Job in Europe on N registered aircraft

[blindpilot]

Hi everyone,

I hold a canadian ATP with about 5500 TT, including a lot of experience in IFR, turboprop with MTOW>12500 Lbs.
With this licence I flew in Canada, USA, southern Europe and Africa for different companies with different registrations.

I am french (that’s why this english is so bad…) and of course I would like to fly in France or in Europe.
So, few months ago, I started the procedures to convert my canadian licence to a JAA one.
And there, big surprise : impossible to get a class 1 medical, since I wear glasses.
I tried with UK, France and Switzerland…..impossible

I never had any problem to get my canadian or FAA class 1 medical.

To make a long story short, I tried all the means to get this class 1 and none of the JAR states would accept my vision correction.

So, the solution I found is to get an FAA ATP and fly in Europe on a N registered bizjet aircraft.

I am about to achieve this ATP and I would like to get some advices from you guys about the companies who would give me a chance to fly on their N aircraft based in Europe.

Other registrations/companies with the same conditions are, of course, welcome...

Thanks for your comments and help

Blind Pilot

[PPRuNe Towers]

While not normally encouraging cross posting on the site you might want to describe the eyesight problems in on the Medical and Health forum.

Some detail on the amount of correction for each eye and what is being corrected will help a great deal. While JAA has brought changes to eyesight testing the skies would be empty if rules were purely black and white for someone having your experience.

Regards
rob

[blindpilot]

Hi Rob,

RE : +4.25 Sph / -4.00 Cyl / Axe : 3°
LE : +3.00 Sph / -2.75 Cyl / Axe : 0°

As you can see, too much astigmatism...

So, I gave up and I have no expectations anymore to get a class 1.

Too bad, I try another way to fly europeans skies and I am stubborn and pugnacious...

Any ideas for a job ?

[unfazed]

BLINDPILOT - Pugnacious and stubborn are good qualities for such a situation !

I am in a similar position, however I do not have your level of experience or qualifications. I am interested to know how you get on because my plan is to go down a similar route. I am off to US mid November to gain my SE IR and CPL and then I will be looking for SE opportunities in Europe (charter, ferry's, or any other opportunities to use these FAA qualification's).

If this plan works then I will look at gaining ME and Type rating to see how I can progress.

Good luck and I hope you succeed in gaining some work offers !

[youngskywalker]

No reason why you wont be able to fly N reg biz aircraft in Europe, especailly with your experience. As for getting the jobs, well it tends to be down to who you know, I guess you either need to be lucky and in right place at right time or just bulid contacts as you go.

As for the future of flying N reg based in the U.K, well that is a hot topic at the moment and I have no idea how that will work out in the long run. I suspect that this route will end in the next year or so.

Best of luck

[blindpilot]

Thanks for your answers.
That's true, no reason not to find a N reg bizjet job, but experience is a point and experience on type another one...

I don't know yet if my turboprop experience would suit to a jet aircraft operator. I had few bizjet opportunities in Canada and Africa, but I am not familiar with the european job market and the hiring requirments for such a particular case.

I keep searching and looking forward to get more advices.

May the force be with us, youngskywalker ;)

Cheers

BP
:cool: