Dira Dawa

Dira Dawa is the second most populated city in Ethiopia.  The city emerged in 1902 with the construction of a railroad to connect the Port Of Djibouti to the capital city of Addas Abbaba, Ethiopia.  Dira Dawa is a predomintely Muslim community with several busy markets...during a layover, we set off in a tricycle taxi for a look around;

Washen was our taxi driver and at the end of our visit we stopped by the house to meet his Mom & Dad.  A family picture was taken with the intent to drop off a printed copy when we return for display in thier home.

Entebbe

When we arrive in Entebbe, Uganda we are normally met by Joy, our airport Handler...by chance we discovered her favorite candy is M&M's...she smiles like a kid on Christmas and eats them by the handful...here Joy is receiving a delivery...one bag at a time.

Entebbe sits on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa with a surface area of 26,600 square miles...the only freshwater lake larger is Lake Superior. 

Entebbe Airport is best known as the site the most daring hostage rescue mission ever undertaken.  In 1976, Israeli Special Forces conducted a rescue of a hijacked Air France flight in Operation Thunderbolt...bullet holes are still visible in the old terminal building.

Entebbe Airport is also home to the one of largest United Nations (UN) peacekeeping bases in Africa, suporting efforts in Congo, Sudan and Somalia....while we refuel, a UN aircraft is being loaded with supplies.

Below the Boss enjoys a Beef Kabob at one of our favorite Entebbe restaurants, Faze 3.

Mission Support

Mission flow...when our aircraft launch, a whole support network exists to ensure our VIP passengers get to appointments and the crew is supported.  Prior to a trip, our first step is to submit diplomatic clearance requests into Aircraft and Personnel Automated Clearance System (APACS)...next we contact the Country Coordinating Element (CCE) for the the destination country to ensure travel arrangements are in place.  The CCE's are military peronnel who typically work within a country's U.S. Embassy.  The following is one of our Kenyan CCE's, a soldier who originates from Jamaica, and his driver (left).

We typically fly into international airports...upon landing, the CCE's whisk our passengers away...the crew will then typically interact with local nationals...some of these guys are employed by the U.S. Embassy.  Here is the boss hanging with Gilbert and Azizz...these guys coordinate flight plans, fuel and transortation.

Next step is to service the aircraft and file flight plans for the following day...here is Elijah, one of our "handlers" in Kenya, who processes our flight plans.

Once the aircraft is fueled and secured, we are off to the hotel with our driver...when we find a good driver, we make sure they are taken care of with repeat business...they also provide a lot of insight into the local culture...here is Nicholas, our main man in Mombasa, Kenya.

As you can tell, we would not get very far without a lot of help from our friends.

A Glimpse Of Mombasa

A picture will never do Africa justice...it must be exprienced.  With the end of our deployment at hand, I'll try to do a better job capturing our surroundings when traveling on missions.  The following is a glimpse of life in Mombasa, Kenya...a hard life for a persevering people...sights we now take for granted;

Although our transportation is typically coordinated in advance...the locals rely on Matatu's, which are minivan taxis holding upwards of 10 people or Tuk Tuk's, which are 3-wheeled motorized taxis.  The streets in Mombasa are full of matatu (left) and tuk-tuks (right)

Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya and also home to Kenya's largest seaport.  Mombasa is also the center of coastal tourism in Kenya, a popular destination for Europeans who want a beach vcation.  The Bay surrounding downtown Mombasa