jetcareers - View Single Post

nabd30 · October 7th, 2007, 19:25

Here are some important points concerning international aviation for anyone interested in working overseas:

1) Your first 85K of foreign-earned income isn't subject to US Fed Income Tax...you basically get a 85K deduction automatically. Most places in Asia and the Middle East take care of your locally incurred taxes either legally or financially, though there is some controversy over expat taxes in India right now.

2) Getting work permission is a subjective issue in every country. Generally speaking, in most Asian countries who bring in foreign pilots it isn't a problem. Same goes for the Middle East. On the other hand, unless you are a training captain with 500 hours or more command on type, there is basically no chance of getting work permission/visa for Austrailia or ANY EU country. New Zealand maybe, but definitely not the EU. It would seriously be easier to find a Brit or French wife and apply for dual citizenship.

One new exception to this rule--if you have 500-1000 hrs on type on an ATR , you have a good shot at getting a job in the EU...Aer Arann in Ireland is sponsoring work visas for expat (FAA) pilots with command hours on type on the ATR. Ryanair also states on their website that they will take you if you have 500 command on a 737, even if you're a foreigner.

3) If you have a EU passport or spouse, you can convert "fairly" easily if you have your FAA ATP, and very easily if you have 500 on type on a plane classified as JAR25 (basically any medium jet). In the second case, you simply take the 14 written exams (without a required 7 month ATP course) and take a checkride in a sim at a TRTO with a JAA examiner. There are also schools like pte.ie who can set up a customized conversion course.

4) Language is almost never a problem. Not sure if ya'll realized this, but English is the international language of aviation...how do you think that Cathay captain talks to ORD approach on his way in from Hong Kong? English. Or that Angolan Airlines pilot talking to Frankfurt departure? English. True--some local operators require the local language to be spoken in addition to English, but basically if an airline needs pilots badly enough that they have to bring in foreigners, they will bring in English-speaking foreigners. China Southern or Cathay or Emirates wouldn't have too much luck getting expat pilots if they required Catonese, Mandarin, Arabic, etc..

5) Once again generally speaking, getting jobs with majors overseas is much different than the US. In the US, we all know it's more about PIC jet time (1000 turbine PIC= golden). Going through contract agencies like Rishworth, PARC, and Aeropersonnel, etc., and getting placements in the Gulf, Africa, India, China, etc., is a different ballgame--it's more about your hours on type and seat position...i.e. if you have 1000 hours FO time on an ATR, you are better off getting an ATR contract with Kingfisher than a guy with 1000 hours captain time on a CRJ. Everything is seat and type specific. In addition, the US is one of the few places in the world where an FO can fly w/o a type-rating. The FAA accepts the airlines training for an FO. Overseas, however, a type rating is essential to fly anything over 12,500 lbs and/or with turbines. So flying a 737 as FO in the states you actually don't have to have a type...just SIC-qualified...overseas you have to have the type rating on your license.

6) If you want to fly in the exotic places of the world I suggest working for a US regional until you have 500 FO hours and/or type rated on the following a/cs:

ATR (ungodly amount of foreign carriers desperate for dudes on this type)...Aer Arann and others will sponsor an Irish work permit and license conversion if you have captain time on this...Kingfisher in India will also hire you if you have FO hours on type, a type rating, and an FAA ATPL.

ERJ/CRJ (some contracts in Africa come up fairly often if you have 500 FO on type and a type rating)

A320 (need 300 on type to be competitive)

There are, of course, hundreds of obscure ad-hoc freight, ACMI/ferrying/contingency, and charter/exec type ops out there...most of which you have to network your way into. There are people out there flying 737-200s, 747-200s, B-1900s, vans, and L-1011 Hercs in dangerous places all over the world right now. Soon, for example, there will be thousands of hours flown on the annual TDY Hajj contracts on old reliable 74s from Africa, Indonesia, and Asia to Mecca...I know a guy who does these, and you can sometimes get hooked up if you have a 74 classic type and maybe some jet time/FEx time.

October 7th, 2007, 19:25	#15
nabd30 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 88	Re: Jobs with Foreign Airlines??? Here are some important points concerning international aviation for anyone interested in working overseas: 1) Your first 85K of foreign-earned income isn't subject to US Fed Income Tax...you basically get a 85K deduction automatically. Most places in Asia and the Middle East take care of your locally incurred taxes either legally or financially, though there is some controversy over expat taxes in India right now. 2) Getting work permission is a subjective issue in every country. Generally speaking, in most Asian countries who bring in foreign pilots it isn't a problem. Same goes for the Middle East. On the other hand, unless you are a training captain with 500 hours or more command on type, there is basically no chance of getting work permission/visa for Austrailia or ANY EU country. New Zealand maybe, but definitely not the EU. It would seriously be easier to find a Brit or French wife and apply for dual citizenship. One new exception to this rule--if you have 500-1000 hrs on type on an ATR , you have a good shot at getting a job in the EU...Aer Arann in Ireland is sponsoring work visas for expat (FAA) pilots with command hours on type on the ATR. Ryanair also states on their website that they will take you if you have 500 command on a 737, even if you're a foreigner. 3) If you have a EU passport or spouse, you can convert "fairly" easily if you have your FAA ATP, and very easily if you have 500 on type on a plane classified as JAR25 (basically any medium jet). In the second case, you simply take the 14 written exams (without a required 7 month ATP course) and take a checkride in a sim at a TRTO with a JAA examiner. There are also schools like pte.ie who can set up a customized conversion course. 4) Language is almost never a problem. Not sure if ya'll realized this, but English is the international language of aviation...how do you think that Cathay captain talks to ORD approach on his way in from Hong Kong? English. Or that Angolan Airlines pilot talking to Frankfurt departure? English. True--some local operators require the local language to be spoken in addition to English, but basically if an airline needs pilots badly enough that they have to bring in foreigners, they will bring in English-speaking foreigners. China Southern or Cathay or Emirates wouldn't have too much luck getting expat pilots if they required Catonese, Mandarin, Arabic, etc.. 5) Once again generally speaking, getting jobs with majors overseas is much different than the US. In the US, we all know it's more about PIC jet time (1000 turbine PIC= golden). Going through contract agencies like Rishworth, PARC, and Aeropersonnel, etc., and getting placements in the Gulf, Africa, India, China, etc., is a different ballgame--it's more about your hours on type and seat position...i.e. if you have 1000 hours FO time on an ATR, you are better off getting an ATR contract with Kingfisher than a guy with 1000 hours captain time on a CRJ. Everything is seat and type specific. In addition, the US is one of the few places in the world where an FO can fly w/o a type-rating. The FAA accepts the airlines training for an FO. Overseas, however, a type rating is essential to fly anything over 12,500 lbs and/or with turbines. So flying a 737 as FO in the states you actually don't have to have a type...just SIC-qualified...overseas you have to have the type rating on your license. 6) If you want to fly in the exotic places of the world I suggest working for a US regional until you have 500 FO hours and/or type rated on the following a/cs: ATR (ungodly amount of foreign carriers desperate for dudes on this type)...Aer Arann and others will sponsor an Irish work permit and license conversion if you have captain time on this...Kingfisher in India will also hire you if you have FO hours on type, a type rating, and an FAA ATPL. ERJ/CRJ (some contracts in Africa come up fairly often if you have 500 FO on type and a type rating) A320 (need 300 on type to be competitive) There are, of course, hundreds of obscure ad-hoc freight, ACMI/ferrying/contingency, and charter/exec type ops out there...most of which you have to network your way into. There are people out there flying 737-200s, 747-200s, B-1900s, vans, and L-1011 Hercs in dangerous places all over the world right now. Soon, for example, there will be thousands of hours flown on the annual TDY Hajj contracts on old reliable 74s from Africa, Indonesia, and Asia to Mecca...I know a guy who does these, and you can sometimes get hooked up if you have a 74 classic type and maybe some jet time/FEx time.