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Old 2nd Nov 2014, 14:56
  #18 (permalink)  
Journey Man
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: UK
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This depends on the country and there is a lot of change occurring, with a growing number of indigenous pilots. The local guys should get priority, with the caveat that they meet all licencing standards and requirements. Often, training will take place under the SAA and then the licence converted to the home country.

Many African countries have a 'type rating' for each specific aircraft rather than a class rating on the smaller aircraft. It is usually sufficient to have exercised the privileges of your class rating at home to carry out a flight in a C206, for example, and then on converting your licence to a country's CAA/DGAC, the aircraft type will be endorsed on your licence. i.e. you have a UK issued EASA CPL with a valid SEP rating. You fly in a C206 for an hour. You go to an African country and convert your EASA CPL to a local CPL with a C206 'rating'.

Minimum requirements are increasing, although many countries still issue exemptions to operators who cannot find a local pilot. The minimum hour requirements you are talking about are broadly used only when converting a foreign issued licence. A local pilot with a minima hours for local licence issue will be eligible to exercise the privileges of that licence.

Finally, generally there are enough guys in country waiting for a chance to fly that operators can satisfy their operators crew requirements fairly easily. Very few jobs will be had by emailing/cold calling from abroad. The impression often given about this type of flying is that you simply try to get into an airline in Europe and if you can't you just apply to 'Africa' to go 'bush' flying. It's not how it works; it's not the fall back job many think it is; and it's damned hard. But well worth it. Research and go down for a once in a lifetime adventure.
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