Canadian's flying in Belize

compilot · Post by **compilot** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:24 am

I understand that Belize is a possiblity for Canadian pilots. I was just curious as to if there are exams and flight tests to take, or if the Canadian commercial License is good enough?

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 3:16 pm

I was just down there on vacation and talked to a canadian flying for Tropic Air. I think there is very little needed in order to convert CDN CPL to Belize CPL. The license is more or less a rubber stamp if you have a job lined up. I think you might have to write an airlaw exam. Tropic Air seems like a good little operation. a 207(I think) and a few caravans. short, narrow strips on some of the islands make for some good fun. All the pilots at Tropic are based at San Pedro which is a great little town (although very touristy) on an island within 1km of the barrier reef. ie...great diving and snorkeling. They only have 1 machine(as far as I know) that is IFR, and most of the pilots down there are not IFR rated. The only place they go that ever gets IFR weather is Flores, Guatemala, and if it is IFR there, the one guy with the IFR takes the flight(ie the cdn guy that I chatted with).

I think they are looking at 1000-1500 hours for the 206, then at about 1800-2000 hours (depending on turnover) you will go onto the caravan. Call them up and they will tell you what's going on. It's a small country with very little going on other than Tropic Air and Maya Island Air. BUt it would be really fun for a couple of years. The diving there is incredible, as is the snorkeling, kayaking and other ocean sports. Pay is okay, too, for caravan drivers, anyways. 3k/mth USD. San Pedro is expensive, though, so it is not a king's ransom, but definitely more than enough to have some good fun and save a little on the side.

Hope this helps
wp

duplicate2 · Post by **duplicate2** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 5:01 pm

Wow wally, that's great info.

Couple of things, how's the demand for pilots down there? Is it mostly foreigners or Belizeans flying for Tropic and Maya Island?

My girlfriend is down there right now, I was going to get her to do some asking around, but you've already covered most of it anyway, thanks.

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:27 pm

Well, i am not sure about the demand. Tropic Air, I think, is the place to be, although Maya Island is busy too. I think Tropic is the original one, and Maya was started by a guy with lots of money and is basically a mirror operation. They also have a 207 and a few caravans.....kind of uncanny, hey? You would just have to call down to the CP and ask about potential hiring.

As for the pilots, many are Belizean, but there are a couple of canucks, and maybe others...i am not sure. And I think they always have a canuck or 2 on staff. Belize seems to be a popular place for Canadians...maybe because it is part of the commonwealth, i don't know. I also don't know where Maya bases its crews. But don't kid yourself, this is still a 3rd world country...well, maybe second world. The maintenance is not what you would be used to in Canada (although better than many places in the world), and the aircraft are not well equipped. And, i guess they don't really have to be as it is all single pilot VFR, with the longest legs being about 25 minutes. It is a small country and there are no direct flights along the length of it. It is all milk runs, which actually makes it more fun, i would think. If you PM me, i can send you a photo or 2 of some of the airstrips they use...one of them in belize city (not the international) is crazy!

My other reccommendation is catch a charter flight to cancun or playa del carmen, then catch the bus to belize. ADO is the best bus company in Mexico. Belize city is expensive to get to from canada, but you can get to cancun or playa del carmen for cheap cheap cheap, then it is about 8 or 10 hours on a bus to belize city, or about 6 hours to the town where you can take a boat to san pedro.

duplicate2 · Post by **duplicate2** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 1:22 am

Great, thanks for all the info wally!

Disco Stu · Post by **Disco Stu** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 9:05 am

wallypilot wrote:I was just down there on vacation and talked to a canadian flying for Tropic Air. I think there is very little needed in order to convert CDN CPL to Belize CPL. The license is more or less a rubber stamp if you have a job lined up. I think you might have to write an airlaw exam. Tropic Air seems like a good little operation. a 207(I think) and a few caravans. short, narrow strips on some of the islands make for some good fun. All the pilots at Tropic are based at San Pedro which is a great little town (although very touristy) on an island within 1km of the barrier reef. ie...great diving and snorkeling. They only have 1 machine(as far as I know) that is IFR, and most of the pilots down there are not IFR rated. The only place they go that ever gets IFR weather is Flores, Guatemala, and if it is IFR there, the one guy with the IFR takes the flight(ie the cdn guy that I chatted with).

I think they are looking at 1000-1500 hours for the 206, then at about 1800-2000 hours (depending on turnover) you will go onto the caravan. Call them up and they will tell you what's going on. It's a small country with very little going on other than Tropic Air and Maya Island Air. BUt it would be really fun for a couple of years. The diving there is incredible, as is the snorkeling, kayaking and other ocean sports. Pay is okay, too, for caravan drivers, anyways. 3k/mth USD. San Pedro is expensive, though, so it is not a king's ransom, but definitely more than enough to have some good fun and save a little on the side.

Hope this helps
wp

Was this guy's name Richard by any chance? Skinny, light hair, glasses?

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:33 am

Regruntled · Post by **Regruntled** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 1:43 pm

Though I would agree that the operations listed above would be a lot of fun for a while, I'd advise caution before diving in head first if you're offered a job, here's why:

An acquaintance of mine was offered a job there a few years back. They needed him "right away" and he REALLY needed a job, so he hopped on the next plane down there, at a very expensive last minute fare. Once he got down there he rented a hotel at his own expense. Then he spent 5 weeks being told "next week" whenever he asked about starting work, until it became apparent he would never actually get into an airplane. Three guys who arrived after him started flying and he was still waiting. Eventually he left, no job.

This is not meant as a discouragement. I'll try to be tactful in saying that it wasn't entirely surprising to see him not start flying. Enough of that. I would simply encourage anyone going down there to be careful and avoid getting screwed. We're not talking about Canada anymore so there's not much recourse if a verbal contract goes sour.

The advice I was given when considering looking for work down there was to go for a fun vacation with the possibility of staying for a job. If none materializes then at least you had some fun in the mean time!

Good luck to all who try. If you do get on, post some pictures and make us jealous!

R.

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 3:03 pm

Yep, I agree.....If you are gung-ho on working down there, plan a vacation or something, and go down there in person, rather than soliciting an offer over the phone. I think the face to face meeting and possible job offer that way is much more secure.

Just as regruntled says....you have to be cautious, and you may get burned. But you can say the same about life in general.

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 7:23 pm

http://www.pilotcareercentre.com/APilot ... ?APLID=124

A little blurb here by a guy flying for Tropic.

V3-BZE · Post by **V3-BZE** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 4:34 pm

i'm a canadian flying in belize (not richard!)... most of the info above is fairly accurate, except the pay isn't quite that much... most of the pilots in belize are local, but there are 4 canucks, 1 brit, 1 american, and 1 aussie here. it is possible to get a work VISA for belize so long as there aren't any qualified local pilots looking for work. rumor has it that there are a few belizeans in flight school right now, so they would have to get hired before any more expats could. unfortunately things are at a stand still here right now so it doesn't look like there will be any openings here for at least a year.
would post some photos from flying here if i knew how...

ahramin · Post by **ahramin** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 5:20 pm

To post pictures see:
http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/faq.php#24, and
http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopic.php?t=951

Disco Stu · Post by **Disco Stu** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 7:51 am

wallypilot wrote:Yep.

Oh the stories I could tell about that guy!

Lucky bastard though, not sure how the hell he got that job.

V3-BZE · Post by **V3-BZE** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 5:46 pm

[quote]Oh the stories I could tell about that guy!

Lucky bastard though, not sure how the hell he got that job.

me neither!!!

V3-BZE · Post by **V3-BZE** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 11:50 pm

one less BN2A islander in belize now, pilot ran out of fuel...

DriftWood · Post by **DriftWood** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 9:07 am

I was there this winter. Why Belize. Why not Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Belize is a dirt hole. Get out of the box and explore. Costa Rica is aneasy conversion. A flight test and a written in Spanish, but your aloud to use a dictinary. Some companies did not even care if you had it. Aviation that I saw is better down there than it is here. And who cared if you have to sit for 3 months waiting. You can go surf, chill, and hang with the chicas, or chicos, whatever you prefer.
I could leave cheaper there than in canada, and if you need some cash to wait it out. Get a job. The pay is shit but the cost of living is a breeze.

Just a note. think about how much it's going to cost you to drive to yellowknife, freeze you ass off, find an expensive apatment then get turned down for job OR Cheaper flight to Central, nice people, good weather, excellent food, and a trip that will change your life and the way you look at it.
Peace

DriftWood · Post by **DriftWood** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 9:17 am

Another rant. Look at this entire forum. Piles of views for (world) aviation. And very fewer posts. Is it because so view are scared to explore or because of other reasons. Most pilots have driven across canada. I could drive from sweden to mongolia and it would be the same distance. Canadians are great travellers because we could go 10 hours in a car and not even phase us. Think of the ground you can cover in these small countries. It's a breeze.
So, get out there and check shit out. Ya if you got a job in Northern where ever; take it!. But as for me. It's time to Vamose again.
Happy travells
later

merlin · Post by **merlin** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 10:47 am

V3-BZE check your PM's

gravelpit · Post by **gravelpit** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 11:25 am

Hi, . I have been to Belize it is beautiful, and like someone said it is third world. I am living in Guatemala, next to Belize (8-12 hours drive)!! I am Canadian. If you come here to Central America be careful. These places are are difficult to find work that is honest. Belize is different than the rest of CA, and there is some conflict between the two.
The people are friendly but hard to trust they usually have alterior motives and you can't take their word as gold they promise many things but rarely follow through. Matainance is not great and Spanish would be a great help they are a part of ICAO and to convert you need bribe money (mordida)or write an exam in Spanish and or a flight test and it will cost you.. You are seen as a dollar here. Remember that these countries are traffic countries, corrupt and somewhat dangerous money talks and you need to have what they say in Spanish "Cuello" which means hi power friends you may get safe job.

Apart from this, these are very beautiful places the land of fire not ice and snow, (lots of active volcanos), they have beautiful women ''better than up North'' thats for sure... The weather is great and money goes fast and 'Gallo'' (which means Rooster) the local beer here. Is great on the black sand beach. you can have fun here.......Flying maybe not ..but fun for sure.

Panama Jack · Post by **Panama Jack** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 6:43 am

freeze791 wrote:Why not Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.

Ahhh yes, all easier said than done.

freeze791 wrote:nice people, good weather, excellent food, and a trip that will change your life and the way you look at it.

Agreed.

Come over to the Caribbean and Latin America Forum on http://www.pprune.org , and conduct a "search" for more info.

<edited to correct link>

Canadian's flying in Belize

Canadian's flying in Belize

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