gbpck
25th Oct 2005, 18:16
Hi, anyone got any tips on finding work doing safari flying. is it difficult to get visas? is it easy to find work when you are there, or possible to set up before u go? any contacts worth having?
Is an FAA CPL sufficient for Africa?
Any advice greatfully accepted
sycamore
25th Oct 2005, 18:20
Have you tried the `African` forum, perchance ??
Got this from somewhere a while ago.
Firstly let me begin by starting with the circumstances that you will find yourself in if you go to Botswana looking for flying. There are NO flight schools in the whole country. As such they accept any licence. So long as you have a CPL they are happy. No requirement here for an IR or an MCC!!! As such you will not find much of a problem getting a work permit (applied for by the company offering you the job) to fly.
Most of the companies are situated in Maun right next to the Okavango Delta. There is an odd company in Francistown and one or two in Gaborone. As such I really only searched Maun. Anyone going to Botswana, I would suggest they do the same.
The companies in Maun hire generally at the end of their season which is Dec-Feb. Your visa is valid for 90days per year, but that is calendar year. So if you are sitting there waiting for a job on Dec 30th, leave the country and come back in on the 1st Jan as otherwise it will just continue to the next year and you wont be able to stay as long(this is if you don’t have a work permit!).
The companies there use the C206 as the work horse. There must be at least 30 sat on the apron at the end of each day, so there is plenty of flying. They are really organised and are basically lots of little airlines; I was extremely surprised, but as it was put to me, ”we cater for the expensive safari market and as such have to be professional!” Mainly out into the Delta flying tourists into the lodges in the bush. Also trips to Namibia and Victoria Falls. Some companies do have larger a/c as well, like the GA8 Airvan, C208 or even King Air 200, so there is potential for progression. The pay is about USD 1200/mth but living there is quite cheap so no worrying about money. You will generally fly 800hrs per year and sign a 2 yr contract, but it doesn’t take much to buy yourself out. Oh and did I mention it doesn’t matter about hours either; you just need to hold the licence!!!!!!!
If you go there, meet everyone and hang around getting yourself known. It may take adjustment for some as it is a real frontier sort of place and not for everyone. I loved it! Electricity runs sometimes! Water runs sometimes brown and sometimes black depending on the levels in the Delta! A real adventurer’s sort of place and some of the best experience for your flying skills that you will get anywhere. Hot summers temperatures with MTOW and Maun is at 3500ft!
Easiest way to get there is fly to JNB then Air Botswana to Maun. No public transport and if there is, don’t use it in South Africa. The local mini buses (combi’s) in Botswana are really really cheap, but don’t get ripped off as it only costs 1.5pula to go pretty much anywhere in Maun. Lots of pilots from UK, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Basically they all turn up around the end of the season with a backpack and pitch a tent and wait to see if they get a job!
Calling the companies is the best way to find out their recruiting prospects, they wont offer anything over the phone and that goes for pretty much every job in Africa. You will understand why if you go out there! Other than that, if you are there when they hire, you WILL get a job. Good luck.
YYZ
gbpck
26th Oct 2005, 17:43
thank you yyz that is great news
I really appreciate your time and tips.
ps JP arent you sposed to be at work! i saw your line check dude today, he said hes gonna put u thru the mill! :}