2 year break

[knertius]

Hi!
I´m going to quit my job by mid 2007 and take 2 years off to do some extensive travelling. During that time I won´t be renewing my licence.
My question is: Will I find a flying job after such a long break after having revalidated my licence?
At present I´m working in europe and have about 4000 hours of which 3000 are FO on F100s and 500 PIC on DH8-300/400. By the time I leave here I should have about 1500 hours PIC time. I have no intention of returning to europe because I would really like to return home to SA. That´s the reason why I´ve posted my message in this forum. I should be about 38 years old when I return. Unfortunately my SA licence lapsed about 5 years ago and is therefore dead and buried. I currently hold a JAA ATPL.
Anybody done something similar? Will I have to live the life of a travelling shoebrush salesman after my return to SA???
Groete from a snowbound european capital!

[B Sousa]

Just a tip from a stranger in a far far away land.......Dont let your license lapse...

[bafanguy]

knertius,

I can't say whether my individual case will extrapolate to pertain to yours, but for what it might be worth, I've been out of the cockpit for just over two years. I have 23,000 apparently worthless hours.

Although I'm a bit older now than you'll be at the end of your "break", even taking into account those cases where age is not a detractor ( and there are some ), the lack of currency is the kiss of career death. Experience, as a stand-alone factor, has no market value.

Not the end of the world for me personally, but a bit of a disappointment. As someone else said, don't go non-current.

[ou Trek dronkie]

Definitely, never, never, let a licece or a rating lapse.

oTd

[Brian_Dunnigan]

Agree with the guys about the lapsing of licenses...A NO NO...
Enjoy the time off though...:ok:

[Knoppiesdoorn]

If you are as keen a pilot as I was in my hey days, I would be dead not flying for two years.
Dont be a fool. You are at the prime of your life and you want to go on holiday........
Most pilots love their work with the result they are just about permanently on leave. OK, may be I am over reacting but whatever you do maintain that licence of yours! SACAA will probably give you a good deal with your JAA ATP.

[knertius]

Hi!
thanks for the replies!
The reason that I won´t be renewing my licence is because I´m going to be so out of the way that it will be almost impossible to organize a suitable checkride or the like. My plan includes saving a sh**load of money to be able to afford the sims and checkrides AFTER I get back from my trip. Suppose if that´s not going to be good enough I´ll just have to start selling insurance... There´s just no way in hell that I´ll be able to afford to go and fly a couple of hours on a Dash or Fokker sim somewhere during those 2 years, the logistics are just too much.
Nothing I can do about the SA licence. That´s dead and buried. But in the worst case scenario I think I´ll be quite happy to rewrite all the subjects and do all the other necessary k*k in order to get another one. Managed to pass them all first attempt in SA and here so I think I´ll be able to manage another session.
cheers

[B Sousa]

You guys with those European Licenses certainly are bound by too many rules. I can understand the fact that you wont be able to get in any heavy iron. BUT....you can stay somewhat current in a C-182 or something similar, just to show someone that you havent given up.......and it looks neat in your logbook when you have a little time here and there. Go with an instructor in a far away land and you will certainly learn different things.
Love the FAA license, it never goes away, you just have to prove currency and have a current medical.......
Good Luck..Its also more fun to travel and see things while your young rather than wait until you dontor cant appreciate them...

[knertius]

Staying "current" can mean a lot of things. In terms of keeping the licence alive I think that that won´t really be the problem. It´s the remaining "current on type" that´s more of a problem. I don´t see the difference between letting my licence lapse for 2 years and then doing a checkride to reactivate it again or flying 2 hours on a C182 every 6 months to keep it alive. After 2 years the licence will be valid again after a checkride and I WON`T be current on either the F100 or the DH8. And if I fly with a C182 every 6 months I will also have a valid licence after 2 years AND about 6 hours on a C182. Surely the 6 hours on a C182 aren´t going to make any difference? Fact is that I won´t be current on the F100 or the DH8.
And that´s where my problem lies. Will I find a job based on my experience? Or will I be in the same position as a 200 hour guy? I´m not expecting to get a direct entry captain position at SAA, but I was rather hoping that a King Air or Twin Otter job or something similar would be something that people would consider me for. Or will I be doing illegal charters around table mountain with a friend of a friend of a friend´s PA28?
Fact is that I´ll be leaving my job next year and that I will be taking those 2 years off because I think it´s the right time to do it. I can´t wait until I retire because who knows what physical condition I will be in then. The current job is letting me save the money to be idle for a good couple of years. And when I get back I´ll be quite happy to drop parachutists from a battered C206 because that´s also flying and that´s what I love doing! Amen!

[bafanguy]

Staying "current" can mean a lot of things.!

knertius,

A very correct statement. Current means varying things. Just having a current medical and proficiency check may not fit every company's definition of "current".

I see many companies who require XXX hours in the previous 12 months in addition to all the other stuff. That's a killer requirement....I've been passed over for consideration for two pretty good jobs due to this. Both in an airplane in which I have 6,000 hours PIC. Completing training wouldn't be an issue to me; THEY think it would. Their opinion matters, not mine.

The other question you might ask yourself is how valuable will an employer view C182 currency when he's hiring for something a lot bigger.

Good luck in your ADVENTURE.

[B Sousa]

Before it gets out of hand, I only mentioned the 182 or whatever flights as something just to show you keeping your hands in Aviation. Im sure some heavy Employer wont even consider it. The flying and keeping your nose in the books, keeps you up on rule changes, chatting within the community etc.
THATS where staying current also has meaning...
Your making your vacation sound like living in a Monestary in Tibet.In which case Im sure Currency will be the last thing on your mind....
Ha Ha.
Have Fun, Life is short....If your good, you will get back on your feet. Just consider how many folks here are into this everyday and having a hard time getting a job...

[bafanguy]

B Sousa,

Agree completely...

[knertius]

B Sousa,

dont´t worry, understood your point completely. And the thought had also occurred to me. The C182 (or whatever) would make me at least keep the piece of paper up to date.
No monastery in tibet for me. Will be in SE Asia on a kayak for 2 years.

Destination RVR is 150m. Gotta go help the FO....
Cheers

[SIC]

Sounds to me like you goin to do the two years in Tibet anyway - so why worry so much about when you return. This game is way too unpredictable to even ask those questions. Guaranteed if the industry needs you when you get back they will take you. Or if you pay Uncle Vernon enough. Or if you agree to work for free in the Congo.

Chances are that you wont get a decent payin job in SA though so better save some money to cover the lack of good income you will experience.

[Gunship]

Stuff the licences.

Life is short - go and enjoy it :ok:

[knertius]

Gunship
TOTALLY agree with you! That´s the reason why I will take the time off no matter what. BUT! That said, I will have to find a job once my idle time is over and I would really love to find a flying job again. That´s the reason for this post. I´m curious about the future but it´s just too difficult to plan ahead for all eventualities.
I really appreciate EVERBODY´S thoughts that have been posted in this thread!

[B Sousa]

Will be in SE Asia on a kayak for 2 years

Ha Ha..Bigger Balls than me..prepare for Pirates etc.. Might even want to rent and M-16 or an AK.........
Hope to see you back here in a couple years while your writing the book....

[ou Trek dronkie]

"Unborn tomorrow, dead yesterday, why fret for them if today be sweet ?"

But keep those licences and ratings going if you can, believe me, truly. Once you get used to something different, it all changes.

oTd

[knertius]

M16??? hope I won´t need one of those... spent 3 months alone on the angolan coast with my kayak a couple of years ago. went all the way from down south to Luanda. Was warned about bandits between Benguela and Luanda and told that they wouldn´t hesitate to rob and kill(!!!!) me. That obviously didn´t happen, ´cos I´m writing this. Was the most awesome experience of my life! Knew 1 person when I went to Angola and I left knowing hundreds. Never had one unpleasant encounter with the locals.
Moral of the story? Hope there are Angolans in SE Asia!!!!!!
On the flying side I´ll just have to see what happens. Will be trying to keep the licence alive. Still have a year and a half to come up with a plan. And from previous experience I know that there is ALWAYS a solution. Just hope that it´s one that I want!
Cheers! Off to the ski slopes and a couple of dops for me!!

[saywhat]

Knertius, you gota do what you gota do. Who knows, perhaps on your Kyaking trip you might meet a person who ownes his own 747, likes you, and hey presto, you'r flying again. You might even find that you find something else that you enjoy doing other than flying. A license can ALWAYS be renewed.