Absolutely, a question for you about vacation. If you get 24 days a year and take them in two separate blocks, will you have 2 months where you have 22 days off? (10 days off per contract + 12 days of vacation)

That's correct CRJ, they are pretty flexible with how you use your vacation days. Some guys take 2 days Vacation every month on top of their 10 days (11 days with AJV) to make at least 12 or 13 days off every month. Generally the leave is taken in 2 blocks of 12 though, and as you said, added to your days off but within reason you can request what you want.

How is ground school going for those just finished up with the air law course? Anyone else here of visa's may be forthcoming?

I remember them asking me if I planned on commuting or living in Japan in my interview, as well as mentioning something about visa. I believe that visa is in the same category of the possible space positive travel for commuting. Would be great and I am sure they are looking into it, but probably will not happen anytime soon.

The contract specifically requires that you commute. I would not make any decision based on anything other than that if it were me.

Any upcoming classes at AJX/V? Still waiting on word from the medical but I did talk to the psycologist and I stayed at a Holiday Inn express last night. Anyone using Slingbox to get their TV fix while in training, just wondering if it was worth the effort?

Jobear
by now a nail bitin' freak

Don't know for sure about upcoming classes, but they were doing another round of interviews last night as I was finishing up my sim session.

I have the slingbox connected to my TV back home and has sure made it nice. The only english TV in the hotel is CNN and BBC. So unless you are a news junkie or understand japanese, I would highly recommend it. The internet connection in the hotel is plenty fast enough for it to work smoothly.

Nail biting over I start the 23rd of July!!!

Congratulations. Did you get AJX or AJV?

Pax side, so I guess that is AJX? I have no idea which is which.

Classic... "I don't care, I'm just happy to be here!" :D

Seriously, congrats! I know you're gonna love the airplane. Did you ever figure out how you were going to handle the taxes & such?

Congrats Jobear.. I think you will really like it here.. My class and I are loving it so far..! See you around the training center!

BC

AJV Capt (that's the cargo side :)

Lear70
[Did you ever figure out how you were going to handle the taxes & such?]

That is what my money manager (er wife)does, no we looked at some of the stuff and EK and others were spot on go thru a non-american company to TRY and avoid taxes.

Which begs the question - try and avoid taxes, couldn't agree more, go for it!

What happens when your friendly IRS tax man decides to look at YOUR tax situation and realises you have paid NO tax ANYWHERE for the last XX years??

IF you reckon your bullet-proof (ie you've done your homework) you wouldn't be even giving this post another thought, if you've based all your in-depth-opinions and beliefs on bar talk and what other people pontificate on open internt forums, well - life could get interesting.

On a different note - great to see the positive outlook of the new arrivals to Japan, maybe the ANA group have moderated their way of doing business to everyone's benefit. Long may the positive vibes remain. :ok:

I fully expect to have to pay taxes, unless there is a country I can move to and hold a dual citizenship. :-)

How is the training in ANA ? is it compatable to western ways or is it more Eastern ways?

Congrats Joebear:ok: Will see you around the clubhouse since we are not taking the last checkride until August.

If you are already typed on another certificate and have time on the airframe, there is a shorter course in the training program that last about three months.
No time on the airframe or type (my case) it is six months with the first week or so of the ground school dedicated to the Japanese license (Air Law, Radio Law and engineering)
The ground school for systems is mostly computer based and self study with exams every week and discussion with the instructors and a final writen exam. After that you go to Fix Base Simulator for procedures training(two hour sessions) and Full flight Sim after that(four hour sessions). This period does not include OJT (IOE in the States) There are two checkrides, one for the type and another about a week later for the ATPL with more sims between the two.
After that you go home for three to four weeks and then you come back for a refresher sim and back to ground school for route training a few days (Airport diagrams, Release and operations paperwork, you know line oriented stuff) then you start OJT for a period of about two months and you do route training to all the airports you will operate on and you also get observed by a couple of the head guys and after you get the blessing from these folks then you get released to get your observation ride with JCAB. In a nutshell, that is how it goes.

Bonas dias Signor Domenican

Thanks for your information, where does candidates gets washed more in SIM or in OJT?

Mucho grazes!:rolleyes:

I have to give you an "A" for effort man:D

The candidates that have had problems strangely enough have been the folks that are already typed and have time on the airframe. Why? mostly because they haven't been able to de program old calls and procedures and ANA doesn't want to hear anything but their standard phraseology and procedures.
There is also a lot of enphasis on hand flying approaches prior to the IAF and visual patterns that have to be done to perfection for the type ride.
What is happening is that some of these folks have worked for outfits that rely too much on automation and they don't really fly the A/C and like I said before, their course is a lot shorter (half the time) combined with the fact that probably the 76 wasn't the last A/C they where flying and voila, a recipe for problems even for experienced drivers. You dig?

I was telling my partner that we where lucky upto a point for not having flown the contraption before because we are learning it their way from the get go

I think that if you get released for OJT you are pretty much good to go:ok:

Japanese Visa
 

Is a Japanese Visa required prior to arrival in Tyo for Groundschool or is it issued on arrival?

Does Crew or Parc handle help with you attaining it?