PART 1
OIL PROSPECTING TENDS to bring out the more original characters, which makes life interesting. But the actual corporate attitude of BP was also very easy to live with. And this was in part responsible for allowing some fine leaders to rise to the top of the pile, people it was a pleasure to work with and for.
If only one could say the same about the aviation industry, the vast majority of which, sadly, is now run by egotistical incompetents, who are nannied by bureaucrats whose only skills appear to be in the generation of mountains of paperwork at hallucinatory prices.
The BP projects started in the era before Health, Safety and the Environment (HSE), the industrial world’s new religion which has condemned the great sins of originality, instinct and enjoyment, saving countless lives and injuries in the process.
I am ashamed to admit that, when the new culture was introduced, I was one of the cardinal sinners.
As far as flying was concerned, we were out of the sight and the mind of the authorities. We were so far away from anywhere that we could not even talk to the powers that be on HF radio most of the time.
Of the ten destinations in the BP concession, only two had airstrips. At all the other places the pilots just looked for a suitable piece of desert, as close as possible to where the passengers wanted to go, and landed. After all, we were flying Twin Otters and the Twin Otter just aches for that sort of challenge.
Fun like that is banned nowadays.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2024-Ausgabe von SA Flyer Magazine.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2024-Ausgabe von SA Flyer Magazine.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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SACRIFICE
John continues his anecdotes about the sacrifices he has had to make in the course of his helicopter bush flying career.
KENYA - SAA PARTNERSHIP DELAY
KENYA AIRWAYS AND South African Airways announced the establishment of a highly anticipated Pan-African Airline Group three years ago.
TO PARIS FOR LUNCH
One morning I arrived back at Lanseria from a two day charter to a dreary Northern Cape iron mine. Entering the terminal, I removed my wings and epaulets, thrust them into my flight bag, and headed for the restaurant.
IRIS GOES TO SOMALIA
Having spent the last couple of years flying to a rota, I was thoroughly enjoying the freedom and randomness of flying charters at Sunbird Aviation.
TELEPORTATION
One of the best clients for whom I ever flew was BP, the British oil giant. I was with them in Algeria for about seven years, from the very start of their large gas projects, right in the heart of the Sahara Desert, near the small towns of In Amenas and In Salah.
RIGHT SEAT RULES NO. 16 FUEL SYSTEMS WHY SO COMPLICATED?
You know those aggranoying people who say, “Oh I wouldn't fly in one of those little things - you can't just pull over and fix it if something goes wrong\"? What makes this particularly irritating is that the bastards are right.
WHY CAN AEROPLANES FLY UPSIDE-DOWN¿
In 1945, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, precursor of NASA and source of much of our knowledge about practical aerodynamics, published a hefty compendium of aerofoil data, NACA Technical Report 824, which later appeared in book form under the title Theory of Wing Sections.
TRAVOLTA'S CROOKED PILOTS?
TWO PILOTS ARE CHARGED with embezzling close to $800,000 from John Travolta.
STELLENBOSCH AIR SHOW
The Western Cape does not get as many airshows as the Joburg area - which is a shame as it has great airshow performers and one of the best venues in the world for a flying club airshow.
PIPER'S COMANCHE 180 - IT TICKS ALL THE BOXES
The Comanche is a fabulous plane - that was frankly just too good to be a Piper.