Finished! Not without some obstacles, but the checkout is complete and the paperwork submitted.
Tower tried to get in the way. Not sure why, but they told us they were unable to approve flight in the local area due to weather. Huh? The weather was decent VFR. Besides, that's not their call, that's the pilot's call. Anyway. We filed a flight plan and went to Magadi, and played with the flamingos. (There was a big flock of them on Lake Magadi that we overflew on base leg).
Denny Dyvig did the checkout for me. He's a great pilot, I always learn something when I fly with him. Probably the biggest learning experience this time was an attitude thing. He reminded me that the reason to do my best isn't the next check ride, or anything else like that. It's that I've got missionaries (and their children) in the back of the plane depending on me to get them where they're going, safely. A good reminder. It's easy, here, to get complacent, and to forget why we do what we do and why we take such care.
Anyway, a good flight, and a good lesson. Oh, his biggest critique on my flying was some suggestions to make radio calls more concise (that's what lead to the rest of the discussion on safety).
14 October 2007
10 October 2007
210 Checkout
I'd gotten used to the 206....A flying pickup truck. The 210 isn't really a sports car, but it's nearly half again as fast as the 206. So I spent about half the flight catching up to the airplane. It's easy to fly, a bit heavier in pitch, much lighter in roll. Zipping across the ridge line south of the Ngong hills is alot of fun at about 100 feet above the ground.
Tomorrow it's more 210 checkout: Short and soft field take offs and landings. The 206 is very capable with short, rough runways. Should be fun.
Next week it looks like I'll be up to Marsabit in the 210, and to Mfangano Island. We're trying to make 1 C210 do the work of 2 C206s. It's going to be a busy plane the next couple months.
Tomorrow it's more 210 checkout: Short and soft field take offs and landings. The 206 is very capable with short, rough runways. Should be fun.
Next week it looks like I'll be up to Marsabit in the 210, and to Mfangano Island. We're trying to make 1 C210 do the work of 2 C206s. It's going to be a busy plane the next couple months.
08 October 2007
Stuff
Just stuff. This week is pretty slow. I check out in the C-210 (retractable landing gear, similar to a C-206 but faster, not quite as good on rough runways). Just in time, too. We're losing 2 of our C-206s for a couple months while the registry is changed from US to Kenya (a Caravan also). AIM Air is hurting a bit for airplanes at the moment. Our one Kenya registered 206 is up in Lokichogio for the most part. We're down to 2 Cessna Caravans, one of which is in Loki, so... Looks like the C-210 will be getting a workout for the next couple months.
I'm finished up with route checks, and about 3/4 of the way through new pilot status. Of 150 hours I have about 115. I need to renew my Kenyan pilot license this month...when you're over 40 the license is only good for 6 months. Hard to believe it's already been that long.
I'm finished up with route checks, and about 3/4 of the way through new pilot status. Of 150 hours I have about 115. I need to renew my Kenyan pilot license this month...when you're over 40 the license is only good for 6 months. Hard to believe it's already been that long.
27 September 2007
Air Ambulance
No plan survives contact with the enemy. Or something like that. Originally the flight was scheduled for Nairobi to Gatab (lower), and back to Nairobi. It got changed later to add a trip to Wamba to drop a man who'd been shot at the Catholic hospital there for surgery. The plan was to overnight at Gatab, since we'd be leaving Nairobi in the afternoon...the people going to Gatab were coming into Jomo Kenyatta airport (the big international airport in Nairobi) from Mombasa at 1130, so a bit of time to get luggage, and get a cab over to Wilson airport. Then we found out the surgeon was leaving Wamba today, so if he was going to do the surgery, the patient would have to be at Wamba on the 26th.
But where to stay at Wamba? (Single engine airplanes aren't allowed to fly at night in Kenya).
Plus there was confusion over which airstrip at Gatab, upper or lower. The people meeting us at Gatab somehow didn't get the word we'd be using the lower airstrip. So we had to wait on them for about an hour while they organized transport for the patient to the lower airstrip, and so on and so on.
Up shot? I stayed in Wamba last night. The Catholic mission there was very very hospitable, and the guest house the nicest I've stayed in. Wamba was great! Many thanks to the people there at Wamba . Also, the man from Gatab got his surgery, probably saving his life.
I sweated over details. God had it all under control and everything worked out fine.
The GPS is possibly the most important piece of kit in the airplane. Certainly it's the piece of gear most simplifies the flight.
We had some visitors at Gatab while we were waiting for the truck to come with my passenger, and the patient for the Wamba hospital, and to pick up the 2 people I'd brought to Gatab.
Unloading the patient at Wamba. I removed the middle and rear seats on one side of the plane so he could lay down, and then rigged a safety harness for him using the cargo tie downs on the floor. Not very comfortable, but given his injuries better than trying to sit in a seat.
But where to stay at Wamba? (Single engine airplanes aren't allowed to fly at night in Kenya).
Plus there was confusion over which airstrip at Gatab, upper or lower. The people meeting us at Gatab somehow didn't get the word we'd be using the lower airstrip. So we had to wait on them for about an hour while they organized transport for the patient to the lower airstrip, and so on and so on.
Up shot? I stayed in Wamba last night. The Catholic mission there was very very hospitable, and the guest house the nicest I've stayed in. Wamba was great! Many thanks to the people there at Wamba . Also, the man from Gatab got his surgery, probably saving his life.
I sweated over details. God had it all under control and everything worked out fine.
The GPS is possibly the most important piece of kit in the airplane. Certainly it's the piece of gear most simplifies the flight.
We had some visitors at Gatab while we were waiting for the truck to come with my passenger, and the patient for the Wamba hospital, and to pick up the 2 people I'd brought to Gatab.
Unloading the patient at Wamba. I removed the middle and rear seats on one side of the plane so he could lay down, and then rigged a safety harness for him using the cargo tie downs on the floor. Not very comfortable, but given his injuries better than trying to sit in a seat.
24 September 2007
Bad roads
We've all complained about bad roads, but .... The photos are of the Juba - Yei road in south Sudan. It's the best road in south Sudan. One of the AIM Air pilots took the pictures lat week, and they're worth 1000 words, easily. They show better than words can tell why AIM Air exists. Anyway...
I don't think I'll be so quick to complain about bad roads again. Or at least not as loudly.
Wednesday I get to help some people dodge some not quite so bad roads...at least the roads to Gatab are passable (though it takes 2 days to go about 275 miles).
J
I don't think I'll be so quick to complain about bad roads again. Or at least not as loudly.
Wednesday I get to help some people dodge some not quite so bad roads...at least the roads to Gatab are passable (though it takes 2 days to go about 275 miles).
J
11 September 2007
Weather
The big bug-a-boo of flying here. I took off to take 2 short term missionaries to Mfangano Island this morning. About 150 feet above the ground things started to turn white. Not good. A low layer of clouds had rolled in on the airport while we were loading the airplane. So I turned back to the airport, buzzed an apartment block on downwind, and landed. Whew.
We tried again about an hour and a half later. I thought I'd go out the south side of the Ngong hills as the terrain is lower that way. Nope. About 6 miles south the clouds were pushing me lower. So I made a U-turn. "Let's try going out the north," I told my passengers. Just 2 miles north of the airport the clouds began to lift, and break up. Another 2 miles and we were in the clear.
The passengers were short-term missionaries from North Carolina, doing evangelism and discipling work on the island. Among their other baggage were three cartons of Bibles in Luo. Alot of the local pastors don't have a Bible. Those three boxes of Bibles ... you can imagine how important they are.
We tried again about an hour and a half later. I thought I'd go out the south side of the Ngong hills as the terrain is lower that way. Nope. About 6 miles south the clouds were pushing me lower. So I made a U-turn. "Let's try going out the north," I told my passengers. Just 2 miles north of the airport the clouds began to lift, and break up. Another 2 miles and we were in the clear.
The passengers were short-term missionaries from North Carolina, doing evangelism and discipling work on the island. Among their other baggage were three cartons of Bibles in Luo. Alot of the local pastors don't have a Bible. Those three boxes of Bibles ... you can imagine how important they are.
09 September 2007
There and Back Again
Extra points if you can identify the quote in the title.
Wednesday it was up early to fly to Logologo, and return late Friday. Saturday it was up early to fly to Rusinga Island, back to Wilson, then on to Mombasa and then back to Wilson.
Logologo went as planned. I have to say, though, that Logologo is rather dull. It's hot, it's dusty, it's hot. Not a great vacation spot, despite what your travel agent may tell you. While I was there the dispensary treated 2 people for snake bites and one boy for scorpion stings.
Saturday turned into a Saturday and Sunday flight. I took 4 people to Rusinga Island in Lake Victoria for a meeting, then 2 of them on to Mombasa (stopping in Nairobi on the way through for fuel). They were late getting back from their meeting and so I'd have been late getting off Mombasa, late enough I'd have run out of daylight on the way home. They were pretty keen to do the flight then, though, so they agreed to the extra cost of putting two pilots up for the night in a hotel in Mombasa. Our chief pilot was along on the Mombasa leg to give me a route check.
So...all my route checks are done! Yay! The flight with the chief pilot was good, and generally went well. He had a few pointers for me, which I took careful note of. Anyway, a good flight if not quite according to the plan.
Wednesday it was up early to fly to Logologo, and return late Friday. Saturday it was up early to fly to Rusinga Island, back to Wilson, then on to Mombasa and then back to Wilson.
Logologo went as planned. I have to say, though, that Logologo is rather dull. It's hot, it's dusty, it's hot. Not a great vacation spot, despite what your travel agent may tell you. While I was there the dispensary treated 2 people for snake bites and one boy for scorpion stings.
Saturday turned into a Saturday and Sunday flight. I took 4 people to Rusinga Island in Lake Victoria for a meeting, then 2 of them on to Mombasa (stopping in Nairobi on the way through for fuel). They were late getting back from their meeting and so I'd have been late getting off Mombasa, late enough I'd have run out of daylight on the way home. They were pretty keen to do the flight then, though, so they agreed to the extra cost of putting two pilots up for the night in a hotel in Mombasa. Our chief pilot was along on the Mombasa leg to give me a route check.
So...all my route checks are done! Yay! The flight with the chief pilot was good, and generally went well. He had a few pointers for me, which I took careful note of. Anyway, a good flight if not quite according to the plan.
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