Afghanistan Work
 

I might have rocks in my head but I am having a time trying to track down operators servicing the Afghan contracts.

I know CHL have a contract and a couple of the middle east operators.

Who knows if anyone is looking for drivers at the moment? I have plenty of 212 time and I hear that is the machine of choice over there. Can anyone help with a push in the right direction?

Cheers guys.

CB

US State Dept Huey IIs are operated by DynCorp out of Patrick AFB in FL.

Presidential Airways just bought 6 or 7 of Carsons 61s for a Heavy Lift contract in Afghanistan.

PANH - operate the Mi-26 down in Kandahar for UN.

Afghan Ops
 

As has been said there are several different aircraft types in civil helicopter ops in Afghanistan. Most common are MI-8's and 212's, so if it's 212 ops you're interested in you may have a chance. The two current truly civilian operators are Aerogulf (Dubai based) and, as you mentioned, CHL. Some of the operators of 212's (i.e. Dyncorp) are definitely not true "civilian operators" when it comes to Afghan ops.

In the case of CHL, the contract is brand new -- just getting going this week -- and involves 3 B212's operating under a US DOD contract. Because it's a new contract there will likely be openings as some crew find out quickly (on ther first rotation) that it's not for them. So, if I were you, I would call CHL in Vancouver and have a chat with them. If you have mountain flying experience and skills they will be much more interested in you. If you have experience in harsh environments (meaning conflict or post conflict, as opposed to weather) you'll move even higher up their list.

Calling Aerogulf in the UAE may also be worthwhile.

Good luck to you . . .

Grizz

Might want to check but Its not Aerogulf that is working in Afghanistan It is probably A company from down the road in Abu Dhabi, Also If you want to inquire at CHL you will have to call The Edmonton base, Its CHC in Vancouver. Good luck to anybody crazy enough to go over there, Fly safe

kflexer
 

Maybe you're right -- it was Aerogulf at one time, but maybe it's Gulf Air now -- whoever it is they have a 212 or two in Kabul.

If you're in PNG, you'll also know it was Pacific for a while in Kabul. And that was an interesting operation!

Grizz

Ok, I'll bite, what were Pacific up to in Kabul?

Mmmmm ...

Getting into deep, deep sh1t !

It really did end in tears ...... (and the evidence with all the bullet holes is in Abu Dhabi).


:(




BTW ... Its ADA that has an a/c there NOT Aerogulf. Anybody thinking of going there better know the odds! :=

Heliringer
 

Here's an excerpt from a post I put on this forum seven months ago:

"Getting info on the actual owners of civil R/W aircraft operating in Afghanistan can be tricky for several reasons. First, a lot of companies don't really want the fact widely known or discussed (for obvious reasons -- it's a war zone). Second, all but one or two of the helos are working on UN or US gov't contracts. For the UN, that usually means MI-8's from Russian or East European companies. Ironically, more and more of the US gov't contracts also use the MI-8's. There are a couple of reasons for that (including, as you would know, a worldwide shortage of the usual "western" helicopter types) but the main reason is this: For the last year it's been nigh impossible for operators of western-made or owned helicopters to get insurance coverage.

And the reason for that is simple: Of four helicopters under contract to USAID in the past four years, none made it out of Afghanistan intact. (All were 212's btw.) Two were lost in accidents (the latest one being the Tasman aircraft mentioned by Bell4can) and two were the result of acts of war. For information purposes (and in order of their demise) the aircraft lost were owned/operated by: Gulf Helicopters, Pacific Helicopters of PNG (two aircraft), and Tasman of Vancouver.

Neither Tasman nor Pacific will return to Afghanistan. In April 2007, as a result of Pacific losing their second 212, underwriters more than tripled the cost of insurance (which was already very expensive). Early this year, when the Tasman machine was written off, most underwriters said, 'That’s it. We will not cover your machines in Afghanistan.' So most operators no longer bid on Afghanistan contracts."
_______________

If anybody is going to "do it right" it will be CHL under their new DoD contract. Luckily for them, some of the people involved in this contract are experienced in Afghanistan -- and are well aware of the fact that three of the four B212 losses I mentioned in my post from last year could have been prevented (maybe all four) by following appropriate safety and security SOP's.

If anyone wants to know what was going on, they'll have to buy a few beers for some ex Pacific, or Tasman, or AirServ crews. Or wait for the book or the movie . . .

Grizz

CB
 

I just got an update on curent 212 ops. As of this week, Abu Dhabi has one machine on a "PRT" (Provincial Reconstruction Teams") contract, Pacific (PNG) is back with one machine on contract to LBG ("The Louis Berger Group") through a USAID contract, and CHL is there with the 3 machines I mentioned earlier.

If you get an offer and/or want specific info on the types of ops for each (and the safety/security implications of each) send me a PM.

Grizz

Pacific Helicopters PNG are not in Afghanistan at present.

Spinwing is right on... A very good friend of many pruners here returned in a box from there not so long ago. I beleive they were there on a civvy aid/rebuild project.... Matters not to the taliban who will shoot at anything and scratch their nuts later.... :eek:

Why anybody would want to go there is beyond me :ugh:

granny
 

Check your PM's

Grizz

I believe ADA still have a project there, talked to an old south african a couple of months ago, on 212, If I remember rightly they were going to pay $5000 a week on a 6 week on 6 week off basis, could stand corrected as got a bad memory. He saw the light and went to oman.

fluffy

Mmmmm ...

Fluffy ..... a bit more to that story than meets the eye ... old SA Gent no longer in ADA employ! :eek:

Cheers :E

Griffo,

As long as one can shoot back there might be a deal in the making! Not!

You have to be alive to spend the big bucks.....that is the rub in "good paying" contracts.

The only equipment Pacific have in Afghan is a container of spare parts & equipment,which we can't get out...be well gone by now!!!!

bravo hotel
 

I can only tell you that the last time I saw that container, it was being "guarded" by Afghan security guards. But I noticed that the small "garden tractor" that had been in it was being used as a bowser tug by Dyncorp! If I were you I would assume that some entrpreneurial Afghan has built a small house from the proceeds of the container . . .

AFGHAN helicopters
 

Hello,
Can anyone point me in the right direction as to who flies helicopters in Afghanistan?

The military :E

I it was civilian, my guess is Evergreen.

LK