markflyer6580

Hi all,I'm currently working my way through a modular course-g.s with bristol at the moment hopefully cpl/ir late summer.

What are the chances/rules regarding working overseas with low hours?
e.g no frozen atpl in Oz or Usa so I've heard.

Reason for this is the temptation of moving for good to Oz or NZ maybe,however I would finish my jaa training here first and would be moving on the strength of a non flying job being availiable to me when I got there for visa reasons.

I have looked through some other threads but an up to date idea of what goes on would be helpful.I obviously know about the european job market and from what I read there are less jobs in Oz for example than around here,that is not my main concern though,I am more worried about having to amass loads of hours self funded before being eligible for a job unlike here where I could get on a jet (in theory) with 250hrs.

Thanks in advance. Mark

portsharbourflyer

If you have done your research then you should know in New Zealand or Australia to stand a chance of getting an airline job there you will need at least 2000 hours, normally 1000 acquired from instructing, another 1000 aquired from Air taxi / bush flying, that is for a national as well. So if you are not a Australian or New Zealand citizen I would have thought it would be near impossible to get a flying job over there. Aus and NZ use to be one of the biggest "exporters" of ex-pat pilots. I think the employment rules would state that to offer a non-citizen a job there must not be a national available to take the position, with the pilot surplus in Australia; that would be very unlikely.

I have noticed there are a couple of schools doing training for JAA PPLs in NZ, so I would assume there may be the possibilty of working as an instructor in NZ for the issue of JAA ppls. Yes your best chance a getting employed with low hours is in the UK.

redsnail

You don't have to be a citizen of Australia to get a job, just have permanent residency etc. It would seem that you've got that angle covered with another skill.

As you've hinted at, it's not a simple process to go from flight school to jet FO. Or even turboprop FO for that matter. You can get a job as a pilot with 250 hours in Australia. It won't be on any thing fancy, if you're willing to shift to a remotish part of the country it will be on a C206 or something like that.
The conversion is comparatively easy going to Oz. Note, our instrument rating requires the NDB to open it.

There are only a few jet operators in Australia and (unfortunately) a lot of pilots competing for those jobs (often) with thousands of hours on turboprops and the like. Networking is vital over there.
Many of my friends "back home" will not get the opportunity to fly a jet for various reasons. None of them are because they don't have the ability.

Chances are you won't be on any "nice & shiny" aircraft for quite some time in Oz but the flying & scenery is second to none and while it's hard work, it's a lot of fun.

markflyer6580

not to bothered about shiny jets would much prefer to start with some of the flying you mention!
Thanks for the advice.

zakpeegoodus

If you have the legal right to work in Australia, there are still enough General Aviation jobs in light aircraft for you to find work, if you are persistent enough – where as in Europe I believe G.A is almost non-existent?

However having built up some hours in Australia, the opportunities to advance into a jet or airline are rather limited in comparison to Europe. For that reason I am now considering doing the JAA ATPL.

If brief, Australia offers good opportunities for inexperience pilots – but limited opportunities after that.
Europe offers good opportunities for experienced pilots, but limited opportunities for anyone to built hours - unless they can afford a type rating and then have some luck.
If you can build some command hours in Australia, then return to Europe, that would be ideal.

See thread: http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=208650