TV Series .... Botswana Newbies Looking For A Job

[single_swine_herder]

Just finished watching a video series done about 5 years ago about pilots from various far-flung places trying to get "a first seat" with air carriers operating out of the town of Maun, Botswana.

Reminds me of times when newbies would flock to Yellowknife, La Ronge, or other aviation hot spots at the end of the road in hope of eventually finding their way into that all-important first job as a pilot.

There are 10 episodes. Here is the link to the first.

https://youtu.be/HVz2tu5ShSc

SSH

[GyvAir]

We pay 500 Pula.

[HansDietrich]

I think I heard something about a poor Canadian pilot that got stabbed in the back in Botswana (literally). He's now a quadriplegic

[dash8ing]

To dispel myths.. Botswana is usually a very safe place to live and work. I was there for a couple of years and only recently came back to Canada. This was simply a case of wrong place, wrong time for this pilot. He is a very good friend of mine.

The pilot in question is a South African who was raised in Botswana. He had a flat tire in the middle of the night and was robbed by 5 men while trying to fix it. He is in high spirits and has started his rehab and is doing remarkably well, much better than the initial prognosis.

[HansDietrich]

To dispel myths.. Botswana is usually a very safe place to live and work. I was there for a couple of years and only recently came back to Canada. This was simply a case of wrong place, wrong time for this pilot. He is a very good friend of mine.

The pilot in question is a South African who was raised in Botswana. He had a flat tire in the middle of the night and was robbed by 5 men while trying to fix it. He is in high spirits and has started his rehab and is doing remarkably well, much better than the initial prognosis.

I"m so glad he's doing better than expected! Unreal! It's true though, assaults like this happen can happen anywhere. Botswana certainly doesn't have the reputation that Sudan or Dem. Rep. of Congo. has. I've had friends who worked in Goma and the stories I heard were unreal. Good luck to your friend. I really mean it.

[CpnCrunch]

Being broken down at night on a highway isn't my idea of "wrong place, wrong time". You're highly unlikely to get robbed at knifepoint in that situation in Canada, but in Botswana it's apparently quite common if you're in a 4x4 or expensive looking car. In Canada the crackheads will just steal stuff from your car if you leave stuff in it overnight.

[HansDietrich]

Being broken down at night on a highway isn't my idea of "wrong place, wrong time". You're highly unlikely to get robbed at knifepoint in that situation in Canada, but in Botswana it's apparently quite common if you're in a 4x4 or expensive looking car. In Canada the crackheads will just steal stuff from your car if you leave stuff in it overnight.

Probably not that common in Canada, but there are places in Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver that I would not want to wander alone at night. I'm comparing it more with other countries in Africa

[dash8ing]

Probably not that common in Canada, but there are places in Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver that I would not want to wander alone at night. I'm comparing it more with other countries in Africa

x2

Can't be comparing it to Canada but it's still a reasonably safe country. Also it wasn't on a highway, it was in town on his way home. It's atypical to have violent robberies in that area, thefts are usually opportunistic such as break ins when no one is home or pickpocketing. I never felt afraid or uneasy while I was there. Keep in mind that this is a relatively small town, not a big city. I'm sure things would be much different in the capital.

[collegeboy]

How do all those camps get fuel, haul it in with drums like we do in the bush here in Canada?

[Noo]

Botswana certainly doesn't have the reputation that Sudan or Dem. Rep. of Congo. has. I've had friends who worked in Goma and the stories I heard were unreal. Good luck to your friend. I really mean it.

I'm curious. What happened to them?