Final notes from this assignment but I'll be back!

Earlier mentioned a local rooster, well having sent some very threatening thoughts over the mental airwaves last night, he has seen the error of his ways - slept solidly. It's 0830 at the ARA, swimming pool gleaming in the sun, coffee on the way, reading completed words of wisdom poised to cascade from my fingertips for my Healing & Deliverance in Mission essay, along with for notes for preaching at Zone sunday...

Saturday at 8:51am

Bryan Pill

Well twas good to make Zone sunday and meet with Makindye & Lubowa. Good to have lunch afterwards hosted by the Betts. Lazy afternoon, somewhat overcast but managed squash, swim and gym. Tomorrow Karamoja flight and Ugandan flight medical.

Bryan Pill

May not be a windy day in Greendale (vague allusion to some BBC children's TV prog) but sure was here in Karamoja. Landing in Kotido most surprised to see the runway dancing around in front of me. At least it had the decency to stop moving for a moment so I could land. Popped into Kidepo and managed to see a range of 4 legged antelope thingies.

Bryan Pill

H'ding home tomorrow. Hopefully road will be clear at 0525, this a.m would you believe at 0625 they'd built a road block & set fire to it - what sort of enthusiasts do that before breakfast. Funnily enough on asking a couple of pedestrians if they new the back way cared to direct I'd give a lift, 4 seemed eager to assist! All adds to the mornings rich technicolour, alas didn't have presence of mind to photograph!!!

The rooster doth crow friday April 15th 2011

Just thinking what one could do a to fluffy (probably brown) rooster that is unable to recognise that one should, if there is a choice, crow an hour after sunrise rather than two before - it is written that way in the Rosters book of life!

Well it does mean I am bright eyed and bushy tailed for the Karamoja shuttle to NE Uganda this a.m. Have bonus rare visit drop off to Kidepo, a grass strip in the most northern game park of Uganda, might even see a 4 legged something or other.

...7 landings today and surprise surprise just as many take offs. Only 4 legged something seen up north was a lone tusker. Kaabong strong but variable winds on climb out kept one on ones toes as the aircraft di seem to stagger somewhat into the air. Lira was hot & sultry, density altitude went up, so re-did my calculations to make sure I really could get of - well on paper anyway, so made the strip seem shorter than I would like. Moved quite a few people today... Twas a good day.

Bryan Pill
Did short Karamoja shuttle in the morning, then nipped over to Bunia about 160 miles west of Entebbe, this afternoon. At 10.500ft had to drop down a 1000ft briefly to slip under some fluffy white friendly clouds that had some possible developing activity, bit bumpy but all was well with the world. 9Now thi is the amazing bit 90 mins later same place, dark & sombre, dank & heavy, black ominous water laden clouds ceiling to the floor, a wall of solid water. Diverted some 25 miles south around it and must have been another 20 miles running along its edge. Where did it come from?

Wednesday at 10:33pm

Have not had much success at loading images onto these bloggs. In faith the photo added shows the new hanger at Kajjansi with Jim and myself providing some perspective. Actually it is rather big!

Another sunny day or two in Africa and it's the rainy season

Bryan Pill Sat

Well Saturday I spent the day at the Airserve hanger by the old domestic terminal made somewhat infamous by the events recorded in the film Raid on Entebbe and Last King of Scotland. Whilst nicely painted evidence of some wild shooting all those years ago is still there - I mean shooting lumps of metal rather than celluloid.

Twas a long day at Entebbe at the Airserve hanger doing a compulsory slightly unexpected medi-vac course, the course was on how to handle pax for medi-vacs and who we can fly and who we cannot fly, as often the requests are made by medics with little aviation experience and flying at 10,000ft with someone who had a stroke that morning or a strangulated herni, is likely passing their death sentence. Got 'home at 6 - well worth the time spent. Just rather a shame I had planned this as my sermon prep day, so no chance of 12th night - spot of local Shakespearean culture has gone out the window tonight sadly! Have to say am zonked.....

Bryan Pill Sunday

Good church, fun lunch at Gerry & Moira's and enjoyable game of squash and great prayer meeting at Willisons. Bunia in the morning.

Bryan Pill monday

Glorious day crossing Lake Albert in 5X-BIL our oldest Cessna Caravan - some 21years of age. Looking down on the lake shore it looks quite idyllic, hard to believe there is a huge quantity of oil snuggled under the rocks done there. Three new airstrips have grown up over the last few years driven by the thought of 'black gold'. Sliding over the ridge into Bunia it is always nice to see the airfield but today one could see it from 20 miles a treat as most of the year this part of the Congo seems obscured in haze, smoke or it's raining but today you could see for miles.

Bryan Pill Tuesday April 12th

Pilots have one of the few jobs that duty time restrictions say 'work this long & no longer - unless you wish a paper trail or worse,' so limited by number of hours or days on duty. So timely non-flying day as feel a bit off colour, could do with a good sleep, sermon for sunday, essay needs to be in for monday, need to do some stuff for MAF-UK. NB this is not for sympathy just part of my FB 420 character blogg! Of which today this is an unexpanded copy!

Be Safe......

Well today revolved around a Safety Seminar being run by the MAF-US Safety department. With 42 in the Guest House sitting room, thought of the Black Hole of Calcutta Sprang to mind, but all was well, glad the sky was overcast with a coolish breeze. So was an interesting day, day two tomorrow and then a Medi-Vac course on saturday. Being somewhat itinerant ...rather nice to be in the right place at the right time!

Today on the Equator

Bryan Pill

Headed 1hr 10 westish (for the purists 302 degrees) to Bunia today 5 pax down and 10 back. Had the two puppies to take to a MAF family, they were as good as gold, seems they had been given something to smoke on the way down - so think they were slightly out to lunch on another planet.

Aircraft stuffed to the gunnels on the way back, glad there was 1 no show as managed to squeeze everything on board and nothing left behind- all within C of G, below max take off weight and nicely secure.

Lovely day for flying . had one small storm to skirt around .....

Hillsongs pop up to Gulu

Slept through the overnight rainstorm much to my delight so woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed, well I would have done if it had been 0530 but it was a lovely morning...another sunny day in Africa type of day. Flying wise it was a short day as had only to fly about 1hr 10 mins up to Gulu.

One thing I love abut this job is the chance to get to chat with some great people and today was as usual no exception. Flew 12 folk up from Hillsongs Sydney, that is Sydney - Oz rather than the well known Sydney on Vancouver Island, just in case there was any doubt in your mind. Actually have spent a week flying floatplanes training for MAF from the latter. Whilst the former only really seen it on BBC inlayer when we won the ashes.........

Anyway Darren Kitto & team were visiting some of Watoto Churches work up there. Collectively they weighed over a tonne (inc cameras) but they where worth every kg as a great bunch passengers they made.

Have to say the two other flights up to Sudan had quite a fight with the weather, as the rinse are around again.

Face Book Bloggs

March 25

Not a bad landing really .....well BA deposited one very rested, but obviously sun deficient, slightly crumpled MAF pilot, on the warm Entebbe tarmac last night. After a good nights slumber, the world looked an even better place. Today managed a trip up a hill to spot a local cathedral, enjoyed a swim in a local pool, played a couple of games of volley ball, rowed 2000m and had a tasty steak with good company, the Dungeys and Nasons.

March 26

What a storm last night, battle commenced at about 0200, sleep was impossible through the crashes of thunder, the bedroom walls lit up and the rain sounded as if a water fall had been built outside the bedroom window. Morning arrived, fresh and bright, good to go and worship at KIC this morning. Challenging word from John Willison, great to see a few old friends. In the afternoon had a MAF social, a Brai out at Kajjansi our airfield 20 mins drive from Kampala. very enjoyable. Though there were some very interesting sausages - some remarkably pink which made it essential they were served carbonised! Out to the office for 0630 on morrow to head up to Karamoja - NE Uganda

March 27

Light rain, somewhat overcast, the rising sun gave the sky a beautiful copper colour & chased the rain off. Visibility was good, the air lovely & cool, African mornings are divine. Lazily we climbed out of Kajjansi, and turn left heading east, Moroto bound, a pleasure watching Kampala's dust and traffic jams disappear into the distance. Dropped into Kotido and Kaabong before heading home with a very respectable 164kt ground speed.

March 28

At the hanger this morning, 5X-MSP a 206 is having a full body massage and strip down! Wings off and quite a few parts of the skin being removed to sort out some corrosion but guess the old girl is 30 years old now and whilst showing her age, it is nothing that cannot be solved with time, funds and skill and she'll be as new in another month (ish). Have my 6 monthly flight check in the morning.

March 29

The East African Cloud congress met overhead this morning at 0403 and rumbled along for a couple of hours. There were frequent flashes of inspiration from the participants, most providing considerable illumination to the point being made. The demeanour of most meant lots of growling. However a flurry of conversation would erupt, words coming down in torrents, twas hard to make an intelligent retort above the din.

March 30

Full power, aircraft accelerates wheels hit a puddle, feel the aircraft slow slightly, touch of rudder to hold ones track, mud sprays all over the place. Climb very steeply, max performance climb to avoid tall imaginary trees, engine looses power, pitch forward, really the choices for a landing are between not great and umm don't like the look of that. Recover and then smoke in the cockpit it's an electrical fire - touch drills only. Do an Instrument approach into Entebbe. Engine fails again looks like I can get into a dry bit of swamp miles from anywhere, (can you have a dry bit of swamp - is it still a swamp?) Position Hi-Key (lake is at 3,700ft so add 2,500ft, so that is 6,400ft on the altimeter) then low Key will I make it, bit fast but yes, so full power climb away ....it's base check time folks

March 30

Today was a non- flying day as the small MAF team needed looking after, hardly onerous as Liz and Roger hitched a ride on a Sudan flight and jumped on and off at Arua where (we refuel and clear customs here) they worked 38 years ago at Kuluva - memory lane for them. So I spent the day editing video clips. Out for supper, team head back to UK on morrow and I fly 8 folk over to the Congo, to Bunia.

Thursday ·

‎....had about 350kg of seed bags and a 30kg tombstone that weighed in at 85kg - almost needed help to load it in the aircraft seriously when I tried to move it, the stone just looked at me and laughed - thank goodness for Maurice, Richard and Jackson. All that effort in the gym wasted. A couple of pax could not make it due to major change in Visa rules in Bunia..... but sky was so clear you could see forever. Had full load of passengers back.

Sunday April 3rd

Good to catch up with a few folk at KIC this morning. So have cooked for half an hour in the sun by a pool. Just enjoying a few samosas washed down by a cold Tusker and a dozen chapters of Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society - thought should read, as got it for some US friends based in the Congo. Then its a couple of hours reading for my New Wine Training Partnership Essay (brilliant course) due in 2 weeks. Flying to Karamoja in the morning.

Monday April 4th

Leasurly jaunt up to Soroti this morning, glorious African morning, about 55mins flight then about 40mins more onto Kaabong, no flags flying on any vehicles at this remote rough airstrip, surprised just how strong the cross wind was. Nasty downdraft on finals, so had to add lots of power but placed it down rather nicely for a very nice bounce free short field landing. Then on to Patongo, tried to clear a cow off the strip it just looked at me mystified, as I whipped past its head at 120knots, then a selection of moronic goats wanted to join the party so they to needed chasing off but third time lucky....