I spent the first part of this week in Papua for mandatory training on Ken Blanchard's situational leadership. The training itself was very good, reinforcing and providing a framework for an approach I've always taken in my management approach. I would have preferred having the training in Jakarta instead of Papua, but I'm glad I attended nonetheless.
The real story behind the trip was the trip itself. After the security issues from two years ago, we made changes to all of our transportation procedures. I left Jakarta at 9 PM Sunday night on what is, basically, the company airline. When the inflight materials are our monthly publication and the seatcovers are emblazoned with our logo, I think that's enough to say it's our airline, even though we don't own it.
We use these flights to pickup and drop off employees on leave - one of the compensation benefits we provide to our Papua employees. We flew from Jakarta, to Bali, to Makassar, and finally to Timika, Papua. In theory, the idea is that we sleep on the flight and are ready to go to work when we arrive in Papua the following morning. In reality, taking off and landing - and the required deplaning in Makassar - means you get at best, 5 hours of sleep. I got three.
When I landed in Papua, my next step was to take the first helicopter flight from the Timika airport to our facilities up the hill in Tembagapura. It's a one hour trip by car, fifteen minutes by helicopter. This was my first ever flight in a helicopter, so I was pretty excited. The helicopter holds about thirty people and, due to the noise of the propellors, we all must wear ear protectors.
We started using the helicopters to transport people after the shootings two years ago. We still have buses that travel with armed escorts in a caravan, but priority passengers take the helicopter. Very few people are permitted to drive their own vehicles up the hill.
The flight rises from about sea level at the airport to 6100 feet above sea level flying over, between and around mountains climbing to 16,000 feet in height. The only tropical glacier in the world dominates the landscape in the mountains towering over the city. The land is rugged, lush, and spectacularly beautiful, marred only by native settlements that dot the riverbanks.
My helicopter landed in Tembagapura shortly after 7 AM. I checked in at my accomodations - a guest house in the center of the city - quickly freshened up and changed my clothes, and arrived fifteen minutes late for my 7:30 AM class. Three hours of sleep, no breakfast - a walking zombie.
Tuesday, clouds hung over the city the whole day finally dumping rain for most of the afternoon. This meant no helicopter flights. There isn't a real airport in Tembagapura, so all flying requires high visibility conditions. If there is any cloud cover on the flight path, we don't fly. Those needing to go to the lowlands or catch a flight out of Timika can either reschedule their meetings/flights, or take the 90 minute bus ride. Most opt to wait for the helicopter flights the next day.
Wednesday was time to return home. I woke at 5 AM, went to the helipad at 5:30 and flew down in the first helicopter at 6:20 AM. Flying back to Jakarta took the route Timika, Makassar, Surabaya, Jakarta. I left Timika at 1 PM and arrived in Jakarta at 6:30 PM (gaining two hours in time difference along the way).
That was the first trip I've taken to the mine site in my two years in Jakarta. I think once every two years is an appropriate interval for that trip.
The real story behind the trip was the trip itself. After the security issues from two years ago, we made changes to all of our transportation procedures. I left Jakarta at 9 PM Sunday night on what is, basically, the company airline. When the inflight materials are our monthly publication and the seatcovers are emblazoned with our logo, I think that's enough to say it's our airline, even though we don't own it.
We use these flights to pickup and drop off employees on leave - one of the compensation benefits we provide to our Papua employees. We flew from Jakarta, to Bali, to Makassar, and finally to Timika, Papua. In theory, the idea is that we sleep on the flight and are ready to go to work when we arrive in Papua the following morning. In reality, taking off and landing - and the required deplaning in Makassar - means you get at best, 5 hours of sleep. I got three.
When I landed in Papua, my next step was to take the first helicopter flight from the Timika airport to our facilities up the hill in Tembagapura. It's a one hour trip by car, fifteen minutes by helicopter. This was my first ever flight in a helicopter, so I was pretty excited. The helicopter holds about thirty people and, due to the noise of the propellors, we all must wear ear protectors.
We started using the helicopters to transport people after the shootings two years ago. We still have buses that travel with armed escorts in a caravan, but priority passengers take the helicopter. Very few people are permitted to drive their own vehicles up the hill.
The flight rises from about sea level at the airport to 6100 feet above sea level flying over, between and around mountains climbing to 16,000 feet in height. The only tropical glacier in the world dominates the landscape in the mountains towering over the city. The land is rugged, lush, and spectacularly beautiful, marred only by native settlements that dot the riverbanks.
My helicopter landed in Tembagapura shortly after 7 AM. I checked in at my accomodations - a guest house in the center of the city - quickly freshened up and changed my clothes, and arrived fifteen minutes late for my 7:30 AM class. Three hours of sleep, no breakfast - a walking zombie.
Tuesday, clouds hung over the city the whole day finally dumping rain for most of the afternoon. This meant no helicopter flights. There isn't a real airport in Tembagapura, so all flying requires high visibility conditions. If there is any cloud cover on the flight path, we don't fly. Those needing to go to the lowlands or catch a flight out of Timika can either reschedule their meetings/flights, or take the 90 minute bus ride. Most opt to wait for the helicopter flights the next day.
Wednesday was time to return home. I woke at 5 AM, went to the helipad at 5:30 and flew down in the first helicopter at 6:20 AM. Flying back to Jakarta took the route Timika, Makassar, Surabaya, Jakarta. I left Timika at 1 PM and arrived in Jakarta at 6:30 PM (gaining two hours in time difference along the way).
That was the first trip I've taken to the mine site in my two years in Jakarta. I think once every two years is an appropriate interval for that trip.
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