₦airaland Forum

I noticed the 4G signal on my phone this morning. I didn't know they have launched. I am enjoying the speed at my location at the moment though it fluctuates. Their speed used to be frustrating at my location before now.

Glo told me my phone, Tecno Phantom 5 is not supported at the moment. I realized I have to upgrade the Glo sim card too. I might not bother about Glo again if Etisalat can increase their coverage.

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A leading privately owned multinational company with Headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria and presence in some other West African countries.
They are seeking to recruit personable, result-oriented and high pedigree Pilots and Air Hostesses with demonstrable track record of success and beating the odds.

PILOTS / FLIGHT CAPTAINS (P/FC)

THE PERSON

Equipped with all professional certifications and licenses and not older than 50 years. You will be a thoroughbred and experienced Pilot with impeccable track record and zero accident record.

RESPONSIBILITIES

 Performing aircraft flying duties.
 Checking weather conditions and see if it is suitable for flying or not.
 Making contacts with the air traffic controllers to make sure that the flight plan accuracy is in accordance with the expected flight circumstances.
 Updating the log book on a daily basis – for status of the journey.
 Making a report at the end of the flight – stating any issues or incidents experienced throughout the journey.
 Operating the aircraft safely and economically in order to save operating costs.
 Ensuring the good condition of aircraft and its equipment before and after the take off to have a safe journey.

QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE

 Professional pilot degree from any accredited institution of learning with 15 years working experience.
 Great problem-solving skills and analytical ability to make decisions.
 Highly smart and alert.
 Ability to speak multiple languages is an added advantage.

AIR HOSTESS (AH)

THE PERSON

A personable, lively, elegant lady of not more than 40 years. You will be self-motivated, confident and with excellence communication skills. Ability to speak a second international language will be an added advantage.

RESPONSIBILITIES

 Provision of exceptional hospitality service during flights.
 Instructing on all safety procedures and ensuring compliance.
 Ensuring that all cabin equipment is working well before flights.
 Apprising the captain of the condition of the cabin and crew before and after flights.
 Ensuring that all passengers are seated and secure before take-offs and landings.

QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE

 Bachelor’s Degree or HND in hospitality, Communications or Tourism studies.
 Master’s Degree or relevant Professional Qualifications will be an added advantage.
 Minimum of seven years experience with reputable local or international airline.
 Proven track record of excellence service.

Attractive and internationally competitive remuneration packages, a pleasant working environment and challenging prospects await the successful candidate.

METHOD OF APPLICATION

To apply, please quote the corresponding reference number as the subject and e-mail your Curriculum Vitae (prepared as a Microsoft Word document) with contact telephone numbers, current work location, e-mail address and scanned passport-size photograph to us at:
hrresourcing2016@gmail.com.

Applications and CVs should be sent within two weeks from the date of this publication. 4th October, 2016 is the last date for receiving applications and CVs. All applications will be treated in strict confidence and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Source:http://www.ofonimeessien.com/vacancies-pilots-air-hostesses/

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The Governor of Cross River State, Nigeria, Senator Ben Ayade says his government is set to establish an airline called Cally Air, under a partnership arrangement with Dana Air, a Nigerian registered airline.

Ayade said in a press conference held in Calabar that Cally Air was part of his government's bid to encourage tourism to the state, situated along Nigeria's border with Cameroon and its Atlantic Ocean front and would be managed under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with Dana Group, a consortium of Indian investors. He said the airline when it starts would serve Obudu, Abuja and Lagos from its Calabar base.
Speaking when he led the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Dana Group, Mr. Jacky Hathiramani to the site of Dana’s Calabar Pharmaceutical Company under construction, Governor Ayade said Cross River was creating new platforms, new business opportunities that would open a fresh horizon for young people to exploit.

We have our own state’s aircraft, which Dana has agreed to do a detailed technical study of. The aircraft is in Aero Contractor’s fleet in Lagos. As soon as that is done, we will finalise to get the aircraft in the air. Once that is done, it is going to be written completely as “Cally Air. So, it will be flying Calabar, Obudu, Lagos and of course, Abuja. We are in a haste to get Cally Air started. Calabar will have its own airline in partnership with Dana as its technical operator. We have also reached a point where we will be signing up on that deal,” said Ayade.

Cross River State has a Dash 8-200 5N-GRS and Ayade says the airline will make its inaugural flight in November, 2016.

In his remarks, Dana’s Hathiramani said: “My company is very impressed with what Ayade is doing to transform the state in terms of investment and we are committed to ensuring the success of the partnership.”

Dana’s Head of Corporate Communications, Kingsley Ezenwa told African Aerospace that his airline was committed to the success of the partnership and that arrangements were on to ensure commencement of the new airline. He however said that full details of the deal would be made public at the appropriate time.

Dana Air is one of Nigeria’s leading airlines, operating over 27 daily flights from Lagos to Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Owerri and Uyo. The airline is reputed for its efficient customer services, world- class in-flight services, on-time departures and arrivals, innovative e-airline products and high safety and quality standards.

Source: http://www.ofonimeessien.com/cally-air-a-new-nigerian-airline-emerges/

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Travellers who own Samsung’s fire-prone Note 7 smartphone will no longer be able to use or charge them while on board UAE airlines, officials said.

Etihad and Flydubai issued statements on Saturday barring in-flight use of the phone, which was recalled earlier this month by Samsung after reports of burning and exploding batteries. The statements come after aviation authorities in the UAE, Europe, the US, India and Singapore issued similar bans or advisories on the use of the phone on planes.

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority banned the use of the device on board, Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, director-general, General Civil Aviation Authority, said on Saturday. The authority also banned the transport of Note 7 in luggage.

Emirates said it would “advise” customers not to turn the devices on while on the plane — or put them in checked baggage.

“Emirates can confirm that with immediate effect it will advise customers not to turn on or charge their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones during flights or stow them in checked baggage due to concerns over the phone’s fire-prone batteries,” the airline said in a statement issued to Gulf News on Saturday.

Etihad also said that it “has, as a precautionary measure, enforced a temporary ban on the in-flight use and battery charging of these devices on all its flights until the issue is rectified by the manufacturer”.

Low-cost carrier Flydubai said: “We would like to request passengers that own these devices to not switch them on or charge them in flight. In addition, we are unable to accept this device in checked baggage. Thanks for your understanding.”

The low-cost carrier’s statement released on Facebook late on Friday.

Yet for regulators, airlines, the phone’s owners, and Samsung, the fiery glitch provides little occasion for joy.
In the UAE, Samsung on Friday launched a “voluntary exchange programme” for the Note 7 “in response to the recent announcement regarding battery cell issues”.

“We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause,” said the statement, which was carried in coordination with the Ministry of Economy.
Worldwide, the voluntary recall applies to all 2.5 million Note 7 phones sold since its roll-out in August.

Samsung believes that the battery problem might affect 0.1 per cent of all the phones sold. At least 35 users reported that their Note 7 had caught fire or exploded — either when in use or being charged.

In the United States, the federal consumer safety watchdog on Friday issued a stark statement. All Note 7 users, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said, should power them down and stop charging or using the device.

Almost all CPSC recalls are done voluntarily in conjunction with a company and the scope of any action on the Note 7 may be identical to what Samsung has already suggested to consumers.

Consumers who have witnessed their gleaming new phones turn into a melted plastic brick have turned to news outlets and the internet to express their anger. A viral video released on YouTube late last month showed a melted and charred Note 7.

The user claimed the device had caught fire while being connected to a charger. Another user — this time a self-confessed Samsung smartphone fanboy — claimed that his Note 7 had exploded while being charged in his car.


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Standing glumly by the burnt-out wreckage of his beloved Jeep Grand Cherokee, Florida resident Nathan Dornacher told local TV station FOX 13: “I don’t think I’m going to let another Samsung product into my house.”

The smouldering issue has left Samsung with a loss of face — and cash.

The recall will cost the manufacturer an estimated Dh3.67 billion, while its shares fell 3.9 per cent in trading on Friday in Korea, the biggest drop since the beginning of the year.

Samsung’s strategy centred on rolling out the Note 7 last month to give it a head start on the launch of Apple’s seventh generation of iPhones.
But much like the stricken smartphone, the Korean firm’s hopes of stealing a march on the California-based giant have now gone up in smoke.

Source: http://www.ofonimeessien.com/uae-airlines-ban-use-samsung-galaxy-note-7-aircraft/

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A Swiss F/A-18C fighter jet has gone missing, with no word from the pilot. The jet had been flying over the Susten Pass area when it disappeared, reported the Federal Department of Defence on Monday.

The single-seat aircraft had been participating in a training mission with another jet in a thick layer of clouds. Last contact with the missing pilot was at 16:05 Swiss time.

“We hope and pray,” said Swiss Air Force Commander Aldo Schellenberg when asked about the pilot’s chances of survival. At a media conference in Bern on Monday evening, Schellenberg said his thoughts were with the pilot and his family.

Search measures are underway between Meiringen, canton Bern, and Andermatt, canton Uri, according to the Federal Department of Defence. Current weather conditions are preventing search efforts via helicopter, so the search and rescue parties are travelling on foot. Both the aircraft and the ejector seat are equipped with transmitters, which has helped to focus the search efforts.

After taking off from the Meiringen military airport at 16:01, the missing pilot had responded to a radio call as expected at 16:05. However, he failed to reply to a second call. He and the other F/A-18 Hornet pilot were practising manoeuvres for a potential fight with an F-5 Tiger aircraft.

Fighter jet accidents

Just last month, two Swiss air force jets intercepted an Israeli El Al airliner near Schaffhausen after an anonymous bomb threat. The Swiss Air Force is currently ramping up its coverage to protect Swiss air space. The goal is to provide 24/7 coverage with two armed jets by 2020.
Critics have questioned whether the recent increased demand is leading to more accidents.

In June, an F5 fighter jet from Patrouille Suisse crashed in the Netherlands after two jets touched during a training flight there. The pilot was able to escape using the ejector seat.

Last October, a two-seat F/A-18 crashed in France during a training flight, injuring the pilot. Over the past 20 years, there have been 12 accidents involving Swiss Air Force jets or helicopters, killing 21 people.

Current fighter jet fleet

The Swiss Air Force has 35 F/A-18s: 25 single-seater, and five double-seater. The original fleet had 34 jets. There are also 36 F-5-Tiger jets, but these are getting too old.

In May 2014, Swiss voters rejected the defence ministry’s $3.5 billion (CHF3.4 billion) order for 22 new Gripen fighter jets from Swedish defence company Saab AB.

Source: http://www.ofonimeessien.com/swiss-fighter-jet-pilot-missing/

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South African Airways (SAA) is in dire straits. Africa’s second largest airline and one of its most historic is in danger of liquidation, according to a report from Business Day Live, a daily South African newspaper.

The report comes in the wake of a series of financial struggles for the Johannesburg-based airline. The airline’s chief auditor Yakhe Kwinana resigned earlier this week, citing her worry about damage to her personal reputation in the wake of a potential liquidation.

Kwinana is subject to numerous allegations of impropriety, including approving questionable deals that increased SAA’s costs.

In the last several weeks, South African has missed or is in danger of missing several payments to creditors, including a 250 million rand ($18 million) loan that Standard Bank of South Africa has requested immediate repayment on.

Meanwhile, the company faces a September 6 deadline from Hong Kong’s registrar of companies, which has threatened to withdraw SAA’s right to serve its daily Hong Kong – Johannesburg route unless the airline submits financial statements to the registrar.

The problem for SAA is that right now its financial situation is so dire that if the carrier submitted its current financials, it would not be considered a viable business and forced to withdraw from Hong Kong anyway. Thus, in order to survive, SAA urgently needs a loan guarantee of 5 billion rand ($350 million), after losing 2.3 billion rand ($161 million) in fiscal 2014, and a still undisclosed amount in fiscal 2015.

But the South African treasury, headed by finance minister Pravin Gordhan has refused to provide the guarantee until a new board and management are installed. Meanwhile, SAA’s finances and the political will to bail it out are also hampered by an advanced investigation from the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) a citizen’s advocacy organization.

Solving South African Airways’ plight

The challenges that face South African Airways are the same that face almost any state owned airline in poorer countries with a more populist economic bent. Whenever governments own airlines, the temptation to step in and overrule potentially unpopular but necessary business decisions is simply too great.

The revolving door between the Zuma administration and SAA’s senior leadership continues to hold back a restructuring process, including maintaining loss making routes, and perhaps more damaging, holding back a decision on the Airbus A350 or the Boeing 787 for the future of the widebody fleet.

The reality is that South African Airways desperately needs to cut back its long haul route network to include just London, New York, Frankfurt, and Washington. It should also deploy some of the widebody aircraft freed from these routes on routes to Northern and Central Africa.

If SAA is going to lose money on longer distance routes, it might as well lose money on shorter routes that will be valuable as African aviation expands. To achieve all of this while maintaining viability, South African needs to prune its cost structure and reduce its headcount. And it needs to rationalize its fleet, settling perhaps on the A350 as was previously planned as the long haul fleet type and the A320neo as the short haul fleet type.

All of this will require re-capitalization, and that’s where the problem comes in. Privatizing SAA is the right thing to do, but it would rob the Zuma government of a politically valuable tool. The other option is to seek outside investment, and that’s where the Middle East Big 3, or even a Chinese carrier like Hainan Group or Air China could come into play.

South Africa is still a valuable and important market in global aviation, and so the future for SAA may well be membership in Etihad Airlines Partners. Right now, there are no easy answers in Johannesburg.

Source: http://www.ofonimeessien.com/south-african-airways-brink/

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The Hybrid Air Vehicles giant Airlander 10 airship flies over hangars on its maiden flight at Cardington Airfield near Bedford, north of London. The aircraft is 92m long, and 43.5 wide. Justin Tallis / AFP

Russia has its eye on developments in the UK airship industry following the successful maiden flight of what is billed as the world’s biggest aircraft.

The Airlander 10 is a true giant of the skies; it would take the Olympic triple sprint gold medallist Usain Bolt – running at world-record pace – around 9 seconds to clear its 92m length.

The aircraft is built from lightweight composites and is a hybrid between a traditional rigid-framed Zeppelin and a frame-free blimp. It took to the skies amid cheers and applause from crowds gathered at an airfield in Cardington, central England, last week.

The successful flight comes 85 years after another airship – the ill-fated R101 – took off from the same airfield in October 1930 before crashing in France, killing 48 people and effectively ending the development of airships in Britain.

Originally developed for the US army as a surveillance aircraft, the Airlander 10, also has potential uses in the commercial sector, such as carrying cargo of up to 10 tonnes, according to its maker Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV).

Reporting on the event last week, the Russian newspaper Vzglyad highlighted economic factors it said will contribute to growth of the market the British company is targeting.

Russian experts have already proven, according to Vzglyad, that the use of airships will help to significantly reduce cargo delivery time. Additionally, the airships would reduce the need for warehouses and transshipment bases.

Now the average rate of transit for the conventional mixed transportation system using lorries, railway and a cargo ship stands at 8kph to 10kph, while the average speed of an airship is 100kph.

Airships are more environmentally friendly and less noisy than other types of air transport and use much less fuel during transport of the same cargo over the same distance.

The next-generation airships will run using so-called fly-by-wire systems, which along with the rigid lightweight frames, will allow for the construction of comfortable or even luxurious interiors on board. This might allow them to compete with airliners in the not-so-distant future.

In the face of UK competition, Russia is intensifying efforts to develop its own state-of-the-art dirigibles, including the Au-30, created by Augur RosAeroSystems.

"The unique multifunctional 10-seat Au-30 airship has already been lifted up to the sky and now remains one of the most advanced in the world," according the company’s website.

RosAeroSystems’ other projects in development include the medium altitude unmanned airship Sokol, the high altitude unmanned Berkut satellite airship and hybrid cargo-and-passenger ATLANT airships.

HAV, which describes the Airlander 10 as the "largest aircraft currently flying", received a British government grant of £2.5 million (Dh12.1m) to develop the project.

The Airlander can fly at up to 4,880 metres and reach speeds of 148kph, according to HAV.

Filled with helium, it can stay airborne for more than two weeks unmanned and up to five days if manned.

Its first flight was delayed due to a technical fault, which was resolved in time for the aircraft to take off in clear weather conditions for Wednesday’s 30-minute flight.

The HAV chief executive Stephen McGlennan said the aircraft was cheaper and greener than helicopter technology.

It is also much safer than the airships of the 1930s as it uses helium rather than explosive hydrogen to privide buoyancy.

"It’s a great British innovation. It’s a combination of an aircraft that has parts of normal fixed wing aircraft, it’s got helicopter, it’s got airship," he said.

A project to develop the aircraft for surveillance use by the US military was shelved due to budget cuts.

Source: http://www.ofonimeessien.com/worlds-biggest-aircrafts-maiden-flight-piques-russian-interest/

Mrbigman2:
Shey dis woman no gree old ni?

She no gree ooo

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Advertisements promoting Mariah Carey’s upcoming concert series in Las Vegas are scheduled to begin running in the John Wayne Airport terminal on Aug. 22. (Photo: John Wayne Airport)

Two California airports find themselves tangled up in a story about Mariah Carey’s body parts.

On Monday, celebrity gossip and entertainment site TMZ reported that Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport and John Wayne Airport in Orange County were nixing the installation of billboards scheduled to go up near each airport to promote Mariah Carey’s upcoming shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The issue, said TMZ, is that on the billboards Carey’s breasts are “barely covered by a gold sheet” and the airports consider the image “way too sexy.”

“Sure, we get that airports don't want any, um ... distractions for the pilots trying to land planes,” noted celebrity gossip blog PerezHilton.com, “but we're hoping that Mimi gets the freedom to promote her residency in all her curvy glory.”

It’s definitely a titillating story, but when contacted by Today in the Sky, officials from both the Burbank and Orange County airports said the details in the TMZ story are wrong.

Neither airport can ban the content of billboards that go up off airport property, but each airport has staff that does weigh in on the ads airport advertising concessionaires plan to place on airport property and inside the terminals.

“The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority received a proposal to post a Mariah Carey advertisement,” said airport spokeswoman Lucy Burghdorf. “It did not ban the proposed artwork. It simply requested that the artwork be revised.”

At John Wayne Airport, also popular with travelers heading to Las Vegas, airport spokeswoman Deanne Thompson explained airport officials “did not nix, ban or intervene with the placement of the billboards near the airport. In fact on Aug. 8 we approved the image of Mariah Carey that entertainment company AEG brought to us to run in the terminal” — gold sheet and all.

Advertisements promoting Mariah Carey’s upcoming concert series in Las Vegas are scheduled to begin running in the John Wayne Airport terminal on Aug. 22, said Thompson in a phone call, before excusing herself to talk about the supposed ad ban with producers at Entertainment Tonight.

Source: http://www.ofonimeessien.com/sexy-mariah-carey-billboard-sparks-airport-drama/

Judee99:
i am an aviation enthusiast. Currently an undergraduate in a related course. How can i get in touch with you Sir cos i have many FAQs. 07062174040 my whatsapp number. you can as well help me with your contact. Thanks

Ask your questions here:
https://www.nairaland.com/3120882/ask-pilot

Judee99:
i am an aviation enthusiast. Currently an undergraduate in a related course. How can i get in touch with you Sir cos i have many FAQs. 07062174040 my whatsapp number. you can as well help me with your contact. Thanks

Ask your questions here. https://www.nairaland.com/3120882/ask-pilot

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The pilot and three passengers boarded the Cessna 172 for a flight at night near Willoughby Hills, Ohio.

The controller cleared the flight for takeoff and observed the airplane lift off about 2,000 feet down the runway.

Shortly after liftoff, the pilot contacted the controller and reported that the airplane was not “climbing fast” and that he wanted to make a left turn to return to the airport. The controller approved the left turn and observed the airplane begin a left turn and descend to impact with the terrain, killing all four aboard.

A post-impact fire ensued.

Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted in a steep descent.

The witness observations and the impact geometry are consistent with the pilot failing to maintain adequate airspeed while turning to return to the airport, resulting in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.
Weight and balance calculations showed that the airplane was between 93.6 and 165.6 pounds over maximum gross weight at the time of the accident.

The decreased takeoff climb performance reported by the pilot was likely due to the airplane’s over gross weight condition.

The NTSB determined the probable cause as the pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while returning to the airport immediately after takeoff, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and entering an aerodynamic stall during the turn. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in the airplane being over maximum gross weight and its subsequent decrease in takeoff climb performance.

NTSB Identification: CEN14FA453

This August 2014 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Source: http://www.ofonimeessien.com/night-flight-fatal-for-four/

Drsmiles:
Na engineer be this o!!!!!
That shoe fit crash plane

He is not an Engineer but a Helicopter Pilot.

God bless my course mate.

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This is a missive to address the issues that have confronted me as an unemployed pilot with no job experience in Nigeria. I will delve into matters only within my scope of experience and reach even though I am no expert in the aviation industry, I can say I am an expert in the field of pilot unemployment.

From where I look, it appears that the Nigerian Aviation Industry is in shambles; While it may periodically receive jolts of life (new airlines and expansion within standing ones) these do little to raise this near-dead goliath. A giant felled from the stone that mismanagement shot. The industry is moribund, with hundreds of unemployed and underemployed pilots, engineers and technicians laying about without hope. In fact, the NCAA once published that they have issued over seven thousand (7000) licenses but only about two thousand and five hundred (2500) of those are current, meaning these are the only ones currently in use for employment purposes. This points to the possibility of an even higher number of unemployed pilots than previously thought.

The truth is that there is much that is wrong in the industry because many businesses are struggling to stay ahead of mounting loans from ever sceptical banks and stringent regulations which do as much harm as good to the industry. Therefore, pressing measures should be undertaken to resuscitate the industry.

THE PROBLEMS AFFLICTING THE INDUSTRY (FROM MY PERSPECTIVE)

The universally accepted measure of experience in the global aviation industry is practice hours (flying hours) and that yardstick is the same for us here is Nigeria too. The higher the hours of practice for pilots and engineers, the better regarded and more trusted they are. It is for this reason that insurance companies make benchmarks for pilots and co-pilots to adhere to in order for them to better safeguard their investments and ensure a higher standard of operation. An unwritten agreement for a minimum of 1500 hours and 500 hours are required for captains and co-pilots respectively, in many countries all over the world.

However, fresh graduates from aviation schools (I speak for pilots solely in this instance) receive somewhere between 200-300 hours of total training hours for airplane pilots and between 150-200 hours of total training hours for helicopter pilots throughout their tutelage, therefore, a deficit in practice hours exists for these new graduates making them less than ideal for employment. Technically, they are still employable but as I earlier mentioned employers are more comfortable taking on more experienced pilots. This situation presents a serious quagmire for fresh pilots leading those fresh graduates with means to “buy” hours by paying for them or utilize their connections to gain employment with their meagre qualifications.

So the options available to new pilots remain to either spend more money to increase their flying hours by hiring a plane or helicopter and paying per hour, use the ever present “connection” or test the waters with their sparse CVs. Coupled with the steady stream of foreign and more experienced pilots who troop into the country to compete for jobs that the locals cannot qualify for, the competition is currently slaughtering Nigerians.


WHAT IS BEING DONE?

The order of the day is a call for the reestablishment of the national carrier airline as an antidote to our presently ailing industry. Whilst I am excited for this news, I cannot help but to objectively assess our situation as to be beyond the cure of one single airline. Even the most optimistic observer cannot deny the astronomical costs this airline will gulp, not to mention the equally mammoth sums that will be required to launch and maintain such till it breaks even financially. With industries in Nigeria witnessing a crunch in one form or the other owing to the monumental dip in oil prices as well as the political realignment of the government, every penny that can be saved should be. The order of the day will be “effective” as opposed to “massive” spending.

This is why I am wholly convinced that a national carrier as well other large scale investments MIGHT not be the best way to go, and they will produce more of the same results for many local pilots. It MIGHT turn out to be a typical case of treating the symptom as opposed to the disease itself. These ‘low-hour’ pilots will remain unemployable unless the airline is willing to invest even more time and money in these low-timers.

That said, it would be a major boost to Nigeria’s profile for her to maintain a national carrier, which I am certain will increase traffic for, at least, tourism and international business collaborations.

WHAT SOLUTION WOULD I RECOMMEND?

I would recommend that General Aviation (GA) be bolstered up. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) defines GA as “an aircraft operation of a civil aircraft other than a commercial air transport operation or aerial work operation.” This simply means any aviation dealing asides airliners, corporate and luxury business jets charters and the likes, is general aviation. This means that General aviation is ANY airplane business that in NOT an airline. So examples of GA would be tour flights, training, aerial photography, pipeline inspection, banner towing, crop dusting and skydiving etc. GA has a very notable hallmark which is its use of small short-range airplanes for small scale businesses, making it more affordable compared to the high cost of the regular airlines.

BENEFITS OF GENERAL AVIATION

The most pronounced characteristic of General Aviation (GA) is its cheapness as against other aviation businesses. It costs a fraction of what it takes to buy one airline aircraft to set up normal GA operation. Small planes which have long lifespans and little maintenance overhead have prices comparable to cars. They are the key drivers of such businesses so these businesses can afford to hire pilots with low hours. In fact that is mostly what they can afford, considering their small size and profits.

Ideally, pilots and engineers can begin working in these small companies and then accumulate more hours and experience which makes them more suitable for bigger businesses and operations. In doing so, Nigeria can be assured of a steady stream of better experienced pilots who have cut their teeth in actual labour and have confidence in their skills. It will also help Nigerian aviators get employment and experience in other countries, which can help us expand our knowledge base as well as strengthen cultural ties with other nations.

The potentials for GA to improve the economy are too numerous and far reaching, as shown in the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) issued report for 2014 and 2015 forecast, GA is currently a $219 billion industry in the United States alone and supports 1.1 million jobs in the same country. Manufacturing plays a massive role in this colossal market, and Africa is still virgin territory. With the right input, the entire sub-Saharan general aviation market would have to stem from here in Nigeria. In truth, only South Africa uses general aviation to any degree of importance in Africa, and it provides for 2.1% of their GDP.

Other than financial, the addition to local content would be enormous. GA can resuscitate Nigeria’s pride, the Air Beetle, an airplane which was manufactured and fabricated locally till it could no longer operate. Also schools for aviation technology would not be far to imagine seeing as they come hand in hand with a functional and boisterous GA.


ACTUAL RECOMMENDATIONS I WILL MAKE

1. Review the landing and take-off costs for airplanes under 12,600 lbs, or the NCAA may provide a list of preferred aircrafts for GA use which the NCAA will reduce airport fees for, as long as they are registered in Nigeria.

2. The Federal Government, or even states, can make allocations for short strips for runways, whether controlled or uncontrolled. A minimum of three of such airfields should be located in each state. A public/private partnership will be best in our clime to ensure that maintenance is not overlooked either.

3. Relax the requirements for aviation business registration for small-scale businesses, or create an avenue for GA businesses to start and progress without needing to acquire the top heavy structures of actual airlines, also a review of the policy guiding the private ownership of aircrafts for non-commercial purposes.

4. Require the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the National Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to maintain a fleet of small inexpensive planes with which they can monitor pipelines as well as rapidly respond to emergencies where they may arise.

5. Demand the NCAA to live up to its responsibilities of providing regulatory oversight on aviation operations and make these regulations public on a functional website. Information such as area charts and airport information MUST be made available and aslo well updated.

6. Make concessions such as tax exemptions to particular businesses within the GA scope such as schools, which can stem the tide of fleeing Forex which is caused by monies leaving Nigeria to pay for fees in foreign countries.

7. Border patrolling for and with the Nigerian Custom Service as well as the Nigerian Army is also a possibility. Keep in mind these small and nimble planes can serve in multiple ways; deliver payloads and packages to destinations where bigger planes cannot, survey areas and assess situations, and they cost a fraction of the drones that can deliver those functions.

8. Finally, support the push to introduce a regulation that requires a Nigerian member of crew for ANY aircraft operating within Nigeria, whether it be registered or not.

The authors, Mr. Kelechi Eze, can be reached on his email: zkelechi@yahoo.com and Mr. Ofonime Essien on essien56@yahoo.com.

SOURCE:http://www.ofonimeessien.com/nigerian-pilots-lost-sea/

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If you pray for a miracle and God doesn’t give you one, you can be a miracle to other people.
On 21st August, 2012, I left Abuja, Nigeria for a US $97,700.00 (N16,132,050.00) helicopter flight training with US $1,212.00 (N200,000.00) in my bank account believing that help was on the way.

Helping a Friend in Need

As I was preparing for flight school, a close friend came to me crying. She had lost weight because of over thinking. Her marriage was announced in church but had to be postponed without a new date fixed because of funds. The funds her fiancé was expecting to carry out the marriage rights didn’t come through.

Rumour mongers went to town with speculation that they were no longer together. This caused her sleepless nights. She needed somebody to pour out her heart to. When a woman tells you her problems, it does not mean that she is complaining. It means she trusts you. She knew I was looking for money for my Pilot training, as such wasn’t expecting any financial help from me. As I watched her cry like a baby and feeling helpless, I was moved in my spirit to do something. They just needed some money to start. I intervened and helped.

I dipped hands into my savings and donated US $ 909.09 (N150,000.00) from the US $ 2,121.21 (N350,000.00) I had saved towards my pilot training. I had reasoned that the money I released will not stop me from going for the course. And it didn’t. That gift was like US $6,060.61 (N1,000,000.00) to them. Today, they are happily married with two (2) lovely children. I empathize with people easily. I always believe, “What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you”. Zig Ziglar, an American author and motivational speaker, once said, “You can have everything you want in life, if you will just help other people get what they want”.

While Waiting For Help

I mentioned in my article, How I Became a Helicopter Pilot - http://www.ofonimeessien.com/how-i-became-a-helicopter-pilot/, that I was training three (3) people in school and supporting another while in flying school. I had to support the fourth (4th) person because of the faith she had in me. Till date, I don’t know how she got my number though, she told me she stole it from her Madam’s phone. I ate in their restaurant in Jebba, Nigeria when I was there on official assignment. She said, “My spirit told me I will be able to get help from you if I can get close to you, the day you came to eat in our restaurant”. Sometimes, we have people who believe in us more than we believe in ourselves. I was moved by her faith in me and had to help in my own little way.

When the going was really tough while in flying school, I used to wonder why God didn’t send me help despite the number of people I had helped. I had been there for people in their time of need but wondered why there was none to help me. I used to tell my friend, Mrs. Udeme Iboro Otoho that I will never help anybody again in life if I struggle and finish the course without any help. She would say, “Don’t worry, help is coming. Keep trusting God”. God bless you, Mma.

One night while sleeping, I saw my Pastor and Father in the Lord, Dr. Paul Enenche, Senior Pastor, Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja – Nigeria, I mentioned my challenge to him. He said, “It has been taken care of”. I knew, “Help was indeed on the way”. When I woke up, I went into praise mode. I thanked God for the revelation and for the help that was on the way. God did send help and it came from an unexpected quarters.

While I waited for help to come, I used to listen to Whitney Houston song, Hold On, Help is on the Way and to Bishop T.D. Jakes message, Help is on the Way. The song and the message keep reminding me to hold on a little longer, that help was on the way.

Friends Abandoned Me

When I told a friend about my Pilot vision, he said, “If it is God that gave you the vision, He knows, he is the one He will use to make the vision come to pass”. I thanked him. I was very happy because I knew he was in a good position to help. Unfortunately, he didn’t help in anyway when I needed help.

One invited me to Uyo, Nigeria to facilitate a meeting with the then Commissioner for Finance, Senator Bassey Albert but switched off his phone after informing him that I was in Uyo till I left three (3) days later. I took days off from training for nothing. I wasted my time, my resources and risk my life travelling by road for nothing.

The other collected US $212.12 (N35,000.00) to buy a bottle of wine to go and welcome the then Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government (SSG), Chief Umana Okon Umana from his holiday. All he did after collecting the money was take me to the gate of Umana’s official residence in Uyo. The Security Officer he left me with said, “Sir, if he wants you to see the SSG, he knows what to do”. God didn’t abandon me but friends did.

Never Put Your Trust in Man

Are you going through difficulties and there are people God has put in your life that could be of help but are not helping? I have learnt not to put my trust in man. Sometimes, God prevent certain people in your life from helping you so that you don’t begin to worship them. God doesn’t want such people to take His glory in your life. Had my friend helped, I would have concluded that without his help, I wouldn’t have finished my pilot training.

Never put your trust in man because he will disappoint you. Put your trust and hope in God, He never fails. He will send you help no matter how bad or hopeless the situation might be. He will make a way for you. He will make the impossible, possible if you believe and trust Him as your Lord and Saviour.

Be There For People

You never know what someone is going through. A few nice words can help a person a lot more than you think.
In my earlier article, This Too, Shall Pass - http://www.ofonimeessien.com/this-too-shall-pass/, DSP Odekina M. Danladi, on 24th April, 2013, packed his bag believing that he has come to the end of his flight training in Enugu, Nigeria. While Odekina believed that it was all over, God had a different plan. He sent him help that night. Today, Odekina is a Police Helicopter Pilot and a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) because of the help and mercies of God.

If you are privileged to help people, please do, God will reward you. Les Brown, an American motivational speaker and author, once said, “Help others achieve their dream and you will achieve yours.” If you see people drowning, help even if you cannot swim. Say yes to people before they ask. What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.

Conclusion

I might not know what you are going through today: the sorrow, the hardship, unemployment, job loss, the struggles, the pains, sickness, heart break, business failure, disappointment or the loss of a loved one. And though the situation has turned your smiles upside down. Faithful is He that promised and it shall come to pass. Don’t give up. It shall be well. Never ever give up, no matter how hopeless. No matter what you are going through, hang in there, help is coming.

I don’t know how long you have to wait before help comes, before you land that dream job, before that man or woman you so desire in your life comes, before the much needed change in your life happens, before you receive healing for your sickness, before that business deal clicks or before you receive consolation for your loss. No matter how long it will take, don’t give up, don’t despair because if you keep going, soon your storm will be over and the sun will shine over your face again.

I pray: May God give you a rainbow for every storm, a smile for every tears, a relief for every sigh, a blessing for each trial and an answer to every prayer. God bless you. Stay strong, help is on the way!

SOURCE:http://www.ofonimeessien.com/help-is-on-the-way/

Dan42:
Weytin concern me, I dey go hotel?

If it doesn't concern you today, one day it will. Except you have vowed never to travel out of your base.

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Hotel guests may lose confidence in the key cards given to them at the front desk after watching this video that exposes a major security flaw. Calling it a ‘complete hotel key fail’, two travellers have recorded footage of themselves opening three adjacent rooms at a $38-a-night budget hotel in New Mexico.

The men said they used the same key card the open the rooms and got the idea after another guest mistakenly entered their room in the middle of the night. Their footage was posted on YouTube on Saturday and has already had more than a million views.

The men said they opened three rooms with a single key card during their stay at the Rodeway Inn in the city of Gallup, on Route 66 near New Mexico’s border with Arizona.

Travelers discover their room key opens every door in hotel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eonFwDSUvHM

In the video, the man recording tells the camera: ‘Last night, we’re laying in bed and somebody decides just to walk right into our hotel room at 1:46, which we’re definitely assigned to.

‘We asked the hotel lady why this might have happened and she said, well, they gave the other people the master key. ‘So we did a little bit of research ourselves to see, well, what if they’re all master keys?’

As he narrates his friend holds up a key card, which indicates it is for room 146 on the ground floor, and proceeds to open the room. The camera pans to show a view of the hotel and the friend walks into view again and opens rooms 145 and 144 with the same card. The man who filmed the video says: ‘We’re at the Rodeway Inn in Gallup, New Mexico.’

His friend adds: ‘Where everybody has a key to everybody’s room.’

‘Where you’re all welcome,’ says the man filming. The men wrote on YouTube that they stayed at the hotel during their 4,000-mile road trip to the Rubicon Trail in the Sierra Nevadas in California.

In a post on YouTube, Choice Hotels International, which owns the Rodeway Inn chain, said: ‘Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We have contacted the hotel and determined that there was a malfunction in their key system. ‘They have taken immediate action to address this.’ On its website, the Rodeway Inn in Gallup tells guests to ‘forget about fancy’ and promises a ‘solid deal on a simple stay.

SOURCE:http://www.ofonimeessien.com/always-bolt-hotel-door/

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• A Sikorsky S-76 commercial helicopter flew using MATRIX technology
• The flight was monitored, and executed by an operator using only a tablet
• This could reduce aircrew size, and change the type and length of training

Most people have heard about self-driving cars, with companies from Google to Honda developing autonomous vehicles.
But driverless technology could be going beyond cars, with the testing of a self-flying helicopter.

A Sikorsky S-76 commercial helicopter has now successfully taken off and flown autonomously 30 miles, before landing itself safely.
The technology was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for their Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) programme.

The helicopter used was the Sikorsky S-76 model, and the flight was planned, monitored, and executed by an operator using only a tablet device.

The helicopter took off at Stratford, Connecticut and landed in Plainville, Connecticut, covering a distance of around 30 miles (48 kilometres).
Speaking to Gizmag, Mark Miller, the Vice President of Engineering & Technology at Sikorsky, said 'With the advances we've made, the capability for safe, unobtrusive optionally piloted flight is here.

'It has the capability of not only reducing aircrew size, but also changing the type and length of training required for safe operation.'
The Sikorsky Autonomy Research Aircraft (SARA), used Sikorsky's MATRIX system. This is the same system that is used in the Optionally Piloted Black Hawk (OPBH) Demonstrator.

The aircraft was equipped with a data link and multi-spectral sensor package.

Autonomous Helicopter Flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLZEpy6Gf-k

Unlike other helicopters designed to be pilotless, ALIAS technology works in conjunction with aircrew to reduce pilot workload and improve mission capabilities, while enhancing aircraft safety and reliability.

The flight marked the completion of Phase 1 of a $8 million (£5.6 million) award from DARPA's ALIAS program, which is aiming to create and deploy greater levels of automation into existing military and commercial aircrafts to reduce, or even remove, on-board crew.
Now that Phase 1 is complete, a further $9.8 million (£6.8 million) will be spent on Phase 2 of the programme.

Phase 2 will involve further flight tests, improvements to the human interface, and incorporation of the technology into a greater range of aircrafts to show the adaptability and portability of the ALIAS system.

Chris Van Buiten, Vice President of Sikorsky Innovations, said: 'The current environment limits the creation of new, optionally piloted platforms.'
'What [we] are demonstrating is the successful and affordable integration of advanced technology onto existing legacy aircraft to not only set the stage for autonomous operations down the road, but also to immediately improve aircraft performance, reduce maintenance costs, and increase crew and passenger safety.'

SOURCE: http://www.ofonimeessien.com/autonomous-helicopter-completes-30-mile-journey/

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A Flybe passenger was kicked off a plane shortly before take-off after he allegedly snapped photos of a flight attendant’s buttocks.
The man starting taking photos with his mobile phone as the female cabin crew member delivered her pre-flight safety demonstration while the plane taxied to a runway.

When he was caught allegedly taking inappropriate pictures of her he was ordered off the Embraer E195 aircraft at Dublin Airport before it flew to Cardiff.

The man was asked to delete the photos from his smartphone, but he claimed he was unable to do so, a source told the Irish Independent.
The source, who was not identified by the newspaper, said: ‘Just before take-off, while staff were going through the safety demonstration, a worker claimed that a man was taking pictures of her.

Police were notified and the plane, which has a capacity for 118 passengers, returned to the terminal, where the man was removed.
The aircraft then made the 30-minute journey from Dublin to Cardiff.

The man was not arrested and it is believed no further action will be taken in relation to last Friday’s incident, the Irish Independent reported.
A Flybe spokeswoman told MailOnline Travel: ‘The safety and security of our passengers and crew is Flybe’s number one priority and, as such, we have a zero-tolerance policy with any form of on-board behaviour that might in any way compromise this.

‘Should such disruptive behaviour persist, those involved would be immediately reported to the police and the necessary action taken.’
In April, a passenger on board an IndiGo plane in India was charged after he allegedly recorded video of cabin crew members as they served drinks and snacks on board a flight from Kolkata to Mumbai.

The man continued to record the female employees after he was ordered to stop, said passengers.
Last October, a Turkey-bound flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a man from Ireland stripped naked and asked a Sun Express flight attendant for sex.

The man removed his clothes shortly after the plane left Dublin for Izmir and started to wave his penis around in front of horrified holidaymakers.

Crew tried to calm him down, but he reportedly became aggressive and started jumping on seats as he was cheered on by his friends, said fellow passengers.

The plane made an emergency landing at Nikola Tesla Airport in Serbian capital of Belgrade, where the man was escorted off the plane.

SOURCE:http://www.ofonimeessien.com/passenger-kicked-off-plane-taking-pictures-flight-attendants-buttocks/

dumo1:
WTF! it's a white guy that flies our own police helicopter. whatever happened to trained nigerian pilots.

It is an old video. As of today, no foreign Pilot is flying the Police helicopter.

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Photo: Wooden U Recover

Training in International Helicopter Flying School (IHFS), Enugu - Nigeria was very challenging. We were the pioneer students of the school and originally thirty (30) students. Two (2) students didn’t make the course after ground school because they lacked the knowledge required for the course. Another two (2) students were dropped during the flying phase for attitude problem and other issues. The three (3) basic attributes one needs to be a Pilot are: Knowledge, Attitude and Skills.

The students came from different background. Some had never seen an aircraft or ride in one before. Everybody struggled with one thing or another during the course.

Hovering Fever

To fly is human, to hover divine. Learning how to hover is at once incredibly frustrating and magical. Hovering is the most difficult part of helicopter flying. When you get it right, the feeling of being suspended just a few feet off the ground completely motionless is epic. The problem is that when you first start, those moments are fleeting.

Hovering is when the helicopter is flown so that it maintains a constant position over the ground. It is the main capability which differentiates helicopters from airplanes. Hovering exercise was a major challenge to many students. Some hovered after drinking a proverbial “hovering juice” from their Flight Instructor.

Learning how to hover a helicopter may be the ultimate example of how repeated failures can eventually lead to success as long as one persists, overcomes their fears, and does not give up. You have probably heard the saying that failure is part of success. You will fail repeatedly while trying to learn to hover the helicopter. But if you don’t give up, you will succeed. The breakthrough will come quicker for some than others, but most people can learn to hover in about 3-4-5 hours. It still won’t be pretty but you will be able to keep the helicopter in a particular area with little drifting. We all struggled at one stage of the training or the other.

Running Away From Training

The course was so intense that two (2) students packed their bags and wanted to run away from the training. They couldn’t cope with the stress and demands of the training. And one of them was always crying at the onset of his flight training. His idea of flying was that he will just show up in flying school and after some months walk away with his flying licenses. How wrong he was! He didn’t envisage the stress of learning flight procedures, chair flying or walk flying while preparing for the next flight.

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Photo: Capt.Phillips Enejoh

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Walk Flying

Everybody knew about the pilot that wanted to run away and the day he wanted to dash. Nobody knew about the second one except me. I knew about it because God miraculously used me to save his flying career. It is the second person nobody knew wanted to abandon his flight training I am writing about. You will get to meet him in this article.

I am Dan and You?

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Odekina M. Danladi receiving a scroll from the former Vice President of Nigeria, Arc. Namadi Sambo during a graduation ceremony

I invite you to meet Mr. Dan. Dan is the code name he was using to operate while in Enugu, Nigeria especially when he met a lady for the first time. He will introduce himself: “I am Dan and you?” The lady hearing Dan will wrongly assume “Daniel” not knowing Dan to him was “Danladi”.

Meet Mr. Odekina M. Dandali, a Helicopter Pilot with the Air Wing Unit of the Nigeria Police Force. He is a smart and intelligent Superior Police Officer. He is a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). He had served before in Operations arm of the Force before being posted to Air Wing Unit of the Nigerian Police Force. He started his flying career in 2009 when the Nigerian Police Force sent him with nine (9) others to Moscow, Russia for flight training. On arriving in Moscow, they had to learn the Russian language before commencing their flight training. They spent two (2) years without starting the flight training and had to return to Nigeria due to logistics reason.

In August 2012, he was part of the ten (10) students the Nigerian Police Force sent to International Helicopter Flying School (IHFS), Enugu - Nigeria for ten (10) months Integrated Helicopter Pilot training. Odekina was active during the ground school. He showed some level of knowledge during this phase of the training but in the flying phase, he struggled seriously. His flying skills were in doubt.

The Days of Solo

The day of first solo flight is one of the happiest days in the life of a Student Pilot. It is the day a Flight Instructor and Chief Flight Instructor (CFI) certify that the Student Pilot can fly on his / her own without an Instructor in the aircraft. The CFI certifies that the Student Pilot will go and come back safely.

The then Rector, Group Captain Ayo Jolasinmi constantly reminded the students that they were not in competition with one another and that they should be themselves and go at their own pace. Because we were a group of twenty (28) students, a lot of students felt the pressure when they perceived that other students were ahead and they were lagging behind. When the first student, Flight Lieutenant Dania Albert, went solo on the 9th of March, 2013, the pressure became enormous.

Mr. Odekina M. Danladi, on 24th April, 2013, packed his bag believing that he has come to the end of his flight training in Enugu, Nigeria. He had informed his family and loved ones about his decision. He could no longer cope with the training. Despite having several flying hours, his situation remained the same. One day after joining to fly with the then Rector / Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE), who happened to be his last bus stop, he gave him a bible verse in Proverbs to meditate upon. The DPE felt Odekina needed spiritual help too in order to progress in the course.

Odekina was very impulsive during this period in his decisions as a Student Pilot. Because of his situation, the school informed his sponsor that he will need extra flying hours to finish the course. The Nigerian Police Force approved 25 extra hours for his training. In spite of this, Odekina couldn’t go solo after accumulating about 35 hours 45 minutes and didn’t see a way out. The real problem was that he puts so much pressure on himself because he felt he should have been the first student pilot to go solo. He felt something was wrong with him. His problem was self-inflicted. Hence, his decision to quit.

His plan was to leave the Student Pilot (SP) quarters as early as 4:00am. He planned to destroy his sim cards so that nobody could reach him. He didn’t see any other way of finishing the course. He felt he has disappointed himself and his family. He felt he has disappointed his sponsor by not finishing the course after his sponsor had invested so much in his training. He packed all his belongings and waited for day to break.

Learning Plateau

That night, Odekina had accepted defeat. He concluded that it was no longer worth the trouble. He had reached a learning plateau. He had reached a point where his progress was slower than normal.

A beginning student reaches a point where additional practice is not only unproductive, but may be harmful. When this point is reached, errors increase and motivation declines. Learning plateaus are a common source of frustration, discouragement and decreased student motivation.

God’s Help / Intervention

While Odekina believed it was all over, God had a different plan. He sent him help that night. At about 10:30pm, I felt the urge to go talk to Odekina about his situation and to encourage him but felt it was a bit late. I decided to see him the following day. I felt the urge again after some time. I listened to my spirit a lot. I got up, went and visited Mr. Odekina M. Danladi that night. I spoke with him and encouraged him. I asked him to keep fighting and not leave Enugu, Nigeria without the licenses he came for. I had no idea that he had planned to leave. I had no idea the impact my visit had on him that night until one year, six months later.

The following day, I showed and gave him a copy of a picture I downloaded online before going to Enugu. One line from the picture, “This too, shall pass”, made so much impact on him. He began to see things differently and maintained a positive attitude. He wrote those words on his doors, room, bedside, wardrobe, standing mirror, on the wall of his reading table, on his toilet wall and most importantly, he wrote it on the wall of his heart. He kept saying the phrase all the time. He kept saying those words to the point other students started saying the phrase too whenever they see him. The phrase caught on. A week later, 3rd May, 2013, Odekina went solo.

This is the picture I showed him:

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Thanks for Coming

On 7th September, 2014, I arrived Enugu, Nigeria for our graduation ceremony on the 19th September, 2014. The school had asked us to report for pre-graduation activities. I arrived in the evening and had to wait for the guy that had the key to my apartment. I went round to see my colleagues who were on ground. Odekina was on ground, so I ended up spending more time with him till the guy with my apartment key showed up. Odekina escorted me to my apartment. After staying for a while, he started talking. He started, “Emmmm Emmmm”. He said, “Oga Essien, do you remember the night you came to my room?” I told him no because I had gone to his apartment on many occasions in the night. He asked, “Do you remember this particular night you came to talk to me concerning my flight challenges?” I said, “Yes”. He said, “You were God sent”.

He added, “I had packed all my belongings that night and was waiting to leave the Air Force Base as early as 4:00 am the following morning. I planned to throw away my sim cards so that nobody can reach me. I planned to drop the books and the laptop I was issued so that nobody will look for me because of those. I had informed my family about the decision. They were expecting me but when they didn’t see me, they called to check on me. I told them I had a change of plan. I am a Pilot today because of you. Thanks for coming”.

The Lord’s Doing

I told him it was the Lord’s doing but He had to pass through me to tell him to persevere, to hang on in order to achieve his dream of becoming a Helicopter Pilot. I had to remind him about what His words say in Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning”.

I am happy that I went to see Odekina that night and am also happy that God used me to save a colleague’s career. Be there for people. Lend a helping hand whenever you can. Say yes to people before they ask. If you see people drowning, help even if you can’t swim.

Conclusion

One of the hardest decisions you will ever face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder. When you feel like quitting, think about why you started. When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on. Your problem is not really the problem but your attitude towards the problem that is the problem.

Odekina’s problems didn’t just melt away but his attitude towards his problems changed. He saw things differently. He consulted and asked for advice when the need arises. Today, he is a Police Helicopter Pilot.

Odekina’s dreams of becoming a Helicopter Pilot and a Superior Police Officer has come true. Today, the sun is shining. The sky is blue. The dreams have come true. No matter what you are going through, hold on just a little longer because, if you give up now, you will never know what could have been. This Too, Shall Pass!

SOURCE:http://www.ofonimeessien.com/this-too-shall-pass/

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The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has revealed that the new Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) promulgated in December, 2015, will take effect from 1st July, 2016.

This revelation was contained in a Circular Ref: NCAA/DG/AOL/21/16/01 sent to all Airline Operators last month with the regulatory body enjoining all stakeholders to ensure total and sustained adherence to the reviewed Regulations, warning that any breach would be met with the stipulated sanctions.

This is just as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has inaugurated the Lagos Runway Safety Team, in compliance with Resolution A37-6 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which requires member States to implement appropriate measures to enhance runway safety.

On the new regulations, the NCAA stated in their circular that whilst all operators are in possession of the copies of the Regulations, the interval between April and the commencement date is a permissible transitional period. During this time, all stakeholders are expected to acquaint themselves with the contents therein for seamless implementation.

The process of review was set in motion to align Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) with recent International Civil Aviation Organisations (ICAO) amendments and industry observations received by the Authority.

In other words, the reviewed Nig.CARs is to ensure a completion of the Annexes. Provisions have therefore been made for economic and consumer protection regulations – that were hitherto not incorporated in the 2009 edition.

In addition, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) decided on the review to standardize the operational procedures, implementation and enforcement in the industry.

All these have been done in conformity with the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) as contained in the Annexes to the Chicago Convention.

The new Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2015 has 19 parts comprising General Policies and Definitions; Personnel Licensing; Aviation Training Organizations; Registration and Marketing; Airworthiness; Approved Maintenance Organizations; Instrument and Equipment; Operations; Air Operator Certification and Administration and Commercial Air Transport by Foreign Air Carrier within Nigeria.

Others are Commercial Aircraft Operations used for Specialized Services (Aerial Works); Aerodrome Regulations; Air Navigation Services; Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Air; Environmental Protection Regulations; Aviation Security and Offences.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Engr. Saleh Dunoma, who recently inaugurated the Lagos Runway Safety Team urged the team to ensure strict compliance to ICAO standards in carrying out their duties.

The inauguration took place during a meeting between the Managing Director and members of Lagos Runway Safety Team led by Mrs. Ngozi Njoku, who is also the Deputy General Manager/Head of Safety Services Department at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
In his remarks, Engr. Dunoma urged the team to ensure strict compliance to ICAO standards in carrying out their duties. He also encouraged them to ensure the certification of all airports in Nigeria.

The functions of the team, according to FAAN’s Director of Airport Operations, Capt. Henry Omeogu, include advising management on potential runway safety issues, recommending strategies for hazard removal, mitigating residual risk and ensuring strict compliance with ICAO Standards in all airside operations.

The team leader, Mrs. Njoku, in her earlier remark, had presented their needs, including operational vehicles, communication equipment, fully equipped office facilities, training and other logistic support which the MD promised to provide, relative to availability of funds.

SOURCE:http://www.ofonimeessien.com/new-nigeria-civil-aviation-regulations-takes-effect-july/

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It is not known what he used to cut himself. He was found slumped on the toilet seat after executive passengers noticed the cubicle had been locked for a long time.

Emergency medical help was given to the off-duty steward and the plane diverted to Iceland.

One British Airways worker told The Sun: “This was a terrible incident, everyone was upset.

“There was blood and tears. It was truly shocking.”

The plane was full of Hollywood executives headed for the Cannes Film Festival.

Stan Rosenfield, a publicist whose clients include George Clooney, told how one of the toilets was locked for ages.

He said: “Earlier, I remember going to the bathroom and it said occupied.

“I didn't feel like going to another section. A little while later, the same thing happened, so I just went to another bathroom.

"Then there were a series of beeps — I've never heard anything like it. All the flight attendants converged in the galley where the bathroom was and drew the curtain."

A flight attendant told the passenger sitting next to Rosenfield – in Cannes to join Clooney for the premiere of his movie Money Monster – that a man had been found slumped in the toilet.

He was said to have locked the door before cutting his wrists.

The aircraft took off 20 minutes late from California at 3:50pm local time (11:50pm GMT) on Monday and was due to land at London Heathrow at 10am Tuesday.

But the plane was forced to make an abrupt turn north shortly after 7am after the dramatic suicide bid.

The Airbus A388 eventually landed in the Icelandic capital Reykjavik at 7:44am.

The BA worker was immediately rushed to hospital.

The plane then departed Reykjavik just over two hours later and was en-route back to London where it landed at around 1:20pm.

Film and music executives from US giants Fox and Sony were on the flight.

Mr Rosenfield told the Hollywood Reporter: "It's very upsetting in retrospect when you consider what was going down.

"Apparently, they knocked down the bathroom door when there was no response, or they had a key."

Mr Rosenfield, along with other business-class customers, was interviewed on touchdown by police about anything they might have seen.

He said: "I asked the officer if he was okay. He said he had been discharged."

British Airways declined to comment on the man's condition and insisted on referring to him as a “customer”

An airline spokesman said: "Our Los Angeles to Heathrow service was diverted to Iceland so that a customer could receive medical assistance.

“The customer was taken to a hospital locally and the flight continued to Heathrow after a two-hour delay."

The BA suicide worker is understood to have been discharged from hospital.

One scared woman had taken to social media after learning that the flight with her parents onboard had been diverted.

Twitter user @beccay216 tweeted: “@British_Airways any reason why flight BA282 LAX-Heathrow was diverted to Reykjavik? Worried for my parents. Will they be departing soon?”

But she was relieved when the airline responded posting: “@beccay216 Hi Rebecca. The flight was diverted due a passenger requiring medical assistance. The flight is due to arrive in Heathrow at 13.23 today. I'm sorry for the delay to their flight.”

A relived Rebecca replied: “@British_Airways thanks for this I completely understand I am just glad they are safe. I see they are back in the air now.”

SOURCE: http://www.ofonimeessien.com/flight-diverts-following-suicide-attempt-crew-member/

https://www.ofonimeessien.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Lufthansa-tyres-burst.jpg

• Airbus A330 was travelling from Munich to Mumbai when its tyres burst
• A small fire was reported. There was also landing gear and brake damage
• All 163 passengers on board were safe. Lack of staff caused repair delay

A Lufthansa Airbus A330 was stranded on the runway at Mumbai airport for 22 hours after four of its main tyres burst during landing.
Flight LH-764, which travelled from Munich, had 163 passengers on board - none of whom were injured.

However, due to the time it took to get the aircraft off the runway, a number of airlines due to travel the following day had to cancel their flights.
The incident took place at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on Friday 13 at around 10.50pm local time.

Four of the eight tyres on the plane burst after a suspected issue with the anti-skid system of the landing gear according to Aerotelegraph.
Eye-witnesses said that small flames were seen around the tyres, which were doused with foam by emergency services.

SanuzR, who was on the flight at the time, Tweeted: 'Scary landing. Fire on landing gear LH764 @lufthansa. Thank god all are safe.'

However, due to the number of tyres that burst in this situation, there were significant delays to moving the aircraft off the runway.
Hindustan Times reported that the Lufthansa Airbus A330 blocked the main runway for 22 hours in total, 12 of which were because there were no staff and equipment available to deal with the issue.

Lufthansa reportedly asked Jet Airways engineers for help at 7am the next day and a team was dispatched at 8.30am.
A spokesman from Jet Airways told MailOnline Travel: 'Jet Airways was approached by Lufthansa on Saturday morning requesting help to rectify the landing gear to enable shifting of the aircraft from the Mumbai airport runway.

'A team from Jet Airways engineering was mobilized along with equipment and spares to carry out the task. '
An official was reported saying: 'Until now, Air India has the best technical infrastructure for aircraft recovery, but in this case, they were only able to provide two aircraft jacks. The work wouldn’t have been possible if Jet had not stepped in'.

All four tyres had to be replaced and the brakes had to be fixed before the plane could be moved.

Flights to and from Mumbai had to divert to the airport's second and shorter runway, causing delays of up to 40 minutes and cancellations to other airlines, including a Singapore Airlines Airbus 380.

The Lufthansa Airbus A330 was booked on a return flight on May 14,which was cancelled.
All 223 passengers scheduled to be on the return flight were taken to hotels according to Aviation Herald.

SOURCE:http://www.ofonimeessien.com/packed-lufthansa-plane-bursts-four-eight-tyres-scary-landing/

As a Senior Officer, the Customs man overreacted. He should have explored other avenues to have the problem resolved.

Rapmaestro:
Are u sure u are not talking about a james bond movie?

No, Sir.

https://www.ofonimeessien.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Arik-Air.jpg

A Senior Officer of the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC) who could not control his temper turned violent when his flight was delayed because he felt he was extorted by the airline and destroyed equipment belonging to Arik Air and after the destruction offered himself for arrest.

On May 1, 2016, a Customs Comptroller in charge of Port Harcourt, Mr. Olarenwaju Tajudeen bought an Arik Air flight ticket to Port Harcourt from Lagos for 5:00 pm at about 4:38 pm and when he learnt that there was another 3:00 pm flight to the same destination, he chose to go with the earlier flight.

The airline official at the counter asked Mr. Olarenwaju to pay modification fee (about N3000.00), which he gladly did so his ticket was now rescheduled for 3:00 pm flight, but the flight was delayed and later merged with that of 5:00 pm so when he asked for refund he was informed that the airline does not refund modification fees.

Mr. Olarenwaju became angry and went berserk. He went to the desk of Arik Air, pulled a computer monitor out of its cable and hit it on the ground and began to match on it and completely destroyed it.

It was learnt that the airline officials were shocked beyond words and in shock they watched him match on the computer monitor at the airport.When he completely destroyed the computer monitor, he spread his hands wide in submission and requested that he be arrested.

The man who was dressed in T-shirt, tucked into trousers, who would be in his 50s, did not look violent but was unable to control his temper as he defied all entreaties when he pulled the computer monitor and hit it on the ground.

Arik airline officials had to inform the Aviation Security (AVSEC) of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which quickly deployed two officials who arrested Mr. Olarenwaju and took him to Tango City, a detention facility of the agency, from where he was taken to Police Airport Command at Beesam.

The Police Officer in charge of the case, Mr. Seye confirmed the incident on phone when he was called and said the case might be taken to court, but Mr. Olarenwaju was released on the day of arrest because of his standing as a Customs Comptroller.

“We are still on the case. We have called the man for a meeting. If he is not ready to show contrition for his action and what goes with it, we will charge the case to court; after all, he has committed an offence. He is not above the law,” the Police official said.

SOURCE:http://www.ofonimeessien.com/customs-officer-destroys-arik-airs-equipment-delayed-flight/

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More facts have emerged on how 11 occupants of Sikorsky S-76C++ Helicopter, belonging to Bristow Helicopters Nigeria Limited, survived the February 3 crash in Lagos.

The crash, of which cause is still unknown, might have gone fatal but for the efforts of the two pilots onboard and combined search and rescue work of local and multinational agencies around the Lagos shores.

It would be recalled that the domestic chartered flight, with registration number 5N-BQJ was reported missing in the early hours of Wednesday, February 3, 2016. Barely an hour later, the helicopter was said to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) released a preliminary findings into the incident, availing details on events leading to the crash and rescue efforts.

The helicopter departed Lagos on the fateful day for ERHA FPSO (Floating Production Storage Off-loading). Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) flight plan was filed.

Two flight crewmembers and nine passengers were on the outbound trip that was almost uneventful. The captain was in command as the pilot flying (PF), upon landing in ERHA (Off Shore Platform location) a passenger onboard seated in the middle row complained about perceiving a burning smell; although, the flight crew did not perceive any smell.

The PF had a word with the passenger and went back to check the internal and external of the aircraft for smell, the check result was negative. However, the crew reported that Digital Auto Flight Control System (DAFCS) and TRIM FAIL lights illuminated twice and were reset on the outboard leg to ERHA FPSO.

The flight departed ERHA for the inbound trip to Lagos at 09:50:00hrs with nine passengers and was flying at 3000ft with the co-pilot as the pilot flying (PF) and the captain as the pilot monitoring (PM).

The captain, with name undisclosed, said that within 15 minutes after departure, “we got repeated illumination of the TRIM FAIL and DAFCS.
The Emergency Operational Procedure (EOP) was consulted and the pilot flying was advised to fly hands and feet on the controls, which he did”.
Continuing, he said: “Initial contact was established at 75NM with Lagos Approach. The PF called my attention to the collective being heavy and the power dropping anytime he pulled to maintain power.

“I noticed a slight turn to the right and I called the PF to check his heading and almost immediately he came back with a problem with the compass. I noticed a fast spinning of the Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator (EHSI) and compass, the instrument readings inaccurate/inconsistent, the aircraft started a turn to the right with a high rate of descent.”

The captain further said “I remembered taking the controls from the PF. I noticed the controls not responding properly, I made a distressed call on the Approach frequency. We stabilized at 1500ft”.

According to Air Traffic Controller’s transcript, also gathered by the AIB, the flight first contact and the first clearance with Lagos Approach were at 10:04:37hrs which stated “5N-BQJ is cleared to the field not above three thousand expect visual approach for runway 18L report for descent”.
While the Lagos Approach efforts in trying to raise 5N-BQJ were abortive, an aircraft 5N-MPN agreed to help relay between the Approach and 5N-BQJ. At 10:09:13hrs 5N-MPN relayed “Lagos standby they are calling that they stabilized on a thousand five hundred. Just standby”.

At 10:09:44hrs 5N-MPN relayed: “Okay they lost all their instruments. Aircraft stabilized at a thousand five hundred on the radial 143 65NM proceeding back to Lagos I believe”.

At 10:16:22hrs, Lagos Approach asked another aircraft AZM 2322 to help raise 5N-BQJ stating: “Please can you help me raise 5N-BQJ a helicopter from ERHA declared Mayday (emergency distress signal) shortly to know his intention, estimates to LAG or he’s going back to ERHA?”

The Captain stated that “I noticed the cyclic not responding to lateral movement. I updated the Mayday call on Lagos Approach frequency and declared a Mayday on ERHA frequency”. Two aircraft relayed the complaint from the crew that the aircraft was not responding to control inputs. AZM 2322 followed the communication until the aircraft ditched.

At 10:17:58hrs AZM 2322 relayed to Lagos: “They are ditching the aircraft Lagos. They are declaring an emergency they are ditching the aircraft. They have 13 souls on board. They are ditching. Position is 136 75 miles. It’s an emergency”. The souls onboard were later confirmed as 11.

Other aircraft joined in the search and rescue, no visual contact was reported by Caverton Company aircraft at 10:36:44hrs. At 10:38:49hrs, Approach reported “Copied still negative contact with the other aircraft on 78NM radial 138 confirm?”

However, the aircraft ditched safely at about 10:25:00hrs into the Atlantic Ocean at about 75NM to Lagos, the two life rafts were deployed, although the left raft was slightly damaged during jettisoning of the left side door. The passengers and crew safely evacuated into the life raft and were rescued one and half hours later.

More passengers transferred to the right life raft, thus creating a tilt of the aircraft to the right. The aircraft later capsized with the Emergency floating devices holding the aircraft afloat upside down, fully submerged in the salty waters of the Atlantic Ocean at about 75NM to Lagos.

A speedboat was dispatched from the Sea Truck Group (STG) Jacson 25 ship to rescue crew and passengers. Several other boats from CHEVRON, AGIP and SHELL were involved in the rescue effort.

Passengers and crew were all taken to the ship, which subsequently berthed at the Eko Support Quay. They were later taken to the Lagoon Hospital where toxicology tests were performed only on the crew. The tests were negative to any substance of abuse. The first interviews were also conducted at the Lagoon Hospital.

The cause of the accident has not been determined, as the investigation is still ongoing. Meanwhile, the initial FDR download confirmed some of the crew assertions like an un-command rapid rate of descent and speed reduction. The aircraft descended within 60 seconds from 3000ft to 1000ft approximately at the rate of 2,100 Feet Per Minute (FPM) also loosing speed from 148 KIAS to 64 KIAS over the same period (60 seconds) before stabilizing at 1,500ft.

SOURCE: http://www.ofonimeessien.com/11-persons-survived-bristow-helicopter-crash/

Big4wig:
wow.. Well am happy that such tourist center exist in Nigeria.. It's good news, not every day "I killed a giant snake (pic)" making fp.. Thank God we conserve some for tourism not for pepper soup

The tourist center is at Ouidah, Benin Republic and not Nigeria.

She looks better now.

belcom10:
sir, i think you might check dis job opening on pilot, i saw it on linkedin so i decided to post it here.https://www.linkedin.com/jobs2/view/108085849?trk=job_view_similar_jobs

Thank you. God bless you.