Hello all,
It is interesting to catch up on this thread again. It has been a while.
Of the many things being discussed I see the issue of safety in the skies in Port Harcourt area is right up there AGAIN.
It wasn't so many years ago that those in Port Harcourt (i.e. all the different companies pilots as well as reps from NAMA, NAF Base, PH ATC) Would meet on a 6 monthly basis (or more if necessary) to discuss issues of air safety and procedures in the PH zone and surroundings.
This forum enabled pilots to meet each other and put a face to the voice they would hear on the radio everyday thus beaking down competitive barriers and developing friendships and tolerance to each other. After all flight safety is a common issue not a competitive one. So meeting and solving issues which affect us all is for the common good and it does not affect competing companies commercial interests.
Much progress was being made over time and just when things were being put in place that made sense the N factor emerged and sent everything spiralling back another 10 years. FAAN and NAMA decided in their wisdom to change out all their management in the PH International airport and the NAF was closed(again). The new management who had no idea of all the hard work put into developing workable procedures in PH airspace decided to sweep clean and do their own thing without listening to what the operators wanted(needed).
Since then management in the flying companies have changed and there no longer seems to be the desire to have these inter operator meetings about flight safety. It looks like CHC see themselves as the biggest operator so they can call all the shots without consulting others. All this does is create animosity between operators which ultimately could result in dangerous practices as other pilots may be unwilling, unable or unaware of what CHC's imposed procedures are.
All the fancy machinery such as TCAS is nice and certainly should be used if available but I have to agree that let's address the basics first and work out from there. Radio calls, local knowledge and basic airmanship need to be seriously improved. And let's get back to talking to each other again because when we know each other we become more considerate of each other and that creates a friendlier and safer work environment. After all it is only each other we can rely on when we are out there flying. Your company director can't help you when you are in bad weather and a congested airspace. So we should all push our managers to organise more general safety meetings between all operators in the Delta Area. This should be gladly supported by our companies because the last thing they want to deal with is a mid air accident. Let's not wait until then to do something about it.
