Pulling Pitch in Africa

Good bye Pulling Pitch in Africa and Welcome Pulling Pitch in the World!

2011-01-14T09:46:00.000-08:00

In 2007, I embarked on an amazing journey which fulfilled my dream of flying helicopters in Kenya, where I was born and raised. I started this blog to let my friends know what I was up to and share my new experiences with them. It has been a successful blog and though I have now moved back to the US, I plan on keeping it going. With my experience and time pulling pitch in Africa, I am now ready to continue Pulling Pitch in the World! I want to experience more places, meet different people, fly more aircraft, large and small, fly different missions and continue to grow and learn.

Nimo, my operations officer and co pilot

In my experience so far, I realize that whereas my job is about the machine, the best part about it is the people who work with helicopters. These people are not mainstream, they have branched out of what might be considered "normal" they are extraordinary, passionate people who love what they do. These people ensure the helicopter is mission ready, they stay up late at night working on the machine, they dispatch and provide flight following til both pilot and machine are safely put away at the end of the night. I have come to know such people at Everett Aviation.

Engineer Job - responsible for keeping us flying safely- Thanks Job!!

I'm exceedingly grateful for everyone there from the top to the bottom of the hierarchy. As a pilot its important to know that we have support and a mutual trust between all involved with helicopter operations and its great to know that I have that with the people I work with. My success would be impossible without your support so - Thank You!!

Paul in aerodrome safety and Jacque my personal body guard lol!

My support guys, security, fuellers and safety(with the PPE) - THANK YOU!!

To all those who provided intellectual advise and those who extended a hand in friendship while I was pulling pitch in Africa, I am grateful. As I continue to the next level, I will always remember you as the ones who supported me, especially when I didn't have very much to offer. Thanks again.

Aviation For Women Magazine Jan/Feb 2011

2011-01-04T10:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2010 was a year of growth, change and achievement. 2011 is going to be so much better! Already, my year started with a wonderful surprise on the cover of Aviation for Women Magazine!

I did the interview in August 2009 with Amy Laboda who has done an amazing job writing this article. Thank you so much for being there for me and for supporting me in all my endeavors.

Aviation for Women Magazine - Maggie Mutahi
Aviation for Women Magazine - Maggie Mutahi 2

"Carpe Diem" --- Sieze the day!!

November 2010- Gold mine Tour

2010-11-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

Gold is one of the most precious metals on earth, so much so that currencies are pegged against the gold reserves of countries. Anything so precious requires quite a bit of protection and certainly has a large following of robbers trying to pry it from the fingers of those who mine it, buy it and keep it. That's where helicopters come in handy in the gold production chain. The helicopter has the unique capabilities to land in very small heavily secure areas and fly the gold straight up into the "stratosphere" quite efficiently.

The Gold mine

After spending almost about a year working on the gold mine, I still hadn't gone on an underground tour because I prefer to keep my head in the clouds. About a month ago, I was offered a unique opportunity to see where the small ring on my finger might have started off- over a kilometre under the ground!

I had the chance to spend time with geologists who have the most fascinating job of determining if there is gold prospects and then analyzing how big of a deposit it is. The gold mining process is very expensive, not just in equipment and personnel but also safety, which is paramount. I went through an orientation session about underground safety, I had to wear the full PPE(Personal Protection Equipment) which includes overalls, boots, helmet, safety goggles and a special breathing apparatus in case the air supply system failed. With all my PPE on I weighed twice my body weight but I felt very well equipped from head to toe!

OMG!

My guide was very knowledgeable on all aspects of the mining process and explained how the whole process took place. I thought there wasn't going to be much to see underground, its all dark and mucky and the road was quite windy and quite steep. The trucks sharing this road had wheels that could flatten a car without even realizing it! We stopped at what appeared to be a small town underground with automotive services, lunch room, medical centre and other offices full of lots of workers all bustling along. It appeared to be a work place like any other. Everyone down there looked very similar in their full PPE, they were talking and laughing seemingly oblivious that there are other people driving heavy equipment above our seemingly sturdy rock roof!

Hey, give me a lift!

We continued the trip to visit more active areas where machines were in operation and I got to watch some of the equipment at work. Fascinating indeed! My hat's off to those guys who choose to work underground, me? I prefer to keep my head in the clouds!

I found gold!!!!

Thanks to Tom and Paul for making my underground trip possible. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. I had a great experience on a lifetime!

"Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can - there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did"

Sarah Caldwell

Summer 2010 - Advanced Mountain Training Course

2010-09-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

I recently completed the advanced mountain training course at Western Helicopters in Rialto, California. This course was a scholarship awarded by Whirly girls organization in memory of Keiko Minataka, a fellow Whirly Girl who I had the pleasure of meeting once at the Whirly Girls Big breakfast in Orlando, Florida during Helicopter Association International(2007).

Walking into the Western helicopters hangar felt like it did, so many years ago when I first decided to take up helicopter flying. It was indeed a pleasure to see Pete Gillies and Bob Spencer who instructed me years ago, to see the progress they have made over the years in the flight training business.

Nice to see one of the helicopters I trained in - my old friend N90570

When I completed my CPL at Western I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get to take their turbine transition course in the MD500. When most helicopter pilots start training, they fly the piston powered helicopters - usually smaller and cheaper to operate than turbine powered ones, they make perfect training aircraft. Majority of trainees aspire to move (as expeditiously as possible) through the piston powered badlands into the "mecca" of turbine powered helicopters. For starters, if you've ever heard the starting sequence of a piston helicopter compared to a turbine, you'll understand what I mean...

Indulge me for a moment... In flight school, when a turbine helicopter started up outside, the whole class had a moment of silence - it was a beautiful whine, powerful ignition and the aroma of Jet-A exhaust fumes, we had to go outside to look at it. On the other hand, the piston start, not quite as elegant and there was nothing more embarrassing than (a) Over-revving the engine during start (b) Over-priming and causing the piston flu (cough! splatter! bang!) (c) Backfire on ignition - sounds like a shot gun, people hit the deck! (d) clutch engagement squeaky/squealy cacophony. If this has got you thinking of an old lawn mower, not so, for despite the start, once in the air, piston or turbine helicopters achieve the purpose for which they were created. The point is, turbines look and sound way cooler than pistons. So it was a wonderful day when I got to fly the Western Helicopters MD500 for the first time.

Starting the MD500 - such a powerful sound!

It was a very rewarding learning experience, always a pleasure and honor to fly with the masters, pioneers of the helicopter industry. Flying with these amazing pilots leaves you in awe. I hope that every helicopter pilot who reads this venture out to Western helicopters and takes the course which in an approved special operations course for law enforcement and all other pilots who typically land off airports.

When I first flew over the rugged slopes of Mt. Baldy 10,005 ft, only half the height of Mt. Kilimanjaro)], but nonetheless, I was quite sure that only a crazy pilot could possibly land in that terrain. It was all box canyons with sheer walls, boulders, pine trees, tall grass and tail rotor debilitating bushes! When I was told that that I'd be picking landing sites in that area, I remember being quite convinced I wouldn't find much terrain worthy of a safe landing. Nothing was flat, the wind was swirling and even a beautiful inviting “picnic” spot had treacherous hidden slopes under the beautiful meadow of grass. During ground school, my instructors had gone over the theory of what we were to do, however, I remember the sheer immensity of the terrain clouding out the factual steps I was to follow to successfully accomplish a safe approach to landing in this terrain. Therein lay the danger. By getting overwhelmed with the massive forbidding environment I was operating in, I was in danger of loosing my situational awareness, which is akin to seeing the world through a tube- tunnel vision. Without situational awareness, even the most experienced pilots make simple errors that can be costly. Lesson one was to ensure that I was in the right frame of mind, correct my mental attitude in order to tackle the task. Once I got in the zone, the pressure fell away and executing the task was all too easy and even fun! I put skid marks all over those mountains, valleys, on the river bed, in box canyons, on pinnacles – it wasn’t without throwing out many approaches but certainly having the right mental attitude made all the difference. I think that's a good application not just for flying but also for other obstacles we are faced with in our daily lives.

My training wouldn’t be complete without an auto rotations refresher with Pete. It was lots of fun practicing precision autos, I know many people wouldn’t put fun and autos in the same sentence. All I can say is that Pete somehow manages to reduce the associated tension that immediately grips any helicopter pilot at the mention of autos- he challenges the pilot and demonstrates that with the right application of skill, an auto is no cause for panic. After I did a few successful autos- to the X, my confidence was soaring.

A beautiful though hazy day- heading out to the hills in the distance...

Prior to this course, my flying at my current job was restricted because I didn’t have mountain training. After the course, more opportunities opened up for me. So when the need arises I’m sure I’ll be called upon to put these skills to work. I thank the Whirly Girls for the Mountain Training Scholarship, Nancy Canning for making this opportunity available ladies like me every year and to Bob Spencer and Pete Gillies, all the staff at Western for such a well laid out, well presented and well executed FAA approved course. Congratulations!

All smiles, such a great accomplishment!

April 20, 2010 - A happy memorial for my mother.

2010-04-26T03:16:00.000-07:00

Its been 5 years since my mother passed away. Her face seems like a distant memory of someone I once had the pleasure of meeting and knowing but what she did for me and for our family is something that is part of our lives every day.

My father organized a wonderful event on 20th April 2010 and invited family members and other close friends. The purpose of this event was to remember the things our mother did for us and to celebrate her life. I was very pleased to know that my father still held my late mother in such high regard.

I have grown from strength to strength in these last 5 years. My career has grown from the day I had my intro flight at Western helicopters in March 2005 to today, sitting on commercial flying contracts with over 1000 hours in my log book.

To all who have helped me along the way, the teachers who have taught me, to my family who stood by me, to friends who laughed and cried with me - all I can say is Thank you!!

To my mother, who is responsible for making me the person that I am today- words are not enough to express my appreciation and love. The best I can do is pass it on -

Feb 2010: Whirly Girls -Thank you for the Scholarship!!

2010-02-20T08:03:00.000-08:00

Congratulations are in order because you are now reading the blog of a Whirly Girls' scholarship winner. The Whirly Girls organization was formed by Jean Ross Howard in 1955 and comprised of a total of 13 women all helicopter pilots. Since then, Whirly girls has grown to over 2000 members from all over the world with one thing in common, they all hold licenses to fly helicopters.

Whirly girls organization is an NGO which is dedicated to the education and advancement of women helicopter pilots. It achieves this by providing a forum for members to share and exchange information regarding the industry and its trends, job and employment opportunities but the even more so as a provider of the largest pool of annual scholarships in the industry. These scholarships provide opportunity for women helicopter pilots in various stages of their careers to improve, upgrade and expand their experience through education.

HAI 2007 Big Breakfast
Photo from Collective Pitch Newsletter Spring 2007.

I applied for a scholarship in Advanced Mountain flying last year which is awarded in memory of Keiko Minataka. The course will be done at Western Helicopters in Rialto, California (where I received my Private and Commercial Licenses) with a formidable pilot named Pete Gillies. I was overjoyed when I got the news that I had been chosen to receive this award at the Helicopter Association International(HAI) conference which started today in Houston Texas. I had a great desire to attend the event but unfortunately despite their best efforts my company could not find another pilot to hold the reins for me on my current rotation. In any case, I am so honored and humbled to receive this special honor and I thank the Whirly girls for giving me this award.

In my experience as a bush pilot thus far, I have come to know and understand that any high altitude flight operations requires some specialized skills, the air doesn't behave the same way it would at sea level and neither does the aircraft. I can not wait to soak up the 5 hours mountain flying and ground school in store for me in this course. Other scholarships offered by theWhirly Girls include an American Eurocopter Training course, Bell Helicopters training course, Instrument Rating renewals, Upgrade to Airline Transport Pilot License, helicopter rating add-on for women rated in fixed wing among others.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped me along the way. I have been very blessed to know great pilots who are willing to share their experience with me and help me grow to be the pilot I am today.

Special thanks to all the Whirly girls, as I received from you, so shall I give of myself and my experience. I am proud to be WG 1387!

For more information on the Whirly Girls you can visit www.whirlygirls.org

DRC December 2009

2010-02-05T03:10:00.000-08:00

Last year December was my first time into the Democratic Republic of Congo. I flew as with another captain in the BK117 twin engine helicopter on a cargo transport job. Basically, as is common in these parts of the world, impassable roads and harsh terrain make a helicopter a very popular and handy machine to use. We were moving drills and supplies up a mountain for some survey work over a three day period.

After an initial landing in Goma, DRC for immigration and fuel, it was clear that I was entering a world I had never known before. I was taken aback by the fact that the remnants of war were still laying around as a constant reminder of a violent and turbulent past. If you've ever been to Goma airport, might as well call it UN airport because it seemed like 99% of the airport was covered in white aircraft with blue letters. I had heard horror stories about people being detained for "lack of proper paperwork" and other fabricated issues and therefore I was armed with every little documents on anything they could ask for. After my experience in Guinea, my first franco phone adventure which left me a bit shaken, I had learned a valuable lesson which was to drop a couple of sentences in french, then when they didn't understand what you were saying, they would change the language to English- not me. I was lucky that one of the languages spoken in East Africa, Swahili, is also spoken on the eastern parts of DRC. I didn't end up suffering and struggling as the horror stories had implied, as a matter of fact there were a few helpful people on the airfield who, for a small fee, assisted me in finding the briefing office, filing a flight plan, getting fuel and so forth.

At the LZ in the mountains

Now, what wasn't helpful for example, is that its possible that Goma international airport is built in a refugee camp, or maybe even more likely is the slum has grown right up to a few hundred feet from the runway... I honestly don't know how these "residents" get any sleep with Ilushyins and MIs flying in and out day and night, almost flattening their tin enclosures. Maybe this disadvantage was palatable and outweighed by the fact that these people had a nice vantage point to see unassuming general aviation aircraft, like ourselves, landing in Goma. A bunch of about 6 to 10 "residents" crossed the runway moments after we landed and were standing around in a suspicious manner throughout our entire 2 hour ordeal. So much for airport security. Maybe if you're your own worst enemy then its likely that no one else is interested in challenging you on that, I don't think Bin Laden has this place on his radar.

This is a photo from 2005, now the refugees have built right up to the runway. patpozaire.free.fr/avions-aeroports.htm

I can't speak for the rest of Goma town (population 600,000) which I hear is a bit more robust, though one wonders why anyone would want to live in a place threatened by the imminent volcanic eruption of the very active Nyiragongo mountain only about 6 miles out of town. The last time this volcano erupted in 2002, the lava flow swallowed about a kilometer of the northern portion of the runway.

On that note, it has been reported that Mt Nyamuragira which is further north of Mt. Nyiragongo but in the same mountain range, erupted 3rd January 2010 and continues to produce strong lava flows which are threatening the mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park. It is feared that the recent activity will recur among other mountains in the range. It wouldn't take a geologist to tell me to get out of town.

View of Mt Nyiragongo, photo courtesy of gomafilmproject.org

We did make it out of town in a hurry just as our observers from across the runway were beginning to swell in numbers. We headed south for a town called Kalemie. I learned that before the war, Kalemie was a stable trading town with a huge port on the Western shores of Lake Tanganyika. "Kalemie (formerly Albertsville) was established by the Belgians in 1892 as a military post in their campaign against arab traders" (questia.com) The remnants of the Belgian influences are still visible in the town of Kalemie which suffered from the ravages of war like the rest of DRC. UN humanitarian efforts are still on going into and out of Kalemie Airport for the region. It was sad to see the bombed out airport terminal, shot up IL18, defunct cotton gin, inoperative railroad system, no piped town water, no electricity- It is incredible that the people still get up every morning and go about their business, fishing, peddling their wares and trying to make a life for their families.

Above: Destroyed by rebels- Kalemie terminal

It was a very revealing experience which showed the resilience of the human spirit. Life goes on, no matter how terrible the past might have been. There is still hope for the future no matter how dim. I stayed in a large compound run by the company we were working for. There were diesel generators to provide power and "running" water i.e. someone coming running with a bucket of water :-) The food was fresh and well prepared and it was very secure.

I visited town with one of the residents and saw some of the sites of Kalemie. I hope one day it will rise up to its former glory. I have been very blessed never to experience war (knock on wood) and so have my people and maybe as a result we laugh and joke easier. It was a rare moment to see a smile or hear laughter in DRC. They were not sad faces, just expressionless, blank-

It is very difficult for me to imagine visiting DRC again, I made a couple of friends there who had been out in the world and actually held the view that DRC is not a bad place, it just has bad moments. I was genuinely glad to leave but not without having to land in Goma again. I knew they would be waiting for me, like Christmas come early. This time, I was almost an expert at the 14 step process of zig zagging all over the airport to file flight plan, pay landing and navigation fees, take the receipt next door to get it stamped, fill part B, order fuel, see the tower controller, clear immigrations, get stared at by armed UN peacekeepers (ohhh powder blue, how peaceful...). More hungry people around the heli needing a dollar to feed their families, another hasty departure to the north, over the lava covered runway, towards the smoking Mt Nyiragongo and making a right turn on track-

I was deeply affected by what I saw and the worst part is that it could happen again and is happening in other parts of the world right now, there is no trust from the people to the government, the people may be free but are still in bonds and under the mercy of whatever regimes and rebels want to advance their causes at the peoples expense. I left with a heavy heart and a sincere wish that things continue to improve for future generations of congolese people. It takes time.

August 8, 2009 - WAFRIC Conference in Nairobi

2009-09-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I had the distinct pleasure of sharing my adventures with you. Well, am back! Last month I was invited to speak at the first Women Aviators in Africa(WAFRIC) conference which was held at the Panafric hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. Just a brief introduction of WAFRIC; WAFRIC is the brain-child of Kajuju Laiboni, a Kenyan lady who is working on her fixed wing pilots license in Sweden. She was inpired to start this organization to promote aviation and its various disciplines as a viable career for women.

August 8, 2009 Attendees of the First Women Aviators in Africa conference

I will quote from www.wafric.org since I think they say it best:
"Women Aviators in Africa (“WAFRIC”) was established in 2008 and is registered as a non-profit organisation. The main purpose of the organisation is to contribute to the transformation of Aviation industry in Africa, through the empowerment of women. Our aim is to have more women pilots, engineers, technicians, instructors, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, meteorologists, aviation writers, aviation lawyers, spotters, and enthusiasts, or women starting to consider those careers."

Kajuju Laiboni, the founder of WAFRIC

As with many firsts, the WAFRIC conference theme was about women who were "first" in their aviation field. We heard inspiring speeches from Mrs. Chocho the first female Air Traffic Controller in Kenya, Puleng Cadribo a first officer at South African Airways, there was a lady speaker from the Meteorology department as well as speakers from Women aviation organizations like Amy Laboda from Women in Aviation International. There were Air Navigation Services lady Engineers from Ghana and Air Traffic Controllers from Ghana, there was a lady airport manager from California and a lady Airport Engineer and designer from the US as well. It was indeed a wonderful group of very skilled talented aviators in various fields. We did miss the presence of the first lady Aircraft Engineer from Tanzania who did not make it but was indeed able to pass her message to all of us. Mr. Seda, the Chief of Air Traffic Control Services in Kenya represented the few men in the crowd and gave a wonderful review of the ATC services systems and operations, with an encouraging word to the youth to take up the challenge and join the industry.

Puleng Cadribo from SAA speaking from the heart about her experience a First Officer. Photo Courtesy of Stacy Sheard

Speaking about my past, my journey and the importance of confidence, motivation and passion to achieve one's dream.
Photo Courtesy of Stacy Sheard

On a personal note, I was so excited and honored that my long time friend, fellow helicopter pilot and mentor Stacy Sheard, who is now a test pilot at Sikosky Aircraft, was able to attend the conference all the way from Pennsylvania! Spending time together with her reminded me of the camaraderie I missed from our days back at Van Nuys airport. It was interesting to discover how much a support system of fellow female pilots who have been through, or are going through, similar experiences in different places can spur up once confidence. The revelation that what I have been through is not an "africa-specific", "kenya-specific", "airport-specific", "maggie-specific" experience but one that many before me have suffered, persevered and overcome successfully.

Stacy & I - Van nuys Airport, USA 2006 & Wilson Airport, Kenya 2009

I was truly inspired by the spirit of the conference, I was personally challenged and encouraged by the speakers and the attendees, especially several orphans who were aspiring to be pilots, aviation lawyers, engineers and air traffic controllers. WAFRIC sponsored them to a plane ride at the Kenya school of Flying at Wilson Airport. These less fortunate but brilliant youth were so inspired by this experience that they each gave a speech at the WAFRIC conference telling of their flight and they hope for the future. I know that somehow, with their spirit and drive to succeed, they will make it!

Some delegates with the students from the orphanage after their airplane ride at Kenya school of Flying.
Photo Courtesy of Stacy Sheard

All decked out for dinner - representatives from South Africa, Kenya, USA and Ghana. Photos courtesy of Stacy Sheard

The event ended on a high note with a dinner by the poolside at Panafric hotel, some attendees also took this opportunity to visit the wildlife parks and see a bit of Kenya. It was indeed a harrowing experience for some of these delegates who had never been on a pot holed highway with traffic weaving in and and out of lanes, the matatu(public transport) minibuses menace in the city- well, you have to see it to believe it! All in all, they were happy to experience something new.

This should be the new Sikosky Advert! love it!! Photos courtesy of Stacy Sheard

Mother elephant and two babies... how cute! Photo Courtesy of Stacy Sheard

A lioness in the savannah. Photo Courtesy of Stacy Sheard

Mt. Kilimanjaro at dawn with hot air balloon floating by. Photo Courtesy of Stacy Sheard

Amboseli National Park Photo Courtesy of Stacy Sheard

Thank you so much all who attended this years conference, it was a huge success and we are looking forward to next years WAFRIC conference, due to be held in Johannesburg on 8th August 2010. You are all invited, it will be a wonderful experience - this time we hosted 50-60 delegates. Blue skies!!

The beautiful conference hall at Panafric Hotel. Photo Courtesy of Stacy Sheard

Bringing the Maersk Alabama to Port.

2009-04-19T05:27:00.000-07:00

On Standby at the Port of Mombasa.

Over Easter weekend, I was called out for a really cool assignment. The Maersk Alabama was coming into port in the Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa without their captured Captain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqP8uGbxo3s

This is a clip from Associated Press, its only 10 seconds of actual footage from our helicopter. We were using FLIR camera to record the ship coming in under cover of darkness. There was a large media presence and as you can see from the footage, one of the Maersk crew members was not happy to see the media.

The media.

Thankfully, the Captain has been saved and is back with his family and it was indeed a happy ending. I am glad that the world is taking measures against these pirates, they are getting a little too bold.

Flying below Sea Level.

2009-04-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Afar Triangle is located on the northern part of Africa and encompasses areas of Eritrea, Djibouti and Nothern Ethiopia. It is also referred to as the Afar Depression or Danakil Depression because this is where 3 tectonic plates meet each other. One is from the Red Sea, the other from the Gulf of Eden and the third is the Great Rift Valley. According to scientists, the plates are pulling apart at 1-2centimeters per year as a result of earthquakes therefore the triangle is sinking continually and over time it will become part of the Red Sea.

From Wikipedia

Erta Ale, the most active volcano in the Afar Depression.

This is the region where I spent most of March flying geologists for research purposes. The Afar region has been rocked by violence and cross border hostility between the Ethiopians and Eritreans. About 4 to 5 years ago, it would have been impossible to venture into these parts. There have been vehicles hijacked and about 2 years ago there was a kidnapping incident. We were no taking any chances and both the geologists and the flight crew were under strict restrictions including armed escort and Airforce oversight. Our flights were carefully monitored and restricted to specific areas as there still exists a No Fly zone about 15-20 miles on both sides of the Eritrean-Ethiopian border.

We were based in the second largest city in Ethiopia called Mekele. I found this town very charming and felt at home just walking around from day one. This city is the capital of the Tigray Region which extends westwards from the Danakil encompassing a very historic town called Axum. There are many ancient stone churches and monoliths in Axum as well as palaces and monastries dating back many centuries.

I can honestly say that out of all the flying I have done so far(which is not a lot), this was certainly the most challenging. The main reason I say that is because we were flying in two different climates on the same day, we had many critical take offs and landings in hot and dusty environments and then there were the human dynamics that came into play with every move we made. As far as the climate, we took off from 7500ft, 16C(61F)at 6am and within 45 minutes we were in the depression at 200ft below sea level 28C(85F)at 0645! By 1000 temperatures were 36C(97F)and at 1300 we were done for the day as temperatures reached 45C(113F). I can only imagine what the temperatures reached at 1500- several people said they had experienced 51C(123F) and lived to tell the tale.

"Danakil Hilton - Bring your own bed while the shade lasts.

At the end of the day, grateful to leave 45C, I pulled best climb speed and headed for 8500ft for a cool 16C again. The cruise back to Mekele was always a pleasure and the temperate climate there was very much to my liking. In Mekele, I visited the Tigray War Museum which highlights the rebellion of the 1980s against military rule and the subsequent victory and installation of the current president. I also visited the Castle of Yohannes IV, a famous King in the 16th Century.

Hamedela is one of the lowest settlements in the world at 309ft below sea level.
Recording 44C at 1054UTC (1354 local)

Hamadela Militia with his eye on the Eritrean border.

We typically made about 2-15 take offs and landings per day in this huge dust bowl. There were many approaches thrown away but it had to be that way in the interest of safety. It became easier to pick Landing Zones(LZ)as we got accustomed to the terrain. I underwent very specific training regarding dust landings on rocky ground and also on sandy ground. Once the LZ and escape route were identified, then there was the technique to make a safe landing and even more important, as my instructor always told me, "Land to take off". A safe landing might result in an unsafe take off!

The third but important element we were dealing with was the human interface. We didn't speak the language and in fact I discovered that whereas Ethiopians speak Amharic as a national language with English as a second language, the people of the Afar region speak "Afar" and are mostly of the Islamic religion. Our party included a translator and local guide who was indispensable when it came to communicating with the Afar people. The region is always ready for war especially with the on going tension with Eritrea. The men carry AK47s even as they herd their camels in the area.

Weapons' Training - Making an AK47 safe.

Thoughts going on in my head....."Just stand there and smile - he has a gun... do you know holding hands means you are officially married? should I tell him I don't know how to milk camels now or later, wouldn't want to piss him off- hey buddy, you may have the gun but I wear the pants around here!!!"

Overall, the most important things I learned, which I think are applicable to life in general as well. Situational Awareness- Always know what is going on around you and adjust to the changes... Decision Making - After assessing the situation, decide your course of action... Escape- keep your decision and go for it but always observe the situation in case of changes that might require a decision to escape(makes sense?) Finally, Enjoy!! One life to live- Enjoy!!

Because the ground is solid in the Danakil, people are buried above ground, seated, facing Mecca(Islamic religion). As you can see, my LZ is perfect but I dispute all allegations that helicopters make enough noise to wake the dead.

Jan 2009 - SUDAN

2009-02-12T08:21:00.002-08:00

Cruising the Nile.

2009-01-31T09:44:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all!! I hope that 2009 is shaping up to be as exciting a year as it is for me. I have the wonderful feeling that this is going to be a wonderful year! I guess in December 2009 we will all be able to look back and see why this year is so special.

I just completed a very exciting charter up and down the Nile River for geological survey. The Nile is one of the longest rivers in the world and one of a few that flow north(I think the Amazon also flows North??) I don't have all the facts but indeed I have been quite fascinated by this great river. When I was in Uganda, I crisscrossed Lake Victoria many times and came to respect it as the source of the Nile. Now I have come to see the rest of the Nile in Southern Sudan and hope to one day see the end of this great amazing river into Egypt and then the ocean.

The geologists had coordinates that they needed to visit and my job was to land closest to these as possible. We also had a team of de-miners. These are guys who have studied and mastered the art of research, location of landmines, identifying their presence and removing them undetonated and disposing them. Southern Sudan has been rocked by wars over the years and the remnants of burnt villages and desolate pastures haunted our path up and down from Juba to Nemule the border town with Uganda.

It was a little unnerving to not only look for a suitable landing spot but first to let the land mine experts deduce if there were indeed some danger areas we couldn't land or walk though. The other concern was bandits and outlaws who might exist in the shadows of the thick foliage on the banks of the Nile. Our reconnaissance was therefore a little more involved that I learned back in flight school. I can say that I gained a great deal of knowledge on flying in hostile or potentially hostile environments, what to watch out for and also how an amateur can pick out safe LZs in a potential land mine area. For example, any inhibited area, land closest to village, if you see any game or cattle, away from roads and paths where land mines could have been buried as ambushes. It's really not a topic that I was eager to embrace but I realized that this knowledge may come in handy some day, some place.

All in all, it was great fun and quite challenging. I am certainly looking forward to a lot more bush flying this year.

Enjoy!!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-23T02:53:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since my last post... sorry for the silence which is partially Facebook induced as most of my friends are on there as well.

Just a look back at the year that has been and is about to end. I would say I have had the best time of my flying career ever! It is quite a short flying career, just starting but very promising. I am happy to have returned to Kenya, besides the flying, I have spent so much more time with family and friends.

It is very satisfying to say that I did it! I have achieved my dream and goals which was to become a helicopter pilot and fly in Africa. So? what next? The thing about achieving dreams and aspirations is that you have to set new goals and aspire for new dreams. In the meantime, I am revelling in this most amazing experience of my life and the dream goes on....

Stiftung Solarenergie Ethiopia

2008-08-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

July 31st: CLINTON FOUNDATION FLIGHT

Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea were visiting one of the projects they support under the Clinton Foundation called Stiftung Solarenergie. This is an amazing project which has provided equipment and know-how to enable the use of solar power in every home in a village called Rema in Ethiopia. Also they have a school there. You can read more about this project at this link http://www.sonne-stiften.de/index.php?sessionLang=en&pageID=start_en

I was flying co-pilot for this trip in the BK117 Twin engine helicopter. But we also flew an Astar there for the security and press. Weather was our major drawback as it was stormy and visibility was quite low. I was quite glad to fly the BK with it's double sets of IFR instrumentation and autopilot.

Students from the Solar energy School in Rema Ethiopia.

Its really nice to see that some good is being done to help develop the most remote places. I was very impressed to see the how the community has benefited and the positive environmental impact of using renewable energy.

My First S&R Flight

2008-07-02T23:24:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I wrote, part of this is due to a very busy schedule with family and also working and flying hard. I can't complain, as a matter of fact it's so exciting to get a calls, gear up and go flying!

We got a call about 4 pm one afternoon that an aircraft had gone down about 40 miles W of Nairobi. Everett Aviation is the official Search and Rescue(S&R) helicopter service for the Civil Aviation and Accident investigation dept here in Kenya. I went with another pilot who is NVG(Night Vision Goggles) qualified as we would be returning in the night. On a night with no celestial illumination in rural areas, even a clear night is truly IFR with no horizon at all! It was important to take the precaution.

After the investigators arrived, we took off and headed in the direction of the accident. I had never been to anything like this and my mind was running amok with what to expect. Reports said that it was a Cessna 210 enroute to a town west of Nairobi pilot with 3 passengers. This is a relatively well equipped aircraft with autopilot and quite capable of dealing with weather as it is instrument flight rules rated. There was heavy speculation on what had gone wrong though none of the investigators had been on the scene yet. There were no survivors reported.

Kenya is well endowed with a rich variety of landscapes. Our country has high snow covered peaks, white sandy beaches of the Indian Ocean as well as the Great rift valley with sheer walls that drop down hundreds of feet. We were headed for one of these mighty rift valley walls called the Mau Escarpment. Nairobi sits at 5500ft and we had to climb to 10000ft to clear the escarpment! After a couple of orbits we found the wreckage on the side of a hill. Finding a suitable landing area was quite tricky in such a hilly, forested area not to mention the high altitude. I made an approach to a road on top of the hill and as soon as we landed, here came the lookie loos!

The mood was sombre, as the investigators headed down the steep slippery slope down to the wreckage... I was standing on top of this majestic hill looking down below in the distance, I could see large portions of what appeared to be the wings of the C210 stuck in between two tall eucalyptus trees(the plane passed in between them). Then I saw the house built on the hillside with a portion of its roof torn off. Then finally I saw the tail of the aircraft sticking out of the side of the hill. Indeed there were no survivors, the pilot, a very high profile Minister in Kenya government and Assistant Minister and a body guard.

As night was falling, it was getting more difficult for the investigators to do their work therefore they decided to call it a night and return the following morning. Our flight was quiet and uneventful. I couldn't hide my amazement at how cool NVGs are... you can actually see at night!! When we landed, the media were upon us especially because the passengers were very high profile government officials. There was a group of mourners outside the office wailing and demanding answers. The bitter truth was that there was nothing anyone could do, there were no answers, it was over.

I had to sleep that night because I had an early morning but it was difficult. I couldn't spend the night seeing images and thinking about what could have happened. Life had to continue, the sun would surely rise the next day whether we were there to see it or not.

A long time ago when I started flying in Rialto, I spoke to a Mercy Air EMS pilot about what its like to arrive at a "bad" scene. He told me - "you must fly the aircraft or you will become a scene too" He said that a pilot had to detach from all the hysterics of mourners, nurses, paramedics, children clinging to life, ugly accidents, badgering reporters, heroics and anything that goes through a persons brain when faced with these naturally alarming situations. I knew he was speaking from experience but at the time I couldn't understand. As he turned and walked away I could almost hear the sounds robocop makes when he walks.

Years have passed and now I am faced with a "scene". I now understand what that EMS pilot was talking about. I can also say I learned a great deal about flying and about life from this "scene". Investigations are still underway to find out what caused the accident, there are many explanations and speculations but I won't get into that. I will let you know what the findings are when they release the report.

My condolences go to the family and friends of the four on board the aircraft. May they Rest in Peace.

I LOVE MY JOB!

2008-05-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

and away...

2008-05-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

Getting out...

2008-05-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

Confined area - getting in...

2008-05-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

Sunset & heli in one shot! gotta love this job!

2008-05-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

Photos from filming trip in Tanzania...

2008-05-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

Photos taken by Michel Laplace Toulouse. www.africanlatitude.com

Apartheid in South Africa...again?

2008-05-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

Its sad that all the seemingly stable countries with booming economies are turning violent this year. The strange fact about the violence in South Africa is that whereas before apartheid they were complaining about racial discrimination and oppression due to color and race, now they are fighting amongst themselves to restore the same regime... I say that because we have zulu tribe beating and killing anyone who is an outsider from another african country and wanting them to leave south Africa! Typically the class of uneducated slum dwellers who have nothing to loose has grown and can develop a volatile situation faster than the police can stop them.

Its a sad state of affairs and though it looks like its contained in small pockets of the region, it will affect the country and economy for a long time to come... we are still not back to our original economic status here in Kenya though there is no violence at all.

I hope they can stop this dangerous trend and uproot the rioters - let there be PEACE...

Akon or Akorny?

2008-05-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

There was great excitement when I arrived in Kampala Uganda last week. The Senegalese/American hip hop/R&B singer/songwriter Akon was going to be live in concert! He is very popular and his music is well liked not only for it's ultra modern hip hop style but also his rich voice and ofcourse his African roots. Feel free to read more on him on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akon

Anyway, lets just say that this guy has bounced more concerts in Africa than a ping pong ball during overtime at a Chinese table tennis match! Yes its an exaggeration but honestly he has an appalling record - he was supposed to be in concert in Kenya, he rescheduled the original date then bounced the reschedule - changed to a different concert date, bounced that one - didn't bother to tell anyone in advance or apologize. Then the Uganda concert was supposed to be April 26 which he rescheduled to May 2 and he bounced that as well!

Celtel is one of the leading cell phone service providers here in Africa. They single handedly sponsored the entire event and had spent months preparing for this day. Last week, our helicopter had been privately chartered for a special "Live like a Star" promotion which has been going on over the last few months. Contestants were entered into a draw and the winner was to receive star treatment including a pick up by helicopter, travel by limousine, staying at the Serena 5 star hotel where Akon was to be staying and get to meet and dine with him, attend the concert as a VIP with backstage access and be flown back home after the concert. Celtel had their winner and they did not spare any expense to treat him and his wife like stars. Flew about an hour to a small village with a very dusty football pitch to pick up the winner and his wife, brought them to the hotel, reporters and media were all there capturing the moment and then later in the evening we got the news. The concert was not going to happen. There was no describing how disappointed everyone was, Celtel the sponsors went all out on this one - they did it right but got let down really hard. They didn't know he wasn't coming til the night before his arrival.

Anyway, we got the official report from Akon's management on the night before the May 2nd concert was that he is sick. Akon had severe strep throat therefore he couldn't come and couldn't perform but unless one of the symptoms of strep throat is "a contagious lack of foresight" someone should have told these poor fans and the sponsors in advance! how obnoxious. Oh well, now we feel so sorry for poor Akon who is so sick is in his pimped out bed somewhere in his pimped out pent house with his pimped out doctor, unable to holla to make a dolla... we almost sent him a get-well card until this!!!!

Akon? May 3rd in what MUST BE a tent revival miracle meeting, oh yah... - he better be at the microphone giving a testimony to his instant miraculous healing!

No? Akon is on stage entertaining celebs with pop singer Leighton Meester at Richard Wilk's birthday bash. This was held at Body English, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas the day after he was too sick to come and perform here. So what if a few hundred Ugandans have spent their hard earned Uganda Shillings to buy Akon tickets, so what the sponsor's media campaign over months has flopped royally and they have lost big business to the competition all because of him, so what? its Africa, what difference does it make to Akon?

Photo displayed from Leighton Meester's site Just Leighton: see them all at http://just-leighton.com

Word on the streets is that Akon will perform here tomorrow May 9th-10th. If this is true, he must arrive into the country today. Anyone for overtime on that table tennis match? I vote that his name be changed to Akorny!

And then there were two...

2008-04-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

Nancy and I

And then there were two...

2008-04-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

This is so cool! I found the only other Kenyan female helicopter pilot in training!! Her name is Nancy and she is just a few hours shy of getting her Private Pilot license in helicopters. She has her fixed wing private and works for the Kenya Police Airwing. I met her last week and we instantly hit it off-

We have been talking everyday, sharing experiences and though I am the only female helicopter CPL holder and she will be the only female helicopter PPL holder, we feel like we are not alone in this industry. She has had it a lot rougher than me doing her training in the civil service and its actually remarkable that she has made it this far.

Here is a picture of us - we could be sisters! She has such an open heart and reminds me a lot of me. I find myself mentoring her in the helicopter industry while she mentors me on the Kenyan aviation scene - we have plenty to talk about and definitely such a wonderful feeling to have a comrade.

You will be very surprised to know how much opposition we get from the "majority" in the field. There are some genuine people in the field who are helpful and take us as peers but then the many who don't believe women can do this, are intimidated that women are doing this and even more incensed that a woman might even be capable of flying helicopters equally or better than them. What a pity!

I am happy to post this photo of the first two female helicopter pilots in Kenya - Maggie and Nancy - first there were two and there will be more...

2008-03-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

Shooting Wildlife in E. Africa... um... filming I mean...

2008-03-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

LZ in Kericho tea estate for some fuel

Elephants in the Mara

Mt. Oldonyo Lengai fuming smoke and volcanic ash - it looks like snow on the mountain!

Finally, Kenyans can breathe a sigh of relief. Everyone is celebrating the “New Year” which was snatched from us in all the violence and chaos after the elections. On the surface everything seems to be returning to normal but we all know there are wounds that will take years to heal and others that never will heal. There are still displaced people in internal refugee camps who are quite insecure and wary about going back to where they witnessed and experienced violence, their own neighbors treating them like strangers just because of their surname. Kenyans have seen the destruction and pain that the fighting caused and being a peaceful nation we are all happy to put it behind us and go for peace and stability.

I returned from my filming gig about a week ago. It went quite well, we were a crew of 3 on the ground with support vehicles and two with me on board one was directing the shoot and the other operating the camera. We became three musketeers by the end of the shoot since we spent a lot of time in the air and also on the ground. The ground crew followed us around as much as possible, they had to view the material we shot and make sure we got what they needed – on screen. It’s actually quite interesting how different the footage looks when you view it without the full panorama of the rest of the landscape.

We started in Amboseli Park which is about 70nm south east of Nairobi. The park extends south to the Tanzania border with a magnificent view of Mt. Kilimanjaro which towers about 30miles away at 19000ft! Amboseli is known for its elephant population but there is an abundance of buffalo, gazelles, impalas, monkeys, giraffes and hippos among others. They have lions, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals and lots of birds. I had already been here on safari before but I was sure that seeing it from the air would be definitely a different and wonderful experience.

When we arrived the first afternoon, the ceiling was high with some clouds filtering the sunlight – we hoped they would clear up 5pm so we could film. Well, that did not happen, the clouds kept getting tighter and tighter and though the forecast showed a clear afternoon and evening, we couldn’t argue with the weather. It seemed to change quite a lot probably because we were in such close proximity to the mountain.

At 5am the following morning, I heard a knock on my door and a message to go back to bed – it was raining. A dreary day it turned out to be. The evening was no better so we stayed on the ground. The next morning was no better so we left and went on to the next locations.

Next came Maasai Mara, it was so beautiful and the animals were so happily roaming free (as free as they can be). Maasai Mara and Serengeti are one and the same park except that man put a boundary down the middle of it. Masai Mara is on the Kenya side and Serengeti is on the Tanzania side. The animals don't respect the boundaries though and don't need visas to cross like we do. The great migration of the Wildebeasts is considered a wonder of the world and this is the place you can see that. Survivor Africa was shot in Maasai Mara as well. We had many days of sunshine and great filming. My fuel logistics were working out quite well though the filming company added some more things to our agenda resulting in more fuel drums having to be brought to us.

We went on to film the tea plantations in Kericho then off to Lake Victoria which we followed south to Mwanza Tanzania. Thats when we got word that a mountain that had been on the verge of erupting was showing increased activity. We flew off to Ol Donyo Lengai about 200nm away. We arrived in time for the evening shoot which was extremely spectacular... there was a huge plume of smoke and it looked like it had snow but that was all the ash. All that lava boiling from the center of the earth! spectacular! Helicopters are way cool! there is no view like that. The mountain stands about 9000ft and apparently aspires to be higher. There were several lesser craters on the ground which looked like meteorites crashed there - pretty cool sight.

We filmed Lake Natron and then since we had left some business undone in Mwanza I filled up and off to Mwanza we went. Oh my final approach to the airport for fuel, my fuel filter light came on. Everything else seemed to be working just fine. We were in a low power configuration so I kept it that way and landed safely. After shut down I checked and found that the filter by-pass pop up hadn't popped yet which was a good sign. My company sent an engineer out immediately to fix this and by noon the next day we were ready to go. Its interesting the mental process that goes on when something comes on on the warning light panel but I must say the greatest relief is knowing exactly what to do when it does.

That was a great two weeks and I really look forward to more of this. Here is some pictures from my trip. Sorry but the best ones are in my mind - can't share those unless you come visit!

Blue skies-

Semblance of Peace...

2008-02-10T01:49:00.000-08:00

With Kofi Annan's presence in the country, Kenya has been experiencing a lull in the violence that rocked the country for almost a month. Over 1000 people have died and these are just the known cases, lots of others have disappeared and now we have refugees in our own country.

Peace talks are still going on but so are the evictions of people from areas where they have lived for all their lives. Luckily Nairobi where I live is so homogenous that there is no place for tribalism. Different tribes have intermarried and then their children have intermarried and therefore some people no long know where they originally came from. Except for the slum areas where flare ups and isolated cases of violence are imminent, the rest of Nairobi is calm for now.

On a different note - I am off to do a film shoot in Kenya and Tanzania. This will be about 40 hours of flying and will be working with a film company from France. Its a documentary that will cover mostly the national parks and other rather interesting aspects on this part of Africa.

Just spent the last week doing the logistics for the fuel and accommodation for the entire 12 day trip. With all the skirmishes there have been lots of changes because we can only put fuel in safe areas, there have been fears of road blocks and transport problems getting the fuel to our helispots... I can't wait to see how the estimated times from the filming company compares to the fuel we estimated and placed. That is the trick to this whole mission -

Wish me luck - more soon!

Update on Violence in Kenya

2008-01-20T00:10:00.000-08:00

I remember writing about Africa being stereotyped - I remember writing about being lucky enough to be in a country where I had never experienced unrest... well, you have all seen it all over the media. It's actually worse that it looks.

Whereas the media is reporting on the confrontation between the protesters and police, we have generations of people being killed everyday in the western parts of Kenya and their bodies are being disposed off without count or media awareness. People are just disappearing and with all the chaos there is no way of knowing what happened to them. Kenya has been a very homogeneous society where anyone from any tribe could live anywhere in the country they wanted. There are very blurred tribal lines with intermarriages and urbanization, there are generations born away from their ancestral lands and have little or no linkages to return to if forced to leave their homes now.

There is a state of fear and whereas we have people fighting for their rights we have "pure" thugs and opportunists taking advantage of the situation to harm and loot other's property and wealth. Another problem is that the disgruntled leaders are actually inciting their supporters who are made up of mostly jobless slum dwellers (obviously haven't seen any lawyers or doctors on the street) these are people who have nothing to lose and therefore very volatile. They are not smart enough to see that the leaders who tell them to protest are never out there with them, besides they go around burning infrastructure that they use, like railway lines, shops and churches without realizing that they are costing themselves and setting this wonderful country years into recession! Its ugly and inexplicably sad.

In Nairobi where I live, we are going on with life, not much flying going on lately, there are international flights showing up with 4 people on board, tourists are not coming to Kenya anymore, the currency is loosing its value, prices of basic commodities have gone up , international organizations based here because of the peace and stability of Kenya have packed and left, no one knows how long this will last but we are absolutely sure that its far from over.

The history of this conflict dates back from when Kenya received independence, it is tribal and even if the current leader were to step down and let the other party leader take over, we only predict more bloodshed and retaliation because the majority tribe will not stand for it.... The reason I say it dates back to independence is that Kenyatta from the majority tribe from which the current president belongs fought for independence with the father of the opposition leader Raila Odinga, they are some of the most prominent fathers of the nation. Now, at independence in 1963, Kenyatta got to be Prime Minister and then President when Kenya became a republic, Raila's father did not get the top job and its has always been a subtle point of contention.

I will keep you updated on what is going on. My family and I are safe... as long as we don't travel to the "wrong" neighborhoods, thanks for keeping us in thoughts, atleast I know I have a dozen places to escape to if it gets bad :)

Thanks friends-

Violence in Kenya!

2008-01-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

Just to let you all know I am ok. The violence in Kenya has died down as of tonight. I was involved in two evacuations today where people were completely surrounded, roads were closed and there was no transportation.

I will update you with more to come. I have had quite an eventful Christmas and New years. I can't wait to tell you all about it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2008!

Stay tuned... more to come-

Outbreak!

2007-12-09T12:01:00.000-08:00

Africa has always been stereotyped as being this war-torn, drought-stricken, disease-ridden continent. For so long, I blamed media for painting such a negative image of Africa. Media shapes the way the world perceives any unknown place and we the public dictate indirectly what we want to see. That's what they show us.

Come to think of it, each continent has its own brand of stereotypes. The Middle East seems to be over-run with eccentric fundamentalists strapped with rows of explosives ready to blow themselves up on a lovely evening walk in the park, Asia is taking over the world of business and also have nuclear power that they might deploy on said lovely evening walk in the park... Europe is dealing with a strange weather phenomena which involves floods or shoveling mountains of snow and thus cannot partake in said walk in the park and America is darting all over the other continents denouncing walks in parks while back home, disturbed teens turn on the world and themselves with guns.

"NATION ON EBOLA ALERT" were the headlines on Uganda's national newspaper last Saturday. It was my first day back in the country and at that moment I was sure I wanted it to be my last. Since when did Africa start to fit the stereotype that I had so fervently rebuffed? Apparently, there have been over 100 cases in more than 7 districts in the Western part of Uganda bordering the Congo with 28 dead. I quickly scanned local news channels for updates and also went on the web to find out more information. Ebola is a Hemorrhagic Fever which was first recognized in 1976 in Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website, there are 4 strains of the Ebola virus: Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Ivory Coast and fourthly Ebola-Reston which has been known to cause the disease in non human primates. This new outbreak in Western Uganda is not one of these four - so as you can imagine everyone has reason to be concerned. The disease is quite hard to diagnose in initial stages as it's symptoms are not particularly unique at that point. These include fever, headaches, stomach aches, rashes which later develop into more severe symptoms with wounds and both internal and external bleeding in some cases. Ebola is considered a Level 4 pathogen compared to HIV-AIDS which is a Level 2 because whereas both have no cure, the Ebola virus attacks and destroys the immune system within a matter of days.

I was still reeling at all that overwhelming information when my phone rang. It was an individual from CDC inquiring about helicopter service to the remote areas in the West of Uganda to collect Ebola samples and track contacts as roads were impassable and the only way to reach these remote villages in the mountains was on foot. Supposedly, this virus only spreads on contact with fluids or physical contact but I can imagine that these viruses have a way of mutating and who knows... We are not equipped to do it but atleast we remain on hand to assist with information on logistics for others who may not be familiar with flying the region.

Kampala is miles away from the remote Western borders of Congo where the outbreak is contained, movement is restricted and therefore the danger is contained. There is also speculation that there was a cover-up over the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which was held less than 3 weeks ago with the Queen of England in attendance. Whether true or not, I can guarantee you, there are heads rolling over this one!

In all my life on this continent, I must have been lucky and blessed to never have been personally affected by the stereotypes of Africa. Now is a few short months, I have encountered two out of three... There is guerilla warfare and fighting in the northern parts of Uganda and in fact, flights all over the country must obtain a Military clearance for security purposes. It is risky to go into some areas for risk of getting shot down by rebels. Then comes the epidermic in Western of Uganda. But also they are discovering oil deposits in Lake Albert and soon Uganda may be re-entering the world's economy as an oil producer! isn't that sensational? I still love my continent - frustrating problems and all.

Friends, don't freak out please, I don't write this to alarm you... no, I am not walking around in a white sterile anti-viral rubber suit, I'll keep safe and as always I'll keep you posted

Dreaming of Africa... in Africa...

2007-12-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I read a book for pleasure - there is a certain dread that always seemed to come over me when I opened any book, probably because it seemed I was always reading under pressure for a looming mysterious test I would have to sit... Anyway, all of a sudden I got over my "bibliophobia" with Kuki Gallmann's 'I dreamed of Africa'. I am not done reading it yet but I must say that it's an amazing book. I did not watch the movie because I figured it would follow the same motif I've seen in so many movies of colonial times in Africa. Honestly, there is some "reservation" (to put it mildly) that I feel towards colonialism but again that's history and I'm not going to get into this now.

Back to the book, it's based in post colonial Kenya and this story is actually about Kuki, an Italian girl who has this dream about coming to Africa. Her journey through tragedy and triumph brings her to the place she and her family call home - close to where I was raised as a child. I read her book understanding the places she speaks of and knowing the culture but still fascinated by her experiences. She writes with a flair of expression and what I find refreshing is how she can describe a look, a touch, a feel, a smell or a sound with such accuracy that one could almost experience it! As an aspiring writer I have often come to dead ends when trying to express the senses in writing - Kuki who learned English later in life (being of Italian origin and descent) nails it on the head.

Kuki's life is plagued by several tragedies that take the people she loves from her in such tragic and vivid ways. It took her to the pits of hell and back as she explains and yet what does she do? lay down and die? call her dream and the dreams of those she lost all lies and turn back? No, she now lives to protect that dream - its a legacy that she is well known and loved for here in Kenya. I believe like Kuki that it is a privilege to be part of such a beautiful land, we are to care for it and act as custodians, it was here before us and will be here when we are long gone.

I looked back at my photo albums with fresh perspective - It was because of Kuki and other conservation advocates that I have the privilege of showing you these photos taken a couple of months ago on an amazing safari at Amboseli National Park.

View Album

Get your own

"Van Nuys Tower, Helicopter 878MC"

2007-11-22T21:55:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how many times I used that phrase! I say that because the other day I accidentally said it once more while talking to the control tower here in Entebbe. I chuckled as I corrected the radio call but could not help but recall my times at TwinAir Helicopters where I did most of my initial flying.

Returning from a flight with one of my students

TwinAir Helicopters is located at the Van Nuys airport, base of the tower with helipads right next to Taxiway Alpha. The company operates Robinson R22s, R44s and Bell47 for flight training, charters, photography, tours and much more. TwinAir has been running for over 10 years out of Van Nuys under the experienced and passionate direction of Yoyo Gusso the Chief Instructor. The other half of the "Twin" in the TwinAir name and the company Chairman is GianCarlo Gusso who is Yoyo's identical twin brother, who flys for Alitalia. Between these two exceptional Aviators who started flying in their teens and never looked back, there is atleast 25000 flying hours!

TwinAir Crew: (R-L) GianCarlo, me, Massimo and Yoyo

I got my Instrument rating and Instructor rating at TwinAir. They had (and still have) the best rates per hour for Robinsons at Van Nuys airport. Besides for the instrument rating, they are the only school with an FAA approved flight simulator. I recall sitting in Yoyo's ground school class with several others and we all marveled at how knowledgeable and passionate he is about helicopters, he imparts this same knowledge and builds up his instructors to his level. It was a true pleasure being there, the company trained me and brought me to a level of confidence and understanding of helicopters that makes me the pilot I am today.

Intensive flight training with Yoyo

An interesting aspect of my job was working with this cast of helicopter enthusiasts ranging from starter pilots, fixed wing conversion pilots, time-building pilots, experienced pilots looking to add more ratings, among others. TwinAir's student's enjoyed the laid back, friendly atmosphere where academic discussions could be held anywhere from the kitchenette to the hangar - I always enjoyed the wonderful students and staff that made our company what it is.

My advise is, choosing a flight school is hard enough, you don't ever know what you are getting yourself into until you are a few thousand dollars down the road and wondering why you didn't see this coming. I guarantee you, there is no way of knowing what you will be getting unless you take it from people that have been there and done that. I am continuing in TwinAir's Airline Transport Pilot class with Yoyo because I know exactly the great quality of the company and it's instructors. Their website is www.twinair.net - if you go to the "About Us" page you will get more information regarding the company and also see some pictures and biographies of the staff.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to Yoyo, GianCarlo, Rick Knox, Philippe, Massimo, John Mowatt, Esteban at copterpilot.com, everyone I met at TwinAir and all the others who helped me make it this far, keep up the good work!

To Malawi and Back -

2007-11-18T12:03:00.000-08:00

I had never been out of Kenya in all the years I was living here, yet now within a month of being back I have been out of the country more than I have been in it. I traveled to Malawi to work with another pilot who was just finishing a contract in the BK117.

The BK117 is a twin engine Eurocopter helicopter spotting 2 arriel 1E2 engines each capable of producing 692shorsepower max continous power, cruising 135knots, max gross weight 7386lbs. This aircraft is completely IFR capable with 3 axis coupled autopilot, certified for SPIFR - it can shoot an ILS and come to 40ft over the runway! pretty impressive! This aircraft is used for VIP transport, external load, security missions (It has FLIR and is fully NVG capable) but mostly for Medivac. Its huge interior and clamshell rear doors make it a lot safer and easier for getting stretchers in and out. The tail rotor is well out of the way of any personnel working around it.

Enough of the jargon... I tend to get excited about helicopters and go on these tirades - just humor me :)
LZ in Lifupa, Malawi

Anyway, I got this rare opportunity to do a cross country ferry together with the Captain who is an instructor pilot. When I say cross country, I don't mean tagging the 25 nautical mile marker and returning to base so you can log x-c - I mean international cross country starting in Malawi, going through Tanzania and Ending in the Uganda capital Kampala. The country of Malawi borders Tanzania to the south, I can't say I know much about the country except it's capital is Lilongwe, its land-locked and Lake Malawi is its most famous feature. The trip was about 850 nautical miles, scheduled 2 fuels stops, total flight time 6-7 hours, forecast weather was great but again we had an IFR helicopter so we had little to worry about. Flight plan was filed and fuel had been confirmed at both locations which must be done in Africa otherwise it could be a big issue.

Bright and early in the morning, we headed for Lilongwe's Kamuzu International Airport. Even before we took off, I could feel the immense power of this aircraft as the 2 engines were running. We were cleared and off we went. Soon as we were stable and on track the autopilot took over - I was watching in amazement as both of us sat back and the aircraft flew the flight plan! They hammer it into your head in flight school "Never let go of the controls even for a second!" here we were flying along just monitoring the systems and doing the radios. First fuel stop at Karonga came and went without a hitch, we left Malawi airspace and entered Tanzania.

The BK at Kamuzu airport in Lilongwe, Malawi
(No, it's not famous for its leaning control tower - thats just my poor photography skills... :p)

Our next fuel stop was Tabora. When we arrived there, tower cleared us to land and refuel but when the BP guy came over he told us that they had just ran out of Jet-A! We told them we called to confirm they would have fuel but they told us they had a lot of planes stop by for fuel so they ran out a few hours before. Apparently a truck was supposed to replenish their supply but didn't come yet. Now what? my Captain and I checked the reserves - there was about 45 minutes of fuel but the next stop was 2 hours away and there was no guarantee that there would be fuel there! Welcome to Tanzania! we were going to be spending some quality time here.

We called base and informed them of the situation. Usually when the company had contracts they placed drums of Jet A in strategic places all over the area for this very reason. However we didn't have a contract in Tanzania so no hidden fuel resources close by, another idea was to get kerosine but unless we landed at a petrol station, we didn't have 2 empty drums to carry 400 litres, and a truck to carry them. It was looking like we would have to wait for the BP fuel truck to come.

When the going gets tough... watching and waiting for fuel in Tabora

We started preparing to find the nearest town and spend the night. After almost 2 hours on the ground, the BP supervisor showed up and we told him our predicament. We asked if they could try and see if there was anything left in the tanks. He didn't really think it would help but he agreed. I had crossed every finger and every toe, prayed every prayer I knew and in the end by golly! we managed to suck the fuel we needed out of the tank!!!! This was definitely enough to get us to the next fuel stop! It has never felt so wonderful to start up the rotors again and take to the skies.

After a few hours of flying we finally get over Lake Victoria which means we would be crossing into Uganda and finally getting to our destination after 7 hours. I wouldn't say that the BK has the smoothest ride especially with it's rigid titanium rotor head. but it does have lots of room and power to fly. The main lesson for the day was that pulling pitch in Africa is not that simple. Like I mentioned before, you have to become a self sufficient proactive flight planning wonder who knows that the plan is subject to change at any given time.

Til next time I'll be at the source of the Nile - SO LONG!

MY FAVORITE CHOPPER CHICKS!

2007-11-14T02:20:00.000-08:00

A new breed of helicopter pilots (L-R) Tracy(Helinet), Desiree(Coastal Helicopters), Stacy(Sikorsky) and I.

Life as a helicopter pilot is not easy especially in the great divide between graduating flight school and landing that first turbine job! These great girls have been with me every step of the way, giving me hope when things looked bleak, I have benefited from their experience and expertise in the helicopter industry. Somehow it seemed like they had already been through what I was going through and always had a kind word - they always managed to keep me laughing - never a dull moment! Miss ya'll and thanks again!

2007-11-14T02:03:00.000-08:00

Capt. Stacy Sheard and I - Stacy has been my greatest mentor and friend!

From Van Nuys

2007-11-14T01:54:00.000-08:00

Back in Kenya

2007-11-14T01:07:00.000-08:00

Back home in Kenya now from Uganda. Its cold and rainy and I think I'm coming down with something. Our base is at the Wilson Airport located just about 7 miles west of the main international airport in Kenya Jomo Kenyatta. This airport is mainly used by charter companies, flying doctors and other private and Non-governmental institutions. There is also a police airwing located here.

Helicopters still make a small percentage of general aviation in Kenya. Most helicopters are found in the military and police service. there are a handful of helicopter companies, some privately owned helicopters, mostly Bell 206s and then there is the parastatals like the pipeline company and wildlife service who have Astars and Bells. The military flies Russian helicopters MI16s and the like.

Right now one of our Astars is in the hangar here in Nairobi for a 100hour inspection which is such a great opportunity for me to poke around the aircraft when its in (some) pieces. What an amazing helicopter! I am in awe at the technological marvel that is the Astar! Ok, I better stop before I start spewing specs and jargon here!

More later, just thought I would throw in some memories for good measure: NEVER FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM - its the path that leads you to where you are NOW! think about it...

In the Papers...

2007-11-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

Another article regarding out helicopter services. Click on the article to enlarge it. The price for the trip to the airport is actually wrong on this article (fully loaded we charge $250 per person). Everyone is getting geared up for this huge CHOGM event - even the Queen of England is coming! We plan on flying a great deal during this period. More later...

2007-11-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

Newspaper article in the Daily Monitor Uganda's leading paper. Please click on the article to view the contents. We just got back from a demonstration flight with the reporters.

Coming to Africa

2007-11-06T21:52:00.000-08:00

I never thought I would start a blog but here goes! To all family in Kenya and Aussie and all my friends in Kenya, California (holla!) and UK- wondering what I'm up to these days? I'm back to my homeland Kenya and have been for the last month or so. My dream came true a little sooner than I expected and now here I am flying helicopters in Africa!

My adventures so far have been mostly of the written test variety. Basically I have had to do several written tests to convert my license from FAA to Kenyan - an uphill slippery slope battle I never want to repeat. The bureaucracy is unbelievable and due to the lack of understanding and overall organization, a process that could have been complete in a couple of weeks took a month! The tests themselves are so old and unrevised that I'm sure the first Kenyan pilots at Independence (1963) sat these same papers! There is little differentiation between fixed wing and helicopters therefore I had to do Mach calculations - let me know when they invent a helo that can go that fast. Use of flight computers is not allowed. As I said before, I never want to repeat and gladly I never have to.

It's been almost 2 weeks into rigorous line checks in the AS350B2 which culminated in my solo debut! The day was calm (but most days on the equator are) sunny and about 26C. Bulago Island on Lake Victoria is a privately owned island completely cut off from the mainland and only accessible by air or water. After a quick refreshing lemonade the work began. My examiner put me through simulated emergencies - his favorite (with good reason) being the hydraulics failure. Soon as that was out of the way, then he hopped out and away I went - all by myself! Several exercises later I parked and it was official!

Being based at this exclusive hotel has been a great experience for me. Its my first time in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda and so far my experiences have been good. People seem quite friendly and hospitable. The company I work for has been operating in Eastern Africa for over 15 years, Nairobi, Kenya is the main base and then also in Kampala, Uganda. The work in Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt among other places. I am just starting on my first base here in Kampala primarily doing airport shuttles to Entebbe international which is 30 minutes return (could be 2 hours one way depending on traffic by road) and there are several flights a day. I also do lunches to the Lake Victoria islands, charters to Soroti, Jinja and other tourist spots around Uganda.

It's lots of fun and the flight planning is no joke! I now realize how spoilt I was in the US, infomation is readily available from all sources and regulations are clear. Here, due to lack of metrological info, outdated charts, scant radio contact, high DA, payload calcs and lets not forget that Jet A is only available in a handful of locations - there is a lot of very careful pre-flight planning - as you can imagine here in Africa any emergency landings is likely to attract a few hungry carnivores, not a good scenario. That's why I love helicopters, they keep you challenged and are never boring - no two flights are ever the same, even on the same route.

All for now, here are some pics from my solo and also from Serena hotel where I am based. Ciao!

Solo on Bulago Island with a view of Lake Victoria in the background.

Enjoying being solo! nothing quite like it!

Greasing the squirrel on-

LZ in the pineapple patch -success!

Looking out my hotel room window - can you spot the helo?

The LZ at Serena - always max perf out