UK flying for British Citizen

[copterfamily]

OK, I'm British, and have been flying helo's around the world for the last 2 years. I got my initial private licence in the UK, and now have all the FAA licences as well, with over 1000 hours of flight time, all rotary.
I need some smart advice.

If I was to move back to the UK - what are the job options there now. Is it possible to fly N reg machines in the UK on the FAA ticket - and who with?

If I wanted to get onto a company like Bristow or Bond - are they likely to take you seriously and sponsor you to convert to the JAA - or will me paying for the exams be a waste of money?

Are there any other options I haven't thought of. I would appreciate anyone in the know giving me the heads up.

thank you

[TheFlyingSquirrel]

Stay where you are for opportunity !! I think you may find attitudes a little backward over here after spending that much time in the USA. No way out of doing the JAA exams though - so you'd better start studying !! Why do you want to come back? Tony ' the Bas***d ' Blair is about to get another term, you know that right???? As for N reg in JAAville, there was a great post recently about it.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=155548

[copterfamily]

anyone out there work for the big offshore companies in the UK: if so can you reply to my questions regarding employment? If someone out there can give me the right lead or contact info even, I may well go ahead and get the JAA exams. I've been told that initally I only need to take 9 anyway - this will get me the JAA CPL and that means I can do anything except be a captain of an IFR sikorsky off shore....

help please..

[Camp Freddie]

hey man,

at the moment CHC, Bristow, Bond, wont sponsor you to do anything.

you need to get everything including a JAR instrument rating and pref. ATPL exams up front if you want to go offshore.

this will get you near the top a list of potentially hirable people should recruitment start again to any extent.

there has been some movement from CHC to Bristow due to loss off 1 contract but thats about it.

things are v.static really

regards

CF

[Droopystop]

Further to Camp Freddie's post, it used to be that co pilots did not hold IRs. That is no longer true. All pilots hold IRs, so you should go for the ATPL exams. As for the job market, like Camp Freddie says, there is a long queue.

[Agaricus bisporus]

"this will get me the JAA CPL and that means I can do anything except be a captain of an IFR sikorsky off shore...."

I don't know where you've been getting your info from mate but I wasn't aware of a special licence to operate an IFR sikorsky(sic) offshore...

You'd improve your chances, nor only of employment, but also of credibility here by doing even the most basic research.

Have you written to Bond and Bristows? No I didn't think so. But why not? It takes 30 seconds to find their addresses on a web search...

Have you submittred your logbook for an assessment to FCL? (Flight Crew Licencing at the CAA) It doesn't sound like it! Until you do you'll have no idea whatever of what it really will take to convert.

Have you got a JAR Class 1 medical? Its the first thing to do...

If you imagine that you need to do "only" 9 exams perhaps you'd better find out just how involved those exams are, and then maybe you'll remove the "only" from that statement. You'll "only" spend 6 wks in a classroom to prepare for them, plus more for the technical exams which you may be able to self study. Then you'll have to do the flight tests, plus almost certainly a specified amount of flying training to prepare for them at an approved school too. Big money, big effort, takes months and months. But I say again, ONLY FCL can tell you what you will need to do to get a licence. You'll find their contact details on - guess where? The CAA website!!!

If you've been flying around the world for so long I'd have thought you'd know by now about the relationship between national registry and commercial operations. Ain't no N reg commercial work in Europe cos it ain't the USA, see?


Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

Perhaps you'd better get planning!

And here's a start; http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=175&pagetype=68

LASORS is one section you may be interested in, good luck!


Addendum...

Copterfamily, I've just discovered your parallel thread http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=155548 on an almost identical subject that you started in Dec 04. If I'd known you'd been given all the necessary advice and info six months ago and despite this still not bothered to find out the facts for yourself I wouldn't have wasted my breath on the above. The answer won't change by asking the same questions over again. With the greatest respect I suggest you either piss or get off the pot.

[Thomas coupling]

Have to concur I think!