Bush-bird namibia
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Bush-bird namibia
Hi guys does anybody knows how it is to work for bush-bird in namibia?? It will be very helpfull for me if you can give me some information about these people??
Thank you
Thank you
. Anotherwise nothing to write home about
. You will however enjoy the scenics flights they do
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It's a one man "family" operation basically - the boss being the main man ("unfortunatly" sometimes his wife... hint), so it is important you get along with him (and her... hint), it is probably the smallest operator in Nam. He is usually pretty cool and chilled, which in the worst case can cause misunderstanding. You will probably spend a lot of time in the office as well. He prefers his pilots to be from Europe, financially though, pay is more on the low end of the market, anyone from Europe will take a serious bite. You will be better off flying for Atlantic or Pleasure Flights as you get paid per flight and in season will earn double that what Bushbird pays for the same work.
You will fly mainly the Sossusvlei Scenic route until you get sick of it. The hours are ok and are on par with other operators, however little diversity. If you want some fun and some hours, I can recommend it-it might give you what you need to move on, but I guess that's a personal decision. Best you go there and introduce yourself..
Hope this gives a realistic picture - my info is second hand from a good friend of mine.
You will fly mainly the Sossusvlei Scenic route until you get sick of it. The hours are ok and are on par with other operators, however little diversity. If you want some fun and some hours, I can recommend it-it might give you what you need to move on, but I guess that's a personal decision. Best you go there and introduce yourself..
Hope this gives a realistic picture - my info is second hand from a good friend of mine.
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Thanks for all the info but i still have doubts about it i dont know what to do the want that i sign the contract and they dont even see me. Really a little bit strange?? Dont you think???
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If you sign the contract you will have a C210 job descibed by me and Voel as above, nothing to worry about exept the things I mentioned on the sideline which are more intern - but any operator has pros and cons and you might get on with Andy very well or not (vice versa) - something that can only be determined by being there for a while. I personally know Andy as a very friendly guy, always greeted me and talked on the Swakop apron. If you fit in, then you will get along. There is absolutly nothing wrong with the operation itself - all within the law etc.
If you are happy with the contract itself and the pay, then go for it.
Otherwise go down there if it will make you happy and look at the operation yourself it is not really an issue: in the end you will have to make a choice and there is not much to see: this is a small business with an office in Swakopmund and it is the boss and you who will do the flying (there are only 2 aircraft and one is still u/s from a wheels-up landing) and maybe a freelance now and then.
I do not know what you want or expect, so it is a bit difficult to be more specific in giving advice. I think what was said here and when consider the nature of your contract, it should be more than enough plausible info to make a deceision on your part.
If you are happy with the contract itself and the pay, then go for it.
Otherwise go down there if it will make you happy and look at the operation yourself it is not really an issue: in the end you will have to make a choice and there is not much to see: this is a small business with an office in Swakopmund and it is the boss and you who will do the flying (there are only 2 aircraft and one is still u/s from a wheels-up landing) and maybe a freelance now and then.
I do not know what you want or expect, so it is a bit difficult to be more specific in giving advice. I think what was said here and when consider the nature of your contract, it should be more than enough plausible info to make a deceision on your part.
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Voel,
A few years ago, I flew for Desert Air and WFTC.
The great days that Hein Janik and Jon Branca were still alive..!!
How is life nowerdays in beatiful Windhoek..?
Just wondering............
Everybody's talking about the good old days..............!!
Fly safe everybody
Gary
A few years ago, I flew for Desert Air and WFTC.
The great days that Hein Janik and Jon Branca were still alive..!!
How is life nowerdays in beatiful Windhoek..?
Just wondering............
Everybody's talking about the good old days..............!!
Fly safe everybody
Gary
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Just Google for Desert air Namibia. The boss is Mr Thys Rall. You can send him your resume, but he will only wipe his ass with it. Do what I did, and go and nock on his front door. If he´s in a good mood he might even talk to you....!!
For WFTC, just google, its right there.
And never give up..whatever people say...!!
Gary
For WFTC, just google, its right there.
And never give up..whatever people say...!!
Gary
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thanks for the info. Found one general info email for desert air. Sent in my cv on that.
couldnt find anything on WFTC. shall appreciate a little help on that please.
And as far as going and knocing his door. i would have done it but i am kinda too far away to do that. am in pakistan.
anyways always thankful to you guys at PPRUNE for such great help.
couldnt find anything on WFTC. shall appreciate a little help on that please.
And as far as going and knocing his door. i would have done it but i am kinda too far away to do that. am in pakistan.
anyways always thankful to you guys at PPRUNE for such great help.
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Flying skydivers (208) and tourists around here in Holland. Just got back from a 3 month tour in Afghanistan also. Saw Johan there too, who used to fly for Desert Air also. He is now flying the C130.
Other than that, hope to fly tha Citation Mustang by the end of this tear for a Air Charter out of Antwerp, Belgium.
What are you doing ?
Have a great day!!
Gary
Other than that, hope to fly tha Citation Mustang by the end of this tear for a Air Charter out of Antwerp, Belgium.
What are you doing ?
Have a great day!!
Gary
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Warning
Caution is advised when working there. I will explain why, so in case you do want to work there either way, you will be better prepared, since you do fly a lot there to build hours fast.
When going to work there, study carefully what is in the contract because when I signed mine, it had lies on it such as my effective starting date was clearly stated as well as the probationary month periods to be paid full salary, that I was never paid (read more ahead). I decided to quit during the probationary period and was not paid my salary, in fact, Andy wanted to charge me initially for all the scenic flights I participated in as an observer (too bad he listed me as crew and not as passenger which is Illegal since I was not type rated in the C210s yet).
The thing there is simple. Before you start work there, does not matter what Andy says, INSIST that you want the working visa ready upon the first day of training. He will tell you to come with a tourist visa and then he will get you your namibian working visa (which you can easily obtain yourself online), but DO NOT FALL for that mistake like I did. Here is why. Technically speaking, you cannot earn a salary if you are there on a tourist visa. Andy knows that and during the probationary period he will do everything possible for you not to get your working visa which is a 1 week thing to receive. He will have you work under a tourist visa that in case you decide to leave during the probationary period (which is 3 months long), you will earn no salary but worked enough for him. On top of that he will also try and charge you for every single expense of course so at the end you owe him money. To me that is a disgrace and insult and therefore I want to warn as many pilots as possible before joining Bush Bird.
The other thing is that Andy is really a lousy boss. All he really cares for is his money but definitely not for his pilots. He seems to stick his nose into other people's affairs like when I was trying to live in an apartment and leave that studio that was provided by bush bird (for a very high price !!!! Knowing it will be hard to almost impossible for you to be able to rent something furnished on your own which in case you do find, it would cost maybe 80 US$ more a month for living in a mansion compared to a 2 star hotel room which he provides) . He came to me starting a strange conversation basically trying to corner me, but more to the studio later. Andy is the type of person that will have you do most work possible, even from what I heard from other pilots making them fly on their off days, example making them do one quick flight and then still wanting to count it as an off day. Things like that.
Also, before each flight you have to sign a waiver. Maybe that is a Namibian thing in general but I flew internationally and joined as a high houred experienced pilot and nowhere ever did I sign a waiver, especially a waiver where I put my word to fly safely and within Namibian laws, however, Andy teaching pilots to fly 20 ft above the ground over national parks etc where minimum altitude by law is 2500 ft, so in case someone takes a picture of you down there and sends it to DCA or worse, you hit a vuture (plenty of them around) at that level and do a forced landing, you are cooked and he is protected and you lose your license, job and future and he will with no feel of embarrassment on his behalf cowardly tell you in the face "well, nobody told you to fly at 20 ft"
That is the type of boss you will have.
As for the studio. It is small, no curtains, just some weak shaders so expect night time to be as bright as daytime in your room due to the parking lot lights shining in your room. You are on the buttom floor and have to keep the weak shutters closed because everyone will see your room, what you do if you leave it open because all pass by your window. The shower window faces the apartment complex trash deposit so don't even open it to let the hot air out because your place will smell like a trash deposit. On top of that the fridge is so loud and 1 yard next to your bed that you might as well just unplug it like me and previous pilots did that lived in there. On top of that, the price is way too high because for a little bit more money (80 US$ a month most) you could live on an apartment on the beach ! Since it is a small town, it is basically impossible to find a 1-2 bedroom furnished apartment and if you are very lucky to find it which believe me would already be way bigger and nicer than Bush Bird's studio, then for a tiny bit more money you would be improving your quality of life enormously. Andy knows you got no chance and therefore keeps the price way high, speaking of a fair boss. Also, the numbers above that I used to compare his studio to furnished apartments etc are correct because I was for one week trying to find a new place and that is what Andy found out and started to try put me under pressure in staying in his studio, speaking of him putting his nose into other people's affairs which I mentioned above.
I made the experience of Bush Bird being : Dishonest, Fake, Unprofessional, Cowardly and treacherous. In case something negative happens, do not expect them to back you up ! You will be on your own because those are people that point fingers at you right away and happily put all the blame on you to protect themselves and their company, although undergoing several illegal operations in terms of signing a waiver before each flight to do things that they are not allowed to do.
Be careful...
When going to work there, study carefully what is in the contract because when I signed mine, it had lies on it such as my effective starting date was clearly stated as well as the probationary month periods to be paid full salary, that I was never paid (read more ahead). I decided to quit during the probationary period and was not paid my salary, in fact, Andy wanted to charge me initially for all the scenic flights I participated in as an observer (too bad he listed me as crew and not as passenger which is Illegal since I was not type rated in the C210s yet).
The thing there is simple. Before you start work there, does not matter what Andy says, INSIST that you want the working visa ready upon the first day of training. He will tell you to come with a tourist visa and then he will get you your namibian working visa (which you can easily obtain yourself online), but DO NOT FALL for that mistake like I did. Here is why. Technically speaking, you cannot earn a salary if you are there on a tourist visa. Andy knows that and during the probationary period he will do everything possible for you not to get your working visa which is a 1 week thing to receive. He will have you work under a tourist visa that in case you decide to leave during the probationary period (which is 3 months long), you will earn no salary but worked enough for him. On top of that he will also try and charge you for every single expense of course so at the end you owe him money. To me that is a disgrace and insult and therefore I want to warn as many pilots as possible before joining Bush Bird.
The other thing is that Andy is really a lousy boss. All he really cares for is his money but definitely not for his pilots. He seems to stick his nose into other people's affairs like when I was trying to live in an apartment and leave that studio that was provided by bush bird (for a very high price !!!! Knowing it will be hard to almost impossible for you to be able to rent something furnished on your own which in case you do find, it would cost maybe 80 US$ more a month for living in a mansion compared to a 2 star hotel room which he provides) . He came to me starting a strange conversation basically trying to corner me, but more to the studio later. Andy is the type of person that will have you do most work possible, even from what I heard from other pilots making them fly on their off days, example making them do one quick flight and then still wanting to count it as an off day. Things like that.
Also, before each flight you have to sign a waiver. Maybe that is a Namibian thing in general but I flew internationally and joined as a high houred experienced pilot and nowhere ever did I sign a waiver, especially a waiver where I put my word to fly safely and within Namibian laws, however, Andy teaching pilots to fly 20 ft above the ground over national parks etc where minimum altitude by law is 2500 ft, so in case someone takes a picture of you down there and sends it to DCA or worse, you hit a vuture (plenty of them around) at that level and do a forced landing, you are cooked and he is protected and you lose your license, job and future and he will with no feel of embarrassment on his behalf cowardly tell you in the face "well, nobody told you to fly at 20 ft"
That is the type of boss you will have.
As for the studio. It is small, no curtains, just some weak shaders so expect night time to be as bright as daytime in your room due to the parking lot lights shining in your room. You are on the buttom floor and have to keep the weak shutters closed because everyone will see your room, what you do if you leave it open because all pass by your window. The shower window faces the apartment complex trash deposit so don't even open it to let the hot air out because your place will smell like a trash deposit. On top of that the fridge is so loud and 1 yard next to your bed that you might as well just unplug it like me and previous pilots did that lived in there. On top of that, the price is way too high because for a little bit more money (80 US$ a month most) you could live on an apartment on the beach ! Since it is a small town, it is basically impossible to find a 1-2 bedroom furnished apartment and if you are very lucky to find it which believe me would already be way bigger and nicer than Bush Bird's studio, then for a tiny bit more money you would be improving your quality of life enormously. Andy knows you got no chance and therefore keeps the price way high, speaking of a fair boss. Also, the numbers above that I used to compare his studio to furnished apartments etc are correct because I was for one week trying to find a new place and that is what Andy found out and started to try put me under pressure in staying in his studio, speaking of him putting his nose into other people's affairs which I mentioned above.
I made the experience of Bush Bird being : Dishonest, Fake, Unprofessional, Cowardly and treacherous. In case something negative happens, do not expect them to back you up ! You will be on your own because those are people that point fingers at you right away and happily put all the blame on you to protect themselves and their company, although undergoing several illegal operations in terms of signing a waiver before each flight to do things that they are not allowed to do.
Be careful...
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Ops within law ???
Oh, I also just saw that someone in here wrote that Bush Bird's Operations are within law, well, not at all and it seems the person that wrote that did not fly for Bush Bird, so i would like to correct that.
Well, it is not by law
1. Ignoring your requests to become a working visa so you spend most time possible working for him with a tourist visa so you earn no salary during that probation period although contract says you do earn money during probationary period (goes against human rights laws, labor laws and immigration laws) (happened to me)
2. Making you sometimes do some quick flights on your off days and still wanting to count it as an off day. Did not happen to me but info comes from pilots that work and worked there. (goes against air laws, labor laws)
3. Making you sign a waiver before each flight where you sign that you do all within limits. Yet you are taught to fly low level and in case of a problem there, you will be blamed and in case of your death, your parents will be held liable for dead tourists compensation money. Bush bird is protected through that waiver. (goes against moral laws, air laws, labor laws)
4. Lists you as Crew when you are not yet properly trained and type rated in that particular aircraft. With other words in case of an emergency during a observer flight loaded with passengers, you will be held responsible as well as the trainee in case the wrong actions are taken. (goes against air laws, labor laws) (Happened to me but not the emergency part)
5. In case you quit during your 3 month probation period you will be approached by Andy to pay back all your training, including scenic flights where you flew as an observer he will try and push out of you, yes, he even goes that far. Yet, you earn nothing because he denied your working visa, giving it as an excuse "ah this is Africa and it takes a long time" (yet Namibia is more German governed than Germany itself I found out) or "We are working on it and should be ready soon" (yet they do not).
With other words, you will pay him money that you owe him for training and observer flights (because in his words "well you took a seat of a client and therefore caused the flight to be a deficit". You obviously signed a contract by than that also states you will be paid a salary but of course that salary does not exist because you are there on a tourist visa, but of course the money that you have to pay back for every single thing exists because in his logic the contract is there and exists only for you to be a illegal worker until you are as he states "fully trained" in the C210 so you can start go on your own making money for him, which is exactly then when your working visa appears like a miracle on your first day of work.
If you want to go fly and build some hours and don't give a rat's about fairness and codes of ethics and respect, then go ahead and fly your hours there, because you will get plenty of those.
Well, it is not by law
1. Ignoring your requests to become a working visa so you spend most time possible working for him with a tourist visa so you earn no salary during that probation period although contract says you do earn money during probationary period (goes against human rights laws, labor laws and immigration laws) (happened to me)
2. Making you sometimes do some quick flights on your off days and still wanting to count it as an off day. Did not happen to me but info comes from pilots that work and worked there. (goes against air laws, labor laws)
3. Making you sign a waiver before each flight where you sign that you do all within limits. Yet you are taught to fly low level and in case of a problem there, you will be blamed and in case of your death, your parents will be held liable for dead tourists compensation money. Bush bird is protected through that waiver. (goes against moral laws, air laws, labor laws)
4. Lists you as Crew when you are not yet properly trained and type rated in that particular aircraft. With other words in case of an emergency during a observer flight loaded with passengers, you will be held responsible as well as the trainee in case the wrong actions are taken. (goes against air laws, labor laws) (Happened to me but not the emergency part)
5. In case you quit during your 3 month probation period you will be approached by Andy to pay back all your training, including scenic flights where you flew as an observer he will try and push out of you, yes, he even goes that far. Yet, you earn nothing because he denied your working visa, giving it as an excuse "ah this is Africa and it takes a long time" (yet Namibia is more German governed than Germany itself I found out) or "We are working on it and should be ready soon" (yet they do not).
With other words, you will pay him money that you owe him for training and observer flights (because in his words "well you took a seat of a client and therefore caused the flight to be a deficit". You obviously signed a contract by than that also states you will be paid a salary but of course that salary does not exist because you are there on a tourist visa, but of course the money that you have to pay back for every single thing exists because in his logic the contract is there and exists only for you to be a illegal worker until you are as he states "fully trained" in the C210 so you can start go on your own making money for him, which is exactly then when your working visa appears like a miracle on your first day of work.
If you want to go fly and build some hours and don't give a rat's about fairness and codes of ethics and respect, then go ahead and fly your hours there, because you will get plenty of those.
Last edited by jetjockeyusa; 10th Feb 2010 at 05:56.