Heading Home

[Boeingdream]

Hi guys & girls

I am currently working in Africa on c208 and c206 aircraft. My contract will be finished by the end of this year and I will have about 2000hrs total time of which 800hours will be caravan. All Day VFR.

My question relates to finding a twin job on my return home, I am willing to move anywhere in Australia and fly the most basic of twins (Yes I have a MECIR) however I would just like some advice on what the job prospects look like in Australia for a first time twin pilot. I ask this because I may have some luck further in north Africa flying a Chieftan and Cessna twins, however my preference would be to return home to experience the outback.

Any advice would be great, also I will be swinging by PNG at the end of my contract to hopefully find work but not sure if I will have much luck with my hours. But you never know.

Cheers.;)

[Checkboard]

How about posting how you went about getting the Africa job for those wondering about their first job? Good Karma and all that. :)

[The Green Goblin]

You'll have no trouble. Guys are getting regional airline jobs with less time than that. The only thing you're missing is 500 multi.

I'd suggest you find a caravan operator that has piston/turbine twins and start touching base with the chief pilot now.

I'm sure PilotKarl_777-300 has some ground breaking advice for you too!

[Boeingdream]

Hi Checkboard

Many threads are already posted about finding work in Africa, however my advice for fresh commercial pilots might not be what they want to hear. The Government in most southern African nations now are demanding higher hours from expats before issuing work visas, I am not talking about huge hours but 500tt seems to be the key. I worked as a instructor in Australia and gained about 650tt before heading over to Africa. But please dont let this discourage any fresh commercials from giving it ago because you never know your luck (my company just highered 3 fresh commercial pilots but we are not sure if they will recieve the work visas yet). Just a heads up that its not as easy as most people think to get a job in Africa as a fresh com. But I will update you in the next month or so to tell you if we had luck getting the new pilots visas. If you need more information then please PM I am happy to help.

Green Goblin thanks for the words of wisdom I will start to get in contact with such operators and hopefully some good will come from it. I am also thinking of PNG but unable to find if they operate many light twin aircraft can anyone else point me in the right direction.


Thank you

[zac21]

Check your email mate!

[mrclumsy]

Ring Westwing aviation horn island ...

[The Green Goblin]

Tropicair PNG have vans and kingairs.

They'll pick you up on the van if you want to go that way and I'd say you'd get your 500 on the Kingair pretty quick.

They'd probably dig your African time too as you'd half know what you'd be up against in PNG. Not that I'm qaulifed to comment there as the closest I've been to PNG has been the Torres straight and I've never flown in Africa (although I'd love to fly an old Russian bird over there.......that's flying!!!!)

Good luck with the hunt mate. Post us some African photos too :)