From my basic understanding of aviation, Nigerians should be grateful for the Tunisian pilot’s familiarity with the Libyan airspace, which was crucial in averting disaster for the team. Valuejet, the charter company responsible for transporting the Nigerian contingent to Libya, operates two CRJ-900 Bombardier aircraft (LR and ER models). The ER model, used for this trip, has a maximum range of 1,640 nautical miles. The direct distance between Kano and Benghazi is 1,361 nautical miles.
In practical terms, during flight planning, the pilot would typically add an additional 10 to 15 miles for both the departure and arrival phases due to vectoring, and another 10 to 15 miles for the enroute phase to account for possible weather adjustments. This leaves the pilot with a buffer of 234 nautical miles for maneuvering in case of emergencies.
Consider the implications if the pilot had lacked experience, faced insufficient fuel to divert to Al-Beida Airport in Al-Baraq, Libya, or was unable to land at night without Instrument Landing Systems at an unfamiliar airport. The video evidence suggests that the pilot’s flight plan received approval before departure from Kano to Benghazi. This approval