Be careful - a 6 month holiday visa (or visa-waiver equivalent) generally doesn't allow you to work! Doing so may be in contravention of your visa. This doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but at least be aware of what you're getting in to.

Also, be aware that you need 200 hours for the SA CPL, versus 150 (or 155) for a JAA. And to convert back to JAA involves completing the entire groundschool syllabus (9 or 14 exams), although you could skip some or all of the flight training, depending on your skill level and what the local school thinks of it.

Consider Helicopter Charter & Training in Port Elizabeth - the surroundings are fantastic, and they're often less busy with better weather than CT. They can also organise accomodation (the owner also owns a backpackers) plus lifts to and from the airport (no car hire).

South Africa
 

Can anyone recommend a flight school in South Africa (Cape Town) for either Self fly hire (R22) - or R44 conversion ?

Would the conversion be valid in JAA land ?

Thanks.

Base4 in CT are pretty good, although they are often quite busy, so book in advance. I don't know whether they run R22s, but they definately have R44s.

Whether you can do the R44 rating there depends on your licenses. If you hold a SA PPL (ie. you qualified there), and hold a UK PPL on the basis of the SA one (ie. the UK PPL is a validation of the SA one), then you could (probably) add a rating to the SA license, then get the UK CAA to reciprocate on the validation (with, no doubt, the payment of wads of wonga).

On the other hand, if your primary license is a UK (JAA) one, and you're flying in SA on a validation, as the school in SA is not a TRTO for the UK CAA, the training can't count towards a license. The best you could hope for would be to get some training from someone who knows the UK syllabus and use that to bargain for a 3-hour type-rating from a school in the UK. Remember that to get a 3-hour TR, the school has to be licensed for it AND have it written into their AOC and ops manual; not everyone has this exemption. You also have to convince them that your training overseas was of a high enough standard that they actually don't need to take 5 hours over getting you through.

If you're planning route 2 above, I'd strongly suggest doing LOTS of planning and phoning around first!

Base4 rocks....
 

NeedMoney i did my PPL training at Base4 and have nothing but praise for them. The entire team is supportive and enthusiastic about aviation and you are welcomed into the fold like a family member.

Be warned that from May - September is Winter season and you may not get much flying done during these months.

PM me if you want more details.

Hi,

Thanks for the input - it will be touch and go anyway. I have just got my PPL(H) test past, and only just (last week) sent off the paperwork - so I doubt this will be back in time for my SA trip in 2 weeks !!

I might have a leson or 2 time permitting (just means I won't have any docs - but for a lesson that should not matter !?)

Might do a tourist flip over Cape Town for the experience anyway.....

South Africa heli licence
 

Hi guys,
There must be a thread somewhere on this.
Anyone got any info on converting from Australian cplh / Png cplh to South African equivalent?
Whats involved, who to contact etc etc. Cost?...
Just looking about.... as we do..... seeing what's involved.
cheers
SL

SA foreign CPL validation
 

Hi SL,

Go to CAA Website

The site is not the best. Select 'Licencing and Examinations' at left, then select 'Licencing' at left. Then find. 'Validation of Foreign Licences' which will refer you in turn to a very tedious index page for AIC's. On the index page, the one you want is 30.7 under - you guessed it - Validation of Foreign licences.

There requirements are fairly similar to Aus, I think: Air Law Exam, Medical and flight test. Most of the flight schools will know the ropes when it comes to dealing with the CAA.

Good luck!

Cheers for that Tiento
Just what I'm after...... doesn't sound too bad at all
SL

Need Money
 

Hi,
I guess the SA holiday is probably over!
For future reference, try 43 Air School at Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape. Probably the best flight school in SA with a small RW training cell operating a fleet of R22s & at least 1xR44 for IR work. They are (or at least, were,) part of NAC.
They also conduct JAA/EASA courses though whether that has reached the helicopter training cell yet I don't know.
If googling doesn't work or if I can help further, please drop me an email.

Cape Town
 

Cape town flying club, is next to the CTI airport, allow's you to experiance heavy traffic and serious ATF.

Just a good place to learn or get crushed by a a380.

Anyone got some personal reputation/experience from starlite aviation for me?


further, got someone information how much a zero to cpl training would cost in south african currency?


thanks!

Rusty,

My son has just started his chopper comm from zero and the quotes I got varied from R720 000 to R1 300 000!It all depended on whether he did R22 and R44 with turbine conversion or just a R22.

Starlite was one of the more expensive ones but their quote incl a turbine conversion onto a R66. A good school by all accounts. They have just started training on the Cabri G2. Nice little chopper.

I found it cheaper to do just the R22 comm and then a R44 conversion at the end.

Powered Flight Training
 

Powered Flight Training at Wonderboom airport (Pretoria) offer ab initial to comm training on R22, R44 and Fama K209 turbine helicopter. Most of the hours building up to comm level can be done on the Fama turbine at an hourly cost similar to R22, so that by the time the student is ready, s/he already has over 100 hrs turbine experience.

The Fama K209 is a non type-certified helicopter, and is licensed (in South Africa) for training, game work and other types of aerial work (but not for charter).

Thanks for the information with the money and the school, I am getting in contact with them.




Open question about the student visa. If I am finished with the training, maybe in the first year and the student visa would end, is there some possibility to stay longer for hour building/gain job experience, looking for a job or would I get deported after the training, if I get no job offer or something similar?

Would the Fama hours be accepted as turbine hours in other countries too? I know that they are already in the certification process for FAA/EASA, but I dont know if they would accept the hours you have flown on this type of helicopter, therefore I am a little bit ditrustful.

living costs / month in SA
 

short question:
Does anyone know how much the monthly living costs (std. accommodation, public transport, food,...) would be in "mossel bay" for international student, because I am planning to do there my zero to CPLH training? Would 8k-10k rand be enough?

.
Mossel Bay, you're going for Starlite ?
.

Public transport....??? TIA - this is africa....

Best is to buy a cheap second hand car for the time you're there and then sell it once you've finished.
Motoring, Western Cape, Garden Route, Mossel Bay | Junk Mail Classifieds Vehicles For Sale in Mossel Bay | Junk Mail Classifieds

Look to rent something a bit more permanent/long tem here: Property to Rent, Western Cape, Garden Route, Mossel Bay | Junk Mail Classifieds Property to rent in Mossel Bay | Junk Mail Classifieds

Startlite is a great choice... with a good chance for something in the future with them

yes, it seems like i am doing it with starlite. my only concerns are going on visa conditions and hopefully the exchange rate would not drop into bad!


thx for the info flyting!

Someone got there any information for me? I contacted 2 weeks ago already the SA government, but since now I have no feedback


.....Open question about the student visa. If I am finished with the training, maybe in the first year and the student visa would end, is there some possibility to stay longer for hour building/gain job experience, looking for a job or would I get deported after the training, if I get no job offer or something similar? (similar to the F1 visa in the US)....