Moving across the pond

[YankeeGomer]

Good afternoon, All.

My wife is British and would like to move back home. For reasons I'm sure most of you can understand, I'm enthusiastic about the ex pat route. In your knowledge and experience, do I stand a realistic chance of employment given the general sentiment toward yanks? I've been flying for over 15 years and have an FAA ATP with 109 and 76 time. Thank you for your consideration.

[JAA/FAA Pilot]

There are jobs, but you will need to get a JAA Licenses to get work and that would mean lots of studying ahead of you.
Good luck!

[HOGE]

You'll find the weather too cold, the beer too warm, and the price of fuel will make you gasp!

[paco]

"given the general sentiment toward yanks"

Don't know what you mean! Americans are well liked over here, although there is a severe question mark over the American government (there is a difference!)

If you get the immigration sorted out, there are signs of work turning up, not just in UK but in Europe as well. If you want to fly worldwide it will be to your benefit to get a JAA licence anyway.

Unlike the FAA the emphasis is on the exams rather than the check ride, but once you get past the bullsh*t questions the syllabus is pretty OK - it's just that they would rather you learn it before you start flying.

The Pad at Wycombe has now started a miserable hour with warm beer, cold food and bad service! :)

Phil

[malabo]

Why don't you just do tours for an offshore operator like Bristow or Bond or CHC in the tropics somewhere. Suffer the food and weather for the six weeks home for the sake of the wife. No problem doing that with an FAA license, less of a PIA for the operators than a JAA to keep current.

Unless you really want to fly in Europe, in which case you'll have to buckle down and get those exams written. I think you might be able to fly on a validation the first year to get yourself going. Enough experts on this forum that can set you straight.

[Wizzard]

Malabo, are you married? I think you may have missed the essential element of the OP

My wife is British and would like to move back home

Good luck Gomer

[paco]

You won't get a validation these days - they do their best to avoid it.

Phil

[BaronG]

While I'm in posting mood I'll add a couple more points here. Firstly, nationality is largely irrelevant in the UK - if a slot is open, most appropriate person available fills it. In the rest of Europe/Scandinavia, language is important - if you can speak the local language then you've got a good chance (although perhaps not as good as the UK where companies really aren't interested in nationality at all).

1) If you're looking for Offshore in the UK at least, then you're limited to Aberdeen (plus Islands to the North), Norfolk (Norwich/North Denes), Humberside and Blackpool since those are the places for Offshore work. If your wife/you don't want to live in or near those places, then that'll make negotiations a bit trickier or mean you're looking for onshore work (most UK offshore flying is not rostered on a commuting basis - you live and fly there but are home every night too).

2) Of the 3 main offshore companies, they'll probably take you as a copilot for a while (subject to you having a JAA CPL/IR or JAA ATP). Scotia/Bristow pay more to P2s (based on hours) but seem to be full and in some cases losing work to Bond who pay the least. How long you'd stay as a P2 will depend on requirement - if they need a P1, they first look at who is closest to the P1 requirements, and if there are multiple options, they'll then go to seniority. If there's still a tie, it comes down to who they (the Chief Pilot/Flight Crew Manager/Training Dept) like most (although it's called an interview/selection process!). Sometimes, this latter "like" part can override the seniority :)

3) Offshore in the UK is all Twin, Multicrew, IFR. If you have all of those on your JAA ticket then that'll smooth the path, if you need some, or all of them then of course you'll face more of a struggle.

4) The market is unsettled. Contracts are changing, Scotia seem to have suffered some blows (in the Southern North Sea and Morecambe Bay) while Bristow and Bond have won in the last year or so. It's unlikely that the Oil companies will allow Scotia to disappear from the UK - they like the price competition - so a job with any of those 3 is "safe" until the Oil/Gas runs out, but Scotia may be in a contraction phase and last in will be first out if some downsizing is necessary. There's also NHV who have a small UK presence and a fair amount of commutable work in Africa (all EC155/365 stuff).

5) In terms of type, the 76 you've got is most likely to get you the Offshore slot in the UK, however they are only used in the Southern North Sea now (Norfolk, Humberside). Outside that type, Aberdeen uses Puma/Tiger, and Southern North Sea also uses the AW139. There is some AS365 use mainly in Blackpool.

6) Ignoring personal logistics, my recommendation would be to a) Get a JAA Class 1 Medical - you may need to travel quite a distance and book far in advance. b)start digging into what you'll need for JAA ATPL (H). I suspect you'll need to do all the exams (can be done remotely - Bristol Ground School used to be popular for this) and then a Flight Test covering both Visual and IF elements. For that you'll need to be in UK/Europe since Bristow Academy don't do IF. I suppose there may be a possibility of doing the check in a Sim of course.

7) Finally, the job market is of course tight, in this latest round of contract changes in the Southern North Sea, most of the pilots who were ready to hang up their gloves have done so and gone, and the replacements have been found. Finding an open slot, regardless of your experience might prove tricky late this year, early next. However, in the medium term I'm sure that'll change again since Bond seem to be growing pretty aggressively and there're even rumours Scotia might be able to rebound in the South.

Good Luck!

BG.

[Fareastdriver]

I would get a new wife that likes living in the States and send the old one off to the UK.

[Peter PanPan]

BaronG just gave the most valuable piece of advice/information I have seen in a while on this sub-forum. Seconding his thoughts, I would add:

a) Get a JAA Class 1 Medical - Has done be done in Gatwick if you are doing with the UK CAA which you should. Any other National Aviation Authority will require the same and won't have FTOs out of Europe. Later on you can conduct your Medical renewals in Ormond Beach, FL.

b) Just do it through Bristol, ideally you would sit your exams in Lakeland, FL and do the flying portion for the CPL at Bristow in Titusville, FL. Since you do have 76 time you should know that FlightSafety Int'l in West Palm is a UK CAA certified FTO, you can definitely arrange a checkride there in order to have the SK76 type on your JAR license.

c) Download the LASORs from the UK CAA website and start getting acquainted with it!

Or ultimately as it has been suggested just replace wives :p

[Sir Niall Dementia]

Gawd;

Don't replace wives, thats more expensive than doing a full ATPL/IR from scratch with all the type ratings you dream of attached. A pair of pliers on her brake pipes shoul....................

Sorry, sorry off topic again, as Peter PanPan says down load LASORS from the CAA website. It really is literary mogadon, and you will find different interpretations depending on how and which bits you read, but it will save you a huge amount of time and money, then talk to PACO, for some reason he's rated at being rather good at getting people through their licenses:D

[PT6ER]

When I lived and worked in Montreal, the ex-pats had what was known as the "$5,000 cure" which was essentially a prolonged visit to the UK that, after the novelty wears off will give the homesick person all the reminders of why they left.

Probably a $10,000 cure now but well worth it!!;)

[YankeeGomer]

Thank you, Gents for the excellent advice. You've all given me a lot to think about. I'll begin with the LASORS and take a look at Bristow Fla. And, in spite of my better judgement, I'm afraid the wife stays. :)

Thanks all, and be safe

[Pandalet]

Another vote for Paco at CAPT - far more useful than Bristol for the ground stuff, in my experience, and he'll be able to tailor the course to your needs/movements.