I’m a non-EU passport holder planning professional flight training and currently looking at the EASA route. However, I don’t intend to go directly into an airline job after qualifying. My plan is to spend a few years in GA/charter/bush/instruction to build roughly 1,000–2,000 hours first.
In my country there’s essentially only one airline and it’s not really a great long-term option, so I’m not relying on that. I’m open to relocating pretty much anywhere that offers realistic flying opportunities (Africa, Asia, Turkey, Balkans, Canada, etc.).
I’m trying to understand whether:
- An EASA licence is still worth pursuing if my first flying jobs won’t be in Europe
- It would make more sense to train under ICAO, build hours, and convert later
- Which regions are actually realistic for lower-hour pilots to build time
Any honest advice or first-hand experience would be appreciated.