South Sudan any1? What to buy before?
 

Got offered to fly 208B in South Sudan. I have 2-3k euro to spend on necessary equipment. Plane is HSI equipped only. I bought Garmin Aera 795 and I am thinking of what else to buy that could ease my life in Africa. Anyone could make some pointers? Maps? ipad apps? I'm totally stupid about flying in Africa and don't even know if they issue metars in Sudan.

South Sudan any1? What to buy before?
 

How about an AK47?

Equip it with an ECM pod and MJU-32 to deflect Strelas... also get a good T-11...:}

Go to a camping store and buy yourself a mosquito net, and a solar shower. Without power, and sometimes crap all water, it can be a nice creature comfort to have hot water every now and then.

As for flying... The van is pretty robust and simple. Listen to the guys that have been flying there. A handheld GPS to map safe routes, a normal map of the area to do the same, and as long as the AH and altimeter is working, then you will be fine.

Portable Traffic advisor can help - plenty on ebay for under $500usd

Artlite
There is an iPad map app that is excellent here in Australia.
Ozrunways

Welcome | OzRunways 4 | Electronic Flight Bag for Australia, New Zealand, Africa and more!

They have just released Ozrunways 4, and are starting to provide African maps, including ONC's for whole continent, and what they refer to as TCP's (I assume that is a typo on their web site and it is TPC's).
They do a one month free trial.
The developers post on PPRUNE and there are a couple of threads devoted to comparing Ozrunways to others, in the Australian edition, but it will be same basic program.
The developers on PPRUNE are called Shagpile, and baswell.
You could PM either one of them with questions.
I have used the Australian edition of Ozrunways and it is terrific. I have no experience of the African edition. If you decide to get the app, better to go to the web site above to buy it, rather than App Store as it is cheaper direct from the OzRunways web site.


Edit
I just looked and apparently can't PM either of them for some reason, but I sent baswell an email to look at this thread.
Re mosquito net, a better way is a "Mozzie Dome" - excellent kit, far better than a old fashioned mosquito net.

Thanks you guys, its been very helpful. I got some news regarding my stay. I will be staying for 3 months in this hotel : (Bedouin Hotel in Juba). Do I still need a mosquito net if I sleep there?

Is there someone flying in Africa who could confirm Welcome | OzRunways 4 | Electronic Flight Bag for Australia, New Zealand, Africa and more! is worth it? My flights will be VFR only, during the day and in 200-300 NM range.

Perhaps someone has a POH for a caravan that's non G1000? I found one here, but it's hell to print and pretty old http://www.redskyventures.org/doc/ce...ed-to-2004.pdf

I wonder if they even have postcards in Juba.

Firstly I'd be asking why "they" don't supply this for you, as any responsible employer would...

Or why you even need to ask this, and the employee of a decent employer...

Maps, charts? GFPS? Not you problem, surely? This is the most basic requirement for your employer to provide. Ask why you need to ask this question...

You'll need at the very least a folding camp cot (US Army issue - the best, accept no other), a number of mossie nets or domes - they don't last long.

A reliable water purification system of some sort.

Portable rations for hen you're stuck up-country and don't fancy eating the local stuff (5 days worth)

A very comprehensive First Aid kit to include full courses of drugs for Amoebic Dysentery, Ghiardia and Salmonella. Else when you get struck with these downroute you quite simply won't be flying yourself back. So who will?

All inoculations for all diseases likely present. It's not a short list.

Comms independent of the company to call for help should it be necessary. Satphone/HF and someone reliable to call....

AK47s etc is somewhat tongue in cheek of course, but to go to S Sudan without the above would be pretty damn silly imho.

Best...

And, by the sound of it, since you seem to need to ask the question in the first place, just walk away.

Artlite
I sent you an email about the Ozrunways.
I have no connection with Ozrunways at all, except I use it and noted they just bought out an African edition.

And a quick course in crappy controlling:ugh:

Artlite,

Did you mean you have been given 2-3k Euro of the companies money to spend on stuff our you are spending "your" money on things to take?

South Sudan isn't a place I wouldn't want to be right now. If you haven't noticed there is a region type conflict going on between South Sudan and Sudan. All the oil in the South and the North isn't happy about losing control of it.

Unless they are paying a huge monthly salary and can give you iron clad assurances of your safety I would walk away from this gig right now.

bloodhound: In the last 5 months I've operated 10 flight into Juba (in a B738), and this month (Feb) will add another 3 to that total, and March will be yet more.

As far as I am aware, just a single ATC Controller has the task of running:

• Clearance Delivery
• Ground Control
• Tower Control
• Approach Control (which he has to do without the benefit of radar)

and Juba, as I'll trust you are aware, is - right now - a very busy little airport, what with a mixture of light, medium, and heavy aircraft off all types (including rotary & fixed-wing).

Now for those who might moan about Juba's ATC, I would like to see some of them spend a day in the ATC blokes shoes... and therein my hat goes off to that bloke in ATC for managing a ridiculously high workload ! :D

But if you want to vent your spleen on the matter, direct it at the South Sudan CAA and therein ask them what they are doing with all the money that is, no doubt, being paid to them by way of overflight, approach, landing, handling fees ?!

I sent you a PM with information as to what you might find useful in Juba. Did you receive it?

And make sure you buy a double bed sized mosquito net, better not to fall short. Don´t trust on the ones you saw on the lodge's video, most probably they will have holes on it; and you will have to overnight in an outstation which might not have them, sometimes.
Also take malaria pills with you at all times (the ones you take when you start feeling malaria symptoms, not the anti malaria treatment to prevent it, which can be worse than Malaria itself). In case you need medical attention ALWAYS look for a United Nations doctor (if there is any UN base at the place you are unlucky to fall sick in, of course). Try to avoid local "doctors" at all times (I have witnessed myself one of those "doctors" take a blood simple from a guy who clearly had malaria symptoms just to tell him to come back the next day (!!!) to check the results, while this guy was getting worse by the hour). If in doubt about malaria symptoms just take the pills, they can't do you any harm, anyway. Add a mosquito repellent for when you are outside at night. Do not drink local beers (if they have any).
Make sure there is a shovel in your airplane when flying during the wet season (April to November, approximately), you might have to dig your airplane out of the mud at more than one occasion.
During the dry season, after a windy day, visibility could be drastically reduced due dust suspended in the air for a couple of days, so make notes about obstacles at the fields you visit.
Always take dollars (euro is not welcomed in some african countries), and a good amount of small dollar bills in order not to get ripped off with the "I don't have change!" phrase. And of course, bills have to be recent (some countries require them to be not older than 1996, some others from 2000, etc.). I don't really remember if this was an issue in South Sudan; just ask your employer.
Appart from a couple of GPS's, the most important equipment for me is a sat phone, in case you have to do an off airport landing . Hope your employer provides you with one (make sure the battery is fully charged before leaving).

Artlite, who you going to fly for?

I have just last week returned from Juba.

I can supply you with good gen.

Pm me if you like.

Thanks for all information, highly appreciated. Wasn't even expecting such a response (and one prayer offer on pm). The money I mentioned, if stars align, I would receive as a grant from EU. In Poland, where I live, you can apply for maximum 10k euro when you register a company. I applied for cessna SET/IR training refund and a couple grand as a start-up hence my post here. On a side note perhaps somebody knows a place where I can get a rating in my part of Europe? (central eastern). Options in Poland are pretty limited and mostly for SET/VFR only.

I will take everything you wrote into consideration. Had some training for AK47 in the air force, but hopefully I won't need to use it. My employer (a friend) is pretty green himself since the company just started and it'll be our maiden flight. The coordinates and maps will be provided by our African lesee, although we don't know what maps yet. Plane flies on empty next month to S. Sudan and able to take up to a tonne of load that's why I asked - so it doesn't go wasted. I should join around mid-April if nothing falls apart.

Is sat phone really a must? Are S.Sudanese trustworthy and reliable pple?

artlite
 

Did you know that since Dec 13 there has been continuous fighting in S.Sudan. At one point no aircraft's were flying to S.Sudan. Some have resumed back but limited services to Juba only. Alot of people have flee to Kenya including foreign nationals.

You may want to first check the current status of the country before planning on your maiden flight.

All the best.

Personal:Hand Sanitiser, Small bottle of disinfectant, Wet wipes, Basic Medication like Panadol, Diarrhoea, Malaria Kit, "Swiss knife" kind of tool, long lasting torch.

Professional: Portable GPS definitely. No matter what people say, in Africa you are responsible for your own survival. A good offline aviation GPS on your android/apple device. Get a decent mobile internet asap. A VFR Map - Crucial!

Before you fly checklist: Sunglasses, Sunscreen, Mosquito Spray, Coffee Flask.

Get as many 2 min meal kits as possible even though you are in a hotel.

The locals are a pretty different bunch, keep your interaction as minimal as possible. But most important enjoy your flying, you've got way more self-respect than the oke paying to fly(or crash) a brand new B738.

Last but not the least stock on movies and music as much as you can. :ok:

Is sat phone really a must?

Don't wait to be stranded in the middle of nowhere with a non existent search and rescue service to find out, especially if your airplane is not fitted with a satellite tracking device.

I am glad you have enthusiasm and also the courage to ask for advice. However from your latest post, including the sentence

concerns me as I don't think you are fully-conversant of what's happening there, and the fact that the ongoing situation will be tense and with unpredictable outbreaks of violence for some time.

If you are unexperienced in working in an area of civil unrest, where resources are often stretched or unavailable, I would suggest you seriously consider your current employment proposal ... and make sure you and your family are well insured.

Oh and make sure you are vaccinated against measles (odra) because that is a major health hazard at the moment. This may seem a bit 'random' as advice, but if it gives you shingles (polpasiec), you'll not be flying anywhere.

Juba-licious
 

In Response to mlindb;

When dealing with malaria in West & Central African countries, I can speak from the following experience.

1. Never trust a UN doctor or their malaria test results.
2. The local doctors may not have the best equipment, but they do know local strain symptoms.
3. The local doctors treat cases everyday and know exactly which antibiotic works for that particular strain. Malaria in Juba is a totally different kettle of fish to Khartoum.
4. Know the symptoms and do not take no for an answer. As Mlindb say's, a strong antibiotic will not kill you but malaria can ! Most times a local doctor will give you a prescription before a UN doctor who is waiting for his mandatory results from his fancy machine.

I am sorry, but the local beer is mandatory. What's the point of going to a foreign country and not try a cold Tusker, Nile Special or White Bull. Yes, stay away from the Primus.....gives you JetA1 guts....

What to take to Juba.....USD for booze and boerewors for the South African expats who will look after you when the :mad: hits the fan....and condoms for the Red-Cross girls.

Enjoy.

It seems we had different medical experiences, Golf Seirra. But although we may disagree on that one you have all my respect for drinking those local beers :ok:

South Sudan
 

Hey Artlite. S. Sudan is not the best place to head to right now, but I am sure you know that. We got pulled out of there due to security situation.
I second the comments on malaria. Make sure you educate yourself, and go to reputable LOCAL doctor. The good one is Kuel Clinic on Airport Road in Juba. Our engineer, myself and several other pilots spend days under the drip there with good results. The first time is the worst and I knew several healthy Westerners who didn't make it. Flying into Juba is interesting at best and scary at worst. One guy is trying to control the ground , tower, and approach. Try to become his friend, or he will make your life miserable. One runway , so everybody has to backtrack, often with another a/c on short final. Watch for potholes, gravel on the apron and jet blast - lots of rocks flying into engines, props and windshields.
There is no radar anywhere. Lots of traffic and many don't have working transponders. TCAS is helpful, but dont relay on it to save you. Always know where everybody else is. Flying in Hubbab is like diving in chocolate milk, but most guys still pretend to be VFR. Many local heroes are lying about their position to get the landing clearance ahead of you.
Try to fly at least above 5000ft . That will keep you safe from AKs. The Toyota pick up mounted .50cals are also very popular and you need to be above 10000ft to feel good about yourself. I have seen ZSU23-4 protecting tanks as well. I am sure they have more modern stuff as well. Several aircraft have been shot at. UN MI8 was shot down by SPLA not too long ago (by mistake). We escape bombing run by two Mig 29s by a few minutes at one of the northern strips .
I am sure you have a good reason to go there. However I would rather not myself. And I have spent 20 years flying in all sorts of “garden spots” in Africa. PM me if you have more questions. Powodzenia.

Bear in mind that taking medical advice from this or any other forum, and I particularly refer Golf Sierra's above, can be seriously harmful to your health. For all his touted experience it appears that GS is unaware that malaria is caused by a parasite and not a bacteria (as eny skoolboy kno) and that antibiotics are as relevant to malaria as a chainsaw is to a drowning. I don't doubt the local "doctors" may prescribe antibiotics, they may even be real ones as opposed to counterfeit (just possibly) or just aspirin but it's far more likely that UN medicines will be kosher, and of the correct sort for the disease.

GS does have it right on beer though. I suppose that's a start...

takopalayak, you actually know pilots who didn't make it home due to malaria?

Lots of gratitude for all insights and your time, it's highly helpful and worthwhile to me. My 208B training should commence soon. Any specifics on flying during rainy season there? Perhaps I could include a hint or three in my training

Security or insecurity changes faster than the minute hand on your watch. Make sure that you have a reliable source on the ground at each place you intend to land that can give you the current security and weather situation. Also make sure you carry enough fuel to get you to your alternate, in the likely event you can't land. Fuel reserves in S Sudan aren't calculated in minutes, but rather in hours. A fully charged satellite phone, imodium and extra water and fuel are a must. Stand your ground with the nationals, but please don't argue with them. When the rains arrive in a few months, and someone tells you "wet land-able", trust that comment as much as you would trust a prostitute without a condom. Good luck

S. Sudan
 

Yes, I lost 2 friends to malaria, but that over 20 years, so don't get to paranoid about it. I also medivaced several expats from the bush . The company flown them to Europe for treatment and they didn’t make it. The most frequent strength of malaria in Sub Saharan Africa in plasmodium falciparum and it kills about 1 million people annually. It has 25% mortality rate, however chance of healthy man dying of it is small, unless you ignore it. Untreated malaria parasite will eventually move to the brain stem and that’s usually fatal.
So my advice is, if you going there only for short period of time, take prophylactics. If you going to spend there several months or more, the prophylactics will probably kill you before malaria will. They have some serious side effects. Also malaria mutates frequently. Therefore drugs from last year often don’t work anymore. Many drugs in Europe and N. America no longer work. The new stuff is not yet approved in the West. Take some drugs back home with you. You may get sick two weeks after being bitten. Find a local doctor recommended by expats. Many African doctors went to school in Europe or US and are good. But of course there are many rip off artists as well. Lots of fake drugs too.
As far as antibiotics for malaria treatment, indeed I have seen that done. The reason is you often get malaria together with typhoid. However you still need malaria treatment.
As far as flying in the rainy season, make sure you have working radar and know how to use it. Storm scope is nice to have as well. The thunderstorms are very violent and every year there are several thunderstorm related crashes. Don’t be a hero. Just wait 20 min and the storm will move away. Carry extra fuel for wx delays. They usually travel at 20-30 knots. Don’t try to go around them on the downwind site. If you do training at FlightSafety, ask them to program some crashes into the sim and see if you can survive the ride. Hint – use the emergency power lever as a last ditch effort. You will cook the engine, but for a minute you will have probably double the power.

And bring lots of newer U$100 bills with no stamps or any notes on them.

A lot of good points mentioned.

Water is your most import thing. If you cant carry it have provision to purify it if you have access to it. Fire stick and or matches. Mossie net.If you do come down above all stay with the aircraft. If you are picked up use the matches on the before you depart.

As for charts, my time down there was over 30 years ago and pre GPS. I found the normal aviation maps contained too much detail. Instead I used a Michelin map, strip cut and put in a folder with plastic sheathes. I used to have a line drawn, from departure to destination, magnetic track and marked off in 10 nm steps for every route we flew which was all over the country. That was all I needed for 6 years I did VFR charter down there.

Dollars? Yes correct but make sure you have plenty of small denomination also. As sure as the sun will rise tomorrow you get a $20 invoice, you hand over a 100 and they conveniently wont have any change.

At the risk of being horribly cynical... a new operator, a new plane, a new pilot in a war-torn country, with little experience, no local knowledge seeking information off the internet... sounds a likely recipe for yet another sorry statistic. :(

cheer up, foxcotte, and you just might get a postcard next year

in the end there are 100 caravans flying in sudan

thanks one more time you guys and time to do my homework now

+100

I'm sorry, but the naivety of the OP's posts just makes my hair stand on end. As an introduction to bush flying it is the equivalent of entering the Paris-Dakar a week after taking your driving test and with no off-road experience.

Unless he's a troll. I sincerely hope so, for his sake.

Well, I guess we were all young and gung-ho once:E:E:E:E
Come on Foxcotte, this one could be the one....
Artlite, part of your training for the rainy season better include the ability to touch down with sufficient power and speed with 20 flap set, be able to feel your aircraft, run your gear down the "runway" for at least 450m, lift off again and view the results.
Ruts filled with water equals several potential nightstops if you can keep it the right way up
Ruts with no water means you could get lucky if it's NOT black cotton soil, if it is see point above
No ruts means you have a chance to get in and out, as I recall 450m was about the minimum you would want with a light load out.
It's been almost 20 years:eek: since I "vanned" around there and I'm happy to be corrected but that's a guideline for you....
I shall watch and see

100 CARAVANS FLYING IN SUDAN! :=

Come on Artlite, just who is giving you this twaddle? I really hope you heed the advice as posted by others here, obviously well experienced in flying around Sudan.

You had better get very good training with your installed WX radar. Learn how to interpret what you see displayed as well as what you see in front of you. Those embedded CB,s tend to hide away and cant be detected in rain.

IMHO fly 2 crew with a very experienced Caravan operator, who can show you the ropes. Sudan is NOT the place to learn the tricks of the trade on your own.

FYI I operate next door in the CAR. Exactly the same weather/dodge controllers/mozzies etc. My pilots fly a minimum of 50hrs 2 crew ops in the rainy season before going it alone. They all remark that they were the better for it!

Good luck and hope you absorb whats being said here.:ok:

We will be a crew of two initially and then depending on how it turns out (aircraft insurance etc) we might switch to one-man crew but its still debated so we shall see

cheer up, foxcotte, and you just might get a postcard next year

in the end there are 100 caravans flying in sudan

thanks one more time you guys and time to do my homework now

There are not 100 Caravans flying in Sudan.

Here is a brief rundown of foreign C208 operators working in S. Sudan that I am aware of.

From Uganda: Asante (2-3?), KEA (1?), ASL (1-2?)

From CAR: None

From DRC: None

From Kenya: Several of various UN contracts, do not have the names.

From South Africa: Suspect there may be a few ZS Caravans (or similar such as a PAC750 or LET 410s or King Airs) in the neighborhood

From Sudan: Not aware of any but perhaps.

From S. Sudan: Hoping somebody can fill in the blanks on this one.

*Note there will likely be numerous AN-2s, -12s, -24s, -26s, and -32s flying around for dodgy Eastern European/S. Sudanese operators, plus a few LET 410s thrown in for good measure, along with the obligatory MI-8/17s and perhaps an MI-26. The one ton your Caravan can haul is NOTHING compared to what these folks can take, and they can do it significantly cheaper than you.

Artlite - With due respect, be careful. You don't know what you don't know - which makes your operation all the more risky. Heck, your first flight in a C208 will likely be in S. Sudan. That is not the place to be learning a new airplane.

Other contract operators who are operating there have been doing that type of flying for years. They have pilots who know the area, know the local languages, the customs, and how to get things done. They have engineers who know how to get things done on a dusty ramp, plus who have a support network back at their company's home base and can get whatever they need sourced within a reasonable time frame. They have flight operations personnel who know how to deal with the bureaucracy, get the appropriate permits, deal with customs and other issues.

For what its worth, before I first showed up in Africa, I did not spend 2000-3000 Euros on equipment BECAUSE MY COMPANY HAD THE AIRPLANE PROPERLY KITTED OUT. I might've spend 100 Euros or so on the smaller personal things - immodium, anti-malarial pills, etc. If you are flailing around for a satellite phone or GPS or map - it only shows how your operation is NOT prepared to do the job. Do you even know how to use a sat phone? (plus ensure that it has credit).

You give the impression that this is all some new fun-and-games African safari for you. Do you have any idea of what is happening in SOUTH Sudan right now.

Good luck.

I suppose that if artlite is determined to do this then we might help with some practical advice where possible. It would be helpful to have a brief rundown of your hours/types/location or type of operations he's done to pitch any suggestions at the right level.
It would also be helpful to know the type of operation contemplated in Sudan - is it commercial charter, pax, freight or mixed? UN type or other NGO. Independent operator - missionary etc? Own support network or using someone else's? I realise you can't give names but sketch us a picture to give us an idea.

Would like to add. Don't knowingly carry military personal from any side, whether they are wounded, walking, in uniform or out. If you do, you immediately become a valid military target. Leave military affairs to the military.

My 2 cents worth.

wageslave, it's still debated whether it's gonna ba Juba or Nairobi - we will know that next month, situation is dynamic. For now it's Juba and 80% of flights with UN cargo (plane will be most likely painted UN) and about 20% with PAX (medical stuff, workers). Operator in Juba has AOC and pple responsible for loading/unloading and fueling. Most flights in 200-300NM range (max 350). A couple times a year we're gonna fly with Poliomyelitis vaccines and that could be landing in radius of up to 50NM from one another field. UN safeguards operations. 90h per month, mostly VFR flights and two-men crew. We take our own mechanic, at least initially. We're all pretty stupid now, but not willing to die either.

What you Need
 

Buy yourself a cheap Thuria sat phone with a couple of hundred dollars of airtime swell. Often where you will work the internet is :mad: no comms.