Getting hired in Maun seems to have more to do with walking in the door at the right moment than anything else. Hours, experience and skill don't really count for anything here. If you show up in town on the right day and people like you then you get a job.

Bingo!
I would agree with all except skill. Skill is required and several pilot's over the years have been offered jobs only to have the job offers pulled when it became clear that their skills were simply not up to scratch. This is not to say bush flying is hard......I somehow managed it!?!? :ok:

The above post are bang on and fitting in with the guys whilst not being annoying is the only way. If you are going drinking with the pilots make sure you don't hide when its your round even if you are skint.

Be friendly but not over familiar that's a bit of a killer to and yes you do have to be able to fly as well.

Hi Guys

I know it is not quite the glamour of Maun, But the flying club in Gaborone is looking for an Instructor.

If there is anyone out there who has lucked out in Maun and has an Instuctor rating, please feel free to PM me.

Cheers

Paddy

I'm interested
 

Hi Paddy you have a PM:ok:

Regards

Hey there boys,

I just popped onto this thread to ask a few questions in the vein hope that I can get some decent asnwers. I have obtained my CASA CPL with multi-engine endorsement a couple months ago back in Brisbane and seeing that my hours are so low (230) I decided to go back to my roots and venture off to africa. I have arrived in South Africa about 2 weeks ago now, with the idea that I would love to go to Maun in December of this year and see if I could try my luck and find something.

Now I know the hiring season only really starts to the end of the year. So I have decided to do a conversion on my Australian CPL to a South African CPL, because I need to do a C206 rating as well in order to improve my chances in maun for job prospects. And I have three months were I am not doing anything at the moment. I have also thought about finishing my MECIR training over here in South Africa as I didnt get the chance to finish it in Australia.

So my question is this; am I wasting my money in doing all these conversions and ratings or should I just try my best now and head of to Bostswana immediately. Because my understanding is that when I arrive in Maun and by some small miracle somebody actually employs me, I will have to do another conversion to a botswana licence regardless.

I guess the only bonus I can see in doing me South African Licence is that I can get the C206 rating stamped in my log book. Otherwise I would have to jet off to Australia just to do the C206 rating. And as far as I know an Instrument Rating doesnt get used too often in Maun as they have VFR weather year round just about.

So boys, if anybody can shed some light onto my little problem I would appreciate it very much.

Kind regards

FAA CFI here.
 

Hey Paddy,

I'm an FAA CFI, II looking for possible employment down in Southern Africa. Thus far, with 500 dual-given. 750 total time.

Would be interested to hear what the word is on instructing at the least.

Regards,

Christopher

Hi WichWayIsUp,

Unless you're planning to fly ZS registered aircraft, you're better off doing your IR back in Australia since you've got this far already and yes, you'll have to convert or validate your license to fly in Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, Tanzania etc... All potential starts for a low timer BTW, don't know about right now though. Yes, you're generally hired for bush flying which is VFR flying however, many employers like to see that you have an instrument rating, not sure about Botswana in particular.

Go back, finish your instrument rating and then head out to Africa with enough money to do a little tour of the potential employment markets is my advice.

I can clarify on Botswana.

When I was there maybe half had an Instrument Rating (mostly uncurrent) and the other half did not. It is not a requirement and probably will not even be brought up by a prospective employer. How you can handle your booze is MUCH more important :ok:

hey guys...........
i have exceded the 1000 hrs mark and still flying hopefully it will be 1200.....
all my hrs are on multi PA-23-250.........
i am planing to take the C-206 rating......
any chances for me if i show up there........

No, as it has been said so many times before there is no hiring going on and the truth is no one cares in Maun what you have done before or if you have a 206 rating or not. If they were hiring and they are not but if they were then fitting in well with the guys and drinking allot and being able to turn up in the morning keen to hang around all day again is what counts. if you are the kind of person who gets along with people has a laugh enjoys a bloody good drink and happens to be able to fly ok then you are the right sort of pilot.

Drinking, booze, more drinking, more booze... Seems theres more of this going on than anything else... Which concerns me greatly. It also appears that how you can handle a funnel is more important than how you can fly.. Dont get me wrong, i have no problem with guys having 1 or 2 drinks after a hard days work, but when this is almost part of the criteria for getting hired or fitting in, then that is non-alcoholic discrimintation! I would love to go and fly in Bots but i just dont know if i would get in based on my decided lack of alcohol consumption??

Having read through all of this thread and others, I'm very interested in working for some time in Maun or somewhere similar. I think I would enjoy the life and flying out there for a year or 2 and I'm quite good at boozing too. However, I still have some queries:

1) A lot of people mention a C206 rating, which confuses me. Surely a C206 would be covered by a normal SEP rating without needing a specific rating? Assuming it is required, what does it involve in terms of training, examination and cost?

2) I'm still a little confused with the process of converting a JAA CPL to a Botswana licence. Again specifically what is involved in terms of training, examination and cost?

3) Can anybody who is out there at the moment tell me if they know of many people who are planning to leave soon? I'm considering heading out to Maun in January and it would be good to know if people are leaving who might need replaced. I know things have slowed down there with the rest of the world, but would you say this would be the best time to come?

Thanks!

You need a rating for each aircraft here.. even a C172...
If you do decide to get a C206 Rating before coming, make sure you get minimum 5 hours of time on it. A lot of guys just come with a rating done with 2-3 hours logged, which is not enough to get it validated.
Edit:You don't really need a C206 rating anyways. You will have to do line training anyways, so the 206 rating is easily included in that. Most of the guys working here didnt have a C206 rating when they started...

You don't convert your licence by yourself. If you get hired, the company takes care of the Validation. You'll basically have to do an AirLaw exam and a if you don't have a C206 rating with at least 5 hours, a C206 technical exam. The written exams are bit of a joke.. Nothing to worry about. You will then need to do a flight test, in a C206 (stalls, steep turns, force lob, and a few circuits). You'll need to do a Botswana medical, on top of your valid foreign medical... Cost is covered by the company.

People always come and go. There will be people leaving soon, but problem is, noone knows here if the companies will replace those pilots... You just have to be here at the right time..



Quite a few guys here either don't drink at all, or not much. They fit in just fine. If you have a good personality and dont mind hanging around people who do drink, you'll be fine. If on the otherhand you'd rather stay home by yourself and not socialize simply because you dont drink, then your chances are very slim.. And as far as flying is concerned, you'll definitely go for a fly before you get hired, if it doesnt look good, you wont be considered. The important thing for flying here is quick thinking. :8

Thanks freakz for taking the time to answer my questions. It just shows how useful pprune can be when people post sensible replies and don't clog the threads up with endless bickering. Could I ask who you are working for, how you got the job there and how you've found the experience?

If anybody has anything further to add, particularly about current employment prospects then I'd be keen to hear from you too.

Freakz has said all you really need to know, its a gamble when ever you go out to Maun. But if you are the right sort of chap and you happen to be in town when they need a pilot then it could happen for you.

I spoke to most of the chief pilots before I went and at least got to find out that there was some hiring about to happen, also it at least introduces you to them before arrival.

Hello everyone,

so after reading most of this wonderful thread its time for me to write something on it! having finished up with a CPL MEIR in July 09 I've been sending out a lot of cv's and all ive got is the usual no jobs responses. I've been interested in flying in Africa for a long time now and the more responses I get from airlines saying no jobs the more I want to go there and just fly! Plus as im 19 now I can afford to spend a few years in Africa before going looking for that airline job and maybe by then things will have picked up over here.

Im thinking of heading over in the next few months and wondering if anyone else is thinking of going too. Also wondering if anyone has any info on whats happening over there at the minute?(hopefully positive!)

So reply or pm me if your going over and want to possibly meet over there or something I think two heads are better than one in this situation!

My flying info is as follows if you want to know this(some people seem to like to!)

260 total hours, 210 SEP, 50 MEP, frozen ATPL, SEP rating, MEP rating, MEIR rating and about 60hrs grass field experience suppose that might be a help in Africa!

Thanks
EI-CON

come on bruv, did you spend 6ohrs taxiing on grass.
i believe the number of soft field landings you've made will be more appropriate

EI-CON

If you have put that "Grass field experience" on your CV, take my advice and take it off as it will be pinned up on the notice board for pilots to laugh at in Maun. Many CV's arrive and are passed around for a laugh if there is something like that on them.

Also if you hold a cpl/fatpl no need to tell people that you have a SEP rating, the clue is in the qualification!

Guys, reading through some of these posts is funny, some are informative and some are just plain kak or Bullsh..t. I've been in Maun for some time and will be here for a very long time as I really enjoy the flying here, the lifestyle is fantastic and the vibe is "JUST OK!" :ok:

But reading some of the posts about how hard you have to drink to be able to make the cut or all this nonsense, I just know that its from people that has no clue and that has not been here. :ugh:

PLEASE, only comment when you know what you are talking about, otherwise, if you dont have anything contributing to write, :mad:!:mad:

I say for all the young and new pilots out there, if you want to have an adventure and enjoy your flying, come to Maun and see for yourself. Companies should start hiring again towards the end of November 2009.

Enjoy, Cheers!