What to do now?

[Ross Nelson]

Howzit

I am 21 years old and currently live in South Africa. I have a frozen ATPL and like many young pilots in South Africa I can't get a job. I have been finished for about 5 months now and nothing seems to be coming up, no matter how many doors you knock on, you keep thinkin 'it's just not going to happen'. You still get laughed at when you ask if you were to pay for a type rating and some hours if they would think about you. An instructors job is really hard to come by to, and even then it's at one school that has one plane and three instructors. I was thinking of max-ing out the loan and trying my luck with a JAA licence. Is this wise? And I guess it will still be the usual of 'buy your own type rating' job offer? And I was looking at Cabair for the licence conversion as Oxford don't offer a conversion anymore. What are they like? Help, please!?
Ross

[A320rider]

kind of stuck???!!! welcome in the real world, neo!

same for me!

[portsharbourflyer]

There are plenty of schools that can do overseas conversions and Cabair will probably the more expensive and least customer service orientated.

You will also need to do all 14 atpl exams.

Distance learning providers for these other than ox or cab, are Bristol Ground School, Cranfield Aviation Training School, Ground Training services at Bournemouth.

For flight training my own recommendation is the

Pilot Training College at Bournemouth,

Though there are numerous schools in the UK that can do conversion training.

It is still difficult to get work in Europe, though low hour pilots prepared to fund a type rating may a have a reasonble chance of employment.

You could consider trying to get work in other African countries such as Botswana, with out needing to convert to a JAA license.

[Ross Nelson]

I have been to a few countries and tried my luck there, but there doesn't seem to be anything either. Thanks with the help with the schools. I think it's going to be Bristol Ground school from this end and then hope something comes up here in the mean time. What a nice little hole we're in.

Lata:sad:

[corklad]

if i were in your positions id apply for an M-1 visa and goto the states. convert your license and do the instructor ratings and teach. build up your mulit hrs for free. there are plenty of good schools that need instructors in the states like Embrey Riddle for example. earn a bit of cash and then get a type rating some time down the road which is way cheaper than europe. i believe u can transfer an FAA type to a South African License straight away. going to europe to re-train is an awful waste of money considering you already have a good license and you will be at the back of a very long queue of pilots here. good luck what ever you decide to do.

[angelorange]

go visit Maun Botswana - spend at least a week there - visit all the flying outfits with your cv and you are bound to get a C206 flight test - pass that and your into hour building CPL flying - all good experience!