Turtle Airways Fiji

[BN-2T]

The past few years has made me think on and off about leaving Canada and flying elsewhere for a while. Does anyone here have any first hand experience or reliable second hand information about the outfit at Turtle Airways in Fiji? Did the usual searches of the usual forums but not too much out there. If you know of any interesting places to fly floats out of Canada, would love to hear about it too. Thanks.

[Colonel]

Anyone that wants to fly internationally, I suggest they push the paper and get an FAA medical and pick up their FAA pilot certificates IAW the IPL.

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/med ... 1-135A.pdf

Many aircraft are N-registered and this makes you a more attractive candidate to just about anyone, in addition to your experience.

Just be sure to get the logbook endorsements from an FAA CFI after you get the COMM/ATP certificate .... complex, high performance, tailwheel, maybe high altitude. Everyone always forgets that.

Fun Fact™: I am not required to get any logbook endorsements for complex, high performance, tailwheel.

@Nark: you're a CFI. Why is that?

[Nark]

Because you’re old?

Got your cert’s before a certain date I think it was.

[BN-2T]

Appreciate the response Colonel. I will look into the FAA conversion.

[Colonel]

Because you’re old?

Give the man a cigar! When the FAA created those requirements, it grandfathered people who already had PIC on those aircraft (tailwheel, complex, high performance). Retroactive legislation is kinda nuts. I mean, we could go after Orville and Wilbur for not having pilot certificates in 1903, but ...

The kids here don't believe me that in 1973, I was getting dual in a Maule at Toronto Island, with no headsets, intercoms or boom mikes or ANR or GPS. Or toe brakes. Just a fanged fighter pilot sitting next to me. Incredible stick, possibly the worst instructor I ever met who's ground prep consisted of one sentence:

"I'll teach you what you need to know, someone else can teach you all the chickenshit"

Appreciate the response

You're welcome. I'll be here all week, be sure and tip your waitress.

PS I'm not joking about the kids here. No cloud and 100+ miles vis all the time, and they think that they need a G1000-equipped 172 with huge glass panels and autopilot to fly severe Day VFR. I have proposed a California Pilot's Licence. They don't believe me when I tell them I don't have a portable GPS or any nav in the panel. I don't even have a AI or HI. I just use my eyeballs and a high school knowledge of geography.

[Eric Janson]

Appreciate the response Colonel. I will look into the FAA conversion.

In most countries they will convert your existing Licence to a local Licence - usually pretty straight forward if the company is supporting you.

No question FAA/EASA Licences are the most recognised.

Your biggest obstacle will be getting a work permit - employer will help if they hire you.

Normally Expat hiring is for experienced Type Rated Captains as that is where the locals may lack experience.