International Flying?

[TxPilot0878]

Hey guys/gals,
About 9 yrs ago I was flying Lance's all over Arizona...for Ameriflight and now I have the oppurtunity to fly in Europe and the pay will make up for all the shi* that has happened since. What should I be aware of...FMS? Terrain? Procedures? Approaches? Wx? Comm?
I would greatly appreciate any and all experiences that will keep me from bending metal...I wanna do good but have ABSOLUTELY no international experience except for Canada, Mexico, and South America!
Thank you for your time...and even though this isn't "Major" flying...your expertise will help!!!

Regards,

Tex

 

[southernpilot]

Your best bet is to fly some trips with an experienced international pilot to get your feet wet. Do recurrent international procedures class before you go. Ask lots of questions of those who know the specific airports, routes and countries you will over flying. Check the international AcuQuick. Roger Rose use to write a primer on very country in the back of that little handy book, helped me a lot. Use handling and rely on them a lot. The handlers know the place, you don't. They charge a lot and it is worth it. At least until you become very familiar with what you are doing.
If you are going to Eastern Europe or Russia, take lots of cash. About $15K to $20K. Never leave the hotel without your passport in Russia. If in Moscow, party at the NightFlight bar( wear nice shoes ).
Get a new passport if yours is going to expire with six months to a year. Get a GSM cell phone that will work for sure in the countries you know you will be in. A laptop will be handy. Take cash

Southernpilot

 

[B737Dvr]

What type of plane and flying will you do? Is it private or airline. Is it just within the EU or will you go to africa, middle east, asia?
The worries there are the same as they are stateside regarding any of your specified points. The exceptions are these.
1. You must use ICAO phraseology. Use american slang and the other pilot will slap you. There is nothing more annoying when someone for example says "XXX is at FL350...looking for higher, or if you have a flight number such as 3450, it should be said as XXX 3-4-5-0 not thirty four fifty" and you now tie up a frequency as the controller who is only taught ICAO english is trying to figure out what the hell you are saying. Go into the far east and reporting altitudes with slang could kill you as there are some very high mountains out there and the controller wont catch you reporting a wrong altitude especially if you are using meters!!!.....which bring me to #2

2. Russia and China are metric countries. Below the transition level they use QFE and altimeter settings and altitudes are referenced to meters and not feet. You will need to learn about this. It is not hard, but being assigned 1200 Meters and inadvertantly responding with "decending to twelve hundred' " instead of 1 thousand 2 hundred meters will cost you your life if the controller doesnt catch it and if you are say at the end of a 10hr flight and the other pilot doesnt catch it either. ICAO phraselogy or stay in the US. Period.

There are a ton of other 'tips' depending on what kind of flying and where you'll be doing it. The above mentioned tip is, however, universal. It may seem basic and perhaps even "below the average experience level of jet pilots" but spend some time outside of US airspace and then come back, and you will be amazed at how much "slang" is spoken on the radio domestically. We don't think about it because we all know what "looking for higher" "checking in"
"American twelve hundred" "N45 sugar charlie (instead of N4-5-sierra-charlie)" all means....but to someone who's primary language doesnt include letters and numbers as we know them, does not know the difference between 1-2-0-0 and twelve hundred.

hope you take this to heart and it helps.

 

[JohnnyP]

........

Check the international AcuQuick. Roger Rose use to write a primer on very country in the back of that little handy book, helped me a lot.

I also recommend that book. Lots of useful information. It even has email address's of where to obtain some of the landing clearances into the 'stans and other odd countries. We didn't have handlers some of the time, which made it a little interesting. But good experience nevertheless.

 

[G100driver]

Are you doing it with a corportate operator? If so you should go to AirTraining International for an international procedures training initial course. This will give you a good base to keep you out of trouble. European flying is fun but it has a few hassels.

Safe travels!

www.trainati.com

 

[Say Again Over]

except for Canada, Mexico, and South America

If you have much experience in the countries mentioned you shouldn't have much of a problem, transitions altitudes vary, you must deal with ATC slot times, but the number one thing for foreign ops is what 737dvr mentioned, radio phraseology.

 

[TundraT]

Don't forget to ask for engine start!