Help out newbie?

[Mikezulu]

Hi there, i am nearing the end of my last year at school and i am wanting to become a pilot, hopefully fly for a airline later on in life. I only a month or so away until i finish school. So i have applied to Massey univeristy but not really sure if i want to go down their, i was going to apply at Ardmore flight school, but after reading around a bit on the net it seems like that place is really a **** hole. I was hoping if anyone has some ideas were to go (i live on the shore)? and does having a degree or diploma even matter very much in this field?

But i think i want a diploma or a degree of some sort, so yea? any help would be great.

thanks alot

[SystemsAreGo]

Easy answers if you ask me..

(i live on the shore)
North Shore Aero Club :ok:

But i think i want a diploma or a degree of some sort, so yea?
No real need for a diploma or degree for at least another five years. Just rip into that CPL.

Good luck newbie!

[D-J]

But i think i want a diploma or a degree of some sort, so yea?

get one in IT, frontline managment or accounting at least you'll then have something to fall back on

[HTFU]

Get a degree in aviation, as it shows you are really passionate about flying (which recruiters like) and a degree will give you a deeper technical understanding about flying and a qualification which proves it (again which recuiters like)

[Mr. Hat]

You will get many differing opinions on this in the end you will have to decide.

I did a degree in aviation and training school with bells whistles. Did GA regional and now in a Jet. My first flight was 15 years ago when i was like you.

With the experience I have I can say that if i had my time over again this is what I would likely do:

1. Get a trade (Carpenter Electrician Plumber) or do a degree in IT or something other than aviation. (I rate the trade higher by the way. The new rich are not people with degrees).

2. Whilst doing the trade or degree network and research. Ppprune is a good start.

3. Once you've got the money together find a charter company in the country that has a small instructing component attached to it.

4. Do your licence up to at least CPL all in one hit but pay as you go (no money up front)

5. Potentially do the Instrument Rating after you've got some time up and are already working.

Why? You will have more head space to learn it and it will potentially be a tax deduction depending on your circumstance. The downside is that if you fly into cloud without the Instrument Rating you could find youself in a spot of bother. So I suppose a single engine or Private instrument rating could be a good compromise.

Before all of the above why not go to qantas.com and look up cadetships. There is a possibility (albeit small) that you might have innate qualities that they look for and might be able to skip the whole process (Steps 1 to 5).

Finally start contributing ro your super. Time is the key on this one let me assure you.

Good luck.

[CazbahKid]

Very sound advice from Mr. Hat.

The saying I remember from my mentor regarding an instrument rating is "think of it as insurance on your life."

Good luck!

[Mikezulu]

mr hat, do you fly fighters ( i was thinking of trying to get into the aus or nz airforce)? and what is a GA? i have also just recently found a school in hamilton that does a degree through griffith university in australia, so im quite torn over what i should do like parents say that i should go to massey.

How tough is the the Ozzie airforce to get into flying te hornets :ok:

[Sunstar320]

By the sounds of things, so a heap more research mate, it will pay off! I would avoid University at all costs, too time consuming and there is alot of different views out there, but will it push you further than those at the flying school?

and what is a GA
General Aviation

[Hempy]

At the end of the day, hours outweigh 'book knowledge' imho.

[Mikezulu]

so you don't reckon massey is a good option what about waikato flying club they do a diploma in aviation, which can later be turned into a degree.

[Aerozepplin]

Personally I avoided the degree route. I want to fly planes and get paid f all for it, so why take three years to train when I could do it in one. Now if I'm lucky enough to get work I'll have a couple years experience before degree people even have a CPL, so my daughter will have to put up with bakes beans for that much less of her life.

To be honest if I was a CP I wouldn't care if someone knew about aviation managment, I'd want them to work hard and not scare or kill the punters.

[Mikezulu]

so it only takes a year to get your ratings, surely it take more than that to become gain a commercial pilots license?

[Mr. Hat]

Mikezulu no I don't fly fighters although some crew might accuse me of occasionally flying as though I'm in a fighter. Kidding I'm conservative to the bone. I didn't go for the military as I wasn't keen on the return of service. I wasn't sure if I could stay in the same job for that length of time. Having said that I think the military sounds like an excellent job but am not really qualified to comment. "Pass A Frozo" would be the man to ask about the military.

GA stands for General Aviation. Basically everything from your smallest aeroplane to say a large Piston Twin. Having said that the upper end of GA is a little blurry some times and it can include bigger aeroplanes: turbo props and maybe jets. Depends on who you talk to.

Regionals are: REX, SUNSTATE ect.

Majors: QANTAS, CATHAY. I won’t mention VB and J* or I'll start a thread drift on why LCC's aren't Majors ect (but for the record I see J* and VB as Majors).

Personally I really think its important to spend a few years developing an alternate career path and cashflow before getting into the flying stuff. During that time you get to know the industry before putting your hard earned cash on the line. As I said previously, if you can get into the Qantas cadetship then I'd just go for that and not worry about the rest.

As for Degrees and particularly aviation ones I'm just not seeing the value the way I used to. The world has changed my friends. Doing a degree is great for your brain, personal growth and not to mention your contacts BUT my experience was that it didn't make the difference I thought it would have. Universities and Flying Schools are business' much like your Holden dealership. They are selling a product and will say and do what it takes to get your business. Do not convince yourself for one minute that you will have an advantage over the next guy because of a degree. At the end of the day airlines interview a number of people with a variety of backgrounds. QF leans toward people that have their fit from the aptitude side of things and as far as I know the other three look at how you go on the day (no pressure!). So after its all said and done in my opinion when you come to the last stop (jet job or regional for that matter what ever you like) how you present yourself how you answer the questions and lastly but not least how you fly the sim is what is going to matter. With all that info available to the recruiters its hardly the degree that will make the difference for a spot up the pointy end.

Don't get caught up in reasons to avoid GA and going bush (degrees instructor ratings ect) and don't get sold bull**** airline wet dreams. Its a tough business it can and does kill people. Make sure you want to fly for a living as opposed to want to impress a variety of bystanders relatives and attractive women. It involves 1 medical (which randomly go wrong at times) and at Airline level 3 flight tests per year 2 of which largely have your entire career on the line. So be prepared and willing to open the books and do the work year in year out for the rest of your working life.

I’m definitely not the expert on this forum I’m just telling it from a point of view of someone that made a number of right and wrong turns along the way and am now able to make a reasonable living out of flying but accept that I’ll never become wealthy because of it. Good luck.

I just wish I knew all this at the start.

[HTFU]

It's all about having what the other person hasn't got
for example 2 blokes rock up for a job one has a degree and 1000tt the other only has 1000tt i dunno but it seems the bloke with the degree might get the job all else being equal, BUT if a blonde with big tits comes along as well and she only has 500tt all bets are off the chick will get the job, so get all the tickets you can to get ahead in life

[Aerozepplin]

Personally if I was a CP and two 1000TT pilots wanted the job, I'd take personality and "fit" within the company before the degree. With that said though I have a low opinion of the whole aviation degree thing. If they had a BSc or BA in something else I'd be impressed however.

Any people who do the hiring have an opinion on this?