Looking for some adventure
 

Hello, I am a 2200TT regional pilot. Currently in a situation where my home base will be shutting down by the end of summer. Looking for ideas and recommendations on good foreign airlines that American citizens can go work for? My wife and I are keeping any options open and think it might be fun to relocate for a few years.

thank you

Excuse me, but that’s insane. To begin with, you’ll need to get all your US certificates switched over. then you are going to have to get hired someplace that doesn’t require you to be an EU or local nation citizen:


Assuming that does happen and you don’t hit a zebra on the runway flying for Air Zimbabwe or a Caribou flying for Viet Air, and actually manage to survive the malaria, they are still unlikely to let you upgrade to captain, so you are STILL going to have to come back here and get enough 121 time to let you upgrade here. In the meantime, your peers who sucked it up and went to a regional that is hurting for pilots have been flying 900 hours a year - 900 hours that really COUNT for upgrade - and are either already at a ULCC or are getting competitive for a top tier.

While you’ve f@rted around playing George of the Jungle, they’ve gotten 2000 seniority numbers ahead of you where you do eventually end up.

but to each his own...

https://pilotcareercenter.com/Search.../All%20Regions

There are lots of options open to you...I think...

Check Emirates for a start..or any middle eastern airline (Qatar, Etihad etc).
You could also look to China. I know there are a couple of recruitment companies that are taking American and British based pilots (and paying very well).
Copa Airlines were hiring a few months ago, not sure if they still are...
​​​​​​
All of the above will take you with US license...you can forget Europe as I don't believe they accept US licenses...I could be wrong...

Oh, also consider Virgin Australia...

Hope this helps.

As somebody who has lived and worked overseas for most of the last 20 years I would advise against it. Stay in the USA and get on with an LCC or major airline. When you are 55; kids grown and gone; retirement savings in the bank; and you're still ready for an adventure then retire early and go fly overseas for awhile.

I'm with Typhoon on this one, right now it would be just plain foolish to try to go abroad to work. Even LCC's like JetBlue or Spirit with their growth projections over the next few years will give you a much better QOL that you can possibly ever get working abroad! It is culturally draining to work for some of these carriers, the amount of nonsense you will have to deal with is just worth it during down times on the industry, that is definitely not the case now! Stay in the US and work towards building seniority at one of the carriers, doesn't matter which one. Even at one of the least desirable ones you will have a better QOL overall and you will be happier. Abroad even the guys that are at some of the best gigs are formulating exit strategies.

Dom and Typhoon are spot on... In down times drag your bags abroad... The USA is the best gig going right now... Stay put and get a upgrade and 5000TT... Then look if you must... However the USA market will be the hotspot for the foreseeable future less any Blackswan events...

Kampai

Ever thought about Alaska? There are a few 121 options up there both pax and cargo. If you do go overseas, you'll have an experience none of your peers will have when you come back. Yes it will cost you seniority. Maybe that's worth it to you. Maybe it's not. If you stay, are you going to spend the rest of your life wondering what if? If you go, don't let anyone reading this catch you whining when guys younger than you get the lines you want.😉

I agreed with what Tyhoonpilot and the rest said. I myself is trying to get back to the US airlines.

Welp this thread didn’t exactly go as I thought it might.....lol

Thanks for the input though!

I’m going to get tarred and feathered here to even bring this up but have you considered a US based ACMI?
Fly around the world long haul kinda thing?
Still counts towards all your 121 time and you will get a “Heavy” type out of it.

Only problem is the TPIC will be a long time coming - as will be the TT. Perhaps no big deal if his aspirations stop at ULCC - which is hardly a bad option. He’s still going to be giving up buckets of seniority though. He’d be far better off to get hired by UAL and volunteer for the GUM option if he wants faraway places with strange-sounding names.

I agree with typhoon but if you must, give Cathay a try. They’re hiring FOs and SOs in Hong Kong. You’ll be woefully underpaid for how expensive the city is but def will be an adventure.

According to the interwebz Cathay is not a happy place right now.
I’d still recommend ACMI (650-800hrs/yr) over going abroad as an FO.
Capt yes, beaucoup money in Asia....FO....meh.
You’ll upgrade quicker at an ACMI then you’ll ever will abroad.
Keep in mind you’d be the hired help, you’re there because they need you not because they want you.

You wanted honest and experienced opinions or everyone to just rubber stamp your plan?

Cathay is probably the worse job in the expat market for a low time pilot, you will be a second officer (If you're lucky, you will get to play with CPDLC once in a while) and you will be paid peanuts while living in a crazy expensive city! You want adventure traveling abroad and even the time to actually live abroad if you like, get a job at one of the ACMI operators that grant you all your days off in a row, and commute to your adventure city, you will do much better economically and professionally! China doesn't have jobs for low time pilots and now all companies in China have stopped hiring.

Another point, your timing is really bad, we just had a company folding and dumping hundreds of experienced captains and first officers into the expat market, another big company Flybe in the EU is in bad shape and if it folds as well, that's a few more hundred pilots out for a job. Etihad has let go of many pilots as well and the folks at EK are also looking for options! Bad timing, the market in the US is the best right now!

I agree with the above posters about working for a US airline... It’s hard to beat the overall compensation and work rules of the US Legacies/Majors.

Although you’re short on qualifications right now, working for FedEx has some cool opportunities for working abroad. There is a Germany (CGN) and Hong Kong base. I came to the HKG base as a new hire, and my wife and I absolutely love it!

He can tell his peers about his overseas experience while he raises the gear for them and asks for a leg.

All these aspirations until single pilot ops or complete automation comes in abruptly without warning.

Keep in mind a couple of important things like Fatigue calls and Sick calls.
In China the company AME determines when you’re “sick” and when you’re not.
There’s no such thing as a ‘sick-call’ to Scheduling and they can’t ask you diddly.
Fatigue calls? Short answer

https://media1.giphy.com/media/ZqlvCTNHpqrio/giphy.gif

Well.....So much for romance and adventure in aviation...Trudge on.

UAE? Qatar? I'd look to the Middle East. But a better forum for that is PPRUNE.org. Basically the international(non-American) version of this site.
https://www.pprune.org/pprune-worldwide-8/

If foreign excitement is what you seek, check out L3 and some of the other mil contractors. The living conditions in some of the places they have rotations are not so great, but you might enjoy the higher risk environment of that kind of flying.

A few years back there was some recruiting going on for C-47 gunship ops. That’s all done for now AFAIK. However there is still some merc type flying going on in places. Most sane Americans would pass it up in this economy.

I think Berry Aviation has some sensor ops over in the ME.

Hey Grey

Yeah the most folks are giving you the straight up... The USA Market is the best place going today... Your CV is a little lite to head out into the Expat market... There are only a few places that hire F/Os NTR with under 2000TT... EVA & Emirates last time I checked... If you did get hired there you could expect 5-10 years to upgrade... The pay these days at the Tier 1/2 Carriers are now much better than the Expat jobs except for some of the Chinese Contracts... China you will earn your money, if you have not visited please do to get a real look... Even staying 2 weeks won't give you the inside look on the way things really roll...

If you are dead set in taking a working adventure good on ya... Do some home work and know more than likely you will loose money in your life long career earnings... I would recommend you upgrade at your regional and get 500 hrs command before heading out on your Adventure... During this time, suspect it would take another year before getting your time... Identify the Carriers you would qualify at... Then take a holiday with your wife to the bases offered and have a look... If things look good start the app process... Do the screening and if all goes well make a choice...

Don"t be dejected that some who are and have been abroad tell ya you are better off to stay put... Take that info, look at what is available and what fits you & your family... Run some numbers (Money/Career earnings) and do what is best for you...

Good luck... PM me if you want some info from some one who has been outside the USA 10+ years and has mate who has done 23+ years and is now back and VERY happy to be...

Kampai, JpnCrjdriver

Asiana and Korean Air are two that you may want to take a closer look at.

Both these outfits only take experienced DEC's

Nope.
I had a buddy do an interview/assessment in ‘19 with Asiana for a FO position on their Airbus fleet.
He’s got around 2500-3000 hrs

Rather than up-end your whole life and make a major commitment you can also look at some of the pilot contracting companies like ACASS, etc. You can get various short term contracts there. Your pay gets routed through ACASS so you don't have a lot of the financial considerations associated with exporting funds that you typically get in Africa, etc. Once you gain some familiarity in a part of the world you like, you can work for principal directly.

Good luck with that, now they want 500 hours on type for a job that will NEVER upgrade you, when they (here in Asia) place minimums that they know won't get any suitable takers is because they don't want any, they just don't want to pull the job listing so as to appear in constant demand.

Every repat I’ve flown with here at Spirit that escaped the sandbox all had exactly the same thing to say; they couldn’t get out there fast enough.

There’s nothing glamorous about flying 100+ hours every month doing long-haul red eye turns to India in a wide body.

Stay stateside, get another regional job, suck it up for maybe a year then get on with just about anyone that’s hiring.

It’s not 2010. Conditions with overseas employment are not even remotely close to what they were a decade ago.

Especially in the sandbox. They will work you to death.

Qatar Airways, Emirates, EVA, all hire RJ pilots. Qatar and Emirates even hire many RJ FO's into heavy Airbus/Boeing aircraft. Pay is good. First Officer pay at Qatar starts around $150,000 annually, tax free. This includes the entire pay package. Basic salary, flight pay, per diem, transportation allowance, phone/utilities allowance, housing allowance, etc..You also get 3 weeks basic salary at the end of each year which is about another $5,000. You will average 14 days off in Doha and have minimum 24 hour layovers on your trips. Some trips even have multiple day layovers abroad. Pilots here average about 70 hours a month. 42 days paid vacation, 14 days sick. Long/Short term disability insurance and excellent medical/dental benefits. You also get an education allowance for up to 3 kids annually. Basically free private school education of good quality. Doha is one of the safest cities in the World. You can walk around with gold around your neck like Mr.T and no one will bother you, even at 3am. The newest/latest types of Boeing/Airbus fleet. Ofcourse, it's not perfect but it's a safe airline with a global network. Apply, go interview, check out Doha, get an offer and then decide once you have an option. Definitely an adventure to say the least but we do it in style. Good luck

I had a regional pilot on the jumpseat out of Mexico City recently. Lives in Mexico, based in DFW. You might try something like that, particularly out of Miami. Or buy a sailboat to live on and move around on it while working for a US carrier.

A multi carrier trans con commute accompanied by Montezuma’s revenge.

Oh joy... :eek:

He did it for a girl he met on a layover. Must be a heck of a girl. But to each his own!

Buddy of mine lives on a sailboat, works for Spirit. Loves it.

OP, if it's adventure you want, go get it. There are plenty of gigs out there, within your experience range, that will let you scratch the travel itch and give you some stories to tell the grandkids. I've taken a "it's not a race" mentality with my career, seeking out a path less traveled, and I'm glad I have. Sure, seniority is important, but even more so is being able to lay on your death bed without any regrets. If you and your wife want to go live in a far flung destination for a while, that's freakin' awesome, and IMO you should absolutely find a way to make it happen. Go have some adventures for a year (or two, or three), then head back stateside and chances are the hiring boom will still be in full swing.

I second the other posters who mentioned ACMI and ISR; those may be your best routes (although there's plenty of other crazy stuff out there...) Plus, since these are US-based companies you can keep your job once you decide to move back home.

With ISR, on the plus side you will DEFINITELY get to go to some wild places and do some adventurous flying, pay is good, and you can live wherever you want in your off time. Depending on the company you may also get to do long-distance relocations. At my last gig I flew a King Air from the Middle East back to the states via Europe and Greenland; really an awesome experience. Downside is the danger of flying in conflict areas, living on base, the hurdle of getting a secret/top secret clearance if you don't have one already (although many companies will sponsor you), and long time on the road (usually 2-3 months at a time, but then you get 2-3 months off). Companies to look at are L3, CAC, Dynamic, Avenge, Berry, Leidos, etc.

I've never flown ACMI but I have three buddies at Atlas who love it (aside from the ongoing contract circus). One of them lives in Amsterdam during his time off. On any given rotation they're going all over the world and now have heavy types to boot. Two of them came from the right seat of RJs, so chances are you'd be competitive.

Feel free to PM me if you want more info!

Do you think it's worth trying to get a gig at an LCC in Singapore?

Ccee888

I have ZERO first hand knowledge of Singapore... Knew 2 folks from a OZ gig that went to SilkAir and stayed till they retired and liked it... They went native... Most recently about 3 years ago was chatting with a gent that had left JetStar Singapore to come to Skymark... He Liked Singapore and the Company was okay... His only complaint was the cost of living was very high for the lifestyle he required/desired... That being said when you go expat/contract you MUST setup and save for your OWN retirement unless you want to be OLD and POOR after your working years... So one must factor in not only what you are going to make but how much you can SAVE!!! From what I have read both Jetstar and Scoot are OK but you will not get flush with cash quick or have TOO much time off... Asian carriers generally work you pretty hard and 10 days off in a 30 day period is norm... Give then a look and start the screening... Be it best I can tell if you are NTR you will have to pay for your type... Not cheap either so get ALL the details/facts before you commit... Best of luck...

Kampai

Blackswan events....
 

This ^^^^
Who would have known? :confused: