From a consultants point of view what is happening there with the work permits? I understand that some of the guys featured in the documentary and accepted by a company are still awaiting their permits.

What type of licence did he have? Also on a slightly different note, anyone who is in Maun just now, where is the cheapest and best place to camp ie Backpackers, Audi etc and also, is it better to book Air Botswana flight prior to travel or at air port on arrival in J bourg

Cheers

The guys and girl who were offered positions at Wilderness on Bush Pilots have been advised that their work permits have been approved. Some of them are doing line training now.

any latin american???
 

Hey guys! are there any latin american pilot (not latin american idol)
i`d like to go but, i think, iy`s gona be more confortable to me, speak sometimes in spanish.
what ever...may be next season i`ll be there
Kily from argentina!!

African Pirate, last summer most of the new pilots stayed at Sedia. It is set back just from the road so easy to get into town. Campers (huge site on river) have access to all the amenities in the hotel, pool etc. Backpackers do not encourage long stay guests now.

Thanks for that Exascot should be there in about 5 weeks. Can I just turn up or does a space have to be booked in advance ?

AP, it is the end of the season and it is an enormous, really nice, camp site there will be no problem. We will also be back in exactly 5 weeks. Often in Sedia for a beer at lunchtime.

Actually I forgot to mention that the other attraction of Sedia is that it is just a 1km walk to (stagger from) the Sports Bar. If you do not know about this establishment you will!

Work Permits
 

As most people know who Exascot is I have been avoiding risking the wrath of a certain employment agency in Maun who arrange work permits for many of the air charter companies. I cannot remain silent anymore. For anyone intelligent enough to be a commercial pilot the process is not difficult. We know from experience that if one is patient and polite the immigration officers are extremely helpful and efficient. OK their computer system does frequently let them down but they are very apologetic about this.

The last tranche of pilots (the film stars!) employed this year had incredible difficulties getting their work permits. There are issues with the quota of non-Batswana pilots that is constantly changing. However, I feel that rather than using a middle-man a personal approach with the immigration officers would be more successful.

The companies would also save a considerable amount of money by not using these people.

Thoughts on a postcard please.

@ Exascot

I have to agree with you. I applied for my work permit in a personal capacity and had very few problems. (Besides the constant computer system problems) They were very friendly if not efficient. I did, however, apply at Francistown so that may have made a difference.

I may be wrong about this, but don't all applications go to Gabs anyway? What I am getting at is that it won't really matter if you do apply without an agency because the decision is essentially made in Gabs and it is just processed in Maun. What matters is who your employer is and the current local problem. I am not sure if Maun works differently and the entire process happens there.

It is also a pretty time consuming task to do it without an agency and that's maybe why its better to get it done this way?

Yes I think you are correct, however, from our long conversations with the Chief Immigration Officer in Maun I gather that she has a lot of influence and input.

It is either way. You waste a lot of time chasing them up, getting copies of paperwork they have lost and dictating letters of recommendation etc to them which they are totally inept with. You wait around for them to turn up at the immigration office when they are late for appointments.

When we went to them for an initial interview they sat us right next to the huge shelf full of files which had 'appeals' in large letters on it. Great PR!

The only good advice we had from them was to be on the doorstep of the Immigration Office at 8 in the morning which we did every visit. It is a bit odd that their own staff only pitch up at about 10 and have to wait with clients for hours.

They are about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

Whats happening in Maun at the moment? How many guys are there? If any. What the job prospects are?

Work Permits
 

Does anyone know if when you have a work permit to operate with one company it still applies if you decide to go and work for another one instead?

do you have a job yet? and you're already thinking of going to another company?

It doesn't matter!

You can get there and have 30 people show up the day before, or get there and have 30 people leave the day before.

There could be 20 people there and you still don't get the job (when they hire 25), or there could be 150 people there and they hire you (when they only hire 4).

Your chances don't change based on the number of people there, your chances change based on your attitude - ONLY.

Bush Pilot JOB PROSPECTS!
 

I've just done my research.

1. More local people getting licenses. Operators obliged to hire them before an expat.

2. Required experience 300-350 TT. Major Blue Air require 500TT.

3. Moremi Air is the only one hiring right now Sep 2012. They have 1 position open. Require 300TT for expat. Air Shakawe hiring to begin end of 2013

4. Hiring season Dec- Feb.

Air Shakawe Chief Pilot advised not even to venture to maun unless acquired 350-400TT. He also said 1-2 years ago it was the place to be for a fresh cpl but not anymore. :sad:

darkroomsource:

I am a bit over qualified and far to old :E

As an aviation consultant I just want to know what the rule is please.

Three.Green, did you mean Air Shakawe hiring end of 2012 or 2013?

Ixixly Air Shakawe Chief Pilot said they're possibly going to hire end of 2013. NOT 2012 :(

Also got a call from Delta Air yesterday. Chief Pilot seemed real friendly and wanted to help fresh CPLs. He said basically don't even try visit till u got 500TT.
Maun used to be paradise for low timers. Not anymore.. well sort of. 500TT:}

Alright Batman....

Seems you're the one that thinks he knows everything

I'l try it anyway with my 200TT ! Who doesn't risk wont be drink the Champagne ;)

Hello all
I am looking for some opinions. Due to EASA now being in place the requirements for ir and meir renewals specify that additional training is required at an Ato prior to sitting the tests with an examiner. If i come out to Maun with just sep rating current, will this disadvantage me in anyway ie do the companies there currently ask for an ir? Thanks

@african pirate, yep, companies want IR, even though you don't need it. But in order for expats to get hired they need to appear to have more ratings and experience than the locals.

Great
 

Great writing. In addition to giving information it was interesting to read till last. Some times in future I may plan to land there for few weeks.
Hppy landings.

How many pilots looking for work just now in Maun ?will be there Thurs

AP: Last one at Bon Arrive buys the beers. Mr & Mrs Exascot also inbound Thursday. Not looking for a job though, only clients for you guys to fly. :ok:

Looking forward to seeing you all again.

Oops, arrive JNB Thursday MUN Friday. Guess the beers are on us :(

Whats happening in Maun as we speak?

First I have to admit to not reading the whole thread.

Second I'm wondering how my chances of getting a job in Maun would be if I came there with roughly 450h and an Instructor licence?
Also, how are the hiring looking for the coming season? Anyone down there who knows?

If you had read it, you would understand your chances.

As for Steo, there is a few helicopters in Maun.
Helicopter Horizons and Mack Air operate some. Give them a call and find out.

Mack Air no longer uses helicopters unfortunately but Heli horizons is still around. Bad news for the job hunters is it seems that even 300hrs is not enough it looks like 500 is the new minimum.

Redsteel, are there so many 'low timer' wannabes with 500tt for companies to choose from that it's become a real minimum? Or is it the usual hearsay?

And yeah, I do know that I won't know for 100% until I get down there myself. But it does not hurt to ask :)

Quick question...
 

I have a friend with around 700tt looking for work and im thinking of sending him to Maun as my Guinea Pig to see how he gets on... hes a good guy and very likeable so I could see him doing well if opportunities were available so what is the consensus right now?

Im currently flying in Ireland with around the same hours but i will have over 1000 tt by the end of summer 2013 and im just wondering what are the chances of getting on a Caravan with those kind of hours? 600 to 700 PIC on the Airvan and around 200 as an FO on a Caravan... Basically I wouldnt want to go there unless i could get a LHS on a Caravan pretty quickly, or even a RHS on a twin if it was going... i know almost a year from now is a long time but have guys with 1000tt done well in Maun?

Michael - Its becoming a government minimum to get your work and resident permit, 300 is currently the official min but is being moved up to 500, but these things change up and down around here. The problem is that the government has paid for many locals to get their CPL and now even instructors rating but the locals also expect to be given the jobs so dont put in the effort to deserve them. All the government sees is a list of unemployed local pilots that have been paid for by the government, thus make it harder for the expatriats to get jobs.

Monk - You cannot get onto a caravan straight away here regardless of hours, you would be started on the 206 and maybe fast tracked onto the caravan but keep in mind the only company around here that would fast track that is Wilderness, and they recently hired lots of 1000+ hr instructor rated pilots that will be ahead of you. You tend to look at around a year before you sit LH in a Caravan, RH is not logable as you are on it to get to know the area and be the AC loadmaster whilst you have just been hired. Also, there are no more twin operations outside of Flying Missions King Airs used for mercy flights.

Thanks Redsteel
 

Cheers for the reply Redsteel, yeah I kinda expected that... I would rather get on a 206 than RHS in a Caravan for too long anyway. Which brings me to my next question, is Maun only for single guys? I ask because I would go there independently initially (maybe with a pilot buddy) but if I was to stay for a few years I would want my partner to come and we are expecting a kid soon!

Its amazing how complicated things get all of a sudden!! :ok:

Hey guys,

Just out of interest sake, what do guys earn there in Maun on average when flying a 206 for example? Not sure how it works, but if they get basic + hourly then what are the average amount of hours flown per month?

Thanks in advance.

pay?
read the thread, it's all in here
single?/married? read the thread, it's all in here

darkroom
 

wwwhoooa guys, careful... we've got a bad-ass here... make sure you read every sentence of this keyboard warrior's thread before you ask any questions!!

And after aquick skim no i cant find a detailed answer to my question as it is a 25 page thread spanning multiple years and like all things in aviation I would imagine info older than a few months is useless...

Anyway from what I gather there are no real possibilities of moving onto a twin, which makes it unattractive to me, but It is great to know that there is a place that offers guys the first step.

Flyingtool, well instead of being.....well a tool....how about holding fire for a bit and realise that darkroomsource is speaking the truth.

If the person took the time to read the very first thread in this post. You know, the one I spent 3 hours writing one night to help my fellow pilots, they would see that I have answered how much the pay is, how many hours you would fly, and how long you usually spend in a C206 before moving on to the van.
The topic of bringing ones partner was also discussed in depth a little bit later in the thread.

cgwhitemonk11, the info is still valid. A little may have changed, but for the most part it is up to date. But by the sounds of it, you are too good for the job since its not multi.
Just stay in Europe chasing the dream of the big steel and not living a great lifestyle. Something that you will need with a kid on the way.

That excellent post was entered in November 2010. You don't need much mental agility to surmise that salaries might, worst case, have stayed the same while the cost of living has gone up 15%. Something similar, even if incorrect, would reflect at least an educated estimation.
The finishing school that Maun became was not designed for pilots to make money. It's been a sort of production line, hasn't it. Put a wurzel on the conveyor belt and out pops a pilot?
There've been one or two exceptions to that rule of course and Post #1 is an excellent example which doesn't merit asinine comments from those who will not research their endeavours sufficiently to merit consideration as anything other than the starting commodity on the aforementioned circular beltway.

Thanks...
This is a life-changing experience, to go to Botswana (or Namibia) in search of a flying job. Whether you land that first job or not, it will change the way you view the world and yourself.
Any kind of commitment like this requires significant research (for most of us), so to take hours, days, weeks, even months to read everything available is a reasonable expectation.
Not only did I read through everything available in places like this thread, but I started regularly reading the online and printed newspapers from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, etc.
Africa is a different place than most of us know, the people are different, the life is different.
If you're serious, you'll take the time to read and familiarize yourself with the information available. Then, questions like "what is the pay?", "what is it like to live there?", "what do I need to bring?", will all be answered, as will questions like "what are my chances if I have X and Y?"
Although recently there have been some changes in visa requirements, the basics have not changed, and almost any question you can think of has already been answered, repeatedly.
Start at the beginning, read the whole thing, it might take a few weeks, but when you're done you'll know whether or not you're coming.