If you rate creepy crawlies and snakes and spiders, or even cleanliness and hygiene, anywhere on your list of concerns, Africa is probably not for you. Though it is nice to get away from North America and watch your priorities shift. I doubt I'll ever see things quite the same.
Last night's training sortie was a hoot! I do wish we flew more at night. Nine years of EMS, plus flying the venerable old Sikorsky S61 two hundreds miles out into the North Atlantic year round night and day, hones one's skills to a very high level, but unfortunately those skills are perishable. Even with three thousand hours on the ole gals, after a few years of flying autopilot equipped Pumas, and a few years of flying in mostly sunny skies, I have to admit I'm struggling to be as sharp as I'd like to be. The oil companies didn't care if it was day or night, whether it was clear or one hundred feet and an eighth, five knots or sixty, but statistics have shown, night flying is far more risky than during daylight hours. Safety conscious managers (or perhaps insurance auditors) have gotten their hands on the whole mess and night flights offshore are mostly verboten these days. I miss the challenge. Last night was fun. And to put the icing on the cake, I'm finally moving into a training role on this new type, the Italian AW139. I've been instructing for years, on top of my line flying responsibilities, on numerous types. It's a pleasure to share a rather respected level of experience, and it helps keep me sharp as well, not too mention.....I get more flying! I spent today running the aircraft through all kinds of engine failures and fires and chip lights and transmission and tail rotor failures, etc. etc.. so I'll be able to take guys out to do more of the same. Admittedly far more fun than flying back and forth to rigs! Tomorrow more of the same. I'm smiling.....
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