• Not Sure what you need as far as Paper work?
• Not Sure when is the best time to apply?
• Don't Know where to apply for that great Job?
• Don't Know what medical requirements are needed?
• Why do you need so many Passport photos?
• What aircraft are used?
• Can my girlfriend/ boyfriend get a Job?
• What do I need for Medical Insurance?
• Where are the Best Bars?

My last flight in a Cessna 206 was a charter flight to one of the most spectacular places on earth - Mahale National Park (well that's what I reckon anyway). As there was to be only 3 passengers I was taking along a new pilot to give him some route training. The flight was from one side of Tanzania to the other and back again.
0900 on an October morning in Dar es Salaam, Mike (my co-pilot) and I are both checking over the old 206 checking we have enough oil, making sure all four fuel tanks are full (this model has two axillary tanks, one in each wing tip) and that no local opportunist has stolen my fuel in the middle of the night. Once satisfied and we have our three American passengers aboard we are off without a hitch - airborne at 0945.
With five people on board, bags and 7.5 hours fuel endurance the C206 claws its way up to FL105 whilst skirting around the large prohibited airspace to the Northwest of Dar es Salaam. Happily maintaining FL105 we clear the large mountain range before Dodoma (the inland capital city of Tanzania) and all we now had to worry about was weaving our way around any large build ups of cumulus.
After 4 hours in a loud single engine piston we touch down at a place called 'Tabora' to top up with fuel. This is a small city in the middle of nowhere with basically a zero ex patriot community. I leave Mike to supervise the refueling, the passengers go off to experience the toilets common to these bush cities (holes in the floor) and I wander over to a Cessna Caravan also refueling here. These guys were two acquaintances from a company in Arusha and had just come from Mahale and were on their way back to Arusha. Naturally, as any pilot would do, i ask them what the current weather is like around Mahale. I wasn't at all excited about what he reported, but hey, thunderstorms were only to be expected around Lake Tanganyika at this time of the year.
Juiced up with fuel and the punters on board we were airborne again at 1530 for the 200 nautical miles flight to Mahale on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. About halfway into the flight the horizon is almost entirely black with rank upon rank of cumulonimbus cloud guarding our path, with no weather radar and just out Mark1 eyeballs to navigate our way through the rising terrain and menacing thundering precipitation.
After 45 minutes of zigzagging north and south of track to avoid African thunderstorms all the while flying above unforgiving jungle that looked like tightly packed broccoli from the air, we catch our first glimpse of the ocean sized Lake Tanganyika. This lake is said to hold 18% of the worlds fresh water, is over 600 kilometers long and averages 45 kilometers across.
On approaching the lake edge in comfortable decent (as the weather is now clear over the lake) we scout the mountain valleys that reach to the shore for the airstrip we are to land at. On spotting the strip, assessing the wind and how it is located, I decide I will do this landing and take the controls from Mike, who is more than obliging. With one threshold right on the lake shore, then sloping steeply towards the mountains at the other end and within 1 mile of the inland threshold the terrain rises 5000 feet.
This evening with wind blowing 20 knots in off the lake, I decide to land downhill towards the lake. After passing overhead I turn left onto a tight left downwind up against the valley wall. Then turning onto a tight left base with power right back to idle and with full flap selected, I begin one of those steep approaches that I guess are developed after a 1000 hours in the bush (not an approach to make a habit of ). Straightening onto final approach only 100feet above the ground because of a small ridge that blocks the final approach and flaring on a short downhill strip is not too bad except for the large body of water that looks like it wants to swallow you at the end of the runway. With an average touch down which in a Cessna 206 is a good landing, I brake and slow with ample distance between us and the inviting lake ahead.
Now safely on the ground at around 1725 we are faced with the next decision: are we going to stay here the night or do what operations wants and fly the 200 miles back to Tabora for the night? Now this is critical as when it comes to doing what operations wants you to do and going beyond your own capabilities can be a fine line in trying circumstances. I took the responsibility and decide to stay here in the bush rather than run the gauntlet of storms in the fading light and hope to make Tabora before dark (no runway lighting in Tabora).
With no mobile phone coverage or even a land line out in this back water I hoped the camp had some sort of communications to inform my company of where I was. However, at this moment I wasn't too worried as I was off on a 1.5 hour boat ride to Nomads famous Greystoke Safari Camp where people pay a fortune to come and see the Chimpanzees in the jungle covered mountains along the lake. As we round a small rocky point Mike and I are astonished at the paradise before us as a white sandy beach unfurls like on some tropical island: open thatched bungalows half concealed in the dense jungle that lines the beach and on the beach is a thatched building which I guessed was for lounging, dining and whatever else.
Once we had flicked an email away to operations outlining our situation via satellite at the camp and showered in the Bungalow that Mike and I shared (separate beds of course) we made our way to the rocky point I mentioned earlier, where we were told the bar was located.
In a cleverly disguised bar hidden amongst the trees and rocks we had a couple of beers with cashew nuts, watching the sun go down behind the mountains in the Congo which could be seen across the lake. Perfect way to end the day in absolute style.
All through the early morning hours of the next day thunder and lightning ravaged outside our open bungalow, constantly bathing the landscape in brilliant pink and purple flashes. Only with the morning light did this weather dissipate and by this time, sheltering under great raincoats, Mike and I were being sped by boat back to the airstrip.
This morning the weather was worse than the day before with build ups all around that seemed to reach up to infinity. Aircraft ready, all our fuel still in the tanks, and the two locals we had to watch the plane over night paid we were off by 0800. Today with no passengers on board we pushed on through the weather a little further than we would have had we been carrying paying passengers. With the small 206 getting a battering and in heavy rain we high tailed it back to the airstrip at Mahale before the weather blocked us from behind.
Three hours later sitting on the ground at this remote air strip we heard a aircraft. It was Cessna caravan coming in to drop off passengers for a Lodge further down the lake. This pilot obviously could fill us in on the current weather over the mountains. He reported that the weather isn't very thick and we just had fly a northerly heading initially to pass around a thunderstorm embedded amongst the cloud. Easy for him to say with the luxury of a weather radar.
By this time it was 1100 Mike and I were buckled back into the plane and off we went. Less than five minutes after take off - bang we were in heavy rain and an almighty lightning strike a little too close for company. I turn left 90 degrees and after 30 seconds were out of that messy situation. We were playing with the idea of turning back once again when the Caravan pilot just airborne out of Mahale told me the airstrip had closed in with heavy rain. With our retreat now cut off, I climbed high enough to clear terrain, leveling off at 7500 feet and then pushed on through almost nil visibility whilst going in and out of cloud. After 15 minutes of this, all of a sudden we were out in brilliant sunshine, and what a relief it was! And it was clear for the entire 4.5 hour flight back to Dar es Salaam.
Now that again was just another unforgettable two days of flying in Africa.

One from the bag of 'LUCK!' and one for the bag of 'EXPERIENCE'

One afternoon in a bush air strip called PomPom in the Okavango Delta I dropped off a English couple who were off on their once in a lifetime safari.

After st ar ting the engine of the Cessna 206 I was flying, I did a quick dead cut of the magnetos all was fine. With flaps set, trim set, no aircraft on final approach I lined up and begun my take off roll. Being light on this league I was airborne off the rough dirt strip in not time at all, climbing away for the short 20 minute hop back to Maun.

At 200 feet above the ground it all went wrong, the throaty ro ar of the 6 cylinder continental engine at full power ceased to exist in the blink of an eye. Now all the circuts with the scen ar io of a engine failure after take off paid off, my subconscious had the nose pointing down before I registered what was happening. With the immediate threat of a stall prevented, the reed filled swamp began to rapidly fill my vision. I did not panic, I guess there wasn't time, the only thought that did occur to me was 'this is it! I'm going into the swamp'

The whole drama felt like a lifetime, when in reality it must have been as brief as 3 or 4 seconds. With the prop still windmilling the engine coughed then ro ar ed back into life at full power as if nothing had happened. Again before I realized what I was doing I had the 206 standing on its starboard wingtip not far above the tree tops. I executed the 180 max rate turn and was going straight back into Pompom before I had anymore surprises.

As soon as the 206 was lined up for the airstrip centreline, I pulled the power off, selected full flap and did a reasonable touchdown before the reality of what had happened swept over me.

After taxing into the parking area I thought of something that had happened earlier that morning. I had been running the engine up before my first flight off the day and had noticed a rough running right magneto. I had written it off as spark plug, so all I did was lean the mixture for 30 seconds whilst maintaining 1800 Rpm. I then powered back and told Maun tower that I was 'ready for take off'' over the radio.

Back on the ground in Pompom I did a run up and sure enough the right magneto was dead. Luckily, lucky being the word of the afternoon there was a Toyota land cruiser still at the airstrip. They guides radioed my situation back to Pompom safari camp, who then passed the message onto my company in Maun. Another aircraft was sent with a engineer and new magneto.

Whilst this was going on I went and had lunch in the safari camp with the couple I had flown in only half an hour earlier.

Now in the years since I have had rough running magnetos when doing ground runs of piston engined aircraft and have not hesitated to taxi straight to the maintenance hanger, rather than risk my life.

That afternoon I definatley took a withdrawal from the bag of 'LUCK' and made a deposit in the bag of ' EXPERIENCE'. To top it off I got a free buffet lunch at a picturesque safari camp.

1.There are the rare days when you are thrown in the deep end to find a hunting strip where no living person you know has ever heard of.

Flying off into the haze for a 200 mile trek in a featureless direction I’ve never been before. Armed with nothing but the co-ordinates programmed into my GPS and full fuel tanks. How ar e you suppose to acknowledge the small plaque on the instrument panel stating ‘ GPS must not be used as a primary navigation aid’.

2. Flying into a bush strip where today a large Bull Elephant has decided this his territory and I can not land here. With five white face white knuckled passengers who openly admitted before the flight that this six seater Cessna was the smallest aircraft they had ever seen let alone flown in. I have a predicament, five terrified passengers who now have to be subjected to a series of low passes to persuade this old stubborn bull to shift his leathery behind off the strip. No ground vehicle can send him on his way because at three time the size of a Toyota land cruiser and possibly ten times heavier he does what he wants. But after the second low level pass the grumpy bull moves off into the undergrowth beside the air strip. On my third approach I land to my pale passengers relief. Only to inform them that the Jet ranger helicopter with its rotors turning off to the side of the airstrip is the helicopters taking them onto their safari camp.

All part of the Adventure.

Date: 2009/10/8
Subject: Here is a review for the ebook mate

Hi Ryan,

  I'd be more than happy to give a review of your eBook, its something I refer back to often to keep " the dream alive ".

   The wife and I are actively preparing for making the move over, Africa is definitely our Plan A at the moment. Unless something changes ( like a good lead on a job opportunity...  ), we'll most likely be over there within the next 12-18 months, banging on doors. If something were to come up sooner, like the economy turning around or an inside track on a job, we'd probably jump on it even sooner.

 
  I'd often heard of opportunities in Africa for pilots, particularly that elusive first job for low-time pilots. I did some looking around, including searching high and low on the internet for whatever information I could find. I came across the Blog of a pilot in Tanzania, http://www.africanbushpilot.blogspot.com/ 

  A lot of the information I came across in other blogs were in the form of guys who had heard from a friend, been there years before, or just repeated information from popular forums like Pprune. This blog was different, This guy was actually there and keeping a current blog, with some great pictures and stories of what life, and flying, is like over there.

  He's also put together a great little resource for people like myself, considering Africa as their next adventure, in the form of an eBook. The book is a great read and packed full of information, specifically for a pilot considering the move. Chock full of pictures of the lifestyle, the scenery, the machines they fly and loads on information on the actual, step-by-step procedures for getting over there and set up.

  He walks you through not only the nitty-gritty of visa's, license conversions, but also of the relevant skills and qualifications you need to be considered for employment.  Little things like advice on how much money to bring, places to stay, the local social scene, vaccinations, travel, and much more. 

  Theres a great section as well on the whole process of the job hunt and ways to save your money to extend your stay while you search.

 In short, this eBook was well worth the money and I'd highly recommend it to anyone, even if you're not considering Africa (yet!), you might want to grab a copy and take a look, you might get hooked!

Josh O'Dell

From: Tony Harrison
Date: 2009/10/19
Subject: African flying book
To: africanbushpilot@gmail.com


G'day,

Just wanted to say thanks for your ebook 'Wanting to fly in Africa?' which I brought a couple of weeks ago. Nice piece of work and very comprehensive. Still makes me think that a 41 year old could leave Aus and try his hand in Africa for a flying job!

Enjoy your blog as well - please keep that going as its very interesting and informative.

All the best
tony

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