Finally in the DRC

I have officially made it to the Democratic Republic of Congo via plan B. On March 24 I left RSA for Entebbe, Uganda via Nairobi, Kenya. I got to Uganda I was informed that it all goes down hill from here. Supposedly Entebbe is one of Air Serv’s nicest bases.

The next day I caught a flight with Steve and Dawson back to the DRC where I began my three day stay in Goma. Goma is situated by a lake on the far eastern border of DRC and Rwanda. Apparently this town was a prominent gateway for those who fled the Rwandan genocide. The climate is generally quite mild and pleasant because it sits at an elevation of 5000 ft. The living conditions there is very interesting because on one side of the wall/gate you have extreme poverty, filth and chaos and on the other side you have comfortable, lakeside living conditions. It is definitely a beautiful house.

Last Wednesday I left for Kinshasa where I will be permanently based for the time being. Kinshasa is the capital of DRC located on the far western side of the country. It is a very dirty city and the climate is unlike Goma in that it is very hot and sticky. Kinshasa is more like what I imagined Congo to be like.

Many people have asked me what Air Serv actually does, and from what I can tell, the specifics change from program to program. Some programs are used more for humanitarian aid and others are used more for developmental services. In Goma, Air Serv uses two Caravans and a Twin Otter to transport other humanitarian aid workers and NGO’s into and out of the hard to reach fields. In Kinshasa the program is a little different. We have two airplanes based here: a King Air and a Caravan. Both airplanes are based under a contract through USAID that primarily supplies developmental services throughout Congo. For instance, some of the flights are used for the transportation of researchers who study the wildlife and environment while others are used to send educated people into the field to teach people how to grow better crops, treat sickness and diseases, etc..

Initially I did not realize that Air Serv pilots overnighted on a regular basis but apparently here in Kinshasa that is a regular occurrence. The pilots here jokingly say that the Kinshasa base is corporate Congo flying, and in reality that is the truth. So if one doesn’t like corporate flying in the U.S., he or she probably won’t like corporate flying in Congo. I have to admit that overnighting outbase does not really excite me, but I know that it is a good experience. I generally like to be in my own bed every night, but if I want to live in Congo, I might as well experience Congo to the fullest.

On Thursday we left for a two day trip that eventually turned into an unplanned four day trip into northern DRC. I caught a ride in the King Air to Mbandaka where I began my ride-alongs in the Caravan. When the legs were easy, I did the flying. We flew to Kisangani where we stayed the night in a Chalet. I admit, it was much nicer than I expected. They had running water and a generator at all times. There was even a swimming pool outside.

The next day we took our passengers to a tiny airport in the middle of nowhere called Bafwasende. It was one of those kinds of places that would have been really hard to get to without an airplane. When we landed there were probably 100 spectators on the edge of the runway observing the rare occurrence. It was a neat experience to fly into the real bush.

We eventually got home yesterday after several delays and an additional flights. Although the trip had its difficulties and frustrations, it was a very good education of Congo flying. I have found that I must learn more French if I am going to be on my own at nights. Where it not for Andy, I would have been lost. Hopefully, it will all come together.