LEOJ

I am at about 700 total time with 100 multi, and I am getting sick of instructing...

Looking at 135 jobs, but the pay obviously isn't there and I have a huge loan to deal with.... I am thinking about moving to Asia to fly for higher pay and jet time, but I am wondering if it's the right move....

Can someone tell me:

1: Does the QOL suffer when flying abroad?

2: Does the take home pay amount to much after taxes (not sure how it works when working abroad, do I pay taxes for both countries?)

3: Does all the time I fly there count toward my 1500 for ATP?

4: Are there certain companies to look for or stay away from? One post I saw was looking for 200 hour 737 captains (scary) and said they encourage low time pilots to apply?! I don't want to be with a rookie captain while I am learning the ropes of a large jet aircraft!

Any and all advice/help is greatly appreciated!

JohnBurke

You're barely out the door, and have a few hours past what's needed to be a flight instructor. Your'e barely over VFR single engine 135 minimums. If you're in a big rush to get out of flight instructing, and find that a few hours of doing that is too much, then go do single 135 for a while. Go fly skydivers.

You have no experience and practically no qualification. You don't have anything presently that merits a large salary. As for 135, the jobs for which you're qualified won't pay much, but look around you. You're in aviation. There are certainly 135 jobs which will pay much better than what you'll merit right now, but you'll need to increase your experience and qualification in order to get them. Short story: you ain't there yet.

Quality of life as compared to what? As compared to your quality of life now?

What's your quality of life now?

Some international jobs are great. Some aren't. There are a lot. You'll have to be a lot more specific than asking if a job somewhere in the world has a higher quality of life than the quality you haven't named, in comparison. You see the point.

That would really depend upon whom it is that employs you, wouldn't it? If you're employed in Indonesia by an Indonesian company and are living in Indonesia, then you're subject to the laws in Indonesia. If you're working for a US company while flying in Indonesia, you're paying US tax (depending on how long you're out of the country), and you may have other obligations in another country depending on where and the arrangements. Specifics matter.

Generally you'll pay taxes based on where the employer is located, but you may have additional applicable laws and taxes locally, depending on the situation.

Flight time is flight time. See 14 CFR 61.51(j):

(j) Aircraft requirements for logging flight time. For a person to log flight time, the time must be acquired in an aircraft that is identified as an aircraft under §61.5(b), and is—

(1) An aircraft of U.S. registry with either a standard or special airworthiness certificate;

(2) An aircraft of foreign registry with an airworthiness certificate that is approved by the aviation authority of a foreign country that is a Member State to the Convention on International Civil Aviation Organization;

(3) A military aircraft under the direct operational control of the U.S. Armed Forces; or

(4) A public aircraft under the direct operational control of a Federal, State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency, if the flight time was acquired by the pilot while engaged on an official law enforcement flight for a Federal, State, County, or Municipal law enforcement agency.

eCFR ? Code of Federal Regulations

Your'e a flight instructor. You should know this.

You won't be.

Nobody is going to be hiring you to fly a 737 with your experience.

Walter Mitty wouldn't stand a chance, either.

There are a LOT of places internationally that you should stay away from.

There are quite a few domestically to avoid, too.

LEOJ

OK thank you for the reply... looks like as long as they are ICAO I can count the time - I appreciate the help. Obviously I know the regs for logging time in the US, I have overlooked the international requirements so I appreciate you reminding me.

I am regarding to QOL in general as far as pay and time off etc. are concerned... just curious what a general consensus is as its hard to quantify QOL.

And yes I have only about 3 times as much experience that is needed to be a flight instructor, I understand that I am just getting my feet wet. THANK you for the reminder though it's always good to be humbled =)

LEOJ

Anyone one else care to chime in? I understand that I am low time, but I am looking for a good way to build some experience other than bouncing around the pattern with students.... looking for something more valuable - not looking to get rich quick, but a noticeable increase in pay would be GREAT!

Thank you in advance

JohnBurke

It's the same regulation.

A 750 hour pilot with an attitude. There's a big market for that.

LEOJ

Thank you for your input, JB. Just looking for some insight into flying abroad, no need for ad hominem. YOU ARE CORRECT it is a different subpart of the same reg, and I definitely should have looked it up on my own, but I thought that's what the friendly folks on the forums that have plenty of extra time are for! =)

Any other posters please feel free to chime in with any other useful information.

TonyC

Are you trying to build valuable experience, as you typed, or did you misspeak? At your stage, there's not much more valuable experience than bouncing around the pattern with students.


If you're just trying to put hours in your logbook, there are lots of shortcuts that will NOT give you the valuable experience. Parker makes some nice models, but I prefer the Pilot G-2 0.38 mm.






[The pen is sarcasm, not a suggestion.]

.

PotatoChip

Answers above in red.

Also, check out working here: Star Marianas Air

Go live the island life this winter. Enjoy!

JohnBurke

The G2 is a really good pen. I like the .7 mm in blue.

LEOJ

Haha I am a fan of the .38 too! Pentel actually makes a .25 pen though!!!

More valuable as in multi turbine, actual instrument, etc. Don't get me wrong there's lots to learn from students but just looking for something different... want to fly a to b instead of a then a again, then a again, and again, and again.... you get it.