Natstrackalpha
13th Feb 2014, 22:19
The following article may be one of the most important reads of your aviation career.
As we mentioned in the previous article, due to various events such as global aviation expansion, booming and expanding emerging economies, and low levels of pilot recruitment from late 2008 thru to early 2010, we now see a massive Global Pilot Shortage which will remain a challenge for years to come.
What does that mean for you - the 250 hour low-time pilot?
We strongly urge all pilots, and especially low-time pilots, to do some in-depth reading and research. It is critical that you understand where you stand at this moment, and how you can help yourself in the short-term, in order to help your Pilot Career in the long-term.
Our advice to low-experience / newly-licensed aviators is to stay local and search for opportunities closer to home. Have a look at your Passport and your native language. It will likely be companies operating in your home country that will provide you with your first break, your first job, and your first flying experience. Why? Because they know you, they understand you, and they will want to help you. Much more than some airline or charter company operating overseas.
Carriers all across the globe want to hire their own Nationals. Many carriers are bound by law to hire only Nationals, while others must hire only Nationals into any future First Officer openings. Have a look around - expanding airlines in India want to hire Indian Pilots (if possible), Chinese Airlines are looking to fill all future First Officer slots with, you guessed it, Chinese Airline Cadets. Singapore Airlines prefers Singapore Nationals. To work in Canada, you MUST be Canadian and have Canadian Pilot Licences. The USA - same thing, you must be American (or hold a Green Card) and hold FAA Pilot License, Medical etc. Brazil Airlines hire Brazilians.
What the Global Pilot Shortage truly is --- is actually a Global 'Experienced & Type Experienced' Pilot Shortage. For example, with the huge expansion in China, they desperately need experienced Type Rated Captains to operate their B737s, A320s, A330s, A340s, and B777s. Expanding airlines across the rest of Asia and the Middle East are searching for highly experienced pilots. Some airlines are looking for experienced 'Type-Rated/Experienced' First Officers, while others look for highly experienced, non-rated (more than 3000 hours) First Officers. Most airlines though, when in need of Foreign Pilots, are only in need of experienced Type Rated Captains. They will fill all of their Cadet First Officer and new-hire First Officer positions with their own Nationals.
There are only a few countries that, due to their economic expansion or very low standard of living, cannot crew their First Officer openings with their own people. Most countries and most airlines employ only their Nationals into junior First Officer positions.
What does this mean for you - with a fresh Pilot Licence and 300 hours:
With the above in mind, we recommend you work hard to secure a position at home, in your home country. If you cannot find a flying job no matter how hard you try, attempt instead to get into the industry through a job in the hangar, a job at the airport, fueling aircraft, loading baggage, dispatch, flight operations, or something similar. This way you will, over time, meet important people in the local aviation industry. It will be these meetings and these relationships that will lead you into a cockpit and your initial flying experience.
We have seen over the years many low-time pilots apply for jobs overseas that happen to be way outside of their skill set, their experience levels, and/or the required Citizenship Requirements.
When you look through information posted about carriers and pilot opportunities here at PCC, you will see a section titled 'Restrictions'. The information in this section is very important and will provide you with information about specific Citizenship and Language Requirements for each carrier.
Keeping it simple, if you are not from the US - do not apply to US Carriers. If you are not from the EU, do not apply to JAA European Carriers. If you are not from Canada, do not apply to Canadian Carriers. If you are not Brazilian, do not apply to Brazilian Carriers. And so on. Instead get some experience in your home country - and take it from there.
There is good news here. For example, Filipino Carriers want to hire Filipino Pilots. Indian Carriers want to hire Indian Pilots. Russian Airlines only hire Russian Pilots. European Carriers demand European JAA Licenced Pilots. As the Global Shortage gets worse, carriers and recruiters in places like China will increase benefits and salaries to attract Captains. Many of them will come from your country - resulting in movement and opportunities at home - with any luck for you.
At some point, your break in your home country will come. Once you start flying and logging some experience, you will start to become more and more attractive to other carriers in your country - and you will be able to move up the ladder in the industry. At some point you will become a Charter Captain or perhaps a Type Rated First Officer or even Type Rated Captain on a B737 or A320. It is at this juncture when you can really look to take advantage of the Global Pilot Shortage and apply for the lucrative Captain positions in China, SE Asia, and the Middle East.
Today though -- having little or no experience is not the time to ask a foreign operator to take a chance on you and help you out in your career. It is often illegal to hire you, and you usually will not have the required Local Pilot Licence/Medical. Trying to secure your first flying job is something that should be attempted much closer to home - with Chief Pilots and HR Personnel sharing your culture, your language, and your understanding.
We hope the above is clear and makes some sense to you. We wish you great luck and as always, continue to promote professionalism in our industry.
If you need help with designing professional application documents (Resumes/CVs, Cover Letters) or if you need help with an upcoming Interview, let us know. We have over 15 years experience helping pilots across the globe achieve their dreams.
As we mentioned in the previous article, due to various events such as global aviation expansion, booming and expanding emerging economies, and low levels of pilot recruitment from late 2008 thru to early 2010, we now see a massive Global Pilot Shortage which will remain a challenge for years to come.
What does that mean for you - the 250 hour low-time pilot?
We strongly urge all pilots, and especially low-time pilots, to do some in-depth reading and research. It is critical that you understand where you stand at this moment, and how you can help yourself in the short-term, in order to help your Pilot Career in the long-term.
Our advice to low-experience / newly-licensed aviators is to stay local and search for opportunities closer to home. Have a look at your Passport and your native language. It will likely be companies operating in your home country that will provide you with your first break, your first job, and your first flying experience. Why? Because they know you, they understand you, and they will want to help you. Much more than some airline or charter company operating overseas.
Carriers all across the globe want to hire their own Nationals. Many carriers are bound by law to hire only Nationals, while others must hire only Nationals into any future First Officer openings. Have a look around - expanding airlines in India want to hire Indian Pilots (if possible), Chinese Airlines are looking to fill all future First Officer slots with, you guessed it, Chinese Airline Cadets. Singapore Airlines prefers Singapore Nationals. To work in Canada, you MUST be Canadian and have Canadian Pilot Licences. The USA - same thing, you must be American (or hold a Green Card) and hold FAA Pilot License, Medical etc. Brazil Airlines hire Brazilians.
What the Global Pilot Shortage truly is --- is actually a Global 'Experienced & Type Experienced' Pilot Shortage. For example, with the huge expansion in China, they desperately need experienced Type Rated Captains to operate their B737s, A320s, A330s, A340s, and B777s. Expanding airlines across the rest of Asia and the Middle East are searching for highly experienced pilots. Some airlines are looking for experienced 'Type-Rated/Experienced' First Officers, while others look for highly experienced, non-rated (more than 3000 hours) First Officers. Most airlines though, when in need of Foreign Pilots, are only in need of experienced Type Rated Captains. They will fill all of their Cadet First Officer and new-hire First Officer positions with their own Nationals.
There are only a few countries that, due to their economic expansion or very low standard of living, cannot crew their First Officer openings with their own people. Most countries and most airlines employ only their Nationals into junior First Officer positions.
What does this mean for you - with a fresh Pilot Licence and 300 hours:
With the above in mind, we recommend you work hard to secure a position at home, in your home country. If you cannot find a flying job no matter how hard you try, attempt instead to get into the industry through a job in the hangar, a job at the airport, fueling aircraft, loading baggage, dispatch, flight operations, or something similar. This way you will, over time, meet important people in the local aviation industry. It will be these meetings and these relationships that will lead you into a cockpit and your initial flying experience.
We have seen over the years many low-time pilots apply for jobs overseas that happen to be way outside of their skill set, their experience levels, and/or the required Citizenship Requirements.
When you look through information posted about carriers and pilot opportunities here at PCC, you will see a section titled 'Restrictions'. The information in this section is very important and will provide you with information about specific Citizenship and Language Requirements for each carrier.
Keeping it simple, if you are not from the US - do not apply to US Carriers. If you are not from the EU, do not apply to JAA European Carriers. If you are not from Canada, do not apply to Canadian Carriers. If you are not Brazilian, do not apply to Brazilian Carriers. And so on. Instead get some experience in your home country - and take it from there.
There is good news here. For example, Filipino Carriers want to hire Filipino Pilots. Indian Carriers want to hire Indian Pilots. Russian Airlines only hire Russian Pilots. European Carriers demand European JAA Licenced Pilots. As the Global Shortage gets worse, carriers and recruiters in places like China will increase benefits and salaries to attract Captains. Many of them will come from your country - resulting in movement and opportunities at home - with any luck for you.
At some point, your break in your home country will come. Once you start flying and logging some experience, you will start to become more and more attractive to other carriers in your country - and you will be able to move up the ladder in the industry. At some point you will become a Charter Captain or perhaps a Type Rated First Officer or even Type Rated Captain on a B737 or A320. It is at this juncture when you can really look to take advantage of the Global Pilot Shortage and apply for the lucrative Captain positions in China, SE Asia, and the Middle East.
Today though -- having little or no experience is not the time to ask a foreign operator to take a chance on you and help you out in your career. It is often illegal to hire you, and you usually will not have the required Local Pilot Licence/Medical. Trying to secure your first flying job is something that should be attempted much closer to home - with Chief Pilots and HR Personnel sharing your culture, your language, and your understanding.
We hope the above is clear and makes some sense to you. We wish you great luck and as always, continue to promote professionalism in our industry.
If you need help with designing professional application documents (Resumes/CVs, Cover Letters) or if you need help with an upcoming Interview, let us know. We have over 15 years experience helping pilots across the globe achieve their dreams.