Gambella, Ethiopia, 5.6.2004
The Sudan Express
Part 2 - 'Honey Pot 2'
This message that dESPair received today from Gambella HAGM tower is a good account of today's activities, I'd say.
Sir Brick can't take any messages right now. He's back in Sudan, somewhere close to the White Nile, on the ground and hiding... He'll probably try to fly back to Gambella later this evening.
After brick and Coop arrived here yesterday evening, I saw shuffling over to the kitchen, to get a bite, and about 30 min. later I saw them walking to their tents; for a nap I guess.
For the record: I don't know what you're doing -that's what I'll say, anyway.
Right, so at about 02.00 -yes, that is a.m. blasted!!- I see sir Troll coming in, with a sudanese translater/interpreter and 3 portable radio sets.
'Brick and Coop will be leaving in about hour and a half' says Troll.
And they did; unscheduled and without a flightplan. I'm already getting used to this...
Anyway, sir Troll had a a chart with marked route -about 258º heading from Gambella- a stopwatch and a few scribbled notes.
From the moment the Porter took off, sir Troll kept checking the stopwatch and moving a beer bottle's crown cork along the marked line on his map. He had asked me to set my radar scope for its best signal at ± 1100 ft altitude and was also looking over my shoulder, checking for any blips coming too close to marked route...
The sudanese -an ex-refugee probably- had the radios set up and listening in on Nasir, Malakal and Juba control, watching for signs extra activity.
Sometime around 05.45 we received a message, same odd thing as yesterday. I'm sure troll knows what to make of it:
"Honey pot two for mamma...
Check?
....
- go ahead, honey
....
Two's on the deck and rigging. Will buzz one-seven.
....
- copied, honey pot, buzz at one-seven. Mamma snoozing.
....
Roger mamma, later... out."
OK, I guess we'll know more after 17.00 then... or when we hear that Porter flying in to out place again.
Cheers,
HAGM tower.
On the way in...
(click on the snapshots to enlarge)
enroute 04.00 | only darkness, 04.55 | first light
[] see flight log flightno. 954
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