Kenya charter pilot requirements
I was very recently in Kenya, a passenger in the right-hand seat of a C182 charter going between safari camps. We were at 10,500 ft and over a cloud deck, in the vicinity of the destination airstrip. We weren’t descending, I asked the pilot what was up, and he told me that he was looking for a hole in the clouds as he did not hold a current IFR rating.
Hmmmm.
Well he clearly has a reasonable idea of what he was doing, as a proper break was found and he came down in a series of tight, shallow circles. (The topography was tricky, as the landing strip was in a valley.) Now I’m not a complete novice, having held a SE PPL (VFR only) many years ago. But I did inquire about a backup plan.
Anyway, I was surprised that a VFR-only pilot holds a ticket that allows him to carry people for $$$. Is this common (or at least permissible) practice in Western countries, or is this a feature of African aviation?