Helicopter Pilots

[loachboy]

Hi all,

I am interesed to hear from any Helicopter pilots from foreign countries that have managed to secure a job in Brazil.

I am approaching 1000 hours and am interested in trying my luck.

I realise Portuguese is the spoken language and also realise that citizenship is required at the expense of relinquishing my own.

I am keen to hear of your experiences and what kind of hoops had to be jumped through.

All contructive advice and comments most welcome and thanks in advance.

Loachy

[singesavant]

Hi loachboy

not very lucky here. I don' have any answer for you either, only heard that one has to be brazilian to get a flying job over there, speaking portugues is apparently one step forward!

Do you have any input from pilots over there?

Davy

[alemaobaiano]

Loachboy

Why did you decide on Brazil to try your luck? Do you have any connection with the country? If not, you are looking at around 5-7 years before you can become a citizen, assuming you can get a residence visa in the first place. To get a residence visa you need a job. Obviously you can't fly at this point so what other employment possibilities can you offer? You have to live here for those 5-7 years, without being able to fly commercially, so you need to support yourself and pay for your flying too.

Converting licences just takes time and patience, finding a job is going to be a lot harder. There is no shortage of helicopter pilots here, and the salary for most of them is pitiful. Maybe 25% of helicopter pilots earn a living wage here, the rest are basically paying to fly. In fact if you do find a job during the waiting period it will probably pay more than flying helicopters.

The short answer is stay where you are and work there.