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Jobs in Africa (2011 onwards) part 3.

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

Jobs in Africa (2011 onwards) part 3.

Old 13th Aug 2013, 00:20
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Pilotchute
Not to get to far off the posters original subject, but in the rest of the world a degree (eg BSC, BA) can only be issued by a University. Diploma's are 3 or 4 year College courses, and all "degrees" are not equal internationally. While he may need a "degree" for a US carrier, it will serve him no good outside of the US. The flight experience will be of more benefit.
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Old 13th Aug 2013, 02:26
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B200,

I have been to the US on a number of occasions and spent considerable time there. As far as I am aware a College in the USA is what the rest of the world calls a university. A 3 year college course will get a you a degree, not a diploma.

But yes on the other point not all degrees are equal. A degree from MIT will be worth much more than one from the Manila School of Engineering.
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Old 13th Aug 2013, 15:36
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If you're clever enough to go through MIT you're probably intelligent enough not to become a pilot as a life trade.
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Old 13th Aug 2013, 18:19
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The other poster is correct. In the US a college is the same as our university and you get a degree. I concur that getting a degrees if you want to become a pilot is pointless. If you want backup skills there is plenty of time to get whatever skills you want as a pilot. As someone that worked in corporate for many years, I hired based upon as persons experience/skills and their attitude. I didn't give a toss what degree they had. A degree generally just teaches people how to think in the box.
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Old 13th Aug 2013, 22:53
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Americans don't like aliens scrounging in their airspace.I suggest you stay at home.Lots of jobs for home grown boys.Get a Degree and an MBA if you wanna be competitive.Get a type rating and pay for 500hours on type...and you might just get lucky..or else join the Navy or Airforce or the marines...if you just want something different.
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Old 13th Aug 2013, 23:45
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Please don't go running out there and drop a ton of cash for a type. It'll be quite useless and could even look bad on your resume. (Ps. 1hr in the sim for a G5 is about $7000)

Anyway, I agree with some of the posters here. You're young and free, not supporting anyone yet, and feel the urge for some adventure. Get out there and go for it. You have more time than a lot of rookies who go out there looking for jobs.
If you've been researching the subject I'm sure you know more about it than I do, and also know you have to make the trip out there and hang around before finding a job, which is pretty scary in itself.
Check out a series called "Bush Pilots" (on youtube). It shows a few pilots doing just what you're hoping to do.
Good luck
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Old 14th Aug 2013, 00:01
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Sicamore, a US college is not the same as a European or Australasian University, not even close. Remember, the US does have Universities, which are um, like normal Universities!!
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Old 14th Aug 2013, 05:42
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Sicamore, a US college is not the same as a European or Australasian University, not even close. Remember, the US does have Universities, which are um, like normal Universities!!
Not even close. A U.S. college is exactly the same as your U.K. "university" .. how many different ways must it be explained in order for it to be understood by the U.K. know-it-alls ...
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Old 14th Aug 2013, 05:47
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Here's some information from a half caste know it all.
A US college is not the same as a UK university.
A US college does not offer a post graduate programme.
A US university offers a post graduate programme.
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Old 14th Aug 2013, 06:11
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I agree that a college degree is a very good idea. That shows a certain level of intelligence and application (Sitzfleisch in German) and it is often required of applicants for major airlines, or at least it used to be. "College" or "university" is a meaningless distinction in US terms. I just finished a degree at a very small (330 students) college that is far better than many universities. (Compare Marlboro College to Towson State University to see what I mean.)

Do you suppose that a young African in your position would expect to travel to America to get a job? So, what makes you think that Africa needs you, as a newbie? 30 or 40 years ago, maybe, but today there are plenty of indigenes who are just as qualified as you are to work in Africa. You might as well read Ragged Dick the Match Boy and travel to New York to make your fortune.

I remember meeting one poor soul who had showed up in Nigeria expecting to find the streets paved with gold; his Nigerian student had told him how easy jobs were to find, there. Wrong!
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Old 14th Aug 2013, 06:28
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Old 15th Aug 2013, 01:32
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Chuks, you are comparing Africa and America, one is a country the other a continent!! Botswana and Namibia are independent countries and do not have enough of their own local pilots to fill the positions that are there. So they take expats to fill them. Most of those expats come from South Africa, another independent country. South Africans have no more right to those jobs than any other expats be they from America, Australia or any of the European countries.

Just because you are neighbors, or from the same continent, does not give you sole right to those jobs. Africa is not a union like Europe!!

PACWEST, You keep thinking like that, just goes to show!!! Oh, can you get a PhD from your college? No? Guess they are not the same then are they!!!
PS. Being that I am from Eire and HK, that excludes me from being a UK "know-it-all" but then if you went to University and not College you would probably have known that!!!

Last edited by B200Drvr; 15th Aug 2013 at 06:07.
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Old 15th Aug 2013, 06:55
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Were you the Irishman I heard about, the one who emigrated and raised the average Irish IQ by two points? You used a comma splice in your lead-off sentence, meant, I suppose, to show your superior knowledge of the world. So be it....

The fellow who asked the original question is a US national, and my reply was meant to be US-specific, that there's no useful distinction, in the USA, between a college and a university in terms of the quality of the learning experience. You may find a very good college, a place where you can be deeply engaged in the learning process, or you may find a very so-so university, pretty much just a diploma mill. You cannot expect that a US university shall offer better learning than a US college. I have both direct and close, indirect experience of these things, not being from either Ireland or Hong Kong.

Again from direct experience, many US employers prefer "a college degree." That can be in underwater basket-weaving, although, of course, something aviation-related would be better if one is looking for work in aviation. There's a prevalent mindset that someone with a college degree, any degree, is simply a better, smarter person than someone else with just a high school diploma. If you can get in, and if you can afford it, Harvard or Yale is tops, certainly, but even a humble state school or university will get you that sheepskin you may later need to get an airline job, assuming that the world of the future still offers airline jobs.

What one thinks of as "bush flying..." was done with a Super Cub, not with a modern Cessna 208! A Caravan is a very expensive piece of kit, so that you are going to be confronted with a lot of stuff that makes the job you shall be doing nothing like the traditional image of bush flying.
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Old 15th Aug 2013, 11:07
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Chuks, You are the funny one, are you not. You must be the only German with a sense of humor!!! Actually I am not Irish, I just own a house and live there for part of the year.
But that aside, I know what the original poster questioned, and I agree entirely that if he wants to end up in a US major then a College or University degree is a good idea, however, NOWHERE in his post did He mention going to a major airline, and as I am a Corporate pilot, and have spent many years working in the US, I can, from my experience in pilot recruitment, tell you that a college degree does not out class flying experience. In fact, it has very little bearing on a position outside of management in aviation, other than maybe regional and major US airlines.
So beat away at your keys like a good man, but please read the original post before you try and be witty, its so un German of you!!
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Old 15th Aug 2013, 12:49
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That makes us even, I guess...

I'm not a German!

I, too, have had some experience of the wonderful world of corporate aviation in the States, along with a few other things too, and I can assure you that the average, dimbulb aviation manager is very impressed by a degree, any degree. Or else he's some retired military puke with his own BS, who wants to see at least a degree before grudgingly agreeing that non-military pilots might just merit a place in the grand scheme of things.

(Always remember: Not everyone in aviation is an S.O.B., but all of the S.O.B.s are in aviation. That bit of wisdom shall be both a comfort and a help when undergoing a job interview, assuming one even gets that far.)

Stupid people usually cannot tell the difference, so that they often just go by whatever shows up on the CV, leading off with that BA or BS. That gets one in the door; afterwards one can show that one must be the world's greatest pilot, or, better yet, a common or garden variety @ss-kisser.

If one is just starting out, then it's relatively easy to retreat from hard, cold reality, to go back to school to do an undergraduate degree. Later, that becomes very, very difficult for reasons both practical and emotional. Between chasing an elusive job as a bush pilot in Africa, with low hours and very little practical experience, or simply sorting out a slot in our vast American system of higher education, at age 19, I know which one is more likely to bear the better return for the amount of money and effort involved. So you start back into the job search at age 23 instead of age 19; that is going to make much less of a difference than having a college degree compared to having none.

Last edited by chuks; 15th Aug 2013 at 13:01.
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Old 15th Aug 2013, 13:57
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Probably better having a look around in America before going to Africa. Read this thread http://www.pprune.org/interviews-job...mbia-then.html

It was the 'diary thread' of a pilot who went to Africa to look for a bush flying job. Its a fantastic read and gives you an idea what its like.
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Old 31st Aug 2013, 10:44
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AFRICAN AVIATION

was just wondering what chances are there for expat low timers to land with job in Africa was searching all over internet but wasn't able to figure out list of air operators and flying school.

even heard about lots of fellowship program. where you can build hrs. to get ahead of others.


can anyone point out on situation there in Africa and can provide list of small air operators and flying school here?
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Old 31st Aug 2013, 22:21
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Your search obviously wasn't very good.

Why would one help you to get ahead of others if you can't take the time to help yourself?
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Old 1st Sep 2013, 05:34
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No laziness

it isn't about laziness and situation isn't same at all places i have flown in Canada and know their flow about how to get hrs building but i am sure breezy u haven't tried India as there are only few king air and couple 208 operators with a big line of guys with big pockets.
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Old 1st Sep 2013, 05:40
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getting ahead

i did my flying from Canada and also my instructor rating but to fly as an instructor in India i need 200 hrs pic (and i am 80 short). and cost for flying 152 is between 10-13k INR so was looking for something that saves me some bucks.
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