Maun 2008-2009 season

[waiterpilot]

Guys and Gals,

It's that time of the year again! Coming up to hiring season in Maun, so I thought I would start off a thread for the 2008-2009 period. I just wanted to ask a couple of questions (and yes I have done many searches on this site looking at some posts even dating back to the previous millenium, Google, Youtube (by the looks of things the god squad and indeed the scientologists have a keen presence out there), numerous blogs, trip advisor and even my granny's Botswana photo album from last year so please don't tell me to do a search, I cannot find the answers to these questions). I know it isn't really part of the adventure spirit meticulously getting every grain of information I possibly can before I go, but it is a big decision for me and I want to know what I might be getting myself into!

I am getting sick of this credit crunch, and just want to get flying, so am thinking about heading off to Maun to try my luck out there. If some of you that have done the whole Maun thing could just answer a few questions I haven't seen asked anywhere else, I would be most incredibly grateful. The questions are at the bottom of the post.

First of all a summary of the info I have collected so far about Maun for those of you who are thinking of making the leap over, to save you some research time.


The Operators:

Sefofane: Caravan/ 206/172/Airvan (www.sefofane.com (http://www.sefofane.com/))
Moremi Air: Caravan/Islander/210/206/172 (www.moremiair.com (http://www.moremiair.com/))
Kavango Air: Caravan/206/172 (www.kavangoair.com (http://www.kavangoair.com/))
Delta Air: Islander/210/206 (www.okavango.bw/air.html (http://www.okavango.bw/air.html))
Mack Air: Caravan/Airvan/210/206 (www.mackair.co.bw (http://www.mackair.co.bw/))
Safari Air: Babyvan/Caravan/Islander/Airvan/206 (not their website but gives details (http://www.desertdelta.co.za/Botswana_Travel_Articles-travel/safari-air-botswana.html))
Edit: Thankyou Dupre for keeping me up to date!

How to get a job:

Go to Maun primarily between October and February! You can send off CV's to the aforementioned companies, but they won't hire you unless you are on their doorstep, looking imploringly into their chief pilot's eyes (this is very important).
Fly to Johannesburg, then either Air Botswana it to Maun for about $250 or get a bus to Gaborone and then onwards to Maun for a cheaper, but many more times sweaty, excursion. (www.seabelo.bw (http://www.seabelo.bw) & tjmotlogelwa.com (http://tjmotlogelwa.com))
Audi camp (www.okavangocamp.com (http://www.okavangocamp.com)) seems to be the place to stay for pilots, bring a tent, mention you are a pilot looking for a job, and apparently they give you a discount! (35 Pula per night for Mr/Mrs the mere mortal pleb holidaymakers so even cheaper for us demi-god aviators! 35 Pula = £3 and £5 extra if you want power). It is 12km North of Maun, so I am not quite sure how you actually get there, but I suggest walking would be a decision left severely lacking.
A C206 rating with at least five hours on type, and an instrument rating are both bonus's but not required. Age is not really an issue.


Visa & license conversion:

You can go to Botswana for a job hunt based on your passport, so no special visa is required. In order to get your license converted to the Botswana equivalent, you will need five hours in the C206, then you will need to pass a flight test, and also an air law exam. Apparently this is easy. The company will also sort out the work permit visa papers that you will need once and if you get a job, and this will take a couple of months.


Life in Maun:

Pay is around about £500-£1000 per month, some operators offer housing/allowances. The facebook group 'Maun Pilots' gives an insight into the pilot life in Maun and brings to mind two words: 1) shenanigans, and 2) nudism. Maun has many bars with paved roads in the centre and a smallish airport (which is always a bonus when you are trying to find a pilot job). A modern hospital has just been built, but I don't know if this is open yet. The low season for pilots is the Summer and is the wet season in Botswana, and is the hiring season as well, so you will need to take a good waterproof tent and be prepared to get a little moist. It gets cold at night so bring warm things you can layer yourself up with in the evenings and shed them like some sort of onion in the mornings.


That I think pretty much sums up what I have found out so far. Please let me know if I have got the wrong end of the stick with any of that. I still don't know whether I will be going, but based on the assumption that I do here are my questions that I pose to you current and ex-Maun pilots!


Questions:

1. What do I need to bring with me in terms of official documents? I'm guessing my logbooks, licenses, and passport - are these enough or will I need to take my original birth certificate, and stuff as well?

2. What do I need to bring with me in terms of equipment and clothing? I'm guessing sturdy shoes, lots of shorts, boxers (I don't suppose you want to 'cramp your style' in 40 degree heat), many layers for the cold nights, sleeping bag, good tent, torch blah blah blah. Any particularly handy items people usually forget?

3. Leccy. What kind of plugs do they use out there - I see it is a mixture of both modern UK (handy!) and pre war UK plugs (I knew I shouldn't have thrown out my 1918 mp3 player last week) - is there a predominant one?

4. Internet. I know the Sedia hotel has an internet cafe, but if and when you get a job are the houses connected up too? Can't live without the beloved pprune, plus I have a website to maintain!

5. Money. There is a western union, and visa seems widely accepted, so of course my bank have just switched my card to Mastercard 'for my convenience' - but how much do you reckon I need to live on whilst waiting for a job and then waiting for the visa (as in work permit not credit card) papers to come through? How many more months of waitering do I have to endure to save enough (a hypothetical question as you probably won't know how much I get paid. I can assure you it is excrement.)

6. Insurance. Know any good deals for insurance I can get and where to get it from? I am sure that going to Botswana with it's diseases while flying the public at 150mph at the age of 20 the premiums will be tiny - but best check.

And finally

7. Anyone else thinking of heading to Maun this season?


If anybody can answer any of these questions for me I would be a happy man.

Thankyou very much for your time and your answers in advance!


WP :ok:

[slimynyk]

lets hope those botswana work permits aren't like the zambian ones.. :}

remember the name man... we should catch up at Maun in a couple of months... i'm looking for info too... so any help is good help!

[Dupre]

OK firstly just an update on operators and aircraft: Northern Air is now a part of Safari air. Also there are a few more aircraft types to be added so your list looks more like:

Sefofane: Caravan/ 206/172/Airvan (www.sefofane.com)
Moremi Air: Caravan/Islander/210/206/172 (www.moremiair.com)
Kavango Air: Caravan/206/172 (www.kavangoair.com)
Delta Air: Islander/210/206 (www.okavango.bw/air.html)
Mack Air: Caravan/Airvan/210/206 (www.mackair.co.bw)
Safari Air: Babyvan/Caravan/Islander/Airvan/207/206 (wasn't working when I last tried - and haven't seen the 207 in a while - do they still have it?)

1) Bring at least 5 certified copies of your passport, licences, birth certificates etc. Also a new requirement is a Certificate of Clearance (from the police, stating that you are a good egg and haven't done anything terrible). Finally bring copies of all the certificates/education/degrees you've got... they lap that stuff up at immigration. Make sure that everything has an official looking stamp on it - for some reason Africa is the place of official stamps and any document lacking one is viewed with suspicion.

2) It doesn't get that cold at night in the summer (winter is a different story!) If you have big feet (UK 11 or larger) then consider bringing more shoes as you can't get them in Maun :ugh:

3) The plugs depend on the house. You can easily buy an adaptor or change a plug if required. I got a great 4 way adaptor which takes almost any plug for P50 from suntronics in Maun.

4) You can get internet at home but it can be a mission and is pretty expensive from what I understand (not that I've done it...) There are quite a few internet cafes around town, and some companies allow their pilots free internet (some don't :{)

5) Being very conservative, I'd allow around P200/day while looking for work. You'll probably spend less, including a fair drinking allowance. Work out how long you're prepared to stay without a job and add 2 months on low pay before you get online. If you come with around 2000 quid you're certainly not going to run out of cash. :ok:

6) No idea sorry...

7) Already done this one :E

Feel free to PM me if you want any more info :)

[waiterpilot]

Dupre: Edited. Thanks for keeping me up to date & for getting back to me - very helpful. Good to hear from somebody who's done it all! Looks as though I'll have to continue to serve the consumers their beloved trout for another couple of months to scrounge that kind of money together <sigh> :(. At least I am a dainty size eight in shoes so don't need to worry on the footwear provision front.

Slimynyk: When are you off? I can't decide if I do go whether to go before or after Christmas. I'm going to email a couple of the companys to see if it is possible to go home over the xmas period while waiting for the visa stuff to come though. But that is an extra £700 in flights - which is a hell of a lot of trout to serve.

[elipasquali]

I just finished a summer flying a 206 in northern canada, and will be heading down to maun at the end of december, fire me an email we should meet up at some point, cheers

Eli

[email protected]

[Dupre]

My 2000 quid is very conservative... just asked a mate (who's also been there!) who reckons 500 oughta do it.

[Tango24]

Please don't forget your police clearance certificates - cannot apply for a license or work and res permits.
Lots of pilots leaving in the next few months - C206 time is a bonus.
With regards to your documentation - have everything certified, or bring over the originals. Birth certificate, passport, police clearance certificate, school certificate, licenses, logbooks, and anything else you can think of.
The application process for a license can take up to month - but to organise work and res permits is a matter of a week - depending who's doing it for you, but not a mission at all. So work on a minimum of 6 weeks to get up and running after being employed -some companies offer a retainer, but don't bank on it.

The latest trick form DCA is to say that they have to contact your DCA to clear your license - if you can try and get a letter from your DCA as some form of clearance letter indicating that your license is valid and you're not a fraud - I'm not even sure if it will help - but we're trying to cover all our basis.

PM me if you need any more info.

See you all soon

[waiterpilot]

Tango24: Thanks - last thing I would want to do is get out there then hang around waiting for a piece of paper to be couriered through. And judging from my luck with the last two Amazon orders I made, my original birth certificate would arrive a ripped up soggy mass. Was wondering if you can start your training whilst waiting for the license or whether you would need that to start?

Dupre: Good news! Slightly less trout to serve. Hoo rah.

EliPasquali: Wilco in the next few days.


Cheery Bye! I'm off to throw some of those trout at customers.

[DannyTanner]

Ok, now I have a question or two. I've been reading this thread and I'm honestly amazed. I've checked out photos from the facebook groups that contain pictures and stories from flying in Africa and this feeling overwhelms me that I've missed out on quite a bit in my aviation career.

I spent a year after receiving my CFIs teaching instrument, multi, and commercial pilots...and a few CFI classes. Then I joined a regional airline here in the states (ExpressJet...Continental Express) when I had about 800 hours. So for the last year I've been flying about 40 hours a month in an Embraer 145, and it's been fun...but something has been lacking. And as of recently about 300 of us have been furloughed for what's estimated to be about a year, maybe more.

I've been mass emailing companies with my resume, and then meanwhile I see this thread.

What's the likelihood of me getting a chance to do this for a year or so and see how I like it? The original poster seems to have done quite a bit of research, and I pray he gets to fulfill this dream of his to do this, but he's seemed to perk my interest in this.

Now my questions are:

*What type of aircraft do these companies fly, or is it all single engine piston. Do not think I'm talking down, I just want to know if they use larger aircraft that might require two person crews. My previous experience is that's where I'll end up being assigned due to my CRM environment I've been around recently. They think all FOs are stupid and don't remember how to fly without a boss on board. LOL.

*What is the day-to-day operations like? Is it pickup and drop off...are you suppose to stay with the customer on the ground for days on end while vacation? How much flying is actually done daily? How long are the legs from camp to camp???

*Are there any short cuts you can take by providing certain documentation ahead of time (work visas and whatnot)? Is there no chance of contacting these companies ahead of time and lining up something prior to the 18 hour flight plus commuter over? Don't get me wrong I understand the benefit of chattin in up with the chief, but it's a long commute to find out their staffed or not interested.

*Lastly, one of my biggest DREAMs was to work for relief work as a pilot getting cargo to those in need. Problem is, where do you go to find work like this? Don't get me wrong Maun is right up there with it, but I've never found info on that. I figure you guys would know about that too, since I'm sure the bars are litered with you guys.

Thanks for any info and fly safe.

-DT

[nbv4]

7) Already done this one http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/evil.gif

I have a question for you. What you went there, did you just blindly buy a ticket and just hope to find something? Or did you do a lot of planning and had a lot of connections set up before you left? The going rate is $2250 for a one way flight from the US to Johannesburg. I'd literally have to sell everything I own in order to afford just the airfare. Thats a pretty big gamble if you can't be sure you'll find work. Plus, a lot of those companies linked in the OP look like they have a fleet of 8 planes at the most and a staff of maybe 15 pilots.

[Dupre]

DannyTanner: If you have a look at the fleets above, you'll see Maun is mainly piston singles. Plenty of Caravans, and 3 Islanders make up the turbine/twin contingent. Maun is not the place if you want to get aid to the needy... it is all about flying (mainly) wealthy tourists/hunters to plush safari camps in the delta. I'm sure your multi-crew time wouldn't be looked on badly though and your chance of a job would be just as good as anyone elses. If you want to keep in the MCC environment, do a search on "african contract flying" - the likes of Solenta, Qwila, Zimex and many others. They operate some singles (caravans mainly, zimex has porters) and many multi crew twins - twin otters, B1900s etc. - and they do it into difficult areas. I understand it's largely under contract to the UN, as well as support for the oil/mining industries.

The work is 99% pick up/drop off. You won't be able to arrange any permits in advance, as you need to have a firm job offer before you can apply. By all means email the companies before you go - that's a very good idea. But don't expect them to hire you before they have met you.

NBV4: Yep, bought a ticket to Maun (about US$3000 for me) and went. I emailed all the operators and 3 or 4 pilots that I managed to get contacts for... but I really didn't know a soul on the continent when I arrived! I was prepared to spend 3 months on the job hunt, but was very lucky - got a job after 6 days. Sometimes in life, you just have to take a risk - what's the worst case? You go back home having spent a couple of months experiencing a new and very foreign place!

Sefofane is the biggest, with 16 planes and about 23 pilots I believe. Kavango is probably the smallest with 4 planes and 4 pilots (stand to be corrected on that).

[nbv4]

Dupre: thanks for the great information. Looking around I seem to get kind of mixed information about when the "hiring season" is over there. Some say June, some say October, and then theres some who say February. In your experience, when is the best time to go over there?

Also, would you say that your success at finding a job in 6 days was extreme luck, or is that about how long it usually takes?

Oh and one more question. How do you actually find where these places are? A lot of these companies have websites, but no physical address listed anywhere. I assume they are all located on the Maun airport property? What do you do to get around when you first arrive? Taxi? Bicycle? Buy a car?

[theRealFlyingNomad]

By the way, if at worse you run out of luck in Maun (or maybe your are a complete DumAss and manage to get fired from a company before even managing to get in...) you can still Head to the West... (I personaly did Hitchike from Ghanzi...but you can also choose plane, or bus...)

Even if Namibia had a dramatic accident history for the past 18 months, they also do Look for pilots (but not as a "hiring season" as in Maun...its much more random, but do work the same way...show up your face, get into a Backpacker, visit, have some beers, and try again with the Boss or Chief pilot!...or maybe first try again, and then have some beers...interviews with a booze breath won't help you much...).

Life in Windhoek is different than in Maun, but very very fun and bush style also...Life in Swakop is much closer to what you would get in Bots (...except the bloody fog that keeps everyone at the bar....what a shame...:E)

Oh, I forgot, you could also bring some documents as International Driving License, and Vaccination card, that might be helpfull sometimes..

Good Luck

TRFN

[I.R.PIRATE]

Nomad according to some recent posts on Prune from the Nambian Pilots' mouths on the forum, a beer breath might just be the way to get hired...

I do believe it was said a few weeks back that the drinking and flying is not THAT bad anymore...:ugh::ugh:

[Dupre]

Oh for a physical address Unfortunately Maun has very few road names, and even fewer house numbers. There is no postal delivery service either. Hence the only addresses you'll find will be Private Bag numbers – even though no-one lives in a bag :}

The furthest operator is about a 5 minute walk from the airport terminal. Most people (myself included) get around by taxi/combi - very cheap and cheerful... if crampt sometimes :} You can buy a car if you have $$$$$$ but even rust buckets aren’t cheap. Not sure I’d cycle – extreme heat and maniac drivers tend to put me off!

I’m told the hiring season used to be quite distinct from January to March. But to be honest I don’t see a hiring season at the moment. Sefo are still hiring, and it’s the middle of the peak season. There is much less competition for jobs than there used to be – used to have 60 pilots waiting round for 10 jobs a few years ago, but that isn’t happening now. If you’re a good candidate and you hit it at the right time, 6 days is do-able :ok:. I’ve seen it done several times. If you’re a bad candidate (i.e. a complete numpty) or just happen to arrive immediately after a whole bunch of guys have been hired, you can expect to wait a bit.

[waiterpilot]

Dupre: I think I can speak for everybody when I say thankyou for all your replies and allowing us to drink from your vast font of wisdom (and I am sure everyone would say exactly that phrase). I certainly hope I haven't inadvertently advertised Maun too much with this thread! Don't want all THAT much competition!

Move along folks nothing to see here.....

I still can't get my head round imagining the part where you step off the flight from Jo'burg at Maun, and everyone else heads off with their tourguides in the arrivals hall and you are left in solitude wondering what the hell to do now!

DannyTanner: I know exactly how you feel with the whole cripple-royal-mail-by-sending-millions-of-CVs approach (and then recieving one letter back telling you to bugger off) and that is exactly why I'm looking to go to Maun instead - I want to fly!

The aircraft flown are mainly single engine piston six seater (including pilot) aircraft. Bit different to your Embraer, since you are the only pilot, and steward, baggage handler, gate agent etc. and the only toilets on board are the water bottles (especially challenging if you are a lady). Inflight entertainment for Mack Air is a book of Gary Larson cartoons apparently. As Dupre said you start on the Cessna 206, and then after maybe a year you can transfer onto something different and bigger like the Caravan.

Still don't know whether to do it but I have to say this thread is pushing me further and further in that direction! I guess all you that have done it would recommend it?

[theRealFlyingNomad]

Honestly, most of us did it that way.

Arriving in Maun "International" Airport...checking at the 206's trying to climb feet after feet on a hot and turbulent day (another one)...dreaming...finding your way to Audi Camp, going to Inet Cafe to annouce your folks your are still alive, being **** scared at the first 7cm spider or scorpion you'll cross, or taking 300 pictures in high Quality of the first Drongo or Hornbill you'll see sittng in front of you (while at the end, you'll know them all by their latin scientific name)..then knocking at "charter companies"'s doors...and having the usual "come back tomorrow, not now"...or "yes, you interest us, but come back in a month"...and then , by pissing those guys off day after day, ending up a few days, weeks, or month, actually flying for them..

And if this doesn't work, when your heart tells you to be carefull, when you cash start to be a concern... move away...(not anymore to Zimbabwae..but Zambia, Namibia, even RSA...)

This IS how it worked for most (not All) of us... the usual Maun Route...some stoped there..some continued further...and most of us did actually find a job..

Its a risk, sure...but it DOES worth it...and I am pretty sure every single pilot who knows what I am talking about will agree with it...

Don't forget your camera....and a good one...

[Juliet-Echo]

Hey guys

I got my first flying job in Maun in 1997. I had little over 200 hrs! I met my wife there, in the Sports Bar - would you believe it?! I now fly an Airbus with Emirates, but I can honestly say that those two years were the best years of my life!!

Yeah, looking at those pics on Facebook certainly bring a lump to my throat.

[alexace]

Hi,

Great info on this thread which I have just found after doing the research myself. What I have found through speaking to some who have worked there, a couple of CFIs there and the internet links in with what is posted here which is a bonus.

I am heading down to Maun in mid Oct to bang on some doors and get chatting to some CFIs so feel free to get in touch if you are going at a similar time.

I have been told to turn up in the pub on fridays and find some pilots to talk to about it all. Its a small place and everyone knows everyone else and the hub of it all seems to be in the pub, not sure which one but will find out.

I was told to get a police certificate which I have done, £10. The only other thing that I haven't read here that might be useful is that it is best advised not to have a one way ticket into Botswana as this comes with a lot of questions. Maybe they think you are a journalist looking to get into Zimbabwe or something?

I have never even been to Africa but I am just going to do it, buy the ticket and bite the bullet.

[nbv4]

I was told to get a police certificate which I have done, £10. The only other thing that I haven't read here that might be useful is that it is best advised not to have a one way ticket into Botswana as this comes with a lot of questions. Maybe they think you are a journalist looking to get into Zimbabwe or something?

Where did you hear this? What about buying a one way ticket to Johannesburg, South Africa? I don't think I could afford to buy a round trip ticket :(

[hitmanishere]

:}Hi everyone,
Very interesting thread here....I'm in the same kinda situation here as most of you are.. Completed my training with just 200 hours fATPL from malaysia,about 2 months before, looking for the first job but unsuccessfull so far.. Okey,here is my question, All you guys here are from the rich developed nations talking about going down to maun to find jobs, But what are the chances for a guy from the So called 3rd world country(India) coming down to maun and finding a job??? I guess i basically have enough backup to survive for about 2 months,if i do come down...

Iam really interested to work down there for a couple of years and then work my way forward into some airline.... Any feedbach appreciated...:}

[stevef]

You don't need a return ticket but you may be asked (highly unlikely) to show that you have sufficient funds to leave. I'd suggest not mentioning that you're looking for work when you arrive at the Immigration point with your disembarkation card - your purpose of visit is tourism of course. :)
The old Duck Inn (it's got a new name now) is a good starting point to meet aviation people. Go out of the airport building, turn right and it's five minute's walk on the left, looking straight over the airfield.

[Dupre]

The old duck is now the Buck and Hunter - run by a lovely english couple.

I don't see any problem with an indian trained pilot arriving - so long as you can convert your licence you'll be looked at the same as all the other guys. Might pay to check that there are no issues with the operators by email before coming though!

[hitmanishere]

Hey Dupre,
I tried to email them but no reply so far...Do u have some email addresses that i could use??
Anyways I have another question, Would any of you take up a career as a Flight instructor(better pay ofcourse) in a tropical country or go to africa and fly as a bush pilot....

I'm really interested in working as a bush pilot and fly the aircraft myself rather than watch my student doing it....:}Might sound silly,but my flight instructor told me this once too...

[Dupre]

Hitmanishere: I always wanted to do instructing, but I wouldn't want to instruct with no real experience... it's silly that the industry has the least experienced people teaching the newcomers!! Hence it would be bush flying for me... but I'm sure tropical paradise and more money is hard to turn down ;)

waiterpilot: Thanks - my pleasure :) Though I'm not sure that "vast font of wisdom" are quite the words I would choose. I'll be sure to put some people off to save a spot for you :ok:

I will see what I can do about posting all the operator's emails on here - but will have to check with them first... so watch this space!

OK: 1st ones in... hopefully more will follow.

Kavango Air: [email protected]
Moremi Air: [email protected]

[alexace]

Hi heard this from someone who used to work there with Mack air. I think it regards Botswana, not South Africa, so just need a return ticket for the SA - Botswana leg of your trip. An employer at Maun airport told me to get a security certificate.

Hope that helps.

[skywalking]

anyone ever take out a wife or partner?? I'm planning on heading out there in a month or 2 and bringing the missis along.. is there anything she can do there?

[TXaviator]

well gentlemen, i think i have decided.... NEXT year i am going to pack the bags and head to the dark continent. done a lot of reading, a bit of talking, and it sounds like a good time.

have a gig lined up in the states for the next 9 months flying aerial mapping/surveying... should have a bit over 1000 hours in the logbook by this time next year.

think that will work if i shoot over to africa with 1200 hours, a backpack, and a hand ready to do some handshaking?

seriously, it sounds like "the good life" to me.

[theRealFlyingNomad]

Sure you have a chance...as anyone else... the rest is a matter of selling yourself the right way, to the right person...and at the right time... but it definitely can work! By the way, many people use "NEXT"...next time, next year, next this or that... But isn't a "NEXT" also an excuse to hide yourself of the reality, of the fear of loosing a game... maybe not...maybe yes... always good when the "NEXT" becomes "NOW"... Good Luck...

[skywalking]

what's a typical flying day like there? does such a thing exist? what sort or hours can you manage to get?
thanks

[red gaint]

Can anyone recommend any good school to obtain C206 rating and C210 rating in south africa or USA

Thankyou in advance

[superserong]

You wake up...well, sort of. You get to the airport. You fight with some idiot from DCA:ugh:. You do your paperwork, file a stack of flightplans.

Then for the fun bit: Get in plane fly,land,fly,land,fly,land,fly,land,fly,land,fly,land,fly,la nd,fly, land back in Maun. Get to Buck and Hunter just in time to see the sun go down whilst peacefully tugging on the first of many Zamaleks. That was my three years there in a nut-shell...MAN! I miss that place.:ok:

Cheerrs

SS

[pyote]

Thirsty Thursdays all week long. In a Nutshell.

[nibbio86]

Hello guys, one thing which nobody brought in is if you need an IR or if it is considered a determinant advantage to score a 206 job in Maun. I am european (not UK) and able to go there with at least 450TT, of which more than 250 are Cessna 200 series time and bush flight experience in Australia. Any advice would be appreciated.

[waiterpilot]

I believe it says in my initial (admittedly not all that thrilling) spiel; you don't really need an IR and some might say that it isn't even considered an advantage since you won't be doing any IMC work. If I go out there I will have one, so it will probably lapse and I'll have to go through the emotional prospect of another IR skills test when I come back. Joy.

Five hours in a c206 is a definite tickage in the box though.

[206DOG]

brush up on your egg eating skills...... followed by lots of tequila....
And Moremi Air just bought 3 new airvans.... yeeeaah...

[flybyshark]

Egg eating Skills?

206DOG if I remember right, and I do nowadays that I am no longer on the dark side of the Maun :} and I wake up in my own house with all my clothes still in one piece.

You were ruddy awful at your Egg/Omlette night :ok:

And yes, I still have the pics.

I bet you begged for the Airvans :}

[GavinStorkey]

With all this confusion about return tickets i thought i might give my experience. Though i am from new zealand. I came to bots about 2 weeks ago and went through J Burg... never needed a return ticket, i stayed over night in J burg and getting into maun they only wanted to know where i was staying and i gave them the hotel i was staying at, no one said a thing about return tickets, but to be on the safe side i had booked a ticket return from bots to j burg... In SA your in transit so they dont bother, and the fact u got a ticket to bots shows your leaving... and bots they dont seem to care, just let them know your here for holiday, and to get more time on your visa ( which is a a little bit of writing in your passport by the way at immigration), say your going to be driving up to kasane, etc...

[Johnno1981]

Hi everyone,

Anyone know of any companies in Maun where there are opportunities to move onto a turbine or multi engine fairly quickly. I have been instructing in the UK and have close to a 1000 hours now. I'm really keen to go to Maun but when I spoke to a company there recently they said I would need to do a year or so on the C206. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to fly the 206 and would be happy to start off on it but I also want to progress my career beyond just single engine pistons.

What do you think?

[nbv4]

What is Sefofane going to do to you if you break their contract? It seems the majority of pilots that work for them are from another continent. If you ditch them before your contract runs out, what can they do?

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Stop hiring non African pilots if they feel they can no longer trust them to honour their commitments?

[Der absolute Hammer]

That would be a good thing.
There should be something like 'Aviation Employment Agreement' between southern African states. An agreement of protection nature to keep jobs within local natioanlitys as much as possible.
So - Sefofane look for a Chief Pilot and Operations Manager - why no South Africans up there in those positions.? How has Maun changed in five years?

[Johnno1981]

DDMOW,

Thanks for that encouragement. I will give them a try!

Johnno

[cupoftea]

What a pleasure to read this thread, brings back good memories....

I did in 1997 what everybody told me would be dum and stupid. I gave up a single engine job in europe( yeah single engine, but someone else paid me to fly an airplane and the hours were counting up), bought a one -way ticket to Maun, had about 100 usd in my pocket and came to Maun in the 'worst' period, high season, all jobs filled....

no where to sleep, met a nice kiwi who offered his caravan for a few weeks, met a half dutch/canadian chap who took me on a 'ride' over the okavango, met the wife of the chiefpilot of his company who invited me for dinner(fantastic hospitality of the afrikaners), got drunk at their party, the family of the chiefpilot told him I appeared to be a nice guy and he should give me a job. He answered he allready had a few guys in mind but decided to give me a chance for a test flight next morning 7 am sharp. I decided it was best to leave for a few hours of sleep, but was told it was an insult to leave while the bottle was still half empty.....got to bed around 4, woke up 2 hrs later rather groggy and thought what the heck I give it a try...met the chiefpilot who looked better than I felt, probably more used to tequila then me, flew a couple of circuits and , wonder why still, great landings and was told: hired, start tomorrow morning 7 for training.........

and what a great few years I have had, everyday safari(I stayed a lot in the camps)...it was still real bushflying allthough some strips were getting calcrete layers and being made longer. At the time I left, the real bushflying started to change..longer and longer strips, king air 's flying in etc...maun changed a lot as well in those two years, I am glad I saw some real bushflying and will recommend it to any one. Was I rich? no. Did I lose some valuable 'career' years? Oh yes, but I would not have done it otherwise today! Good luck for anybody trying, if you do not try you cannot fail..

[break dancer]

Jeez, you young guys....always in such a hurry to get onto the big jets. I remember when..... But seriously, what's a couple of years in the big scheme of things? As previously mentioned, if you don't do it when you're first starting out, you'll never get around to it and will then be envious when flying with the guys who did. In the present climate, there are only a few jobs out there and they come with the dreaded previous experience required. It's all cyclical so will come around again when you're in demand, so why not spend the time enjoying the sights and smells of Africa? The time goes so quickly that you'll have to literally drag yourself away - I know I did.

[elipasquali]

Well Bought My ticket, going to be in J-burg on january 3rd, then I suppose up to maun shortly after, it's nice having set dates now. Hopefully i'll find a job, and if not I'll consider it a much needed vacation.. albiet a rather long vacation. Thanks to everybody on this forum for the advice given, and hopefully i will be seeing some of you shortly down in Botswana. Oh a few quick questions for the vets, I noticed (the last time I checked), that air botswana does not yet offer online bookings, if I show up and want to fly out the same day, is it going to cost me an arm and a leg? Right now My logbook is completely Digital, will this be a problem? I can transfer it to a book, but i'd much prefer to print off a copy as I do in Canada when people need to see it. Finally, over the summer I was flying a 206 in the canadian arctic, but my contract ended in august and havnt flown much since (a couple hours), will this be a detrement to employment? (I've got just over 300 hours, 60 of which are on a 206) Cheers, Eli

[bharatraghuvanshi]

Hey guys
Sefofane's invited me down to Maun for an interview.I'd appreciate any help about what they ask and if anyone can give me any feedback about the company or the place,i'd be thankful!
thanks!

[Chunks]

Good luck mate, pilots are leaving in droves at Sefos at the moment.

[bharatraghuvanshi]

thanks chunks
any reason why?

[Wayback]

elipasquali (http://www.pprune.org/members/231414-elipasquali):

"air botswana does not yet offer online bookings, if I show up and want to fly out the same day, is it going to cost me an arm and a leg?"

The website hasn't worked for 3 years now... don't think it will work in the near future either. This is Botswana. It will cost a lot because km for km Air Bots is one of the worlds most expensive carriers. They have a monopoly on the route. Expect to pay. I don't know the exact price - sorry. approx $450 return.

"Right now My logbook is completely Digital, will this be a problem? I can transfer it to a book, but i'd much prefer to print off a copy as I do in Canada when people need to see it"

I stand to be corrected but it won't be a bad idea to put it your hours into a logbook. This is Africa and the Bots DCA may not accept a computerised printout. Its too advanced!! :E
If you do put hours into a logbook, it will be a good idea to get some photocopies of the last 3 pages of it and get them stamped by police to say they are true copies of the original. (or notorised as you may say in Canada). This may be a handy thing to do with all your docs - passport, licence etc

Dont worry about the currency on the 206 too much. You have the hours on type and thats what counts.

bharatraghuvanshi (http://www.pprune.org/members/282902-bharatraghuvanshi):

You say you have been invited to an interview. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but anyone that is interested in working in Maun will be told by the operators to come for an interview. They will not hire you unless you have been there face to face. The things they will ask you at Sefo are typical airline q's in terms of personal and they also give you a multiple choice tech exam to do. They will mark them and go through them with you in an interview, but by that stage they have a pretty good idea if they like you or not.

Pilots leaving Sefo (and other operators) are part of the mass exodus thats happens towards the end of every year. Its a natural movement.

[bharatraghuvanshi]

wayback
i know the invitation for the interview is a formality and thats what a couple of other pilots said, that no one will offer you a job without you being present there.
as for the written, i think you just have to get down to the books for a while and brush up!

[elipasquali]

Cheers Wayback

[waiterpilot]

Just stumbled upon this video about flying around Okavango that has just been uploaded to youtube - well put together: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=682bnpq75bM&fmt=18 (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=682bnpq75bM&fmt=18). (I warn you now that if you haven't made up your mind whether to go or not, this will sway you). Thankyou to Mr 206Blackbird for that vid.

Just had a busy day: served trout, then got my police clearance letter thingy (a whole 20 days early! My faith in bureaucracy is restored...) and finished off by making my arms ache with the freshly injected gift of hepititis, rabies, polio, and typhoid.

It's all coming together slowly!

[omarsherriff]

Can anyone tell me what the companies require in order to fly the caravans??? The flying looks great out there, cheers for the video link, but I've had enough of flying SEP and want to get my teeth into something with a little more bite!! Cheers :-)

[Dupre]

omarsheriff: The normal requirement to fly the van is 1000hrs TT - though you can often do your training a little earlier, but you won't go on-line on it until you have the grand. Keep in mind that any van driver in bots will also fly pistons - so don't expect to escape SEPs completely!

waiterpilot: his video is pretty good - there are many more maun vids that will never be on youtube ;) I was very proud that he used one or two of my pics/clips in it :E When are you heading over?

Chunks: you sound like you've finally lost that passion LOL. see you soon boet.

[Chunks]

It's got nothing to do with Sefos regards to movements, just that a lot of pilots are coming to the end of their contracts and are looking for greener pastures. If you keen apply for Sefos I think they are about 7 -10 pilots short.

[flying paddy]

Folks, for the record training bonds are not the norm in Botswana and I would think long and hard about what I was signing when you get here.

Just my opinion thats all.

Good luck

[05pearcj]

Hello everyone..
I was just wondering if anyone in Namibia/Botswana at the moment or just recently returned can tell me if the economic crisis is affecting employment there? I am keen to arrive end of January and look for employment but am worried that with all the tourists being cash-strapped from other countries it will be harder to find a job..
by the way, I'm posting on a friends name... me, I'm South African woman- 24... only have 240 hours (will be about 270 by the time I go) but do have an IR. What would be the possibility of landing a job at what is probably nearing the end of hiring season? Any help much appreciated!!

Thanks...
anyone heading down same time maybe pm me on this account, would be great to chat and maybe arrange some cost share options!

[sergantdai]

Hi, Dear all
very attractive way of linving , Is there any sort of racism around botswana and southafrica?
If able , I would like to persue aviation carreir as Foreign pilot at Moun, but I had never met someone who originally born at asia , and could get decent pilot job or work permit at african continent . so I have to have some concern about after graduateing flight trainig at africa.
And previously Japanese was designated as neally PDP
( previously disadvantaged persons )was't they?
my primary concern is whether I will be able to get employment as
foreign pilot at african continent or not
please let me clarify my self,
I belongs military sector as technical sergeant expetizing air traffic
controll skill. certification I have which deemed as aviation related is,
aviation English proficiency certification as ATC, Domestic aviation
radio telefony licence,Aerodrome ATC certification,(score895)TOEIC designated as way to evaluate one,s English level at Asia and
Euro that,s all. I am 28 old alsol.
Considering current Economic circumustance,I guess that it is nearly
impossible for me to get work permit at SA after graduate flight training,
But I heard here about Botswana,Tanzania,Namibia,at Those country,
foreigner is able to gain work visa not getting many dificulity
So please introduce certain path way If you, guys regard it as
achivebal for me

sincerely

Dai

[Der absolute Hammer]

I agree, you are to be much in demand but please do not wear a yellow bandana.

[Montoya]

On average how long does it usually take for a fresh comm pilot to work his way up the ranks and onto a twin in Maun?

[Water Wings]

"On average how long does it usually take for a fresh comm pilot to work his way up the ranks and onto a twin in Maun?"

A very longtime seeing as you can now count the number of twins in Maun on about three fingers :ok:. Caravan's have replaced just about all of the Islander's. Most of the companies have no twins anymore. Only a handful of pilot's that go to Maun get any twin time there, most move on to other places for the lure of twin time.

[LOW BURNER]

Done a fair bit of research and still dont have the answers im looking for. Wondering if anyone has ever brought their wife and kids along to Maun. Kids are young. The wife has spent a fair bit of time in africa before. We are ready for an adventure. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Der absolute Hammer]

You are a long way from Maun. Best thing is that you visit there. But.....
Why do you not Google Maun and have a look at the thrilling dustbowl. The delta begins north of the town. The town itself is not green and water filled with fountains and broad boulevards full of exotic animals.
On weekends you can go into the next desert and watch your blade of grass grow?
Also maybe these days it is not needed that you take your own food into the hospital? I do not know. It was that way.
Schools - must be some?
Maun is a very long way from any where else. The flying may be adventurous. I do not think that the adventure of living in Maun will be greater than the boredom of doing so.

[nbv4]

Do operators typically ever hire straight into the caravan, or is the only path into turbine equipment through seniority? I'll have about 1500 hours when I get there. I'm certainly not against flying anything smaller, but it would be great to get some turbine right off the bat.

[learningtofly]

Excellent thread guys!

I got a reply from one of the charter companies and they say i would need a C206 rating endorsed in my logbook, as one's permitted to fly just one type of aircraft. I have flown the 152,172,182 and not the 206.
So my question is will the company help me get a C206 endorsement or i'll have to get it myself by flying elsewhere outside Botswana or Maun. To add to the delight there is noway i can get a C206 rating in India, and I've burnt a huge hole in my pocket rather my dad's for my CPL/Multi-IR. Any help would be great. Thank you!

Waiterpilot - The video really swayed me man.

[GavinStorkey]

hey there no you dont need a C206 rating to get a job out here, the company will invest in you, but it does help

Cheers

Gavin

[GavinStorkey]

Hi NBV4

Yeah you will go straight to C208, min req in maun for most companies is 1000 hours, i know a few guys who came here and went to the caravan, but it also helps to have a rating and 5 hours on a caravan also

[GavinStorkey]

Hi Low Burner

Yeah, i know of a few people have young kids out here, there is a good private school, and i see kids going doing activities out here alot, its quite a safe place. though it is africa

[LOW BURNER]

Thanks GavinStorky looks like its time to get my ass in gear and buy my ticket over. Ill buy you a cold one if i catch up with ya.

[GavinStorkey]

Glad your getting your A into G
its a great place to fly and good people. Also maun is very safe place. Just watch out for the animals on the roads and hope the electricity stays on when needing a cold one ;)

cheers

Gavin

[Water Wings]

Thought I'd share a quick thought, Maun is quite literally a God forsaken place for all those intending to come...........

Quiz night at the local pub (I do miss 'The Buck'). 40 people spread across various teams. Question comes up, "What are the first three words of The Bible*?" Do you think a single team got the answer right? Nope.

Good times!

*"In the Beginning," stuck like glue now :ok:

[Csanad007]

i've read all the stuff here and it is amazing, it convinced me that it is the place i'd wanna fly.

but the question is:
I'm a late starter (33 years and presntly only 100+ TT with fCPL), living in Hungary, tipical Eastern European guy, not on the big bux.
what are the minimums of getting a job in Maun? 200? do i need an IFR or NVFR? I'd even fly for food :)

i'll try to contact a few operators there, but would love to hear this from u too.

THX in advance

[gutso-blundo]

G'day Fellas,Anyone from Aus done a stint in Maun? Is there much bullsh1t to go through converting licences / work permits etc?Looking for a sea-change, and its either Darwin/Kunners or Maun - I think some time in Africa sounds awesome

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Maun is crawling with Kiwis so you should have no difficulty getting in there as long as you bloody soft Wallabies can keep up....:E

[gutso-blundo]

Oh God, didn't think of that - Aussies and Kiwis banded together in Africa of all places. I'll bet you could cut the air with a knife come tri-nations time

[Woof etc]

re. the insurance: I took out a policy with International SOS when I started contract flying back in 2002 - might want to contact them to find out what they have on offer. I seem to remember it wasn't particularly cheap.

INTERNATIONAL SOS 2005 - Members Website (http://www.internationalsos.com/buymembership/)

nb. read the fineprint - most insurance policies exclude aircrew. The SOS policy has a clause about needing to inform them if you are engaged in a hazardous activity so make sure that they have that in writing before taking out a policy.

Dont underestimate the importance of a good policy - people have died in the past as a result of having no or inadequate cover ( the Van crash in Vilancoulos springs to mind).

[denlopviper]

im i am planning on headoing out there end of decemeber or 1st week of january. trouble is theres no Botswana embassy in Pakistan and i cant find anyone representing them :hmm:. maybe im just dumb :\ . iread somewhere on the internet that the British High Commision does represent Botswana but i couldnt find anything on their website

im checking with the travell agents but was wondering wheather it is possible to get the visa at the airport in Maun? or any suggestions welcomed

[GavinStorkey]

you turn up at maun airport and your a tourist, they stamp your passport with 30, 60 or 90 days, thats your visa :)

[Machuu99]

When you arrive at Maun airport with no return ticket for J-burg, How long do you say you'll stay there? What is the max time (legally) you can spend in Maun without a job?

Thank you

[denlopviper]

you turn up at maun airport and your a tourist, they stamp your passport with 30, 60 or 90 days, thats your visa

well if its that simple then im leaving tomorrow :}

was asking because theres a list of countrys whose nationals require a visa to visit Botswana, Pakistan is one of them :D


Machuu99,

depends on which country you are from, usually its about 3 months max. but you can apply for an extension once your there

check botswana visa requirements, travel visas for botswana (http://www.uyaphi.com/botswana/visa.htm)

[GavinStorkey]

to get the best amount of time in maun which is 90 days, say your wanting to travel round the country, say your staying at the okovango river lodge and going to drive up to Kasane, travel to gabs and around the delta etc...

[bigcockaviator]

.......................and get nude in engen while stocking up on snacks after a blinder!!!!!

[Machuu99]

I'm Canadian. Thanks for all the answers. I know this topic has been discussed in this thread, but is the return ticket (feak) to J-burg a real necessity?

[Goffel]

Nah.....you can rather have the return to Cape Town......but I believe the Canadians are exempt from having a return ticket.....apparently the crocs love canadians.:8
..
I think most foreign nationals have to have either a return ticket out of the country or a means to leave when their time is up..

Exactly the same reasons as the States and Canada have.

Goffel...reclining in the sun on the beach...how I hate my job..:E

[denlopviper]

so who else is going there? can we have a roll call, maybe we all can hook up at Johannesburg and go in together :)

[nbv4]

^^ I'm going. I'm arriving in Johannesburg on the 10th, but already booked my flight to Gaborone for the next morning.

Is there anybody out there that has gone to Maun from the USA? Could you make yourself known so I can bounce some stuff off you via PM? One thing I'd like to know is should I renew my FAA medical before I leave, or will that not even matter? My 2nd class downgrades to a 3rd class at the end of January.

Also, which are the "best" operators in Maun? In other words, whick of the six operators should I be trying to get on with first? Are they all pretty much the same? I'm kinda wanting to fly the caravan right off the bat if at all possible.

[erik07]

I'll be looking into going a year from now. Might swing by Maun shortly after New Year's this year to check it out...have some family in SA, so it would be stupid not to use the opportunity ;)

[denlopviper]

nbv4

i dont plan on staying in jo'brg, thats the cheapest route to maun for me lol. BUT planning to get the SA visa as well before leaving.

[waiterpilot]

Well - this thread seems to have hit a bit of a niche. I'm a little surprised (and concerned) to see it still going!

Anyway... I QUIT MY JOB! No more serving trout after Sunday (Hoorah!) I guess I should probably change my username or something. I still hadn't actually decided whether to definitely go before Saturday, but having just received more desert equipment than the whole British Army owns (and that probably isn't even a joke) for my 21st, I probably should....

Another vid (suspiciously similar to the other one & alot longer): YouTube - Sefofane Life (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TWqkN5x9ef8&fmt=18)

Woof_etc: THANKYOU! I have been looking everywhere for insurance. Nobody does it for commercial pilots in Botswana seemingly. They probably saw the Facebook group.

One question for anyone that might know the answer: Assuming I get a job (I am hoping someone will hire a former waiter who hasn't flown in four months and that looks twelve)... would it be possible to come back for a couple of weeks for Christmas while waiting for the visa stuff to come through? I tried asking the companies but they merely ignore my messages. I feel so neglected! :{

T-minus less than two weeks........ (probably)....

[nibbio86]

Waiterpilot,
this thread was well started from you, this is why it is still going. I'm sure that with your precise attitude you'll score soon a job. Before going for interviews with operators make sure that you don't smell anymre like a trout. Happy landings mate:ok:

[Csanad007]

not in two weeks but somtime in August-September 2009.
when I started to search for some jobs around here did not know that maun is the place for me, but now I definitely know that I must get there.

I exchanged some mails with guys at Sefofone and Mack, and yepp they convinced me...

Waiterpilot:
just for my own cheklist: what kind of survival gear did you package? tent and stuff. PM me please

[denlopviper]

just for my own cheklist: what kind of survival gear did you package? tent and stuff. PM me please

i'd like to see you lsit as well lol, although i have most stuff ready i just want to make sure i havnt left out anything

[Solid Rust Twotter]

A tin of hairspray works well to keep the hoop snakes at bay.

[Der absolute Hammer]

My grandpapa says hair spray is not good for Botswana brown bear when it gets in to the tent with you at night......

http://www.kadaitcha.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/dropbear1.jpg

[Csanad007]

got that on the chklst!

[Csanad007]

depends, if its a female brown bear maybe I can figure out something.

[Der absolute Hammer]

Yes well the pilots who come to Botswana from Oz and NZ know that this animal is very dangerous when arousaled up.

[Csanad007]

hungarian guys ain't afraid of nothing – not even our own politicians :ugh:

[Der absolute Hammer]

Not this Hungarian who had the hair spray perhaps?

"Oozing charm from every pore/ He oiled his way across the floor/ Never have I seen a ruder pest/ than that hairy hound from Budapest."


(My Fair Lady)

[Csanad007]

the one u mention was probably a cheater, if he were from budapest he'd never get into this kinda sh*t :=

[waiterpilot]

Greasy Hungarians aside, I can assure you I am not some sort of guru who knows exactly what to take in terms of survival gear (although I wouldn't describe it as survival gear.... it's Maun; it has a Spar!) I didn't even buy the stuff - it arrived in variously themed attractive gift bags from relations who didn't really know what to get me for my birthday!

Saying that, some of my family are in the RAF/Army and have been in certain countries where it is a little hot quite recently (guess where!). They got me some 12 hour DEET cream stuff to keep the insects off/get the smell of trout off me, a pegless clothes line thing, a small LED keyring torch, and a small travel alarm clock. And some cufflinks, but I don't think that was for Botswana. Other stuff I might be taking will be my swiss army knife, and a water bottle thing. I was already taking hairspry because I want to look fabulous.

Can you buy tents in Maun? (as in the crappy kind you see in the rain around British seaside resorts, not the luxurious dome variety)? It seems ridiculous to be carting a tent across the other side of the world.

Csaand007: How did you manage to get Mack Air to reply to you emails?! I got nothing and yet was so sickly sweet and grovely! I tried two different addresss.

I would also like to echo Mr. nbv4's questions regarding medicals; my class 1 expires in December but don't want to a) spend many pounds or b) have delicate pieces of my anatomy in a strangers grasp for no reason. Especially if he has cold hands. From what I gather your Botswana exam is enough to cover you for the Botswana license but don't know 100%. I cannot emphasise enough I want to be molested as few times as possible over the coming weeks.

That is all for now. I'm sure more questions will pop into my head though. Again if anyone knows the answer to my Christmas question I will be very pleased.

[denlopviper]

i'd recommend renewing you medical before going, you know just to be on the safe side. you know how CAA can be, they WANT to make our lives miserable :}. my license expires this month, so will be flying the checks soon, medical is good till june :ok:

oh and i was looking at camp Audi, turns you you can rent one of their tents, but will cost a little double if you take you own tent. tent is going to be an issue for me as well. this sort of stuff isnt big in pakistan, going to have to borrow one from the army lol

[ashmunn]

hey everyone, interesting thread, i havent managed to read through all of it though. are the chances really good of getting a job just taking that risk and rocking up there with the amount of pilots that probably do the same thing, it would be a waste to get over there and not find a job ...
i have my cpl test in another couple of weeks, ive got 250 hours 100 command and my multi engine command instrument rating, anyone think that chances of getting a job would be high ?
cheers

[denlopviper]

i'd say its 50-50...but i dont want any regrets later like ""if i had went, i might have landed a job"". phantoms and tomcats a gone, eagles are going. i'll be damned if i die without doing bush flying in africa and alaska/canada :}:}.

plus, look on the brighter side, its going to be one hell of a trip

[ashmunn]

yeh i guess, it will be one hell of a trip BUT at the same time, i don't want to sell myself short of cash and then return to australia jobless and no money! i am fresh off my training so the funds are minimal lol
but im gunna do it, cos im an adventure freak and it will be fun, any others going in the next month or so ? im leaving 27th december.

[denlopviper]

man you guys are lucky that you dont need a visa. not only do i neeed a visa for botswana, i also need a damn transit visa for south africa :ugh:. i'll probably leave on the 25th dec if the visa isnt delayed

you want to know what the ticket is costing me? 126000/- pakistani rupees. sure it makes US$1536, but i earn RUPESS not dollars lol.

[ashmunn]

lol u leaving on christmas day ! 12500 thats sounds like a lot, the airfare is going to cost me about 2000 australian dollars, but i'm trying to find one cheaper.
yeh we are lucky we don't need a visa, crazy you need a transit visa as well. sounds like we will be arriving round the same time, might see you round maun then, i'm going to stay at the audi camp, as they all do i guess lol

[ashmunn]

woah i misread that 126.000 lol insane mate

[denlopviper]

lol happens

hey any of you guys in SA willing to send me letter that'll help me get the visa :}

[Alexis_Palacio]

Hello
I think you should bring your tent if it fits alright in your suitcase, is not really easy to find tents here. Audi camp its about 30 pula per night if you bring your own tent. By the way, its a bit far away from the airpot, you are gonna have to take a combi wichi is 3 pula. Taxi will be at least 30 pula.
Do bring whatever gear you may think its necessary, but is not that uncivilized here, youll find almost everything you need.
If you have more questions tell me, particularly if they are about what to bring and where to go when you get here, i jut arrived here 8 days ago, and my main source of information of Maun was through this thread.
Take care.

[Csanad007]

Good luck buddy, hope to hear some more of you. How you proceed, what are your impressions. And stuff...
We're curios here like children with Grimm

[stevef]

It's been a few years since I lived there so things might have changed but there was a bush gear/souvenir shop just past Riley's garage. I'm sure they sold tents. Might work out cheaper than paying excess baggage and also avoids the hassle of having to carry your own through X amount of airports.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Yup. Leave more room in your luggage for hair spray.:}

[denlopviper]

ok what is with you guys and hair spray :\

[Csanad007]

1. you'll always look fabulous (see waiterpilot)
2. you'll be able to fight against some voodoo snakes that come out in the night from the dreams of :mad: (fierce stuff)

soo, hairspray is mandatory (few bottles)

[denlopviper]

oh boy, another item to the list :}:}

[Solid Rust Twotter]

ok what is with you guys and hair spray

It's the only effective deterrent against hoop snakes. Stiffens them up so they can't get their tails in their mouths, forming a hoop so they can roll after you.

[Csanad007]

also stiffens the huge maneater spiders, then u can just place them in a box and sell them as souvenirs for tourists, eh? :ok:

[denlopviper]

OR spring load them and send them to you friends on their birthdays :E:E

[Csanad007]

oh, and flying in Maun is all about hairspray!
no hairspray no job!

[Der absolute Hammer]

Oh and when the insanity of living in Maun does your head in completley - because do not foget that you only fly one third of the time-and you are driving hell for the leather towards that sink hole calls itself Johannesburg for some R&R- you can spray the licence plate with hair spray so that the primitive police cameras do not get you.....the radar still gets you but you buy your way out of that on the spot.

[bond7]

Hammer,

Please, not you again. Someone must have made you very angry or you probably are in life. I wonder how much flying if any you do?

if you can't generate any positive feedback in this forum...why not start, "Hammer irate bitter forum," and leave the rest of us that find this forum very beneficial and informative!!!

Where's your stand as a pilot,(or probably not) in this forum?

Or are you leaving up to your title the "****less hammer?!!!!!??"

You make me....:yuk:

[Csanad007]

Edited: becouse I had to realize that Hammer is just trying to keep our feet on the ground

[Der absolute Hammer]

Hell's teeth..did not mean to offend two such important people and one of which is a seasoned pilot by his own words too.
Thought we were having a banter about hair spray.
My positive feedback stand on Maun?
I have been there countless times.
I think the town is hot, dusty, and a one horse place. Privately I do not like it.
I think the delta is wonderful.
I think that for a greenhorn pilot there is a lot of good experience to be gained by flying there.
I also think that for any pilot that there is much fun and satisfaction to be found when flying in the delta.
I am, always puzzling as why all the pilots in Maun seem to come from NZ, Canada/USA etc. Are there not enough ex pats from SA to fill the roles?
I wish all of you going to Maun this season, very good luck for the time there and for the future. It is, how do you say, an excellent fun place to cut your teeth.

[bond7]

Thank you 007.

[bond7]

Hammer,

You might soon find yourself with a new title...Obsolete hammer!!!! :zzz:

[erik07]

so far, i've been finding this thread very useful, but it seems to be losing its purpose more and more. could we please go beyond these petty arguments and get back to the original theme of the threads? i'm getting a little tired of having to scroll through post after post of insults, abuse and childish back-and-forths....

thanks to everyone whose provided all the useful info re maun here. sounds like a great place to start a career, and i'll be looking at it soon. but i'm under no illusions that it probably also gets VERY boring at times. but i guess you can't have everything :)

[waiterpilot]

Agreed. Let's keep this on the topic at hand (Maun jobs) rather than personal disputes.

As entertaining and beautifying as hair spray is, that has probably had it's day as well (3 pages and counting!). Although if you want to talk hair spray, talk hair spray; I certainly don't want to be the Stalin of the Thread!

Just want it to be useful to all....

I think the coming weeks will probably see my poker skills increase, and at least there is a sports club (don't know how well equipped it is though, and I'm certainly not lugging a tennis racket round Heathrow with me). I think my liver is also quivering at the thought of the experience, but hey - you only live once!

[Csanad007]

waiterpilot: did you manage to talk (email) with anyone in Maun? as I wrote you still nothing form the "top dogs", but the guys who are allready flying there are very helpful.

[alexace]

Hi guys, I posted some questions a couple of months ago on here regarding moving to Maun. I now live in Maun and am working for Mack Air.

Here are a couple of answers (in my opinion) to the questions you might be asking:

Some companies are hiring. It is probably only Sefofane that takes on more than one pilot at exactly the same stage as the other companies stagger the training a bit so it depends if the company has just taken on someone or not.

Only Sefofane bond pilots on the C206, all bond on the caravan.
Nearly everyone starts on the C206.

It is cheap to live here if you are short of funds for the time you are looking for work although if you eat all your meals out and go to the pub every night this gets more expensive. A pub meal is around 5 pounds, a beer around 1 pound, a snack (toastie or something) is 2 pounds. yu can live on very little if you need to but if you want to meet people sitting in your tent with a can of beans isnt going to get you a job. not sure about accommodation but there are plenty of camps and you can get taxis or these little buses that you flag down, dont need a car straight away.

All the companies want to get to know you and it is the pilots and the rest of the staff that make the decision. The presumption is that everyone can fly, we all have CPLs, so the emphasis is on if you're a nice guy, fit in, and they believe you want to be here for a couple of years.

There has been some guys turn up, stay for a couple of weeks then decide to go home so the companies are weary of this.

I have 250h straight out of flight school, thats not a problem.

There are a number of pilots moving down here now as the economy worsens elsewhere and people start looking wider afield.

Dec/Jan are good times to be here.

It is the beginning of the wet season/summer now, 25 degrees, humid, thumderstorms in the afternoon etc.

Internet is a bit crap here so takes a while to get things done.

Feel free to ask questions, will try to get back to you asap.

[jeanpant]

Guys if you cant handle a bit of banter here and dont have a sense of humour then get your mommy to unpack the suitcase she packed for you and stay away from Maun. Otherwise bring your passport/ birth certificate etc and flying doccos, harden the :mad: up, RELAX and come here for a bit of a laugh, a few beers and i wish you all the best of luck.

[waiterpilot]

Csanda007: No word from the 'top dogs' - but I have had my questions answered by the ever helpful alexace. The Insurance is dealt with by the companies once you are hired and I'll probably be able to go back to the UK for Christmas. Sorted!

Alexace: again - thanks!

Jeanpant: Harden up? I am veritably built for the kill! (or as much as you can be if you look twelve....)

I'm not the thread dictator; people can talk about what they want. I was merely suggesting that we keep on topic because when a thread gets this long, a first time reader doesn't want to have to scroll through pages of people going off on a random tangent interspersed with valuable nuggets of advice. Let's keep this a concentrated espresso of information!

Or, you know, hairspray. Whatever. :8

Have you just arrived in Maun or are you a seasoned veteran? How are you finding it?

[Csanad007]

good luck mate and hope to see you there next year.
and even have some news once in a while.

and hey have a few (dozen) beers :)

[MKA742]

Hi there!

I've read this whole thread (the story about the hairspray needed some fast forwarding indeed) and I must say I'm almost ready to say 'That's it, I'm going over there!'.
Having just finished my ATPL here in Belgium I'm a bit skeptic though. I will try to get a job with Luxair or TNT but with all those experienced f/o's out there I don't know if I stand a chance (I'm even thinking of going to Maun right away lol).
Aaanywayz, please contact me about how to wrap things up 'back home' and what to bring except from all the stuff I read here (tent, docs, clothes, and maybe some home made beers?). I have contacted 4 companies and await their reply.
I'm thinking of coming over around the 10'th of January. But I need that 'spark', you know? What are the chances I will get a job? 40% (no-go) or 80% (lets go) :} ?

Thx to all who posted good advice! I hope to see you soon! :ok:

[waiterpilot]

Welcome to the thread MKA742

A Police Certificate saying I have no criminal record and copies of my passport, birth certificate and license is what I have. Think (and hope) that is everything as far as official documents go....

Go on Google Earth and you will see there is not going to be too much of a problem buying things if you leave them behind; as I said it has a Spar, it has a Barclays and even a Woolworths (but don't know if this is the same chain as the rather grim company of the same name in the UK). I found another site (namely this one (http://www.jacanaent.com/)) that seems to be a shop's website but tells you alot more about what there is in Maun in general, as well as it's history.

If you get a reply from any of the companies you are doing better than me!

I personally wouldn't bother applying for TNT or Luxair (but you never know you might be lucky!) I would get to Maun ASAP, as I think there are quite a few people with the same idea with the economy going the way it is - it wasn't like this even just a year ago. Competition is going to be higher this time round, just like it is for all jobs aviationally based.

[Csanad007]

waiterpilot:
emailing seems to be bullsh*t, they probably don't even bother reading it, i've wrote som 30 letters to different persons.
no answer, except 3 guys on facebook. but they all say the same, get there and make yourself known. be able to drink a dozen beers and have a good sense of humor. if you fit there, you'll probably get something, if no, then... nothing else matters.

so, me too will be heading down with a few hundred CV-s and gonna post them on every wall and stuff :)

[MKA742]

Well about TNT, some companies like unexperienced people because they don't have a set of procedures in their mind which are hard to change. Just read Luxair's requirements "as young and un-experienced as possible"! lol! But of course there are a few hundred aiming at Luxair. Ive got a friend who did the asessment at Ryanair today. I'll see what he made out of it too first.

What makes me doubt coming to Maun is the cost, combined with the competition. I just spent 70000 euros on the ATPL and have nothing left. Even 2000 euros seems impossible now. That and the strong competition is really :eek::bored::\

But hey I'm a nice guy and people told me ive got a great set of skillz so why the heck not. Right?

Grind grind grind grind ... ... ...

Thx for reply :ok:

btw ive had a few replies

[Csanad007]

could you PM me some email adresses of those who answered you?
THX

[Timewarp]

:mad::mad::mad: Dirty :mad::mad:'s

[MKA742]

What's that?

All the contacts I found through links here sir :ok:

[Csanad007]

yeah me too, but no reply at all

[Juliet-Echo]

Hey all you guys thinking about going to Maun. I flew in Botswana for 6 years, and got to know the place pretty well.
If you are serious about getting a job there then FORGET about emails and CV's etc. You have to go there in person. This is Africa, after all, and they do not conform to the same processes as what you may be accustomed to in your own country.
You literally need to go knocking on doors until they get sick of you. And one word of advise - do not go into a pub and piss off any of the line pilots, in fact they are the ones you have to become mates with, because most of the hiring happens through their recommendations.

Good luck

Still the best time of my life. It's worth the gamble to get your butt over there.

[waiterpilot]

Well ladies and gents, I am definitely off (unless I want to turn my air ticket to a charitable donation for Virgin Atlantic that is).

Flights are booked for Monday - I'm off to meet Alexace! I will be sure to keep everyone posted with my travels and adventures. Anybody there at the moment/planning to go out there soon, I guess I will see you in the not-too-distant-future! You will know who I am when you get out there because I will probably be the only one getting ID'd for drinks, but hopefully the smell of trout will have departed from my person by then.

MKA742: I wish you luck with Luxair/TNT!

Timewarp: I don't know what you are trying to convey but you seem annoyed.

Juliet-Echo: 6 years! Blimey. Can't be THAT much of a dustbowl then. I wasn't emailing CV's or asking them to give me a job through email, as I know that's not how they work. I was just asking a couple of questions but got nothing back :{. Never mind - got the answers on here instead. I'll give them an earful when I arrive :}

Wish me luck!

[Wayback]

Since this is the Maun thread, I thought I'd ask what happened to A2-DOG ?? Anyone got some news of what happened? :eek:

[Csanad007]

waiterpilot: I envy you mate, I still have a long time to fly some 90 more hours, but now I'm like a kid who's waiting for Santa, except that I'm waiting to be headed to Maun...

and don't forget us, now and then drop a story here

good luck!!! :ok: and hope to see you there sometime

[Water Wings]

Since this is the Maun thread, I thought I'd ask what happened to A2-DOG ?? Anyone got some news of what happened? http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/eek.gif Today 05:23

Only what I hear second hand from the guy's in town. Happened at Nitswi (shortest strip in the Delta from memory for those who don't know the place). Six onboard. All alive, few broken ribs, arms and at least one broken jaw. Aircraft a write off (newly refurbished as well). Thunderstorms in the immediate area at the time. Pilot was a Kiwi. DCA investigating.

First write off in the Delta this year if my memory serves me right. Two in 07 and one in 06 I believe so crashes are still a regular thing for you new guy's heading to town, remember to bring your 'A' game :ok:

[Juliet-Echo]

Yeah waiterpilot. I used to work a regular 8 to 5 job as an engineer, and as soon as I got my comm I hitched a ride from SA, in an Islander, over to Maun. I stayed with the mate who flew the Islander, with hardly any money, and literally living on the bones of my @rse.
I was lucky to get a job with Safari Air about a week after arriving, and I thought I had died and gone to heaven!!
The flying was magic (low level flying over game infested waterland), there were always other pilots to share a few beers with at the old Duck Inn and plenty of expat women as well.

My alias is named after the 206 I flew there - A2-AJE. RT is also a bit different in the delta. Normally just the last 2 letters are used. Got about 1700 hrs on that machine, after arriving with a little over 200.

I didn't spend all 6 years in Maun. 2 years in Maun then 4 years in Gabs, flying King Airs. Look, the novelty of Maun eventually wears off and the desire to further your career also sets in, but now I fly for a major airline and there's certainly a lot of nostalgia!

Enjoy your time there, because one day, when you're sitting in an A330 at 41000 ft you're going to think back to the time you had in Maun.
Those 2 years pass by in the blink of an eye.

Cheers

JE

[MKA742]

Waiterpilot: Good luck over there!

I'm coming over too, in Janurai, I hope I'll still find a spot...
Would like it very much to get together with you and alexace! Can you send me an email please?

Im so excited!!! :D

[Mungalui]

:sad::sad::sad::sad:
A2-DOG, the dog, used to be my office.
Glad that nobody past away. She was not the fastest 206 in the fleet but she was a pleasure to fly. She was in a previous accident when she was still working for Wildlife. I had some of the best times in my life flying that machine. Like the man in Dubai said, best times you will have in your flying career. I was there for 3 years.Nostalgia is the word......

[dogismycopilot]

Waiterpilot, AlexAce, J-E, et al...
Good of you to share all the Q&A's about flying the Okavanga Delta. I'm one of those that Waiterpilot predicted would be popping out of the woodwork once this chat got rolling. It's been an education and an inspiration. Thanks to all of you, I'm about to buy a ticket too (from San Francisco); gonna beat the tarmac of Maun, Windhoek, etc. in search of that all-important first flying job. Am hoping to go in early January. By then, hairspray-&-tent-wielding guys, you'll be settled and signed on with a carrier in Maun because you did your homework and took action.

I was sorry to see this chat degenerate into name-calling briefly, but the main players got us back on track. I'll definitely buy a round when I get to Maun.
Cheers,
dogismycopilot FAA CPL ME & SE, IR, 600 hrs tt
PS Luckily, there's a Botswana consulate here in San Francisco. Any last-minute advice from anyone re stuff to get/do? Any requests?

[Swamp Rat]

Andy

If these chaps only knew half of the story :mad:

[Csanad007]

:{

but are eager to find out more and more.
but that is going to be only on the site I thinx

[Swamp Rat]

Guys please look through my response about the accident, might save your nuts one day if you do get the chance of flying in the Delta

[Csanad007]

avoiding go-there-itis and proper decision making is a big saver, not only in the delta (where I hope to fly sometime). me thinks so

[dogismycopilot]

007,
I think every sane person would agree with you on that, unless one can afford a very expensive vacation. But Maun seems to be the exception to the rule; that is, if you don't show up on the tarmac you can continue sending emails 'til your fingers are numb. Aye, there's the rub.

Let's hope we hear from Waiterpilot once he reaches Maun.

[Csanad007]

yepp sir, you are right, I know how this works (unfortunately).

something else:
I'm trying to put together a small site for the wannabe Maun pilots.
will gather and sort the informations from here (without hairspray), put some nice photos. would probably quote posts pro and cons from here and my mailing if u guys agree (Dupre, waiterpilot, Swamp Rat, Der absolute Hammer just to name a few).
there would be of good help to guys and gals to have the info in one place.

[waiterpilot]

Yo homies.

I have seven minutes left for the internet cafe, so this probably won't be as long and fascinatingly brilliant as previous postings.

I have arrived! London = hail, Maun = 35 degrees, so there is quite a difference! There is wireless interent at Audi camp, and round the town there are a few hotspots, so bring your laptops (assuming you don't mind worrying about them being nicked all the time)!

I have been round to a couple of the companies, not got round them all yet - but everyone is very friendly and helpful. When you first arrive just introduce yourself, and you will be speaking to somebody 'in power' pretty quick. Make a good impression and hand in your CV! They will then send you up in any flights where there are spare seats. I did this today in the Caravan for the first time and I am pleased to announce I spotted an elephant. I even got a Mack Air shirt (several sizes too big mind you - the sleeves make me look like I have wings).

Nobody really knows what they are hiring this year, since their bookings re down compared to last season - but there seem to be lots of pilots leaving in January so that would be a good time to arrive. There is only one other guy looking for a job at the moment.

Audi camp is sandy - be careful or you will chafe...

That's all for now, will be back in a few days to let you know my progress!

[denlopviper]

finally you made it there :ok:

visa under process now, so will find out by 11th or 12th december. another couple of weeks to get the transit visa for SA and then im off as well :E:E


DDMow, one of my friends also mentioned this and told me to take along a small torch with a UV LED, helps seeing those creepy crawlies better at night when checking the tent and the sleepingbag.

[nbv4]

waiterpilot: I have one question for you right off the bat. How did you get to Maun? Did you fly into Johannesburg, then another connecting flight to Maun? Or did you use some other form of getting there?

[Csanad007]

happy to hear from you.
hope you get into something soon.
check your PM

[variometer]

Some very informative postings on this thread thanks.

Just met a lad in Spain doing an IR who did some awesome flying in Maun over several seasons. The flying looks awesome. When I finish my JAA IR in a couple of weeks I have to decide where I want to go next.

Thoroughly enjoyed all the postings here and pics on Facebook, as well as an excellent video on Youtube. Looks like you guys out in Botswana get some seriously good flying,

Will be back to follow Waiterpilot's progress and find out whether others manage to find work. :D

Glider Pilot from U.K

[GavinStorkey]

nbv4, best way to get to maun is fly to JBurg, then air botswana into maun, simple and easy

cheers

Gavin

[MKA742]

... and expensive.
I think I'll go by train or bus. :ok:

[sacrolicious]

Fantastic thread folks, and I'm sold. I would like to be in Maun now only my JAA licence needs renewal in mid January. So I plan to head over after the paper work has been ironed out and dismissed then eventually accepted by the CAA.

So my question is do you think mid January is too late to go over to Maun?

Also I plan on flying in to Jo'burg but I would really really like to get some C206 time, let say 5 hrs. Does anybody know where I could get 5hrs C206 time in Europe or Jo'burg?

[erik07]

hey sacrolicious. I've been looking for 206 time in SA as well, and have found that Lanseria Flight School (http://www.flylfc.com/index.html) near Johannesburg has a couple of 206 in their 'charter' fleet. Perhaps it would be worth giving them a call to enquire about whether it would be possible to rent one of their aircraft to build up some experience... I'm not sure what's needed to be able to fly in south africa. my guess would be a license validation, but i have no idea.

[Csanad007]

loungefart: read the post and you'll see that the answer is yes

[Z_Pilot]

Hi there :)

I have read all 9 pages of this thread. I am inspired. Waiterpilot and others: the fact that you just packed up and headed to Bots is crazy!...and exciting!

I am an airline pilot in the states. I am getting laid off in January. I am 30 years old, and feel like I have not lived life yet. I need a change, a rather dramatic one. Contemplating a move to Maun would involve selling and storing my possessions, uprooting a stable, yet somewhat boring life, and having an early midlife crisis :} As a pilot, it is easy to daydream about the big jets in the flight levels, however, I yearn for avgas and 500' agl.

I first learned of aviation in Maun firsthand, as a tourist. My family and I visited the delta, via a 206, in 1999. A fellow, close to my age at the time shuttled us off to our camp. Although it was a quick flight, I remember it fondly.

With that said, I seek more information about the operation down there from those whom have some time to sacrifice.

1. I need more information about what is required to convert my FAA certificate to the Bots eqivalent. Is the process the same for all foreign certificates? Are the written exams based Bots air law? Can someone point me out how to prepare for this? And the 206 time. Is this a company or govornment policy? Will the company that hires a pilot take care of this requirement?

2. It seems that all of the rest of the requirements are handled after you arrive, such as the Certificate of Clearance. Is this a correct assumption?

3. Living situation. This is still not quite clear to me. Do you all live in tents? If so, what can you comment about security (like leaving a laptop in the tent while working)? Showers? Is it at a camp? Water and electricity available? Cost? Options other than tents?

4. Silly question. Can you be overqualified?

5. A friend of mine is seeking a change in his life too, he might want to tag along. In the past, he was a highschool teacher, now is stuck in corporate America. He loved teaching. Would he be able to find employment...such as teaching English?

6. OK, this is a long shot, as I am sure none of you have information...but...do any of you know if it is possible to bring my dog?

Thanks for any and all help you can provide. I will check back often. Also feel free to PM me. I can also provide an email address. :ok:

ZP

[nibbio86]

Does anyone know if its any worth trying to get a job in botswana with only a ME Commercial? (I dont have a SE Commercial)

Actually i would say no, since apparently 90% of the fleet are singles and anyway you are going into one of those at the beginning. I suppose a Commercial SE is necessary.

[Csanad007]

wow I can't get that straight... I'm stoopid, sorry :ugh:
you can have ME comm without having SE comm? how's that?

[denlopviper]

FAA class rating :}

[Csanad007]

gott im himmel, would have never belived it...
that is FAAbulous

[dogismycopilot]

Csanad007 (and those who may be curious),

The ME Comm thing is one of those odd little glitches in the marvellous FAA system here in the US. It even has certain advantages over doing a Commercial the conventional way (i.e. SE Comm first, then ME).

I got my ME Comm first and then did the SE Comm as an add-on. Since your initial Comm rating is in a twin (and hence complex) airplane, when you go to do your SE Comm you don't even need to use a complex aircraft: you could take your checkride in a Cherokee or even a Cessna 152 if you wanted to. Plus, the oral and checkride are abbreviated because you've already done a commercial oral and demonstrated proficiency (hopefully) at complex systems (gear, flaps, prop). The SE ride itself is pretty simple--of course you still have to jump through the usual hoops: chandelles, etc. That's about it. (Well, you did ask.)

Question: I've decided to go try Namibia first but it sounds like kind of a royal pain to convert FAA licenses to Namibian. I'd really like to know how involved the conversion is in Botswana, 'cause I might pop over to Maun and stand in line behind the rest of you guys if it proves to be too hard/expensive to convert in Namibia.

Waiterpilot, where are you? Did you get a job--or just a girlfriend? We're all waiting to hear from you. Thanks!

[sacrolicious]

Thanks erik07 I sent a mail to Lanseria Flight School, they haven't got back to me yet but judging by their web site they don't rent the C206. Looks like they keep it for scenic flights, but when I know, you'll know.

Also I have read the whole thread, and I did read that open season for pilots is normally November - February, but this year isn't a normal year (Economic world slow down and such), I'm wondering if mid-January would be too late to start job hunting?

I know it's a difficult question to answer(How long is a piece of string?) but maybe some seasoned Maun or ex-Maun pilots have sensed how this season will fair out and have mentioned it to some ppruners, who might relay this info.

[Csanad007]

dogismycopilot:
interesting. but here (at least in Hungary, which is still an ICAO country) if you have SE comm it takes 10 hours flying in a ME A/C and you'll have both.

Waiterpilot: hope you already got that job and you're preparing for the botswana law exam and stuff and that's why we don't hear from you. :ok:

[Der absolute Hammer]

Lanseria Flight Centre 206 has been sold.

[waiterpilot]

My return to pprune is marked with an inbox saturated with PMs and a thread baying for a post. Nice to feel wanted.

I have good and bad news.

The bad news: due to a family emergency (which sounds awfully dramatic) I am back in the UK.

The good news: back on my own internet - so I can give you all an in depth report of my discoveries in Maun without having the internet cafe staff looking at their watches and sighing. I will be returning in January, so never fear - if you are headed that way you will see me in the flesh eventually (although my mummy always said not to meet strangers off the internet).

I hope this thorough debriefing makes up for my previous lack of postings - I am afraid my mind has very much been on other things as of late :(. Anyway, I will probably post this over several days as I think this might be a long one. I do have photo's - but not very many.


The Journey Out

Booked through Expedia - seems to be just about the only site that knows where Maun is, so you can book everything on the same e-ticket, and get a discount on the Air Botswana flight. Just type in Maun or MUB in the destination box. You can get a coach from Joburg to Gabs then another to Maun, but this will take over a day and will be boring (but cheap!). Since this was my first time in Africa I decided to go for the Air Botswana flight instead of bussing it and being a Marcus Brody type character in Indiana Jones bumbling his way through two countries. I was most impressed with the offering of a bran muffin on this flight which came in it's own shoe box, with knife, fork, spoon, salt and pepper. Very sophisticated.

You can't buy tents in Joburg airport although there is a adventure store there which sells pretty much everything else adventury like rucksacks, shoes, mosquito nets, lanterns etc. (I went in there especially to report back to the thread. Be grateful.) JNB is also the last stop to buy books really so stock up!


Arrival

Once you land, and leave the airport you will initially probably think something along the lines of "what the hell now?!". Across the road and through the gates there is like a row of new shops with a bureau de change so probably best to go there first, then I went for a drink in the bon arrive restaraunt after my muffin extravagence. Pilots are easy to spot as they are all in their company shirts, so said hi to a couple of them, then I decided to find my way to Audi camp. It may be Maun, but there are loads of taxi's and they adopt the New York approach where you dramatically shout 'taxi!' and get in. Should be about 20 - 30 pula for the ride to Audi.


Audi and Camping

Camping in your own tent is 17pula per night (pilot price!) There is a bar and a restaurant, both of which are reasonable for prices. Breakfast is 55pula, dinner with drinks about 60pula, beer is 13pula. Staff are all very friendly, and at the moment it isn't too busy.

As I said before, camp site is sand (which I suppose I will allow, they do have the excuse that it is Africa). So that gets everywhere, and there isn't too much shade so your tent is pretty much always melty hot. The toilets/showers are clean, but one thing I didn't think about before was the number of bugs. Whatever you do, have a shower BEFORE it gets dark - otherwise you will have to do a bushtucker challenge later in the evening with beetles the size of a golf ball and moths the size of a small child divebombing your naked body. You will also need to get used to the fact that anytime you use running water you will be commiting beetle genocide. I would also advise you to steer clear of the toilets until they have cleaned them in the morning as they are a seething mass of drowning invertebrates.

Nothing much else on the wildlife front - there is a fence running all round the campsite with guards so you don't need to worry about lions or anything. There are a few scorpions and there was even a black mamba in the toilets on Wednesday, but this particular story was ended with the introduction of a machete to the plot. I don't think you really need to worry about these things getting in your tent TOO much - if you leave your tent open long enough for the 14ft black mamba to get in I would hesitantly suggest you are an idiot. I'll let you off with the scorpions - but nothing ever got in my tent. Not even a beetle or mosquito.

One thing I would suggest you do is bring ear plugs. I didn't as Virgin Atlantic used to just GIVE you some for free - alas the credit crunch really biting now. The dogs have barking competitions at night, which awakens the roosters who evidently don't want to be left out of this acoustical action, and their squawkings then enrage the donkeys who like to add to this menagerie of sound with their own displeasure. Yeah. So ear plugs. I also suggest to keep a bit of luggage space free by nicking the airline pillow you get (I was very proud of my resourcefulness here), and if you can manage it, bring a mat for sleeping on - I only had to camp for three nights but the hard ground was beginning to cause me quite some pain. Hopefully like me you will be able to housesit after a few days in town with the ensuing matress.

I have had enough now, my fingers are bleeding stumps - I will post on the other stuff later. Stay tuned for: the companies, housing, and 2009 season job prospects! Also I will answer some of Z_pilots enquiry (if others haven't done so by then).

By the way: I know one or two of the guys in Maun do check this thread - can I say thanks for the great time & sorry I didn't get round to all of you to say bye, it was quite unexpected and I had to rush off! See you all in Jan!

[GavinStorkey]

waiterpilot, good to hear you got back safe and well... i will let you know whats happening with sefo over the next month aye, keep in touch, oh and the other companies

cheers

Gavin

[MKA742]

Best of luck with your troubles in the UK. :uhoh:

Thanks for the informative post. :ok: Looking forward to part 2.

I hope you can make it there in Jan so we can meet up.

And to the guys over there, looking forward to meet you.

+EDIT+

For the guys over at Maun. Is anyone interested in an airline ticket back to Europe? Im coming 2nd of Jan, I think from Dusseldorf with Air Berlin. So I can book a ticket back and sell it to you on your desired return date. A name change will be enough.
PM me if interested.

[denlopviper]

good to finally hear from you again, hope everything works out fine for you at home!

i'll get the news on my visa in 2 weeks times, after that im off. kind of getting tired of writing thsi very same line again and again:\:\

oh and nice tips and will definately see you there :ok: (fingers crossed)!

[gutso-blundo]

Guys stop it, you're making me so jealous!
In fact, my wife would be quite irate at my constant rantings of wanting to head over on the next plane if she didn't want to go over there herself! I reckon give it another year (yeah, usual story, eh?) and we'll both be over - she is lacking in the commercial licence department at the moment, but well on the way...
Waiterpilot, I wish you the very best of luck, and I hope everything works out well for you (on both sides of the world). Your posts have been a great read, and with an attitude like yours I'm sure you'll have no probs getting on with everyone and landing that job. As long as you don't smell of trout :}

[Z_Pilot]

Also I will answer some of Z_pilots enquiry (if others haven't done so by then).

Much appreciated my friend!

ZP

[waiterpilot]

Right, where was I in this epic monologue?

Asking for jobs

Once you have chilled at Audi for the night, and negotiated the horrors of the beetle killing fields for your morning wash, you will probably want to go out and get yourself known to some of the companies.

So, get up early, throw your CV's, headset, licenses and logbooks in your bag and head off. Best way to get into town is by combi, these are small minivan things that patrol the main road just outside the camp. Stand outside, do the universal sign of the hitchiker and get ready for a sweaty excursion. It is 3 pula into town - and a good 15 minutes to get in. When you want to get off (near the petrol station) just shriek or something and they will let you out. One thing you will notice is how much more friendly everybody is - it's not like the UK where everyone sits ashen face reading the Metro, miserable and cold. Everyone is happy and talking to you trying to make you feel welcome. So that's nice.

The office's are pretty easy to spot, Moremi and Kavango are in the airport 'terminal' upstairs. Delta air is just across the road from the airport inside the gates (and cattle grid), Sefo is a bit further up this road too, Mack air is next to bon arrive, and Safari Air is up another road (so that narrows it down doesn't it?)

You will go in, say I'm new in town looking for a pilot job, and then hopefully someone will come out and speak to you. Once you have handed your CV's in, then you will be trying to find some empty seats on a flight to get some experience of flying in the Delta, which isn't a bad way to spend a day. At Sefo, you will have to sit a three hour exam and have a formal interview, which I have not yet experienced but it sounds joyous.

That is pretty much it. Basically keep going in at about 8am everyday, look keen and enthusiastic and try and get on some flights. That could last for days, weeks, even months.


The Companies

From what I see you have two different groups of companies on how they run things for hiring new pilots. 1) Sefo and then 2) Everyone else. Sefo is the largest company and so is obviously going to be more impersonal. The best way I can describe it is as an airline - you turn up for a written exam and then an interview and are hired on the basis of this. At the other companies, your interview room is the pub - buy some drinks and get on well with the other guys.

Safety seems okay - there are accidents (see other posts on here for the most recent), but they are quite rare considering how many movements there are. Aircraft are flying so often that most problems are picked up early at the 50/100 hour checks so there aren't too many problems (although Mr Storkey was telling me of a recent electrical fire he'd had. IMC is usually supposed to only exist OUTSIDE the cabin.) Maintenance from what I am told is very good.


Housing

Yes there is housing, rent is from as little to as much as you want. You could stay at Audi for your whole time at 17pula a night, but I would suggest this would not be pleasant. The housing is.... functional. The tap water is drinkable (well, I drank it and I am not dead), there is a sewerage system, hot and cold water. Then you have the luxuries if you pay for them like satellite TV with BBC (yey!) and the like. The interior design leaves much to be desired however. There are also little clusters of housing where the pilot's live (in a sort of aviators ghetto I suppose) - but I only saw inside the one house I stayed in to look after the dog and the cat. Expect about 750pula - 1250pula a month which isn't too bad really.


Job prospects

Had a good long chat to Stuart, the owner of Mack Air about this one. All the companies are seeing lower bookings and higher cancellations this year, and so none of them really know what they are going to do for next season yet with regard to hiring. Moremi not even sure if they are going to replace the aircraft they just lost. From the sounds of things there are a good few people leaving in January, so I guess that would be the time to go (earlier the better).

So there will be some jobs, but I am not sure how many. With the economy going the way it is, I can see more people headed to Maun than normal, but not to the levels that there were even just three years ago (apparently about 20 people!) If you are definately going and you haven't posted in here yet (an unsettlingly named 'Lurker' of the forum) please do! We won't bite. Well, I won't.


Mr/Ms Z_Pilot I apologise that this is a rather functional reply to your post rather than my usual (attempt at) friendly communication. I have completely lost the will to live with all this typing. Nothing Personal.

1. Company sorts this out for you when you are hired.
2. You need a police clearance certificate thing to say what (if anything) you have on your record. This will need to be done before you head to Maun. If you are refering to work permit, visa, bots license then yes that is handled by the company after you are hired.
3. See above. Don't worry - it's not Lawrence of Arabia!
4. No.
5. I am afraid that despite my vast experience of one week in Maun I don't know on that one.
6. If you bring your dog he will only add to the animal symphony of the night. I guess best place to ask that would be Botswana customs or something. I can assure you there will definately be paperwork though.


...... And I'm spent.

I think I have armed you all well for the great unknown (henceforth the very well known) that is Maun, but if there is anything else you want to ask, feel free - I'll keep checking back.

Remember, if you are a lurker - post!

Cheers Guys - see (some of) you in a month!

PS. Csanad007: Liking the site! There's a load more for you to add :)

[RMarvin86]

This is my first post in this thread so first thing to say is GREAT. Really an interesting reading, keep it going.

I'm a fresh PPL guy so I've still a long way to go before I can consider to bush flying but that's probably the way I want to start in the future.

I've a very simple question, how many pilots are working in Maun during the peak season? Are they all seasonal or some do stay all year long?
How many hours do they fly on average per week?
I should have read all posts but didn't find it or maybe I missed it.

[ragdragger]

Hello all,
Ive been lurking for a while and finally decided to post. I have decided to try my luck in Maun this season and have booked a flight to Johannesburg on Jan 7 as well as the Air Botswana flight onward to Maun.

From what Ive read Im a bit older than the average Botswana job seeker at 36 and maybe more experienced with 1800 hrs, 60 hrs TU206 time and an MEI, but I suspect with the hiring situation as bleak as it is in the States that there will be a few more high time pilots heading to Maun this year than seasons past. Id love to think my hours would give me a better shot at stepping into a Caravan position more quickly, but Im not too optimistic.

I think most of my questions have been answered already by previous posts, but I would love to hear more about the Sefofane interview if anyone has been through it already. Im surprised no one seems to have posted a gouge anywhere online yet. My instrument knowledge is a bit rusty but Im guessing they they dont focus so much on IFR stuff.

Cant wait to get there! Looking forward to running into some of you at Audi Camp and the local Pubs. Anyone else from the San Francisco Bay area going to be around?
-adam

[ragdragger]

Ive read on this thread about needing a certificate of clearance from the police, but I havent heard of this requirement anywhere else including the Botswana consulate site. Is this a requirement for the tourist visa? Or just when applying for a residency permit? If it involves fingerprinting then most likely I wont have time to complete the process before leaving so I am a little worried about it.

[nbv4]

I think Americans are exempt from the police certificate thing. At least thats my impression...

Also, I don't live there anymore, but I used to live in central California. I'll be in Maun by the 10th of January. I'm also in the same boat as you, with 1400 hours. All though from what I read, having a lot of time really doesn't get you any further, as they don't really seem to care about how many hours you have.

[Csanad007]

Try reaching Gavin Storkey, he posted here a few times, and is flying for sefo as I know

[waiterpilot]

Meant to say actually: the only thing stopping people from going onto the Caravan is a 1000 hour rule for insurance. You will still have to start on the 206 but I would imagine that if there is space on the Caravan you could be fast tracked through. Don't quote me on this though!

Usual way of doing it for a 250hr guy is start on the 206 for a year, then fly both the 206 and the Caravan the next. Then you also have a sprinkling of Airvans and Islanders into the mix to keep it interesting.

RMarvin86: Most stay all year long. You get 4 weeks leave but I heard of a couple that took a couple extra weeks unpaid. I don't know exactly how many pilots there are but the number 60 was floated around. You fly 5 to 6 hours a day in the high season, six days a week (and I should imagine beer has never tasted so good afterwards).

ragdragger: Good to see you emerge from the shadows! I can't help with the police certificate thing (I guess you'll find out in the not too distant future), but I can say enjoy your succulent muffin on Air Botswana!

Just to let you all know; I am not sure if there will be jobs for everyone in Maun. Sorry to slip into the usual pprune mood of sombreness and pessimism from my usual cheerful self, but it's a fact. If you hang around long enough then you will most likely get a job (four months for one of the guys out there) - but there will be some going in January.

If you are willing to broaden your horizons a bit and head of to Namibia or another close by country (if and when you grow weary of hanging around for a job in everyones favourite donkey resort) you should be able to find something! Here (http://www.pprune.org/african-aviation/350918-more-info-those-low-timers-seeking-job-namibia.html) is info on that.

[Desert Strip Basher]

This thread is worrying me a little. There is only the very hint of realism toward the end. I don't want to dampen enthusiasm, but the image this is creating is somewhat different to what can be expected for your ongoing life in Africa. Life here is much harder than you might imagine and it's really only suitable for a certain personality. Please realise that there is an inherent risk, not just financial but obviously health and accidents. If/when something goes wrong, will you feel safe? You can't take anti-malarials on a permanent basis. You WILL become ill at some stage, perhaps needing a hospital visit. And remember that over 50% of the population of Bots have AIDS. Life is VERY different from the image being generated of easy employment (there isn't) and fun (it can be anything but - don't think this is a holiday camp). Sure, a very few people, if lucky enough to find a job will find some adventure (even though this thread seems to be trying to destroy exactly that?!?!?!?!), though most people will not be suited to this environment for ongoing employment and life. In the probable case that you can't get a job even after 4 months, there is nothing else. Hope this doesn't annoy people, but it's better that you have realistic expectations.

[waiterpilot]

Thanks Desert Strip Basher, I actually was just starting to think this thread was getting a little too idyllic. I'm all for a more positive pprune (looking at the wannabe's employment section everyone is suicidal), but we still need to have our feet on the floor.

As for destroying the sense of adventure, I am just trying to help - I got a number of PM's asking a range of questions so rather than answer all of them individually I tried to vomit all the info up on the thread. My very first paragraph on the first post says I know it isn't really part of the adventure spirit meticulously getting every grain of information I possibly can before I go, but it is a big decision for me and I want to know what I might be getting myself into! I'm just trying to help people know what they are getting themselves into, and yes I know it's a little happy happy but that is because I had such a good time! Please be aware guys I was only there for a week, and don't really know how it works.

Don't worry - it takes far more than somebody keeping me in check to annoy me. You will be pleased to know you won't be feeling my immense wrath (and if you are one of the guys out there at the moment who met me you will know how terrifying THAT would be)

I suppose I good way to end this post would be... keep it real! :ok:

[GavinStorkey]

just a note to the last two posts,
its true this place can bite you in the ass, but if you settle in, have good friends, fly safe and look after yourself, its a really cool place to stay and get your hours up. Just remember to write emails to companies before coming, try and get in contact and find the best times to come, cause some guys can be waiting for quite somtime to get work. Further more, if u can handle bugs, and bugs and more bugs... sand and the heat... flying in 40 degree heat with no aircon, then this is the place for u

[MKA742]

I love that lol. Better then this rainy acy weather with all the depressed people complaining about every fly sh*t.

If only the companies looked at their mails more lol ... ;)

[chillbill]

Daft (well possibly) questions alert.

1) should i take my laptop? Will it still be there when i get back to my tent at the AUDI camp? Any internet / wifi available?

2) is it quite informal there when looking for work? Do people go wandering around in the heat CV's in hand in full glorious pilot attire? Or is jeans and a T shirt the norm?

3) Is it worth taking a load of malarials or are they cheap to get over there? Are they even needed?

4) If i choose not to stay at camp AUDI are there any other cheapish places to bunk in Maun that dont involve tents?

5) Is there anything else to do in Maun aside from getting blotto? :ok:

6) ermmm, thats it. (for now)

CB

[denlopviper]

according to Waiterpilot, theres WiFi at Audi Camp so a lappy might come in handy. if i take mine, i'll keep it with me rather than leaving it in the tent :)

i checked online and the cheapest i got was i think 300 palu a night, but since my budget doesnt allow for more that 50 a night, so i stopped looking :p

[Desert Strip Basher]

That's the exact point Gavin....IF they settle in. What people need to think about is life in Africa first and foremost. Any possible flying is secondary - and think long term, well beyond your 1 week holidays. It's fairly obvious if a character will be able to stick it out - to me that's one of the main selection criteria. As jobs are filled readily now in any case, I just want to help prevent unsuitable people wasting $4000USD and 6 months of their life through seeing this all through rose tinted spectacles. All this talk of WiFi etc is just nonsense.

[Der absolute Hammer]

When I flew in Maun the temperature in the cockpit of an aircraft standing on the ground could become 48c quite easy. I do not know what the effect of that is on computers. I do know what the effect was on me. So if you take it with you, pack a cool box?

[Csanad007]

In advance, please xcuse my horrific english prose and the pathetics in this post :8

I think that there are more guys on this forum than those who will actually take their stuff and head to Maun.

me personally will get either to Maun either to Windhoek as soon as I have my hours and rating licenses.

I'm no dreamer but if u lived in eastern europe with the same flight training fees as in the western part of europe but with far less incomes you'd have no illusions. working your guts out just to fly a bit and build some hours - besides having to pay a load of other stuffs - you'll become hell of a relistic guy. instructing said somebody... well, you need more than 400 hours for that kinda stuff, and there is no job guarantee.

I really read what Der absolute Hammer posted here earlier (also I quoted him on my website), and I agree with you DSB, but I've seen all available pictures on the net, I've seen the satellite images on google earth. I looked after guys who lived in Bots, called the consulate, tried to acquire all necessary information.
Yepp, ol' donkeytown isn't downtown New York, not even downtown Nyíregyháza (badass Hungarian city), but it could be the center of the world for some dedicated guys.

so for me Maun is like light at the end of the tunnel, which I never hoped to really see, but was too fanatic to confess it to myself. and I know that it is the place where I must go and try to find a flyin' job, 'cos if not I'm going to regret it my hole life (there's going to be that what if)

good luck to you all.
take care, and my mom told me to fly low and slow :}

[denlopviper]

lol, wouldnt have any major effects as long as its in the shade except for some seals giving way but hey as long as you have a screwdriver and silicon it can be fixed :}

the talk on WiFi was just a way to communicate back home, not entertainment or anything.

[Der absolute Hammer]

Csanad007.

May I please say that the English is excellent. I can understand it completely.
I think you have an excellent attitude and Maun flying will be, what they say, your cup of Roibos. You will get hours pretty damned quick and see some wonderful wildlife. Also it will be an adventure and I wish you the best of the absolute luck!

[Csanad007]

THX, this is most honouring.

[Vilasy]

I'm heading to Maun in late January - can't go earlier due to family commitments. Very much looking forward to it. I have a south african cpl, and did most of my time building flying around botswana and namibia.

I'm getting worried that late jan will be too late, that you all will get the jobs first! :P

[Subhuman]

Hi there,

Just finished CPL/IR in the UK and have decided that Africa is where I want to be, however - I will be stuck in the UK for other commitments until late January - is the hiring season very set in stone or is it plausible to get jobs in Febuary-March time? I'd like to know this before I go off and get tickets booked/vaccinations etc.

Thanks in advance

[Machuu99]

Hi guys! I'm a 38 years old french canandian who had a valid cpl, twin ifr in 1992 (320TT)... and as I didn't know places like Maun were existing, so I stayed a low timer pilot!! Then, I went to University, got a good job, buy a house, traveled etc... but this pilot thing still annoying me.

I'm actually renewing my cpl and I have to confess that flying in Africa sounds like music for me... Just want to know if you see any problems for an older low timer pilot in Maun and Africa.

Thanks!

[waiterpilot]

Jobs going throughout the year (but I don't think that many going June-August). Heard of some people getting hired in May last year, so you might as well try your luck.

Looks like the lack of tourists this season will be more than made up by the number of pilots looking for work!

chillbill:
1) There are internet cafes including one right across the road from the airport, so you don't REALLY need one. You'd either have to lug it around everywhere with you (which I am not sure would be pleasant in the heat) or leave it in your tent (which isn't exactly fort knox. Plus meltage could ensue).

2) Jeans not so much (hot!) bring lots of shorts. You don't need to go suited and booted it's quite informal.

3) I don't really know about this one. When I went I didn't bother, but it wasn't the major mosquito season yet. Also malaria can manifest itself after a month so I could yet get it. If this is my final post, you will have your answer.

4) Sedia hotel is a hotel, strangely enough; (www.sedia-hotel.com (http://www.sedia-hotel.com/)). Also you can get tents at Audi (the wannabe pilot's ghetto needs to stick together!) which are large enough to stand up in and have their own beds with matresses (which I stared jealously at most days). You still have to use the communal la Salle de Beetles though.

5) Donkey spotting. Which is thrilling.

6) Are/When you going?

[Der absolute Hammer]

You are a very informative guy waiterpilot. Most kind and many thanks for great thrills, information and entertainment.
What we have done on weekends in Botswana is to go out in to dust desert, not really sand is it, and plant a radish. The we would water it and then see if it grows by the next weekend. It never did, of course, but like playing the grand piano, it was a link with the sanity.

[stoffs]

Hey guys,
I am a newbi to this forum, just letting you know that I am (probably) heading to Maun early Jan. As I have read the last 11 pages I actually have no questions. Just hoping to build a few contacts and maybe meet some of you guys over there. I have finished all my training just need to sell my car and get the funds to go. Use to live in Cape Town for 13years so will be great to get back to the motherland. Hope to see you all there soon.
Cheers Chris

[erik07]

wow looks like lots of people are seriously heading down there to compete for the jobs -- best of luck to you all! hopefully by the time i head down there in late 2009 / early 2010 there'll be less competition :) but that's wishful thinking i guess.

i'll be heading to maun in the first week of Jan 09 to check it out, and have a chat with a few people regarding the situation there. hope to bump into some of you guys over a cold beer...i hear pilots are hard to miss in Maun ;)

all the best for the festive season!

[Der absolute Hammer]

It sounds like many pilots thinking of going to Maun on spec and prepared to live in uncomfortable conditions for love of flying and future career.
This takes time and may be is not productive in present tourist economy problems.
If those who are the head honchos in Maun, read these forum, like new Chief Pilot of Sefofane, it would be real nice if they could give some guide lines as to their need for recruitment over this season coming or in now. Also, they could possibly answer questions as to long term situation in August 2009.
This is the wishful hoping of course but it would be a very kind thing to do. I mean, all of the CPs in Maun must know each other and could help out here a little with some of the very general questions without doing themselfes any harm.
Come on guys, fess up now, are bookings really well down or are things more or less normal for need for pilots!?

[Csanad007]

I have to agree,
some guys over there could point out a few things regarding the situation in these recessive days. Otherwise they'll have 50 wannabe honchos wandering around companies and bars in Maun. while there will be no tourists to be flown.

I think I'm in a lucky position as my not too many hours keep me on hold. and in 10-12 months the situation will show if this is the end of the world or we can press on...

[Vilasy]

Question - should I be thinking of bringing my car up? It's just in joburg, would it be much to my advantage? Otherwise, I was going to get rid of it.

And, any other female Maun pilots/wannabes on here? I know there are a few, I always hear chicks over the air when I've flown up there in the past. Any advice on life in maun as a girl? :)

[nibbio86]

From what I've read till now, this year in Maun there will be more pilots than tourists to be flown! Waiterpilot, the opening of this thread has been a very interesting and useful thing, but also an enormous damage. Now apparently everybody is going there, and the competition will be at the top. You opened what i would call a Pandora Pot. No offence there, just for saying. Hope all the best for you guys hitting the road.

[Vilasy]

nibbio86, I think that most of the folks who are serious about going would have gone anyways. I'd planned on it for ages, for one, I've even flown up there a couple times to check it out during my time building.

[Csanad007]

I just imagined myself flying to Maun as timebuilding. From Hungary to Bots :eek: and yeah, with a c150 :mad:

Now that would be an adventure! :8

[Vilasy]

sorry, I meant time building for my CPL. I didn't see the point in spending 100 hours going to the local general flying area and back, so I did a lot of little trips to bots and namibia.

[Csanad007]

I got that, I was just joking and grudging :hmm:

[SkySurfin]

For several years in Maun we had over 50 pilots through the doors looking for jobs each season (2002-2003). Infact one of those years we had around 70. Back then there was no big forum on PPRUNE, yet all these pilots still showed up looking for work. Unfortunatley of course there wasnt 50 or 70 jobs available so a lot of people went home without work. Some of these people stayed just a week then left without work, whilst others stayed 3 months and then came back looking the next year. In the end though the guys that wanted the jobs the most and could fit in with the Maun lifestyle all got jobs eventually. Even if this meant coming back next season or going to Namibia or Zambia for a year first to get a start. I guess what im getting at is that if you want to get a job in Maun then you will get it. BUT it may take 3 months in a tent at Audi camp, or even worse you may have to throw in the towel and come back next season. The best advise I can give is to be prepared that you may not get a job. Ive seen guys completley gut wrenched because they had come over with the opinion they would definitley get a job and it has turned out there are none left. I suspect that under the current financial world climate that business may be slow next year in Maun. In saying that though there is always attrition in Maun at some stage so a bit of luck with timing and a great attitude goes a long way. Maun was some of the best years of my life for sure, you arrive with a few hundred hours and leave with a few thousand, but more importantly you will leave with one of the best life experiences you can be given. It will be very tough at times, especially job hunting at Audi camp with 20 other guys. Keep your chin up, stay positive and try your best to enjoy yourself.

Good Luck to those who make the Journey to Maun its an amazing part of the world and some very amazing people live their.

[waiterpilot]

Trust me, when I started this thread I had no idea what horrors I had unleashed on the world - I just wanted the answer to my questions! I wouldn't say I've done any damage though, just shot myself in the foot perhaps. I think this is more than made up by the sheer amount of information that has been exchanged between those wanting to go and those there/been - plus this will be available to anyone in the future. Even then, unless you have been to the area, you can't imagine what it is like to live there (and I don't mean that in a bad way).

I like to help people out (incidentally hence my website www.profpilot.co.uk (http://www.profpilot.co.uk) :E. I'll just casually throw that in there) and if that means a couple of extra people to battle for jobs so be it. I can assure you, a few months in Maun is better than serving trout.

I'm quite looking forward to actually meeting the people behind the usernames.

Vilasy: One of the fellow wannabes who was in Maun while I was, drove up from Cape Town, which must have been nearly as thrilling as donkey spotting. I think that if you can be arsed, it would be a good idea to drive up just because everywhere in Maun is too far to walk to in the heat, and the combis, while cheap and.... 'snug', can be a little sporadic. Taxis = £££. I think you can get all the way to Maun on tarmac roads - so at least your suspension will be kept happy.

[nibbio86]

Waiterpilot,
I was simply joking. You started the thread in a great manner and it developed in a very informative way. The fact is that, if you read all the posts, seems like all the world is going there, so it would be interesting to know in the next weeks/months from the people who really moved, how thing actually are, if this year will be worse than the previous or about the same. Good luck.

[Csanad007]

yepp, you did WP!

1. you contributed on spending a lot more money on flying, to get the flying time and CPL required in Maun (THUS I CANNOT SPEND IT ANYMORE ON BOOZE)!!! :mad:

2. I told my boss that I quit (well, yeah, next september), he got so happy that he is willing to pay me some flying time (already did some aerial photography) :ok:

3. my girlfriend went crazy on living in Africa! I had to promise her that next year I'll take her to seychelles :}

4. and whatever...

Last but not least, now there'll be hundreds of wannabes swarming around maun praying for a flyin' carpet job.

I think finally a thread evolved in a very informative thing with a pretty good ammount of info. And will serve generations of lowtimers seeking their much desired first step up.

And actually I love trout...

[jETA-1]

To all those Dudes out there, ladies as well for that matter - Being one of those people that you have asked for an ACTUAL tell of the situation at present - ill try and give a little bit of insight into the going on's of a pilots life in Maun. At this time of the year, the best things that you could do for yourself, is make sure that you turn up to EVERY Christmas party!Meet everybody thats here, leaving here, and looking here. The best way to get a job - make a good impression the people within the company - they do the hiring. We dont care on your hours, what you have flown, whether you have an Instrument rating or not( whats instrument flying anyway?? ) just get along. There are a lot of people leaving here in the next few months, even weeks, so chances are good. Cant put a number on who's going, staying - but a fair amount are. To Live here...dont expect much, this really is one of the slum's of the earth! BUt for those of us that live here, Its like a great night out in a Major Town with girls everywhere, except there really aren't..sorry fellas, think i spotted one the other day although! You have an absolute blast with the people that you work with, the community is small, being segregated partly into PILOTS, hunters, guides, and locals. We all get on though if you make an effort. I know the looking time is hard, we have all had to do it, see the good side of it though and make the most of being here, if you dont get a job at first, go see africa, Maun is not the only place that has planes! Look foward to meeting those of you that arrive next year!! ALL THE BEST

[Tango24]

Vilasy - if you can afford it - come up to Maun with your car - having transport is going to make your life a lot easier. Travelling at night on public transport on your own as a woman - not the greatest idea.

[MKA742]

Hello again.
Iveh ad some weeks to think and sleep on it now. I have everything ready, but...

What happens if you return after two years. You have 1500 hours of single engine VFR and maybe 500 hours Caravan time.
Id this really an advantage if you apply to an airline? It's been two years since your MCC course so you must have forgotten it. 1500 hours of SE VFR time isn't really an advantage, since youll be flying jets. And the Caravan is probabbly single pilot time.
Plus youve flown in Africa where there's practically no ATC and airspaces are as big as the country it self.
Can one even bring the hours in for a JAA/FAA license? Plus I will be loosing my multi engine and medical after a year.

So looking at the 'hourbuilding', what kind of 'experience' do you really have through the eyes of an big airlines' interview panel?

Can anyone who has flown in Africa and is nowing 'flying buses' enlighten me on this?

These are rather negative thought but hey, it's not a descicion to be rushed! :8

[Csanad007]

MKA you can probably get answers to your questions here: http://www.pprune.org/african-aviation/28631-maun-old-boy-s-club.html

[MKA742]

That thread has been dead for 7 years.

I hope that turnknob guy crashed in the mean time,jeezes christ, I hope they arent all such childish seksist bastards down there!!

Grtz

[206DOG]

MKA742....

PIC time is actually very important... regardless if it's single VFR, (there are a few companies here with Multi-engine as well)
IFR - All you need is a renewal flight
Medical - Ahhhh.... Duh... if your foreign medical expires while you're flying here, what you do is...... RENEW IT!! same as if you were flying anywhere!

Of the guys who had just left maun after flying a C206 for a couple years, 3 of them i know are now in Cathay Pacific, 3 are in Air New Zealand, and others in various other Jet or regional Multi-turbine aircraft...

In summary, If you want to come to africa, its a bloody good place to come and build some great experience, with hands on (Pilot in Command) flying that can only help you out in later life.

Cheers
206dog

[Desert Strip Basher]

I'm surprised by some of these comments by supposed veterans! If you're planning on coming here to 'build hours' take head of my earlier replies. Firstly you won't last, and secondly, you're even less likely to find work, in fact we won't employ you. The sheer madness of people making wild claims of do this and do that, with seemingly no understanding baffles me.

[ducksoup79]

You are exicited, you just got your first flying job,in Maun after waiting around 4 months. You are geared up with your new leatherman, 1:350 000 map of the Okavango Delta, and The Botswana Pilot's Guide. Your new uniform shirt still has it's colour and you feel funny in your new khaki shorts (unless you are from South Africa). Let's skip all the boring hours of completing your tons of paperwork applying for the coveted Department Of Civil Aviation Flight Crew License and your work and residence permits and the sitting around waiting for training flights making coffee for the senior pilots (or used to be like that when i started). Let's start when you go on-line... It is great, you are flying by yourself over the most awesome landscape in the world, the Okavango Delta. Soon you loose your boyhood fasination for flying, reallity strikes home, it is actually hard work. You are flying 4-6 hours everyday sometimes without food or water, soon you are close to maxing your hours, if somebody ask you one more time "where is the parachute?" or my old favourite "Are you old enough to fly?" or another good one "how long have you been flying?" you going to shoot yourself. (on this note i saw the other day one of the new guy's being very rude to passengers who struggled to get into his 206, fair enough, they can be irritating sometimes but they are the reason you are here!) Summer temp average 40deg, you can fly up to 15 legs a day and you get 10min per turnaround. (you have to unload your pax and their ****, and load the next pax and their ****. You have 10min from wheels on the ground till airborne). This is hard work and you need to be on the ball, there is allot of dangers that can catch you with your pants down. 80% of the time you fly with huge amounts of commercial pressure, you have to make the right decisions quick. You won't be here long before you start bitching and moaning about this and that, if you make it through this stage you are ok, some don't. Some guy's make Maun out as one big pissup in town, guy's have been fired this year for not turning up for flights cause they where pissed out of their minds, if you smell of booze the next day, you will get the boot.

Come around, hand in the CV's and give it a bash, if you have a good attitude and you are a hard worker you might make it.

[MKA742]

What's up with that reply basher?
What other reason is there to come fly in Bots.? I know it's great flying and Africa is fun and all that, but getting hours is the main reason for 90% of the guys I think?

I was just wondering about what happens when you start knocking on doors in Europe (or anywhere else) again and if the companies will like your experience.

I know I can take it, but I want to know what happens when I get back eventually.

[Desert Strip Basher]

What other reason is there to come to Bots - getting hours is the main reason? The madness of this last thread answers everything. Living in Africa, like flying itself, are both lifestyle choices. Flying 'for hours' to me seems like having lost your soul - why are you invloved in aviation at all? People fly here because firstly they love the place and secondly their love of flying. In that order. It sounds like some have no knowledge of the former and none of the later. Listen to Ducksoup....I'm not going to bang my head against a wall any more.

[encounter150]

Hello,

Another JAA(UK) fATPL holder here and hoping to go out to Maun beginning of feb.

I have a few questions and would appreciate any information.

I have to get a SEP rating on my commercial licence as I did it on a twin and my PPL is Canadian. As I had over 100 hours on my PPL i only need to do a proficiency check.

Is it necessary to get time on a C206 before going out there ?
If so is there anywhere in Uk that has one ?

Thought I could combine getting experience with my rating.

cheers

[jean pant wif belt]

MKA742,

Mate if you dont like the sound of the place or have your doubts then then go do your hour building elsewhere. The boys and girls in Maun have dreams and aspirations too, but being in aviation for 5 minutes and saying that bashing round in lighties is a waste of time is a big call.

Yes, flying a mob of overlanders at 500 feet, down the boro, chasing buff is not the best preperation for your MK airlines sim check but why would you want to be thinking about that siht anyway. Just enjoy the place, the pss ups, the laughs and the stuff you wouldnt get away with in the first world. Sure the novelty wears off but thats with every job. when I fly billy the boeing across the pacific how long do you think that stays a novelty for????!!!!!!!! yeah you guessed it!

And as for command time I reckon its very important but thats just personal opinion. You can look over your left shoulder as much as you like but until you siht yourself a few times by yourself you start do develop a few more things than just whats in your blue book of numbers.

Cheers

[waiterpilot]

or my old favourite "Are you old enough to fly?"

I got that every flight I did - and I was only sat in the front watching! Based on the (large) assumption somebody will let me fly their planes out there, I think I'll have to get used to that line, particularly from the Americans it seems. Not only that - even after I explained I wouldn't be touching anything - there was a party who were obviously so overjoyed that they had survived this flight with a child near the controls I had to pose for many photos. I'm not a piece of meat!:{

Thankfully I have had alot of practice with that sort of thing. People used to ask me if I was old enough to be a waiter let alone be in charge of an aircraft. I never once got ID'd in Botswana (although I did on the flight out) - life is full of small victories.

Thanks to the guys posting letting us know the down side to Maun. As has been said before - I think the main point is that if you get on with people (both the people you work with and the pax), and you can live in what an estate agent would probably call a 'functional' environment (with the welcome addition of donkeys) for a year or two then you should be okay.

Even if you go out thinking it will be fine and find you don't like it, what's the worst that can happen? Just go back - although the wasted money may provide a little more incentive to stay... Make sure you decide to do this before you have started training for a job though! I heard tales of people starting and then buggering off - doesn't make you too popular.

Csanad007: I apologise profusely. Less money on beer is always a bad thing. I also wish I had your boss! I could go and aerially photograph some trout (I have got to know them intimately over the last two years) - Does your boss need this service?

Encounter150: You don't need any C206 time to apply - the company will sort all those requirements out for you. Don't know of any schools that have a 206 in the UK, although if you find one, it certainly wouldn't do any harm to your chances of employment.

[DannyTanner]

Well it’s been a while since I've posted on this thread, but I figured I'd drop a little opinion on what a couple of y'all have posted.

First of all, I took a trip as well to see this place first hand. Waitor will probably agree it's a great group of people and a very interesting town to consider living in for a few years. Hope you've had experience living in desert conditions...cause Mauns got more sand and donkeys than most of you guys have probably ever seen. There's my negative on what I got a chance to see.

Now take this from a 'furloughed' airline pilot. You can sit back and ponder upon what type of hours the airline interviews are looking for, what type plane you need to 'build' time in, but none of that really means squat. Let me put a rather large rumor to rest. When you interview, YOU ARE SELLING YOURSELF, not your resume, not your ability to fly. You are selling them on your personality and ability to get along; and for lack of a better word, entertain your interviewers. I mean realistically you got the interview based on meeting the airlines minimum requirements.

You guys sometimes can't see the forest for the trees. With the world economy being in the dump right now, there are fewer jobs in the industry. Meaning more competitive. So, when it really comes down to it, TIME is just something you need. Not specific type of time.

Just pick a place you can enjoy spending a few years, that's the only advice I can give you. Don't work at a place because you HOPE you can get into a certain plane. Just work at a place you'll enjoy living, the people you work with, and have a good time.

I've been offered a position and I'll be returning soon, to spend my couple of years on furlough from the airline flying a plane again. Thank God they still make planes that don't have a "You're Useless" button (AP).

Hope the best for you all, and for those of you that put your money where your mouth is...be good to see y'all down there!

[nibbio86]

Guys, I don't know if I can help, but there it is my little experience. I'm working in the bush as well flying 206s and 210s but in northern Australia, not in Africa. The deserts are here too and the zone is highly unpopulated (an area with a surface bigger than Germany but with only 30,000 residents). So probably conditions are comparable to what to expect in Maun, even if I've not been there yet. What I would like to say is that the main reason why somebody should move for a job like this is for the love of flying in this way, not because you want to jump on the RHS of an airliner as soon as possible. If you see bush flying just as a means of logging time for the interview with an airline, you're not going to enjoy what you're doing at all, probably you'll hate it and maybe you won't last long. I, and I assume most of the people working in the african bush, are working in this way for the love of it, even if often you suffer for the conditions of living, a bit of homesickness etc. Bush flying is not the only way to "build time", there is also instructing, meat bombing and so on if you don't want to move from Europe. I can only agree with what Desert Strip Basher said. IMHO.

[seemorejugs]

guys, many years ago i was flying in Maun, when there was only 3 kiwi's, including myself and one American chap, along with alot of Rodesians!
Can you answer a few questions for me?
Is Bernadette still there from the Duck Inn. is Phil and Lionel Palmer still around(lovely couple)
I was with Aer Kavango, believe it is no longer but is Jessie neal still about with John Boyds, what about Dave Evans?
Is Ker Downey still being run by Di Wright. On widebody now but still reckon it was the best 4 years flying!

[Csanad007]

...some very-very good posts here.
Thank you all!

[dogismycopilot]

Uh... why do I get so nervous when I post on this thread -- feel like I'm taking a checkride!

Anyway, lots of good comments lately -- it's swell to see the old hands contributing. I'm glad a couple of you reminded us of why we should be going to Maun. I have a feeling, though, that even the guys who mention time-building as their overriding motive have chosen Maun for other reasons too; e.g. pink gins at sunset viewed through a slightly misty monocle, Black Mambas in the loo, shooing kudu (I didn't say "shooting") on short final at a grass strip, being dashingly romantic in your khaki shorts and deep tan, swapping lies with fellow bush aviators and anyone else drunk enough to listen... Thanks DSB, nibbio, et. al.

WP, you rock! Quick question: Are my US FAA licenses gonna be ok or do we need JAA there? This is important to us Yanks (not w*nks) cuz otherwise we might be going over for nothing!

Vilasy, I second the motion: bring your car. (Of course we might have ulterior motives -- don't let anyone turn you into a free taxi service!)

ragdragger, PM me please. I live in Mill Valley.

As I said earlier, might be going to Namibia instead of Bots. Can let you all know how opportunities are there once I arrive (if anyone's interested).

Thanks
PS There's a witty, informative little book about the life of a safari guide (not a pilot) in Bots called "Whatever you do, don't Run", by an Aussie named Peter Allison. Published in 2007

[dogismycopilot]

Amen jean pant, that was brilliant. Lissen up, guys & gals, words of wisdom from the old school. Seriously!

[ducksoup79]

Hi seemorejugs

Have only been in maun for 3 years now so don't really have authority to talk about the old people and days.

The Duck Inn is no more, Lionel Palmer passed away a few years ago, Phil is still around and probably has the most awesome garden in Maun. She is still strong and sharper than a blade. Kern & Downey has recently been bought out by Desert & Delta Safari's. Don't know about the other people you talked about.

cheers

[MKA742]

Clearly ive expressed myself wrong here.
Of course the reason why someone would head down to Maun (or anywhere else for that matter) is flying. My true passion is flying and it has been since I first set foot in a glider. I was saying I will be a pilot since I was 6 years old and I will keep saying it until I'm converted to ashes :8

I know that flying airlines get's boring much quicker. But everything has it's charm. Flying a 200 ton monster can be just as exciting as flying 50ft over the elephants in a C210, I think.

I was just wondering what happens when one returns to the first world looking for an airline job. That's all.

Flying is my life, I don't know anything else... And I love Africa, I've been there before.

Just looking the for the best way to start my career in these harsh times.

[nbv4]

heres an easy question: how do you pronounce "Maun"? I always thought it was pronounced just like the Jamacian greeting "mon", but a few weeks ago I read on some travel guide website that its pronounced as a two syllable word. I'm looking all around, but I can't find that site again, nor can I find any other site telling how to pronounce it.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Drop the "d" from the word "mound" and you've got it.

[stevef]

A bit more like Mao-oon, I'd say.

[waiterpilot]

Well ladies and gentlemen, I sit in hospital. I sit in hospital on this computer. I sit in hospital with a foot of dead intestine missing. I sit in hospital with a bag of my own urine facing me (which is very pleasant. I would even prefer to be serving trout about now - didn't think I'd be saying that two days ago...!).

I have certainly been getting my money's worth out of the NHS quite recently! First appendicitis, then some of my vaccinations, then dead twisty bowel removal (damn you dead twisty bowel!). My stomach is beggining to resemble a union jack of scarage! I never realised my bowel was so patriotic.

So this may throw my plans into some disarray - I'll have to ask the doctors whether this is likely to flare up again. If it is, I can't see myself heading out to Maun this season, as I wouldn't particularly want to get food poisoning, let alone a dead section of twisty bowel out there (as you may have guessed I have forgotten what the scientific name for dead twisty bowel syndrome is...)

At least that means one less person for competition for you guys! Every cloud and all that:). I may yet go though - Ill keep you posted - it has been less than 24 hrs since my surgery and I'm already walking around so things arn't looking too bad. Sadly most websites I want to use to tell people of my horrific condition are blocked on this hospital PC(such as the book of face and even AOL for example - I don't really know what they expect us to go on instead....) - evidentally pprune not as well known outside the aviation community. So I thought I would mosey on down here and write some more drivel - anything to get out of bed.

Bit bloody annoying to be honest....


ANYWAY - back to Maun:

MKA742: Don't worry about it. It's pprune. There are always moany people on pprune; I and many others try and keep it cheerful (sadly I'm not so cheerful in this post - I do hope you will forgive me :8), but you'll always get some people who try and drag it down. There is a difference between posting factual negative things and just being a general pain in the arse (sorry this is my bowel talking now). As others have said, any time is valuable time, so you don't need to worry on that provision.

Danny Tanner: When are you going back/ when did you go? / who you get a job with (PM me if you'd rather not broadcast it)

dogismycopilot: Your FAA licenses will be fine (or as fine as an FAA license can be :E)

nbv4: As the other two said it is definately maun as in 'gown' not maun as in 'lawn'. The locals make a bigger deal of the two syllables. Also something too watch out for when you first arrive - the handshake! Took me a little by surprise - starts off western, then you grab one anothers thumbs, then back to western. Or at least I think it was like that. I was never really that sure even when I left...


Hope that helps - better go - there's a drip waiting for me with my name on it! Joy!

[Machuu99]

I had an appendicitis surgery last may... If you don't have an infection, you rest 2 or 3 weeks and everything is fine!

don't give up! Wish you the best!

Machuu99

[Csanad007]

and get your ass to Maun before me!
wish u the best

[MKA742]

Hope you get well waiter pilot! Stay positive, that works better then medication!

No competition from me as well, I've decided to have a peak in Windhoek and Swakopmund instead.
My girlfriend hates me going there. She wants to stay here in this depressed country for us to live togheter. I also want to live togheter. If only the god d*mn job market wasnt so f*cked up. The big question is how long it will take for the economy to restore itself.

To satisfy myself and not regret my descicion to stay here, I will just go to Namib for a a few weeks and see how the market is, if I like the lifestyle and if they would even want me on the team. If yes, I can still decide I will live in Namib for the coming years and cause my girlfriend a lot of pain, maybe even lead to a breakup, wich would be really hard after being in love for over 1 1/2 years. But if she truly loves me she will understand how big my passion for flying really is.

Anyway, I'm drifting away. I don't know how you guys coop' with it, but this is really hard on me and I have laid awake for many nights and shared many tears with my girlfriend about this.

Goof luck to all of you!

:ok::\:ugh::{:8;):sad:

[denlopviper]

get well soon waiter pilot. we'll be waiting for ya out in Maun this season or the next :ok:

[jean pant wif belt]

Guys lets all get behind MKA742!

What I suggest we do is all sit around in a circle and let the boy tell his story of grief and despair. Of how hard life is and what a bad deal he has been given. After all the tears have been let out we'll all go and give him a group hug, have a cry with him(as we'll all be in tears by this stage anyway) and sing songs.

For fcuk sake buddy!!

You're coming to a continent where millions of people deal with far greater hardships and cope with alot more grief on a daily basis than you have(probably) ever seen in your life. Just remember that when you're sleeping SAFELY crying yourself to bed.

cheers