BizJet trip through Africa

[galaxy flyer]

Anyone:

I have a trip through Africa next month on a Global. We layover in Libreville, Accra, Capetown, Maputo, and Jo'burg and stop in Kinshasha, Abidjan and Lagos as of now. Any thoughts or advice on these locations or operations at the airports for a newcomer?

GF

[madherb]

GF - are you using a flight planning service? I would reccommend that you do. Universal is good - pm me and I will give you some additional information.

M

[JetPark]

Galaxyflyer, in my view Jeppesen is better than Universal - but that's from personal experience. In South Africa, a crowd called Aerospace Handling based in Johannesburg are excellent and have great contacts for flight clearances throughout Africa. If you use Signature Flight Support in the US, they now have a base at Cape Town International Airport. The service I have had there is great.

[Coleman Myers]

I personally think HADID are the best

[chandlers dad]

There is only one hotel in Lagos close to the airport, the Sheraton. Make reservations far in advance and request the 6th floor. They are booked up most of the time by every airline who flies into Lagos. If you get a reservation on the 6th, walk into the hotel to the elevator and go directly to the 6th. You can check in there. Checking in or out downstairs is usually an hour wait minimum. Upstairs there is a desk where you are taken care of personally and in a timely manner.

Price will be about $500 a head PER night. They are expensive but the only game in town. Take cash or mastercard/visa as they accept NOTHING else for payment. Problem is that there are nice hotels in town down on the beach or island but thats a 45 minute drive and if you are landing at night you DO NOT want to be driving around Lagos at night. Car hijackings are still common and the faster you get into the hotel, the better.

Request a driver and arrange one through your handler. If you are brave and want to go to the hotels in town, then get an armed guard with the car. Serious.

We were stopped in traffic one day and a group of 4 guys singled out our car. We were sitting in the back seat, two white boys in uniform heading to the airport for a flight at 1400 in the afternoon. They started beating on the doors, windows and doing anything to get into the car. Driver "made a hole" in the traffic, drove over a curb and got us out of there. Later at the airport we told the client's #2 man that we were never doing that again, and wanted an armed guard.

He spoke to the driver and laughed. Returned and told us that they were drugged out criminals and that had they gotten inside the car that they would not have killed us, just stolen everything we had to sell for drugs. We replied that "we do not want our things stolen, get us an armed guard or we go home now" and it happened. Seems that this sort of thing happens all the time but personally I feel safer with a guy holding a AK in the front seat. Every airline who flies into Lagos has armed guards on the crew bus. Most of them have an "escort" car with armed guards as well as one or two in the van. This should tell you something. This is not a safe place and 7 Westerners that I know of have been kidnapped in the last month in the Lagos/delta area.

Do not go outside at night! Mosquitos carry malaria there. One of our companies crewmembers was into partying and spent several nights outside. Was bitten numberous times. Two weeks later started showing signs of malaria and had to spend two months off, shivering and sweating in bed at home. This is true of much of Africa, especially the Western parts.

Usual safety procedures apply here. Do not drink the water, carry cases of water in with you and take a bottle to each hotel with you. Use it for everything, brushing teeth and so on. Do not eat the salads as they wash it in local water. Make sure that if you eat chicken that its cooked and well through. The seafood is good in this area, beef fair unless imported, then its expensive. Star beer is excellent, any booze at hotels is very expensive, so bring your own.

All for now, this info was current two months ago and I have friends flying there now. If you want really detailed info, PM or email me, glad to help.

CD

[CJ750]

If this is your first trip to Africa then good luck.

You shouldn't have too many problems in Accra, Libreville, Abidjan, Cape Town Johannesburg and Maputo. If i was you i would stay away from Lagos and be careful of Abidjan and especially Kinshasa.

I would get hold of Marius or Johan at Aerospace Handling Services at Johannesburg International Airport at +27 11 3901145 for clearances and handling in AFRICA and especially South Africa. They have contacts and know the latest charges in Africa, very important. The previous thread is not joking about Lagos. Also if you go to Kinshasa they will park your plane on the apron in amongst the other general flights and it looks like a traffic jam and you have to manoeuvre through the mess. Also you pay for your fuel before you actually get the fuel and takes a long time and is total chaos. If you speak french your trip might be a bit easier but be prepared for everyone having a receipt book and wanting money. Another thing if you go to Kinshasa ismake sure you have all your paper work in place, ie insuance , crew licences, operating licence, load sheets, aircraft radio licence, rvsm, anything you can think of as they will try to nail you on anything and extract a BIG bribe from you. Also if you go to these places try and get a copy of the original clearance received by your handlers for each country.

Drop mea line if you want more info as i travel to most of these places fairly frequently and could tell you more.

Enjoy , good luck, and be brave.

See you at Lanseria maybe.

[GULF69]

check your PM's galaxy flyer

[chandlers dad]

CJ,

Just posted another thread but thought I would ask you here. Have you or anyone else spent much time in Accra? I may be heading there to pick up a bird and never have RON'ed there.

Appreciate any info on the country, hotels and such.

Galaxy, did you ever make the trip and if so how did it go?

Thx,

CD

[galaxy flyer]

Chandler's Dad

No, we leave a week from Friday. Accra, first. Everyone here has been very helpful with some great advice and encouragement. Most of our dep't has been in various spots before, but I hadn't been anywhere.

We are staying at the Novotel Accra, Jepp arrangments. Labadi Beach Hotel is also recommended on various websites.

GF

Maybe I'll meet some Ppruners at the Cape Town Airshow. I'm the one with the brandy-new GX5000

[chandlers dad]

We are staying at the same hotel in Accra. Will email you my contact info.

[galaxy flyer]

Chandler's Dad:

Check your PMs for contact info.

Thanks,
GF