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Old 11-22-2015 | 09:34 AM
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HVYMETALDRVR
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Originally Posted by cave
Hi,

I'm sorry if this has already been discussed, but I'd be thankful for answers. I'd love to work for an airline in Europe in the future and I'm wondering if this is actually a realistic idea. I'm a A320 captain, been working in the same airline for 8+ years, and I have the right to live and work in Europe (no citizenship though). I'm planning to get the EASA license (btw, anyone knows how much that costs and how long it takes to get it?), because I guess it's pretty much impossible otherwise to find work.

Is this realistic? Or would I probably find myself being unemployed in Europe for the rest of my life?


Thanks!
As other have said I've heard the job market over there isn't great. A lot of guys are going to the Middle East (Emirates and Qatar offer good money, but not the best working conditions or schedule) to get some experience then are heading back home which makes things very competitive.

It sounds like you have a very competitive resume though, so besides Turkish Airways, (which is good advice I think) you could look around here in the USA at jobs that involve a lot of time spent in Europe. Basically, flying an N registered airplane over there.

NetJets does a lot of Europe flying on they're larger equipment. Miami Air International has a TDY base in Amsterdam and Bucharest, (the only catch is that the pay is crap and the upgrade is long). Atlas Air flies virtually everywhere and it is possible to commute from Europe once you get some seniority. With some seniority at Atlas you shouldn't have problem getting anywhere from 2-6 weeks off consecutive and CASS or airline points necessary to commute home. FedEx has a Germany base, although I'll admit that is one of the hardest interview calls to get right now.

If you can get a security clearance, and don't mind working in a warzone flying a TPROP? You can make a chit-ton of money with a 60-90 ON/OFF schedule. AFAIK those companies will buy you a plane ticket home at the end of deployment pretty much anywhere in the world to include Europe. I think they best contracts these days are L3 Communications and Berry Aviation, but I could be mistaken as I'm not an expert of that type of flying. Obviously, this option isn't for everyone, but it will give you long stretches of time off (60-90 days in a row) virtually anywhere you want to live.

Anyways, I hope that helps. I'm definitely not a tax expert, but I'd imagine that if you work abroad (outside Europe) you could also avoid paying as much in taxes there as well. Hope that helps, I'm just trying to give you some ideas for living in the EU, even if your not actually flying in Europe.

Good Luck!
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