What's New In W. Africa (Nigeria)
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Arajase - CHC has not been involved in the fixed-wing side of the Aero Contractors for close to 2 years now and for a good reason. The overall state of things on that side is rather sad, the high standards you speak of are long, long gone. My advice to you would be to STAY AWAY from anything Aero - especially now days. Unless of course you would rather try it on your own ass, though I don't recommend it.
To Mtoroshanga and Check: What have you boys been smoking ?!?! I mean seriously...???
Aero Contractors WAS Schreiner Aviation Group or have you all forgot that? Aero in and of it self is nothing more than a parasitic organism that continues to devour its partners. That type of behaviour is also exibited by another organism - a virus.
Whatever standards Aero may have ever had were always put in place by an external influence. But in the end Africa always wins.
Perhaps I'm wrong though, perhaps the 100(or so)million dollars that disappeared into the Aero-Black-Hole is just a figment of CHC's imagination. They seem to think otherwise....
To Mtoroshanga and Check: What have you boys been smoking ?!?! I mean seriously...???
Aero Contractors WAS Schreiner Aviation Group or have you all forgot that? Aero in and of it self is nothing more than a parasitic organism that continues to devour its partners. That type of behaviour is also exibited by another organism - a virus.
Whatever standards Aero may have ever had were always put in place by an external influence. But in the end Africa always wins.
Perhaps I'm wrong though, perhaps the 100(or so)million dollars that disappeared into the Aero-Black-Hole is just a figment of CHC's imagination. They seem to think otherwise....
Long before CHC....ACN was an excellent operator. The CHC debacle rests on CHC as they jumped into something thinking they were the Bee's Knees but in reality knew nothing of what they were doing in Nigeria.
It is not a question of standards but rather of business sense.
You don't take a bunch of folks from Canada...plunk them down in Nigeria....ignore the local staff's abilities and experience and make a great success of things.
They lost tons of money....but that is the price you pay when you thumb your nose at the "system".
Bristow finally saw the light and began including Nigerians in their senior management system and one can see the business growing as a result.
CHC went the othere direction and we see how that worked!
It is not a question of standards but rather of business sense.
You don't take a bunch of folks from Canada...plunk them down in Nigeria....ignore the local staff's abilities and experience and make a great success of things.
They lost tons of money....but that is the price you pay when you thumb your nose at the "system".
Bristow finally saw the light and began including Nigerians in their senior management system and one can see the business growing as a result.
CHC went the othere direction and we see how that worked!
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Whatever....
We must be talking about two different companies here because the ACN I worked for resembled very little of the "high standards" company you guys are all going on about.
So great was the old Schreiner's business model in fact that upon CHC's take-over in 05' virtualy the whole fleet had to be replaced due to v.poor condition of aircraft. And where did these crazy Canadians get the balls to expect a return on their investment ??? But then again its hard to make any money when you take over a company that has 50+ employees per aircraft, most of which never show up for work except for pay day.
Trying to upset all that superb " local " managment was just a recipe for disaster.......yeah, no arguments there. I suppose if the theft and embezzlement were allowed to continue un-interrupted peace could have been kept for few more years.
But clearly we're not talking about the same ACN here.....right ??
Over and out.
We must be talking about two different companies here because the ACN I worked for resembled very little of the "high standards" company you guys are all going on about.
So great was the old Schreiner's business model in fact that upon CHC's take-over in 05' virtualy the whole fleet had to be replaced due to v.poor condition of aircraft. And where did these crazy Canadians get the balls to expect a return on their investment ??? But then again its hard to make any money when you take over a company that has 50+ employees per aircraft, most of which never show up for work except for pay day.
Trying to upset all that superb " local " managment was just a recipe for disaster.......yeah, no arguments there. I suppose if the theft and embezzlement were allowed to continue un-interrupted peace could have been kept for few more years.
But clearly we're not talking about the same ACN here.....right ??
Over and out.
Last edited by redragon; 8th Mar 2010 at 14:23.
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Well said SAS, I have worked for both and was in Iran with Schreiners in the 70's and they were and are first class. I have also worked for CHC in Aberdeen for a while and they were also good then. I do not know what happened in Nigeria but I was on the NAF base in PH and things seemed to start going pearshaped in 2007/2008.
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Froggy_pilot,
I think you'll find that those who comment on ACN have first hand experience. SASless had it right, ACN were (perhaps not now) a very good and safe company. Their fixed wing operation was by far the best, after flying OKADA and others it was a no brainer. That was the situation when I left in 1988, I returned in 1993 for a while and while the conditions were not as good as before, the tech dept gave me no cause for concern.
mtoroshanga.
I too worked in Iran for 5 years in the 70's and with I can't remember how many helicopters in country but a quick check of my logbook comes up with 39 registrations flown. The only time we queried maintanence was after the revolution with a shift in the power base.
The Schreiner of Bob Schreiner was peerless, I am proud to have known the man and enjoyed my time with Schreiner all over the world. As soon as the faceless money men came in the personal touch went, and when the Canadian folk took over Schreiner died along with its name. Only the memories linger on.
I think you'll find that those who comment on ACN have first hand experience. SASless had it right, ACN were (perhaps not now) a very good and safe company. Their fixed wing operation was by far the best, after flying OKADA and others it was a no brainer. That was the situation when I left in 1988, I returned in 1993 for a while and while the conditions were not as good as before, the tech dept gave me no cause for concern.
mtoroshanga.
I too worked in Iran for 5 years in the 70's and with I can't remember how many helicopters in country but a quick check of my logbook comes up with 39 registrations flown. The only time we queried maintanence was after the revolution with a shift in the power base.
The Schreiner of Bob Schreiner was peerless, I am proud to have known the man and enjoyed my time with Schreiner all over the world. As soon as the faceless money men came in the personal touch went, and when the Canadian folk took over Schreiner died along with its name. Only the memories linger on.
Last edited by check; 12th Mar 2010 at 19:29.
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BELL 412 Down-Nigeria
A Bell 412 operated by Bristow Helicopters carried out a precautionary landing on Friday (16th April) after suffering double engine failure. Aircraft was on a maintenance test flight. No injuries or casualty reported.
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BRAVO!
Well said Redragon! Amazing how soon we forget who ran the show before CHC. Are we the only ones that actually worked in Nigeria while the rest of these clowns sat on their ass? Aero contractors as good as CHC.....get with the program mtoroshanga. Let CHC take over the helicopter division and get rid of the three ring circus SASless. We all know that most Aero Contractor employees are a few nuggets short of a "Happy Meal".
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Hi new to this forum.......
I was wondering if info was available with ref to the shell contract Nigeria. Has it been announced yet?
I am asking because i'm looking for a new job and i am wondering who i will be sending my cv too.
Thanks
I was wondering if info was available with ref to the shell contract Nigeria. Has it been announced yet?
I am asking because i'm looking for a new job and i am wondering who i will be sending my cv too.
Thanks
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No it has not been decided yet, but will at end of may (hopefully). The commercial tenders from Bristow and Caverton/Dancopter are in the hands of Shell, and who knows who they will decide to go along with 
Bottom line is whoever wins the contract, they will need from some up to a lot of new pilots. It is a big contract
Your best chance is to have the TR for the heli that is required in the contract, but a plus is of course (as always) offshore/ME experience. But sending an application without, never hurts.....
Tango
Bottom line is whoever wins the contract, they will need from some up to a lot of new pilots. It is a big contract
Your best chance is to have the TR for the heli that is required in the contract, but a plus is of course (as always) offshore/ME experience. But sending an application without, never hurts.....
Tango
Last edited by Tango123; 19th Apr 2010 at 12:32. Reason: spelling error
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Can anyone shed more light on the story going about that CHC has stopped flying and that ACN is for all intents and purposes dead in the water?
Aero seeks FG's assistance to halt grounding over $200 million debt to Oceanic Bank
Aero seeks FG's assistance to halt grounding over $200 million debt to Oceanic Bank
The crisis enveloping the local aviation industry is deepening with two of the top operators - Aero Contractors and Virgin Nigeria - now mired in corporate instability that is threatening to ground their operations.
Following the inability of Aero Contractors and Oceanic Bank plc to agree on the terms of payment and servicing of $200 million credit facility granted to the airline for aircraft acquisition, the airline on Monday said it has approached the Minister of Aviation, Fidelia Njeze, National Security Adviser (NSA) Aliyu Gusau and Harold Demuren, director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), to intervene in the matter, which they see as capable of grounding its operations if not resolved immediately.
And at Virgin Nigeria Airways (VNA) which was bought over by Jimoh Ibrahim, group managing director of NICON Group, its managing director, Dapo Olumide, has resigned his appointment with the airline. This is a fall out of the buy over of the airline by Ibrahim at a cost of $5 million at the weekend. Following the weekend takeover, the new management immediately redeployed the airline's executive director of finance, who was earlier seconded to the airline from UBA, the airline's former creditor.
"He (Olumide) is definitely leaving and the industry is concerned about this", the source said. Aero Contractors, one of the major indigenous airlines, is locked in a negotiation with Oceanic Bank over the attempt to convert the credit terms for the acquisition of new planes into loans.
Dapo Olumide
The credit facility was for the acquisition of some Boeing 737 aircraft for the airline's operations. Aero is known for its regional and strong presence in domestic operations with its strong fleet. The new management of the bank which was appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) after a bail out had sought to convert the terms for the acquisition of the new aircraft into loans.
"Aero has been locked in discussions with its bankers for some months now and it has now reached a point where it is difficult for Aero to operate on these terms. The dilemma centres on the allocation of historical debt. The management teams at Oceanic Bank and Aero have been in constant dialogue about this matter for the past six months. However they have been unable to agree on a resolution that will allow Aero to continue trading as a going concern.
"Regrettably Oceanic took unilateral decisions on the morning of Friday 23 April, 2010, which have effectively prevented Aero from paying her suppliers and lessors , including Canadian Helicopter Company (CHC)," the airline said.
It has therefore approached Njeze, Gusau and Demuren "in the belief that they will intervene as an arbitrating party between Aero and Oceanic", the airline said. Shaf Sayed, managing director of Aero, stated that the airline needs to complete the full cycle of turn-around that was started last year, adding that the company has a new management with a new vision, and is in the process of bearing the fruits of financial success.
"Despite the difficult situation that Aero finds itself in today, I am sure the strategic importance of Aero Contractors to the national economy will be appreciated and good sense will prevail all around. We have every confidence that Aero will be able to set itself on a good platform and we look forward to a bright future, serving a third of the Nigerian Oil & Gas industry and 1.5 million passengers each year", he said. Olumide joined Virgin Nigeria in November 2008 as chief commercial officer after a stint as a banker with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), specifically in the area of transport infrastructure project development. Dele Ore, an aviation consultant, who reacted to the development expressed worry that the airline's lot might go worse at the exit of Olumide.
"As far as I am concerned, Virgin Nigeria is the best run airline in Nigeria and has met IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) requirements. To me, that is an airline that is qualified to be an airline in Nigeria. "So if Olumide was able to sustain and maintain it, we should say that we commend his effort. If he leaves nobody is indispensable though, but to me it will be a very sad story and we will be going in circles and that airline will be worse off for it", he said.
Chris Aligbe, another analyst noted that though it would be difficult for him to predict the consequence of Olumide's exit, "he and his team met a very bad situation and they have battled all their lives to salvage that situation. If it were not for the albatross of the debts accumulated by Virgin Group, the Nigerian Eagle would have stood out clearly, showing that people who know what they are doing are in place; they have a good roadmap and they were battling to stay on that road map.
Following the inability of Aero Contractors and Oceanic Bank plc to agree on the terms of payment and servicing of $200 million credit facility granted to the airline for aircraft acquisition, the airline on Monday said it has approached the Minister of Aviation, Fidelia Njeze, National Security Adviser (NSA) Aliyu Gusau and Harold Demuren, director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), to intervene in the matter, which they see as capable of grounding its operations if not resolved immediately.
And at Virgin Nigeria Airways (VNA) which was bought over by Jimoh Ibrahim, group managing director of NICON Group, its managing director, Dapo Olumide, has resigned his appointment with the airline. This is a fall out of the buy over of the airline by Ibrahim at a cost of $5 million at the weekend. Following the weekend takeover, the new management immediately redeployed the airline's executive director of finance, who was earlier seconded to the airline from UBA, the airline's former creditor.
"He (Olumide) is definitely leaving and the industry is concerned about this", the source said. Aero Contractors, one of the major indigenous airlines, is locked in a negotiation with Oceanic Bank over the attempt to convert the credit terms for the acquisition of new planes into loans.
Dapo OlumideThe credit facility was for the acquisition of some Boeing 737 aircraft for the airline's operations. Aero is known for its regional and strong presence in domestic operations with its strong fleet. The new management of the bank which was appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) after a bail out had sought to convert the terms for the acquisition of the new aircraft into loans.
"Aero has been locked in discussions with its bankers for some months now and it has now reached a point where it is difficult for Aero to operate on these terms. The dilemma centres on the allocation of historical debt. The management teams at Oceanic Bank and Aero have been in constant dialogue about this matter for the past six months. However they have been unable to agree on a resolution that will allow Aero to continue trading as a going concern.
"Regrettably Oceanic took unilateral decisions on the morning of Friday 23 April, 2010, which have effectively prevented Aero from paying her suppliers and lessors , including Canadian Helicopter Company (CHC)," the airline said.
It has therefore approached Njeze, Gusau and Demuren "in the belief that they will intervene as an arbitrating party between Aero and Oceanic", the airline said. Shaf Sayed, managing director of Aero, stated that the airline needs to complete the full cycle of turn-around that was started last year, adding that the company has a new management with a new vision, and is in the process of bearing the fruits of financial success.
"Despite the difficult situation that Aero finds itself in today, I am sure the strategic importance of Aero Contractors to the national economy will be appreciated and good sense will prevail all around. We have every confidence that Aero will be able to set itself on a good platform and we look forward to a bright future, serving a third of the Nigerian Oil & Gas industry and 1.5 million passengers each year", he said. Olumide joined Virgin Nigeria in November 2008 as chief commercial officer after a stint as a banker with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), specifically in the area of transport infrastructure project development. Dele Ore, an aviation consultant, who reacted to the development expressed worry that the airline's lot might go worse at the exit of Olumide.
"As far as I am concerned, Virgin Nigeria is the best run airline in Nigeria and has met IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) requirements. To me, that is an airline that is qualified to be an airline in Nigeria. "So if Olumide was able to sustain and maintain it, we should say that we commend his effort. If he leaves nobody is indispensable though, but to me it will be a very sad story and we will be going in circles and that airline will be worse off for it", he said.
Chris Aligbe, another analyst noted that though it would be difficult for him to predict the consequence of Olumide's exit, "he and his team met a very bad situation and they have battled all their lives to salvage that situation. If it were not for the albatross of the debts accumulated by Virgin Group, the Nigerian Eagle would have stood out clearly, showing that people who know what they are doing are in place; they have a good roadmap and they were battling to stay on that road map.
AERO finished
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It seems that Aero is still flying its scheduled services but all contract aircraft leased from CHC are grounded because CHC hasn't been paid.
Virgin/Nigeria Eagle is still flying but the MD resigned last night: V/NE and Aero may both be grounded tomorrow unless the federal government bails them out.
Lots of unhappy rig workers with no offshore helicopters flying: Bristow has only a very limited capacity to be able to help. Night medevac is unlikely to be covered, watch this space.
The farce seems to stem from CHC's attitude since they took over from Schreiner, with the Ibru family then getting involved where they'd previously left things to Schreiner
Virgin/Nigeria Eagle is still flying but the MD resigned last night: V/NE and Aero may both be grounded tomorrow unless the federal government bails them out.
Lots of unhappy rig workers with no offshore helicopters flying: Bristow has only a very limited capacity to be able to help. Night medevac is unlikely to be covered, watch this space.
The farce seems to stem from CHC's attitude since they took over from Schreiner, with the Ibru family then getting involved where they'd previously left things to Schreiner