75 Djibouti - Addis Ababa

28. Feb 2010

While I was busy getting fuel from the ferry tank to the wing tanks yesterday, 3 Mirage fighters and an UK air to air tanker plane, took off with a roaring ground shaking noise.

Couldn’t help thinking, that all that fuel wasted on war planes, could be put to better use. But Djibouti, a small new country on the Horn of Africa, probably makes a lot of money from being a naval and air base for NATO forces.

Unfortunately it was not evident in the streets of Djibouti – and all the soldiers filled the international hotels here

I had to check inTO a hotel that was way over my budget – no pilot discount here, and for the shuttle bus from the airport , I was charged the grand sum of 15.000 local money. About 85 $. A taxi to the airport cost 2.000 of the local currency.

Getting through formalities in the airport was easy, and I was soon on my way.

I had seriously considered not going to Addis Ababa, as had been my plan. I was just fed up with paying an arm and a leg for the privilege of landing in a large international airport. But I would have to land somewhere between Djibouti and Nairobi, to get more fuel – and you are not allowed to land in an airport that is not international, when you first enter a country (unless you have a special permission).

So I headed for Addis climbing to 12.000 feet. After contacting the Addis Ababa controller, I was given the VFR level of 12.500 feet – if I wanted to continue IFR, the minimum altitude would be FL 160. And since my oxygen bottle only was half full, I happily accepted 12.500 feet, an altitude where I can fly without a supplement of oxygen.

The further I came to Addis Ababa, the higher the elevation below – and I was surprised to see how green and cultivated the landscape became. Lots of fields with small villages all around!

Approaching the airport, I communicated with the tower, and I was given a VFR approach to runway 25 Left – I was just asked by the controller to report final. This was the highest elevated airport I have landed in so far: 7.587 Feet (2.300 meter). This is not a problem for landing, but can be a problem on take off, due to the thin air. But then the length of the runway 25 Left, is some 12.467 feet (3.8 km).

On ground, I taxied to the Ethiopian Hangar and was lead to a parking spot by a marshal. And after a ride on a small bus to the terminal,  in a few minutes I was through formalities. Then I could get a shuttle bus to the hotel (this time I made sure I was charged extra for it).

I will probably spend an extra night in this friendly place, and have a look around Addis Ababa tomorrow.