Where to now? (Widebody)
 

Hi there I'm a bus pilot in Brazil and looking for some advice... I have just logged my first 500h as PIC on A320 and wondering what my chances are to fly a widebody on any of the growing airline world around like KAL.
I'm 34, 6700TT (2600h as A320 co-pilot, 900h as A330 co-pilot and only 500h PIC on A320) ICAO Level 6
So looking at my experience above (witch is not much) what would be my options to get on a left seat of an A330 or so?
Thanks for the help.

Boa sorte;)

Jobs for experienced but with wrong type?
 

Hi all.
As by subject.
Where should an experienced SFO with almost 3000hrs jet go look for a job if he/she is looking to change A/c type?

Middle East not an option...

Regards...

Giggey
 

3000hrs does not an experienced FO make!!!! ;)

no it makes a captain in ruinair :ok:

3k Hrs is almost 5years experience to me, surely not a cadet.
Now...
Anything useful to add or you want to start argue about the usual Bu*****T?

Ps: Do something for your addiction ;)

Why leave beautiful Brasil? That sounds like a potential mistake to me. You most likely fly for TAM (operates both A330s and A319/20s) which is a solid, growing airline and, as we all know, the flight attendants are gorgeous.......... :cool: The grass is NOT always greener on the other side.

My bet is that if you go to Korean or a Chinese airline to fly the A330, you will miss Brasil so much that you will want to return within weeks. If you really wish to fly overseas and you want to experience new countries and adventures, why not apply to Emirates. Still, I personally wouldn't leave a fast growing airline in Brasil - and with the Olympics and World Cup coming up, you will be seriously home sick if you have to watch them from Asia.

Talk to other Brasilians who have made the switch to Asia before making any big decisions - you might regret leaving!!!!! Good luck.

Oh well. What was meant as a tongue in cheek comment was clearly lost in translation.
I was merely making a joke based around the usual spiel that appears on here about what makes up experience.

Anyhow happy hunting.

Whats meaning of SFO, I can't understand what you want to say..

whats the meaning of SFO
 

It Means Senior First Officer.:rolleyes:

DUDE!!!! You are a 34 (THIRTY-FOUR) year old CAPTAIN on Airbus!! Flying in an awesome country.

Do you KNOW how much we herein the US would love to make Captain at age 34??

Believe me amigo... You are doing great!

Signed, aa73.. 38 years old... 12th year AA F/O... Still at least another 7 years to Captain! And I am one of the young ones

Why not consolidate your experience in the left seat before changing to a completely different operation? You have so much yet to learn as a commander!

Brasil an awesome country? Not in my point of view....Ok to go on holidays and layovers. But live there? Try to live in S. Paulo with a pilot salary and you will see....

Thank you all for the replies, the thing is down here in Brazil we live in the middle of a "civil war", drug dealers all around, can not trust the police, politicians steel all you tax money and things are soooo expensive that even with the good salaries payed by TAM it is just enough to have a good life but nothing beyond that. So the problem is not my current job but the the country I live in... So if I have to move from Brazil I wish I could get a better job, flying a WB will allow me to spend more time with my family... and should be what we call "first world".. my dream would be to fly in US, I like that place so much... unfortunately that is impossible. EK is out of the question, after 13 years of right seat I'm done with that, much happier flying on the left and I don't bother the guy on the right and he doesn't bother me. So maybe asia is the way to go, as far as I can see Korea is a very developed country, also Japan is in my mind... I just don't know...

lfbb: I`m of the same age and TT, PIC around 5000, sitting in the left seat for seven years, mostly on 737. Happy, spoiled, European baby-captain which was too lucky to experience those golden years in the middle of the first decade after 2001. I was thinking about going eastbound to fly either NB or WB, as well. Now I had an excellent opportunity to try and check those "greener pastures" (North America in my case) for couple of months just to realize how nice the life and flying is at home (other side of the former Iron Courtain, BTW), and how nice my paychecks are. Now I`m gonna stay there, glued firmly to the 73, unless I really have to go abroad for some reason and play the expat`s game. And honestly, 500hrs PIC on A320 or plane like that is not enough to even settle down in your seat, contrary to what you may think, believe me. Way too early to change the employer, country and type at the same time.

But I`m afraid this is not the advice you were looking for

EDIT: and you can hear a lot of complaints about the life in my country as well, only the "drug war" is not there, fortunately. But do I think the life is much better in other countries now? No, I dont`t think so...

It is fine, I'm not claiming to be the super experienced captain... actually the idea of the topic is that I could not believe that 500PIC of A320 will really get me on the left seat of an A330 like many Asian airlines are proposing, does that really happen or it's bs?

I am absolutely sure you will not get LHS Wide Bodied with only 500 hrs PIC, even in Asia they want a minimum of 1000hrs PIC A320 for consideration. I would suggest you stay on the A320.

politicians steel all you tax money and things are soooo expensive...
 

So, avoid Portugal, it´s the same sh:mad:!
Felicidades!

The link in my first post explains how it works...they hire you on the a320, after 4000h flying for them, you might get an upgrade to a330. And all the others are probably the same....

Now I got it... thanks!

I am in a similar situation. I made it to the left seat of a CL 604 with relatively low hours(2500),and I am 33. Good employer,great roster and good money ,but being a baby captain and flying ~200 hours a year in the business world ,I feel that my chances of getting a job in the future on an airplane > 20 ton (not to mention WB) are fading away...:(
Thought of options,but except Qatar nothing comes in mind.:ugh:
Any suggestions?

lfbb, compared to the "rich northern countries" in the west and in the east, Brasil is still very cheap. Please compare levels of prices, taxes and cost of living. Especially northern Asia (Japan and Korea) is extremly expensive, you cannot imagine how expensive it is. If you want to keep your life style (i.e. eating and living the way you used to at home) increases the cost exponentially (i.e. if you are eating and living like a local you save a lot).

I suggest, before making any move or even before sending any application, go spend you next holiday in one of your countries of your choice. Try to get in touch with expats from your home country before and visit them. Do some serious research.

After that, if you still are convinced, do the right move.


(age 46, capt on A340, considered to be very young in my job, 11 000 hrs TT, with 8500 hrs command, most of it on regionals, 3000 A320, 500hrs widebody)

Same Situation..
 

Hello!,

I´m in the same situation, Flying NB in Brazil, 34yrs old, 500hs as PIC in 737NG. I Have same expections as you, to live in another country, another culture, another people, flying heaviest machines, but... when i look back, and try to view my payment in US$, like US$ 10.000 Free Tax(My last payment was more than R$ 17,000 free, and 1 US$ = R$ 1,77), i have to spend some nights thinking about doing the right thing.
Maybe it´s time to increase my experience, and look at the future in another time, why not wait a little..? EK was my dream, BUT nowadays isn´t more, my fiancee was a F/A in Etihad for 2yrs, and she doesn´t agree with the idea of turn back to Middle-East.
Why not wait a little?? KE it´s Commuting Contract.. you have to let your family outside Korea, and it´s not easy to live in Australia, New Zealand or another nice country more than a tourist visa permit, while you´re flying across the world in KE, and be stressed by their pilots!.
Think about.. i´m in the same situation, and i decided to wait a little more, maybe close to world cup, if something interesting happens...:ok:

Iver, good point and nicely put across. It's not all about the cash and aircraft but where you'll be happy mate?

Forget Japan, even JL pilots are losing jobs and going to KE in dozens.

If you're considering KE, have a serious thought. The union is taking the company to court due to interpretation of contract clause and it is not impossible to see big change this year. No pay raise in foreseeable future as too many pilots still applying, the locals are not welcoming, with 500 PIC, and no exposure of how to deal with the locals here, I think it's suicidal for your OE even if you're lucky to get pass recruitment SIM check.

I was in KE for long time, and am now in China, just to make the most out of my not too many remaining years of flying, they pay well compared to KAL, but you have to bear with many other different issues, like unhealthy local food, terrible manners (both Korea and China very similar in their lack of manners), very costly good western food and polluted air.

After you clock enough hours, and make enough trips to China and Korea to judge by yourself whether it's suitable for you and your family, then perhaps decide from there.

From what I hear about Korean and Asiana the locals don't exactly welcome you!! There are 2 different standards there as well, guess which one you fit into to!!

Stay where you are until 1000 hrs.

Take a holiday to SE Asia and see for yourself after the 1000 hrs.

The grass ain't always greener on the other side.......

Air Macau might be worth a look as a stepping stone. A320 operator with no widebodies but you're well positioned to look for advancement in China, Hong Kong, Korea or SE Asia. They have some Portugese speaking pilots.

Your information is so utterly wrong that is not even funny, granted they are not the wide body command the op is looking for but, Skymark is hiring by droves, Air Japan is also hiring and NCA should start hiring later this year (these are wide body job of course) also both Air Asia Japan and Peach will tap into the ex pat market for pilots soon.

I did 17 years ago for the worlds most profitable airline......
ps its great

It's not the world's most profitable Airline anymore.



By the way, the World does not end at the US Border :E

Skymark? Ha ha ha! There's a reason they are "hiring in droves". Because the smart guys have "LEFT IN DROVES"!

IFBB,
Isn't there in Brasil a nice place to live? Like a nice small town on a nice beach.
I would imagine not all Brasil is Sao Paolo or Rio.

yes but aviation happens in the big city. If you want to commute to the nice cities take into account a few hours drive every day through traffic jams, not so good neighborhoods or bad roads.

Living in Japan as a Brazilian? Man, it's hard for an Itailian to live in Germany...

Don't make yourself unhappy! Or your family. Check the country of your choice very carefully. Some things you will hate about a new place will only surface after a longer time.

Brasil is not what it used to be.....

"used to be" is always relative to what you are expecting. Believe me, it's still better than most other places...

How is it possible having five hundred hours as Captain on a A320, and not be overwhelmed by emails from major carriers offering you direct command on a widebody? And how did you make captain on that 320 with that attitude? Beats me.

"...drug dealers all around, can not trust the police, politicians steel all you tax money and things are soooo expensive that even with the good salaries payed by TAM it is just enough to have a good life but nothing beyond that. So the problem is not my current job but the the country I live in... "

Well, steer clear of the UK and most of the EU too then.

Europe is a paradise. And that is the reality. Beach and sun don't make a country the best to live. And Brasil has a lot of problems. Our politicians are early learners compared to the Brazilian politicians, when you talk about corruption. Criminality in Brasil is a big problem, a very big problem..... I have a lot of layovers in Brasil and the more I do, the more I value Europe. Even with the economic problems we are going through...

lfbb: I really understand you. I think most of people here don't understand how high the prices are in São Paulo, the traffic jams, you need two cars to go to work. I know most of Europe and most of Brasil(my grandmother is brazilian). To have the same quality of life in São Paulo as I have in Europe, I would have to spent more than double in São Paulo. Brasil has a lot of good things too. But I know for sure, I wouldn't like to raise my children over there. If I were you..I would forget command and go for Emirates or Etihad. The conditions are very good. I know a few pilots over there and all are very very happy.