After the rains....

Maputo Water Park

Right now I'm trying to visualize the picture above. Being from Seattle I thought I knew something about rain. But yesterday, as I watched young boys body surfing the muddy flash flood waters of Maputo, swirling around with unidentifiable debris, I realized I needed to learn more. IPM, or "Inches per Minute". I'm pretty sure that's how they measure it here. I just wish Jeff Renner could see this, or "Danger Jim" Foreman, from King5 News. No question they would report the opening of Maputo's new Water Theme Park.
If you are a person interested in the engineering and construction of roofs then this is the place for you. I think Andrew and I wished more people here were interested in proper roof engineering. One of his rooms flooded last night and I woke up this morning with water coming out of the ceiling soaking the bed. We are in the process of moving rooms. Unclear whether it will make a difference. No worries though. I was just glad that my "wet" bed wasn't from all the water I drank the night before.

pw

Getting My Zen Back (If I had any).

We all have our moments of being stretched thin. Whether it's too much work and no sleep, a traumatic event or a sharp blow to the head with a blunt instrument...whatever it may be, we eventually come back to ourselves. Back to our center. (To borrow a 70's phrase). MEX FO Joao Louro, has helped me get back to mine.
Jauo has worked for MEX for two years. He has been flying for only a short while. (500-600hrs). He is married and has two children. His wife works for ProCredit Bank, a micro-lending bank for new businesses in Mozambique. Lending for people who could never start a business on their own. Micro-lending, not to be confused with microwaveable. It's a big deal. Check it out when you have time.
Anyway, Joao is of Portuguese heritage. His skin is lighter than most people here. Jauo will typically not be picked first for a job because of it. Because of his initiative, Andrew and I have been able to do our jobs more effectively. Joao is a Portuguese Radar O'Rielly. I loved Radar O'Rielly. Radar seemed to have this extreme naive efficiency. (The ESP didn't hurt). Like a child who sees beyond their years but they're still a child. That's pretty much what you have in Joao, humility and a burning desire to learn. Very good qualities if you want to be a pilot.

pw

The Vilankulo Shuffle

Pictured above is arrival to runway 33 in Vilankulos. Video below is Chamber of Commerce welcoming committee. Horizon Air Marketing take notice.

Posting comments.....issues

I have heard that some of you are having difficulty posting comments. I'm not sure why that is. No problem though, just pass them along on email: philwiltse@gmail.com

Love to hear from you all.

Tchau

Phil

Word from Andrew

Just wait till’ word gets out.

Once would think that Africa is backwards in all respects, inferior to western civilization. In some aspects that is far from the truth. In fact, I’m concerned for the future of Horizon Air pilot staffing once word gets out how things really are in Mozambique, and how pilots are treated here.
Consider this;

No uniform hats.
No ties.
You can wear a goatee, or the FOM forbidden “Soul Patch”!
There are meals on the airplane. Real meals. Never fly hungry again!
Cabin cleaning crews on every leg.

I expect a mass exodus of pilots from Portland and Seattle to Maputo Africa any day now.

If all this were not enough, when I ask for something, the answer is always, “Yes, Captain”. Ask for a drink of water, and it comes on a tray, with a napkin, and a, “Here you are Captain.” It really seems that here, the pilots get the royal treatment and the captain is deferred to as an authority.

To be honest, I do think I like being called just “Andrew” better. I wouldn’t trade for keeps what we have at Horizon. It works for them, but I like the way we have more of a team attitude.

I just wish we could have our Horizon culture, no hats, and a goatee. That would be a winning combination.

Rock Star Jorge' at Municipal de Mercado

Charlie Foxtrot

Pre-Flight Crew Briefing

Flight Attendant: "How long will flight be Captain?'
Captain: "The flight today will be 1hr and 5min". (It's always 1hr and 5min......every single day. They only have 6 destinations.).
Flight Attendant: "So when will we arrive?"
Captain: "We will be arriving...let me see...(shuffling through papers)...it says here it will be 1hr
and 5min".
Flight Attendant: "So will it be an hour and 5min Captain?"
Captain: "Yes".

Approaches

Foreign Pilot boy: "So explain to me how you start this next approach procedure?"
Local pilot: "Well, we just go over here and then descend in that direction to around 1700".
FPB: What about that terrain, you know it's kinda like...uh....higher than us?"
LP: "Yea well 1700' usually does the trick".
FPB: "So you don't follow the charted procedure to guarantee terrain clearance?"
LP: Naw. Everyone gets mad when you do that".
FPB: "Alrighty then".


Charlie Bravo's (CB's) Thunderstorms

FPB: "So I was wondering (In the most respectful way) what your plan was regarding what we
see on the radar? Cuz I'm thinkin I'm seein the face of god in that there thunderstorm".
LP: "Wait a minute. I need to to talk to the company on the radio to get the weather".
FPB: "Don't we have the weather?"
LP: "Not for Maputo".
FPB: "We just left Maputo. It's behind us. Why do we need that weather.....never mind...do you
want to turn left or right to avoid the.....
LP: "I will be talking to company now..."
Flight Attendant: "Here is fruit".
FPB: "I'm sorry. Things are a bit busy now and can you remain seated due to turbulence".
Flight Attendant: "Here is water".
FPB: "For your safety could you please...."
FA: "Are you ready for meal now?"
LP: "OK, I'm back from talking with company".
FPB: "I have diverted east to avoid cells, reported estimates to ATC, refused 3 meals in a
lightning storm, oh yea, since it was your leg to begin with...did you want control the
airplane now?
LP: "I have weather for Maputo now.
FPB: "No kidding".

Meet my friend Jorge'

This is Captain Jorge' Zandemala. He is the Training/Standards Captain at Mozambique Express. He grew up in Nampula, a region in the North. He flew in the civil war here. Jorge' is very friendly. Everyone Knows him. I mean everyone. Everyone at the airport...everyone in the city. People wave and call his name when he drives down city streets, they come up to him when he's walking around and say, "Hey Jorge". I said, "Man, you're like the Mozambican Bono or something. How do you know all these people? How do they all know you?" "I talk to them". He said.
Rock on Jorge'

Saturday evening around Maputo

I am arranging to go sailing off Maputo in one of those lovely vessels. Winds are a very steady 20-25kts during the day. You can see these gaff rigged type boats zooming throughout shallow coastal waterways along the coast. Nice eh Captain Brosius? The middle picture is a typical scene in Maputo. Below is the old Portuguese rail station. Don't know the age of the building. I'll get back to you on that.

Quelimane Graveyard

During the Civil War this "Drunk" flight crew forgot to put the gear down.
These pictures were take at Quelimane airport. (About a 2hr flight north of Maputo). There are others like it scattered around the airfield.
Picture at top is of Zambezi River Delta and below it central Mozambique coast.

Haulin the African Christmas mail

Christmas day pictures from top to bottom:

1) Loading in Tete. Governor of Tete area was on board. A big cheese they say. Enroute he came to pay respects to the flight crew. (As well he should).

2) At 4500' north bound flying up the Zambezi River. If you look closely you can see Elephants, Tigers, and real cool monkeys. (Okay...maybe not).

3) Arrival into Beira. (Airport to left). Rain soaked lowlands along this part of the coast.

4) South African sunset westbound to Johannesburg.

It was another long day but Jorge and Jauo are progressing in a nice leisurely African way. I was able to contact Catherine and Gabby and the rest of the family on Skype during Christmas breakfast. That made my day. It hasn't snowed since I arrived....it's not even in the forecast. So yea, that's pretty awesome.
When I have more time I'll write some Pulitzer Prize descriptive type stuff.

Tchau

Phil

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to Catherine and Gabby and to all family and friends. While your sleeping I will be flying between Maputo, Beira, Tete, Inhambane, and Johannesburg. (Although it could have been between LAX, Reno, Seattle and Spokane).


I will miss seeing you all.

Phil

I hope Santa has a good radar

I have spent the last two days flying with Mozambique Exress Ca. Jorge Zandamela and FO Juau Louro. Both are great guys trying to learn how to fly the Q400. It hasn't been easy for them since their initial training was accomplished in a Flight Safety simulator last August. The Q400's were delayed arriving in Mozambique so they had to go back to flying a Jetstream 41. Though technically still qualified, neither of them have had any experience with the aircraft. Andrew and I are in currently the process of getting two crews ready with more coming.
It is fascinating to see how cockpit procedures work here. (Did I say procedures?) Communication style, type and amount of paperwork, non-radar environment. It will also be interesting to see how this African Airline will adapt to this level of aircraft.

Wings

Back when TV was good there was a great show on called "Wings". You know, the two chucklehead brothers, the girl with a Texan accent, and of course, Lowell the mentally challenged mechanic. Based in Nantucket I think. What if that show was in Africa and everyone spoke Portuguese, the captains were veteran civil war bush pilots who just learned the word "procedure" two years ago. That would be a cool show eh? Darn right it would be!

Fishin with the homies

I arrived in Maputo a few hours ago. Found casa de Phil and walked down to see the boys fishin. They were takin it pretty serious as I took the picture. I asked what they were fishing for and that's when the guy nearest in the picture told me to go away. I saw he was using chewing gum for bait. Mozambican power bait.

I'll catch up with Andrew in a few hours when he gets back from flying.

pw

Leaving

I just stood there in the lobby of the Harbor Inn staring out the frozen window. I just said goodbye to Gabby. Now she was gone. Creepy Christmas music echoed down the empty halls of the deserted lobby. It made me feel worse. The feelings came fast...like a car coming out of a blind spot: I'm leaving my family right before Christmas? I'm leaving Gabby right as basketball and ski season start? What am I doing? I know Gab didn't want me to leave but she kept those thoughts to herself. As I stood there all I could think about was how much she had grown, how proud of her I was, and how much I will miss her.

pw

You know your in Africa when.....

"You know your in Africa when all new airplanes require a goat sacrifice".

Andrew

Report from Andrew: No snow in Maputo forcast

"Om is the bow, the arrow the soul, Brahmin is the arrows target. One should strike it without wavering." -Hermann Hesse, from the book Siddhartha.


Andrew has been in Maputo for several days now working with Mozambique Express pilots regarding the initial operation of the Q400. He has ferried one aircraft back from Johanasburg to Maputo, managed initial checklist procedures and created a training syllabus for previously trained crews. Being first on the ground, Andrew has the very important role of trying to develop a plan of action for training flight crews in a completly foreign environment. In this, he will be trying to figure out what resources are available as well as analizing piloting skills. Not so easy. But his comments are very encouraging about the people he is working with and their desire for a safe operation.

Babboon, Rhino, Yellow Fever, and Q400's

We all take leaps of faith and I'm pretty sure that's what I just did.
A subsidiary of Linhas Aereas de Mocambique has purchased several Q400's from SAS. Based in Maputo, (Capital city of Mozambique) Andrew Gandarillas and myself, (Both Q400 Captains/Instructors at Horizon Air) will be facilitating the process of pilot flight and route training for crews new to the aircraft. My research shows that SE Africa is basically the same as the great Northwest, except there, everything is different. I pray to have wild animals running up and down the aisle's because it will remind me of home. That happens at Horizon every day, just ask the Flight Attendants.

Andrew arrived in Maputo December 12, and I will depart on the 19th.

So there it is. Q400 Training/Checking in Africa. There is no question we will be calling on family and friends for support as well as technical help from our co-workers at Horizon. We will greatly appreciate all you have to offer.

Does it seem like we are jumping off a cliff or getting an FAA linecheck without checklists?
Yea, I think it does.

Phil