Kinshasa, how is it now?
 

I was in Kinshasa back in 97 and stayed at the Memling. Haven't returned since.
Is there anyone who could share infos about the situation now in terms of lodging, hot spots to meet the "locals", and least but not last job hunting.
Is Waltair still in operations and do they still fly a caravelle?
And what about Filair, could not find many infos on the web about the guys....
Happy landings.

Kinshasa
 

Hi

I have left Kinshasa 7 months ago
Forget Waltair, the Caravalle was doing one flight a week to MJM, and trying to steal the passengers of the others companies.
Filair has 1 or 2 brand new Let 410 (at least the paint is brand new) and still the Ant.
What else, Hewa Bora was looking for pilots for the B727, but you need to know someone in the company.
And do not try to fly for Wimbi Dira!!! Espacially on the 707

Good luck if you go back there.

CAA would be more interesting
They have received 2 MD81 from US, apparently there are doing good job and the salary is guaranted at the end of the month, something very rare in this country even in the national company!!!

Thanks for the good infos SDF.
Where did you saty when in Kin?
Did you rent or share?
Are you still an SDF (French expression) ?

Where did you saty when in Kin?
Did you rent or share?
Are you still an SDF (French expression) ?

I was in Ma Campagne first and then in La Gombe (Center on Justice Av) renting a small appartment which was a part of a friend's house.
Very expensive rent now if you want to be in the centre.
The Memling is still there..

Yes still a SDF, I am in Italia waiting to relocate wherever I find a job with a preference for Africa and Asia.

Are you gonna fly there?
Do you know already someone?

Info
 

AirSDF vbmenu_register("postmenu_2472092", true);
Could you ceck your PM.
Regards

Anyone knows any low budget hotel or youth hostel in Kinshasa?i am thinking of moving there but from the search i made on the internet i cant find any accomodation at reasonable price,everything seems to be really expensive.

Youth hostel???
You gotta to be kidding!!!
Is this a tourist destination??
Cheap hotel?
Yes , sure, plenty of them....
You pay by the hour, usually sharing the bed with a hot local, bit noisy though...

You have the "Estorile" (from the Portugese town)
End of the Boulevard du 30 Juin, next to the train station!!
Be carefull it exists a disco with the same name, a place full of surprises!!!!!

European Champion- thats got to be one of the finer ones I have heard in a while!

There is nothing cheap in that part of the world! To get anything that you as a European would consider average you will have to fork out loads of $ per month. You will pay even more to have the luxuries of hot water, telephone, TV, Security etc.

For what reason do you think you should move to Kinshasa? I am trying to estabablish why as most times your employer assists in finding or even sometimes provides accomodation.

219joochiat- yeah papa belge jiggi jiggi??? Lol...

Hi European champion,

Try the CAP (Centre d'Accueil Protestant), 20 USD per night when I was there in 1998, couldn't have changed too much. Not luxury but clean enough and you don't have to worry about leaving your suitcase in your room.

Thanks for ur recommendations.Kesho i dont have any job offer so i have to pay my accomodation myself.The reason im going there is to look for work,i hope it will work out,if not it will be just a holiday,i hope it will not be too expensive.

euro-champ...dont be a chomp...kinshasa is not just a place you turn up to and find work, and if not make it into a holiday!

have you ever experienced any kind of cities in africa?

they are not like a city in europe, kinshasa and the likes, will eat you up!

100% agree with South Coast
I do not think going in Kinshasa would be a great Idea..
I repeat if you don't know anybody there, do not even think to find something.
Well to be more clear, you could find something, but forget the payment.
I know people who are still waiting thousands dollars which won't never come.
I speak about people who are captain on Boeing there.
In fact in this country everybody is waiting money from an ex-employer (I am one of them!!!).
You can't imagine what they invent to give you hope, a big smile in front, they even invite you for dinner, but do not trust anybody there!!!
I stayed 3 years there, I have flown for at least 5 differents companies from the King Air to the Boeing, I know most of the people and it is always the same story.!!
As long as they need you everything is beautifull, but who need a F/O without neither experience nor rating!!!

But if you are still decided, I just want to tell good luck.
Stories will start to get your visa (do not attempt to go there without one) and be sure you did the yellow fever vaccination.
Arriving at the airport, HMMM that's another story, and you are still at 40 km from the center with the worst road of the country in between!

Just an Idea, try to get some information of Tanzania, quite country and possiblities to get something without experience.
You would just fly Cessna , but it is already a begenning..

Hmmm Hmmm
 

European Champion:}

By the sounds of things, you wanna become the HIV champion.:yuk:

Be careful cuz!


Schweet...

South coast u dont sound too positive.Yes i have been to a few cities in Africa .I believe that most big cities will try to eat up someone who is new and doesnt really know his way around but if i take extra care then it should work out ok.
Air sdf i am more interested to get multi turboprop or jet experience,i have a possibility to fly cessna in Europe but im taking a chance to go to Congo in search for something bigger,if it was to fly a cessna id rather stay in Europe,its just my personal preference.
Put for Dough thanks for ur warning but i have been to Africa before,i know how to take care,besides there are other countries in Africa like S.Africa,Uganda,Botswana who have the reputation of having more champions of HIV than Congo,i believe Congo is somewhere on the list below other countries and on the top list.

European Champion,

AirSDF and South Coast are trying to give you some advice and are not being negative but realistic. Without contacts you could get yourself in all sorts of trouble that will cost you money or time. Do you speak French?
On the flying side of things, as AirSDF said, you need contacts as well or you might end up flying a Cessna anyway but a real sh*tty one.
Why not try in countries where you'll have a great time experiencing the right sides of Africa: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania?

3 places where I would not go without contacts:
Lagos, Luanda and Kinshasa.
One of the main problem is that you arrive from Europe late in the evening, not easy for the first time!!!!
I could add Harare whith what is happening in this country!!!
I don't know about Tripoli and Karthum as well!!!

Kinshasa the stinking S#+*%hole
 

Kinshasa is the same ****hole than 10 years ago. Corrupt and brain dead from the top to bottom. Muzungos rather stay away!!!!

Every thing is bad ...very bad.
Anyone having a spare NUKE or two........?????:) :)

European champion- I too would not recommend arriving in Kinshasa without any contacts.

I know you are wanting to get to Africa as it sounds like the place to be and experience. But like many have suggested already, it is best to start somewhere that is not quite so wild as Kinshasa.

I would rather take the Cessna job in Europe cause atleast you will be guaranteed to get your money at the end of the month and also live to spend it rather then flying a congolese maintained aircraft where every take-off is a risk. I do not know what your experience is, but if you are talking of flying Cessnas still it cannot be too much. Therefore, if you are also low on experience, it is not the kind of place you want to be learning the tricks of the trade, as in this part of the world experience is always learnt the harder way.

Pointless to give advice if your mind is already made up but, I hope you atleast can speak some french?

Bon voyage

KESHO

Is French really a must in that country,dont they understand english?well i just know the basic french'bonjour,voulez vous coucher avec moi',i guess it wont help me much for the job search but it can help in other situations.
I think the safest thing to do is to contact the Congolese embassy before going there,they might give me some recommendations and information about about places to stay and places to avoid.