Flight Training Options (NZ)

[freefallnz]

Hey All,

I’m looking for some advice on options for flight training for next year. My aim is to fly in the airlines with Air New Zealand being a favoured choice once I finally get there. I currently hold a PPL with around 100 hours and I’m in my final year at school. So basically I have got the following in mind already.

1: Continue through the Tauranga Aero club (which has new partnership with Sunair) to gain CPL, MEIR, C-CAT and then possibly gain employment with them as an instructor and work up to scenic’s/charter and onto the twins (It has been suggested that employment would be there if I trained through them). This would mean attempting to self fund my way through this.

2: Train through an Air New Zealand FTO and gain the basic diploma/degree. If I did choose this option, I would look at applying for Massey and Nelson Aviation College. The benefit of this is there is some loan funding available and also possibly getting a degree (Massey). The downside is higher cost and possibly no job at the end of it.

Also, how much emphasis will be placed on whether a pilot has trained through an Air NZ FTO when it comes to recruitment for the group? Will not through one make a significant difference to employment or not?

So, can you offer suggestions or opinions on what they feel would be a good option to choose, or else suggest other routes.

Thanks in advance

[GoDirect]

I am unable to comment on ANZ recruit to group at all, but my opinion on your situation would be that if you are able to self-fund and remain in your current situation for training you will have the benefit of being observed as you come up through the training and with the potential to possibly get a job at a later date that is a major plus. Yes, the job may not eventuate straight away, but you could probably start off part time, the way that most pilots often have to, and work your way into a valuable full time position.

For most jobs in the regionals or airlines you will require some experience, and in your current situation you have the advantage of being able to do the "spade work" for obtaining your first break, which will then with time lead on to further things. The other way may have other advantages, but it may prove more difficult to land that first break of getting into the first job to gain the experience that you will need to move on. Just my opinion, hope it is of help.

[pointyendforward]

Yip, what Godirect says :). Just don't get too hung up on the suggestion / promise / hint / whatever of a job at the end of your training, where ever you decide to do it. No training organisations have the capacity to offer jobs to ALL their students. However, if you are seen to be a keen, fast learner and show that you have good attitude and work ethic then it will hold you in good steed. Enjoy your G.A. flying; it will be some of the most fun you will ever have in your career!

[BurntheBlue]

Agreed again,

It's that first break that's hardest to crack. If you're known to an operator and your reputation is sound then half the war is already won. As it stands, GA is still the most reliable road to the regionals and a boat load of fun to boot.

I say stick with it, put in the yards, you'll love it.

[DeltaT]

Options:
1. Quit while you are ahead and get out of aviation.
2. Don't do the degree/diploma unless its something other than aviation so it can be used as a backstop. As far as aviation employers are concerned its a 'nice to have' not something that will get you the job over someone else. As for the aviation degree institutions running the course they will tell you anything to get your money.
3. Look very hard at the future job prospects of where you will train as discussed above.
4. Consider not doing an Instructor course and instead go to Australia and go mustering in the outback and earn far more and get more flying hours doing that.
5. Do not do a MEIR at the end of your 200hr CPL course as your training provider would like you to. Wait until you have the proper total hours to actually be employable doing it!!
6. Change your dream of aviation. Search the internet, read about whats going on overseas, open your closed view of the WORLD of aviation, Air NZ is not the be all and end all that it is made out to be.

[alexWCD]

Delta T is roughly on the ball there. I wouldn't be as rash as to say 'get out of aviation', if this is somethign that you ablsolutely love and want to do for the rest of your life, take every opportunity you get. If you want to get into it because it would be cool to see the world at 37,000ft, go into a trade or something first and see what the world really has to offer. I doubt the latter would be you with 100 hours already.

As for the Air NZ FTO, they say the 'watch' you whilst training, don't expect an Air NZ rep to be there sitting in on your briefs and there for your tests. You just get ear tagged as someone who has been through a course that has some sort of air nz style around it. When you leave the FTO, you still have to enter the same world as everyone else who leaves the schools (GA, instructing etc), and you still have to put in a resumé.

The Tauranga aero club sounds like a good idea. However, todays weather is not going to be the exact same as tomorrows. The chance of that deal staying in place are very slim. On the flip side of that, Tauranga have been churning out some good instructors, and if you get tired of the aero club I don't think you'd ever find it hard to move somewhere else.

Also, from my point of view, I would say if you can get your MEIR as soon as you can. The more boxes you can tick in your potential employers tick list the better. Have you looked at Bay Flight? You would be able to get the student loan (even though there isn't really one anymore) through them and still be able to keep in touch with Sunair?

Just my ramble

[lilflyboy262]

A thousand hours in NZ takes a while to get.
Just to give you a bit of an idea for AirNZ... I was there in NZ and in constant contact with the recruiters. I had around 1400hrs with turbine time and air transport time, they told me they have guys on the books with 2000hrs and around 500 twin and a bunch of IF time.

Look outside of NZ. There is so much available to you and you will have the time of your life.
My current job im racking up around 800hrs a year and blasting around in a Cessna Caravan.
Don't just aim for the airlines....

[DeltaT]

HAHA, I too was in touch with the recruiters, I had 2000hrs and airline turbine time, I was told they had loads of guys with 3000-4000hrs etc waiting.
Just goes to show no matter what experience you have the excuse 'anti' just gets raised!
:}

Re MEIR, tell you what, ring around the GA multi operators of NZ, there is only a handful(!), and find out just how much total time they want before they would take you on to fly multi for them!! There will be your proof.
It won't take long to go through a very small list, come back and post your results.

[BurntheBlue]

ring around the GA multi operators of NZ... and find out just how much total time they want

I'll save him the hassle DT and tell you now. As far as total is concerned, you only need 750 for the 135 SPIFR requirement. After that the general expectation is to be IF current with the appropriate type rating... even that is flexible though, in most places training is provided either at your own cost or with a bond of some description to bring you up to speed.

Problem is there isn't much of a pilot shortage for the GA operators coming off the back of the training boom of the last 4-5 years. Applicants are many and generally operators will go with 'the devil they know' which is why I would say staying put would be a good option for you.

You would have your foot in the door which is something.

[DeltaT]

Jeez, this is like pulling teeth, how many operators given the fierce competition with more pilots than there are jobs are going to go for the bare legal minimum?
And even at that are going make a promise to you.

If you can sit tight with 1 operator you did your initial training with and stay there having spent all your money on a shiney Ccat and MEIR (the option which keeps all NZ flight schools and ASL going), get crap pay and crap hours and work your way up several years later, yeah you might just do it. Good luck to you.

Or you can save the $1000's on a Ccat, a MEIR at 250total time and the IR renewal a year later for the IR you haven't used, and go another path.

Try the path less travelled that requires a plan rather than the rut that is NZ aviation.

[BurntheBlue]

750tt is all you need. The multi135 operators are generally happy to take pilots on higher total so long as they have low multi time... The whole point is it gives them a year or so before the pilot shows up on the AirNZ radar (or similar).

There are plenty of pilots in NZ with the hours which is why you want to get a foothold if you can.

DT tells the truth though... if you want better pay and work conditions you really would be better off in Aus... a difference of about 20-30k and about 500tt per year for the same job (That's in almost every industry though, not just limited to Aviation... hence the brain drain).

The problem most Kiwis have with that plan is the living in Australia part :}

[wicks747]

I realise this thread is dying but there is some people with bloody good opinions on here that I would like to pick the brains off. For those of us thinking of jumping the ditch and also have had to go down the student loan path is the better job situation over in Aus enough of a benefit to combat the huge amounts of interest we will get once out of the country for more than 6 months?