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spaceyuri
13th Jan 2009, 12:21
Hi,
i enrolled at 43airschool for a ppl-cpl program. As i am taking a students loan that i will have to repay as soon as i finish my training i wanted to know about the working opportunities in the region and the other requirements i should have.
Is a com licence from 43airschool will allow me to work in europe, if not what should i do be able to?
thanks in advance for your replies.!

collie77
13th Jan 2009, 13:04
Hi
The Com license you get fom 43 will only let you fly in South Africa and some other African countries. It is not valid in Europe. To fly there you will need to convert your license to a European JAR license which involves writing 14 ATPL exams and I think about a minimum of 15 hours instrument flying in Europe and a flight test.

digitalsoul
13th Jan 2009, 14:14
Also considering you are taking a student loan that you will need to pay when you complete, you might also consider your budget. 43 air school is a good school, but Expensive compared to the rest of flying schools in South Africa. There are many schools in south Africa with better or same standard as 43 air school but much cheaper. Also at 43 air school, you can not train at your own phase, that is to say, if you you want to complete fast. Accommodation is also just too expensive there, raising your budget.
Getting back on jobs.... anywhere in the world...it is not an easy thing at all, although you might hear people saying that there are shortage of pilots-Yes it is true-but not all types of pilots. There is shortage of pilots who are very experienced with thousands of flying hours! But after completing your CPL, it will take you some good time to get a job normally unless some one close to you owns a flying company and has already promised you a job-but don be surprise to hear even your uncle saying that you do not have enough hours, so you can not fly his King Air 1900 :) Its just the way of business-no hard feelings-maybe due to insurance policy etc.
Also the process of getting a job will require some good cash... you might need to travel to other countries to look for jobs, if you read through the forum here, most of the low timers pilot like me are traveling to search for jobs in Africa... that can be costly and leading to a lot of depression and frustrations! I am one example, I just completed my training and I am giving you first class information out of experience!

So you should not based refund of your loan on immediate getting of flying job. It is true that pilots are paid good salary, but also not all pilots-Normally if you just land your first job, the pay is very little-talking of about 500 US dollar or a little more...that is if you are lucky to be paid--- this is the point that you are not interested in money anymore, but flying experience then maybe later you can higher pay. We all had dreams of earning large sum of cash and flying during school time for CPL, but right now, money is the last thing in our mind-you might even hear a low timer pilot begging to fly for free, and still the company will still deny!

I am not bursting your bubbles of flying, it is a great thing, fun and can be rewarding too. You should not back down, but just consider the unforeseen outcomes when you get your CPL.... Good luck. It is a tough world out here---Aviation is for those who can resist temptation of hanging themselves and having lots of lubes! Attitude pays a lot too here... Welcome aboard.

Habari
14th Jan 2009, 04:39
Well put Digitalsoul.
Your article should be read by all aspiring pilots. It is not easy out there for low time CPL's and many of them really don't know how the real world of aviation works.

zapoi67
15th Jan 2009, 09:26
Hi Digitalsoul !

You wrote: "There are many schools in south Africa with better or same standard as 43 air school but much cheaper."

Can you list them (of some of them) ? PM if you prefer.

Many thanks and best wishes for your job hunt! :ok:

chongololo
15th Jan 2009, 17:43
Think long and hard about your decision to be a commercial pilot right now.
I would suggest waiting to see if and when the industry turns around before jumping in with both feet.
Digisoul hit the nail on the head.
God luck

Cyclopps
15th Jan 2009, 22:26
Nice one Digitalsoul.Spaceyuri you can also consider some flight instructing.Its also a good way to start and you can build those hours at another's expense.

three eighty
16th Jan 2009, 07:11
I can't comment on other flying schools but what I liked about 43 was that with dedication and hard work you get get through the course in less than a year.
I was there in the mid 90's and started out by living at the school but the prices rose sharply so me and a few other students found a furnished house in town and moved in for a fraction of the cost of living at the school.
I was at the school before they started to get all the airline and government contracts so things might be different now for a self sponsored studend but when I was there, I was very impressed with the facilities and level of instruction. I am happy that I chose them.

As far as the job situation goes, with determination, perseverance and a whole lot of luck you will eventually find work and wind your way up the ladder. Like Gary Player always said "the harder I work, the luckier I get".
I was on a course of about 8 students and most of us are now flying heavy jets for international carriers.
You will hear masses of negativity, a lot of which is true, but there is also plenty of positive and if this is your chosen career, then you are in for the best ride of your life.
Just don't go into this with rose tinted glasses. The first few years will be VERY tough and financially straining at the least with very little payback.
Still, it's worth it...

Bucket
16th Jan 2009, 11:09
I would echo Three Eighty's thoughts about the accomadation at 43. If you have the means to get around ie a car then living in a furnished house in town is far better and cheaper. That way you have a 'home' and a quiet place away from the airfield where you might develop cabin fever if you live, eat, sleep and study all in one place.

alpha-b
16th Jan 2009, 13:37
The accomodation in town aren't any cheaper as properties owner realised the increasing number of students looking to rent houses in town,but it still worth better than the airfield which are so ridiculously expensive for a single bed,so u're better of staying off base,again for noise abatment.But overall it's a good environment for a solid and quality training

hexboy
18th Jan 2009, 12:44
spaceyuri

very good acdvice given you by previous posters.

I would add - get your ATP as soon as poss after finishing your CPl and when things are tough on contract in africa, remember why you are there and keep dreaming .

my son was at 43 and took his first contract jobs-never unpaid- with only a small number of flying hours per month and the rest in ops.
once he got on to 1900's it became easier to knock on doors in jozi for a job in a small airline.

he now flies A340 out of Hong Kong at 25 years old. you can do it!

at all his interviews 43 air schoolwas noted and sometimes discussed and the frozen ATP set him ahead of others only because he had taken the trouble to do it, not because he was any better than they were.

FACT Pilot
21st Jan 2009, 18:45
go fly rotors. you can get a job anywhere in SA with 200hrs straight out of CPL. Some may disagree but if you look closely there are many opportunities. Except you are going to have to tripple that loan and expect to pay it back over your... well... lifetime... but its worth it...

Bob3213
24th Jan 2009, 14:41
I have to agree!!!
Of all my interviews, no one has ever asked me where I did my training. The thing that opens up doors is how much experience you've got (and maybe if you have a uncle who is in the flying industry too), but where you did training: nope.
As for 43 - :mad: them! They steal your money. (trust me: I was there. And I only went there because - at the time - I didnt know better) "You will not get a job if you did not finish ALL your training here with us". And while he has got all your attention fixed on him, the CFI sneaks up behind and steal your wallet.

Dreamairliner_340
3rd Feb 2009, 13:11
I am training at 43 and i can only say you made the right choice. It might be more expensive than others but its worth the extra( anyways its marginally extra considering how much the course costs overall). You should not be deterred by the current world economic crisis. We expect the situation to start improving as early as second half of 2009.
If you can afford 43, go for it. Training is world class.

Its true that experience pays, but let me ask you, if some african company were to choose between a 43 graduate and another african school graduate, which one will they choose everything equal?Think of this.....

PM me, i can give you more practical advise on how to curb down the costs here.

Goodluck!:cool:

generaalkassie
3rd Feb 2009, 20:49
If they had to choose between the 43 guy and other african school, theyll choose the Progress student.

Why fly old ancient planes if you can train on modern aircraft? Unless you want a job on a 1964 cherokee?

43 i felt just like a number, progress has a personal touch

Irishwingz
5th Feb 2009, 12:47
Hey, I recommend Algoa Flying club in PE. great people, top class instructing, relaxed atmosphere without being lax, a good balance betweem fun and hard work. no need to wear a uniform but I guess some people like that. I wore combats and tshirts as I did my cross country flights, the closest I'll get to be a bush pilot:O

Twinbo
5th Feb 2009, 16:06
Why fly old ancient planes if you can train on modern aircraft? Unless you want a job on a 1964 cherokee?

At the end of the day...If you pull back on the control column the nose will rise
and pushing forward will make the nose go down! :ugh:

43 will train you to become a professional pilot. It's military-like environment teaches you discipline,
and that is a major factor that is lacking in aviation.

If you want to fool around, fly in pajamas and act like a weekend-warrior…then stay away from 43.

Bob3213
5th Feb 2009, 17:42
Says he whose daddy probably paid for his wings!
Flight school is a flight school. At the end of the day all of us had to write our exams at CAA AND be tested by an independent Gr.I instructor.
Dont be fooled by the big mouth training centres. You can get equal training, but at a cheaper price. :cool:

Der absolute Hammer
5th Feb 2009, 18:23
What is the wrong thing with daddy paying for higher education?

Shrike200
5th Feb 2009, 18:31
43 will train you to become a professional pilot. It's military-like environment teaches you discipline,
and that is a major factor that is lacking in aviation.

Whoaa, easy thar' big fella! I went to both 43 (and instructed there) AND the military - and.....they're not the same...not even vaguely enough to use the word 'like'. Sorry. :} So let's not get too elitist, that's often regarded as a huge negative point towards ex 43 students - try not to reinforce the stereotype, if that's cool. At the end of the day, a disciplined student will come out well if given any kind of decent training, and there's no monopoly on that.

Der absolute Hammer
5th Feb 2009, 18:45
Ah-please confirm then that 43 use high discipline military style training technique resembling Boot Camp in order to train lower calibre candidates to wear the scrambled bars and operate computer systems like an automaton in sophisticated aircraft wiich have been designed to be primarily operated with autopilots. eg..all Airbus models.
Blue blood pilots and barnstormers fly at weekends, wear pajames and have girl friends to help the flaps selection.