UK opportunities??
 

Any advice from anyone with some insight on the UK scene.

I'm a UK citizen living and working in Australia (Aus CPL(H)), but thinking about going back there to convert my licence & try to find work over there.
I'm waiting for information from the CAA, but would appreciate any tips as to what my chances are of finding work over there, any type of ops.
I have about 700hrs TT with over 400hrs turbine. Would this give me a shot at a co-pilot position with any of the offshore operators or anything else for that matter?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

thanks

T

Well our Offshore operator is more interested in you having an Instrumentrating , even then they have supossedly between 60-200 applicants on file, so we are told.
But I would always give it a try if you are desperate enough my recomendation would be IMHO to stay onshore far more varied and involving I can't tell you anyhting about the onshore market unless you like Air Ambulance and maybe Police I know Bond Air services are looking for people.
Why not stay in Australia it sounds like good fun down there I would not mind giving it a whirl. But I hear it is very difficult to get a Job down there unless you are Australian. I wish you good luck.

Thanks BH,

You're right, it is quite difficult to find work here. Usually story, 'who you know' syndrome. But the offshore & rescue operators seem to regularly want pilots. 2000hrs plus, IFR , etc.

I'll probably be over there in Feb, so will sniff around. Onshore would be a preference to start with, but consider anything!

Cheers

T

Look well into the licence conversion as the Australian CPL(H) unforunately counts for little in the UK. You will probably have to take all the commercial written exams and flight tests (very expensive when using the South Pacific Peso).

Don't be put off, but if I were you I'd get 1000 hours in Australia and find out the exact requirements of the UK CAA before going back there. Best of luck.

Brilliant Stuff - I'd take the rumour about 60 pilots with instrument ratings on a waiting list with a pinch of salt. Where do these people get their instrument ratings from? The North Sea operators?

O of B
I most definetly take those rumours with a pinch of salt as far as we can tell there is not much logic behind the recruitment policy.

Does anyone know who operates rotary out of Inverness?

I believe it is PLM/Dollar, Specialist Helicopters and Bond Air Services.

OoB , thanx for that I'll look them up. :)

Gone Again

If you want to convert to a UK (CAA) CPLH, I'm afraid you've missed the deadline for the last "initial attempt". Re-sits are allowed until June of next year. The last Nav' group this year was in November After that (we are told) that the new JAA system and exams (15) will be in place, and are apparently so far above most peoples heads, that you cant even see the bottom of it.

I am also a Brit' and in the process of converting my Canadian CPL-H with a view to heading for the North. Incidentally the other ICAO IFR tickets, like their CPL's also count for zip (gets you out of learning Morse code, that's all ). The CAA have said that the UK IFR requires quite a large amount of time in a true IFR (multi engine) ship, which is horrendously expensive, although I believe that Bristows has wangled a single engine IFR . Those two points together must mean (I hope) that there is not a 60 strong que of pilots with IFR waiting in EGPD. As mentioned in an above post "how do these pilots get their UK IFR".

The figure of 60+ fully is one which I have heard from a serving Bristows Aberdeen pilot (yep -I know it still may not be true) but... the story goes that in the axes that has fallen on the airline pilots there has been a proportion that have been snapped back up by the likes of Bristows et al. Some are still waiting to get back in.

Plus, I have been led to believe there may be some recently completed graduates from Cranfield (Scotia) and Bristows MultiEng/IR courses...does anyone know whether this last point is true?

Advancing Blade:When converting to a JAA license,is any credit given for a Canadian ATPL- H license? What cost is envolved in writing the exams or is a JAA ground school course mandatory?

IHL

An ICAO ATPL-H will be swapped for a JAA CPLH + IR providing that you either do the full 750 hrs ground school & pas ALL the ATP exams + skill test, OR approved ground school as directed by the training provider and pass ALL the CPL & IR exams.

Then you must pass the skill test for CPL & IR.

"However an ICAO ATP will be given JAA ATP, If you meet all the JAA experience requirements for issue, you will be exempt any formal training (ground or flight), provided that he holds a current type rating for the type on which he will complete the skill test and ahs logged 500 hours on that type. If he does not, he must complete the appropriate TRTO course to obtain that type rating.

Similar requirements would apply to the holder of a valid non-UK ATPL/H who wishes to obtain a JAR ATPL/H. However, unless the JAR-FCL skill test includes a multi-engine instrument rating renewal, the applicant will be issued with only a JAR-FCL CPL-H. If he subsquently require an IR-H, he will need to complete a full approved IR course in accordance with JAR-FCL(E)."

I think that if you have a 1000 hours including 500 on the multi engine test ship.

FFI, Check out
http://www.srg.caa.co.uk/documents/srg_fcl_gid26.pdf

Hope that helps

Thanks for the responses. (this is goneagain reincarnated - pw & email probs!!)

Is there such a thing as a UK CPL(H) anymore, or is it JAA CPL(H)? And with about 700hrs is the main obstacle the exams (as opposed to expensive flight time)?

The prospect of a bit of study & exams is not too daunting, however raising cash is!!

And is there a real prospect of employment with this experience & JAA CPL(H)?

All advice graetly apprciated.


T