Air Serv International - Threads Merged

[mjbow2]

Goaround….

Sorry mate, but you’re baiting the wrong airman and I cant let this one slide. Unfortunately, the topic was not about the difficulty that new non African pilots have with Africa. It had moved on from some generic information solicited by Bafanguy to a general observation of the cause of most problems faced by Air Serv employed pilots by Homing Pigeon. So don’t deflect my post as a rant as that would be so very convenient for you if it didn’t hit so close to the mark.

You see, we are all made quite aware before leaving Virginia that its simply not the same 135/121 standards that we are used to. But to be confronted with an attitude like yours, that we must be sissies and that we must drop all our standards for no other reason than ‘this is Africa’ is ludicrous and reminds me of the contract Mx technicians’ attitudes.

Your reference to the European and American (non African) pilots being sissies merely highlights your recalcitrant GA attitude that will leave South African pilots and African aviation in general in the dark ages. From my experience and other Air Serv pilots experience that I have worked with, we found it near impossible to have the Mx folks MEL items that were legitimately MELable let alone fix things that were not MELable in a timely manner dispite our initial acceptance to fly a categorically unairworthy aircraft in the interest of not shutting down the operation.

Let me offer you the other side of the ‘reality’ that this chief pilot tried to offer the ‘unwilling’ pilot. Your first flight as an Air Serv pilot reveals 9 defects on the aircraft 5 of which are MELable (but never MELed). Mx contractor insists that ‘we don’t write things up…. Its ok, we have the parts on order… yeah I know about that one, don’t write it up… oh yeah that always been like that, the parts on its way, I ordered it last week… its actually not broken, it’s an indication problem… Raytheon has the part on back order… I know it doesn’t check properly but its actually working, don’t write it up’. After weeks and weeks of ‘reminding’ Mx and your chief pilot about the defects, nothing is done. You investigate these ongoing problems and find that they have been brought to the attention of the chief and Mx 18 months previously and numerous times subsequently. Huh….

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'For example, when the contractor aircraft is grounded for eight weeks in a row due to its inability to send parts to keep it fixed,'

You realise Mx has been lying to you about these parts…they were NEVER ordered! Now those ‘series of very valid but totally impossible points’ seem to take on a new light. Air Serv pilots (non African) compromise their standards time and time again just to help out in a difficult situation. These ‘deliberate sabotage’s’ you speak of are merely pilots reaching the end of their rope with a stubborn recalcitrant regime unwilling to even feign improving standards and end up refusing aircraft on ALL unairworthy standards regardless of how seemingly trivial.

Now, here is the Caveat to this little routine. The South African contract pilots, especially the lower time ones who have a ‘rubber stamped’ type rating from old mate down in Lanseria, don’t argue with home office in Wonderboom who threaten them with pulling them out if they don’t shut up and fly the damn plane.

So here we have Air Serv Pilots who want to improve the standards, a third party Mx contractor who’s brief is to have the planes fly as many hours as possible , as cheaply as possible, otherwise Air Serv cant get billed for the flying that is cancelled due Mx deficiencies. And the middle man, Naturelink supplying and endless line of poorly qualified juniors who can’t say no to unemployment.

I agree that the first and the third world aviation environs don’t provide a good match. Air Serv should lose the contractors and have their own Mx, planes and pilots. They could do it and most likely save a bundle on the retail like charges they get from Naturelink and NAC Mx. But Goaround…

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"take a break and put something back if you must but don't pretend it's for any other reason than to make you feel good about yourself"

I never offered you a pretence on why I joined Air Serv. Your Presumptuous arrogance is astounding.

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"the quality of pilot is inferior WHEN IT COMES TO the particular attitude and skills required to get the job done in Africa. This is mainly the ability (willingness) to understand that there are other ways of doing things than the 1st world way.”

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‘North American and European view points don't help’

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"oh yes, as they wet their pants when they can't get radar vectors and an ILS approach."

(Ive flown with enough South African pilots who would get lost on radar vectors.)

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"Airserv's own pilots, just ask yourself what calibre of pilot would be doing this work for half the salary they can get back home unless there was some reason why they can't get such a decent job back home?"


The skills to fly in the third world can be picked up pretty damn quickly by any mediocre pilot Goaround. But you’re right about us not sharing your same xenophobic, recalcitrant attitude!