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Old 15th Jan 2014, 04:35
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Foxcotte
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Kenya
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No, haven't been to Goma recently but was in Kisangani just before CAR blew up. The airport and bureaucracy was an absolute nightmare. It took us three hours on ground just for a fuel turn around. And it wasn't the fuel that delayed us...

Whatever paperwork you take, make sure it is absolutely perfect, with all the Is dotted and Ts crossed. Most of our time on ground was spent waiting while four different departments inspected all the aircraft documentation in minute detail - Airworthiness, Registration (where is the expiry date), Radio license (who is this that has signed it), landing clearances (we need to verify this by making a phone call to the issuing authority 100s of miles away on a phone line that barely works), Weight and balance (prove that the aircraft weighs what you claim) and so on.

Be extremely patient, use a handling agent even if they'd don't do anything useful, have lots of US dollars in small change (only year 2000 notes or younger) to grease the palms of everyone who claims to help, expect lots of hassling, don't expect anything to work the way it should, allow yourself masses of time to sort out the basic paperwork etc. You will probably be threatened with extras fees and fines even if everything is in perfect order and these sometimes can be intimidating. Triple check on fuel supplies before you land and don't cut your reserves.... Weather can be a real problem and you don't want to be anywhere near your minimum fuel when you land just in case there's an issue with the fuel truck and you don't get the fuel you need to leave again!

You will earn your pay in just getting though this nightmare night stop.
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