swisspilot
Well-Known Member
Pretty cool show
Bush Pilots Season 1 Episode 1
- Thread starter swisspilot
- Start date
swisspilot
Well-Known Member
That part is pretty funny, the craziest thing I have had blocking my strip were wild horses.
rframe
pǝʇɹǝʌuı
Yeah, I've dealt with deer, moose, geese, and skunks... but no giraffes yet.
ASpilot2be
Qbicle seat warmer
I've had musk ox on the runway.
Planeologist
Well-Known Member
I've gone through 3 episodes so far. It is like a British replacement for Flying Wild Alaska.
swisspilot
Well-Known Member
Kind of, Flying wild Alaska was more focused on a single company and didn't really gave you much of an idea on how you could actually end up flying there.
Probably flying in Alaska is more challenging but it is the US after all, so you don`t have to deal with a lot of 3rd world issues, just think about search and rescue, I have done bush flying in places where there was no SAR, and others where each flight plan would have to include SAR time.
The type of flying this guys do has huge perks, some of the camps/resorts you get to stay are mind blowing, you pretty much get to do the same things your guest/pax do at no charge. Once I spent a night in a unit that was going for 12K USD a day!..On top of this perks you get to meet a lot of people, especially a lot of senior pilots and owners of fortune 500 companies that need pilots. Lots of famous people too, I have flown a former miss Australia, couple Ambassadors but have friends that flew Jackie Chan, Johnny Depp...
swisspilot
Well-Known Member
Truth, they do exaggerate a bit in the show, it's not an everyday thing have a giraffe blocking the runway or spotting large number of elephants, lions from the air, even in Africa.
swisspilot
Well-Known Member
It aired on DAVE, a British TV channel, I think it`s part of BBC. Not sure if it was available outside the UK.
All the 10 episodes are on youtube
FloridaLarry
Well-Known Member
swisspilot said:
It's 'Reality' TV. Whatcha expect: the whole truth, the honest truth and nothing but the truth?
We're showing a generation of TV viewers that 'reality' isn't reality, and Fox News isn't news. I wish I could be more certain that they're comprehending.
It's 'Reality' TV. Whatcha expect: the whole truth, the honest truth and nothing but the truth?
We're showing a generation of TV viewers that 'reality' isn't reality, and Fox News isn't news. I wish I could be more certain that they're comprehending.
swisspilot
Well-Known Member
They don`t actually live in a tent the whole time. You have to move there before you even get the shade of a job. You enter on a tourist Visa and start knocking at all the doors, as you are not getting paid to do that you try to stay on a budget. It will take several months (less if you are lucky) to land your first job. There are camps just outside town where you can set up your own tent or rent one, there aren't many other affordable ways. Most wannabe pilots do that and it creates a nice environment as everybody hangs out together, BBQ and beers every-night. As soon as you are settle in you will meet a ton of people and there are opportunities to house sit, there are a lot of South Africans and Europeans that have houses there, but they only stay for the season, in most of those countries you don`t wanna leave the house unattended, crime is not so bad but everybody gets people to house sit and take care of the place. The tent thing is very temporary, as soon as you get a job you can move in with other pilots hired or take the room of somebody leaving. You are home most nights but when you are out on safaris with your passengers you may end up in some resorts you will never be able to pay for as a career pilot.Hmmmm... being a rampie in Alaska, or living in a tent in Africa.... I'll keep instructing, thanks.
Living in a tent is not so bad, as you actually don`t live in it, it`s just a place to spend the night, you will be out most of the time, either scouting for a job, socializing, fishing, or just exploring...it`s not 20 below zero you know.
ChasenSFO
hen teaser
Here's what you're missing:
I did a lot of reading on this kind of flying in Africa, specifically in Botswana which sounded very much like what you've mentioned. If flying was going to be my only career, I'd totally do it for a season or two. Sounds like an adventure.
Last edited:
swisspilot
Well-Known Member
Africa is very vast, usually most Americans that end up flying over there are experienced guys joining operators that work with the UN or NGOs, or Missionary pilots. There are companies that have Americans flying for them, I believe Nyassa Air Taxi has some former LAB pilots. There are also many Americans flying in TZ.
The location and companies presented in the show, are targeted to low timers, pay is very low so I see it very hard to make it if you have a loan back in the US, some of the UK pilots said to have a loan, and so did pilots that have flown with me, but their parents were covering the bills, a good 80% had no bills and moved down to Africa or other parts of the world worry free. Bush flying has always been a way for many Europeans to jump start their career, just how CFIing is in the US, most of all the companies in Africa are either run by Europeans or South Africans.
In my travels as bush pilot I met pilots from all over, Americans made up for maybe a 4-5%. Most were European, Canadians and Kiwis, I was told by an HR guy once that pilots from this regions usually adapt better to the standards of living found in many 3rd world countries, Americans tend to have higher expectations, I lived this on my skin when I was at SUSI Air Indonesia, the only Americans there at the time (it has changed now) were flying the Piaggio Avanti and were there only for the money, I was told that they had several low timers from the US to start from the bottom but they all lasted very little has they had an hard time to cope with the place.
The biggest deal breaker is having a loan, I interviewed with companies that would not take on anybody with a loan or ties back home (wife, children,..).
I do wish more companies were run by Americans, from my personal experience customers service and organization is generally way better in their hands, this has to do with having to deal with a much more demanding customer back in the US. As a pilot I didn't liked so much flying Americans tourists that do this kind of trips (generally very very wealthy), they would complain most of the time and have much higher expectations on everything, Australians were the easiest to deal with, everything could go wrong and they wouldn't care as long as you could find them a place to crash and cold beers, Europeans (minus the French) were the only ones to leave tips, on average I would get 25-50 USD from each couple I would fly per trip.
Last edited:
