Hi everyone. Part of my 10 year goal is to be working for an airline based in northern Europe. I have a specific airline in mind and thought that their hiring minimums looked a little out of proportion. Entry requirements for an FO were 800TT with 500MCC and all the usual CPL, IR, ATP written, etc...

As a pilot marching my way up the civilian ranks, it appears that I won't get ANY MCC time until I work with a regional airlines here in the states. I know that those airlines don't even want to look at you until you have 1200 -1500 TT, unless they are truly desperate for pilots.

By the time I can meet the 500 MCC I'll probably have 2000 TT. The 800TT to 500MCC ratio seems undoable here in the states. Is this ratio normal for pilots training in Europe?

 

Not quite sure what you mean by 500 hrs MCC time . The only MCC I know of, and have done this many moons ago, is the Multi Crew Coordination course. It's being required by, if not all, the majority of companies back in Europe. This MCC course can be skipped if you have enough time (500 hrs I believe) in a true two crew aircraft, i.e. no B200 or alike, even if it has been operated two crew.

With so many fresh CPL guys getting on an Airbus or Boeing or two crew TP's with ~200 hrs the ratio is not as unusual in Europe as in the US.

Btw, I do hope you realize the northern European market is extremely difficult to get into. I gave up myself long time ago, and I was born and raised there. With SAS cutting deeper and deeper there is little movement in that market and most are looking for work elsewhere.

 

Thanks for the reply swedespeed!

You are absolutely correct about the MCC. I just reread the requirement page and it is MCC course OR (not “and”) 500 hours in multi crew environment. Ok. I feel kind of dumb today.

I don’t have any good contacts in the European market and I assumed that entry into it would be nearly impossible, but I did not know for sure. I saw that SAS was making huge cuts, but I also saw my dream airline order 4 more aircraft this January. This recession has hit aviation hard everywhere, but I’m optimistic that the industry will start healing.

I plan to simply work hard at my career here in the USA, meet all the requirements for my dream airline, and keep an active application open with them. With a little luck I may be in the right place at the right time.

I would appreciate any info on how airlines in Europe look at FAA trained pilots. Do we have a reputation bad, good, or otherwise? Would they just rather hire a native?

Thanks again swedespeed.

 

If you are really serious about moving to Europe, I highly suggest you first getting your JAA license now and then converting to FAA licenses. This will be a much easier process. If you do it the opposite way, it will be a lot more difficult and costly. Just something I went through recently and do not recommend.

 

Thanks bubi352.

I have looked into the conversion process and it doesn't look pretty.

I would get my jaa licenses first, but I've already got my FAA PPL and am just about to finnish my FAA instrument rating and start commercial. I also have some good in's with employers around here.

I wanted to convert after I land my first job here.

Where did you do your coversions if you don't mind my asking? And what made it such a pain? (besides the money) Congradulations on getting through it.

 

Do any of you know if they, the Europeans, would hire an American with JAA licenses and legal right to work through permanent residency status? My girlfriend is a Dane and works for SAS (I know there is no chance there anytime in my lifetime) but am curious if there are any European airlines would even look at me if/when (looking more like when) we tie the knot and I end up living in Europe.

 

Fulfilling the two requirements of the JAA and right to work in Europe should take you a long way. Your next step is knowing the language (if non English) of the airline. Might not be a requirement but will definitely move you up the pile further, especially as a non-European. Us Euros might get away without it, but not a certain thing for us either.

As you probably know there is no shortage of pilots in Europe at the moment, just as it is in the US. As long as that is the case it might be tough coming from outside Europe, unless you hold considerable time in desired equipment of a particular company. Maybe you should aim for N regged aircrafts, that is if you are in corporate.

I myself am an European living in the US (commuting overseas for European company) and have pretty much given up on the US market. I am more and more looking at moving back to Europe.

Best of luck..

 

Well like you pointed out SAS will probably just keep their jobs for their own, it's like that. However, the likes of Wizzair, Ryanair, Easyjet and I'm sure a few others would take you, if you have the license and the right to work.

I flew with an ex Delta guy once, he didn't even have the JAA license he was flying on a validation! But that's rare.

 

Flying on a validation is not as rare as one may think. Quite a few chaps joined various European carriers with a validation and a work visa. Some are still doing the same.

 

Aren't they only issuing these validtaions for a maximum of one year now days? I know back in the days you could keep extending year after year, but that is no longer the case. During that year on validation you have to acquire a JAA fATPL. That is at least the case for the non JAA pilots at my company. Doesn't matter if you are an EU citizen or not. Even guys/gals with non-JAA old European national licenses have to do this.