Flight Log: Ouagadougou DFFD -- Bamako GABS 15.02.2011

Distance: 407 NM
scheduled Flying time: 3h 17min
Filed Route: DCT OG G680 NAPTU
ATIS Ouagadougou: RWY 04 Wind 030/06 Kts Temp 26/-06 QNH 1015
Clearance: NAPTU 1G Dep. climb FL 100
Take Off Time: 08:35 (UTC)
ATIS Bamako: RWY 06 Wind 040/12 Kts CAVOK 27/-7 QNH 1016
Landing Time: 12:15 (UTC)
15.02.2011 Ouagadougou/Bamako: Because of the explosive political developments in Algeria with possible heavy riots and the current major terrorist warnings issued by the German Foreign Office about Al Qaeda activities looming in Algeria and the central Saharan region, it was obvious that we would have to change the original route. We would not be able to make the flight over Timbuktu in Mali, or Tamanrasett, Ghardaia and Oran in Algeria, without taking major risks. Any trips into the Sahara, if they were possible at all, would only be feasible with massive police protection. The risks of the route originally planned proved to be very hard to calculate and could definitely result in unwelcome surprises.

As a result, we will now be flying an alternative route for safety reasons. It will take us via Bamako (Mali), Dakar (Senegal), Gran Canaria (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal) and Agen (France) to Hanover. It was a real shame to miss the impressive sights the Algerian desert has to offer. But then again, we've seen deserts elsewhere.

And apart from anything else, throughout the whole trip when our expectations weren't fulfilled, we kept on consoling ourselves by saying 'You can't have everything - and above all not at the same time'. And this was the case now too.

So it was decided - we're flying to Bamako now.

To our surprise, the taxi driver was already at the hotel half an hour before it was time to leave. He waited patiently until we'd finished our breakfast. At the airfield, the handling agent turned up approx. ten minutes later, although I'd already called him on satellite phone. Martin's mobile had no signal and mine had been left in Lomé - as already reported elsewhere. That's how it is.

Almost half an hour before the scheduled departure time, we stood on runway 04 and received permission for Bamako. All in all it was an uneventful flight taking 3 hours and 45 minutes. When landing we saw the Niger river and used the autopilot to try and circle before touching down. Except for the final approach path it worked.

After landing, nothing happened to start with. There was no handling agent in sight. The agent's phone number didn't work either. To cap it all, an airport employee approached us and told us to taxi the plane away. As instructed by the tower, we were standing on park 1. However, this was reserved just for the president and other VIPs.

What were we to do? First of all I called Muhterem, our contact at Flightservice International (FSI) in Germany. He tried to reach the handling agent in Bamako. After 15 minutes it became clear that our handling agent Mariama Ludovic de Lys had just simply forgotten us. She did however promise to send someone called Mohamed.

In the meantime we had phoned the tower and discovered that it had actually parked us in the wrong spot. To Martin's annoyance, we had to put all the baggage back in, start the plane up and taxi to another corner of the airfield. This time we were accompanied by a car with a driver and a policeman on a moped. Then our baggage was loaded at last and we were able to go in the car to the main entrance point. The driver got his tip and we went with the airport employee who wanted to shoo us away from the VIP position to start with, but now diligently helped us at passport control and in the visa section.

A very friendly policewoman issued two visas for ?25 each. Then everything was done and dusted. Martin was told about a musical event in Bamako. So that was great. The airport employee had really earned his tip. The other handling agent had now arrived in his car. He was delighted to bring us to our hotel. The handling agent Mariama Ludovic de Lys called again on her employee's phone. She asked us to meet her at 7.00 p.m. in the hotel so that she could apologise in person. Perhaps we'd then have a tourist guide for the next day ...