Afghanistan Civil Helicopter Ops
Join Date: Jun 2006
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If You have a wife you still like and kids...i wouldnt come here.
You will get shot at...and probably more times than you realize. The weather in winter is difficult particularly because of freezing rain and low vis. Weather in summer and this time of year is low vis especially in Kabul and eastern areas. Although this year I cant complain so far. There are many russian crews here...they radio work from them is nothing short of shockingly poor...and flight skill not far behind....you need to watch for them constantly.
The mountainous east and north is as you would expect from any seriously large mountain ranges...so if you would like to come it may be better if you have or gain experience in this arena. there is a lot of high altitude routes.
There is booze, if you are in Kabul....but should you go out at night its a good idea to tag along with your security people.....probably safer to stay indoors...and there are no guarantees of safety there either.
Every month or so a helicopter is brassed up....sometimes with fatal endings sometimes not.
You will get the runs not long after you arrive...thats a given. Kabul has more human waste in the atmosphere than any other city in the world...( Told to me personally by an individual who was sent here to test for air quality)there are open sewers lining roads. there are guns everywhere...and there is regular suicide bombers or car bombs.
Over to you guys...some love the place...you may come here and return home safely and then again you may not.....
You will get shot at...and probably more times than you realize. The weather in winter is difficult particularly because of freezing rain and low vis. Weather in summer and this time of year is low vis especially in Kabul and eastern areas. Although this year I cant complain so far. There are many russian crews here...they radio work from them is nothing short of shockingly poor...and flight skill not far behind....you need to watch for them constantly.
The mountainous east and north is as you would expect from any seriously large mountain ranges...so if you would like to come it may be better if you have or gain experience in this arena. there is a lot of high altitude routes.
There is booze, if you are in Kabul....but should you go out at night its a good idea to tag along with your security people.....probably safer to stay indoors...and there are no guarantees of safety there either.
Every month or so a helicopter is brassed up....sometimes with fatal endings sometimes not.
You will get the runs not long after you arrive...thats a given. Kabul has more human waste in the atmosphere than any other city in the world...( Told to me personally by an individual who was sent here to test for air quality)there are open sewers lining roads. there are guns everywhere...and there is regular suicide bombers or car bombs.
Over to you guys...some love the place...you may come here and return home safely and then again you may not.....
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Russian crews
Not only are the Russian crews radio work poor, they outright lie about where they are on position reports and even when they don't they are way off from where they actually are.
Most of commercialy operated MTVs have some kind of position report HW either civilan or NATO one.... so lies are relative things....
Russiian Flight skills?!, is not questionable, afrer all they are there in ops 20Y ++ , English language is, try with Eussian than, Votka is real issue only
Russiian Flight skills?!, is not questionable, afrer all they are there in ops 20Y ++ , English language is, try with Eussian than, Votka is real issue only
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Hey Rick 1128....You hit the nail right on the head there!
And 9Aplus.....load of rubbish...because a nationality has operated in an area for 20+ years...does not inherently pass along skill.....That is whether any skill existed in the first place....and with observation, I doubt it.
They do, I agree have skill with vodka, perhaps far too much....and that skill is in the eyes of the beholder...To the rest of us they appear a sad and inept sight indeed.....
And 9Aplus.....load of rubbish...because a nationality has operated in an area for 20+ years...does not inherently pass along skill.....That is whether any skill existed in the first place....and with observation, I doubt it.
They do, I agree have skill with vodka, perhaps far too much....and that skill is in the eyes of the beholder...To the rest of us they appear a sad and inept sight indeed.....
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I have worked with russian crews in Balkan operations and in Sudan...
Sometimes they think.....different..
When eastern pilots add twice the safety margin, they take one-if necessary.
Once you understand their way of thinking, it is okay to work with them..
But if you work with them-leave the wodka and stay with beer.....believe me-it is better for you!
Sometimes they think.....different..
When eastern pilots add twice the safety margin, they take one-if necessary.
Once you understand their way of thinking, it is okay to work with them..
But if you work with them-leave the wodka and stay with beer.....believe me-it is better for you!
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What to expect as a civilian helicopter driver in Afghanistan
I might get the chance to go to there later in the year but I need some input from you guys who have been there or are there at the moment.
I didnt find the info in the other posts about Afghanistan so here are some questions I would hope someone would please answer.
- What kind of flights are being done by the civilian operators there. (CHL etc) Is it mostly moving crew and supplies?
- Should you expect to get shot at a lot?
- Do the aircraft have armed personnel on board on every flight?
- What kind of accommodation is there?
- And what is the average pay per day?
Any useful info would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Bonzo
I didnt find the info in the other posts about Afghanistan so here are some questions I would hope someone would please answer.
- What kind of flights are being done by the civilian operators there. (CHL etc) Is it mostly moving crew and supplies?
- Should you expect to get shot at a lot?
- Do the aircraft have armed personnel on board on every flight?
- What kind of accommodation is there?
- And what is the average pay per day?
Any useful info would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Bonzo
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And what is the average pay per day?
If you have to ask that question, it looks like you´re far away from getting a job down there-otherwise you would already know...
Afghanistan has been and still is a hostile environment-and a high-risk danger area.
It is not only the flying that is dangerous over there-even BEING there is dangerous.
You´ll find yourself in the bunker several times on your rotation because you have incoming rockets into the camp-if you´re lucky enough to make it to the bunker before the impacts...
Lot´s of people work over there-most of them are getting back home in one piece and healthy..
Others don´t...
Unfortunately, nobody can foresee which category you´ll join.....
Join Date: Dec 2011
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greetings
Hello folks,well another year almost complete lets hope the new one brings happyness for us all.
Me well just another guy hopeing to follow a dream and fly commercially ex mil not aviation working in one of the hotspots of the world beginning with Afg,doing security contracting .
so my question is to those who may be in the know what companys are working out this way besides evergreen ,exion, dyncorp, seen a few red and white ch46 flying about.
Why well just investigating what work options may be available for a crew member who has all his psd qualifications and 5 years experience working in the country and is also taking the plunge towards qualification for a proffessional rotary licence during his leave rotations.
Yep it is a lot of questions but if you dont ask you dont get am also trawling previous posts to see if that reveals a few gems of info.
Well thats all for now folks any assistance greatly appreciated just leaves me to wish you all a slightly early happy new year.
Regards Steve
Me well just another guy hopeing to follow a dream and fly commercially ex mil not aviation working in one of the hotspots of the world beginning with Afg,doing security contracting .
so my question is to those who may be in the know what companys are working out this way besides evergreen ,exion, dyncorp, seen a few red and white ch46 flying about.
Why well just investigating what work options may be available for a crew member who has all his psd qualifications and 5 years experience working in the country and is also taking the plunge towards qualification for a proffessional rotary licence during his leave rotations.
Yep it is a lot of questions but if you dont ask you dont get am also trawling previous posts to see if that reveals a few gems of info.
Well thats all for now folks any assistance greatly appreciated just leaves me to wish you all a slightly early happy new year.
Regards Steve
Join Date: Dec 2011
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Afghanistan contract jobs
I recently left Afghanistan.
Yes, most operators have contracts with Department of Defense and require US citizenship in order to process a security clearance.
They include, but not limited to:
Dyncorp: CH-46, Bell 212 - Kabul and Kandahar
Evergreen: 214 / Puma Kandahar
AAR Airlift Group: S-61 - Kabul, Kandahar, various other locations
CHL has S-61 in Masir Sharif.
I am now in Iraq: for the post about Everett Aviation, there are 2 BK-117 flying here out of Bahgdad. We have talked briefly with the Everett Pilots. Sorry, no other info.
If you can go there, you must consider quality of life (living conditions), work rotation, and of course, money and benefits. As it varies from one to another.
My opinion, it is not as dangerous as some here have expressed. But then I have been there many years, and I have been shot at. Just not often.
Yes, most operators have contracts with Department of Defense and require US citizenship in order to process a security clearance.
They include, but not limited to:
Dyncorp: CH-46, Bell 212 - Kabul and Kandahar
Evergreen: 214 / Puma Kandahar
AAR Airlift Group: S-61 - Kabul, Kandahar, various other locations
CHL has S-61 in Masir Sharif.
I am now in Iraq: for the post about Everett Aviation, there are 2 BK-117 flying here out of Bahgdad. We have talked briefly with the Everett Pilots. Sorry, no other info.
If you can go there, you must consider quality of life (living conditions), work rotation, and of course, money and benefits. As it varies from one to another.
My opinion, it is not as dangerous as some here have expressed. But then I have been there many years, and I have been shot at. Just not often.
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Afghanistan Ops
As to the requirement for US citizenship, we have a lot of chaps from South Africa, Holland, Germany etc flying on various contracts. It all depends on the company. USAID and UN have lots of aircraft in theater although most of the rotary assets there at MI-8.
There are also lots of shady companies flying fixed wing here.
While is can be sporty, most Afghans had enough of war and want to survive themselves. Having spent time in Africa, Afghanistan is not as bad as some other places in the late 80's and 90's.
There are also lots of shady companies flying fixed wing here.
While is can be sporty, most Afghans had enough of war and want to survive themselves. Having spent time in Africa, Afghanistan is not as bad as some other places in the late 80's and 90's.
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DOD Contracts Keep U.S. Helicopter Operators Busy in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, soldiers still pull the trigger. Civilian contractors do almost everything else. While the U.S. and its allies may be preparing for a troop draw-down there next year, for the contractors flying an assortment of 50 helicopters in country, things have never been busier or better.
This eclectic fleet, everything from well worn Russian Mi-8s to almost brand-new Sikorsky S-92s, hauls troops, support personnel, supplies, ammunition and the mail from seven main bases to the forward operating bases and areas in some of the most difficult conditions imaginable. Pilots fly nine to ten hours a day, six days a week, in mostly un-air-conditioned, older helicopters such as the 50-year-old Sikorsky S-61, in an environment where the ubiquitous fine dust clogs engines and other moving parts, in mountainous terrain with highly changeable weather and extreme temperatures–from below freezing with horizontal snow to 120 degrees F. Occasionally, they get shot at. Once in a while they crash. Rarely, they die.
The helicopters are generally kept out in the open and that is where the maintenance is done no matter the weather. The helicopters fly hard, from 100 to 270 hours a month. The avionics–for the most part are VFR basic: upgraded radios and GPS. The pilots, crew and staff live on the same bases as the troops and eat the same food, housed in everything from furnished barracks to bare-bones tents and no indoor plumbing. They rotate in for 28- to 60-day shifts, then 28 to 30 days’ leave. Some have flown there before–in uniform, often with multiple tours of duty, but for significantly less pay.
The individual pay and contractor company revenues are lucrative, substantially above the civil rate in the U.S., reflecting operational costs and risks. Last year six civil helicopter companies–AAR Airlift, Canadian Helicopters, Columbia Helicopters, Construction Helicopters, Evergreen Helicopters and Vertical De Aviacion–received $417.9 million for their work in Afghanistan. This year that amount is expected to grow to $783.2 million, according to the Pentagon. A combination of new construction projects and the draw-down are keeping the rotors spinning. The new facilities are being custom built for forces anticipated to remain after next year, and they are likely to require civilian airlift support for years, if not decades, to come.
DOD Contracts Keep U.S. Helicopter Operators Busy in Afghanistan | Aviation International News
In Afghanistan, soldiers still pull the trigger. Civilian contractors do almost everything else. While the U.S. and its allies may be preparing for a troop draw-down there next year, for the contractors flying an assortment of 50 helicopters in country, things have never been busier or better.
This eclectic fleet, everything from well worn Russian Mi-8s to almost brand-new Sikorsky S-92s, hauls troops, support personnel, supplies, ammunition and the mail from seven main bases to the forward operating bases and areas in some of the most difficult conditions imaginable. Pilots fly nine to ten hours a day, six days a week, in mostly un-air-conditioned, older helicopters such as the 50-year-old Sikorsky S-61, in an environment where the ubiquitous fine dust clogs engines and other moving parts, in mountainous terrain with highly changeable weather and extreme temperatures–from below freezing with horizontal snow to 120 degrees F. Occasionally, they get shot at. Once in a while they crash. Rarely, they die.
The helicopters are generally kept out in the open and that is where the maintenance is done no matter the weather. The helicopters fly hard, from 100 to 270 hours a month. The avionics–for the most part are VFR basic: upgraded radios and GPS. The pilots, crew and staff live on the same bases as the troops and eat the same food, housed in everything from furnished barracks to bare-bones tents and no indoor plumbing. They rotate in for 28- to 60-day shifts, then 28 to 30 days’ leave. Some have flown there before–in uniform, often with multiple tours of duty, but for significantly less pay.
The individual pay and contractor company revenues are lucrative, substantially above the civil rate in the U.S., reflecting operational costs and risks. Last year six civil helicopter companies–AAR Airlift, Canadian Helicopters, Columbia Helicopters, Construction Helicopters, Evergreen Helicopters and Vertical De Aviacion–received $417.9 million for their work in Afghanistan. This year that amount is expected to grow to $783.2 million, according to the Pentagon. A combination of new construction projects and the draw-down are keeping the rotors spinning. The new facilities are being custom built for forces anticipated to remain after next year, and they are likely to require civilian airlift support for years, if not decades, to come.
DOD Contracts Keep U.S. Helicopter Operators Busy in Afghanistan | Aviation International News
Join Date: May 2012
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Do You Know Anything Abt the Tryco Mi-8 That Crashed on July 26 2006?
Hi Afghan Stan. This is Patricia in San Francisco ex pat Kiwi. You mentioned that you were in AFG flying in the mountains etc. Do you know anything at all about the Tryco helicopter that flew into the side of a mountain on July 26 2006? All 12 passengers and the crew were killed? If you have any information or have flown the route - which was between Kabul and khost - send me an email. [email protected] ph 415 977 1107 skype if pbarlowsf
Thanks Also I am interested in the weather in the mountains in AFG.
Patricia Barlow
Thanks Also I am interested in the weather in the mountains in AFG.
Patricia Barlow