Has anyone here worked (pilot) in the Carribean?

[RoAF-Mig21]

Hey,

I was looking for some insight into working in the Caribbean. I've spent a lot of time lately contemplating different options to leave Canada and move abroad. I'm looking to go somewhere I can fly with my Canadian license, as well as "never see snow again" (Thank you Nunavut. You ruined it for me ). I know some carriers have "EU" registered aircraft such as Air Antilles, so I'd need an EASA license. That's not something I'm looking at getting at this point.

I searched for a list of potential airlines I thought might hire Canadians, but I must admit I have no idea what type of requirements they have. I'm willing to fly anything, as long as it's stable and offers a reasonable salary / standard of living. Most of my experience is on turboprops (medevac / regional) but I also have some jet time, 1400+ hrs or so on corporate and regional jets.

Some of the airlines I looked at:
- Cayman Airways (Cayman Islands - Twin Otters, S340, B737Max)
- Inter Carribean (Turks & Caicos / Barbados, E145, ATR42, E120)
- Winair
- Aruba Airlines

I'm also open to fly corporate.

Have any of you flown there? How were the working conditions? What about lifestyle there? Was the cost of living expensive?

[NovaBoy]

I did a contract in the Caribbean back in 2003 as a Dash-8 captain with the now defunct Caribbean Star Airlines.

Most of the Caribbean is either relatively poor and the rest is extremely rich. Not much a middle class.

I lived in Antigua and St. Vincent. Loved St. Vincent, wasn’t a fan of Antigua.

Getting a job down there now is not as easy as it once was. You’ll need a type rating or time on type for the company you’re looking to get on with. I worked on my Canadian licence with a licence validation which was good for 6 months. At the time to convert to a Caribbean licence it was a few typical ATPL type exams and a ride in the airplane. It was not an EASA licence at the time.

Winair in St. Maarten used to hire Canadian copilots, and SVGAir and Mustique Airways also had Canadians, Kiwi’s and Aussie’s.

Caribbean Airlines would only hire locals, same with LIAT.

At the time Caribbean Star was just getting going and needed contract pilots to help out.

I enjoyed the island lifestyle, but and this is a big BUT, it is not like you’re 2 week all inclusive holiday.

One option is to get on with PAL Aerospace, get some time on the Dash doing fisheries patrol, and then apply to their Dutch Coast Guard contract position in Curaçao.

[bear98]

I did a contract in the Caribbean back in 2003 as a Dash-8 captain with the now defunct Caribbean Star Airlines.

Most of the Caribbean is either relatively poor and the rest is extremely rich. Not much a middle class.

I lived in Antigua and St. Vincent. Loved St. Vincent, wasn’t a fan of Antigua.

Getting a job down there now is not as easy as it once was. You’ll need a type rating or time on type for the company you’re looking to get on with. I worked on my Canadian licence with a licence validation which was good for 6 months. At the time to convert to a Caribbean licence it was a few typical ATPL type exams and a ride in the airplane. It was not an EASA licence at the time.

Winair in St. Maarten used to hire Canadian copilots, and SVGAir and Mustique Airways also had Canadians, Kiwi’s and Aussie’s.

Caribbean Airlines would only hire locals, same with LIAT.

At the time Caribbean Star was just getting going and needed contract pilots to help out.

I enjoyed the island lifestyle, but and this is a big BUT, it is not like you’re 2 week all inclusive holiday.

One option is to get on with PAL Aerospace, get some time on the Dash doing fisheries patrol, and then apply to their Dutch Coast Guard contract position in Curaçao.

Those curaçao jobs are hard to come by, the people down there don’t tend to leave lol, and also there’s rumours it’s gonna need to be EASA licensed pilots in the beer future

[RoAF-Mig21]

I did a contract in the Caribbean back in 2003 as a Dash-8 captain with the now defunct Caribbean Star Airlines.

Most of the Caribbean is either relatively poor and the rest is extremely rich. Not much a middle class.

I lived in Antigua and St. Vincent. Loved St. Vincent, wasn’t a fan of Antigua.

Getting a job down there now is not as easy as it once was. You’ll need a type rating or time on type for the company you’re looking to get on with. I worked on my Canadian licence with a licence validation which was good for 6 months. At the time to convert to a Caribbean licence it was a few typical ATPL type exams and a ride in the airplane. It was not an EASA licence at the time.

Winair in St. Maarten used to hire Canadian copilots, and SVGAir and Mustique Airways also had Canadians, Kiwi’s and Aussie’s.

Caribbean Airlines would only hire locals, same with LIAT.

At the time Caribbean Star was just getting going and needed contract pilots to help out.

I enjoyed the island lifestyle, but and this is a big BUT, it is not like you’re 2 week all inclusive holiday.

One option is to get on with PAL Aerospace, get some time on the Dash doing fisheries patrol, and then apply to their Dutch Coast Guard contract position in Curaçao.

That's awesome. Thank you for the detailed reply. I also have about 2500 hrs on the Dash 8 (flew the Classic at Jazz until they retired it). I don't have a problem with experience. Most of my issues are with "hiring ex-pats" and having the right license for the country I'm applying to.

I'm very much aware that flying in the Caribbean is not like going to an all inclusive resort. I should hope not. I hate those things. I would have no problem selling my house here, pocketing the significant profit on it and spending it on a down-payment for a nice condo or townhouse on some island.

For example, Cayman Airways has B737, S340s and Twin Otters. I really wouldn't care what plane I'd fly, even if I do have 500 hrs+ on the E175. I'd be more than happy to fly the Twin Otter. I think it's a fantastic machine. All I care about now is lifestyle. I'd like to have a chill, quiet, relaxed place to live and work and just take it easy. Salary is not even that important if I can just cover my daily normal expenses (house, food, a few beers a week).. and maybe a round of golf. I never golfed, but I'd take it up.

[RoAF-Mig21]

Those curaçao jobs are hard to come by, the people down there don’t tend to leave lol, and also there’s rumours it’s gonna need to be EASA licensed pilots in the beer future

I believe that. Honestly, I'm surprised they don't ask for an EASA license as of now. After all, it's full on Dutch territory.

[bear98]

Those curaçao jobs are hard to come by, the people down there don’t tend to leave lol, and also there’s rumours it’s gonna need to be EASA licensed pilots in the beer future

I believe that. Honestly, I'm surprised they don't ask for an EASA license as of now. After all, it's full on Dutch territory.

It’s coming, pal is gonna pay to convert the guys (I’m sure they’ll make them pay it back) but that’s gonna be different op once the CBA is in place

[Cessna 180]

Im curious why a foreign airline (PAL), operating under a Canadian AOC, with C-registered planes, would need an EASA license to operate there?

[bear98]

Im curious why a foreign airline (PAL), operating under a Canadian AOC, with C-registered planes, would need an EASA license to operate there?

Just a contract requirement, any Dutch people from there can’t work for pal unless they convert to TC

[TG]

Im curious why a foreign airline (PAL), operating under a Canadian AOC, with C-registered planes, would need an EASA license to operate there?

I don't know specifically about the Netherlands and PAL but there is some countries who will allows so many years for a foreign aircraft to operate continuously, from and inside their territory, before being asked to leave or change registration. On a side note, usually those foreign aircraft already fly under a local AOC.


I'm guessing that a change of registration for a Dutch one is probably what's going to happen in PAL's case there, hence the EASA license.

[cykj]

I worked for Winair as a Capt a long time ago. I had about 1000 hrs on type. They were able to get me a Netherlands Antilles license validation for 6 months on the condition that I'd be gone after the high season. That was fine by me. Apparently a work permit was also required as I found out several months later when detained by immigration for not having one yet. They took longer to get than the 6 months I was going to be there.

Rent was expensive, food was kind of expensive and electricity was expensive.

The people were great, the flying was great, but the tap water sometimes looked like Diet Coke and there were mansions on the hills overlooking people living in shipping containers in the dump.

Overall I had a great time but I knew it was only temporary as locals are obviously given priority hiring if they meet the requirements.

[RoAF-Mig21]

I worked for Winair as a Capt a long time ago. I had about 1000 hrs on type. They were able to get me a Netherlands Antilles license validation for 6 months on the condition that I'd be gone after the high season. That was fine by me. Apparently a work permit was also required as I found out several months later when detained by immigration for not having one yet. They took longer to get than the 6 months I was going to be there.

Rent was expensive, food was kind of expensive and electricity was expensive.

The people were great, the flying was great, but the tap water sometimes looked like Diet Coke and there were mansions on the hills overlooking people living in shipping containers in the dump.

Overall I had a great time but I knew it was only temporary as locals are obviously given priority hiring if they meet the requirements.

Thanks for the great info. That sounds about right.

The work permit is not an issue for me, as I have a European Union passport and since Sint Maarten is Dutch / French, I doubt I need a work permit there. I can work anywhere in EU if I want to, though to be a pilot there I would also need an EASA license, which I don't have.

How was the pay? Was it adequate enough to cover your cost of living?

[cykj]

The pay was pretty much the same as here. The Winair pilots were in the VNV or Dutch Airline Pilots Union so the working conditions were fine and the pay reasonable. I was able to cover expenses sharing a place with another pilot and walking to work.

[RoAF-Mig21]

The pay was pretty much the same as here. The Winair pilots were in the VNV or Dutch Airline Pilots Union so the working conditions were fine and the pay reasonable. I was able to cover expenses sharing a place with another pilot and walking to work.

Excellent. Much appreciate the info.