Pilot September 2017

African Skies | Going Solo

76 | Pilot September 2017 http://www.pilotweb.aero

switched on until the operator has seen or
heard the target since a launcher’s weak
spot is its limited battery life, especially
the case with older launchers bought on
the black market. We−the target−
disguised our approach by using the sound
of the breaking surf to mask our engine
noise, and our low level approach to sneak
up in the horizon-level sea-dazzle. We
noticed that other aircraft soon followed
our lead and there have been no further
successful missile attacks since those days.
To see a large Russian cargo plane fly this
approach is a sight to behold.
What, you might ask, was the non-
flying, accountable manager doing
prancing around Mogadishu dressed up in
a flying suit? It would indeed be a good
question. In fact, I often asked myself the
same. The answer is that we got busy,
and at our occasional busiest we were
making daily flights resupplying the Big
Fella’s camp.
We had decided that we had an
opportunity to grow our company
modestly and wanted to do so in a way
that would set us up properly for the
future. Our first requirement was more
pilots and our focus was on hiring
indigenous rather than expatriate flyers.
While the Mogadishu trips were, strictly-
speaking, single-pilot operations, the
reality was that two crew were needed on
the ground in Somalia−and occasionally
in the air if the going got hectic. Madam
decided that I would be her temporary

crewman saying I could be useful on the

ground. In truth I suspect she just didn’t

trust Flashheart and me without adult

supervision. (A later, maniacal trip to

South Africa that, among other things,

involved a written-off hire car, a police

chief, assorted bodily injury and general

tomfoolery was to prove Madam right.)

Flashheart was issued with a newly

recruited junior pilot as his First Officer.

As the flights were private, and not

categorised as commercial air transport,

I could log them as Put (pilot under

training) hours. To this day I maintain that

a PC-12 is my ideal PPL trainer−but only

when someone else is paying for it. For

example, the PC-12 is perfect for learning

to fly angle of attack−both Madam and

Flashheart were devout followers of the

goddess Alpha−since every approach is

flown with reference to the angle of attack

indicator. It’s also a cinch to land with its

wonderful trailing link gear. And there’s

a loo in the back, and a fridge too.

You never see a Cessna 152 with

those amenities.

My earlier plans to get a PPL in the

usual way using our Fuji had gone

completely and badly awry. My logbook

didn’t record many Fuji hours but did

show a lot of PC-12 time, including

instrument actual and simulated, high

performance training, and complex

training. Even my Fuji hours were messed

up. I had logged plenty of ten-minute

flights to the island and each of these

involved a takeoff, a landing and circuits

but not many proper lessons. Since my

real aim was to fly aerobatics that is what

I did whenever I could, especially as

Flashheart’s passion was aerobatics too.

We would jump into a Fuji just before

dusk, climb up over the lake and play at

aerobatics for half an hour before landing

back and having a refreshing sundowner.

Our favourite game was for the non-

flying pilot to simulate emergencies−the

more unexpected and unlikely the better,

and at an unusual attitude if possible.

Engine failure at the top of a loop;

elevator cable snapped on downwind−fly

with trim; ailerons jammed on final−use

rudder; and so on. We also discovered

that our Fuji wouldn’t climb above a

density altitude of 15,000 feet, but that it

would spin brilliantly, around and around

and down and down. Flashheart was

drumming the very basics of flying an

aeroplane into me on every Fuji flight.

We disguised our

approach using the

sound of the surf to

The PC-12 is a cinch to land, mask our engine noise

and has a loo and a fridge