4/11/11 Port Gentil and Late Afternoon Rush

 

4 November, 2011

What a day!! Started marvellously... My two little breakfast bread rolls were waiting next to my bed when I woke up. At about 8.15 I was told (I assume its what he says - I really let the Heli Operations guy babble and then just say "I'm on my way", since he only calls me if there's something to do with a flight) that I needed to get up to the chopper to get it ready. I duly did and then sat until nearly 11am waiting for a larny who was flying to Onal by plane, and then with me to the other well (no airstrip there).

Middle of Port Gentil. Very built up on a thin piece of land which looks only 3km wide.

He finally arrived and we shot off to the other well, Coucal. I sat there, as I usually do, reading my book and watching a movie. At 14.30 we left for Port Gentil. I had packed my laptop, ipad, camera, Everything, just on the off-chance that I'd get stuck in PG, and have to spend the night with FB photo-friendly internet... Alas not...

 

Waterfront, Port Gentil (not quite V&A)

For those interested, it all seems (on the whole) very well co-ordinated. I get a manifest every morning with the names of each of my passengers and where we are taking them. Each person is weighed, then all their baggage is weighed, and I am presented with a load sheet with the total weight to sign off. Not shabby... However, regularly the right number of passengers come with me to Coucal, but there is often an extra, un-named person for the trip back. Usually not a problem cos I don't go full (its only 30mins away). However today I was told I'd fly to Coucal, then to PG, and then back alone.

When I got to PG, I filled up completely to save the bowser fuel in camp. Then 3 people (plus baggage) arrive. And a new manifest. He is

The majority of the town looks like this.

a local, but apparently some kind of company director. Typically African, his wife and wife's mother are both coming and dressed to the nines, AND they have two HUGE plastic containers with muffins and pancake things for the 1 hour flight (cos an hour might be too long to wait for a snack).

 

 

Very narrow fishing boats are seen everywhere. Many with small motors

Anyway, it was getting late (about 16h30 - and I had been warned that the sun sets by falling off the edge of the earth, so light to dark can take 5mins. And that happens at 6pm. With an hour and a half of light to fly an hour I was ok, but didn't want to waste time. Anyway, throw them in, fire up and go. Huge rain showers along the way had me ducking and diving off course, but I get to Onal at about 17h40. I shut down, observing puzzled looks and wondering why the ground crew came sprinting up the hill to get to the pad in time to guide me in instead of being ready and waiting. After everything had stopped turning and I was climbing out the Heli Ops guy said I was supposed to land at Lambarene (about 10min due north). Shit. I didn't read the new manifest at PG properly...

 

They're big into their timber, obviously

Quickly fire it back up, and race off to Lambarene. (sorry mom, no time to look for Albert Schweitzer's hospital). On final approach, the runway looked like it had sticks sticking up out of the surface, which was bizarre. Its an unmanned airfield, but I know fixed-wings land there. Continue the approach, and observed that they were people. Not just a few people, hundreds!!!! Literally the entire way along the runway.

 

Oil rig just offshore Port Gentil (you can see it in the Waterfront picture above)

This one clearly didn't make it to the harbour

Some jogging along it, some just lying down on it, mostly groups of people slowly wandering along it. And no-one got up and raced out of the way as I came in to land. They all just waved at me as I passed meters over their heads!!! I couldn't believe the sight - I am totally taking a picture of that if I go back! There was literally a small clearing right by the terminal for me to land, jump out (no time to shut down), hurl the Director and his women out, chuck their bags at them, leap back in and lift off before the playing dogs, kids, nearby soccer team decided to rush over. I was kinda surprised in hindsight, that no-one DID come rushing over. In SA you can't land ANYWHERE without people materializing out of the bush and rushing up to the chopper, whether its running or not!

Port Gentil Airport. Terminal on left at the end. Can see they're busy extending the runway, so planes are restricted from landing for most of the day.

Anyway, I SCREAMED back to Onal, landing just as the sun set, landing lights on, helipad lights on etc. By then I already couldn't make out the towers clearly, but had made a mental note of their position for just this eventuality...

This has been another long-winded email - will see if I can cut anything out to make it a little shorter... A plus tard...