in the delta who have in recent days been losing their relevance to the nigerian
government and oil companies. These individuals it is hoped will shortly emerge to effect the release of these filipinos who are not involved in the oil industry in any way then again, appear relevant to the oil companies and the nigerian government.
If by some miracle this abduction is related to the struggle for justice in the delta, it is a welcome development especially as that community in the past, has worked closely with shell to sabotage the struggle of the
niger delta people, exchanging their birthright for generators from shell and personal gratification from oil companies and the nigerian government.
MEND seems far better organized and led than the government forces. Thus far, it seems their Press Releases have been accurate and promises may have been kept.
These hostages were taken from the centre of Port Harcourt (see links). Hostage taking in Nigeria is a serious ongoing problem. Of course there are still other hostages being held in Nigeria, some since before Christmas. My thoughts are with the hostages and their families. It's a shocking and frightening situation to be dealing with.
The two guys taken in Port Harcourt, one a Brit and one an American, are well known to many in the expat community here, one of them has a Nigerian wife and family and both are street savvy guys. The fact that they were taken is a true sign of how bad things are getting, though this is probably a community issue and a kidnapping for money, rather than anything to do with MEND or the forthcoming presidential elections.
One pointer to how bad things are is just to compare the statistics so far with those of 2006 (yes, I know - statistics again, but pretty thought-provoking nonetheless). In 2006 72 expats were kidnapped in Nigeria, only 4 of those in January. In 2007 already, 27 expats have been kidnapped (though this could even be as high as 45 if some reports of the number of Fillipinos kidnapped at Chanomi Creek are true), 4 people have been killed in related incidents and at least 11 (or possibly 29) are currently being held hostage, 3 presently suffering their 48th day of incarceration. Already, in the third week of the year we are at somewhere between 40-50% of the total number of kidnappings of 2006.
Meanwhile, CHC, having changed its mind so many times, has still not started work on redeveloping its infamous East death camp, but has extended its deadline for ET pay by 6 months, and Bristow employees are living in insecure housing and still waiting to see if the backdated portion of promised increases in pay and allowances will ever be paid or whether it's just another empty management promise to try and keep enough pilots to crew aircraft for its core customers. Neither company really gives a damn, except to give the illusion of fulfilling its duty of care to its employees. After all, LLLL and The Shadow are enjoying the life of luxury in their secure camp (which they have no intention of abandoning for the Death Camp ) and will get out as soon as their 2 years on site are up, and Neddy Donut just wants to maximise profits and his share of the loot before retiring next year .
That will be the camp which Aero has bought in one of the most dangerous areas of Port Harcourt and will be forcing all its staff to move to some time this year. Originally they claimed were going to improve amenities at Areta estate, but despite many months of BS, they suddenly announced that they had bought down a run-down compound in a dangerous part of town which nobody else wanted. It's in such bad shape they've now decided they're going to bulldoze it and build something new and they're supposedly trying to find out what people want before they start building. I guess it'll be like the last consultation process (lots of questions to make people feel involved, but just go ahead and do what they like anyway ). It's so good that the management won't be joining the rest of the guys there.
Location: Still on some west coast...but a bit further south
Age: 38
Posts: 512
Delta brouhaha
Following the terrifying news on the Delta rumbles I say this. I get the idea that some Delta politicians are behind this embezzling themselves. If the amounts of money paid as ransome are used for clean-up... Wishful thinking. Anyway, will be exciting to se what happens as we inch closer to the elections.
Bristow Helicopter nigeria will soon loss some of thier national pilot due to poor treatment, low salary introduced by the new management, couple with the fact that there is problem in the Niger delta in nigeria. Also, the miltant are after the expertraite not the national becos they cannot get any ransome on nigeria.
I hear that the back pay owed to the Bristow crews as part of their deal has failed to materialise. well done!!! Hearts and minds without the hearts and minds. Bad start...
pearson,
Maybe Bristow will loss [sic] some of thier [[i]sic[i] national pilot because of problems with spelling and grammar rather than the fact that expertraite [[i]sic[i]] get ransome [sic] . It may surprise you to realise that quite a number of nationals who have been taken hostage have also had to wait for a ransom to be paid before they have been freed (including some Bristow national pilots who were hijacked during the 1999 spate of helicopter hijackings in Nigeria.
SAS,
The latest press statement released by MEND seems to reinforce what you say. In it they condemn the hijacking of the Filipino seamen from the Baco Liner cargo vessel and say that any money paid for the redevelopment of the Niger Delta should be done through the care and management of the United Nations Development Programme, rather than paid to any local politicians.
swampqueen,
With a name like that you should be a member of the Aero gay bar . However, what you say is quite right. With the exception of the broken promises on housing, CHC seem to be capable of reacting to events and implementing change far quicker than Bristow. No, wait a minute - what happened to the 'blended' pay deal, where they were going to do like most companies, and pay one twelfth of an annual salary every month . They are at least spending money in Nigeria, with the new hangar at NAF, the death camp, new fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft and recruiting back many of the Nigerian pilots who have left them over the last 2 years.
pearson,
Don't mind me - it's been a hard day and I'm feeling grouchy . Everything you say is right. Bristow have even been losing Nigerian pilots with dual nationality to CHC on expat deals in other countries.
Last edited by Phone Wind : 24th January 2007 at 20:59.
Reason: remorse (small)
. Needless to say that the two helicopters in her fleet from NNPC being flown and maintained by Paan/Aero will be withdrawn to patrol the pipelines all over the country. The 139 is for the airforce and flown by them too
. I saw the white coloured AB139 at the presidential wing during the holiday and what came to my mind was the 'Osubi' incident with the Mill-35 on her ferry flight en-route Port Harcourt from Lagos. On another occassion a crew was swopping seat in a Super Puma with rotors running!
The rest is history and i hope it will not repeat itself-this time with 001 on board! Looking at the background and flying experience of the crew. We have many of them-airforce- in the general aviation and their capabillities when it comes to instrument environment! I hope the aviation adviser to Mr. President is reading this forum too.Now after two sorties with the President, the AB139 is grounded! Is it 'Tokunbo'? before my next coment. Who knows the outcome of these crews training in Italy? I heard them flying in and out of 'Aso-Rock' on night training the last time.
Nigerian Violence Continues
. This is not surprising when only token measures are taken to improve security of staffs 
. Aero takes security so seriously that their security officer kindly posted a nice list with the names of all staff, their house numbers and a request for telephone numbers, on a noticeboard accessible by anybody. Bristow as usual, just talks about what it might do. Caverton does nothing. With all the unrest in the area I wonder if the people back in YVR are wondering if their investment of several million dollars in Port harcourt is safe? If I were an investor in the company I would be asking about it.
). With no more income from NPA, a large, unused hangar, offices, luxury passenger lounge and waterside heliport in Lagos, all built at enormous expense, plus the passenger facility which they refurbished at NAF Base Port Harcourt and a new hangar being built there - where's all the money coming from 
? I'm sure that one leased AS350 doesn't generate the income to fund it all. They must been down millions of dollars over the few years they've been around. There was also the recent fiasco with the Let410 they brought in, without even having secured permission to use Mobil's airstrip on Bonny Island. They must have at least 5 or 6 pilots just to man one helicopter which operates single crew. Still, it's good to see that 'cavertonmanagement' is still optimistic about the future 
. 
!
Things Turn Worse in the Niger Delta
Increased Danger And Management Lethargy
.
Delta brouhaha
. Everything you say is right. Bristow have even been losing Nigerian pilots with dual nationality to CHC on expat deals in other countries.
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