Yet another medevac...

I miss EMS flying.  I still consider it thee funnest job I've ever done, enjoying every minute of nearly a decade of moving the sick and injured to proper health care.  The late night callouts, planning trips in poor weather with minutes to launch, holding one rear wheel of the old S76A on a floating dock in North Western Ontario as the paramedics unload and reload stretchers, confined areas, visiting with isolated First Nations communities, some still living in tents and following the caribou herds in the depth of winter, the roof top heliports in downtown Toronto, flaring down onto six lane super highways with traffic backed up as far as the eye can see, the camaraderie and joking with the paramedics, working as a tight-knit team.....it was a very good time. The offshore industry can be challenging, and the money and schedule is far better, but to be honest, the flying is rather boring.  The SAR element has breathed new life into the industry for me, but I still miss the thinking on your feet requirement of EMS.  If I could make the same coin.....

But, we've been tasked with quite a few medevacs for the offshore industry this tour, blasting off to Dar Es Salaam in a rush, and it's given me a taste of fond memories.  Not that offshore can't be fun too.  Blasting two hundred miles out over the North Atlantic in full blown blizzards could never be classified as boring.  The weather out of Nova Scotia added an element of challenge that not many spoke of, but every one craved.  How can life have any flavour if everything is easy?

Flying in East Africa is not very challenging.  The AW139 is a very capable bird, and apart from seasonal heavy rains, the weather is generally clear and bright, and one does not have to worry about icing.  There are other perks to touring offshore internationally, but those perks are apart from work, apart from challenging flying, and generally involve the cultural aspects of travel.  Where else could one step back in time and ride in a dug out canoe, fresh from fishing the outer reef?  Take a bite of life, whatever the menu presents...

Warming up....

Mtwara airport, Tanzania.  Starting the second engine of an AW139 for a SAR sortie.....that's yours truly on the right.

I've been busy this tour!  Bringing a new hire up to speed with line indoctrination training, plus taking base guys out for recurrency training flights for SAR hoisting and night helideck landings offshore, and a few annual line checks completed as well, not to mention the rig being far offshore so the legs are quite long, and throw in a few ad hoc flights to Dar es Salaam, two hundred and fifty miles North of our base.....it's turning out to be a good tour for the old log book!

The rains have abated, having just given us a tease, fooling everyone into thinking they've come early this year, but the moisture is most welcomed by the locals.  Water is a precise commodity here, one we Westerners take for granted.  I can feel the heat and humidity growing uncomfortable, as we head towards summer in the Southern Hemisphere, hard mountain biking in the hills is being replaced by attempting to cool off in the mild waters of the Indian Ocean.  Heading to the beach for a snorkel now!

First Rain

The incessant scratch of crows feet on our steep tin roof, the panicked baying of goats just outside my window, the booming bongo flava Swahili rap drifting from a nearby open air bar, tinny speakers crackling out the Muslim call to prayer, the diesel generator kicking in when the power goes out again and again, and the click, click, click of the air conditioning in offset unison, large trucks rattling over the humpy dirt roads clanging loudly into the yard opposite our hotel, and the constant thud, thud, thud of the poorly balanced fan over my bed.  The howl of the wind preceding the deluge and then it began.  The sky opens and drowns out all the sounds of Africa, and as the dry earth soaks up the first rains of the season, I fall into a deep and peaceful sleep.  The rainy season is coming.

The flying has been good.  The rig is now a long way off and there's quite a lot of flying, and training.  There's yet another new pilot on base and I've been running him through the indoctrination program, preparing him to fly the line.  He's a sharp fellow with plenty of experience and it makes my job easier.  He's got a great attitude and will be a welcome addition to the base, despite being in Africa for the first time.  I don't know what guys expect out of life but many come for one tour and never return.  I must admit, I enjoy all the training the new guys require.  An S76 crew is up from Mozambique and I had to take them offshore to brief the Helideck Landing Officers and Fire Crews on the ship, sitting in the jump seat behind the pilots and briefing them as we flew.  I haven't been in an S76 in well over a decade, so I quite enjoyed flying in the sleek Sikorsky once again.  I still think the Italian AW139 kicks it's ass though.

A Day in Zanzibar

Zanzibar.  Savor the exotic spices as the whimsical moniker rolls off your tongue, and your mind conjures up images of silk and shamshir curved swords, Sultans and ancient Persian traders from well before the Middle Ages, drawing wealth from spices and ivory and slaves that flowed through this exotic port since time before history.  

While I often thought Dar es Salaam sounded exotic enough, I've spent enough time there to rather dislike the horrendous traffic and hustle and bustle, but for little more than a few hours ride in a boat, or less than two on the fast catamarans that frequent these waters, one can head out into the Indian Ocean, crossing paths with dhows unchanged in their construction for millennium, wood sail boats and heavy tankers and sleek yatchs, to the centre of the universe very long, long ago, the world's centre of trade connecting mainland Africa with the Middle East, India, Indonesia, China and beyond.

One arrives in Stone Town, with impossibly narrow alleys and bustling markets of fish and spice and colourful fabrics, and you can't help but feel the Arabic and Portuguese influences,  the dark history of slaving, the history of the Sultanate of Oman and Tippu Tip, to the bizarre popularity of Freddie Mercury, a Parsi born in Zanzibar.

One wonders about and tries to absorb what one can, to find little nooks of ancient hardwood to sip dark coffee and listen to the noises of the town, visiting dark pits that held inhuman numbers of mankind, bound to a fate of hard labour, ancient baths of Turkish design, and dilapidated forts designed to keep marauders at bay.

A last beer, a return to Dar, and a return to work, flying modern day traders struggling to keep the world of commerce that has thrived in these waters for millennia, forever moving forward.  Pirates still frequent these waters......

,

Flattered

I'm flattered.  My G-Shock watch, which I picked up over a year ago as I didn't wish to take my Omega to Africa, has caught on.  I was pleasantly surprised to arrive on base this tour to find no less than four guys wearing my exact watch.  And to top it off, more than a few guys are now carrying Maxpedition bags.....same model, same colour, as mine.  Guess it's time to break out my new safari vest and see how that catches on!

It's good to be back to work.  I do find the time at home enjoyable but I miss the challenges of work, and of course, the flying.  The AW139 is a joy to fly, with all the bells and whistles, and with the instructor task to boot, time goes by quickly.  I spent my first day going over all the pilot's due dates for recurrencies and training requirements, and found things a little out of wack, so that's been keeping me busy.  It's a completely different crew than I have been working with and there's some adjustment, especially socially.  I still have to find someone to head to the beach and snorkel with, although going by myself isn't a huge problem.  Mountain biking is still a blast, which I generally do by myself anyway, but this will probably be the last tour in Mtwara for a good while, as the word is we'll be moving around East Africa for a few months. I'll break the old girl down and pack it home at tour's end.  Makes me a little sad.

I've been contemplating a change, which keeps my mind turning over endlessly.  This exciting life of touring internationally or going back to flying offshore in Eastern Canada?  There are job offers on the table.  The money would be less, but would I be happy?  I know I'd miss Africa. Very much.

Take a big bite....

Always, always, always bite off more than you can chew.  My life would be far simpler if I played it safe, stayed within my purview, acted like everyone else, accept the status quo....but what fun would that be?  Sure, I love a little adventure but it doesn't generally come knocking, you have to go out there looking for it.   I often dive in knowing I'm making a mistake, wondering if I'll cope if it all goes tits up, and not really caring.  Besides, bad decisions make good stories.  I'm not advocating anyone changing things up, but I have more than a few people comment on how lucky I am.  I'd like to think I steer things in that direction somewhat.  If something were to kill me tomorrow, you'd either say I was unlucky, or an idiot, depending on what actually blew out my flame.  But I'd be smiling.  Most definitely.  The further you delve into....well, not exactly the unknown, but out of your comfort zone, the more you realize that it's only you limiting yourself.  None of it is really any big deal.  Looking from the sidelines, it looks far different than being fully immersed, but those that have coloured outside the lines get it.  Take a big bite.

Tanzania, here I come.