Flying in Belize
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Join Date: Sep 2004
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Flying in Belize
Anyone here flying out of Belize? Any Tropicair pilots? Would like to know working conditions and requirements. Thanks
Join Date: Feb 2004
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Do a search on TropicAir or Belize and the info should pop up. That said....I've read and been told about it by some who've gone to Belize.
Good planes but rotten pay. Can survive on it...barely.
Bring $10,000usd to start and live on.
Expensive living and expensive work visa. $1000us/month cheap.
1 to 3 months to process the visa. $1,000usd.
Pilots with under 750 hours apparently don't get paid until they reach that mark. Just out of school? Then at 80 hours/month count on supporting yourself for 6 to 7 months. Most new hires have 1500TT. It's all about timing so you could get lucky....
Only way to get the job is in person and lots of competition from the usual group - Canucks, Ozzies, Kiwis, and Brits - roaming the Caribbean looking for jobs. Type rating on C-208 helps.
Only VFR flights - he could be wrong about that....but its all turbine time.
Anti-malarial tablets? not certain. Need them if going to spend time in the bush.
Belize City is apparently a very dangerous place. Exercise caution. Lots of drugs moving out of there.
Again, this is all based on what I've read and what I've been told.
Taluft
Good planes but rotten pay. Can survive on it...barely.
Bring $10,000usd to start and live on.
Expensive living and expensive work visa. $1000us/month cheap.
1 to 3 months to process the visa. $1,000usd.
Pilots with under 750 hours apparently don't get paid until they reach that mark. Just out of school? Then at 80 hours/month count on supporting yourself for 6 to 7 months. Most new hires have 1500TT. It's all about timing so you could get lucky....
Only way to get the job is in person and lots of competition from the usual group - Canucks, Ozzies, Kiwis, and Brits - roaming the Caribbean looking for jobs. Type rating on C-208 helps.
Only VFR flights - he could be wrong about that....but its all turbine time.
Anti-malarial tablets? not certain. Need them if going to spend time in the bush.
Belize City is apparently a very dangerous place. Exercise caution. Lots of drugs moving out of there.
Again, this is all based on what I've read and what I've been told.
Taluft
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Thanks, I just got an email from the chief pilot that said the minimum requirements for the C172/207 is 1000TT and for the 208, 2500TT. Both very high. I think I will just stay in Canada for a while since I can get a job on the Caravan with 500 hours. I also heard that they don't pay you until you have a certain amount of time. Too bad, I was really hoping to get a suntan.
BFD
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Getting a van job in Canada with 500 hours - good luck with that one!
The reason Tropic requires 2500TT for direct entry into the van is because they fly single pilot, with 14 pax, into some pretty interesting strips. Plus with the way the market is these days they can ask for 2500TT and they'll get lots of resume's from guys with more time than that!
The pay is actually on par with what you would make flying the same aircraft in the US or Canada - but with lower taxes.
The reason Tropic requires 2500TT for direct entry into the van is because they fly single pilot, with 14 pax, into some pretty interesting strips. Plus with the way the market is these days they can ask for 2500TT and they'll get lots of resume's from guys with more time than that!
The pay is actually on par with what you would make flying the same aircraft in the US or Canada - but with lower taxes.
