Another young pilot needing advice.

[flywaikato]

Hi all.

Yes i'm sure everyone is SO over all the newbies and 'pilots in training' continually asking for advice about what they should do and where they should go..

However, I have recently fallen in to the same trap.
It has recently dawned on me that I'll be finished my course in JULY. Which is only a few months away..

By the time July rolls around I will be 19y/o with CPL, IR/MR with approx. 270hours. My CPL will be both NZ and AUS.

I have decided not to continue with a C-cat training course. Reason being that I have no desire in becoming an instructor. I understand that with a C-cat my chances of getting a job MAY be higher, but its a road that i'm trying to avoid.

My ultimate goal is to be an airline pilot. I'm willing to travel basically anywhere in the world for this to happen. I know I am young, but just want to see what people in the industry think about where I should begin.

So, punters, Can anyone give me ANY advice whatsoever?
A little guidance and advice would be really appreciated, and any tips or views please let me know.

Thanks for your time.

:)


**Thanks all for your fast responses! Now......A few things I didn't add in,
I have been told that I should go to Aussie and sit my ATPL's while i'm 'young and fresh' what is everyones views about this??
I also have been really interested in heading to Botswana, potentially at the end of the year! Any advice or other comments.... Keep em' coming!** :ok:

[sgenie]

Well, I must say I was in the similar position - and still is - with regard to any aviation-related activity. Couple of years back there was a good chance to be employed, at least part-time, by one of the parachute-droppers - now with part 115 most of them went belly up and the meagre supply of the jobs turned into even smaller trickle. Move around, if you can - try down South, as far down as Invercargil.

[kiwialex]

I'd say with the rate that Link is hiring at the moment, the chance of picking up a GA job these days is quite a bit better than a few years ago...

[Josh Cox]

Come to west island, go bush, lose the accent and have a crack.

It is true, there are quite a few newbies looking for work, make sure you are more usefull to the company ( bus licence, senior first aid, no accent etc etc ) and be easy to get along with, its really not that hard to carve a place in this industry.

Did I mention you should try to lose the accent,,,,,,,,, :), good luck and enjoy the journey.

[4Greens]

Check out the Military.

[DeltaT]

I have no idea what's happening with those pilots being hired by the links, I've been ringing around the whole country to find one of those 'gaps' thats been left behind and no one is hiring. The answer is the same, GA is in a downturn at the moment as far as Charter goes.

Advice to flywaikato: Get out of dodge and go to Australia, head to Darwin, or try the places most won't go like the deep outback doing mustering in a C152! Then keep an eye on Horn Island or PNG if you dare. Indonesia is hoovering also.
Flick an app to the Links here while you are at it, it used to be Space Shuttle experience to get in, now you just need to have lit one of your own farts.

[27/09]

Flywaikato I have decided not to continue with a C-cat training course. Reason being that I have no desire in becoming an instructor. I understand that with a C-cat my chances of getting a job MAY be higher, but its a road that i'm trying to avoid.

My ultimate goal is to be an airline pilot. I'm willing to travel basically anywhere in the world for this to happen. I know I am young, but just want to see what people in the industry think about where I should begin.

Why do you wish to avoid instructing?

While you may not have any desire to become an instructor you may actually find it very enjoyable and rewarding, make some interesting and probably helpful contacts from among your students and really learn more than a little bit about flying. I know I did all of these things. Instructing was and still is a great experience even though it's not a full time job for me now. Also airlines need instructors in their ranks for their own internal training so people with prior instructing experience are valuable to airlines.

Don't dismiss the instructing option too quickly, more than a few airline pilots went the instructing route. If you do go the instructing way give it your best shot and give your students good value otherwise don't bother.

[Luke SkyToddler]

19 y.o.'s make crap instructors anyway - they've got no maturity, no people skills, no interesting stories to tell and no real grasp of how to adapt the lesson to the student, i.e. they're f***ed the first time they run up against a student who doesn't "get it" the way they were taught to do it parrot fashion on the c cat course.

Throw in a shiny pair of raybans and a fake breitling, a desperate unconcealed desire to be out of the c152 and in the airlines, and the basic cluelessness about life that is the hallmark of most teenage school leavers from wealthy backgrounds, and you end up with something that actually costs the flying club more students than it brings in.

My advice - finish your CPL, go to London for a couple years, get drunk and see the world, save some money and come home via a long detour through Africa and west Oz looking for flying work on the way home.

[framer]

I'm not being flippant when I say this.
Stop thinking and start doing.
Write down a list of the steps you need to take to get to your Airline job and then stop thinking and start doing each one in turn. If you start thinking again. Stop. Then carry on achieving each of the steps.
Ps enjoy being solo in remote places along the way as you won't get to do that once you hit two crew, it's the thing I miss the most.
Pps telephone calls and CV's sent via mail don't count as " doing".

[framer]

Lol Luke posted at the same time as me.
Scratch what I said and roll with his last paragraph.

[poonpossum]

Before you embark on your journey, call EVERYONE you want to work for and get the low down.

Don't come in guns blazing, asking for a job. Approach such phone calls with respect for what you would like to hear if you were a chief pilot.

Tell them that you are a freshy, that you are looking for any advice they might have for someone in your position and whether they employ newbie pilots. That's not asking for a job, thats asking if one is possible.

Some might give you responses sighting insurance requirements or mining contracts as to why they don't employ newbies, then you know to cross them off your list of potentials.

Don't listen to people saying that making phone calls and mailing a CV will get you no where, it can happen, it did for me, there is just a lesser chance of it. If you are going to be mailing a CV, though, it needs to be absolutely flawless.

If you want to be put in charge of a $100k+ piece of equipment, I'll say it again, your resume needs to be absolutely flawless. If the only way you can present yourself to a potential employer is on a piece of paper, the contents of such a document have to convey your attention to detail and how serious you are about attaining your first flying job, without actually saying it.

We got a resume the other day and the guy had spaces before his commas ,. It's excruciating to see this kind of carelessness taken with something you can and should spend many hours perfecting, and getting help with if English is a second language.

Good luck comrade.

Oh and don't go saying you are 'endorsed' on 172's and the like if you are applying for jobs in Aus. Common New Zealander pilot mistake.

[luckyluke]

Contrary to what sgenie said, most of the parachute companies didn't go belly up and IMO it's not a bad way to build up some hours, often a quicker way to progress into turbines. But as with anything you need to get out there and get known to be in to win. I'd look to keep flying as you can out of your own pocket and maybe get some time in a 182/185 if you start to take that path seriously.

[Shagpile]

Why don't you direct entry RAAF? 10 years ROSO (I think), finish up with 3000hrs+ turbine/heavy/instructing/captain/upsidown/formation/whatever. Jump ship to airlines or have an alternative career path still flying on $100k+ waiting for airline job to open up if there's none available.

If you can get on flight screening, there's a high chance of getting in, especially if you're young, motivated & have lots of hours already (feel free to re-learn though).

[poonpossum]

Don't forget that if you join the military, you have to be ready and willing to kill people.

[deadcut]

To fly parachute ops in New Zealand you now need 150 PIC. Complete and utter BS! Where are you supposed to get the 50 extra hours without coughing up for it

[zappalin]

Don't forget that if you join the military, you have to be ready and willing to kill people.

We talking RNZAF here? The closest a pilot would get to killing anything would be if something ran out on the runway.

[NzCaptainAndrew]

Move to AUS. Apply for para dropping everywhere - It is easier to get a jump gig with 270 compared to charter, and its a good way to build hours fast - when you hit 400TT go look for charter gigs with 210s. Easier said than done obviously but its a good way to kick start your hours. As for the c-cat, I'd still do it, I wanted to do one for the extra 50 hours and knowledge but didnt have the money or the funding. Good luck mate

[psycho joe]

I also have been really interested in heading to Botswana, potentially at the end of the year!

If it's Africa that you want to go to then you are on the wrong forum. I'd suggest that you post this on the Africa forum. Not sure about NZers but most people in Oz aviation these days seem to have lost the spirit for adventure.

If you want to go to Africa, then go. Make some phone calls, send some cv's, then go. Have fun, take photos, drink beer, eat weird food, speak another language, accept that most people back home won't believe your stories. But most of all remember that when you spiral back here for an airline job, be prepared for the fact that Hr interviewers these days are terrified/suspicious/completely ignorant of anyone who has done something different to the other 98% :ugh:

I guarantee if you do it, one day you'll end up being the most interesting person on the flight deck. :ok:

[Boeingdream]

If your interested in Botswana then do it, don't think to hard about it, just go.

I packed a tent and headed over and then ended staying 2 years.

Nothing beats flying into strips with lions, Elephants. Zebra and so forth. Not to mention the overnights in all the Lodges.

Enjoy the journey.

[kingRB]

If your interested in Botswana then do it, don't think to hard about it, just go.

While that sounds like a cool story on the net, with that kind of attitude it may land you into trouble. I'd suggest doing thorough homework before blasting off anywhere and blowing what little money most brand new CPL's have left.

Quick peruse of the Botswana thread in the Africa forums reveals pretty much every operator now having a 400 to 500TT minimum to apply, and most currently advising any expats trying to get work over there that the local Governments have recently come down very hard on operators not taking the locally trained national pilots and hence they are not issuing foreign work permits.

Not saying it's impossible but maybe not quite as easy as you make it out.

[Boeingdream]

KingRB I understand your fears, and yes there is a risk involved that he may not get work.

I only finished up in Oct and can attest to many getting a start with sub 300hrs. Although yes it is more likely with higher hours.

I didn't mean for it to sound easy and nor did I take into consideration the financial aspect.

However going to look for work in Australia would be a more expensive avenue than Botswana. The only outlay being more is the airline ticket.

Anyways best of luck to you windnz.

[zappalin]

If Botswana is your thing, have a look in Namibia too.
In Botswana the aircraft are 90% single engine (C206/GA8/Caravans) which is fine, and you should definitely go for it - BUT operators back in Aus will still ask the simple question: do you have an multi time?
It's frustrating to be honest, but dealing with the long days, hot temperatures, interesting strips and everything else that goes along with it counts for nothing if your aircraft has only 1 engine...

Namibia on the other hand has a lot of scope for moving into twins. Same same but different as far as the flying goes, you'll have a ball but maybe not as much so in Botswana - Maun is quite a little party town!
Check out arguably one of the best companies in Namibia, their fleet and their detailed hiring info: West Air (http://www.westair.com.na/)

Just remember though, times have changed a little since the good ol' days - you'll be wasting your time going with any less than 300 hours AND either an instructor or instrument rating (preferably both*).

Do it though. I had a ball! :E


*no, you probably won't be flying in IMC or instructing, but you have to have something that the qualified local applicants do not have.