Getting on with Sunstate or ********* in Australia...

[roverlad]

Hi,

My g/f and I are planning on emigrating to Oz in about 4 years and would ideally like to live in Northern Australia in Cairns. I see that Sunstate and ********* both fly Twin Otters. I'll be finishing my Multi Ifr sometime this winter and I am luckily enough to have an "in" at a local aviation company or Kenn Borek Air so I will be flying Twotters for them.Yes it is true that "who" you know counts! I will likely stay with them for 4-6 years until I become a captain.
My question is ... does anyone in Oz know of the hour requirements for both ********* and Sunstate as none of this info is stated on their websites. I will likely email the flight ops to ask if no one knows here. Yeah I am looking into something that is years and years away(lol) but I like to have a general idea of things long before I reach them.
I appreciate any feedback from anyone who respond ahead of time.

[GeeBeeZee]

http://www.jobseeker.pilot.staffcv.com/public/det-entry.asp?empID=808

[redsnail]

Sunstate don't have Twotters any more. In fact, they don't have Sheds either. The smallest they have is the Dash 8. Sunstate as a separate hiring entity is now a part of Qantaslink.
The Cairns base is very popular and has Dash 8's there.

Mac-air/jet Craft do have some Twotters. (I used to fly them).
In the past a typical applicant had 2-3,000 hours total time, 1-1,500 multi time. Turbine time wasn't essential but nice. Most of us went onto the Bandit first up but I don't think they have them any more. More likely to get the Metro than any thing else.
I believe the main base is now Townsville. I am not sure what the Cairns base is doing. (Left there in 2000).

Australia has a different way of doing things in some respects. In the UK you can log P1 U/S to get your "command" time to get an ATPL. In Australia you cannot. So, if you want to be able to have your command time recognised then it will have to be left hand seat command. Low capacity RPT (below 37 seats) requires a captain to have at least 500 hours in command on a multi engine aircraft. (in other words, any old piston twin). So you can tick that box definitely make sure you have at least 500 hours in the LHS of a twin (Twotter would be great!!).

Oops sorry, made the assumption you're in the UK. I don't know how Canada does it's thing but it's worth noting any way.

Mac air is *** out because of litigation threats from a few years ago.

Good luck, I loved my time in Cairns.