Flying in Africa
 

Hello guys/gals. I was not sure where to post this exactly but I need some help. I have a possible job opportunity to fly a King Air in Africa, mostly west Africa, and I am trying to find out if my FAA license is legal to fly with over there. As far as I know it would be a US registered airplane. Any help y'all have would be great.

If it's an "N" registered plane a FAA cert works anywhere.

You certificates work anywhere they aren't specifically prohibited. If there are no governing bodies, then you don't even need certificates.

BTW, take me with you!

Whatever the plane is registered, that is the license that you will need.

I was flying a plane registered in Sao Tome, so I had to get a Sao Tome license. Then, the registration was switched to Kenya, so I had to get a Kenya license. The company was planning on get a new plane, with a Bulgarian registration, to fly in France, and they told me they would be getting me a Bulgarian license if it came to fruition.

In most places, to legally fly in a plane registered in their country, you need only take an "Air Law" test, which covers the legal differences in their country, and is normally 40 questions, and is not too difficult. In Japan, you also need to take a Radio License Test. Kenya was different....we had to take a "License Conversion" test which was 100 questions and covered ALL of the JAA 24? subject areas.

Not always. The FAA says you can fly an "N" registered plane in a foreign country with that country's license. The problem starts if you fly out of that country to another country.

I appreciate the responses. In trying to find an answer I have contacted the IFO in NY. A gentleman in the local FSDO also said that he thought if it were an N number that all I would need is my FAA license. But he was not completely certain. Have any of you done any flying over there? I'm curious to hear what I might be in for.

I transit Africa, and a layover is a lot different than living there.

However IMO the question that you have asked is the least of your issues. If it were me my #1 concern would be security, #2 would be medical (as in what is going to happen if you are in a car accident), #3 would be how connected the employer is to the local government (the closer the better) and #4 would be how maintenance is being managed.

You are also going to need to find an infectious disease doctor. Once you find one -- any vaccinations that he has you want.

Take a hard look in the mirror. If you are young, low time and doing this for time, then don't. If you are adventurous, have a high risk tolerance and a lot of street smarts, then consider it further.

And do not even think of it if you are female.

I'll rephrase my first reply. In the eyes of the FAA a FAA cert is good for flying an N registered plane anywhere. I did one time have to get a Filipino license flying N registered planes for a Filipino company out of MNL. Since you say you may have a job there, why don't you ask the company you're going to work for what they require?

Id be more worried about the housing situation, pay, country, rotation, Mx. I saw a few kneejerk expat operations in Africa trying to lowball mining contracts. Never ends up going well.