Damascus Int'l [OSDI] humanitarian EVAC - what to expect?
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Damascus Int'l [OSDI] humanitarian EVAC - what to expect?
good morning.
having been roostered to get some folks out of damascus i could use some first hand information on the local ops since it's no part of our usual route network.
- how much chaos to expect?
- will enough fuel for all be available?
- general standard of ATC and airport operations
- preferential RWY & app type
- lights, RWY surface quality
- best choice alternate (not BEY.) and distance
- special nastys, hazards & tricks e.g. low alt wind changes, bird population or likeliness of total elec black out etc
please no discussion about hezbollah rocket range or what bush said to blair last week.
thanks for all usefull replies.
having been roostered to get some folks out of damascus i could use some first hand information on the local ops since it's no part of our usual route network.
- how much chaos to expect?
- will enough fuel for all be available?
- general standard of ATC and airport operations
- preferential RWY & app type
- lights, RWY surface quality
- best choice alternate (not BEY.) and distance
- special nastys, hazards & tricks e.g. low alt wind changes, bird population or likeliness of total elec black out etc
please no discussion about hezbollah rocket range or what bush said to blair last week.
thanks for all usefull replies.
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Chaos - not much more than usual.
Lots of fuel
ATC not the best, follow full procedures and you'll insulate yourself against a lot of their screw ups.
26L VOR DME or Visual but the STARS keep you high and the altitude adds a little to TAS so it is easy to screw up. (26R shut at mo)
Lights ok, runway ok
OJAI/OJAM <100nm
I was there a couple of days ago and go again this week!
Lots of fuel
ATC not the best, follow full procedures and you'll insulate yourself against a lot of their screw ups.
26L VOR DME or Visual but the STARS keep you high and the altitude adds a little to TAS so it is easy to screw up. (26R shut at mo)
Lights ok, runway ok
OJAI/OJAM <100nm
I was there a couple of days ago and go again this week!
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thanks mate!just got this from dispatch:
------- OSDI / DAM / DAMASCUS 1/2312-0112 DEST
03 OSDI 17JUL06 0640 - PERM OS1A0075/2006
RWY 23R/05L REOPENED WITH NEW SPECIFICATIONS :
LEN 3600M
WID WO SHOULDER 45M
WID AS WHOLE 60M.
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23L or O5R for landing, all or both ILS been off the air for months, check your NOTAMS. Also VOR off the air, probably do the NDB app. have radar but will not give you vectors at all, military thing. high ground, airport elevation around 1600-1800ft. weather is gen good, cavok alot of the time but if arriving at sun set landing R/W 23 with HZ can be a b**ch when doing a visual. bird activity is medium, can get the odd flock but havn't heard of it being too much of a problem. expect them to change runways at the last min, get all panicy and gen just do a rubbish job when dealing with you on the frequency, like may forget to give you landing clearence untill you ask for it. wind can get gusty so expect high power settings or to be chasing ur speed all the way down. on ground all facilities are avail. not that bad, ground staff are trained and are norm not a prob. altn't will be amman, jordan. good airfield, similar to damascus but better over all. have ILS and controllers are better. other altn't will be i guess aleppo, syria. havn't been but i think its a VOR/DME app. heard the same head aches as DAM so be on ur toes but gen over all it can go smooth if u prepare for every thing, i.e all runways and do what you have to do to get the aircraft in a position to land safely, take every thing centre, approach and tower say with a pinch of salt.
safe flying!
safe flying!
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An accurate summary from Ghostflyer.
Last weekend there were inbound holding delays so I would recommend arrivng with loads of "gas". Apron parking slots were full up, so aircraft were parked on an adjacent taxiway. There is a military airfield a few miles to the south west, which is visible from the holding pattern.
Don't expect a rapid "turnround" so why don't you take a few minutes and visit the best value duty free shop in the region. The Remy Martin is a bargain.
Last weekend there were inbound holding delays so I would recommend arrivng with loads of "gas". Apron parking slots were full up, so aircraft were parked on an adjacent taxiway. There is a military airfield a few miles to the south west, which is visible from the holding pattern.
Don't expect a rapid "turnround" so why don't you take a few minutes and visit the best value duty free shop in the region. The Remy Martin is a bargain.
Last friday evening we had holding delays of about 15 minutes (ATIS annouced inbound delays of 7 minutes), but that was with only one runway (23L, VOR/DME approach) open. Approach, tower, ground and startup guidance were all done on the same frequency, apparantly by a single controller, who (surprise!) sounded just a little bit overloaded. 
At the time ground ops were rather chaotic, with lots of waiting airplanes everywhere and parking guidance by an apparantly untrained marshaller who used some wonderful improvised gestures to guide us to our parking spot. Be cautious!
However, when we left again on monday, around midnight, the second runway had been re-opened and apart from a delayed start-up clearance we didn't experience any difficulties. Departed from runway 23L, VOR/DME arrivals at the time on the re-opened runway 23R.
At the time ground ops were rather chaotic, with lots of waiting airplanes everywhere and parking guidance by an apparantly untrained marshaller who used some wonderful improvised gestures to guide us to our parking spot. Be cautious!However, when we left again on monday, around midnight, the second runway had been re-opened and apart from a delayed start-up clearance we didn't experience any difficulties. Departed from runway 23L, VOR/DME arrivals at the time on the re-opened runway 23R.
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Ah yes, good 'ole Damascus, always quite interesting.
Was flying there most of last year and the ATC can indeed be interesting, just like many years ago, when I received the folllowing ATC instruction...cleared direct DAL, cleared for ILS23R approach, localizer out of service.
The co-pilot (who was flying) looked quite puzzled...'how can we do an ILS with the localizer OTS?'
I could only say...'we clearly can't, so do the NDB letdown.'
Which he promptly did to perfection, in very nasty winter weather.
It also turned out much better than Alitalia just ahead of us, who seemed just a tad confused with his approach, and promptly headed for the aforementioned military field just to the southwest (where the VOR is located...which hasn't worked since about 1984).
Oh yes, the duty free.
A really nice selection, but even worth the visit if you don't want to buy anything as the young ladies are VERY good looking, and certainly well developed...it must be something in the local water
Was flying there most of last year and the ATC can indeed be interesting, just like many years ago, when I received the folllowing ATC instruction...cleared direct DAL, cleared for ILS23R approach, localizer out of service.
The co-pilot (who was flying) looked quite puzzled...'how can we do an ILS with the localizer OTS?'
I could only say...'we clearly can't, so do the NDB letdown.'
Which he promptly did to perfection, in very nasty winter weather.
It also turned out much better than Alitalia just ahead of us, who seemed just a tad confused with his approach, and promptly headed for the aforementioned military field just to the southwest (where the VOR is located...which hasn't worked since about 1984).
Oh yes, the duty free.
A really nice selection, but even worth the visit if you don't want to buy anything as the young ladies are VERY good looking, and certainly well developed...it must be something in the local water
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In years past I would always be intercepted on the jetway by a plainclothes policeman while going to OSDI duty free. He would accompany me while I looked at the goods in the shop.
And yes, Syria has some stunning women!
And yes, Syria has some stunning women!
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Yes, Damascus is an interesting place.
I spent about 6 weeks living there back in May/June of '94.
Kuwait Airways had sold their 3 pax B727-200-17R airplanes (they kept the VIP one!), to Syrianair, and I went there to teach the locals the differences in the very late model airplanes they had just bought, for US$1 each!
This was done in appreciation for the military support from Syria during the liberating of Kuwait, and they wanted to 'upgrade' to A320, boy, were they sorry they did that, so, so many problems!
I think it was fair to say that the training process was challenging, we taught both the flight engineers and the captains, the FOs then being upgraded by the captains (at least that was the plan!).
Lived in town near the museum and the central roundabout, just across from the Sheraton, can't recall the name of the hotel.
We were there when President Hasards eldest son was killed in a road accident at the airport, and the whole country went into mourning!
We must have done OK, they haven't lost one yet!
Err, back to the point, I also remember how bad the DAM controllers were, and how a well-placed ordinary pack of playing cards could get you much, much better service with both turnaround cleaning and refueling.
I also recall, after a short ceremony in the Syrianair airport offices, to officially thank the three of us (all Australians), for the flight training, we were then escorted to the airport departure lounge, all smiles and hand shakes. We were then all three body searched before we could board the Kuwait Airways flight, as pax, for the flight back to Kuwait City.
Didn't leave a very good impression of their 'hospitality'.
I spent about 6 weeks living there back in May/June of '94.
Kuwait Airways had sold their 3 pax B727-200-17R airplanes (they kept the VIP one!), to Syrianair, and I went there to teach the locals the differences in the very late model airplanes they had just bought, for US$1 each!
This was done in appreciation for the military support from Syria during the liberating of Kuwait, and they wanted to 'upgrade' to A320, boy, were they sorry they did that, so, so many problems!
I think it was fair to say that the training process was challenging, we taught both the flight engineers and the captains, the FOs then being upgraded by the captains (at least that was the plan!).
Lived in town near the museum and the central roundabout, just across from the Sheraton, can't recall the name of the hotel.
We were there when President Hasards eldest son was killed in a road accident at the airport, and the whole country went into mourning!
We must have done OK, they haven't lost one yet!
Err, back to the point, I also remember how bad the DAM controllers were, and how a well-placed ordinary pack of playing cards could get you much, much better service with both turnaround cleaning and refueling.
I also recall, after a short ceremony in the Syrianair airport offices, to officially thank the three of us (all Australians), for the flight training, we were then escorted to the airport departure lounge, all smiles and hand shakes. We were then all three body searched before we could board the Kuwait Airways flight, as pax, for the flight back to Kuwait City.
Didn't leave a very good impression of their 'hospitality'.
Dog Tired
Indeed,
Flite Detent and I have been there once or twice together.
The teenage thug with a 9mm escorting you to the duty-free is good.
Don't buy the stuffed eagles. If you do, there won't be any left soon.
Halab (Allepo) is good enuff to divert to. Excellent range of used Migs on approach.
G'day FD.
Flite Detent and I have been there once or twice together.
The teenage thug with a 9mm escorting you to the duty-free is good.
Don't buy the stuffed eagles. If you do, there won't be any left soon.
Halab (Allepo) is good enuff to divert to. Excellent range of used Migs on approach.
G'day FD.
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On a similar note, when I used to go there regularly in the 90s (B742F), we'd have "security" running around the maindeck. Jeans, cheapo black leather jackets, AK47s. They never caused any trouble and had the sense to keep out of the way of moving pallets, though I must admit it was a little unnerving at first.
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BEEN THERE. DONE THAT.
oh what a night.
but all went well.
ATC is a little overloaded, running a one man show. some holding, vordme 23L, ils inop. took some time to get stairs, fuel etc pp. turn-arounds between 2-4 hrs. most of those guys down there are currently working 36 hrs straight.
arrival and dep routing via SOFIA wpt east of DAM.
but all went well.
ATC is a little overloaded, running a one man show. some holding, vordme 23L, ils inop. took some time to get stairs, fuel etc pp. turn-arounds between 2-4 hrs. most of those guys down there are currently working 36 hrs straight.
arrival and dep routing via SOFIA wpt east of DAM.
