Transiting through Ethiopia to RSA Permits needed to transport rifles?

[Patton63]

I leave next week from the US on Ethiopian and was told that I needed to have the declaration forms ready to be executed on checkin. They said that I did not need any other forms to transit Ethiopia, but "would need a permit in South Africa." I am bringing multiple copies of the Ethiopian declaration form, the us customs form, and my temporary rifle import application. The guy I spoke with at Ethiopian said that would be fine. Fingers crossed.

 

[Ed Reed]

Will do!

 

[Ed Reed]

I leave next week from the US on Ethiopian and was told that I needed to have the declaration forms ready to be executed on checkin. They said that I did not need any other forms to transit Ethiopia, but "would need a permit in South Africa." I am bringing multiple copies of the Ethiopian declaration form, the us customs form, and my temporary rifle import application. The guy I spoke with at Ethiopian said that would be fine. Fingers crossed.

We leave next Thursday morning. Let us know how you turn out. I am going to Windhoek. I have already applied online with the Namibian Police and got an email back very quickly from them to let me know they received my information. As long as everything goes well in Toronto then I think I will be fine when we get into Namibia.

Fingers and toes both crossed!

 

[Riksa]

How has transporting sporting firearms with Ethiopian been in past months? I might use them in October/November in case people have not encountered any issues.

 

[Ed Reed]

Been meaning to get on here with that. I have been extremely busy since been back. I will put everything on here tomorrow. Thanks for reminding me. What an adventure and what an ordeal with the rifles!

 

[Ed Reed]

 

[Ed Reed]

 

[Ed Reed]

 

[Ed Reed]

 

[Ed Reed]

 

[johnnyblues]

Congratulations. Looking forward to your report on the rifles.

 

[Ed Reed]

 

[Ed Reed]

 

[Ed Reed]

 

[Ed Reed]

 

[Ed Reed]

The hunting was very good. Not easy but lots of game and we had good weather. First hunt I have ever had to tape some toes as the skin broke and they were bleeding. We s did a lot of hiking. Worth every minute of the effort. Miles and miles of open wild country. Amazing vast wild land there. We hunted with Makadi Safaris and they have a major amount of acreage. The Kudu I shot was in the last few days of the hunt and was a nail biting stalk to get a 240 yard shot. He was with 9 females and they were going across the top of a mountain. What a memory. The Gemsbuck my wife shot was a our last hunt and took place sitting at a water hole. It was very cold that day. We sat at the waterhole as she has a leg problem. We were almost ready to call it a day and all of a sudden I seen a Gemsbuck coming from far away. Was so dark our PH could not tell how good the animal was till it got to about 150 yards. At 125 yards the animal stopped perfect broadside and my wife put a Nosler 180 grain right thru both shoulders and the animal dropped in its tracks. We were all exhausted from sitting still for the entire day but what an ending to the day and the entire Safari. This was real hunting and not easy. Very happy with the entire trip.

Now I will post about the flights.

 

[Ed Reed]

Our first flight out of Indy started out with checking the rifles with Air Canada and that was smooth. Our plane had a 1 hour delay out on the runway. We had a 3 hour layover in Toronto so now we had a 2 hour delay after that. Ethiopian Air was supposed to take my rifle case to Canadian Border Services. They did not. CBSA told them that they had to bring the case to them before I could board. We thought they had loaded my case on the plane. We were told we would not make the flight. Finally right at take off time the case showed up. CBSA took about 1 minute to check serial numbers and it Ethiopian Air did hold the plane up for about 15 minutes and we made the flight. Now after 15 hours or so we landed in Ethiopia. Tired and dragging we very quickly went thru that airport and were in line it seemed in just minutes to board the 6 hour flight to Windhoek. We boarded the plane and were seated and getting close to take off and one of the staff came up to me and says they need to talk to me about something. I get to the front of the plane and then a man says I have to go with them to check one of my bags. My rifle case? Yes. I step out of the plane and he says "We bring you right back" "Come with us" I had to get into a back seat of a beat up little car with two big guys in the front and the smaller guy in the back with me. "You will be safe, We bring you right back" They drove me into the dungeon where they process bags. It was so dark I could barely see. My rifle case was on a couple of little stools and surrounded by half a dozen people and a well dressed lady. "We need to see your permit" I opened the case, showed them my form 4457 and let them copy my passport. They only checked one of the rifles serial numbers, just the one on the top. They did not even realize there were two rifles. They did not know what they needed they just needed something but this was very nerve racking to just cut this short. I did not know but as soon as they took me off the plane the people in the plane told my wife and son that they were leaving and I would have to fly on the next flight in two days. My wife was in a panic. The Ethiopian airport is not very nice and for sure not where you want to spend much time at. They did shuttle me right back to the plane. At Windhoek Airport the Namibian police were very organized and that went well.

I am sparing a lot of details but I would not recommend going with Ethiopian Air thru Toronto. Having my rifle in Namibia was really a blessing with all the shots we had. We were all used to shooting my 300 and my Nosler loads performed so well. We recovered all the slugs on the large animals just under the skin on the opposite shoulders.

Checking the rifles to go home went smoother but still was a hassle at each airport and the case did not make it to the final airport at home and they had to deliver to the house a few days later.

With how nerve racking it was at Toronto and then Ethiopia I would have just left the rifles at home if having to do again. So happy we had them but getting thru with Ethiopian Air was too difficult.

 

[LivingTheDream]

So Ed, I have to go underground to the baggage area so they could look at my gun but it was on the way home. I had hunted dangerous game and that was the scariest part of the trip. They didn't hassle me coming from the US. I agree it is nerve racking when they take you below there, and they really do have no idea what they are looking for. I thought they were at least friendly about it.

Looks like you had a great trip overall, sorry that you got to see more of the Abbis Ababa airport then the average Traveller.

 

[Riksa]

Thanks for the info. My planned layoff in Harare is 3 hours so there is some time for visiting Ethiopian underground... At least there seems to be some consistency in the process Anyway, I need to talk to their representative about the arrangements and then decide whether to book with them or not.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Honestly and maybe I am a glutton for punishment but I would fly with them again. I think the 3 hour layover solves a lot of problems.