Any more advice for newbies ?
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Join Date: Jul 2007
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Any more advice for newbies ?
Not so long ago there were suggestions from many experts on how the pathetic wannabe should get his act together and go to Africa to look for work.
India seeks Congo help to rescue abducted pilot
India seeks Congo help to rescue abducted pilot
Join Date: Sep 2004
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No my immature, naive and polarized wannabe.
Advice was given from those with "experience" in the field of "aviation" of how to give a "wannabe" the best possible chances of securing a job when the glory job that "some" demand by birthright is not available to them. From memory, that advice was:
- STUDY, STUDY, STUDY......
- Look for any flying job, on any aircraft, anywhere. And for the brain dead no one is suggesting to work for any unscrupulous, unsafe or unprofessional operator. Try Africa but for ONE such "CONTINENT" (a quick lesson if you are the illegitimate child of Sarah Palin: there are many countries you'll find in Africa, not just the one you have denoted and representing them all). Please be aware this may mean making your own bed, doing your own washing, refueling your own aircraft, doing your own flight plan, etc......again, you have been warned! Other countries (from the top of my head) welcoming expats in the GA arena include Papua New Guinea, Asia (big place!), and even Canada I think.
- Keep applying for the jobs of choice all the while gaining (that little thing called) "experience" and hence be in better stead for an interview than those sitting around home b$tching;
- Attempt to gain more flying hours than posts on PPRuNe is also a good start.
So, despite the article posted perhaps the advice I and others gave still stands? Going by your childish whine pilots should not operate anywhere where there is domestic trouble, ethnic tensions, corrupt governments & officials, crime, hardship, greedy aircraft owners & operators..... I think that sums up most of the world? Hell, in that case they should just post about being unemployed on PPRuNe!
Best wishes, a safe and speedy return home to the pilot referenced in the article. At least he had the balls to go for his dream.
Advice was given from those with "experience" in the field of "aviation" of how to give a "wannabe" the best possible chances of securing a job when the glory job that "some" demand by birthright is not available to them. From memory, that advice was:
- STUDY, STUDY, STUDY......
- Look for any flying job, on any aircraft, anywhere. And for the brain dead no one is suggesting to work for any unscrupulous, unsafe or unprofessional operator. Try Africa but for ONE such "CONTINENT" (a quick lesson if you are the illegitimate child of Sarah Palin: there are many countries you'll find in Africa, not just the one you have denoted and representing them all). Please be aware this may mean making your own bed, doing your own washing, refueling your own aircraft, doing your own flight plan, etc......again, you have been warned! Other countries (from the top of my head) welcoming expats in the GA arena include Papua New Guinea, Asia (big place!), and even Canada I think.
- Keep applying for the jobs of choice all the while gaining (that little thing called) "experience" and hence be in better stead for an interview than those sitting around home b$tching;
- Attempt to gain more flying hours than posts on PPRuNe is also a good start.
So, despite the article posted perhaps the advice I and others gave still stands? Going by your childish whine pilots should not operate anywhere where there is domestic trouble, ethnic tensions, corrupt governments & officials, crime, hardship, greedy aircraft owners & operators..... I think that sums up most of the world? Hell, in that case they should just post about being unemployed on PPRuNe!
Best wishes, a safe and speedy return home to the pilot referenced in the article. At least he had the balls to go for his dream.
Join Date: Mar 2009
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Hardship Posting
Well,
It was a long time ago, but my co-pilot got blown up in a Southern Transport C-130 when they hit an unknown mine buried in the dirt runway. She still walks funny. When I told an African pilot about her story, he laughed, saying: "Most of the runways in Africa have unexploded mines in them."
So there's some hazards and probably, as well, some great opportunities. But the advice given by TopTup is good. You're going to have to accept sleeping in the airplane swatting Malaria mosquitoes all night, and loading baggage and cargo with your own brittle spine. You will also get elected to empty the ****ter, change the oil, do ALL the revisions, wash the plane, do stacks of mind-numbing paper work, and be a gofer in the training office. Be sure you know how to make good coffee and tea, since making it and dragging around "the jug of shame" is going to be your prime directive. Also don't be surprised if you only jerk the gear lever and talk on the radio 90 percent of the time....
Actually, most of my early experience was North America and Asia, but some things are universal entry co-pilot duties. Your first few jobs are not going to amount to much, unless you're damn lucky.
Are you sure you don't want to go to Med School instead?
Why don't you head on over to the African Forum and ask those guys? If you're tough enough, I would go over there. Many overseas chief pilots wind up bailing from ex-girlfriends, gambling debts etc; you might wake up one day and be in charge of a small outfit. Looks killer on a resume.
Good Luck,
CC
It was a long time ago, but my co-pilot got blown up in a Southern Transport C-130 when they hit an unknown mine buried in the dirt runway. She still walks funny. When I told an African pilot about her story, he laughed, saying: "Most of the runways in Africa have unexploded mines in them."
So there's some hazards and probably, as well, some great opportunities. But the advice given by TopTup is good. You're going to have to accept sleeping in the airplane swatting Malaria mosquitoes all night, and loading baggage and cargo with your own brittle spine. You will also get elected to empty the ****ter, change the oil, do ALL the revisions, wash the plane, do stacks of mind-numbing paper work, and be a gofer in the training office. Be sure you know how to make good coffee and tea, since making it and dragging around "the jug of shame" is going to be your prime directive. Also don't be surprised if you only jerk the gear lever and talk on the radio 90 percent of the time....
Actually, most of my early experience was North America and Asia, but some things are universal entry co-pilot duties. Your first few jobs are not going to amount to much, unless you're damn lucky.Are you sure you don't want to go to Med School instead?
Why don't you head on over to the African Forum and ask those guys? If you're tough enough, I would go over there. Many overseas chief pilots wind up bailing from ex-girlfriends, gambling debts etc; you might wake up one day and be in charge of a small outfit. Looks killer on a resume.
Good Luck,
CC
Join Date: Feb 1998
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I once spent a couple of months in one of the **** citys of
coastal Africa (no names no pack-drill) and I can only
describe the job (737-200 capt) being as ****tey as the
place. 5 to 6 MELs were normal, weights and trim sheets
fudged, tech log cooked because the engineering atitude
was "if it flew in itll fly out", crap airports with totaly crap
runways, no real inst approaches etc etc.
The general locals were ok if you didnt bull**** or screw
them in any way esp in business dealings with the upper
schmos.
But there was a lot of cash to be made on the side. What
few tourists there were back then loved parting with there
money - 100 quid or US a day per person was happiley
passed once they had an English-speaking tour guide! If
you got to know the local businesses extra could be earnt
in kickbacks if enough tourists were brought in.
Was profitable if you could put up with all the inane crap
(including work). I only lasted two months because
insanitey was starting to set in.
coastal Africa (no names no pack-drill) and I can only
describe the job (737-200 capt) being as ****tey as the
place. 5 to 6 MELs were normal, weights and trim sheets
fudged, tech log cooked because the engineering atitude
was "if it flew in itll fly out", crap airports with totaly crap
runways, no real inst approaches etc etc.
The general locals were ok if you didnt bull**** or screw
them in any way esp in business dealings with the upper
schmos.
But there was a lot of cash to be made on the side. What
few tourists there were back then loved parting with there
money - 100 quid or US a day per person was happiley
passed once they had an English-speaking tour guide! If
you got to know the local businesses extra could be earnt
in kickbacks if enough tourists were brought in.
Was profitable if you could put up with all the inane crap
(including work). I only lasted two months because
insanitey was starting to set in.
