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Maun Season 2010-2011-2012

African Aviation Regional issues that affect the numerous pilots who work in this area of the world.

Maun Season 2010-2011-2012

Old 29th Jan 2011, 07:47
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Subbu73,

Not as of yet.
This guy has though: Botswana Bound.

FS.
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Old 29th Jan 2011, 20:49
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I must say that I do have to agree with Flyinglion29-if there are 42 guys around Maun looking for a job there some guys need to consider whether they should be heading out to Botswana at all! Clearly there are too many guys fighting for position and I wish good luck to some of the pilots hanging around Bon that a few of them will find employment but adding another 5 or 10 more people to the town won't help matters. I can't believe some people have been waiting around Maun for over 6 months-when I went there I only had to hang around for one month before I was taken on, however, timing has a lot to do with getting employed in Bots.

I worked as a bush pilot in Maun for almost 2 years although this was a couple of years ago and can confidently say that Maun was the biggest dust bowl on earth-apart from the drinking and socialising after hours there ain't much to do-I also went to Namibia for a holiday after leaving Botswana and had a great time but getting a job in Nam may be a different story.

Those pilots who do get a job will get some fantastic hands on flying and will enjoy a wonderful lifetime experience. You do need to keep your wits about you and no doubt most pilots will have a close call whilst flying around the Okovango Delta-you're flying heavy loads at high temperature off short dirt strips from 3100' elevation and the the 206 is not always the easiest to fly.

I would also recommend that someone start a new thread on flying the Cessna 206 in the Delta. Bush flying is obviously very different to the flying school training that most of us received in getting our licences. Any tips or techniques should obviously not be used if this conflicts with any company SOPs that are laid out.
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Old 1st Feb 2011, 06:07
  #43 (permalink)  
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Just been watching those clips from ‘Botswana Bound’. I’ll be there in Maun next month so don’t drink all the beer down there. I might even look for a part time job, the night shifts look good. Qualified C206 and Islander; rarely landed with a passenger on board though, they always leapt out at 10,000’, must have been something I said.
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Old 1st Feb 2011, 13:33
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How many pilots of those 42 do you think will be hired in Maun this season? I guess some of them who are working currently will leave their jobs to get some better in bigger planes so....

what do you think?
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Old 2nd Feb 2011, 05:00
  #45 (permalink)  
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(I would also recommend that someone start a new thread on flying the Cessna 206 in the Delta.)

That's a great idea except that those who are starting out don't know how they're going to fly it and those that are finishing up their tours don't know how they flew it and got away with it. So reminiscent sources of information would probably only serve to terrify prospective passengers researching the forum prior to making holiday safari reservations.
POH in this case perhaps justifiably an abbreviation for Passenger Oesophageal Hiatus?
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Old 2nd Feb 2011, 05:39
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~scratches head~ What's a PoH?

I don't really know the numbers of people that have been hired this year. But a large amount of them have been from people who have had connections in the company already.

So far I know that:-
Delta Air x1
Moremi Air x1
Safari Air x2
Mack Air x2 (could be worng there!)
Sefofane x6 (?)
Air Shakawe x1

Also rumours that Safari Air may be taking one or two more.

So that makes around 13 people this year. Last year was around 19.
25% chance that you got a job this year. That aint bad.
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Old 2nd Feb 2011, 06:03
  #47 (permalink)  
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Ho!

Sounds as though the attrition rate among the wannabees needs to be increased. Perhaps the establishment of a branch of 'Murder Incorporated' in Maun would help things along? Something along the lines of 'Pop a Pilot'?
Perhaps just delivering a truck load of starving lions to the outskirts of Audi camp on a Saturday night would serve the same purpose. You'd need to alert the film crews first though to maximise profits.
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Old 2nd Feb 2011, 06:12
  #48 (permalink)  
 
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I wouldn't say a fair 25

Wasn't a good year though, exept for SEFOFANE, every employed pilot had either houres or connections. So for the average 22 years old 200 houres wannabe pilot this year I would give a 3% chance ...

Sheers
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Old 2nd Feb 2011, 07:07
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Long time without taking a look in the forum!

But everything looks the same than the last season. No jobs at all!
This thread is too famous now and the excess of ppl coming to southern africa cant be absorbed by the operators. I cant talk about Maun, but seems to be really disappointing, and Namibia is not better. Here you have some updates:

Sefofane NAM:
Already hired 5 locals, they will call them 1 by 1 monthly to start training, so no point to try till May.

Wings Over Africa:
Already selected 6 guys. Speak some languages rules. They only needed 5, but finally another one was hired as there is always someone kicked out before finishing training.

Scenic Air:
They hired 4? 2 girls, one of them Namibian... Apparently too much pilots, dont know what are they thinking in, but now is only 6 airplanes (after V5SAA wheels up landing) and more than 10 pilots! And last year was poor in flights, around 30hr/month each pilot.

West Air: No pilots needed. Even for the subsidiary.

Bushbird: Already got 1 pilot in training and 1 in standby... for next months.

BayAir: Bought a new 406... or 402? Maybe needing, but they use to ask for +1000.

By the way, insurance companies rules everything here. No way with less than 400TT.

Hope you have better chance in the future!
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Old 2nd Feb 2011, 08:39
  #50 (permalink)  
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POH

Pilot's Operating Handbook!. looks like the season is also coming to an end or might have ended officially!!!
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Old 2nd Feb 2011, 11:31
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I know what a PoH is

Did a recount. Sefo hired around 7 ex-pats, then some local motswana.
Mack Air hired more than 2 as well. Just can't remember how many.

So around about the same amount as last year got hired again this year.

A lot of the companies were looking for things that set you apart from others. Degrees, Previous work in Airlines (ground ops) and Instructor ratings.
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Old 2nd Feb 2011, 17:12
  #52 (permalink)  
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I have a degree, have worked in ground ops as safety officer, have instructor rating and a Botswana ATPL - a little old that though.
In addition to that I'll fly for free! All I want is lodging, not even board, in a two bedroomed, two bathroomed bungalow in Maun. I'll fly your 737 or your Islander, 210 or 402, B200 etc for Africa on all of which I have ratings, for absolutely zero moolah. So why haven't the companies been beating a path to my doorway. Could it be that I fall foul of the nepotism laws or maybe there are just no jobs available even for the lesser gifted?
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Old 2nd Feb 2011, 22:15
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Originally Posted by cavortingcheetah
In addition to that I'll fly for free!
Please don't let your hobby get in the way of the profession of others.
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Old 3rd Feb 2011, 04:57
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And that is exactly what the industry needs, another pilot willing and posting threads to 'work for free'..... and that is why we are all pretty much whoring ourselves as taxi drivers these days.
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Old 3rd Feb 2011, 07:13
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So that makes around 13 people this year. Last year was around 19.
25% chance that you got a job this year. That aint bad.
Sorry but going to have to disagree with you here. Its not a good year nor is it a positive environment when only friends of the company or their employees get hired, so that 25% goes right out the window. Out of all the people who were hired this season I would say that maybe 2 got hired "off the street" with no previous connections and their is speculation that one of them said they would work for free though this is unconfirmed.

The reality to me, as I have the multi/single comm + instrument and 300hrs and generally well liked and have not gotten drunk at a bar and told a CP to go F himself, is that this is just a "big stick" contest and nobody is getting hired on their merits other than ass smooching ability.

If I get hired which will most likely not happen it will be and should be because of who I am and the effort and display when on flights with companies. Not being a friend of someone or having a stinky nose.

Last edited by soakingpilot; 3rd Feb 2011 at 07:59.
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Old 3rd Feb 2011, 07:51
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Soakingpilot,

Get over it this is aviation it is all about the connections if you don't have them then start making them. I did the Maun thing a while back I knew know one in Maun but chatted to the CP's on the phone before I came over, I was hired in two weeks.

I'm on another flying venture now and guess what I'm using my connections to get my CV in front of the right people before I spend lots of cash to head out.

Connections connections connections get used to it it is how most of GA works, you might not like it but you must get used to it.

all the best
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Old 3rd Feb 2011, 08:19
  #57 (permalink)  
 
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If you would like, I will go through and list the names of all the people hired off of the street.

The difference is, you have, what everyone else had that came to maun as well.

Unfortunately, if it was up to me, I know of at least 5 people that I would gladly give work to. And believe me, I have been trying my best to get them in.
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Old 3rd Feb 2011, 09:26
  #58 (permalink)  
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Actually if the fulminators had read the post carefully they would have noticed that the quick rent for flying was the provision on a two bedroomed/two bathroomed bungalow in Maun. Almost but not obviously not quite needless to say then that such a reward for flying would never be offered in reality. If it were though it would be rich remuneration of probably a tax avoidable nature in the hands of the pilot. Such a bungalow would enable the employee to bring his entire family with him and with two bathrooms you'd be able to sleep twelve quite comfortably. In fact you'd probably be able to offer a sleeping pad or two to some of the guys at Audi camp and thus keep them off the streets on their days off. Perhaps it takes a certain reduction in wittedness to refer to flying for hire or reward as a hobby. It's such hard work getting to an apogee along that route that such effort could never be a hobby. Those who find that at their momentary summit, the rewards are not sufficient, should perhaps investigate the possibility of a second job. There are always vacancies for gumshoes in the marital minefield which largely encompasses the suburbs of Hyde Park and Sandown in that great African city to the south. At the least this would open up serious possibilities for subserving the pleasures of flitting around aimlessly in aeroplanes in the swamps to the delights of black stocking blackmail whether of a pecuniary or bedroom nature.
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Old 3rd Feb 2011, 11:22
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When has anyone ever been hired in Maun 'on their merits'? Thats not what the place is about, you get lucky or you don't. Unless you are a total spastic the last thing anyone cares about is how well you fly, and even the spastics seem to get lucky every once in a while.
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Old 3rd Feb 2011, 11:41
  #60 (permalink)  
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Please don't let your hobby get in the way of the profession of others.
And why not if you can afford it? If you happen to be more successful than some other poor sod who actually has to make a living off this, then why the hell not? I thought this is exactly what our beloved capitalism was about: competition for resources and survival of the fittest kind of thing. You can't have it both ways now, can you?

Note: I do not necessarily agree with what I wrote above, I'm just trying to point out that this is the logical consequence of other decisions you may well make in seemingly unrelated areas of life so do not be so quick to jump at other people's necks. And yes, I'm having a philosophical day, thank you
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