I said only that TB D8s are shabby, not old. Have you seen the paint job?
Now, how did they get the contract? Was it fault of Aero? Just look at the list of managers -
1. Roland Iyayi - President/CEO
Prior to this time, Roland worked out of Aeroleasing and Consultancy limited, an aviation consulting firm based in Nigeria charged with Research and Development and Strategic Planning, following which he held the position of MD of the same company until his appointment to the position of Technical Advisor to the Honorable Minister of Aviation in Nigeria. Roland later assumed the office of the MD/CE of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), after being a member of the Presidential Task Force on Aviation in Nigeria. Following this, he was appointed to the position of Acting Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer and charged with Corporate Development and Strategic Planning with Aerocontractors Company of Nigeria Limited. Roland, who is a qualified pilot and Air Safety Investigator with over 25 years industry experience, earned an MSc degree in Air safety Management from the City University of London and is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA).
2. Kola King - COO
Kola King (KK) joined TopBrass Aviation in August 2009 as Director of Flight Operations. He was later promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer in April 2011. An enthusiastic and dedicated professional with over 25 years of real world experience in the Aviation Industry, KK has held a variety of managerial positions ranging from Safety officer, Fleet Manager, to Chief Pilot in different organizations. Before joining TopBrass Aviation, KK was employed at Aerocontractors as the Chief Pilot, a position he held from February 2008. Before that, he worked at Virgin Nigeria Airways in various roles including Acting Chief Pilot, Line Training Captain, Fleet Manager – B737, Line Captain, and Safety Officer. A qualified Delivery Air Test Pilot on the B737, KK has successfully carried out 30 B737 air test and deliveries. With over 9800hrs of flying time of which more than 7000 of those are in High Performance jets, (the 737 is a high performance jet now!!! LMAO) KK has also been involved in the recruitment of pilots and operations personnel. He has a wealth of experience having operated for the Oil and Gas sector as well as international operations in Europe, The Middle East and Africa. A graduate of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre Zaria, KK completed the Aviation Safety Program Management Course at the prestigious University of Southern California, in the United States of America. He also successfully completed the TRE/TRI, CRMI and CRI core courses in the United Kingdom.
3. Ogeheochuko Otobo - Director of Flight Operations/Chief Pilot
Crosby joined TopBrass Aviation in January 2010 as Training Captain on the EMB 145 type airplane. He was promoted to the position of Chief Pilot in August 2010, and later to the position of Director of Flight Operations/Chief Pilot in April 2011. A keen and experienced professional with over 30 years in the aviation industry, Crosby came with an enviable wealth of experience, having successfully trained on at least 10 different types of aircrafts ranging from turboprops like the FH 27 to heavy jets like the DC8. Before joining TopBrass, Crosby was a Captain at Aero Contractors from 2008. Prior to that, he worked at IRS and Sosoliso Airlines as Line Training Captain and Flight Safety Manager respectively. Crosby also worked at Afrijet Airlines from 1999 to 2005 as the Chief Pilot. One of the pioneering pilots of the defunct Okada Airline, Crosby has over 12,300 total flying hours to his credit. He started his career at the defunct Nigeria Airways.
4. Ibrahim Nock - Quality Manager
A licensed Aircraft Engineer with a wealth of experience in aviation management and maintenance spanning over twenty years, Ibrahim joined TopBrass Aviation in September 2011 as the Quality Manager. In this position, he promotes enterprise-wide quality achievement and performance improvement. He is also responsible for developing, implementing, communicating, and maintaining a quality plan to bring the organization’s quality systems and policies into compliance with aviation standards. Prior to joining TopBrass, Ibrahim worked at Virgin Nigeria Airways from June 2005 until August 2011. While there, he occupied various positions including Airworthiness Surveyor, Head, Government Relations, and Chief Inspector. Ibrahim also worked at Aviation Resources Services Limited as the Head of Avionics/Quality Assurance Manager. His impressive list of past employers include Bristol Helicopters (Deputy Head of Avionics) (So now it's Bristol Helicopters - lol), Transsaharan Air Limited (Engineer – in – Charge/Quality Assurance Manager), and the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited (Assistant Supervisor). A graduate of Barewa College Zaria, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Training Center Zaria, and Brunel Technical College England, Ibrahim continues to be a strong advocate of lifelong learning having earned numerous global licenses, certificates, and diplomas in aircraft engineering and quality assurance.
5. Adelana Ogunjide - Training Manager
Adelani has over eighteen years experience in the Aviation Industry. A goal-oriented person, his first port of call in the industry was Aerocontractors Company of Nigeria limited. He then proceeded to work with Bristow Helicopters where he served as the Cabin Crew Training Manager on the Shell contract for 10 years. ‘Delani has a Master’s degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies obtained at the Lagos State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Ibadan. He bagged many professional qualifications amongst which are the Instructors and the "Train the Trainer" ratings from Fairchild Dornier institution in Germany between 1998 and 2003 respectively. Adelani served as a member of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s committee on Standardization of Cabin Crew / Instructors training and functions in 2000. He was employed as the Training Manager for TopBrass Aviation Limited in September 2009.