Abuja and Port Harcourt, NIGERIA
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Abuja and Port Harcourt, NIGERIA
Has anyone got the latest information on flying to Abuja and Port Harcourt and what is the security situation between the airports and hotels.
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Abuja/PHC
Abuja is good, and is safe compared to some other destinations in the country. Sheraton and Hilton are safe stays, both have a fair amount of security at both places. I have stayed in Port Harcourt many times. There are areas you don't want to be driving around in, with that said I've never felt in danger. Go to the hotel and relax.
I'm working out of Abuja at the moment, driving the airport road sometimes four times in a day.
There is good security along the airport road during the day with prominent army and police patrols. There is less security at night - don't travel at night unless you absolutely have to. Don't draw attention to yourself - eg remove your slides, keep windows closed. Biggest danger on the airport road is completely crazy driving (e.g. cars on the wrong side of the motorway are common) and pedestrians running across the road. RTAs are common (especially at night) and you won't get any help if you are involved in one.
The hotels are safe enough, and you can move around in Abuja during the daytime ok.
There is good security along the airport road during the day with prominent army and police patrols. There is less security at night - don't travel at night unless you absolutely have to. Don't draw attention to yourself - eg remove your slides, keep windows closed. Biggest danger on the airport road is completely crazy driving (e.g. cars on the wrong side of the motorway are common) and pedestrians running across the road. RTAs are common (especially at night) and you won't get any help if you are involved in one.
The hotels are safe enough, and you can move around in Abuja during the daytime ok.
Mistrust in Management
yes flying into Enugu
Visual approach only. Used to have an ILS with a G/S that was banana shaped but that has been abandoned since the runway extention works.
Of critical note is the high ground to the west and the numerous high masts to the west and south west of the field. Under no circumstances be tempted to carry out any sort of visual approach from the west - or any straight in approach from that direction. The masts are very hard to see and all approaches should be to the westerly runway (I.e. from an easterly direction.)
ENU appears from first glance at the plates to be a relatively easy place to get in to. In my view it should be a mandatory 'visit before operating'.
Hope this helps.
Of critical note is the high ground to the west and the numerous high masts to the west and south west of the field. Under no circumstances be tempted to carry out any sort of visual approach from the west - or any straight in approach from that direction. The masts are very hard to see and all approaches should be to the westerly runway (I.e. from an easterly direction.)
ENU appears from first glance at the plates to be a relatively easy place to get in to. In my view it should be a mandatory 'visit before operating'.
Hope this helps.
Last edited by exeng; 18th Apr 2013 at 01:05.
Mistrust in Management
also to add!!
There is a VOR but Jeppeson (and others) have yet to construct a plate to reflect the new runway length. The VOR has a co located DME but their operation is somewhat on the intermittent side. Though not entirely legal and approved, your best friend is GPS, although rogue transmissions in the Port Harcourt area can disable GPS regularly.
The weather can be awful at times with cloud base often being a limiting factor. The weather reports you will recieve can be completely from an ENU on another galaxy altogether.
Technically the limits should be to MSA and then visual. In reality I insist on seeing the field overhead and will accept losing sight of the airfield on the visual circuit (legal as I am in contact with known points on the ground) and then descend to 'circling minima' before going around. (Circling minima is not really legal but works well if you are established on the old published VOR radial and aware of your distance by DME or GPS. (All pilots from the rest of the world can pretend they haven't read this last paragraph or two - but I would ask you to remember that those of us out here have to make things up as we go on based on knowledge and experience - might not be right but that is the way it is here)
If you are new to the area then proceed with caution as you will not have any known points on the ground to work with. Remember do not make any approach whatsoever from the west, or attempt to land in an easterly direction.
The weather can be awful at times with cloud base often being a limiting factor. The weather reports you will recieve can be completely from an ENU on another galaxy altogether.
Technically the limits should be to MSA and then visual. In reality I insist on seeing the field overhead and will accept losing sight of the airfield on the visual circuit (legal as I am in contact with known points on the ground) and then descend to 'circling minima' before going around. (Circling minima is not really legal but works well if you are established on the old published VOR radial and aware of your distance by DME or GPS. (All pilots from the rest of the world can pretend they haven't read this last paragraph or two - but I would ask you to remember that those of us out here have to make things up as we go on based on knowledge and experience - might not be right but that is the way it is here)
If you are new to the area then proceed with caution as you will not have any known points on the ground to work with. Remember do not make any approach whatsoever from the west, or attempt to land in an easterly direction.
In Enugu we have a Helicopter flying school and we operate r66 helicopters.
I'm an instructor for the school.
At present we are flying circuits around the airport pretty much all day every day.
ATC sometimes leaves me a bit perplexed.......
ATc will clear both a jet to land and we will be in the circuit flying left base to 26, so flying into the aproaching plane.
Yesterday an Arik did a go around because of a ticas warning.
also sometimes the tower goes off line because of power cuts!
Ok, take care airplane guys!
I'm an instructor for the school.
At present we are flying circuits around the airport pretty much all day every day.
ATC sometimes leaves me a bit perplexed.......
ATc will clear both a jet to land and we will be in the circuit flying left base to 26, so flying into the aproaching plane.
Yesterday an Arik did a go around because of a ticas warning.
also sometimes the tower goes off line because of power cuts!
Ok, take care airplane guys!
Last edited by haihio; 18th Apr 2013 at 19:54.
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Hi haihio - and we in the jets have our heads all outside to spot you "bees" ;-) but I most of the time find that atc do an ok job seperating us.
Exeng' description is perfect, in dry season with often hazy view, I find the "gps visuel" sure the best option too.
Happy landings
Exeng' description is perfect, in dry season with often hazy view, I find the "gps visuel" sure the best option too.
Happy landings
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haihio- I didn't realise it's the 66 your are buzzing around Enugo in. Nice to see it in action.
In general I think ATC do an.... lets call it a fair job og seperating us. however I do have a request.
I know it's harder in a chopper flying single pilot, but if you are hovering on the new apron while we take off. Could you maybe try to select your tcas to st.by or "atc on" while on ground.
I try to look as much out the window on take off.. but it can be a bit scary to get a tcas warning, saying you are just in front and aprox. same alt, with a nose high climb att.
In general I think ATC do an.... lets call it a fair job og seperating us. however I do have a request.
I know it's harder in a chopper flying single pilot, but if you are hovering on the new apron while we take off. Could you maybe try to select your tcas to st.by or "atc on" while on ground.
I try to look as much out the window on take off.. but it can be a bit scary to get a tcas warning, saying you are just in front and aprox. same alt, with a nose high climb att.
Hello Svaever,
In Enugu we are flying 3 r66 and some agusta 109.
The r66's fly pretty much all day monday to friday.
Generally helicopters set the transponder on ALT just before pickup and then we never change it. I believe this is normal procedure everywhere for helicopters due to the high workload for the single pilot when hovering.
I remember when flying in the US I always left the transponder on ALT even in busy airports like Seattle or Portland.
In Enugu we are flying 3 r66 and some agusta 109.
The r66's fly pretty much all day monday to friday.
Generally helicopters set the transponder on ALT just before pickup and then we never change it. I believe this is normal procedure everywhere for helicopters due to the high workload for the single pilot when hovering.
I remember when flying in the US I always left the transponder on ALT even in busy airports like Seattle or Portland.
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" NEPA he not come today because Boss man not on seat."Happy days with no VOR or anything, when the diesel in the genny ran out and there was no one to get it running again.Used to ask for a Brit over there to fire up his Ham Radio and use the ADF to point to it to find the Airfield. That was in the early80s though,when the New Airports were opened to a great fanfare and local Air Force display with MIG21s, one of which was called "Tiger Formation".A Brit Ex Squadron Leader (Bob B),driving the Ex Green Shield Stamps HS125 for the big Ogga in Port Harcourt,caused a flap at one such occasion at Makurdi,resulting in Tiger 4 banging out thinking he was on fire,Suffice to say all Brits at the holding point left ASAP as soon the the Emergency Vehicles had gone into the bush to recover the Pilot!!But at the opening of the New Port Harcourt Airport,the Opening Dignatories were all there waiting for the Kabo Air 727 to arrive.A Tropical Storm arrived first,causing all the drainage ditches to overflow with running water running down the new Tarmac Runway.Again at the holding point,waiting to leave having deposited some of the Dignatories,we saw the 727 land hot,with all the creep marks on the wheels stationary,for the poor aircraft to slowly slide off the runway shedding undercarriage and flaps,ended up in a smoking heep,luckily not going over the end joining the F28 that had gone over from the old runway into the mangroves,some time before.Nothing obviously seems to change!I lookum I checkum,but I no see what is dat that is going on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last edited by FAStoat; 25th Apr 2013 at 15:23.
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Port Harcourt
For what its worth. An associate of mine has been working in PH for the past two years. He is employed as a senior director on a governmental project. Visited me not three weeks ago. Says his house is guarded day and night by soldiers, and he is escorted to and from his work every day. The project is not far from the airport on the road into town.Main fear is kidnapping of expats.
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Legal?
Exeng, what you describe is a "contact approach," not a "visual approach." It's actually illegal not to have and keep the runway in sight for a visual, not that we might get too exercised about that, no.
I used to do "contact approaches" in the USA, but in Nigeria I had to call "runway in sight" to be cleared for a visual, and the rules require that one keeps the runway in sight. So, not "legal" at all, what you describe doing....
There was a rather high profile accident in North Carolina when a 727 crew knew exactly where they were, using known points on the ground, particularly a prominent road. It turned out to be the wrong road, and 727s aren't much use for off-airport landings. That's the trouble with a contact approach, the pilot depending on what he knows.
I remember wondering what that big tree was doing in the middle of a dirt strip up in northern Nigeria, during harmattan. Well, it was the middle of the village, not far from the strip and on the same alignment, wasn't it? I was quite sure I knew where I was, and I wasn't very far off, maybe a half-mile or so. I did have the required visibility of one mile: a half-mile left plus a half-mile right, right?
I used to do "contact approaches" in the USA, but in Nigeria I had to call "runway in sight" to be cleared for a visual, and the rules require that one keeps the runway in sight. So, not "legal" at all, what you describe doing....
There was a rather high profile accident in North Carolina when a 727 crew knew exactly where they were, using known points on the ground, particularly a prominent road. It turned out to be the wrong road, and 727s aren't much use for off-airport landings. That's the trouble with a contact approach, the pilot depending on what he knows.
I remember wondering what that big tree was doing in the middle of a dirt strip up in northern Nigeria, during harmattan. Well, it was the middle of the village, not far from the strip and on the same alignment, wasn't it? I was quite sure I knew where I was, and I wasn't very far off, maybe a half-mile or so. I did have the required visibility of one mile: a half-mile left plus a half-mile right, right?
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dash200,
The Fokker F28-1000 which over-ran the runway in Port Harcourt in heavy rain was PH-FPT, c/n 11994 and was indeed leased from Fokker. It was subsequently written off. There were no fatilities. Of course this was at the time when Port Harcourt airport was at the Nigerian Air Force Base, rather than the present international airport location at Omagwa and I think the only navaid was an NDB (though I can't be positive about that).
The Fokker F28-1000 which over-ran the runway in Port Harcourt in heavy rain was PH-FPT, c/n 11994 and was indeed leased from Fokker. It was subsequently written off. There were no fatilities. Of course this was at the time when Port Harcourt airport was at the Nigerian Air Force Base, rather than the present international airport location at Omagwa and I think the only navaid was an NDB (though I can't be positive about that).
