Er...no...it's like asking whether it would be frowned upon to include it in your total time for a work permit. Or more to the point, weather to just include it when submitting the work permit paperwork and not bother making a distinction.

Why not? Worst they can do is not use it in your total. Besides, a lot of glider types go to Nam in the summer so you may be a bit more marketable than someone with no clue when it comes to flying them around or if there's a call for tug pilots. Your met know how is probably a bit better than the average as well. Can't hurt and it's all aviation experience.

Hi Desert Goat.

Not to sound disheartening, but glider experience doesn't get you anywhere when it comes to permits. At least that's what I heard at every company I visited, about two weeks ago. Motorgliders - that might be a different ballpark, but pure gliders unfortunately no.

And from what I learned when I asked around for tug pilot possibilities in Nam it's a no-go as well, because the vast majority of what's flown here are self launch. Can't blame them either, having travelled a bit around I wouldn't be happy to make a forced landing in this country... could be a looooong time for the retrieve team to come and fetch you :)

Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback- I might go and get the IR knocked over, should be over the 300 hour mark by the time it's finished.
Cheers all!

Hi guys,

do you know if the companies there hire pilots who wear spectacles?

Why wouldn't they? :8

I wear a monocle when i fly so what's the big deal?

If you're talking about not having the hour minimums and being marketable as a pilot... do go get your IR knocked off. Just so you know, from an air operators standpoint, your IR is worth 1,000,000 gliding hours.

JAR/EASA- license
 

hey everybody, I just discovered this forum with the option of flying maun. does anybody know whether it is possible to fly with an EASA-license (PPL with SEP rating, CPL/IR with MEP-rating) or is it necessary to convert both licenses into an ICAO license? thanks a lot in advance for your help!

Well I just spent days of my life reading the threads on maun since 2008... Only to get to the end and find its much harder than it looked to get a job with low hours now

There has reportedly been a legal change in Botswana.

You must now have 500 hours.

You must now ALREADY have a rating on the plane you are going to fly (C206 mostly).

That change is being discussed at the CAAB headquarters in Gaberone today.

Has there been any further development as a result of the meeting in Gaborone yesterday?
I also heard a rumour about pilots having to travel back home to renew their expired class 1 medicals before a conversion can take place, even though you must do a Botswana class 1 as part of the conversion, any truth in that? Thank you in advance for all helpful replies.

The companies are already gearing up for this change.

Rumor has it, in addition to the 500 hours TT, you will only get a validation of your licence until you have 500 hours flying IN Botswana before you can have your licence converted. Assuming this is why you already having to have the types on your licence. (Note conversion VS validation) That is coming from the Chief Pilot of one of the companies.

The government have been trying different things for many years now. This will probably fall away. They always make a huge noise for a few months then realize it's not really sustainable (or too much effort to keep fighting the companies). They have yet to get it right so let's see how long this attempt lasts.

Really Low Timers in Africa
 

Hi,

Im new to the forum and am interested in flying in Africa. I am working toward my commercial (at about 125 TT) and am starting to think of what I want to do with it. I would love to fly in Africa and have been reading some stuff on the forum. It seems like a few years ago you could go over to Maun or Windhoek with 200 TT and a fresh CPL and find something. Ive been reading about 300 TT being realistic in Namibia and people talking about 300 TT for paperwork in Botswana and rumours about 500 TT minimums. So basically I am wondering what the current situation is for people with fresh CPLs and just over 200 TT. Are there places that will take you or is 300 TT really required for a reasonable shot at a job? If so what have you guys done to get the 300? Do most expats instruct for a bit before heading over or what other options are there? Any info would be great.

First, I'd suggest you contact no one until you have the commercial. I found, in a previuos life, no one is interested in what you will have, but what you do have. Then contact everybody- air taxis, instucting companies (only if you have CFI), comuuters, regionals, missionary "companies."
and good luck with that.

Latest Nagami Times:

With all the discussion about minimum hours why is this Maun charter company asking for just 250?

I have many pilots asking me about the situation so I just like to stay informed.

Window dressing? If they can't get a local to bite with those hours, they'll claim they've tried and employ an expat, using the advert as proof of having given the locals a fair shake.


Have to say, the Bots CPL students I've come across at schools in SA didn't strike me as the type willing to do the hard yards in the bush (not that Maun is serious bush work). I think a direct entry into the cushy airline career on big shiny turboprops was minimum start option among many of those I spoke with.

Copied SRT many thanks.

You certainly know how to make friends and influence people ;)

Try PNG, Northern Canada, Alaska, Congo, Sudan and so on. Maun is a bit of a steep learning curve to start with, but all the strips used are pretty even, no real obstacles and they're on a fairly routine run. Pax are generally tourists, freight is household goods for the camps. No real surprises there, and the weather isn't a major factor most of the time.


That said, it's a great place to learn your trade. Exciting without being too dangerous.

So then, would it be true to say that Maun is a teething ground for sissies in shorts and socks?