nyathi

Interesting reading, but allow me to make on or two comments/statemants!

Yes, ALL the companies in Maun work on a generic W&B program and weights stipulated in our SOP and OPS Manuals.

BUT, it is still up to the pilot in command to make that judgement call to say, yes this is ALL GOOD or No you cant make this flight with these weight. Certainly in our company you are NEVER allowed to fly overweight! You do so, its at your own risk, should something go wrong, well, then face the music!

But, I'm not saying that over weight flying doesnt happen over here! Some companies turn a blind eye ! Is it right.......HELL NO!

So, doesnt matter when you first see your pax and their ten tonnes of luggage, its your responsibility to make the right judgement call whether you can or cant fly with that weight!

ragdragger

The excuses about flying overweight in Maun always sound lame to me, and the problem isn't picking up a few overweight passengers or oversized bags, it is trying to squeeze 5 pax and their bags in a C206. If you see a 206 leave Maun with 5 pax and luggage it is almost certainly overweight. It has been long enough now that I dont remember the exact numbers but I knew how many standard pax and bags I could carry with a given fuel load and be legal. Even four pax is well over in some of the 206s i you have a lot of legs and are carrying a sensible reserve of fuel. At least when I was there all of the companies, even the ones that restricted 206s to 4 pax, knowingly dispatched aircraft that were grossly overweight. At least part of the reason young pilots with fresh comms are considered most desirable in Botswana is that the companies know that pilots working their first job are easiest to intimidate into flying aircraft loaded past their legal limits. To my knowledge no one has ever been fired in Maun for refusing to fly heavy, so I dont really understand why people still insist on doing it.

lilflyboy262

I believe the 2001 was a wingover at low level on a scenic flight.
The 2008 was a microburst on landing. Was low and slow. Everyone survived. Only a broken back or two.

FaFa

Dear lilflyboy262

Thank you very much for your golden points.
I got my CPL/IR (Frozen ATP) from SACAA about 4 months ago and now i'm living in Iran but i don't have any motivation to stay here and look for job here so i decided to looking for a job in Africa and started with Tanzania because friend of mine was working there as a chief pilot but he left a company and backed to Iran and told me there is no chance to find a job in Tanzania anymore.

I wanna travel and visit manu but i think there is risk to spending a lots of money there then couldn't find a job.

But i'll hit the road and come there.if anyone gonna to go there in next 3 weeks please inbox me.

Regards

EladElap

Maun is definitely not for you then boet. You need to be tenacious, relentless, and highly motivated to score one of only a few jobs that may come up in Maun.

FaFa

I lived in SA around 2 years and i know i can adopt myself with Manu or other african countries situations.In Iran,just we can start and fly as a first officer in our airlines,there is no any general aviation and etc.As you know,getting into a airline is not easy and we have to find some contact people.I like to fly with light aeroplanes and bush flying to fly thorugh the jungles,dessert.

Exascot

I must say that this kind of flying sounds like a pretty sticky sort of operation

darkroomsource

I hear the best opportunities are in Iran right now.

Csanad007

Well, there's a new low timer paradise called Manu? Go for 'em boys!

Harilal

I second that and FaFa would be kind enough to give us more details of manu. I also would suggest FaFa to try searching for jobs in Jordan, i saw a report in BBC saying that there is going to be a huge requirement in jordan, I have some Malaysian friends studying at the ayla academy h t t p://w w w.aylaaviation.com/. may be you will find something in jordan.... good luck

lilflyboy262

Seems I need to write 10 characters or more.

cavortingcheetah

The thread seems to have slowed down a little which is a shame.
Wonder if the same can be said for the tourist trade?
Just saw a quote for a six night trip for two in Namibia. Excluding international air fares the price was SAR 85,000. That's quite a lot of €s! Expect the prices are not much different in the delta as Thompson's Holidays offer two nights ex JNB at Stanley's, Baines' or Chief's at around SAR 22,000 or around about €1,200 a night. So is business booming up there? There surely aren't too many repeats?

avio_atul02

Hi mates, i am planning for some bush pilot job hunt in maun,botswana this coming may 2011 and as i also searched many threads regarding this matter and found there are around 14-15 guys already hired by the operators this season up there.so i m curious to know how about going there in may season with below stated resume

total time= 300 hrs
intrument time=44 hrs
multi engine time=38 hrs
recently i got rated on cessna caravan 208 and cessna 206 from panam academy,USA
Other rating=C-152,172 and multi BE-55
i really appreciate if smbdy will help me regarding this

Propellerpilot

Go there yourself and find out. The only useful rating you have is the C206, you might be lucky to get onto the C208 after completing 1,5-2 years service.

lilflyboy262

Avio. Read the thread.

Prop~ I'm on the van after 10 months.

cavortingcheetah

Words of wisdom from the founding father of this most excellent thread!
Congratulations by the way lilflyboy262.

avio_badal

hmm seems interesting, why dont you endorse more ratings on your license ?? like islander, c152, piper navajo etc. so that once you go "you are through" !!!

cavortingcheetah

Don't confuse the poor chap. The only people flying C152s and BNIIs are probably the BDF. As for the Navajo, well I used to have a sister in law who was one - honest Injun Mr Moderator - so I feel reasonably qualified to say that they are not particularly useful things on which to be overly familiar these days.

avio_atul02

@proppilot-yeah mate i will be heading to maun this season to try my luck if i can be that lucky to find out job with 1 of the operators with my cessna 206 rating in my pocket.
Also just curious to know about those guys sitting there since 6-8 months in search of being hired and waiting for the good time to come i mean whats the problem with them aren't they rated on 206 or they are lacking in somewhat with flying hours or some other reason?

@Lilflyboy-what about the operators can't they recruit u directly for having an advantage of being rated on van.i mean indirectly after and year or so company will spend money on u for providing rating on van but in othercase if they have a choice to select readymade van pilot will operators not prefer of hiring him?or you mean to say they are seeking van pilots with 1000 hrs xperience?

cavortingcheetah

(you mean to say they are seeking van pilots with 1000 hrs xperience?)

Dear heavens above, Jesus wept and Hail Mary Mother or Grace - one would certainly hope so!
Still, an aeroplane is a flying machine for all that and one man in a 206 is just as potentially lethal as another in a 208. Suppose it must all depend upon attitude and experience? Unknown quantities with no time at all to write home about suddenly roaring around the skies in a multi million PT6 driven ego machines might give even the looniest Maun operator pause for reflection. Some flyers up in the swamps seem quite adept at crashing and crunching even the simplest of flying machines. Sure, the conditions can be challenging for the newly initiated aviator so why burden him or his opinionations with something as complex to fly as a single engined aircraft that can go from splashdown to crashdown faster than a reticulated giraffe can pickpocket Selous' baccy pouch. After all, there is a CAA lurking around up there somewhere and there could be an insurance company with a flight time minimum requirement and there might be a passenger or two who knows full well that a piffly wiffly van rating doesn't make a van pilot. Isn't what they really need in Maun a decent Italian ice cream shop staffed by a couple of topless girls of melting morality having about them perhaps even a little something of the Neapolitan flavor?