This installment begins the down hill journey where all the experience in the world doesnt help when dealing with bureauracy of the Middle East and the Sub Continent.
ASWAN (Egypt) to RIYADH (Saudi Arabia)
Our arrival began with an armed escort from the airport to the hotel. We had avoided Cario due to the uprsing. Aswan was reatively quiet but each street corner was patrolled with a Humvee sporting a large calliber machine gun manned by a disinterested Egyptian soldier.
Next morning we planned to depart early, so we arrived at the airport around 0700 expecting the fuel truck as promised by our handling agent. Having been thru Egypt before I figured to allow an hour. NO it took three hours.
The fuel was being supplied by the Egyptian Air Force. When it finally arrived in a 1970's russian tanker with Crylic written I knew it was not going to be easy.
Once refuelled the non commissioned ranks left and a Captain presented himself for payment. The cost $US5.00 per litre and we took 900 litres.
Payment was only accepted in Hard currency $US, all notes ahd to be new and no reciept was offered.
Finally departed at 11 am local.
The handling charge, also in hard cash was $US800 plus add ons.
The Egyptian Controlers were reasonable and gave us almost a direct vector on track.
After crossing the Red Sea, and no Moses wasnt there to part the ways, we entered Saudi Air Space with little fan fare at FL 140.
This sector was reasonable, but the country below was much less hospitable than the Australian Desert. I would rate your chances of survival here as very slim whereas in Australia the deserts have some vegetation.
When we arrived in the Riyadh CTA, it was almost impossible to get a visual on the Airport. The weather was one perpetual dust storm, all I can say is thanks for a GPS with a TV size screen.
After landing we were directed to the General Aviation area. But this takes on a whole new meaning. The small aircraft here are G VI/V, with a reasonable number of A319's and B737's there was even two B767's.
We expected the tech stop to only take 2 hours, silly us.
The refueller had to come from a small airport 20km away, when he arrived he had forgotten his gate key. The Saudi security Guard, knowing full well who he was refuesed him entry, so the refueller had to go back to get a key.
When he returned, the gurad had parked is truck across the gate and had gone off to prayers (It was Ramadan) and I'm sure he was reminding us infidels who he voted for.
Finally the truck was llowed on the tarmac and we got our fuel. I forgot to mention all the while the temperrate was hovering at 48 degrees C
Fuel Cost here was $US5.50 per litre and the handling $US700, again no credit card just good old US dollars.
By this point I was running out of currency having started with around $40,000
RIYADH TO MUSCAT (Oman)
We didnt leave Riyadh until around 3pm which meant we were going to arrive into Seeb Airport at around 2230.
Although we planned via the direct airways route, for some reason the Saudis amended our flight plan and next thinge we knew we were heading for Bahrain some 40 degrees off track to the north.
After overhead Bahrain we were then vectored out along the Persian Gulf, below all you could see were the lights of tankers and off shore oil rigs.
Finally we reach Omani airspace where the British controllers were great. A straight in approach, very professional handling.
Due to the extended day, all three of us elected to take a lay day.
Out of all the Middle East and the Sub Continent Oman is one of the most civilized countries with a good mix of servility from people in the street.
Our hotel, the Golden Tulip, known by the local pilots as the Golden Toilet, was good and the food was excellent.
Fuel cost in Oman was $US5.30 per litre, handling $500 which for a change included the parking charges
MUSCAT TO KARACHI (Pakistan)
Our journey now takes a urn for the worst.
After departing Muscat the flight entailed entering Iranian Air space, which was interesting to say the least. The one highlight of this sector is a small peninsula mid way along track.
It is almost non descript but for a histroy tragic like me very interesting. It was here that Alexander the Great stop with his conquest of Asia Minor.
Anyway getting back to flying when we entered Pakistan Air Space the service was average to put in bluntly.
After landing at Karachi it took our handing agent some 3 hours to process the paper work,. All this at a cost of $US1,000. Then we had to refuel. By this time it was dark, so we asked for taxi guidance.
Ground control, took us past the PIA maintenace hangars to what we thought was a dead end, BUT no it was a was taxi way, just big enough for the Commander.
BUT then the surprise, across the tax way was a gate and a main road, after the guard stopped the cars and opened the gate we taxied forward to s econd gate. Again a main road; by this time I thought we had become a train passing thru level crossings.
Finally we reach the refueller only to be told he had our 200 litres, NO we needed 200 US gallons. As luck would have it he managed to locate another 4 drums. The cost $US6 per litre, but he did give us credit.
Finally when we reach the hotel it had becomne very scary. The hotel was guarded by SERIOUS armour and hand heavy duty concrete barriers inplace.
KARACHI TO NAGPUR (India)
As we did not have any crew Visas for Indian, they had just changed the rules and you now have to get visasa peior to arrival, NOT ON ARRIVAL, so we had an extremely long flight day.
The weather was not promising throughout most of India, so alternates were a roll of the dice.
The crossing from Pakistan into India was not the drama I had expected, last time I went across in 1993 it took 5 hours for a tech stop.
Upon landing at Nagpur the fuel was waiting and the service by Aerotech excellent.
Cost of the fuel $US6 per litre, handling $US1,000
Total time on the ground 2 hours.
NAGPUR TO CHITTAGONG (Bangladesh)
By the time we were ready to take off the weather had cleared slightly and the flight had become a matter of weaving around large CU & the occasional CBs.
This leg was realtively lay back, as the Indian controllers barely gaves us a thought. After crossing the Bay of Bengal and the Ganges Delta we entered Bangladeshi CTA.
The one thing that struck the three of us was the number of small cargo ships in and around the delta. All about 60 meteres long.
Our arrival into Chittagong was reasonable and we were parked near a F27, sans engines in front of the control tower, little did we know that this was to be N9199N's home for the next 4 months.
NEXT INSTALLMENT - HOW TO BLOW UP TWO ENGINES AND THE LOCALS GAME OF HOW MUCH MONEY CAN WE TAKE FROM THESE AUSTRALIANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!