View Full Version : Film Producer Girlfriend wants me to follow her to Australia but will I find work??!!
Hi
Just putting my feelers out to get any information that anyone has on the current aviation job climate down under at the moment. My long term girlfriend works as a tv and film producer and has been offered an amazing oppurtunity out there and we have talked about going out there for a couple of years(or more, who know's!)
I've been banging away at the aviation thing in the UK now for the last 5 years without making the headway I expected or (I think) I deserve!:ugh:
I know many others are also in the same boat, especially at the moment. Times are tough.
I presently work as an FI and have some air taxi experience aswell. Around 100 hours ME and 900 TT. I was hoping to get some advice or information from people about my chances of getting work out in Sydney mainly as this is where she will be based. I realise that globally things are bad at the moment but any positive advice passed my way would be much appreciated.
Cheers ;)
Kelly Hopper
8th Apr 2009, 07:09
What visa will you have? No visa = no work!
ampclamp
8th Apr 2009, 10:58
Wilga, no tin hat required mate,if you really want to work here you will find a job.The economy is going down the poo shute here too but a bit later than the UK and not so badly.
As another mentioned Bankstown Airport is probably the place forprivate flying & pilot training in Sydney. About 20 k's South West of the city.There are few other small aerodromes also.
Any idea on where you maybe residing? If its TV work for the better half the stations are pretty much all on the North side, quite a commute if you plan on operating out of Bankstown.
Keygrip
8th Apr 2009, 12:58
It was indeed, Xulu - but it then led to numerous other irrelevant responses that all tried (miserably) to be funnier, whilst dragging the thread out out line.
ampclamp
8th Apr 2009, 23:37
Wilga, forgot to mention ...If you can get The Australian newspaper in the UK I'd recommend getting each Fridays edition.They publish aviation news on Fridays along with job adverts. There is never that many as the market is obviously a lot thinner than Euro land and the UK but its a good place to start.
The Australian is available on line but not sure about the employment bits.
Sydney Morning Herald has a lot of job ads too although many jobs are now just on line.
greenslopes
8th Apr 2009, 23:56
Maaaaate,
What are you worried about. Don't worry about finding work get out here and see why our first guests of her Majesty didn't want to go back.
Most things here are inverse to there, i.e the Beers crap but the weathers great.
If you don't do it you'll regret it for the rest of your life..Go on live a little and stop worrying about climbing that career ladder.
When I was a young sprog in shorts I was offered a ski instructing job in Canada, didn't take it on advice from the ole man as best put head down and focus on the flying............. yes I have achieved what I set out to but that hasn't stopped me from wondering what it would have been like!
Try this website most of the Jobs listed in the Australian newspaper Aviation section on a Friday are listed here plus a few more.
Bankstown always seems to be busy there are lots of local and International students training there so you might be lucky.
Only issue you may have is you may have to sit your Aussie CPL exams there are 7 of them. ( 14 if you want an ATPL). The exam system over here is much better than in the UK I have had the unfortunate pleasure of experiencing both you can self study over here and you can sit your exam just about any day of the week its all done online and you have your result within 1 min usually I think its 2 weeks between resits.
Good luck :ok:
www.afap.org.au (http://www.afap.org.au)
Wilga
11th Apr 2009, 12:02
Thanks for the replies so far. I've got to say though that the thought of having to study for 14 ATPL writtens again puts me off immensly!
Any other thoughts or advice from anyone would be appreciated.;)
redsnail
11th Apr 2009, 12:17
Do your own research.
If you hold a JAR CPL then you don't have to do all those exams.
Spend some time here (HTTP://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD:1422781872:pc=PC_90023)
reading what you need to do. Note, the UK CAA needs to fill out forms too.
Note, if you have completed the JAR ATPL exams but don't have an ATPL, those exams "won't count" and you'll need to do the CASA ATPL exams.
The Australian (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/) is the resource all Aussie pilots read on Friday. Whether or not the jobs are in the online one, I don't know.
If you're persistant and willing to travel beyond Sydney for a while, then you'll eventually find something. Your FI experience will be useful for Sydney but that may mean a further expense.
The job market is a lot different in Australia compared to the UK. Just go and have an adventure. :ok:
ampclamp
12th Apr 2009, 09:49
my advice , if the exams look a bit much...come anyway and sponge off the mrs.:hmm: just check the weather reports.:ok:
If you dont like it you can be home in a day or so.Whats to lose?
Hi Wilga
There are 7 Aussie ATPL exams.
Studying for them at the moment, see http://www.casa.gov.au (http://www.casa.gov.au/) for all the details.
One of my mates at our flying club came over to Oz, for a holiday, and has not gone back yet, I guess meeting a stunning girl was part of the reason for staying. He converted his JAA PPL to an Oz PPL by doing the airlaw exam and the flight review test, we have a GAAP - like a control zone around the busy GA airports, and that was the hardest for him to do on the flight test. I am not sure what would be needed to convert the CPL to an Ozzie one.
Good luck, the weather is great
JERR