Can someone direct me to the POHs for the types we operate? I would like to spend a few hours re-familiarising myself.
The answer from them would be "You have to figure this out yourself. We can't hold your hand, you have to show some initiative and figure this out by yourself.
And then can someone direct me to the Company SOPs as I really need to understand these?
Ha. This company had zero "Company SOP" to speak of. This doesn't bother me as mist SOP's just state the obvious anyways. In Malawi, companies are not required to have an official SOP. If they did have one and I had asked to see it, the answer would have been "Show some initiative and try to figure it out yourself."
I would really like to go airside and take a look at our machines. Where can I get the necessary security permits, keys etc? Is there anyone here who would care to accompany me, please?
I think they did tell me that I needed to apply for a security permit in order to walk onto the ramp, but of course they wouldn't tell me what I had to do to actually get one of these permits. The other pilots told me I had to go to a certain office at the airport, fill out a form, then they would give me my permit. I did this, and the little piece of paper they gave me is one of the two souvenirs I was able to bring back from my trip. The fact that I actually was able to successfully get the permit in the first place should have showed to them that I do have "initiative", but it didn't impress them much.
Please may I talk to the Maintenance Organisation we use - I would like to introduce myself and spend some time with them.
There was one guy that did all the maintenance. I met him as he sometimes hangs around the house where the company was based. One day I actually went to the hangar to help build a "luggage rack" (for lack of a better term). You know those things they have at the airport that you can place your bag into to see if your carry-on bag fits in the luggage department? Thats what I was helping build. I have no experience welding or working with metal, so there wasn't much for me to do but stand there and supervise. If I hadn't gone to the hangar than day, it would have been something else they could use against me in the narrative that I don't have "enough initiative".
I would also like to meet and introduce myself to the Met Office and the ATC guys. Has anyone here got a name and phone number so I can arrange to go over and say hi?
Do we use a freight handling agent? Maybe I need to visit them and let them know I hope to be working with them.
If you guys feel like it, you can show me the preferred waterhole on the way home and I will get the first round.
I have a feeling if I had asked them to introduce me to these people, the reply would be some variant of "If you want to met these people, you need to show some initiative and figure out yourself how to get in touch with these people"