mpc1
Oct 17, 07, 4:22 pm
Well, I just finished up an unusual trio of segments: I was picked up at my hotel in Luanda Angola on Monday morning for the trip to SonAir’s helicopter base at Luanda Airport (LAD). Compared to the LAD International Arrivals and Immigration that I experienced the night before, the helicopter base was a “sea of tranquility” after check in and weigh in, 15 Kg limit for checked bags, and no carry on permitted and compulsory weigh in of passengers, I proceeded thru ISPS (International Ship and Port Facility Security Code) Security screening. Inside the waiting lounge were comfy chairs, a snack bar serving made to order sandwiches, hot and cold drinks and a couple of TVs with CNN.
After about 40 minutes I was called with my two fellow passengers for our safety, security and evacuation DVD screening in a briefing room. We were then escorted to a waiting van for the short drive to our waiting helicopter, an AS365 H3 Dauphin (D2 EWD). The three of us sat in row two and occupied three of eleven seats. After a short taxi we took off and headed NW towards the Palanca Oilfield (06º 55’S 42º 18’E) and after about an hours flight time we landed on the accommodation barge Kissama to discharge my two fellow passengers.
We then took off for the short flight to the FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) Vessel Palanca to embark one passenger. We quickly took off and flew another 30 minutes to disembark me onto a seismic research vessel where I had a few days work to do.
This morning, Wednesday, I waited patiently for the helicopter to arrive at the seismic ship to fly me back to LAD for my return flights tomorrow back to Canada. At about 1130 when the helicopter arrived and as I reached the flight deck, I saw there was one other passenger onboard. I felt that I had a short 70-75 minute flight back to LAD in front of me. 30 minutes later we touched down of the FPSO Palanca and the crew, with deft use of their thumbs, indicated that I had to disembark , much to my bewilderment.
As I was escorted to the control room of the FPSO Palanca, it was explained to me that the helicopter needed to fly out about and back about an hour each way to another offshore installation to drop the other passenger off and pick up more inbound passengers for LAD. They didn’t want to/need to haul my considerable mass out to that other installation and back and consequently I was going to wait on the FSPO Palanca for the helicopter to return. I struck up a very pleasant conversation in mixed English. French and Portuguese with Jean, a 30 something Angolan worker who was manning the FSPO’s control room. Several fine cups of coffee were shared before the helicopter eventually returned at about 1435.
I re-boarded a mostly full helicopter (8 of 11 seats taken) for the hour long trip back to LAD. We flew back at about 3500 feet and had a great view of Luanda Harbour before turning south to line up for our approach to LAD airport. After the engines were shut down we were quickly loaded into two minibuses for the quick ride to the domestic terminal building where I easily found my ride to my hotel.
Three segments, no FF miles, no peanuts, no in flight service, one involuntary removal from an aircraft and no complaints….
mpc1
in LAD
After about 40 minutes I was called with my two fellow passengers for our safety, security and evacuation DVD screening in a briefing room. We were then escorted to a waiting van for the short drive to our waiting helicopter, an AS365 H3 Dauphin (D2 EWD). The three of us sat in row two and occupied three of eleven seats. After a short taxi we took off and headed NW towards the Palanca Oilfield (06º 55’S 42º 18’E) and after about an hours flight time we landed on the accommodation barge Kissama to discharge my two fellow passengers.
We then took off for the short flight to the FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) Vessel Palanca to embark one passenger. We quickly took off and flew another 30 minutes to disembark me onto a seismic research vessel where I had a few days work to do.
This morning, Wednesday, I waited patiently for the helicopter to arrive at the seismic ship to fly me back to LAD for my return flights tomorrow back to Canada. At about 1130 when the helicopter arrived and as I reached the flight deck, I saw there was one other passenger onboard. I felt that I had a short 70-75 minute flight back to LAD in front of me. 30 minutes later we touched down of the FPSO Palanca and the crew, with deft use of their thumbs, indicated that I had to disembark , much to my bewilderment.
As I was escorted to the control room of the FPSO Palanca, it was explained to me that the helicopter needed to fly out about and back about an hour each way to another offshore installation to drop the other passenger off and pick up more inbound passengers for LAD. They didn’t want to/need to haul my considerable mass out to that other installation and back and consequently I was going to wait on the FSPO Palanca for the helicopter to return. I struck up a very pleasant conversation in mixed English. French and Portuguese with Jean, a 30 something Angolan worker who was manning the FSPO’s control room. Several fine cups of coffee were shared before the helicopter eventually returned at about 1435.
I re-boarded a mostly full helicopter (8 of 11 seats taken) for the hour long trip back to LAD. We flew back at about 3500 feet and had a great view of Luanda Harbour before turning south to line up for our approach to LAD airport. After the engines were shut down we were quickly loaded into two minibuses for the quick ride to the domestic terminal building where I easily found my ride to my hotel.
Three segments, no FF miles, no peanuts, no in flight service, one involuntary removal from an aircraft and no complaints….
mpc1
in LAD