European job posting...

[Archer]

I was just amazed by the difference in required hours of experience between US and European companies...

We have a position for first officer hawker800xp preferably with the jar license - total time 800 hours and 250 hours on type for one of our clients in europe.

This is a job offering by a company named Confair Scandinavia.

total time of 800 hours for being a FO of a Hawker800xp!

CFIs in the US have trouble finding Charter jobs in a single piston with 800 hours!

For the position of first officer you must have Fokker 50 type-rating or Dash 8 type-rating 1,200 hours minimum total time

That's for some "Denim Air" in the Netherlands...

That's not bad...flying a turbine airplane as an FO at 1200 hours...

I don't know which system is better. Are US pilots safer and more experienced, because of higher requirements?

But it doesn't seem like European pilots are incabable, or we would be hearing of crashes and accidents every day...

so I guess it would be nice having lower minimums for getting jet jobs...

Archer

 

[LearjetGA]

I have licences in both systems, and there is none that is better than the other. It's just two complete different philosophies.

In the US, Flight schools give you the basic flying skills, thaught by mostly unexperienced people (with all the due respect to be given to them), and you work up with hours, ratings, etc.

In Europe, especially since the JAR-FCL are in Place (Joint Aviation Regulations-Flight Crew Licencing), the system emphasizes on theory. After your Private, you will go to an ATPL course and sit for the most part of a year in a classroom. After that, you implement your knowledge in an integreated course that will give you IFR, ME and MCC (multi crew coordination) ratings. Having passed all this you will have a frozen ATP (remember these guys and gals have around 250 hours now) and you are employable. Oh, by the way, you spend about 40000 $. So needless to say that people are more motivated. There is also a math test prior to enrollment in an ATP course. Is the system working ? My cousine, left flight school with 260 hours and went right into an Air Berlin 737-700. And she told me that she didn't have any major adaptation problem. (She did her MCC course in a 737 sim)

Hope that helps ...
PM me if you have more specific questions about the EU system.

LearjetGA

 

[Pistlpetet]

I have been doing a lot of research on flying outside the US. The prior poster is right on the money with how they do business in getting their training done.

He is also correct that you can get a job with 350hrs as a FO in a 737 in europe. They also have higher starting pays, even for air taxi type work.

If you already have an FAA ATP license and have a good amount of experience flying a heavy turbojet aircraft (Can't remember the exact hours req), you can just get a direct transfer to a JAA ATP.

If you have an FAA ATP and don't have that serious time...you will have to take all the 14 or so tests to get your JAA license. You also have to show that you have been thru the course to prepare you for these tests, which can be done over the computer at your own pace, instead of going to school in europe.

There are a lot of companies in countries out there (non-eu) who will hire you if you have any ICAO ATP.