Gentleman-it appears that this thread has rapidly moved away from the original topic into nothing more than a slinging match based on difference of opinion. Having been fortunate enough in my career to date to have worked in many places around the world and predominantly in Africa, I can say that the latter it is an entirely unique place to work. There are a different set of rules here and in many cases there is unfortunately still a deep underlying sense of racism that exists from both sides. Having said that, there are still many “expat Pilots” flying throughout Africa for a variety of operators. The simple fact that they are there illustrates the need for some form of external assistance be it because of insufficient suitably qualified local pilots or ambitious growth plans that outstrip the training capabilities of the various operators. Whether the airlines that employ these contractors like it or not, they still need them for the foreseeable future and as a result there is always going to be some form of animosity that exists from the local pilots.
I found a comment from MD7 rather interesting in that he referred to Australians having “apologized” to the Aboriginals for past atrocities-does that make it ok then?.Australia is still in effect a colony but the subtle difference is that power has never been returned to the local Aboriginal community in the form of governance. After all they are the original inhabitants of that country. This has happened in Africa and in so many cases the country has been ruined by so called ‘Democratically elected presidents” who have done nothing but line their own pockets to the detriment of their own people and taken the country back 100 years not to mention changing the constitution so as to hold onto that power .Would you still be such a proud Australian if this was the case in your country?. I doubt a simple apology would suffice. In general Africa is still an awesome place to work/live and it is only the minority that gives it a bad name. For sure widespread corruption is endemic to the continent on a whole but where in the world these days is that not the case? .It’s just on this continent that there is invariably no accountability. Now for a return to the original thread. From what I understand Ethiopian Airlines is a very good airline to work for. There is an issue in that you do not get paid during the training period which can last for anything up to six weeks and this naturally puts many prospective pilots off. There is like so many things a reason for this. They have had numerous pilots attempting to pull the wool over their eyes by fudging their credentials or by simply not making the grade. The failure rate of candidates has been as high as 50% so their attitude is justifiably that you get paid once you have made the grade. Their standards are high and most of the disgruntled pilots that have posted threads have simply not made that grade or have not been willing to adhere to their SOP’s. It is a rapidly expanding Airline with one of the best commuting options in the business. Sure the money isn’t the best but if you work out that it is effectively for only 20 days work in the month then it’s a good deal.
Bottom line is that if you want to work in Africa then come with an open mind and be flexible enough to conform to what is asked of you.