Work abroad after Instructor Rating

[Mase_00_7]

Hi guys,

I've now spent many hours trawling through posts here regarding integrated vs modular training and the general consensus is that modular is the better option now but that's irrelevant as the airline industry at the moment is up :mad: creek minus some form of primitive water-borne propulsion system.

So, after gaining an ATPL are there opportunities in other english speaking countries such as the US, Canada, Aus etc for other flying jobs such as instructors to gain the necessary hours to apply to one of the big boys as a direct entry?

I really fancy doing some sort of bush flying either in the Aus outback or at some outfit such as Buffalo airways in Canada before getting to an airline.

What do you think of this as a career option and is there any money in it? I don't want to be rich but £40-50k/year would be sufficient if the jobs is enjoyable.

[skyhigher]

Is this a joke? 40-50K? You simply wont get that until you are in the right hand seat of a jet or the left side of a turboprop!

Sure there are a few jobs out there as you put it 'bush' flying, but you will have to join the long line of 1000's of pilots possibly willing to do the bush flying for free, simply to gain hours!

And as for buffallo airways, unless you are Canadian and have a Canadian licence you can forget that!

Instructing will pay peanuts too.

Perhaps you need to keep reading posts before you take the plunge. Go into aviation with your eyes wide open. Its a long and hard road, that takes a long long time to get to anywhere close to where you want to be!

[mrmum]

Hi Paul,

Sorry, but this is unfortunately going to be a fairly negative reply I'm afraid.:sad:

From what I hear, (mostly on here) there's no chance of getting a working visa for a flying job in the US with a fresh fATPL. Don't know about the paperwork for Canada and Australia, but would suspect the chances of getting an instructing job aren't great with UK (EASA) qualifications and little or no experience.

As for bush flying in Oz or Canada, I'd say you've got no chance at all of walking into that type of position if you follow the typical route to a modular licence in the UK. For that sort of thing you need relevant experience, in the right kind of aircraft, operating from airstrips (rather than airports), and probably some local knowledge as well. By the way, Buffalo IS an airline.

I think your list of goals is a little unrealistic for a fresh out of the box CPL with a couple of hundred hours. You should probably consider some other entry level jobs, unless you want to go down the P2F route (don't).

Having said all that, just because the industry is a bit down at the moment, don't be put off if it's what you want to do. Aviation is generally believed to be cyclical, so starting training at a low point isn't necessarily a bad idea. It'll be getting on for two years or more, before you've completed the modular course, who knows what state the job market will be in by then?

I did it in my mid-twenties, working-class background, no rich parents, had to fund it all myself. It's a risk, but I've no regrets, love what I get to do each working day. Can you make £40-50k? No, not to start with, think half that (or less) initially, but it's not unrealistic for a perhaps a turbo-prop captain.

[redsnail]

G'day,
As you're rapidly finding out, your bush flying dream is rapidly turning into a bit of a nightmare. First and foremost, for Australia, you'll need a Visa to "live and work". That is your biggest challenge. Now, if you can crack that, then funnily enough, the number of pilots looking for bush flying work has dropped off dramatically. Unfortunately, the pay isn't quite what you're looking for. You'll be lucky to start on a Cessna 206 earning $25,000 per annum and you'll be living in a remote area.

Remote as in you're any where between 8 hours and 3 days drive away from a capital city.

I did it and loved it. :ok:

[Mase_00_7]

Hi guys,

Firstly, thanks for the responses, much appreciated.

Having re-read my first post I maybe didn't make it clear that my ambition of earning £40-50k was an end goal, not the salary I expect for my first flying job! :O

I will not consider the P2F route, so I am trying to find entry level flying jobs that will get my foot in the door and my logbook accruing hours. I understand that getting into the RHS of a jet or TP with minimum hours is going to be a tall order so I'm not even considering that, but instructing somewhere or doing some other type of interesting flying job in some interesting location really appeals as long as I can pay the bills at the end of the month and pay off the cost of training.

So what are your thoughts? I am almost 26 so a working visa for Oz could be on the cards in a couple of years...

[redsnail]

G'day, I am not sure you've looked into the visa thing properly. As a newly minted pilot, it won't stand for much. You'll have to bring something else to the table to get a look in.

Have a look here (http://www.immi.gov.au/immigration/) for the info. This is the official government site, not some site trying to sell you a short cut.

However, I admire your desire to do something different. :ok:

[CharlieTangoZulu]

the 2 year-visa you're talking about, called Working Holiday, allows you to work UP to 6 months with the same employer, i guess employers in this kind of position you're applying for won't like it that much! besides, you have to work 88 days in rural areas (farm job basically) to get the 2nd visa.

[Mase_00_7]

Thanks for the input guys.

So, I take it there are no real options for me to work outside of the UK for any length of time then?

What sort of entry level jobs are out there and where do people find them? Is it a case of not what you know but who? I'd really love to fly something like a Super Cub, Beaver or something of that ilk, are there any operations in the UK doing this sort of flying?

I see glider-towing and sky-diving being banded about, but I can't really justify putting £40-£60k down on training, only to maybe or hopefully find a bit of part time work here and there.

How about the new Monarch-Wings program from CTC? Do you think this holds any promise, being a new initiative and all? I have signed up to go the CTC open day in March, more for info on their modular course than anything else, but surely there must be opportunities within Monarch if they have just started a new recruitment scheme?

I'd love to know your thoughts, and if you have any info on your route into Aviation then I'd love to hear (read) it :D

[zondaracer]

So, I take it there are no real options for me to work outside of the UK for any length of time then?

You mean outside the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein (well there are no airports in Liechtenstein)?

[redsnail]

Africa used to be a good spot but I believe that's become quite a challenge. Other places that pilots have found work is the Caribbean and so forth. But it does require a lot of research as well as heading out to have a look.
Visas and the like are a part of that research.

Are Beavers etc being used? I'd look on the CAA's register and see if there are any of those types being used.

What you have to remember and in spite of whatever the flight schools slick salesmen will tell you, there aren't enough jobs for every graduate.

Have a look over in Terms and Endearments about the EZY cadet scheme. That'll give you some insight into what's happening now with new pilots in the UK.
If you don't want to do the full time course then the following course seems to be an option.
ATP Scheme | Airline Pilot Training | Commercial Pilot Training | CTC Wings (http://www.ctcwings.com/europe/courses/atp)