>mprribeiro

Is that a true story? Looks like the Copa's homepage is still showing ICAO English level 4 and just 1,000 total time for a requirement..

Thats not true my friend. I have level 4 and I've passed the screening...

Samca

when have you passed? Because this happened 2 weeks ago. I took the screening on May 12th and i'm still waiting the answer.

True about the level 5 and 6
 

Keep in mind that this is the "professional pilot rumour network."

This is the rumour that I heard: The limitation applies only when flying into the USA. Due to a problem on which a flight crew failed to properly communicate with US controllers the FAA mandated that any panamanian flights going into the USA must be piloted by crew with no less than english proficiency level 6.

The internal COPA rumour has it that the crew failed to comply with ATC instructions and destroyed a tight sequence of aircraft. Airplanes had to be diverted to avoid an accident when the COPA pilots all of a sudden started maneuvering contrary to ATC.

All pilots that have level 4 or 5 are still able to fly for the airline but are not assigned flights into the USA. Some exceptions do apply within the airline.

Once again, this is a rumour... this is not confirmed. The sources are people that under certain circumstances are sometimes considered reliable. I cannot confirm this intel.

I heard that rumour too, applying also to DHL Panama. They say that a 757 taking off from ORD was requested to fly heading 360 right after takeoff, and the crew performed a 360 over the airport at 2000ft, several aircrafts were vectored away from the airport in the meantime and it was a big mess.

That's too funny. Typical incidents that sometimes become accidents. Last time I was flying near MIA, Aerolineas Argentinas was supposed to turn left to RWY 8L as they were approaching the airport from the north....they passed the RWY and decided to make a left turn into RWY 8R, need less to say a great cluster FCUK occurred, pretty much all A/C on final were diverted to handle this incident. The CAPT was summoned to the TWR...I'm pretty sure he is not flying into the U.S. anymore.
Not too long ago, a kid with a terrible english speaking skills was hired with COPA, granted he had Level 4 ICAO standards...how did he get that? No wonder FAA is getting on their cases.

English proficiency
 

Sad but true...

Hi guys I have applied many times to Copa and have never got a response have around 1k hours on the NG and more total time ICAO level 6 basic Spanish anyone know how to send it directly to someone ?? IE have an inside contact?

Not too many latin pilots has level 6 English. I Heard the same history about this crew but the rumour It comes not two weeks ago but more than 2 months ago, since this incident happend.

It is strange that USA requires COPA all the pilot with level 6. I think It would not be fair.

samca

I think It would not be fair.



Exactly. There is too much below average English in an ever increasing use of airspace. All English must be level 6.

Same for you Pin Head, level 6 Spanish when you Fly Sudamérica, Spain... Thats fully ridículous, level 4 is enough and the most of pilots can Fly and comunicate properly y with this level.

That just was an incident do not try to lie people.

No lie
 

I've tried to be nice but the fact of the matter is that COPA lowered their standards because the needed to, not because they wanted to.

I have several close friends who have 4 bars on their shoulders with English level 5 and all their flights into the USA where removed from their schedules and switched for flights to Latinamerica.

I guess the rule is that either both crew members are English level 6 or at least the captain is English level 6 when flying into the USA.

And to all of you guys saying that this is unfair well I'm sorry to say this but English has always been the language of aviation.

Defensive
 

All of you complaining that this is unfair is because your English sucks too. Sorry you just have to admit it. Who the heck are you guys to say that the Americans cannot impose rules for foreign carriers that employ pilots that cannot speak English? It's a safety issue.

Yes but if the Law says that pilots with level 4 can Fly to USA you must accept.

I'm agree english is language in aviation but I've been flying in Europe, specially London área with my level 4 and never ever I have had any problem, I sure you.

I never have flown in USA but It Should be no too many different from UK except for the acent.

Probably USA controllers are a littel bit different from the European controllers. I have heard they do not accept the words "say again please" they do not understand that english language is not our mother language. Even in our mother language com sometimes you need to clarify a Message given by a controller. It is normal in a cockpit with other noise around you.

Anyway what I think is that you do not accept that COPA has not called your collegues but this is only my feeling.

Caming back to the crew problem in Chicago, I still thinking that It was just an incident but the pilots can navigate and comunicate in English without any problem. I heard that the problem was that the Captain starter to discuss with the controller... Bad idea.
Also I have heard that FAA doesn't put level 6 as a required It has been the company and It has been level 5 and only to some airports.

Rgds

Copa
 

Anyway .... Do you need to take the icao English exam in panama when you validate the license don't you?

Yes that is

So has anyone recieved any feedback from HR in the last while about interviews etc , still nothing for me.

Copa needs to stop hiring pilots from spain who pay for their type and can't speak properly...haha

Any news about FO selection process? or new ground school?

No more interviews for FO's this year. A friend of mine came about two weeks (He's waiting for a response) and the HHRR girl told his group they were the last of this year.

Only Captains since now.

Maybe they start recruit people again around october/november of year for the next year.

Regards!

A friend of mine is going next June 25th, i think this is the last one for FO.

Mike Charlie are you at the ground school? What are you seeing and what's your first impression?

I've heard the will be FO ground school only on October 1.

There were interviews this week.

The interview is with a COPA captain and a girl from Human Resources. They don't ask you anything rare, just a few minutes talk; what do you think about COPA, why COPA, Why do you think they must hire you...and things like that. Then you have to show them some of the original documents.

The COMPASS test is on a computer and you have to do 6 diferent test including 30 ATP questions most of them referred to big jets. Some of similar test you can find it on this page Computerized Pilot Tests-Latest Pilot Jobs

The psychological test it's also in the same computer and you have to choose one of the two options of common sentences, and are 225 questions.

Just received invitation
 

I received in my email today an invitation to apply for a Captains job at COPA. I have been reviewing all the comments here to decide whether I want to go through the ringer for so little pay. Though I am retired from AA (26 year career, 18000 hrs, 737 type and 4.5 years PIC) I have been looking at moving to Panama and thought this might be an opportunity to do so with a pay check. Isn't the first 92K (or so) free of taxes for Americans working abroad? Though the pay is half what you can make in Chine I have no desire to live in China. I know from research you can live cheaply in Panama, but probably not close to the city where you would have to reside so don't know if it's worth it. Still mulling it over.

the problem there is the salary way too low.But if you have your pension.I think is a great idea.

Best of Luck!

COPA captain
 

Because I retired when i did I was able to keep some of my retirement before the greedy Robber Barons rode off in their Golden Parachutes. May they all rot in Hell! Never the less Is there any one on this forum who was hired as a captain with COPA who can tell me whether they can survive in PTY where the cost of living is greater then the country side of Panama? Does the company provide transportation to the airport as they indicated in their offer to me? How are the people who work for COPA and what is the availability of schools for a HS junior? What are the chances for movement up to the training department, where I was before. How many days do you wok and vs off? And the most important questions, unlike AA, are Captains treated like Captains or just monetary units?

BUWHANA, youre never going to see the training department and sim instructors in Copa make the same if not less than line pilots and they work probably 40 or more hours a week versuses 100 hours of flight a month. Captain pay is 69 dollars an hour, and there is no payscale. There is transportation to work, and they pick you up and a van full of people, i believe up to seven people. So its a long ride home sitting in the back of a utility van with bench seats and insane amounts of traffic everyday. stiff ride, and low quality roads. youre better off having a car so you can get home in 15 to 20 minutes if you live in the city versus 1 to two hours of dropping everyone off in places nowhere near the direction of your home. for schools, i am pretty sure your child will not get near as good of an education here than the US, so think about his future. Majors in the US, some, should be hiring, and you will make second year FO more than eternal captain pay here. and you only get 7 non consecutive days off a month with lots of cargo pilots schedules. I am hoping you are over your SJS at your point in your career, so just be careful and think about whats best for your family

I never understand the people who want to fly until they last day of life, you had your time, your opportunities, just left the spot for the new people, here we call that "the highlander pilot"

I'm from brazil... And believe in me.. There's no jobs here!!!! We are in cysis.

Has anyone found document from FAA requiring this new level of ICAO for Panamanian Airlines?

Can any Americans here tell me how to go about getting an apostille on my logbook pages?

The Dept. of State will not do it without a state apostille first but, my state will only apostille public documents signed by a state official. Logbooks are personal legal records, I think it's mpossible to get this required apostille for the Panamanian AAC.

I interviewed last month for DEC, I had explained to them beforehand that in USA we do not have a system for authenticating logbooks. Didn't seem to be a problem, they only glanced at one of my 4 logbooks :). Just found out I passed the process, just need to go back to take CAA phsyc. test. All interview went exactly as posted on this forum. Very friendly folks!

Congrats on passing the interview. I start class next month, maybe I'll see you there. Wait until you get the final offer, then they'll tell you about the apostille requirement for logbooks. For the interview, I just had my Chief Pilot staple a business card to the last page.

Apostille
 

What you could do is make a copy of the last (or more) page(s) of your logbook, place a text somewhere like "I, .........., hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of the last page of my Pilot Logbook, used to record flight experience in compliance with the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration", and then go to a public notary and sign it. After that you can take that piece of paper to a local office of authentication services and have it apostilled for the country you want to use it. In DC it is like $ 15 per page, the link to the place in DC is:
Notary and Authentication Services | os

Yikes! Thanks for the heads up guys, I'll look into it. Sounds like a pita!

Yes, it is a PITA so just to save everyone some trouble I'll post the process here in case someone needs to know.

1. Go to a Notary Public
2. Go to county courthouse to verify the notary public's signature
3. Go to your state's Department of State building to receive a state apostille
4. Go to the U.S. Department of State (Schedule an appt. for same day svc.) and receive a second apostille.

you may not need to do steps 3 & 4, the whole point of the apostille is to skip those, otherwise it is just a process of legalization of signatures. Both procedures should be fine but if your document says Apostille technically you don't need anything else, at least not by international law, but the company may ask you whatever they want

Hi

Please help with the following

Are they recruiting for FO type rated?
Do they upgrade? If so how long? 10k TT 1k 737ng
Did you all struggle with the online application form?

Thxs

Jo Pin Head
I had some trouble in the past using a Mac, if that's your case, give it a try with a pc running on windows.
Cheers

Do copa only hire US FAA pilots I have applied a year ago online I have sent e mails and nothing 737 of 1k plus on type