the way to go these days?

[DK08]

i may have to apologise, but yes this is another post about cadetships.
i'd just like to see/hear what the general opinion of what the best pathway to take into the airlines.
i've heard from a few different pilots and the responses i've recieved have been very mixed. Personally i am quite confused at what direction i am going to take in the future.

So what is the way to go????

thanks :)

[Howard Hughes]

Whatever suits you personally, you are able to achieve the same result from whichever route you take!:ok:

But to answer your question, if it is an airline career that you dream of, then I would suggest joining as a cadet! If it is flying you love, then the GA route will give you experiences that you will never forget, of course it will also keep you poor too!;)

[PLovett]

Despite what I feel about some of the cadetships on offer in Australia I would have to agree with what Howard Hughes has written. :ok: A cadetship is tailored around producing airline pilots. This is not to say that GA cannot do that but I believe that in the near future airlines will look more and more to the cadetship source. :(

To add to his comments I feel that much of what exists as GA in Australia has a limited life; much of it is dysfunctional, limited and will require you to compromise standards and conditions to retain a job while you strive for the experience level to move up the food chain. If your ambitions do not run to airline flying then serious consideration needs to be given to what route you take as you will need considerable experience to break into the better jobs in GA such as the RFDS. :uhoh:

Unfortunately, there are no easy answers but whatever route you choose it will cost, either money, standards or reputation. Your choice. :sad:

[jas24zzk]

I do agree that it is a personal choice.

I don't agree with the lowering of standards in part. From my PERSONAL observations, enough pressure has been applied to the lower end of the GA operators that the standards which they actually operate to are coming up...i guess they are figuring it is cheaper to do that than not operate at all. Those standards may not be 100% of what the regs say they should be, but they are a damm sight closer than what they were 10 years ago!

[training wheels]

As have been mentioned above, a cadetship would probably become the preferred way most people enter the airlines in the future. Just like what Asia have been doing in the last 20 or 30 years ... .This of course will be highly competitive and if you don't get a cadetship, and you're determine to fly for a career, then of course you'll have to go through GA.

The majority of people who start out in GA are working their way to get an airline job and many along the way fall away by the wayside. Those who are determined and persist will make it. I believe luck sometimes has a lot to do with whether you make it or not. I'm sure a few here would who have made it in to an airline from GA would have a 'lucky break' story to tell.

[baswell]

Speaking to someone who has been training pilots for the past 4 decades, her advice was: leave uni with a degree and CPL around age 22. "A real degree, not an aviation one."

Paying for both a real degree and CPL... not cheap, but sounds like reasonable advice to me.

[mcgrath50]

I agree with baswell, go to uni, the life experience and fun is well worth it. I know I felt a lot more employable simply for being 20/21 rather than 17/18 when I finished high school. Check out the thread below, it debates the two sides rather well, Mr. Hat & co on one, myself and others on another. Essentially it boils down to, do you want to delay working as a pilot for 18 months out of a 40 year career to get the uni experience. (Can you tell which side I took)

http://www.pprune.org/dg-p-general-aviation-questions/452970-bachelor-aviation-flying-degree.html

Remember as well there are cadetships and then there are cadetships. A lot of people are getting excited about the Virgin one as the deal sounds too good to be true from the rumours being thrown around. The Qantas one used to be the benchmark and now isn't even being run (and who would want to go to that company anyway at the moment). Jetstar and REX have had plenty posted about them in these forums. But like any contractual agreement, read the Ts & Cs carefully and get some advice from people who know what they are talking about.

[an3_bolt]

If I had my time again:

Straight off to be a sparky - accelerated apprenticeship. Get a trade behind me. Then think about the aviation stuff before a serious Mrs and kids arrive.

Good on you for asking around and researching options. I am sure you will find the right one for you.

[damo1089]

Why do you want to be an airline pilot? Have you ever sat in an airline while it flew you somewhere?

It's super boring.

[DK08]

its great to hear everyone's comments.
right now i've pretty much only have 3 things certain. i'm currently doing a CPL cource and i definitely want to go to uni, not sure which cource though! and that i've always had my eyes set to the airlines.
regarding the question why, i believe that it is something that i will enjoy, and has been something i wanted to do for a long time. personally, i have the time of my life even in the back rows during a 14 hour flight :ok:

[jas24zzk]

yes but what you do in the back row, probably isn't legal in the front row...well it certainly won't be when you are 40
:E

[Mr.Buzzy]

Hey Damo,
Ever tried paying off and running a house and car, raising a couple of kids and thinking about a retirement that has zero government financial support?

Try it from time to time and see how that "fun" job stacks up against that "boring" job: Unless of course the bungalow at Mum and Dads place in Toorak is rent free, Mum doesn't use her M3 much these days anyway and you still haven't worked out why you don't get past the second date?

Watching porn all day is also fun but sadly it doesn't pay the bills.

Bbbbbbbbzbzbzbzbzbzbzzbzzzzzzzzzzzz

[solowflyer]

What ever you do do it before you you get a full time cook and kids etc and enjoy the journey. once a women latches on your screwed

[Wally Mk2]

..........good advice there from 'solo'........woman & planes do not mix well:E
Keep the two apart & you might just have a chance:-)

As one good Lawyer said to me once the best way to handle marriage/divorce in any profession actually is to go out onto the street & the very first woman you bump into buy her a house & get it out of yr system early:E
Flying is fun, but you'll pay for it yr whole life !:E


Wmk2

[Wanderin_dave]

Watching porn all day is also fun but sadly it doesn't pay the bills.

With the advent of on-board WiFi I thought that was what airline pilots DID do all day :E

[DK08]

rest assured that i do not plan to have kids any time soon. but all i'm looking for are views on different "pathways", not the talk on how my life will be screwed up later on. plus how is any other job any different with the cost of a family?

appreciated advice, but i'd rather stick to the original question.