Africa Milk Run: Flying 46 Years Old DC-9 and an MD-80 in the Cockpit

Back in 2014, I took a really interesting trip to Africa; I am so glad I was able pull off this one: a 4-stop milk run from Dubai to Nairobi via Somalia, onboard African Express. All the take-offs and landings are shot from the cockpit, with some of the best airmen manually flying the plane in unbelievable tough situations.
We flew from Dubai via Berbera and Mogadishu, Somalia, on an ex-Alitalia MD-82; then we swap planes in Mogadishu and travel onward to Wajir and Nairobi in Kenya on an African Express 46 years old DC-9-30.
Flying into Somalia was an eye opener, we landed on the extreme bumpy runway in Berbera; this runway was once used by NASA as a Space Shuttle emergency landing strip. In Mogadishu the tough security situation forced our plane to land from the sea at the expense of 14 knots of tailwind, to avoid anti-aircraft gun fire on final approach. Then an extra stop in Wajir, northern Kenya to clear immigration and customs; this is a stop that must be made before any Somali arrivals are allowed into Nairobi, Kenya. A trip like this was exhilarating, but infinitely rewarding!
More details on my blog:
samchui.com/20...