SouthEast Asia
 

Is there anyone here working for airlines in SouthEast Asia?

I wonder because I currently work for a company down here (flying C208 Caravans), but I'm starting to feel a need to move on.

Not that where I work now is bad, it's just a bit like putting the rest of your life on hold. You get to fly to awesome places, but you can't really do anything else like settling down etc.

I currently have over 1500 hours, 700 hours multi-crew turbine, 1200 hours PIC, and I'm planning to do my ATP checkride (FAA) soon, with possibly a self sponsored FAA A320 type rating thrown in.

Just wondering if anyone had any tips or ideas to where I could go from here.

Thanks a lot in advance guys

- Photon

I think you are very fortunate at just 1,500 hours and already on the right seat of an A320 (that is what I gather from your post?) if that is the case my question is, is there any chance to an eventual upgrade? If there is I would stick it out until you get at least 500 PIC on type, if there is no chance to upgrade then I can see your desire to move along, in any case your total time is quite low for anything other than an F/O position which you already have, any other low time F/O position available would be with not the best T&C's so to move sideways you might as well stick it out at you current gig a little while longer and gather more experience. Probably not what you wanted to hear but from the little information you provided, that was my firt thought.

Ah, I might have to edit my first post for clarity.
I currently work on the Caravan (c208, bush flying), but as I recently passed 1500 hours I'm thinking about doing my ATP with a self sponsored type rating.

Ok that is a clearer picture now, again, low time is an issue but go to the head hunter websites (PARC, RISHWORTH, CREW, CCL) and take a look at their F/O minimums, that will be a good starting point to gage the experience you need to make a move.

Good luck in your search

Since you're willing to pay for your own type rating already you might want to look at Lion Air's program for low timers on the 737NG. That would be a good stepping stone program with very fast time building in the 737NG. Do that for a few years and get up to 3000-4000 total with 2000 in the right seat of a 737NG then you can look at better long term options.

TP

My only real problem in regards to moving from single engine turbine to something bigger seems to be the infinite battle of the chicken vs the egg.
A lot of companies hire FOs for A320 and the likes in Asia, but most of them want 500 hours on type as well. Which is were the chicken and egg comes in.

Eagle Jet is of course an option, but even though I'm willing to fork out a bit for training, I'm not willing to pay an extra 40 000 dollars to work for free.

Guess my main question then, was if anyone working in the region had heard any better news on the down low so to speak. I know most recruitment ads advertise higher minimums that I can ever achieve in my current job (total time, and caravan time is only going to get me so much, after a while my problem becomes no time on heavy multi turboprops or jets), but there's always people getting hired with less. If you know someone, or come at the right time.

Thanks for the advice so far though, I guess I'll just have to keep my eyes peeled still

Like TP said, Lion Air is the way to go. After gaining some time I know of a number who have moved on to Hainan Group operations (where they get paid), but that information is a year old now.

By Eagle Jet do you mean the B744 op out of Malaysia?

Photon, you may want to look at Sri Lankan Airlines as well. It is my native country and I know they hire expats for their all Airbus fleet. It is a 3rd world country of course, so do your research. All the best.
-Pearl.

No. I mean, Lion Air only hires people through Eagle Jet.
Eagle Jet is a company which basically sells jobs. So you would pay Eagle Jet / Lion Air 40 000 dollars, to fly their 737 for free for 500 hours.
I'm not that desperate that I'm willing to pay to work. I thought most people on this forum were against the p2f mentality.
So I would rather wait, until I could find someplace that would hire me, and actually pay me.

Plus, I couldn't afford it anyway, took me some time to save up for the type rating in the first place

What kind of opportunities are avail for someone with 2000TT, ATP , CRJ PIC type and 1000 jet time (SIC)?

Garuda is looking for CRJ 1000 CAs & FOs in Indonesia. Pay is kind of low though.
Capt, FO

Hey there Photon. Wow, that sucks. My mate at HKGXpress told me they had some Lion guys show up and that they were very low grade. I'll assume from what you are saying that they don't get much experience other than the number 500 in their log book.

Thanks for the correction. It does not sound like anything I'd call kosher.

My mate at HKGXpress, by the by was hired there with C208 and a bit of ATR 42 time. They payed for his rating and payed him. He's now at EK so not sure if Hainan is still doing thing's that way. . . they are not the most reputable empoyer in the Middle Kingdon.

Since you said you are going to pay for a type rating the logical follow on is places like Lion Air. Yes, it would be great if paying for type ratings was never done, but since you started the ball rolling by saying this you are already in the p2f mentality. That's not said in a mean manner, just an observation.

Since there are so many people willing to pay for type ratings ( note, especially in Europe ) the industry will feed on it. That leaves you with a tough decision. Stick it out moving up the food chain slowly without paying or take the risk of paying to move up the food chain faster.

Just think, if no pilot ever willingly paid for a type rating all airlines and corporate flight departments would have to pay for you.



Typhoonpilot

Well if I'm not mistaken, 50 years ago the companies paid for all your training. From ppl to cpl and type.
I can sit still, and say "I'm not gonna pay for ****", and then 10 years down the line, I still don't have a job, while thousands of other people, who would have less qualms about it, would be flying.
It is still only training. And yes, in better times, airlines usually pay for it, but outside of the USA, this is becoming more and more a trend.
I draw the line at paying to work, your definition of p2f seems a bit more encompassing.