No more work permits for foreign pilots in TZ.

[B737 lover]

Well I guess the heading says it all according to the New pilots association in Tanzania. Let's see how the Goverment is going to handle this shortage of pilots we are having so far:ugh:.

[propcowboy]

Usual chest beating with two massif' bricks I'd say...

[daladaladriver]

this title made me laugh, cuz no way that's happening. i also laughed when i heard about the new association.

[Hawkeye0001]

Think I've heard this one before. Immigration and the honorable TCAA are a complete cluster**** when it comes to work and flight permits for expats. Left hand doesn't know that the right hand is doing.

- "No, you can't get a permit for your helicopter pilot again! We don't want that many Mzungus here anymore!"
- "Alright, then give us ONE Tanzanian pilot that is qualified to fly helicopters"
- "...ehm... well... err... Okay, you will get your permit, but ONLY if your pilot trains a Tanzanian to do his job during the time of his permit!"
- "Oh, we'd love him to do just that, but your very same government refused to convert our pilots instructor license because he isn't a Tanzanian..." :ugh:

Needless to say that after three months of waiting the OFFICIAL work permit was withdrawn again by Immigration before it was even stamped in the passport and issued to us, because they issued a fake permit. Themselves. :D

[B737 lover]

Well said guys especially Hawkeye0001, I'm just waiting for more comments on this because I just feel like its completely wastage of Government's energy and time.

[propcowboy]

Well, not even licenses for those who just arrived and are in the process of converting. And not because government or authority. Simply because one of our ingenious fellow pilot went to TCAA to take an exam and he's put his cheat sheats on the table... :mad: Thank you my fellow idiot. There will be no exams till September! Happy waiting. :mad:

[kotakota]

Ingenious or indigenous ? Or both .

[lilflyboy262...2]

Same thing happened in Maun a few years back. At least all that happened there was they changed the exam.

Some people are so :mad: stupid!

[Travelman Africa]

So how will new start ups such as Star and Newton air operate their aircraft? Are there enough BAe146 and ATR 42 drivers ?

[B737 lover]

I think Star and Newton are a game so far in which will never win or I should say arise. About our fellow Pilot who was caught red handed has got nothing to do with the work permits. There are special Tanzanian pilots who are dealing with this situation and most of them are jobless to make the matter worse, inshort they have got nothing to loose in this situation apart from winning. Let the Drama continue.

[brits_in_tz]

The pilots union are to be ignored, they just stirring :mad:. They been doing this for ages and no one takes them seriously, especially tcaa.

[daladaladriver]

This new TZ pilots association is really trying to stir up :mad: over here. They are NOT a recognized union or anything, just a bunch of unemployed low-time local guys trying to pressure the operators into employing them by getting TCA involved. Apparently they feel entitled to a flying job. I know of one specific member who ran out of fuel in 206 a few months back... turns out he didn't know that you're supposed to lean a piston engine lol. And he wonders why he has no job? What a clown. This association is a JOKE.

[totomechanic]

i totally agree with whats happening down there. why should tanzanians open their job market to 'foreigners' when there are qualified locals who can do the same job. Local Low hour pilots need to be 'type rated and line trained' by the airlines... that is the proper way to do things in aviation!!!!!!

I wonder how easy it is for Africans to get work permits to fly in Europe or North America.... :rolleyes: Bull$hit

[Agaricus bisporus]

So how are Fastjet going to manage with jobs advertised in Dar? Find many local Airbus pilots, will they?

[daladaladriver]

that's where the problem lies... there isn't enough qualified local pilots to staff the caravans. I believe in giving the local talent job preference, provided they are qualified. with just 250 hours, don't expect a 206 job handed to you... there's a thing in aviation called paying your dues... none of these association members seem to know about this concept... they'd rather sue various operators into giving them jobs... this should be interesting

[CaptZeloZelo]

The new "association" as they call themselves is an absolute joke. Makes me laugh when I see them in their little "gang" walking around terminal 1 like they're hot ****.
It also makes me laugh that such an association could try to add so much pressure when they arn't backed by the Civil Aviation Association of their own country. Clearly there's something wrong here?
I personally know of many great Tanzanian pilots that have managed to work there way up the aviation ladder without any issues.
It saddens me to see that these guys arn't willing to pay their dues (like most of us have), and to resort to creating such an "association" that would pressure local companies into putting pilots with crap attitudes and lazy mindsets in there planes.
You want the job? It's there, just fight for it with determination and right attitude!

[kibz2005]

hey, just out of curiousity, what do you mean by 'paying their dues'?

not trying to be a smart *** here, i've just never heard that phrase used in that context before :sad:

[FLy A]

Just a small correction, the CAA is backing the 'Association'. Indirectly of course!!
How do I know? I'm a victim!! :|

[Solenta]

Just recently, Solenta and TFC advertised for Tanzanian pilots for the C208B and the B1900D - for our growth plans there.
We received very little response....one or two CV's but all 200hr type CV's.... no real experience.

Problem these days is..... anything less than 1000 hrs generally isn't accepted by the likes of UN / WFP needless to mention the Oil and Gas players want in excess of 4000hrs for B1900D Captains, with 2500 ME PIC.

So there are few Tanzanian pilots accepted by the insurers and clients.
We are even happy to let them build experience on our C208's and B1900's / ATR's elsewhere, but as I said, the CV's we received were few - perhaps all the other 750-1000hr+ CV's went to Precision, or Emirates !!

[savannah]

Dear Solenta

Where and when did you advertise for Pilot jobs?
There are a number of guys with real time on a/c's in the tune of 4,000 to 9,000 hours and rated on C208, B1900, DHC8-100/200/300/400 and B732 in TZ, Unless you offered well below industry standard....

Keep the Blue Side UP.....

[Tanganyika Flying Co]

Hi Savannah

To clarify my friend Solenta's comment. We did not advertise, directly, but requested that the TCAA should inform the PATP that we are looking for crew. At present we have identified and are about to recruit a low time pilot to join our Caravan Fleet in Arusha.

In September we will be advertising for experienced crew to join us on some new projects that we are working towards. Solenta are our technical partners, we lease two of their aircaft and we are looking at ways that we can collaborate with flight crew training and some staffing.

[justasmallfire]

One possible reason for a poor response maybe the Solenta website,i tried uploading a CV some time back and it just kept getting stuck in a loop.

[CaptZeloZelo]

hey, just out of curiousity, what do you mean by 'paying their dues'?


To be honest, in most other countries people don't just get handed over premium jobs.
Paying their dues might mean many different things that one doesn't necessarily WANT to do but does it anyway in order to progress their career.
For example, flight instructing wouldn't be for me, I would however do it in order to progress my career in the long run if I had to.
Some countries make their people work on the ramp for years before getting touch the controls of a plane. (ie. Ice Pilots)
Some people have to move way the :mad: up north and fly 206's onto frozen runways.
Here, it seems like the low time locals are just after the "caravan entry job" to then move onto the ATRs...
I've talked to one that refused to go on a 206. Why? I guess he's just too good for it. Again going back the that terrible mindset....
If I were in there shoes, like I have been in the past, I'd be willing to do whatever I had to in order to get myself in a plane...

ps. CTA's are now hard as hell to get as a foreign pilot entering the country and you may only receive ONE CTA OF 3 MONTHS, once that one expires, no more renewing it... Anxious to see how that turns out...

[brits_in_tz]

The association is currently playing the "race card", which is complete :mad:, with work permits now costing 3000 usd a pop a company would choose a tanzanian over a foreigner with equal experience, problem is there isn't any. Fact is that for the last 2 years I haven't seen a single experience tanzanian come for an interview or hand in a cv. It costs about $20 000 usd to train someone to fly a C208 from scratch, this doesn't include the extra hours of training to make the 1500hr insurance requirement.

[kibz2005]

Ah right, gotcha now. I am actually an East African and I do agree with you 100% on that one. I don't like the people who sit around and wait to be handed the job flying a caravan or an ATR or even a dash. I started off flying a teensie SEP and it was great fun and experience. I learned a lot from it and made lots of friends. A low-time pilot who turns down a job flying a 206 because they 'deserve better' is better suited to working in a bank if you ask me.:=

[Solenta]

well so far after looking for Tanzanian experienced pilots we have received CV's from India, Sweden, UK, South Africa etc.... not one Tanzanian !
So where are all these experienced Tanzanians that everyone talks of... and the salaries certainly are market related - Oil and Gas salaries are a lot higher than your average tourist pilot. ( in fact higher than some big airlines )
I am convinced that the experience, or pilots, are just not there - so the reality is that there is a SHORTAGE of Tanzanian pilots who are actually acceptable by client, or insurance standards - makes you wonder

[cavortingcheetah]

Suddenly one discovers that, due to the exigencies of a wastrel family, one might need to renew that old southern licence in October and attempt to enter the employment market.
As one ruefully tries to remember where one parked the Zimmer frame and being of a youthful and disposition one ponders on your age limits for experienced African aviators of European nomadic lineage. No ageist interpretations will be inferred or even deduced, just a guide line will do nicely as in, 'we'd prefer it if you spoke Swahili and were under seventy five.'

[B737 lover]

Hey just a matter of concern, at an age of 5! Do you even know what a Plane is? Ha ha, all in all keep on doing a good job in Tanzania and Mozambique:ok:

[Solid Rust Twotter]

http://s3.amazonaws.com/bvsystem_tmp/pages/1559/widened/Thebestthings-bailey-Number5-Jack-plane-stanley-tools-coolectible-Bob-Vila.jpg?1321361559

[B737 lover]

I have seen a couple of more Foreign Pilots still coming to Tz recently and they are flying, maybe this Ban is no longer there after all or the Association is collapsing slowly...

[CaptZeloZelo]

Update: Immigration now requires a letter of acceptance from the pilots union in order to supply expat pilots with residency permits.

[petesevenseven]

It's been a long time since I operated in TZ.

I will say this I think the idea of a pilots association is a great idea for protecting the interests of ALL pilots operating in that area. However their first actions of Banning Expats when there is always a shortage of qualified locals is wrong. It will hinder growth of aviation in the area which is bad for everyone. The guys that in turn will lose the most are the locals plain and simple.

The Pilot Association or Union needs to turn its attentions to more immediate needs like Safety that being Aircraft Maintenaince issues, Flight Duty Times, Training Standards...and Employment Terms and Conditions.. These are the things that the association need to focus on rather than Booting Out Mzungus who speaking from experience don't stay anyway.... Unless they are Greek and like shouting " WoW"

My few Shillingys Worth,

Pete

[B737 lover]

Well talking about a letter of acceptance from the Union??? I guess it will never be given out. As far as most of the guys in the union are jobless! I doubt. It's always a good thing to be neutral in this situation.

[daladaladriver]

Word is the association leader had previously abandonned an out-of-country flying contract with an operator over here... He just left the aircraft and came back to TZ without talking to his employer. Perfect Mascot for such a group of professionals if you ask me. It's sad that fresh CPL pilots from tanzania are looking up to this joker for career advice.