Tell us about yourself
Afolabi Adeneye started his Aviation working career at Aero contractors as a Youth Corper in the Aviation Technical stores department.
Prior to this, he had spent his summers working in media and science research industry.
Owing to his childhood passion for aviation, he spent some of his off days visiting the flight operations department at Aero contractors and observing flights from the jump seat.
After his youth service at Aero, he took on a Management Trainee/ Business Development Executive role at an IT firm and was promoted to Business Development Manager before exiting the IT space.
He joined Caverton Helicopters in 2011 as an Operations Officer a role he held until he took time off to pursue his flight training in Tulsa Oklahoma in 2012.
He returned with his Commercial Pilot Licence and continued in Caverton as a Cadet Pilot while also working with the operations and Training department. He also played an active role in the Flight Safety Department and Flight Data Monitoring Department.
In his quest for growth and knowledge, he took a few courses in diverse subjects from the Embry Riddle Aviation University, Lagos Business School, and the International Center for Language Research.
He obtained his ATPL in 2019 and flies the Twin Otter in Cameroon and Nigeria. He serves as the Deputy Base Manager of the Cameroon base and was recently appointed as the company’s Flight safety Supervisor.
He is married with 2 kids, enjoys spending time with family and friends, meeting new people, travelling, and playing golf.
Why did you choose to be a pilot?
For me, it was a childhood passion and love for planes. I was always amazed by their size, sound of their engines and complexity. I always wanted to know how to operate them and wanted to see the world.
Where did you train to be a pilot?
I trained in Tulsa, Oklahoma
How long did it take to train as a pilot?
It took me seven months to get my Commercial Pilots Licence.
Take us through the training from year one to finish.
I started with the Private Pilots Licence then moved on to get my Instrument rating and then got my Commercial Pilots Licence.
Are there accidents while training? Any near miss?
I didn’t have any accidents or near misses during training.
How long did it take before you got a job as a pilot?
I was already employed in an aviation company before taking a study leave for my training, so I just came back and got integrated into the system.
Are there different requirements flying for private companies or commercial flight?
Different companies have different requirements for hiring, some require you to have the type rating of the aircraft, and some don’t, some require certain number of flight hours and others a different amount.
As a pilot, do you think of crashes?
Hardly, I’d rather focus on scenarios to operate the aircraft safely to avoid incidents or accidents
Tell us the scary moments you have had?
I’d rather not share at this time.
Turbulence scars most people. Is turbulence really dangerous?
Well, it can be if handled wrongly. Also it noteworthy to say that turbulence associated with thunderstorms can be extremely dangerous.
How does a pilot manage an aircraft which on takeoff loses its engines?
There are procedures to follow for this depending on the point at which the engine fails on the takeoff roll
How can bird strikes be prevented ?
There are bird avoidance procedures to minimize the risk of bird strikes and different measures airports take to reduce bird activity, however, as long as birds exist there will be the occasional incident.
There are thousands of planes in the sky all the time, how come there are no collisions?
Air traffic control maintains separation of aircrafts in their airspace. Aircrafts have transponders that show their position and altitude. Aircraft also have a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) installed to alert the crew about conflicting traffic.
Sometimes, a plane in flight drops suddenly from say 30,000 feet to 20,000 feet without warning from the pilot, why? What are the causes?
When an aircraft experiences turbulence, the plane can drop or change altitude suddenly. This is why pilots always caution passengers to buckle up and stay seated when they are experiencing flight turbulence. When it happens without warning, then the pilots probably hit clear air turbulence which is virtually impossible to detect with onboard instruments or the naked eye, making it difficult, if not impossible, for a pilot to avoid
Is it really dangerous flying at nights?
Flying at night is safe but with increased risks compared to flying during the day.
What causes landing gears not ejecting sometimes and what will the pilot do when it happens? If it doesn’t come out, how can the plane be landed safely?
This will most likely be a mechanical failure. The pilot will follow the steps outlined in the quick reference handbook (QRH).
How does an english speaking pilot communicate with the control tower of a Chinese or French speaking country?
Standard ICAO language is English. Pilots, air traffic controllers and aeronautical station operators involved in international operations are required to attain the ability to speak and understand English to a level 4 proficiency of ICAO’s language proficiency rating scale.
How does a pilot deal with boredom during a long haul flight? They read, interact with other crewmembers and they also get to rest.
It amazes me how a pilot take off from an airport and locates another airport in one remote part of the world he has not been to before.Please take us through the process. This is achieved by following routes that are pre-defined on maps and installed on the Flight Management System (FMS) and by following GPS waypoints. The Pilot uses his instruments and ATC to navigate usually under radar coverage. A pilot plans his route and submits a flight plan which is followed and if need for a change of route or deviation, ATC is informed.
If a plane develops fault while crossing the ocean, what will the pilot do to save the plane and passengers?
This would depend on what the fault is. Whatever the case, the Pilots will refer to their Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) and follow the checklist if landing is required, they will proceed to their planned alternates and inform ATC.
What actually do inflight Engineers do or can do?
Modern aircraft don’t require in-flight Engineers on the flight deck anymore. However, they were responsible for monitoring all aircraft engine and control systems while in-flight. They also perform pre-flight and post-flight inspections when the aircraft is away from home station.
How much does it cost to train as a Pilot?
This depends on where you train and what you are training for. It could cost anything from $40,000
Name some institutions locally and abroad where to train as pilots. There are tons of institutions out there, in Nigeria we have Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in Zaria, International Aviation College Ilorin and International Helicopter Flying School Enugu.
How much danger is wind shear and how do pilots handle it?
Wind shear can occur at any altitude, but it’s most dangerous at low altitudes during takeoff, approach or landing. Once pilots are aware of windshear, the “Wind shear Escape Maneuver” is performed. This requires them to immediately apply full power and pitch the nose up, climbing away from the ground as quickly as possible.
What are the causes of aircraft overshooting the runway?
This can be due to pilot error, a fault with the aircraft or sudden weather changes on landing.
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