Gabon to Poland

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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby Kurt » Thu Feb 11, 2016 10:49 pm

Darcy wrote:Breaking hearts......out of here bright and early tomorrow, Nigeria next, and sleeping in Benin. Assuming everything goes as planned......


Benin City in Nigeria or Benin the country?
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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby ReptilianKittenEater » Fri Feb 12, 2016 3:58 am

Good luck!
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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby Darcy » Fri Feb 12, 2016 5:19 pm

Cotonou.

We got off rather smoothly this morning but weather was crap all day, visibility mostly 700 to 2000 metres all day.

Fuel has been prepaid/arranged for the entire trip but everyone is trying to rip us off. I've been working and living all over Africa for years but it always makes me laugh.

First Port Harcourt, the handler we hired to facilitate our transfer said the money hadn't gone through yet, and one of us needed to go into town, find a bank, and sort it out, and that it would take all day. Or....we could just pay cash and be on our merry way!? I played along and claimed that we were in no hurry and that I'd love to go visit Port Harcourt, and you could just see the disappointment fill his face. He huffed and puffed and soon enough admitted it was all okay and we could depart as everything was just hunky dory.

Crawling low level through Nigeria's delta avoiding all the offshore helicopters, the radios going absolutely nuts, we eventually land in Benin, and the other Captain took all the paperwork and permits and headed off to the handlers office. In the meantime, everyone and their brother walked out to the helicopters and demanded who authorized us to land, what are we doing, and demanding payment, even a couple of military guys in full gear who obviously had their own agenda. We were busy trying to put the girls to bed and kept blowing them off telling them the guy with all the paperwork is in the head office, so lets go in there and see what's what. They all disappeared. BUT in head office, buddy spent an hour doing up a landing fee/overfly bill, which came to a few grand! I said last time we came it was $14, what the hell? He got all flustered and said he'd do up a new bill for tomorrow because his printer had just broken.

So off for G&Ts and Indian food.....
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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby Darcy » Fri Feb 12, 2016 10:40 pm

So much for my tough guy act, just got rolled by three young AK47 carrying cops walking back from the bar....luckily I only had $40 in my pocket.
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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby Kurt » Fri Feb 12, 2016 11:04 pm

Darcy wrote:So much for my tough guy act, just got rolled by three young AK47 carrying cops walking back from the bar....luckily I only had $40 in my pocket.


Cop muggers with AKs. Nothing to be done.
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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby Darcy » Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:22 pm

Well, here's my photo just before we were "arrested"......

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...for taking that very photo.....
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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby Darcy » Sat Feb 13, 2016 5:32 pm

Some shots over the past two days.....very hazy....

Nigerian fuelers trying to get us to pay twice....

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Lots of parked rigs near Lagos, sign of the times....

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Over the delta;

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Construction project nearing the Benin border;

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Into Benin;

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Just outside Accra, Ghana;

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Prerequisite "Hero" shot we pilots love.....

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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby coldharvest » Sat Feb 13, 2016 7:19 pm

Ace
I know the law. And I have spent my entire life in its flagrant disregard.
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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby ReptilianKittenEater » Sat Feb 13, 2016 11:53 pm

Great pics, a beach looks cool for once.
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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby Darcy » Sun Feb 14, 2016 10:36 pm

Through Cote D'Ivoire today, first Abidjan then up to Yamoussoukro, saw a few UN birds, got hosed properly by the airport handlers (I am very glad that it ain't coming out of my pocket) then a 300 mile stretch over jungle at 500 feet to Monrovia, Liberia. There's tons of UN birds here!

Photos some time in the future, got another early start tomorrow, then Sierra Leone, Guinea, might skirt by Guinea-Bissau and hopefully brews with my pal in Senegal tomorrow night.
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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby Darcy » Wed Feb 17, 2016 10:32 pm

Early mornings, late nights, sporadic internet. Have to catch up later. Senegal was a hoot! So was Liberia and Ghana actually, although alcohol and hormones are a dangerous combo. Hoping I don't have regrets....

Stopped in Dakhla, Western Sahara tonight. Beautiful little spot, could easily spend a few nights here.

Lots of shots here for anyone interested, but I will write more when the dust settles.....

Ferry Flight https://picasaweb.google.com/116188736389762953183/FerryFlightGabonToPoland
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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby Darcy » Wed Feb 17, 2016 10:52 pm

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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby Darcy » Fri Feb 19, 2016 7:56 am

Broke down in Dakhla, Western Sahara, but figured parts wouldn't be forthcoming any time soon, so we elected to push through to Agadir, Morocco and break down here. My old thrashing ground, spent quite a few months working out of here a year or so ago.

Thinking RYP may like seeing his DPx stuff put to work, trying to get the battery out of our old Garmin in Mauritania, jammed from too much sand....

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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby Darcy » Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:11 am

And a few more shots....

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and yet more cops looking for paperwork.....

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Re: Gabon to Poland

Postby coldharvest » Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:46 am

Fucking awesome photos.
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