Contract / Air Mekong / Foreign Experience
 

Since it appears the other Air Mekong threads have become sort of a ****ing match I want to pose a serious question to those working there and abroad on contracts. (And since they are posting hiring mins on their website off the street that's why I mention Air Mekong specifically as a quick way to get foreign experience).

With the apparent upswing in hiring at the majors coming up the next couple of years I've been thinking that working a contract job to get experience isn't such a bad idea. Get the experience and move on to a major(AA/DELTA/United) or cargo(FEDEX/UPS) when your qualified.

Questions:
1.) Does anyone know if the big boys look more favorable on the international experience I could gain flying an RJ vs. flying locally?

2.) If there is a 13 month contract and I'm offered a job(lets assume with one of the big companies mentioned above) if I leave EARLY will it hurt my future prospect that I left early for a better paying/dream job?

3.) If I got violated in another country while flying on a contract would that hurt my chances of getting the dream job? I only mention this since there was some talk about the possibility the locals in some countries could screw you over for some stupid reason and there would be no recourse?

Thanks in advance for any replies, RNAV.

All valid Questions. Here are my take on it:

Is this "international" flying? Well I'm not sure! This is "international flying domestically in Vietnam". How's that? This experience will classify you as 1 level above some other RJ guy flying in the USA. (just my opinion) despite being in a communist country I still am entitled to my opinion, right?

If you break a contract I doubt they do anything if you decided that this is not for you. They can't come to the US to sue you for anything however you probably will get canned by ASA.

As for the FEDEX application, I am sure working here will be fine to apply to FDX. I know they have the requirement to live
In the US 5 consecutive years but since Vietnam has diplomatic relationships with America they will waive that requirement. I think the experience over here will no doubt enhance your chances of getting on with FEDEX since they have a crew base in Asia.

It's a win-win.

I thought VN didn't have relations with the US? Hence some of the other posters I read were concerned with them locking people up and throwing away the key?

FDX has a requirement to live in the US 5 straight years??? I've never heard of that before. Anyone else verify this?

Still contract gigs like Air Mekong sound like a good way to get that international experience. Never thought that if you broke the contract internationally they can't sue you here. That's a good point if its true.

Well, I can speak from first hand experience that at least one of the "big boys", Emirates, doesn't care for CRJ's, and have in the past gone out of their way to specifically exclude CRJ experience (planes under 55 tonnes). They don't care where you fly the CRJ.

But, presumably, your "big boys" means US carriers. Certainly, I don't think it would be a strike against you, but to say that it provides value to Delta, for instance, I can honestly argue otherwise.

Flying in Vietnam, where presumably you never go into a mega busy airport like ATL/ORD/JFK, et al, or de-ice, or use exemption 3585 (or any US rule, for that matter). I don't see that as a plus. If they do, I couldn't answer.



You didn't live up to your end of a bargain. In a short interview, should that come up, I'd have one heck of a good explanation why that happened. And not because of a bigger, better deal. Otherwise, the only thing that they know about you is that you don't live up to your obligations that you voluntarily entered.



That may happen, but I'd worry more about JAIL than your future, maybe US job. I wouldn't worry about a tiny third world country's enforcement action affecting you much in the USA. Should that happen in a foreign, first world country... totally different story.

I'll relate a story from my expat foreign airline. The crew was arrested on landing for having an improper landing / overflight permit. Granted, they had no idea, and did not develop the paperwork. It was handed to them, and they flew it.

They were in jail for two weeks.... naked... both of them in the same cell.

Have fun.

That is pretty much the only thing that keeps me up at night here in Viet Nam. Well....that, and the Viet honeys, of course. MI LUV U LONG THIME, ZU THAKE ME TU AMERICA:eek: BUY MI LOUIS VUITONNNN. :eek:

It's just different over here. There are no unions. There is no "innocence until proven guilty". The company will not back you up. I always wonder if I get fired from here could I go back to my last job?

YOU-ARE-ON-YOUR-OWN in this part of the world. If you do anything stupid at all in the flight. JAIL will be waiting.

That my friend, is pretty scary.

Maybe I AM being underpaid for the risks involved. :confused:

Maybe???????

maybe......:confused:

Hope that helps,



Typhoonpilot

As posed by RNAV


From TP

Not to step on any toes here....

If you are flying on an actual foreign airman's certificate, statement may be true. If you are flying on a validation, in other words, you are given a permit to fly in a particular country after satisfying certain requirements such as an air law exam and possible medical exam then the statement may not be true. Under flying in a foreign country with a validation, you are still required to keep your FAA airman’s and medical certificate current. If a situation occurs where a violation is issued, the country has the right to notify the FAA of said violation. Does it happen??? Some instances yes… and some instances no. It depends on the sophistication of that country’s DGCA.

I’ve been an expat for the better part of 21 years. So, I am not familiar with the application process in the US. Your employment history will reveal the country(ies) you’ve been employed. And your prospective employer may send your current airline an information form for completion. With that being said, I would say that prudence would be required when completing the section of the application as it pertains to violations. You’re prospective employer or investigation firm may contact airlines you’ve flown for overseas. They may ask about violations that may have been issued.

Anyway, if you’ve been flying on a full license in a particular country and are violated for whatever reason, your FAA records would probably be clean. If flying on a validation, that country has the right to report any violation to the FAA. In any event the prospective employer you are looking to fly for may find out if you incurred any violations, through their back ground checks, irrespective of what type of certification you are operating under. So one needs to be very careful when completing the violation section of the employment application.

Before applying for a job back in the US, perhaps you may want to consider engaging a company that conducts back ground checks for pilots. Information gathered by them will be similar to the information gathered by the airlines’ investigating company.

Thanks Tony, Typhoon and Capt for the info.

With all the hiring going on at the regionals guess its about weighing the pro's and cons of going overseas to fly a CRJ. At least if they paid more than what they are it'd probably be worth it. With the factors that you guys mention I'm getting the impression its really only worth it if I was making $$$ getting PIC and flying some nice equipment. I'm not sure that's the case with Air Mekong flying an RJ?

The one big thing that sucks is not qualifying for FEDEX or UPS(that and getting arrested and being buck-naked in a foreign jail like Tony said). With all the hiring predicted that would suck to go overseas and then not get hired with one of those in the coming years once hiring gets ramped up. Now that is a tough decision.

Thanks again for the responses.

I'll add to the FAA license validation / foreign license issue.

Generally, a contract job for a short period of time will have your FAA license validated, and you will be a foreigner in that country.

In Nigeria, I was required to have one year of FAA validation on my ATP, before I could apply for the Nigerian ATPL. Also, I had to wait the year to get the resident visa for Nigeria (important for IRS tax rules).

Residency is a tricky subject. I "live" in Trinidad, but still maintain an address in Ohio. Ohio (and the IRS) still consider me a US resident. Yeah, if you move lock, stock, and barrel to Vietnam (and qualify for the IRS exclusion) FedEx/USPS/FBI might well consider you a non-US resident. Otherwise, if you're a US citizen and come home every few months (and file a state income tax return, even if you owe nothing) you're pretty sure to be okay there, I think. Any Purple People out there that know the exact score?

To RNAV. Don't hold out for Air Mekong directly to get hired, nor should you put all your eggs in one basket. If you wanted to fly for AM the only way is through ASA or now AS. So you would still have to get hired through a US regional carrier.

Remember that the PRIA requirements now require USA Airlines to verify employment with the foreign airline. That means the foreign airline must send a letter directly to your USA employer verifying employment, without that letter going through your hands. Having worked for several foreign airlines and seen how things get lost in translation, my concern would be that:
1. The foreign airline which is not accustomed to PRIA requirements just ignored the request
2. The office personnel of the foreign airline don't know enough english to read it or respond to it
3. The foreign airline is out of business by the time such documentation is needed.
4. Due to limited English ability the whole thing will get mistranslated or messed up somehow in the office of the foreign airline.

Air Mekong is an American company. All background checks are directed to Atlanta.

We're good to go..no need to worry about this stuff.

So genius. If you are an American company, how did you get around the cabotage restrictions in Vietnam?

Thank you for calling me a genius...but I would have to defer that title to the likes of Jerry Atkins and Co. from SkyWest Holdings!

Cabotage? LOL.....

When you get a local company who knows nothing about aviation to put their names down on a piece of paper to be the front runner, while SkyWest is behind the scenes pulling all the strings, Cabotage or any other restriction on foreign operations disappears in thin air.

If you don't believe Air Mekong is an American company, take a close look at our operation; from the top down in Flight Operation is 100% run by Americans. All our pilots are Americans. What other "foreign" airline you can think of that employs 100% Americans?

It does not make a difference as to who is running Mekong Air as it is still an airline based in Vietnam flying aircraft registered in Vietnam as a Company resident in Vietnam. I'm sure that the ICAO records will reflect the same... Unless... far stretch here folks, Mekong Air is operating under a Part 129 certificate which I don't think is even issued by the FAA any longer.

With that being said, it does not matter who has the keys to the front door to the office... it matters the location of the front door to the office. Mekong still has to comply with the regulations and requirements as promulgated by the Vietnamese DGCA.

Yet another lengthy argument from a guy who doesn't even work here. Listen, it's a complex situation we got here in Vietnam for the "American partners".

I'm gonna stop short of calling it money laundering...but can u catch my drift?

Ummm.... OK:rolleyes:

You have an interesting grasp on virtually every issue that you've commented on. I don't agree with virtually anything you've posted, but I'll bet you're quite an entertaining guy. I hope it all works out for you Vietnam.

Sounds like that GED you got really paid off... now that your flying for your 100% run American foreign airline.