low timer, first job in the caribbean with JAA licences

[manu848]

Hi everyone,:)

I'm 20, live in europe (got the european citizenship) and would love to head for the caribbean and work there a few years. I speak french and english, got a PPL with a hundred hours and have the intention of going to the USA to make the JAA CPL,IR, ME.
Any help on how to get a first job in an air charter, taxi company would be real' appreciated!
Also all info like job openings, probability to get a job, company names, life, pay, ratings and so on... 'd be awsome!

Cheers to all:ok:

[TOFFAIR]

It depends on how much you want to spend. You can do your licenses in Florida or Texas, get an C208 rating and fly in Belize.
This will guarantee you the fun, cost you a bunch just dont expect it to be a jump into a comercial airline career. You would certainly find better ways in Europe to achieve it with less efforts, but then again why the hurry if your still young, and again we come to the point where all depends on how much you can afford to spend.
Good luck!

[flyingswiss]

unless you are from the Caribbean you won't find much with low time, keep in mind that most Island flying is done in single pilot twin engine aircrafts, two things you need here: good amount of multi time and PIC, most places won't hire you with less the ATPL times. If you are French you can try in the French Islands, there you can use your JAA. Most low timer jobs are not that cool either, unless you like to do 6 times a day Curacao-Bonaire there is not much you will see..

Before you even start thinking about getting a job, get your licenses and focus on that...

[manu848]

Thanks guys for these answers.

It's true that pilot in command time has its weight! But what about working in Belize? what type of work permit would i need?

With a european citizenship the places i could work easily with jaa would be the BVI, french islands, Aruba, and the nederlands islands..

I know it isn't the fastest way to get into an airline cockpit but i'm young and not looking to much on that! wouldn't mind spending a few years in the sun.

Bytheway i found few companies like Mustique - Union Island - Canouan - Bequia - St. Vincent - Barbados - Martinique - Grenada - St. Barths - St. Martin - St. Lucia Carriacou-Grenada-how to get here-flights to the Grenadines Airways (http://www.svgair.com) flying cessna 402, islanders to citations! I suspect there might be a possibility to evolve to bigger planes within the company?

But surely i think the constraints for me are financial, it would mean spending 20'000$ on cpl, ir, me plus 5000$ to leave and travel while looking for a job. Then work a few years with a crapy salary that doesn't allow me to make savings... and then try to make the transition to a true airline job, don't know hom much it would cost.? I don't want to get stuck in the caribbean flying pistons forever..

Fly hard, cheers!:ok:

[flyingswiss]

Aruba and most of the Dutch Islands have their own license, you will have to take the tests.

Forget about the 402s and the citations, no one will hire you on them with low time, for the Islander most of the insurance want 25 hours on type, not sure how many companies fly crew but due to weight and the fact they could sell an extra seat they try to operate single pilot, maybe with companies that do international routes part 135 they use two pilots. If you have contacts you can maybe still make it.

I had several students from the Caribbean, most of them are home doing nothing, they sit around 250TT and have zero contacts...

To correct what TOFFAIR said for Belize, even their planes are flown single pilot, from the Airvans to the Caravans, unless you are a local it will be really hard to get hired with less then 1000 hours, the company has an SIC program where you pay to fly, around 2000$ a month....In the past they use to have a Cessna 172, and most pilots would build 500 hours or so on it before going to the caravan, but it's gone now.
I use to fly in the region with a Swiss owned company based out of Guatemala I tried many times to get on with the companies in Belize.

[GlueBall]

"...got a PPL with a hundred hours.. .flying cessna 402, islanders to citations! I suspect there might be a possibility to evolve to bigger planes within the company? . . .I don't want to get stuck in the caribbean flying pistons forever."

. . . Just skip the cost and hassle of dabbling in noisy piston equipment. You can be a virtual B744 captain RIGHT NOW and fly endless hours to anywhere with Flight Simulator. :ok:

[PPRuNe Pop]

This thread is going no-where. Except maybe to la la land.

PPL's with hundreds of hours count for naff all.