Photo credit: RudiBosbouer. Licensed under Creative Commons.
It is hard finding anywhere else in the world with such breath taking sights like the African continent, from the pyramids in North Africa, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Fish River Canyon in Namibia; the sights are remarkable. The African tourist industry thrives in July and August and is a popular way for pilots to see the continent. Many pilots usually do a 6-12 month stint and then transfer to another country or stay. Popular places to fly in Africa include South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Botswana and Congo. VFR flight is challenging, but as many pilots say "you never forget bush flying".
The most popular flying job in Africa is bush flying, but there is the option of careers with long-hual carriers and many regional airlines. Getting a license varies from country to country, but airlines usually list the requirements on their career page on their websites and many require ICAO, JAR and FAA licenses and a current Class 1 Medical. Many of the jobs for bush flying are not publicised and many don't have websites, so it will help talking to someone who has been (you could ask at your local aeroclub). There are plenty of blogs written by pilots currently flying for safari operators - you can search for them on google. Here is an example of a such blog.
Personal Experience - Frazer Offwood Flying in Muan, Botswana
The following experience has been provided by Frazer Offwood, B777 Second Officer for Air New Zealand. I left for Africa in January 2000 after being made redundant from CityJet. I only had 320 hours, so was looking for a job on light singles. There was a large number of pilots looking for work in NZ so overseas seemed to be the way to go. I flew into Harare (Zimbabwe). I spent about two weeks there getting an idea of what flying work was around. It seemed that work and residence permits were going to be hard to come by in Zim so I bought a Landcruiser and drove south to Botswana.
Maun (rhymes with town) was the place to be. At the border you need to tell the Immigration Officers that you are on holiday, and they should give you a 90 day visa. Maun is in the North of Botswana and is nestled between the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta, the largest inland (i.e. it doesn't drain to the ocean) river delta in the world. Because of the large amount of water there is a large number of wild animals around. The Delta would be roughly the size of Canterbury plains. Maun is the primary base for the safari and aircraft operators heading into the bush. The airport would be the size of Timaru with about five or six airline flights a day. Of more interest however is the large number of light aircraft on the line. There were about 40 odd lighties. C206's were the most popular, with a few Islanders, Caravans, and these days Airvans scattered around.
The best way to get a job is to get to know the owners and pilots - there are around six operators in town. The first step is to knock on all the doors and drop off a CV. Some of the operators may want to take you for a quick flight to see how you fly so be ready for this. You should have your logbook, licence, CV and headset with you. After meeting the Chief Pilots it’s time to meet the pilots, and as in most parts of the world they can usually be found in the bar (after five of course). Heading down there each night and get to know them all as they will have a large say in whether you are employed. After a few weeks you will hopefully get an interview. They are looking for well presented, competent pilots who will represent the company well to guests who pay a lot of money to be there, for some camps up to $2000 USD per night. You need to be able to hold down a conversation with people from all kinds of backgrounds, both in the plane but also in the camps, over dinner and on Safari drives.
If you get a position it is then time to convert your NZ CPL to a Botswana CPL, get a work permit and residence permit. This will generally
take around three months. Hopefully the company will put you on a retainer during this time but you need enough cash to see you through. I would take at least $3000 - $4000 NZD spread between USD, traveller’s cheques and credit cards. To get your permits you need originals of all qualifications, birth certificates, licences etc. I would also have copies of all these in a different location in case they get lost.
Once your CPL turns up you can start line training. This is generally very comprehensive, consisting of up to 50 hours of observing in the right seat and then 50 hours of training in the left seat, followed by a check. Don't think that because it's Africa it will be rough and ready. My companies approach to training and standards rivals many airlines back here. That said, once out on the line it requires a lot of personal discipline not to drop those standards. Most of the flying is unsupervised, unobserved, outside of radar and in remote areas. You need to be very self reliant and able to look after yourself and your clients. While I was there, there were a few crashes and sadly a few people were killed, generally because the pilot was doing something reckless. However, considering the amount of flying going on, I would say it is safer than flying in NZ.
Most of the flying consists of picking up guests at Maun or Kasane Airport and taking them to luxury tented camps in the bush. There is also days delivering supplies to the camps and the odd medical evacuation. The flying is great fun and a good way to get those critical first 1500 hours in your logbook. It will generally be on singles and VFR so most people only stay for two years before heading into the wilds of Africa to fly something bigger or home for a job.
I flew in a few other parts of Africa with the same company but Maun is definitely one of the better towns to head to for first time job seekers. The minimum requirements are just a CPL and Class 1 medical, but it is an advantage to have a MEIR, C206 rating with at least 5 hours on type, and an instructor rating. Also, you need to have your immunisation card to get into most countries. Check what is required but probably Yellow Fever and Hepatitis.
In terms of personal safety, Botswana is very good. It is still a poor country but there are no major problems - I saw no violence there. Petty crime is a problem so be careful with your possessions, especially your flying qualifications. There is no corruption in Botswana, unlike most other African countries. Public service jobs are highly sought after and well paid. They are terrified of being fired and about the only offence that will get them fired is corruption. Do not ever offer a bribe in Botswana. That said, they have inherited the Brit system, with all forms submitted in triplicate and certified by a JP or policeman. Be patient and take a book whenever you have an appointment.
All in all I had a great time in Africa, met some great people and did some great flying. It’s not all roses however. It is Africa after all. The power and water goes out, no one is in a hurry, donkeys, goats and wild dogs roam the streets, there are snakes, spiders and bugs everywhere. You will get homesick at times but tough it out and you'll have some great stories to tell the grand kids one day.
