B737-200 rating (Y/N)?
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Lusaka
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B737-200 rating (Y/N)?
To those who have been down this road,
would it be worth while paying (personally) for a B737-200 type
rating?
And, applying to the airlines which have the B737NG type?
(would the cost of a difference, be cheaper for the airline, than a full
blown, initial training?)
would a type rating on the 73-2, stand one in a better chance of
an airline job, or would it be money that's wasted?
would it be worth while paying (personally) for a B737-200 type
rating?
And, applying to the airlines which have the B737NG type?
(would the cost of a difference, be cheaper for the airline, than a full
blown, initial training?)
would a type rating on the 73-2, stand one in a better chance of
an airline job, or would it be money that's wasted?
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: south africa
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B737-200 Rating
Well the B732 Rating is a very good rating to have in Africa. Lots of jobs. Dont listen to guys up North. We in africa dont consider the B732 as a Sopwith Camel. She still has many years on her!!!!
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Well the B732 Rating is a very good rating to have in Africa. Lots of jobs. Dont listen to guys up North. We in africa dont consider the B732 as a Sopwith Camel. She still has many years on her!!!!
Sure, but not even mentioning the salary you'd earn as a 732-First Officer in Africa (which is not a primary concern for a newbie): To what kind of standards? They are bought cheap, their needed spare parts come from junkyards, and the crews are fearless cowboys and madmen. While the owners and management of those planes are usually mafia-style business-people.
Maintenance, Safety, Quality control, etc. of ANY of these operators is all absolutely sub-zero. The kind of companies that still operate 732's are just the kind of companies that can't afford anything else.
There are plenty of old 732, 707, DC-8 and DC-9, as well as fleets of various ex-sowjet types flying around in Africa. With the matching statistics to them: occasionally, when they crash into a village somewhere, killing 120 people on board and another fifty on ground, it's not even mentioned in the news - nobody's interested, since it happens all the time.
Most of these airlines would never be allowed to fly into European airports.
As a newbie looking for the first job, anybody (and I don't exclude myself) would do almost anything it takes. However, consider one thing:
Flying a 25 year old aircraft, without glass-cockpit, in and out of places like Khartoum, Entebbe, Lagos, Kinshasa and a few dozen other lovely places - it will definitely not be the kind of reference that recruiters in Europe, China, Australia or the USA are looking for.
My advice to you would be, to get a A320 or B737 type rating in a flight academy at home. Spend that much more money - if you're anyway going to buy yourself a rating, don't waste it on an outdated type. After that, find an hours-building scheme somewhere - your flight academy can probably assist you.
It's a huge investment, but only that will take you into the right direction.
Or, listen to "four engine jock". After all, perhaps you are a huge fan of Indiana Jones, and would rather like to become a bush-pilot.
Oh, by the way, speaking of "lots of jobs"
First of all, there are certainly NOT many jobs around - I know even more pilots in Africa who are desperately seeking, and they are experienced.
And secondly, did you ever try to get a work-permit?
Last edited by Nightfire; 14th Sep 2009 at 21:38.
