Leaving for Lagos, NEED ADVICE!!

[tomcat21]

Okay, this time its a go. I am taking a job from one to three months over in lagos flying a Hawker 800. The plane is here in the states and I have to bring it over next week. I have never been to Africa and have not heard too many good things about Nigeria. This guy that I am flying for owns the FBO there. He tells me that I don't need to get shots and since I am flight crew I don't need a Visa. I was not born yesterday and although I tend to trust people too much I need some real advice here. my intl. expierience is all in SE Asia. A few questions. First how crappy is this place? I mean are we talking Newark or is it more like Baghdad? I will stick out there with my white skin and blonde hair so how safe is it? I have heard I will be okay if I am with a local but I have also heard of people getting shot and kidnapped there. If I was to walk into town would people stare like I was a black dude at a klan rally?? Does ATC exist there and what is the weather like? Are the approaches monitered or at least safe? What about civil war. I have heard u must bribe alot of people. What about getting shot down? We will be flying some big religious guy around so I hope he has a huge fan club! Now about the Visa and shots. Do I need them? Will they let me in or out of Nigeria without the Visa? He mentioned about ferrying the a/c over this week and coming back on the airlines to the states for a week or two. I read in the Jepps that u don't need a visa if your just transiting but I need to know if that means your going back out on the plane u came in on. Any advice would be more than appreciated. Thanks!!

[DownIn3Green]

Tom,

Who's your F/O? Are you taking a flt mech with you? Have you contracted with a Flight Planning Service? (BasOps, Universal, etc)

Doesn't sound to me like you're near ready enough to take this on. Either get a highly experienced (in Africa) F/O or consider going as one yourself this first month or so to get some experience in the enviornment.

[tomcat21]

Will be a local FO their. Can u be more specific about what I may run into? Thanks.

[Kopeloi]

First you need a visa and secondly at least a yellow fewer shot. Also start your malaria pills in advance, Lariam seems to be good.
Messy but not too bad for living and safer than some arab countries today. Flying is good and raining season
coming so visibilities are better than during harmattan. There is a lot of Hawker knowledge in Lagos as they had them last 25 years.
Have Fun
Nikolai

[TimS]

Some of the following may help .....

1. You must have the correct visa or someone (or several someones) will remove lots of you money to sort out there

2. Yellow fever and all the Hepatitis varieties you can think of are necessary

3. Malaria protection is a little difficult - there are primarily two types - the basic one (nasty but doesn't kill you if your are basically healthy) and cerebral (kills you). The protection is different and you can't mix them .....

Basic - the quinnine based treatment (and I think there is another type now, as was becoming quinnine resistant), has few side affects and no real limit on how long you take it for. Takes some weeks to build up immunity and must be completed course after last exposure.

Cerebral - Larium. Wierd stuff - has all sorts of side affects including paranoia (particulalry if you are of depressive nature). Don't ever read the warning label issued with it - you will become an instant hypocondriac. Doctors generally resist iprescribing to pilots. I had fairly minimal side affects, but have seem some people totally loopy and/or very ill. Effective almost immediately, so you can turn 'on and off'. Don't advised to take for more than three months at a time as it turns your liver to mush.

...... both treatments are ineffective against the other variant.

My policy is to forget medical protection for standard malaria and take Larium if going to 'cerebral hotspots'. But you definitely need to take qualified specialist advice in this area.

4. Lagos is sh*thole - ensure that your accommodation and surface transport arrangeemnts are good and watertight.

5. Make the local F/O your buddy (then he will only be ripping you off slightly with any arrangements he 'helps' you with) and don't let him out of your sight.

6. Get your money in advance

[TomBola]

tomcat,
Wow, where to start?
You need an STR visa if you're going to work there. You need a letter from your employer to take to the Nigerian embassy to get he visa and it must then be converted to a different visa by your employer after you arrive. Your licence is only good for 3 days (check latest entry requirements in Jeppessen) and would anyway only cover you if you're in transit. You can't just take the plane there and then hope to run the gauntlet of Nigerian Customs and Immigration without a lot of problems (and expense) on departure.
You must have a Yellow Fever shot and may be asked to produce your certificate on arrival. If you don't have it you'll be taken for an injection (definitely not advised) or have to pay some 'dash' to officialdom. It's also recommended that you hav up-to-date shots for Tetanus, diptheria, Hepatitis A, Meningitis A & C, polio (Nigeria is one of the few countries in the world where polio is currently on the increase), cholera and typhoid typhoid.
Start taking anti-malaria prophylaxis before you depart. Larium is definitely not recommended for flight crew because of possible mental disturbance. There have been several threads on the Rotorheads, Medical and African Aviation forums recently and the best choices are either Malarone (expensive) or Doxycycline. Because of the risk of falciparum malaria make sure that you have medical cover out here for treatment at something like an SMI clinic (South African run) and cover for emergency medical evacuation to Europe or the USA.
Lagos is neither like Newark nor Baghdad. It is a typical huge, dirty, sprawling African city and there are many, many white expats there. How safe you are will depend on where you are living and which areas of the city you visit. There is plenty to do and quite a number of good restaurants and bars. Being out after dark in some parts of the city is definitely dangerous and if you're based in Ikeja it's dangerous crossing the causeways to Victoria Island and Ikoyi at night.
Occasionally people do get shot and (even more occasionally kidnapped), but it's probably no more dangerous than a lot of areas of, say, Miami, for that.
You are extremely unlikely likely to get shot down!! Air traffic exists, but will not be like you're used to in either USA or the Far East and many nav aids (except, possibly, at Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano or Abuja) will probably not work. Aviation fuel can only be relied on at those airfields.
There has often been talk of civil war again, but the biggest risks at the moment are possible street violence during the general strike and continuing inter-religious riots in some major cities, plus inter-tribal fighting in parts of the Niger Delta.
At the moment it's nearly the height of the rainy season. This means that the visibility is generally good, but there are frequent extremely heavy thunderstorms. There is almost no reliable system f met reporting in Nigeria and TAFS and METARS are almost non-existent. Just expect frequent heavy rain for the next few months and surface winds generally from the southwest. Temperatures in the south will be around 30 degrees celsius and humidity high.
I've been around the ara for around 30 years now and I'm still here, more-or-less intact:) .
Hope that helps.
Tom

[tomcat21]

Thanks for the info. Sounds like I need alot of shots. You mentioned my license is only good for 3 days, even if its a N registered airplane? What will I need to do to convert it? If I am just going to ferry the airplane their do I still need a Visa and the shots? I mean say I flew there and then was airlining out the next day what requirements would there be? Thanks again.

[flyhardmo]

well Tom Bola pretty much summed it up and there is not too much more to add. Like he said stay away from Larium. Check out a malaria forum a few pages back. Some good advice there.
The other problem you have to be aware of is is 419 the nigerian code for fraud. Dont trust anyone posing as a business man and as advised before collect your money in advance for your wages and aircraft hire. Alot of shonky deals happen in africa not just Nigeria. Also it might be a good idea to get a handling agent. Although they are expensive it might save you alot of cash when you unwittingly pay hefty landing charges and taxes to someone posing as an official. ALways check for ID especially police officers asking for cash.
Lagos is Crap. If you expect that it wont be such a huge shock when you actually get there. Otherwise goodluck. The experiencewill either make or break you. Let us know how it all goes.
:}

[tomcat21]

Appreciate it but are all these requirments still necessary if I am just going to ferry the plane next week and then go over later?

[B Sousa]

Since your from the US of A and you use the name "Tomcat", I might add a couple other thoughts. Dont bring your old Military flight jacket with the American flag on the sleeve. As much as GW would like it, things like that are not popular. Leave your Rolex at home. Casio does all you need. (In fact look at the Casio PAG40-3v).
Loosen your wallet and leave all those Costco, Sams Club, Credit cards home. If you have to bring money, a small amount will do, and some travelers checks for emergency. Watch what the other guys do for exchange rates.
Also those Glod Bless America T-Shirts.......NOT. Lots of things can cause trouble on the Dark Continenet, politics is one of them.
Health concerns cannot be stressed enough. You should have a county health clinic that can give you an update, but prepare for a few shots.
Beyond the Malaira medication contoversy, you should study up hard on preventing bites. What to wear at times and the preparation of your bedding with nets and spray both Killer and Repellant.
Be as plain as possible and watch what the guys who have been there do. They have built a feeling for whats good and bad. As long as you follow their lead you will stay out of trouble.
As to food, if it aint burnt its bad and no salads under the local wash. (Thats your Cholera shot if you can find one )
And for god sakes dont f:mad:k any of the local girls.

Are we having fun yet??

[419]

Tomcat,
There is no requirement to have a yellow fever certificate, unless you are flying in from an infected country, BUT, on your flight,there's no guarantee that you won't get diverted due to weather or aircraft snags, and have to land somewhere outside of Nigeria. If you then have to get in through immigration without the proper certificate, you are talking $$$.

Secondly, make sure that firm arrangments have been made for you to be met at the International airport on you arrival. When you are met, make sure that the driver has been sent for you, and he's not trying to scam you.
If for any reason you are not met, under no circumstances get into one of the taxi's outside the airport. You can get a hire car (and driver) from inside the "terminal"

You might be asked by customs or immigration for "dash" (bribe), although this has gotten much better in the past few years. Don't give them anything. Just smile, and tell them you have very little money on you.

[Kopeloi]

Are you the same tomcat who was looking an info for East Africa a year or so ago?
If so, keep in mind that West Africa is much wilder and violent. With a good dose of all kind of tropical bugs...
If you chickened out from East why you like to try the West?
Kopeloi

[togabutton]

Rather be safe than sorry. Have all the shots. Also, don't forget to make sure that all your underwear and clothing is ironed. There are these flies that lay eggs on the washline and they come into contact with your clothing. Once the eggs make contact with your skin, they hatch and burrow into your flesh. I personally saw the worms in the raw infected flesh of two of my buddies during my 2 months in the region. Malaria, what can I say...My room-mate slept under a mosquito net, etc etc. and he contracted malaria. I did not have a net, but I sprayed insect reppellant (DEET, Peaceful Sleep, Tabard) all over my exposed skin. I also wore long sleeve clothing esp after dark. I did not take any malaria prophylaxis at ANY time during my 3 years in malaria areas in both East and West Africa, but perhaps I was lucky? I have a number of buddies who did contract malaria and in some cases got seriously ill.

As far as the rest goes, ATC sucks and it is all about keeping your eyes WIDE OPEN when you fly and also on the ground. Prepare to be totally stunned by a way of existence that you never thought possible. Its a great experience!

[nomoneynowek]

Hey FM! check your messages...........

[B767Longhaul]

Hi Tomcat, did you leave yet, if not, here's a few things I learned from my visits and time spent in Nigeria. I lived in Kano and flew 747 for a Chief there. Most of the Nav Aids in Nigeria are either inop, or unreliable. Some of the major VOR's work with DME available, like Kano VOR, Kaduna, Sokoto and Abuja VOR, also Lagos VOR.

Now and then there is radar in Lagos, most of the time it is not available and they are using god knows what, a crayon and a piece of plexiglas,, thoughts of that HydroAir 747 that landed on a closed runway come to mind, (there was a open ditch across the runway and the Tower cleared them to land on it, the aircraft was a write off, well that's another story.

There is an ILS there, also Abuja, and Kano, but the ILS is not calibrated in Kano. No radar there either. You will do the complete approach from overhead on your own, no vectors there. The only vectors you may get are flying into Abuja where they have radar and a good ILS system.

Get your hands on a local Nigerian nav chart, they are available from the Tower from time to time. It will show the upper and lower routes combined, the controllers in Lagos often ask you to report at 100 miles out on a certain radial. From there it gets interesting, many aircraft out there without TCAS, hopefully your Hawker has that, and GPS. Yes, GPS is a must, don't leave home without it. Insist that it be installed in the aircraft before you leave. Do not go with out it, in fact, it's a requirement now for 5N (Nigerian)registered aircraft.

After living in Kano and operating numerous flights into Nigeria I have never been asked for a shot record. What you get is up to you. Polio is very much alive there and even though you were vaccinated for it as a child, it is not a life long vaccination. You need to renew it, also, Hepatitus, Cholera, and Menengitus are rampant there. And, TB is common there too, oh, not to mention Malaria for sure.

I had Typhoid once, thougt I was gonna die there. I ate a piece of lettuce and it passed thru so fast it didn't even change color. Lost about 15 lbs in a week and it hurt to sit, get my drift ?

Stay at the Sheraton on the beach in Lagos, it's worth the extra time to get there. You can change money at the airport, usually the dollar fluctuates around 135 Naira to the US dollar, black market rate. If you take travellers checks, keep a few that are unsigned, they trade them like cash, if you sign it, then they cannot resell it and then it's only good for a "proper" bank transaction, or at an establishment that is civilized enough to accept travellers checks.

Take a chain and padlock, and a good strong suitcase, I sometimes would chain it to the bedframe if I left the hotel room for the day.

If you are working for someone with power in the country then not having a visa is ok, they may just keep your passport until you depart for your flight. If you are working for someone who is connected there then no problem. We would sometimes just get on the bus right at the foot of the aircraft and drive thru the gate straight to the hotel, no stamps, no customs, no nothing.

Have fun in Nigeria and remember to take your Trojans as well. Aids is everywhere !!

:cool:

[chrislikesblue]

Hey guys,there is a previous thread about Nigeria and from what i remember a lot of people say that to get a work permit there is very difficult because the companies are discouraged from hiring foreign pilots.
Tomcat did u ask the company that offered u the job if they had any problem with the immigration department?
I ask because I m also thinking of going to Nigeria to look for jobs.
I m not really sure if there is any opporunities there,and if yes would i stand a better chance at Lagos or Abudja?Anyone who has been there please advice,thank you guys.

[ZAZOO]

Wow this is scary man:yuk: :yuk: :yuk:

Well me still here, yes have had the one malaria that got me scared, but for Gods sake its not as bad as some of you have put it.

And about the local girls B Sousa ( Do you mean the one's you and your mate go about chasing in those so called expatriate bars, cause me will not like to see TomCat around those ****holes you and your crew floated around this country) I beg to differ, I live in Lagos and I must say have no problem with the local babes. TomCat listen there are local babes and there are the local babes!!!


Lagos is not a ****hole, I know for sure Los Angeles is one big ****hole and have you tried Liverpool these days boy I ran for my dear life:sad:

TomCat to say the truth I really do not care what you are coming to do here in Nigeria but make sure you have the right papers, Nigeria does have a consulate in New York give them a call they should be able to put you through.

Definetly you will be lodged in a nice hotel and I believe I have a clue about the Guy's doing this charter for this cleric so I know you will be in great hands

Me around the airport and will keep an eye out for your machine.

With a new startup in Lagos but been grounded due to a political feud with our chairman and his political foe's, so just killing time and waitin to get back in the air when its all sorted out.

For the rest of you all, The flying community in Nigeria is happening and I reckon some of you still trying to come in and as usual not happy to see post like TomCat's " GOT A JOB IN NIGERIA NEED HELP" how the hell did he manage that one.:p