Flying jobs for low hour pilots in Africa?

[bigjarv]

I am a low hour pilot in the UK and just qualified CPL/IR and seeking employment. Hope to have some fun and build some useful and productive hours before I get stuck into a "career" and "push button" flying!!!!

I understand that there are some great jobs available in Africa for low hour pilots and am just wondering if anyone has any info or pointers on how I can aquire one. I understand that the only way is to just turn up with CV and licence and hope for the best but I am unsure as to where to go, what companies are out there, and well anything that will help my search!!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

M

[Flap43]

Been down there myself. Loads of flying in South Africa, but wont get anywhere without doing an instructors rating at one school and then flying for them. lots of politics. also you wont be able to go to another school unless you have gained a few hundred hours instruction; plenty of local guys u see, and they get priority. you need a work permit to work there, and cant just expect to pick one up. need it all organised to begin with b4 u go. best place down there is www.43airschool.com in port alfred, just up the coast from PE. good school. similar to oxford or jerez. i would go there if given the chance again.
Botswana and ?Namibia is better places to go as they dont have schools. loads of Kiwis, Aussies and brits! best time to go for Botswana is end of year in Dec and stay till Jan. all seem to hire then. a couple of places in Gaborone, 1 in Francistown and loads in Maun in okovango delta. greta fun. good flying and great booze. bull and bush pub is right next to the runway and apron. liver will get a bashing! best way is to fly to jnb then air boswana to maun. normally 2 yr contract, but lots of hours and pay is ok too! C206 usually.
Namibia is pretty much the same but less schools and places.
send me a pm and i will giv u a lsit of the companies down there that i found.
U WILL ENJOY it down there. proper frontier place.water is brown or black, yes black (depending on levels in the delt!) electricity is on or off whenerver. I loved it!
hope some of the info helps.
Good luck!
POSITIVE - Gr UP!

[papazulu]

Flap43...

I'm more or less in the same position: JAA & FAA CPL/IR/ME, low TT, FI(R), ecc,ecc...fATPL on the way. Would you mind to share those tips with me too? Might be able toget a PC6-T rating and diver driver hrs too during the summer.

Ciao

PZ

[kentflyer]

Flap43

As someone who is just about to start my cpl course
I have also been thinking along the same lines and
would also appreciate any tips you may have on
where to look for work.

Many thanks

[oompa loompa]

Flap43,

I'd be interested in your list too: I'm in the middle of my SA COM at 43 at the moment, and was planning to get in my car and drive north once I'd finished, but still a bit unsure where to go!!

Cheers bud,

OL

[Flap43]

Hi All,
For all of you who PM 'd me, here is a list of some of the places in Botswana. I was overwhelmed by people who wanted info and cant reply to each one, so here is some info that shld help each of you. I would appreciate feedback if you get anywhere with them regarding any changes in Chief Pilot or mangr positions.

I believe pay is 4500 pula for the first 3 months, then it goes to 5500 pula per month. Accomodation is around 800pula a month. but most of the time you will share with other pilots! (these figures may have changed, correct as of Jan 2004.).

Generally hired on the C206. some companies as you see below also have other a/c but dont think you will get on it for 2 yrs! unless really lucky! any licence and any time is acceptable in botswana, doesnt matter about how much time either. just do you have a licence. dont even need an IR but i would suggest it just for general skill levels.
a/c will be full regulaly and Maun is at 3500ft if memory serves, with a temp of 35 -42C in summer, so u do the maths. you actually get to know the escape routes between the trees that have been cut so that you can gain altitude and airspeed as some strips V small and bumpy; correction, most!!!!!
well maintained a/c and professional outfits if you ask me. as it was put to me, we cater for the top end safari market, therefor our clients pay alot of money, so we have to look professional or they dont come back and we dont get contracts from the lodges to fly their customers in. No roads in the bush really, so everything is flown in.
Same sort of thing in Namibia. concentrate on Windhoek. only a couple of operators, but have misplaced my list, sorry!
South Africa is not a place to go unless a national or doing your licence down there in a school, followed by an instructors rating and then hopefully taken on by the school; purely taken on an individual basis, so you have to be there really, otherwise you have issues getting a permit to work.
to convert from a JAA to SA CAA you have to sit ALL their CPL ground schools. they still seperate CPL and fATPL. * then a further 7. otherwise you cant get a type on your licence, only the ones already on it! so useless really. these ALL (CPL 8) need to be completed b4 starting an instructors rating and dont listen to anyone, it has to be all 8 cpl exams and the flight tests b4 you start the instructors rating. you can only sit the grnd school exams in Pretoria(on computer, answers that day) or Cape Town(written, answers in 3 weeks!). the CAA down there messed me around for 3 months! luckily the wine was cheap!!!!!
I was JAA fATPL.
Kenya i know little about, but have a friend flying down there who is enjoying himself, must have 2000hrs in 2 years, but NO job in africa is given to you by being here. no amount of emails or phone calls will get you anything, except a school to convert your licence (www.43airschool.co.za or .com!!!)- best one in my view!
You HAVE to go down there. nothing is SA will be offered to you until 1500hrs and only then may you get a prop to fly! still have the old hours building route like america. I called my mates down there and told them i was now on a medium jet and they just about had a heart attack; they are still instructing or flying caravans!!!good for experience, but i am all about the career in the airlines, so i left when given the opportunity of a job 'up north!'
Plenty of flying in SA but also plenty of local pilots, so beware, not all is rosey!!! is still difficult.
basically, you need to hang around and bang on doors. most jobs available afterwards around JNB in places like Lanseria. just not the safest of places!!!! parking attendants have mp5's!!!

Below is a list of some of the places in MAun in BOtswana. I think the only real place to go to in botswana.

(Eagle Air) now Moremi Air
P.O. Box 550, Maun, [email protected] (may change to moremiair)Tel:[phone] Fax:[phone] Cell:[phone] Olivier Noel-CP Andrew/Hans Ops Mngr C206's

Delta Air
P.O. Box 39, Maun, Botswana [email protected] Tel:[phone] Fax:[phone] Cell:[phone] Mathew J Pomperoy Ops Mngr C206's

Northern Air
P.O. Box 27, Maun [email protected] tel:[phone] Fax:[phone] Cell:[phone] John S Allott Ops Mngr C206's

Mack Air
Private Bag 329, Maun, Botswana [email protected]l:[phone] Fax:[phone] Chief Pilot C206's

Sefofane air charters
Private Bag 159, Maun, [email protected]
Tel:[phone] Fax:[phone] Abraham Liebenberg CP; C206's, Islander, King Air200/90, Caravan

Safari Air Maun
, Botswana ; progress from C206,GA8 Airvan to rest of the fleet(6 months)C206, Islander, GA8 Airvan, Caravan
Swamp Air
Maun, Botswana
[email protected]
x2 C206

Any more info i will post if i find. hope this helps some of you, and opens your eyes a little. budget on what i said for SA and ask the school you are looking at for prices and time frame. then add 50% on the time frame and budget on that.
Flying down there is EASY compared to EUROPE. not much in the sky and loads of it!!!
Women are great and the boose is cheap if you stay away from Cape town and tourist areas.
any more help, just post, i wil keep my eye out!
ENJOY!!!

POSITIVE; GR UP

[Craggenmore]

Many Thanks

[bigjarv]

Flaps 43 You are a legend! Thanks so much for all the info! Really useful n helpfull. Appreciate all your time!

Seems like I'm not alone either!!!! Better get down their soon!!!!

M