Kavango Air, Maun

[Desperate Wannabe]

Hi All
Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on an operation called Kavango Air, based in Maun, any good? The usual.

Thanks

[Wings23]

Curious, Whats wrong with Kavango Air?

[superserong]

Have an axe to grind? Let's hear.
SS:}

[DustStar]

I had lots of fun with them. All the companys in Maun are much the same. Kavango-air has got everything you can get in Maun 206, 208, BN2, and not to forgett 172!!!
Go to Maun and check it out for yourself.
:rolleyes:

[Yeles]

Hi guys.

I have decided to move this autumn to Maun in order to search some work as a pilot. I know that you have already heard this from many pilots and I know that the only way to find a work down there is to knock at the door. This is true. But I need some help of those who have been there about places to stay and companies that work in Maun. Of course it's impossible to get a work the first day so i suppose i will need to stay a few days there and i will appreciate your help if you can give some details about places to sleep or to stay and of course the best time to make my trip to Maun .

Thank you so much.

:)

[Swampmaster]

To the Loser that is bad mouthing Kavango Air:

I am proud to say that I worked for this company and the previous company,Moremi Air when it was owned by the guy that now owns Kavango Air.There are many pilots in airlines all over the world that have been thru his programmme.I would not be where I am today if it was not for them.

The company is run by someone who has been flying there since 1989 and is questionably the highest time pilot in Maun with an ATP and experience in bush flying all over the world.He knows what he is looking for when he chooses his guys/girls.His requirements might seem a little higher than other companies because he always manages to build a bullet proof team that is the envy of everyone else around.

New pilots have a good chance of progressing through the ranks as the company has single,twin and turbine aircraft.

I suspect whoever posted this is a washout from the programmme and is trying to take out his own failings in the manner he has chosen too.

I challenge him to go tell the Kavango Air boss all this to his face.

If he wants to continue to hide and sling mud,let him come up with details to substantiate his claim.

[rabidpangolin]

Mauntown
...the lights are much dimmer there, you can forget all your troubles, forget all your fears and go MAUNTOWN!
Yeles. Audi Camp offers great rates to Pilots looking for work...bring your own tent though, also try Old Bridge...cold beer always tastes better with a hippo in the background. Good luck!
Swampmaster.
Hear hear! Me thinks Reportready maybe not like MS, and has taken to spreading BS. Just a thought.
Also, I would sell my Grandma for an American Hot and a black label@ B&B/B&H
:ok:

[RubberBands]

Hi All,

I am rather new to this forum, but am so far finding it most interesting & informative.

In particular, this discussion.

I have spent a substancial amount of time in Maun myself & no well, Kavango Air.

Unfortuanatley, i must concur with " ReportReady" that there are "more repuatable" companies within Maun, where new pilots can get their hours & experience with less complications.

However, it is uneccesary & inapproprate to post this particular companies short comings & issues as suggested.

Without a doubt, the most effective way to truely see what Kavango Air (& other companies in Maun) are like, is to actually go to there & see for yourself.
Observe-Talk to people who are there- and make your own decisions.

(Yeles, Good luck with the job hunting! http://www.pprune.org/forums/images/infopop/icons/icon14.gif)

[sicilian]

Very true. also not many other first jobs out there that offer twin and turbine hours after a relatively short period. Got to roll up ya sleeves and get into it

[ReportReady]

Apoligies to who ever i have offended. This was not my intention, i was purley helping the guy out, however i now realise my post was inapropriate.
Maun is a great town and you'll have lots of fun. Whilst i have moved on, I still believe theres no other place in the world quite like it.
And yes, all the companies are similar, lotsa hours! :ok:

[mai mai]

swamp master,
don't take it personally dude. unless you are personally taking it cause you are the swamp master in question?? :ouch: i knew the guy who is/was boss of both companies.....he was a puss....could only drink one at a time. liked swiss cheese and enjoyed packing small locals into pods......
evidence???? := you want evidence to back this up..200 page photo album from 1997 - 2000.
good guys in Maun, all of them. If you want work or at least a great experience go there. Dont even send c.vs, go there and drop them off...Look out for swamp rat(he'll stick hot drinks to your arse) and obviously swamp master and keep your powder dry people.
mai mai.:D

[C185Driver]

Spnet a few months in Maun earlier in the year, Have to agree that Kavango, although having an excellent fleet have been known to treat some pilots unfairly.
One guy I know spent 3 months "employed" there without doing any flying, just sitting in office 7days a week:ugh: before leaving, extremly :mad: off with kavango boss:*

Maun is choice for flying but, heaps of hours and good progression with most companies! avoid trees and donkeys!
Hansa!:ok:

[Timeshavechanged]

Come on guys,this is supposed to be a forum for professionals!

It is easy to sit in your arm chair in your little corner of the world,hiding behind an anonymous password and pick holes in a company.I doubt there is a company in the world that you couldnt find fault with.

If you know so much about how these companies should be run then why arent you running one yourself?You give it a bash.See how much you like going through what the average charter operator has to deal with and lets see how long you last.

There are a lot of people who come thru here and dont make it because they just dont cut it.Most of them will not admit that it is because of their own shortcomings.Someone mentioned a guy who spent three months without getting paid.Maybe thats because thats how long it takes to accumulate the 50 hours of route familiarisation required by the local DCA in the off season when there is not much flying going on and get work and residents permits.It is illegal to pay someone during this period.Maybe its also because the guy was still battling with the basics and hadnt quite got straight and level figured out after all this time.Or the guy that after 42 hours of training in the delta couldnt identify a single airstrip on a route check.What about the guys who finish up all their training and other formalities and are flying within a month.There are always two sides to a story.It depends on the individual.

Having said that there is the other type of person who doesnt sit around and partake in all this pettiness and hearsay.They grab the bull by the horns and get on with it and actually make something of their aviation careers.They will not be swayed by negative opinions.Those are the guys we employ.Some of those we dont employ are probably the ones who sit in the corner and chirp at us from afar.

I wonder what the dropout rate is worldwide of guys who get their comm and never make it past their first job.I suspect it is pretty high.If we operators who are prepared to give people jobs in entry level positions and train them up to scratch and let them get it all figured out at our expense in aircraft that we have used our life savings to acquire had to disappear then how would there be any progression in the aviation industry.

Which brings me back to my original point.Its a thankless job.

Hey Yellowman,Why dont you come give it a bash?

[spikefm]

Hi fellas,

maun is the best place any pilot can start.

Great flying! cold beer, and awesome friends!!!!

As far as company talk goes......doesn't matter who you flying for because you all do the same job.....flying in the delta!!

dit was f*kk&n lekker in maun manne!!!!

bos-kwagga

[Swamp Rat]

Mai Mai... I am assuming you are having a go at me here. So many of you have so much to say, that may or may not have flown in the delta. I have had the privilege of spending eleven years of my life over the Okavango. The person in question here is not only a mate but someone I have worked for. I feel that this is sour grapes because somebody did not get a job.

We in the delta have always opened our homes and hearts to young foreign pilots who are looking to build up hours so that they can progress on to bigger and greater things.

There is not one company in the delta that has not helped to improve the skills of these young pilots to a level greater than that at which they arrived. Many of them are now flying for commuters within New Zealand, as well as Air New Zealand.

If this is the kind of appreciation that you are going to show and publicise about these companies, then we will have to take a serious look at who will be employed in our Delta and Country in future.

We have many of our own young pilots coming through the system who would appreciate a chance to build their hours and improve on their skills, so that they too can also progress to the levels of some of you kiwi's who have obviously decided to use and abuse our hospitality.

More of these types of publications could mark the beginning of the end of our Kiwi flight training school.

Let’s go Local

[mai mai]

Awwwww c'mon swampy
I wouldn't have a go at you mate, you taught me how to stick flaminging sams to my ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you read my post little man you would see the praise i have put upon you, just cause your mate could only drink one beer at a time is not a bad mark on my time spent in the delta......
where the :mad: were you at the warbirds deal.......i had the tent(duck inn) and evrything set up.......even a tasty sheep for you.....
stop bagging kavango air...
mai mai:ouch:

[Mr Wonderful]

Well I think there have been some very valid points raised here by both sides. The industry that we have all chosen to work in is a strange and sometimes mystifying beast, but one which we must tame and love, or else risk being mauled by those large sharp ever present teeth, be they in a financial or psychological form.

[j-spax]

Isn’t that what a forum is all about, a person’s opinion aired to the public?

Indeed there are a load of pilots who get to com level and don’t make it past their first job, I would like to know kavango air’s statistics, he alone has ruined a number of pilot’s opportunities.

I would urge anyone with a sense of adventure to come to maun and fly the delta, its exceptional flying and the hours are good, providing you get in with a reputable company. I would like to hear from those of you who personally know the company at maunpilotATgmail.com, and for those of you planning on coming to maun and may need a few contacts or info, drop us an e-mail. Starting out is daunting, a few good contacts does really help.



Mai Mai - good on you mate!

[kiwinabber]

Up until now I have been a reader only and have been monitoring this issue.Now that Swamp Rat has bought up such a valid point I have to gooi in my sixpence:

I agree,okes like reportready,c185driver,mai mai,jspasm etc are all cowards.They reek of failure and kiwi.

As an ex delta driver we also had to put up with this phenomena,we used to call them Leathermans cause they were complete tools.Most are arrogant and overconfident.Their mothers never taught them manners.They used to come into Maun cause there was no opportunity on their two small overcrowded islands.We would help them with housing,transport and jobs and inevatibly they would leave on a bad note.I dont know about now but there were a lot of companies that would not hire them.The same could be said for people from other countries that did their training there too.They seemed to get infected.They used,abused and then left and threw stones at us from afar.

In light of all this mudslinging coming from this sector,I suggest the Maun operators all stick together in keeping this phenomena out.I know even back then it was an issue even at government level.Why should you be sprinboard for their aviation carreers cause their country cannot fulfill that obligation?And then have to take abuse because of it.

Maybe someone should get hold of the flightschool over there and let them know whats going on.

Its the usual storry,a few bad eggs spoiling it for everyone.Simply cut them off.

To those who had opportunities spoilt,you obviousely werent going to make it any way.

I agree,lets go local.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Hmmm....:suspect:

Not sure these generalisations are helping. There's good and bad everywhere, the trick is to spot the bad in time and avoid it if possible.

I'm guessing a lot of axes are being ground here under new user names and that doesn't help the originator of this thread with an answer to his question...:ugh:

[Rude Boy]

From the tone of this thread you should be able to draw an impression of said operator. Usually where there's smoke there's fire. If you're wanting to just get in and do some flying then go for it. Be prepared for just about anything while you're there though.

[antic81]

Dyermaker,

It depends, how are you around insects the size of your arm???
Just kidding, well not really!:}
Seriously though, I was up there with a mate for just a couple of days but there seemed to be quite a few ladies about, I'm sure you'd be fine!

Ant

[Desperate Wannabe]

Thanks to all those that have conributed their opinions, negative and possitive, you have given me exactly what I was looking for, a general feel for the company.
I do realise that not everyone fits in everywhere, this is not a perfect world after all, I just wanted to make sure that this was not a persona non grata "don't touch him with a ten foot pole", type operator, that is well known by all for his disregard towards pilots wellbeing.
It seems this is not the case, and I will make plans to go up and see for myself, and knock on doors while I'm there.
See ya all in Maun in a while. :ok:

[mai mai]

Nice one. Good post "kiwi nabber". but who is hiding behind a usernamer? pm me if you want to know who it is. In fact don't bother, i used to have an interest in one of the bars there,maybe you can work it out. What a load of bollox this "lets go local" thing is. There has been many good expat flyers through the delta and you guys know it. There have been many average expats pilots who have made good careers because of/following their delta experience that don't get on here and thank you guys for our careers........You are just sensitive at the moment cause the All Blacks are doing the boks in the ass. :eek: See the forum for what it is and don't get all beaten up by some dudes who didn't make it, they are naturally gonna throw some toys.......geez. I was only trying to make fun of a couple of guys i used to work with...:ugh:


mai mai.

[j-spax]

Anyone wanting info about getting started in maun, drop us an e-mail at [email protected]
a little help can go a long way!
Pilots should stick together, and if there’s a bad egg in the basket, we should let one another know about it!

[Mr Wonderful]

:E I agree one hundred percent with everything everyone has said on this highley interesting and informative thread - although I will now be allot more warey of those back stabbing kiwi's

[taillow]

Not all of us kiwi's are back stabbers. :ok:

[trolljan]

Im not going to debate the pros and cons or either company in Maun. I will say that the flying here is great and for a first job I dont think that anyone can debate that fact.

To to all of you that are saying keep it local.... Excuse me but how many local Motswana are there flying in Maun? the answer is 1, only one... so those of you that are so ignorant to think that having a SA passport makes you a local to Botswana please come off the grass. Wether you are a kiwi, aussie, pom or saffa you are all foreign so dont try and pretend that South Africans are the locals in maun and get bitter when people come from other countries and get jobs here.

[Rude Boy]

Trolljan has a point. Guys, don't forget that there's a whole world beyond Maun. Some of the posts on this thread make it clear that there's more than one character in that neck of the woods who's got a bit carried away with his own importance. Wherever you go from there, with the way the aviation industry is such a mix of nationalities, you're bound to encounter versions of the same sort of thing. Learn to live with it.

[jc.bank]

well said Rude Boy!!!

[Swamp Rat]

Ever wondered why local motswanas are not hired and given a chance in the delta.... all charter companies are not owned by locals. i know of about twenty locals, some with a lot of time that have gone to Maun looking for work and not been given a chance. Makes you think doesnt it

[EDDNHopper]

dyermaker,

Botswana, and Maun for that matter, is as safe for women as any, say, European/"Northern" country/city would be (although Maun is more a village than a city). Robberies etc. do happen, and have increased in recent years, but that wouldn´t make Maun more special than any other place with lots of tourists around and a huge income gap between well-off and not-so-well-off...