Kenya charter pilot requirements

[wideman]

I was very recently in Kenya, a passenger in the right-hand seat of a C182 charter going between safari camps. We were at 10,500 ft and over a cloud deck, in the vicinity of the destination airstrip. We weren’t descending, I asked the pilot what was up, and he told me that he was looking for a hole in the clouds as he did not hold a current IFR rating.

Hmmmm.

Well he clearly has a reasonable idea of what he was doing, as a proper break was found and he came down in a series of tight, shallow circles. (The topography was tricky, as the landing strip was in a valley.) Now I’m not a complete novice, having held a SE PPL (VFR only) many years ago. But I did inquire about a backup plan.

Anyway, I was surprised that a VFR-only pilot holds a ticket that allows him to carry people for $$$. Is this common (or at least permissible) practice in Western countries, or is this a feature of African aviation?

[pablo2973]

As you May know , just by Holding a CPL licence with single engine rating allows any pilot to take you up there for $$$, he just have to keep away from clouds different distances acording to altitude and airspace , although that practice may be unthinkable in USA may be something usual in someother places ,I personally prefer a high experience pilot in that enviroment than one with 200h TT and all the "papers".
thanks

[Xshongololo]

"he told me that he was looking for a hole in the clouds as he did not hold a current IFR rating."

If he had told you that he was looking for a hole in the clouds and he had a current IFR rating would you have relaxed?

I am surprised he mentioned that he had not.

This is not an uncommon event in African aviation where typically a bush pilot knows the area and terrain. As you mention the pilot had a reasonable idea of what he was doing.

Recently in Kenya another pilot never found the hole and descended killing all on board.

Job well done to the pilot. Dont get me wrong I understand your concern.

[Metro man]

In some countries carrying pax under IFR or at night in SE aircraft is prohibited (don't know about Kenya). He was probably a low time CPL as this sort of flying is an entry level job, along with scenic flights, instructing and right seat on turbo props.

Going out to a safari camp there probably wouldn't have been any approach aids or radar control and the aircraft GPS would be VFR only. Had he descended in cloud to the lowest safe and not been visual he would have had to divert. Stay VFR and find a hole is the best decision in a lot of cases.:)

[Insane]

Don't put yourself in the situation where you will require superior skills to cover for a bad decision!! He may have been lucky up to this point, but sooner or later his luck will run out, no holes in the cloud, can't shoot an approach, what then???:sad:DON'T BE THERE WHEN THAT HAPPENS!!:=

[cochise]

What you have to remember is that most of the flying in Africa is daytime VFR. It is not uncommon in Kenya to go to renew your IR license and find that every single Nav aid is giving trouble on that day. It is not like Europe or the US where things are fixed and checked on a daily basis. You can fly VFR on top and legally decend through a "hole" once you maintain the minimum VFR seperation. It is not uncommon for us in the Dash-8 to fly VFR legs because you can't get a hold of anyone to get a clearance! Out of the 20 plus airports our company currently flies into with the Dash I can comfortably say that there are 3 airports where the approach aids work. Everything else is VFR and FMS. Terrain thrown into the mix does make it a little trickier and I would not suggest decending through cloud below the min sector altitude or MOCA but once it's above that, hey that's how you're going to get in. I have a lot of respect for the bush pilots and especially the medivac pilots. I have mentioned this before. There is no "supported" VFR flying in Kenya at night yet you can't plan when someone has an accident or falls ill. These guys commonly fly into stips without lights in Kingairs! They're lucky if they can get a couple cars together and get them to shine their headlights down the patch of grass. At the end of the day I still think it's about adapting to your environment while maintaining a buffer zone for safety. Know your limits and stick to them.:ok:

[Foxyflyer]

In the UK it is not permitted to be "VFR on top" The thinking being that you may not find a hole in the cloud to get back down. Nor is night or IFR allowed in singles with fare paying pax. But flying above the clouds and hoping for a whole is normal practise in places where there are no instrument approaches, otherwise nobody would ever get anywhere in Africa out in the bush. However, having said that. Pilots without an instrument rating are taking a chance when they do this. What if there is no way down at destination and they have to return to where they started only to find that that airport is now socked in with clouds down to minima. Maybe the guy could hack it and maybe not but either way it is dangerous and illegal for him to try. Fare paying pax deserve and should get a properly qualified pilot to look after them.
But I am pretty sure that the vast majority VFR pilots who ferry pax around to all the safari lodges etc., know their area and the local weather very well and do not do silly things.
Lets be fair, bush pilots carry hundreds of thousands of pax around Africa safely every year. :D

[wideman]

Thanks for the informative responses, especially cochise's explanations of the reasons why an IR ticket would be much less likely in Africa than in the States or Europe. I wasn't especially concerned at the time, as the fellow did have a backup plan (fly south, where the weather is always better) and he was clearly experienced with the area and its conditions. I too have enormous respect for the bush pilots I've seen in southern and eastern Africa: they exercise their profession in a very different world from one where navaids are reliable and omnipresent.

[vanraider]

In Tanzania it is mandatory to hold an IR rating when flying aircraft above 2300kg. If the weather is too bad at destination ie no hole then we just head back to kilimanjaro international and shoot the ILS. Believe our counterparts in Kenya do the same by going to jomo kenyatta. Unfortunately the 206 doesn't fall in this catergory so there is a chance that the pilot flying you will not have an IR. However most pilots now come out of with a CPL and IR....
Even if the pilot had held an IR rating, good on him on trying to find a hole