Advisability of type rating purchase for expat flying
 

Hey folks,

Looking for some advice on how best to market myself as an expat pilot. As I'm sure most people in this forum have experienced, the US job market seems to be circling the toilet faster and faster. It certainly seems to me that all of the most lucrative and stable flying in the foreseeable future will be overseas. I'm 36, unmarried, no kids, about 7000 hours, largely single pilot turboprop time in freight and air ambo, but also about 1200 in a BE400 doing passenger 135 charter. My thinking lately has been that it might be useful to purchase either a 737 or Airbus type to make myself more attractive to foreign airlines, but I'm not sure whether the type rating itself will do me any good at all with no time in type. I'm pretty sure in the US it would be next to worthless, but I'm not nearly as clear on how things work overseas.

And if that's a bad idea, what's a good one? I really think the time to get out of the US is rapidly approaching.

Regards,
TRF

Get a job with a US carrier for a year and get at least 500 hrs, a Type Rating without time on the A/C is worthless; no one will hire you. Waste of good money.

G

Got my A320 type 3 years ago, thinking that would help me get a job overseas, but I haven't been lucky. I know some guys who have been though. Very few jobs are available if you have no time in type and no connections (think knowing the chief pilot or his daughter/son) and it's a bit like playing the lottery.

I wanted to emphasize this bit. Take a look at the jobs you want. A type rating is worthless without time in the airplane.

I would start looking at other forums right here. african aviation worked for me. there are a lot of places that will take u if you have an atp and are willing to pay for a type. But getting a type without a concrete job offer is very risky. So be careful when spending ur own dime to make ur resume look better. i agree with the guys,type means nothing without atleast 500 hours on it...
Goodluck!!!