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[Guest_tusker_*]

Hi Ned,
Nice site,
I hear the oil patch small fleet in Nigeria have come up with some interesting stats.
The average Long Ranger / 407 driver flies about 120 hrs in every 28 day duty cycle. He/she also does at about a landing every 10 minutes, ie, 700 plus landings per month.
The average "good viz" days are 1 in 10.
Now with 20 plus helos scooting around a couple of  hundred plus pump stations in 90% bad viz, the question arises as to how long before helo's go bump in the daylight.
Is there anybody out there from the Nigerian small fleet thta can confirm these numbers?
By the way, I hear that there is a S92 coming into Durban South Africa soon. Dont know the operator.
Regards
Tusker

[woodstock]

By the way, I hear that there is a S92 coming into Durban South Africa soon. Dont know the operator.
Regards
Tusker

Rumour has it as Starlite...

[Nigel]

Hi Ned,
Nice site,
I hear the oil patch small fleet in Nigeria have come up with some interesting stats.
The average Long Ranger / 407 driver flies about 120 hrs in every 28 day duty cycle. He/she also does at about a landing every 10 minutes, ie, 700 plus landings per month.
The average "good viz" days are 1 in 10.
Now with 20 plus helos scooting around a couple of  hundred plus pump stations in 90% bad viz, the question arises as to how long before helo's go bump in the daylight.
Is there anybody out there from the Nigerian small fleet thta can confirm these numbers?
By the way, I hear that there is a S92 coming into Durban South Africa soon. Dont know the operator.
Regards
Tusker

Yes, those stats are about right. The bad viz days are only really during the Harmahtan from Dec to Feb. The helicopters are in constant contact with one another and they are equipped with a TCAS which does help a little. So far in 30+ years of operations no heli's have gone bump in the day.

The S92 going into Durban will be operated by Starlite. They have a contract in Sudan with S92's.

Legin

[KBayDog]

Nigel,

Please pardon my ignorance of offshore oil operations, but I have a few questions.

Do you guys have published (or "understood") routes between platforms which provide vertical and/or lateral separation? What constitutes "bad vis" in your line of work? Finally, do you perform night operations, or are they strictly daytime?

Thank you for your time.

KBD

[Nigel]

Nigel,

Please pardon my ignorance of offshore oil operations, but I have a few questions.

Do you guys have published (or "understood") routes between platforms which provide vertical and/or lateral separation? What constitutes "bad vis" in your line of work? Finally, do you perform night operations, or are they strictly daytime?

Thank you for your time.

KBD

KBD

Yes, we have published vertical seperations as well as routes. Our operating minima's for offshore are 1.5 km (0.85nm) and 500'. During the Harmahtan the viz gets so bad we end up grounded for several days at a time. In our operation we only do daytime ops, but have a night medivac standby with the 412's.

Nigel

[KBayDog]

Nigel,

Thanks. I've often wondered if there were published routes/altitudes to/from the rigs, or if flying them was like the "Wild West."

R/

KBD

[Jimmy]

What qualifications/Hours/experience do you need to fly a 206L or 407 over there?

I always thought it was twin turbine IFR stuff.
Jimmy

[Nigel]

What qualifications/Hours/experience do you need to fly a 206L or 407 over there?

I always thought it was twin turbine IFR stuff.
Jimmy

Hi Jimmy,

You need a Comm with IF rating, 1500 hrs total, 100 min on 206/407. No offshore experience needed.

Pretty good deal if you can get in. There is of course quite a list waiting to get in!

Nigel

[Jimmy]

Hi Jimmy,

You need a Comm with IF rating, 1500 hrs total, 100 min on 206/407. No offshore experience needed.

Pretty good deal if you can get in. There is of course quite a list waiting to get in!

Nigel

Thanks Nigel, You don't have a contact email for the company do you?
I've got the requirements and am looking at an African vacation  

Also have you guys heard of Sonair, doing rigs out of Angola?
Cheers
Jimmy

[Nigel]

Thanks Nigel, You don't have a contact email for the company do you?
I've got the requirements and am looking at an African vacation  

Also have you guys heard of Sonair, doing rigs out of Angola?
Cheers
Jimmy

Jimmy,

Yes, you can contact the chief pilot on L9esc393@chevron.com or just send me your CV and I will make sure it gets to the right people.

Sonair is the company set up by Sonangol and Chevron, to provide aviation services for the Chevron facility in Angola. They operate 427's and 430's.

Have a good one!
Nigel

[wylie]

Hi Jimmy,

You need a Comm with IF rating, 1500 hrs total, 100 min on 206/407. No offshore experience needed.

Pretty good deal if you can get in. There is of course quite a list waiting to get in!

Nigel
=


Hi Nigel

Are those fight time requirements to be PIC or co-pilot, I was told that you only needed 500hrs total and an instrument rating to be a co-pilot on a Bell 412, Does that sound right to you?

Thanks
Wylie

[Nigel]

Hi wylie,

Unfortunately, the only guys they are taking with those sort of hours for the 412 cojo's are local cadets that Bristow have trained. The best way in as an expat is via the small ships.

Regards,
Nigel

[Updraught]

Hi wylie,

....... The best way in as an expat is via the small ships.

Regards,
Nigel

Sooo true.  But then again, the time spent on the small ships is experience you cannot get anywhere else.  The time spent on small ships is also quite short lately and then you are sent to one of the multi-engine types i.e. B412, EC155, S76 or Super Puma and in the not to distant future the S92.

Always a good move.

[ozloadie]

G'day guys,
Is anyone employing Loadmasters/crewmen in the region? Would appreciate any tags  if interested..
Regards,
Steve