Phoenix Aviation Nairobi

[yako]

Hello,

Does anybody have information regarding Phoenix aviation in nairobi?
Roster, salary, etc...
How is the life in Nairobi security wise for family with young kids
Any info more than welcome
Thanks

[kotakota]

Security - bad , getting worse sadly .
Jobs , non-existent , almost impossible to get work permit .
Flying in Kenya is brilliant , but look elsewhere , Tanzania ?

[gerpols]

Does this mean they (Phoenix Aviation) are not hiring foreign pilots due to the fact that it is impossible to get workpermits for them ?
Heard they just expanded their fleet again !
Anyone who knows more ?

Fly safe.

[hueyracer]

If the company is hiring you, they will provide the work visa.
Before they get a visa, you will have to go through the Kenian conversion route-if you are not already holding a Kenian licence.

This will take weeks to months.

Then the company will only get a work visa for you, if there are no other (kenian) pilots-and there is a bunch of them looking for work.....

Living in Kenia/ Nairobi is like living in any other SouthEastAsian country-you will have to live in a secured compound, will have to get a driver for your wife......

But you can go out in the evenings....

[RobertTheBruce]

I don't know if you are still wanting to enquire about work with Phoenix Aviation in Nairobi. If you take a look at their website, Phoenix Aviation Kenya (http://www.phoenixaviation.co.ke), you'll find all the necessary channels for enquiring directly.
The advice you were given about Nairobi being like any other(!) south-east Asian city is nonsense. It is a fabulous place to live and, yes, women are allowed to drive!

[Foxcotte]

Phoenix Aviation is the biggest Citation Jet charter company in Nairobi - the biggest out of two!! But they have 3 Bravo's, couple of KingAirs and two Caravans - although a Citation & Caravan are currently parked in Mog (see thread on Mogadishu impounding). Company is owned by Bill Parkinson, run by Steve Parkinson (father/son) and they have a pool of about 15 or so pilots - some more father/son combinations. Their main work is medivac around the region, some VIP and some local charter work. Mostly they fly two crew.

Not sure I've ever seen them advertise for pilots - they seem to operate by word of mouth for jobs. Some old boys have been there for ages so its a long-term type of job but kind of hard to get in I think. Definitely as with anything in Kenya the biggest hurdle for an outsider is getting the paperwork in order - viz a viz work permit and licence/conversions.

As for living in the area, its frustrating, maddening. Traffic is a nightmare, rules don't apply, anything can be bought for a fee, wine/steak is plentiful and social life can be fun in the right circles. You either love it or hate it.

Over to you....

[Lamyna Flo]

Living in Kenia/ Nairobi is like living in any other SouthEastAsian country-you will have to live in a secured compound, will have to get a driver for your wife......

Um, Kenya is in East Africa, not SE Asia. Apples and oranges. :rolleyes:
You won't have to live in a secured compound. All good houses have security (guard, electric fence etc) but living in a compound is not a necessity unless you are one of these UN/NGO types who just keeps with their own.
Unless your wife/partner is unable to drive, you also won't need to get a driver. She will be able to drive herself, just like 99.9% of normal people do around here.

[Lamyna Flo]

Phoenix Aviation is the biggest Citation Jet charter company in Nairobi - the biggest out of two


Personally speaking, I prefer the second. Partly because their Citation isn't currently impounded in Mog but chiefly cos their pilots are better-looking ;)

*prepares to be flamed* :E

[denis1960]

I believe that Phoenix has 4 Bravos (550) and 1 Excell (560), 4 KingAirs (including 1 350) and 4 C208B, as well as operating a helicopter

[Foxcotte]

I'm dying to ask in response to the comment that the little wife has to have a driver to survive in the big bad world of Nairobi.... what happens to all these single females who don't have drivers? Presumably they're all mugged, raped and pillaged as soon as they step outside the gate? Experience shows that most Nairobi females are more than capable of surviving happily in their own vehicles without a driver.. !?! As for living in a compound.. after thirty years in the neighbourhood I haven't and don't ever want to.

Not sure how many planes Phoenix owns or how many it just operates for other people. For example, the Citation stuck in Mog is reputed to be part-owned by the company that was doing the ransom drop, one of their caravans is painted for Alamanara Resorts, another is in Flying Doctor colours etc. But maybe that's just splitting hairs a bit..

One could say that Phoenix are down three pilots at the moment so yes, they'd be looking to recruit, but on the other hand they're also down 2 planes so who knows...

[denis1960]

Foxcotte (http://www.pprune.org/members/73861-foxcotte), I certainly agree with your first paragraph, not married, but a string of my girlfriends (Ha Ha Ha!) drive every day in Nairobi without the slightest problem. Ha! For the rest, I suppose most companies sort of do not own aircraft in full, so, you can say that Phoenix invests other people money. 5Y-FDA was ex Flying Doctors and has not been re-sprayed, but it belongs to Phoenix (& may be someone else, bank?). As for them being short of pilots, quite possibly true, but I doubt they would employ just for that, I suppose they might, if needed, be looking for freelancers