SVA ? ................

I've had search through the ME forum but all the info seems about a year old now. Is there anything up to date available now it seems that NAS are recruiting again?

Primarily I would like to know what an FO on the 320 takes home each month on the 6/3week contract?

How many hours flying will you usually do per month?

Is it worth staying in the company accommodation or is it better to take the accommodation and transportation allowance and sort out your own?

Finally, how long realistically will it be when you first move out there until you can first return home, or is that the eternal 'how long is a piece of string' question?

Any info is appreciated, PM me if you prefer.

Thanks
EH

Can you convert a GACA license into a GCAA? Is there any advantage there? My stuff is FAA so I don't have neither, just wondering.

As the GACA licence comes free with 3 tiger tokens off the back of a cornflakes packet, the best thing you could convert it into is a fire lighter for the BBQ:}

Now please remember to Fly Ginger:E

Tiger Tokens
 

Oh Ginger... you are so nasty, and soooo wrong!!

Tiger Tokens come from the back of Frosties NOT Cornflakes!!!!!!!

Mr Hitler, the piece of string is also elastic, so it stretches!!!!

Faa / Gaca
 

Huncowboy,

Before GACA was formed, back when the saudis traded majic carpets for aeroplanes, they took the US/FAA way of doing things as their own... if you come with an FAA ticket then they will convert for you no problem as they operate to FAA regs.

All the best.

Not any longer, expect to do the English Language testing and the written tests again..... :)

Mutt

To bad no one will answer the rest of Hitlers questions.
-Did I just write that?:eek:

desertopsguy,

Thanks for the info. I was trying to see if getting a GACA license would provide any advantages for getting employment with a GCAA airline. Would it look better for interviewing with EY or EK eventually down the road? I know they already take my FAA stuff but having operational experience in the area and gaining a license from a local authority should make my CV better. I would think. Especially if they convert them easily.

I am just trying to estimate the advantages/disadvantages of seeking a temporary position in the ME to get current and gain local experience vs just waiting for my recall in the US and go from there. Hence the question. Regardless, it seems NAS is looking long term only at the moment.

huncowboy,

Don't know who your furloughed from, but recall may take a while at the rate things are going in the US. I took a LOA from my airline, not sure if I will ever go back. I would look for a long term contract.

After reading through these posts, it seems everyone has an opinion about NAS, and they are all completely different. I am currently on a contract for EJME and thinking about jumping ship. Don't know where I want to go, but NAS sounds interesting and I would like to get back on the Bus again.

Can anyone who works for NAS on the Bus give me an idea what the conditions are at NAS. PM me, if you want. Thanks.

Cheers

RWEDAREYET,

My recall is coming up in spring it seems. So at least by next summer I will be in a good position to move on or stay in the US. I am trying to put my bet on one more airline and that will be either EY or EK. I am only interested in a short term move if it really helps my long term goals. If NAS would be looking for contract pilots, it could be beneficial for them and us. I was trying to weight what I would gain vs lose by working there short term. But that is not the case it seems and I think it would look bad to leave them after a couple of months being on line unless that was the original agreement.

To me the #1 problem with seeking permanent position with NAS is the country. We just can't do Saudi for 20+ years. I would love to go to the UAE and hopefully put my last airline on my CV there, then retire. But Saudi seems on the very conservative end of things, and that just does not work for me and my wife. In addition NAS does not look as stable as a national carrier like EY. I could be wrong, I have been before.

Good luck to anyone here with the decisions. This is one big roulette game that I never ever wanted to play.

Huncowboy,

When I said long-term contract, I was thinking a couple of years, not 20. Sorry for the missunderstanding. Short term contracts generally will expect you to be sim current, not sure if you are.

Commuting contracts are what I do, and it has worked for me. I still commute from the States to the MidEast. Leaving tonight after being home for a couple of weeks.

There are a couple of commuting contracts in Asia as well, so you may want to take a look there. I've been looking at a few. I agree that living in the MidEast for the next 20 years would be tough and that's why I choose to do the commuting contracts. Nothing wrong with the MidEast, it just isn't home. I like where I live, don't ever want to leave, so commuting contracts are a must for me.

Good luck with your search.

Cheers

Hi,

Any chance someone working at NAS could answer Eddie's questions below as I was going to ask the same things?

PM me also if you'd prefer.

Many thanks,
Matt. :ok:

PS. Eddie, I take it you area a 'Bottom' fan! Top show. :ok:

Mr Hitlers Q's
 

Okay, to answer your questions;

Expect to take home your basic pay, the rest is done on monthly flying hours. Since the first 50 hours are included in basic you will not often fly over this as they have to pay you extra. Also your 6 weeks will fall over 2 or 3 months, so they can jst fly you 50 hours and still get 100 or more hours out of you in 6 weeks.

Hours per month, read above.

If your on a contract, you stay in company accom. Regardless of what your contract says you will share with others, contractors have complained but Storm do nothing to back them up, and bow to NAS every time.

If your NAS direct you can claim allowance. If you want to live 'local' you can save money otherwise you will have to share to get a decent compound and will use your allowance.

The piece of string is very long.
Last I heard we had 2 Capts that have done 10 months out of their 12 month contract and yet to fly aircraft. Your 6 weeks on STARTS at end of Line Training (IOE). So far they have managed to get away for a few weeks here and there but had to pay for own tickets. Some guys go thro quickly, quick means 4 months or so, others get held up in Visa, Igama, License issues.
Capts quite often get held up as they have to be checked 3 times (oral, sim and line) by GACA (Saudi Aviation Auth) and that can take months as well.

Nothing here happens fast,

Hi all.
what about the writen gaca test? is it a pain in the axx or just some sort of routine check?

thanks in advance.

Flying Orange,

Thanks for your response. Certainly shed a lot more light on the situation for me at least.

I heard NAS is having a recruitment campaing starting on Monday.

Anyone got invited? How´s it supposed to be? (Interview-sim etc..)

This has been a direct call to those who applied through their website(when this was an option) , I applied through an agency but I´m still holding. Anyone applying through an agency got a call?

Thanks

nas very short of pilot, so coo (east block) now decide that pilot no go home till they say so. US pilot had to stay xtra 5 days, and overtime pay is now half.

he say he can do this for op reqirement, if you say no YOU FIRED

brit fo fired for goin off rotatn and visa expir. nas had 3 week to sort out but did not. offer him new contrct on less money and more time.

with lots pilt leav in next month will get worse. last month nas cancel flt due lack pilts. maybe coo should be called HITLER not Mr Eddie

ME sneak, your post sounds like a SITA telex, sorry couldn't resist