Aerocontractors Nigeria (AJ) to add Bombardier -Q400, likely to retire its 737-500s

There are rumors that Nigeria's Aero Contractors (AJ), also known as Aero, have announced plans to add several Bombardier Dash 8-Q400s to their fleet with an ex-Flybe (BE) Q400 currently being painted for Aero at Norwich Airport in the UK. 

Other unconfirmed rumours suggest that all of Aero's AJ's Boeing 737-500s due for expensive maintenance checks will be phased out and replaced with the less cost effective Bombardier Q400s.

Aero Contractors already operates 12 Boeing 737 Classics in addition to a Dash 8-200 and a Dash 8-300 on charter services.

Dana Crash; Investigative Reports says Pilot Error.

Investigations have confirmed that the inability of the pilot to turn on the fuel pumps of the ill-fated Dana Air flight that crashed at a Lagos suburb on June 3, 2012, killing about 160 people, led to the failure of the two engines and the eventual crash.
The captain of the aircraft, was an American Peter Waxtan, was making his last flight to Lagos from Abuja when the plane crashed, killing all on board and a few people on the ground.
Reports indicated that 17 minutes into the flight, Waxtan noticed problems with one of the engines of the aircraft and a little later, the second engine of the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft went off and it lost attitude before it crashed a few minutes to landing at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
The Wall Street Journal showed that the accident was likely caused by the crew's failure to properly monitor fuel flow and turn on certain fuel pumps, which resulted in both engines shutting down almost simultaneously from lack of fuel. No other significant problems were discovered with the engines or other systems of the aircraft, and the 22-year-old plane had plenty of fuel on board to reach the airport, according to people familiar with the joint investigation by the US and Nigerian officials.
The crash sparked an intense fire that raged for nearly a day and compromised the flight-data recorder. So investigators had less data to rely on than is usual in modern jetliner crashes and are still working on the final wording of the report.
The cockpit voice recorder, which survived intact, showed the pilots spent the last 25 seconds unsuccessfully trying to restart the engines.

Med-View Emergency Landing

Two days ago the minister of aviation had a press statement concerning med-views B747-400 Emergency landing at the Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos. No reports have been given as to what actually caused the surge within the engine of the aircraft, which prompted a go around by the Pilots

Medview aircraft, a 737-400 with Reg.No 5N BPA from Lagos-Abuja-Yola earlier today made an air return to Lagos about 15 miniutes after take-off. The plane had taken off at 12 noon. The pilot of the aircraft who noticed a surge in one of the engines immediately applied the necessary safety precautionary measure by returning the aircraft to base.
The pilot made a safe and smooth landing while all passengers were successfully disembarked and subsequently transferred to another aircraft in the fleet, a 737-800. All passengers in the 737-800 were safely dropped at the two destinations-Abuja and Yola.
NCAA officials and technicians are currently on ground looking at the circumstances surrounding the air return. It must however be pointed out that air return is a normal procedure usually applied by pilots and airlines all over the world whenever there is a compelling reason to discontinue the flight.

Joe Obi

SA (Media) to the Hon. Minister of Aviation

Is it not too soon for such a new airline to experience faults barely 5months into the start of the airline

Senate Says Dana AOC be revoked and sack NCAA Boss

The Nigerian Senate has since been hammering that, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) boss Dr Harold Dumuren be sack for giving back Dana Airline its Airline Operators Licence AOC, 6months after the crash of one of its Aircraft. The senate also said the AOC be revocked because it was not issued with compliance of the Nigerian civil refulatory law of the 1999 constitution.
The Senate also mentioned that the intervention funds given by CBN to some airlines was diverted for order issues.
Watch this interview.

Nigerian Troops; Deployment to Mali.

So 1,200 Nigerian Troops arrived Mali yesterday to help curb insurgents from Northern Mali (supposedly were the violent Boko-Haram sects are being trained). Included in this battalion of soldiers are the air-wing of the Nigerian Airforce, flying and transporting our troops as well as their equipments to Mali. The transport plane for this job is the Nigerian Airforce, United States made Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Pix below:-

This transport plane has a capacity for 92 passengers, 72 combat troops or 64 paratroopers in a cargo compartment that is approximately 41 feet (12 m) long, 9 feet (2.7 m) high, and 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. Unlike passenger airliners, the hercules is designed from the ground-up as a combat transport with loading from a hinged loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage. The Lockheed cargo plane design possesses a range of 1,100 nmi (1,300 mi; 2,000 km), takeoff capability from short and unprepared strips, and the ability to fly with one engine shut down.

Another Aircraft deployed to mali are the Nigerian Airforce Gunships. The Aerospatiale SA 330 Super Puma helicopters.

This is a four-bladed twin engine medium transport helicopter. She has 3crew members and carries 16passengers or troops. Its has well placed defense. Two of these babies were deployed to mali to give Nigerian troops ease of transport support.

The next aircraft are the deadliest of all the aircrafts deployed, there are fast and incredibly swift. They are the light attack Dornier Alpha jet E.

There are low support jet aircraft with a crew of 2(Pilot and Navigator) it has a combat radius of 610 km (329nmi 379mi) lo-lo-lo profile, gun pod, underwing weapons and two drop tanks. It has got a Maximum Speed of 1,000 km/h (540kn 621mph) at sea level. Its Weapon stock comprises of:-

• Guns: 1× 27 mm (1.06 in) Mauser 27 Revolver Cannons in centreline gun packed with 120 rounds or 1x 30 mm DEFA in centerline pod with 150 rds
• Rockets: 2× Matra rocket pods with 18× SNEB 68 mm rockets each; 2× CRV7 rocket pods with 19× 70 mm rockets each
• Missiles: 2× AIM 9 Sidewinders 2× Matra Magic II; 2× AGM-65 Maverick;
  
• Bombs: 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) of payload on five external hardpoints including a variety of bombs (such as the Hunting BL755 Clusterbombs) or Drop Tanks for extended range.

one of our alpha jet pilot preping to leave for Bamako yesterday, at the Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport after flight brefing.

Dana Airline Resumes Flight Ops Today

Its been a major loss for Dana and Nigeria, because june 3, 2012 came as a shock when a Dana plane McDouglas 80 came crashing down into residential homes in lagos, just before landing. 6months have passed and Dana airline has finally resumed flight operations today after passing through regorous screenings, investigations and test to satify that they are save to fly. The airline had its first flight departing from Lagos-FCT Abuja around 7:20am this morning. Reports say the airline sold a few tickets, for about N14,400 and plans to make a trip with government officials and celebrities to the capital to assure Nigerians that its aircrafts are safe to fly.
The airline still has pending issues with its insurers concerning compensations for the relatives of the june 3 2012 crash.
Safe Flight people!

Into the world of private Jets.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Private Jets air as the name implies are aircraft bought buy individuals, companies and even state govnment for private use. Private jets range in Sizes from Very Light Jets, Light Jets, midsize jets to Heavy Jets‪. Usually a typical Gulfstream, Cessna Citation, Challengers, LearJet, are regular business jets that wealthy people can buy and trick out for either business or personal use, buying comfort you can get in 5star hotels, eliminating long queues at the airports, delays, stop-overs, stale and tasteless foods.
Private jet owner statics continue to grow every year. In Nigeria over a period of about 7yrs has recorded over 200 private jet owners.
According to statistics obtained from FAAN's website, the rate varies for Day landing $0.00909/kg ; Night landing $0.01364/kg. Parking for the first three hours does not attract any fee. Montly parking fee cost about $10,000 every month but depending on the size and weight of the aircrafts, parking and landing fees varies.
For the Gulfstream G450 aircraft, with landing weight of 29,935kg, the airport authority will charge the owner about $273 or its naira equivalent for day landing while it will take $408 for night landing.Some Nigerians who have been associated with owning private jets include Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Bishop David Oyedepo, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chief Mike Adenuga, and Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim. Others are Sir. Joseph Arumemi-Johnson of Arik Air, Chairman of ThisDay Newspaper NdukaObiagbena, Dr. Babatunde Fagbemi of Maevis Nigeria Ltd, and award winning singers, P Square .
Some of the companies with private jets include Zenith Bank, Oceanic Bank, Dangote Group, NNPC, among others. Some state governments like that of Akwa Ibom, Rivers among others are believed to have acquired private jets.
The world of business aviation has spread its tentacles beyond 8seater luxury gulfstreams to Heavy and wide bodied commercial passenger jetliners like the Boeing 737NG, 747-400 & 800series, 757, 767, Airbus A330, A340, some of these planes seat up to 356 passengers for commercial use.

Well it seems rich folks do experience the recession. As Donald Trump bought a Boeing 757VIP jet from paul Allen. Microsoft's co-founder for a reported $100million. Trump's “new” 757 is basically a 20-year-old 737, but with a fuselage that's five meters longer. With a poky floor-space of 125 square meters and a range of around 8,000 kilometers, it is tricked out with Gold interiors and state-off the art Avionics system. Although it's a far cry from the 747-8 VIP, whose range is over 17,000 kilometers and makes Mr Trumps jet look like a single engine prop cessna. Shet!

The 747-8 Intercontinental is the latest, longest and about the most expensive corporate jet in the world -- a shiny new, “green” (empty) 747-8 will set you back US$300 million, but with a VIP fit-out the figure is closer to US$500 million.

But what else is there out there for those with a few more hundred millions to splash? Actually there is. THE A380.
The official 'monster of the skies' accommodating over 750 Passengers. Recently a Saudi prince. Prince Al-waleed bin talal cousin to the sultan of Brunei who himself owns a Luxurious Boeing 747-400VIP jet. Prince Al-waheed ordered the A380 sometime in 2009 and has since been delivered but has been undergoing dynamic interior makeover by "Design Q" a British Worcestershire-based firm. The A380 VIP business jet is expected to be delivered to the prince sometime early this year. The airplane is worth about $485million. Prince Al-waleed's flying palace has been pimped with an on-board garage, so that the prince can be driven right to the threshold of the aircraft or better still. A lift drops to the tarmac and a red casrpet unfurls, with downlights to 'give the impression of turning up at the Oscars'. The belly of the A380 has been turned into a relaxation zone, including a Turkish bath lined with marble only two millimetres thick to keep the weight down.
Next door is a wellbeing room, with the floor and walls turned into a giant screen showing the ground down below. Guests can stand on a 'magic carpet' and watch the journey, a scented breeze blowing into the room.

If work really is unavoidable, the boardroom is on hand with iTouch screens and live share prices projected on to the tables. For conference calls, a business partner on the ground can be virtually projected on to the table to 'join' a meeting.
The five suites which form the owner's private quarters have king- size beds, entertainment systems and a prayer room featuring computergenerated prayer mats which always face Mecca. A lift shuttles between the plane's three floors, from the private quarters upstairs, down to the concert hall that seats 10peaple, featuring a baby grand piano. Hian!

  Paul Allen, had a gulfstream IV that ran off the runway and a helicopter that totalled when it struck a cable during take-off from his yatch. His pilots made a safe emergency landing only to be damaged by the company towing the chopper on water. Totally submerging the chopper (no one was injured), paul took it a nouch, left out luxuary and purchased speed. He got himself a Russian MiG-29 (wow, just when i was asking myself if individuals could own a fighter Jet).

Gadaffi uses an Airbus A340 worth almost $300millon. (picture above).
Google has got 3executives and they all have a total of 8 private jets, The google boys both have one Boeing 767 aircraft that is worth about $180million. Roman abramovich, chelsea's manager also owns a 767 but has a passion for sailing. He would prefer to travel by sea and experience the full extent of luxury. His missing out!

Governments and military organisations are not left out in this private Jet venture:-
The State of Kuwait got a Boeing 747-800i with kuwaiti airline colours

The United States, uses a 747-400 to transport her presidents popularly known as "Airforce one". It is customised to uptmost secrecy and the jet comes with its own defense as well as evasive mechanisim. It has a Business Jet style cabin, containing private quaters for the president, a personal office, confrence rooms, galley, as well as a media room should in-case d president needs to give a press briefing or address the nation. The Jet has got up 55workers and crew and its capable of mid-air refuelling. It can also endure flying 3days non stop.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria," jet-liner carries the inscription: "Nigerian Air Force" and the number "5N-FGT" BB (Boeing 737-700), has been described as "the ultimate in space, range, utility and productivity," with an interior that is nearly triple the size of the most popular large cabin business jets. With BBJ cabins laid out to include a full dining room/conference room table, plus a private bedroom with a shower, the plane is said to be more like "flying office with rooms.
" The cost is about US$48 million for BBJ1 (Boeing 737-700).

 The newest aircrafft to grace the skies. Boeing's dreamliner 'the 787' some days ago made its way into the business world as boeing officially stated that its first 787business jet is under construction for Hong Kong real estate tycoon Joseph Lau. The aircraft is worth $156million.
Owning a private Jet enables its owners to sneak in and out anytime they please.