Maun 2008-2009 season

[hitmanishere]

Hi everyone,
Very interesting thread here....I'm in the same kinda situation here as most of you are.. Completed my training with just 200 hours fATPL from malaysia,about 2 months before, looking for the first job but unsuccessfull so far.. Okey,here is my question, All you guys here are from the rich developed nations talking about going down to maun to find jobs, But what are the chances for a guy from the So called 3rd world country(India) coming down to maun and finding a job??? I guess i basically have enough backup to survive for about 2 months,if i do come down...

Iam really interested to work down there for a couple of years and then work my way forward into some airline.... Any feedbach appreciated...

[stevef]

You don't need a return ticket but you may be asked (highly unlikely) to show that you have sufficient funds to leave. I'd suggest not mentioning that you're looking for work when you arrive at the Immigration point with your disembarkation card - your purpose of visit is tourism of course.
The old Duck Inn (it's got a new name now) is a good starting point to meet aviation people. Go out of the airport building, turn right and it's five minute's walk on the left, looking straight over the airfield.

[Dupre]

The old duck is now the Buck and Hunter - run by a lovely english couple.

I don't see any problem with an indian trained pilot arriving - so long as you can convert your licence you'll be looked at the same as all the other guys. Might pay to check that there are no issues with the operators by email before coming though!

[hitmanishere]

Hey Dupre,
I tried to email them but no reply so far...Do u have some email addresses that i could use??
Anyways I have another question, Would any of you take up a career as a Flight instructor(better pay ofcourse) in a tropical country or go to africa and fly as a bush pilot....

I'm really interested in working as a bush pilot and fly the aircraft myself rather than watch my student doing it....Might sound silly,but my flight instructor told me this once too...

[Dupre]

Hitmanishere: I always wanted to do instructing, but I wouldn't want to instruct with no real experience... it's silly that the industry has the least experienced people teaching the newcomers!! Hence it would be bush flying for me... but I'm sure tropical paradise and more money is hard to turn down

waiterpilot: Thanks - my pleasure Though I'm not sure that "vast font of wisdom" are quite the words I would choose. I'll be sure to put some people off to save a spot for you

I will see what I can do about posting all the operator's emails on here - but will have to check with them first... so watch this space!

OK: 1st ones in... hopefully more will follow.

Kavango Air: [email protected]
Moremi Air: [email protected]

[alexace]

return flight?

Hi heard this from someone who used to work there with Mack air. I think it regards Botswana, not South Africa, so just need a return ticket for the SA - Botswana leg of your trip. An employer at Maun airport told me to get a security certificate.

Hope that helps.

[skywalking]

anyone ever take out a wife or partner?? I'm planning on heading out there in a month or 2 and bringing the missis along.. is there anything she can do there?

[TXaviator]

well gentlemen, i think i have decided.... NEXT year i am going to pack the bags and head to the dark continent. done a lot of reading, a bit of talking, and it sounds like a good time.

have a gig lined up in the states for the next 9 months flying aerial mapping/surveying... should have a bit over 1000 hours in the logbook by this time next year.

think that will work if i shoot over to africa with 1200 hours, a backpack, and a hand ready to do some handshaking?

seriously, it sounds like "the good life" to me.

[theRealFlyingNomad]

no worries mate...

Sure you have a chance...as anyone else... the rest is a matter of selling yourself the right way, to the right person...and at the right time... but it definitely can work! By the way, many people use "NEXT"...next time, next year, next this or that... But isn't a "NEXT" also an excuse to hide yourself of the reality, of the fear of loosing a game... maybe not...maybe yes... always good when the "NEXT" becomes "NOW"... Good Luck...

[skywalking]

what's a typical flying day like there? does such a thing exist? what sort or hours can you manage to get?
thanks

[red gaint]

Can anyone recommend any good school to obtain C206 rating and C210 rating in south africa or USA

Thankyou in advance

[superserong]

Typical day?

You wake up...well, sort of. You get to the airport. You fight with some idiot from DCA. You do your paperwork, file a stack of flightplans.

Then for the fun bit: Get in plane fly,land,fly,land,fly,land,fly,land,fly,land,fly,land,fly,la nd,fly, land back in Maun. Get to Buck and Hunter just in time to see the sun go down whilst peacefully tugging on the first of many Zamaleks. That was my three years there in a nut-shell...MAN! I miss that place.

Cheerrs

SS

[pyote]

Thirsty Thursdays

Thirsty Thursdays all week long. In a Nutshell.

[nibbio86]

Hello guys, one thing which nobody brought in is if you need an IR or if it is considered a determinant advantage to score a 206 job in Maun. I am european (not UK) and able to go there with at least 450TT, of which more than 250 are Cessna 200 series time and bush flight experience in Australia. Any advice would be appreciated.

[waiterpilot]

I believe it says in my initial (admittedly not all that thrilling) spiel; you don't really need an IR and some might say that it isn't even considered an advantage since you won't be doing any IMC work. If I go out there I will have one, so it will probably lapse and I'll have to go through the emotional prospect of another IR skills test when I come back. Joy.

Five hours in a c206 is a definite tickage in the box though.

[206DOG]

brush up on your egg eating skills...... followed by lots of tequila....
And Moremi Air just bought 3 new airvans.... yeeeaah...

[flybyshark]

Egg eating skills????

Egg eating Skills?

206DOG if I remember right, and I do nowadays that I am no longer on the dark side of the Maun and I wake up in my own house with all my clothes still in one piece.

You were ruddy awful at your Egg/Omlette night

And yes, I still have the pics.

I bet you begged for the Airvans

[GavinStorkey]

return ticket

With all this confusion about return tickets i thought i might give my experience. Though i am from new zealand. I came to bots about 2 weeks ago and went through J Burg... never needed a return ticket, i stayed over night in J burg and getting into maun they only wanted to know where i was staying and i gave them the hotel i was staying at, no one said a thing about return tickets, but to be on the safe side i had booked a ticket return from bots to j burg... In SA your in transit so they dont bother, and the fact u got a ticket to bots shows your leaving... and bots they dont seem to care, just let them know your here for holiday, and to get more time on your visa ( which is a a little bit of writing in your passport by the way at immigration), say your going to be driving up to kasane, etc...

[Johnno1981]

turbine/mulit engine?

Hi everyone,

Anyone know of any companies in Maun where there are opportunities to move onto a turbine or multi engine fairly quickly. I have been instructing in the UK and have close to a 1000 hours now. I'm really keen to go to Maun but when I spoke to a company there recently they said I would need to do a year or so on the C206. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to fly the 206 and would be happy to start off on it but I also want to progress my career beyond just single engine pistons.

What do you think?

[nbv4]

What is Sefofane going to do to you if you break their contract? It seems the majority of pilots that work for them are from another continent. If you ditch them before your contract runs out, what can they do?