Would you go to Brazil for a flying job?

[Sir Humpalot]

A buddy of mine is able to get me a job in Brazil flying heavy machinery . Although that sounds great, how difficult is it coming back to the good ol' US airlines after getting quality time overseas. I know the pay sucks cold turkey but am willing to live in poverty for the jet time. My question is,...do regionals or majors look down upon you if you went overseas for jobs?
I posted this message on a different board so it might be repititious.

thanx

 

[bobbysamd]

Foreign flying

If you like adventure, I'd bet it would be that and more!!

Your "buddy" would build some excellent experience that surely should be marketable to someone - once hiring resumes. I've read of people who take a contract job flying in the Middle East or in Singapore and get hired.

I know that downsides include such things as strange foreign airport officials and questionable maintenance.

I've heard somewhere that some foreign-earned income may be tax-free, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm sure others will know for sure.

While he's still around, Captain Mac at Flight Crews International regularly lists foreign airline jobs.

Good luck with your decision

 

[starvingcfi]

sir humpalot. hehe

my school had an instructor from brazil. i actually kind of considered the same. he said he could get a heavy job with 600 hours. i guess they think highly of us trained pilots.

anyway, don't know anything about it and i would appreciate some info. where are you looking?

i do know that the cost of living is incredible down there. apparently you can live pretty well on next to nothing. good luck man.

starvingcfi

 

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

what about the language barrier? do you speak Portugese? or does the ATC speak English overthere? I could prolly swing it in TexMex...but Portugese is a different beast

 

[U-I pilot]

as far as i know ICAO rules are for all ATC communications to be done in english. But I am still a learning student so take that with a grain of salt.

 

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

as far as i know ICAO rules are for all ATC communications to be done in english. But I am still a learning student so take that with a grain of salt.

Guess yew've nevar flown to Canada, n00b

 

[U-I pilot]

Then tell me how it is out there in the bright scary world beyond the US ADIZ.....Inform on the ways of the world so that when I one day urge to fly interesting places I can with useful knowledge

 

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

Then tell me how it is out there in the bright scary world beyond the US ADIZ.....Inform on the ways of the world so that when I one day urge to fly interesting places I can with useful knowledge

I don't know...try yer local CFI...he needs werk, tew...I am just lurking

 

[bugchaser]

Recently spent some time traveling around Brazil. You won't need much money to live well down there. The dollar goes a long way in Brazil. Flew quite a bit on the domestic carriers and was very impressed with the service and the equipement used. In many ways they are better than us when it comes to domestic short haul flights. Oh yeah, one more thing, the women down there are absolutely gorgeous.

 

[typhoonpilot]

If I were you I woud do it in a heartbeat. I'll tell you what my first overseas job led to. After three years flying an MD-80 in Taiwan I was hired by a major aircraft manufacturer as an instructor which led to job offers as a check airman at another foreign airline.

I opted to go back to the major I was furloughed from, which was a good decision at the time. Now furloughed again, I am going to yet another foreign airline next month.

Flying overseas is not for everybody and certainly not for some of the jingoistic posters on this board. Living overseas is a great life experience but it is not the same as living in the States. There are definite differences in culture that you will have to adapt to since it is their country that you are in. If you are open minded and capable of adapting then fitting in is not that hard.

As for how airlines in the states percieve your flight time. Jet time is jet time, no matter where it comes from. In fact it will probably make you a much better pilot. The facilities overseas don't normally compare to those in the states. You will often time be non-radar shooting NDB approaches or DME-Arcs to a VOR approach. Not to sure about the particulars of Brazil, but I bet it would be similar.

Good Luck,

Typhoonpilot

 

[Dieterly]

certainly not for some of the jingoistic posters on this board

 

[DC10]

I say go for it. Brazil is a beautiful country with very friendly people and an extremely reasonable cost of living. Your salary may be low by US standards but you'll be surprised how little it costs to have a comfortable lifestyle there.

I have done a lot of flying in Brazil and to most of the other South American countries and the experience is second to none. Flying in Latin America is nothing like flying in the States. 80% of the time you will not be in radar contact and will have to make position reports. Even in terminal areas outside of the major cities, the best you can hope for is the US equivalent of a class D airspace with primary radar. Flying a heavy jet into a semi-uncontrolled mountainous airport (although no mountain ranges in Brazil) with no radar coverage is always interesting.

As an airline pilot there you will be treated with about the same level of respect that one would give an ambassador - nothing like the the 'bus driver' status we have here.

As far as ICAO rules go, radio communications can be in English, Spanish, French, Chinese or Russian. Of course this doesn't stop the Brazilians from speaking Portuguese on the radio.

 

[Rick1128]

I would say go for it. Several years ago I spent a year flying a Lear in Africa. It was an experience that was beyond price. Brazil is very civilized, not like central africa. At least in Brazil and the surrounding countries, the VORs and ADFs work and there are real control towers. Plus there are very few if any people shooting at you and the runways are in reasonable condition. And add real weather reporting.

You will find their procedures and structure different but useable. English is the ICAO aviation language. But ICAO rules allow for ATC to use their local lauguage if the contact is initiated in that language.

My time in Africa was in Angola which is a former Portgagues colony. So I learned a little. It is similar to Spanish and they can understand a lot of what you say in Spanish. But I don't believe you will have a lot of problems with being understood in English in most major cities there.

If you really want to learn the language get yourself a sleep in dictionary. The women are in a class by themselves.

Take lots of film and have fun. But be careful.

 

[PilotoHalcon]

OK, I would go to Brazil or Africa. I am looking at all of the job sites on pilotpointer but except for the heavy jet jobs (747, A340etc) there is nothing else. Not counting Navajos in Canada of course. Helos are fine, any other ideas?
j

 

[cessna_driver2]

as far as i know ICAO rules are for all ATC communications to be done in english. But I am still a learning student so take that with a grain of salt.

According to ICAO english is to be used. Now once communication have been established each one can continue in the native language only if it is agreed by both.

I heard a while back that Japan got in to some major trouble with ICAO. They flat out refused to use English and was making everyone coming in and out of Japan use Japanese.

 

[ShawnC]

The biggest problem IMO is you might not be able to again additional SA though the radio. They are giving instructions to the other guys in the other language, you might not be able to tell that they are giving the other game the same alititide as you along the same route, while in english you would notice that descripency, also you know where to look out for the traffic too.

Well its the good old see and aviod because you can never trust the radio anyways.

 

[crash-proof]

Hi, humpalot...Brazil's awesome, lived there 10 years.
Where are you gonna be based? Maybe I can give you some pointers...

Brazil girls are fine....but watch out for crime! Mostly in Rio.
And your dollar is worth 3.5 of the local currency now, so a beer will go for about .25 You can eat like a king on a Mcdonald's budget!!!!

go for it.

 

[Varig]

I am in the process of getting my brasilian license to go fly in Brasil. I am currently flying in Hawaii as a flight instructor and I have friends working for all the major airlines there and they all recomend moving there for a heavy job. From what I have noticed, US is the only country that requires all of this flight time just to fly a twin or a turboprop. I have lots of foreign friends that are 25 years old with over 1000 hours of jet time. That won´t happen in US. I say if you have the opportunity go for it. It will be good life experience.

Good luck with your decision

 

[Franky4Fingers]

It would depend on the cargo.

 

[EMcx2]

I dream of flying Jets out of GIG (Rio) My first trip there changed my entire perspective on life. The peoples passion for life is intoxicating. And the women!! In Brazil there are more women then men and Brazilian men are often abusive. An American man who is a pilot would be treated like a god (at least a demi-god.) Once you meet Brazilian women you probably won't want to put up with American women. Take a look. www.brazilgirls.com