Ah, the fun stuff when touring International for offshore oil support. VISAs. For some countries it's pretty straight forward, just pay your dues, get your stamp and off you go. Others require invitation letters and lengthy delays, visits to the embassy or consulate, and repeatedly reapplying as the durations are inconveniently short. Even with everything in order you can still expect strange queries from officials and delays and visits to backroom offices to wait for hours and of course, further paperwork. I think the most stressful is having to send your passport to another embassy to apply for a VISA for your next posting while you are still in some other third world country! But having not been assigned to a permanent base for years, just following exploration contracts around and living out of my suitcase, it gets to be old hat after awhile. I've got two VISA applications in the works right now.
I spent yesterday getting dunked in a very cold pool, sitting in a mock up of an S92 cockpit, crashing into sea state "rough" with hundred mile an hour winds and driving rain, and invariably the whole thing would turn upside down as we hit the wet, and we had to get ourselves out and to the surface with the procedures taught. It wasn't my first time, as it's something you need to repeat every three years for certification to operate offshore. Being an avid surfer, as well as a certified diver, it's actually quite fun. I'm good now well into 2018!
Studying up on my Super Puma L2 notes from January, looks like I'm going back on the big birds for awhile. Hmmm....read back a few posts, I think I've been in this boat before.........
No comments:
Post a Comment