12
GA
/ Vol. 5 / No.9 / SEPTEMBER 2013
prices vary and service can be
slow a 'token' of appreciation
often helps things along.
Bribery is regarded as part
of life in Africa and pilots are
well advised to carry a certain
amount of US dollars to provide
incentives for anything from
fuelling an aircraft to passing
through passport control to simply
being allowed to take-off!
Check for:
· Runways can be hazardous
no tar, potholes, shorter than
advertised to name but a few
potential problems. VHF cover,
especially over west Africa,
can be bad or non-existent and
therefore aircraft equipped
with airborne radar systems
have a distinct advantage.
· A wise pilot will ensure
that he checks the runway
carefully for animals, be it a
domestic goat etc or wildlife.
· Always make sure that there is
fuel available. If you use Avgas
double-check availability
· Passports, visas and any required
health vaccinations such as
yellow fever must be up to date.
Yellow fever vaccine must be
given 10 days before arrival.
· Obtain visas before travelling.
Hefty fines can be given by the
authorities if you do not have
it. Fines will also be levied for
Yellow Fever cards that are not
older than 10 days and entrance
to the country can be refused.
· Avoid countries such as DRC,
Somalia, Eritrea, Darfue, Central
African Republic and others
where there is any strife. Goma
Airport is especially to be
avoided as the northern part of
the runway is covered by lava
from the Nyiragongo Volcano
that erupted in 2002. The
runway has been the scene of
numerous accidents and deaths.
· Do not travel with valuables.
· Ensure that you use a reputable
ground service to assist when
dealing with authorities they
know the language, the local
bureaucracies and are accustomed
to sorting out red tape. ·
A
B
C
D
E
A. Kenya Airways is regarded as one of
the top three airlines in Africa but re-
ports about the fire which devastated
the Jomo Ke nyatta International
Airport in Nairobi recently indicate
that the fight for control of duty free
shops and access of security areas in
the third terminal under construction
may have had a hand in the blaze.
B While some improvements have been
made to the Maputo International
Airport, it still falls short of interna-
tional standards.
C. Other than those in South Africa,
Kenya's international airport is one of
few in Africa that is regularly visited
by European airlines. -
pic Wikipedia
D. Goma Airport as the lava advances.
The United Nations requested permis-
sion to clear the runway in 2010 but
little progress has been made.
Pic - gorilla.wildlifedirect
E. Goma International Airport in east-
ern DRC is a hotspot for accidents.
The dark area on the photographs
shows the flow of lava from the vol-
canic eruption in 2002.
Pic - gorilla.wildlifedirect