Australian industry landscape

[ComradeCandle]

Hi Rotary professionals/enthusiasts. not so long time reader, first time poster. I had a couple of questions for guys not running schools in Australia (although that perspective may help too).


Question 1) I currently suffer from migraines. I have a physical trigger that is in the process of being resolved which should remove them from my life (which would be great). From the Commercial perspective, are you precluded (from your experiences) from obtaining a class 1 having had a history of migraines? CASA is a little frustrating to deal with, simply saying they will asses me on an individual basis rather than a more definitive answer. I appreciate the attempt to be inclusive of those who may be exceptions to the rule but it leaves me hanging a bit.


Question 2) What kind of pathways are open to pilots working towards a career end-goal of SaR and/or ambulatory flying? I figured it would be many hours flying as a muster pilot and/or scenic flying, but I'm thinking more are there jobs in these sectors that will give me secondary skills/exposure that will give me an edge later on? Or even ones that require some work that may cross over such as winching, mountain flying, dangerous/small landing-zones etc.


Thank you in advance for any input. It's a bit hard to get the perspective I am after speaking to schools because they don't really cover these areas in the career sense. However, happy for any input people have.

[Twist & Shout]

No doubt trying a few searches will give you days of reading on this subject.

Did you identify yourself to CASA when you admitted to migraines?
If so, and they (migraines) are fixed perfectly and permenately, expect several years of fighting CASA...

Unless you have cattle experience it is unlikely you will get a job mustering now.
Getting any flying experience after your commercial Licence will be difficult.
The industry world wide is in one of its lowest ebs ever. In the US pilots are being laid off to be replaced by pilots willing to work for less.
In Australia there are unemployed pilots with impressive qualifications and experience.

Might as well go in with your eyes open.

[vaibronco]

1) http://services.casa.gov.au/avmed/dames/documents/icasm_migraine.pdf
http://www.icao.int/publications/Documents/8984_cons_en.pdf


2) Read all the current threads in rotorhead forum. It's made of opinions and news, but you can build up a likely picture of the actual rotorwing industry.

[belly tank]

Not to dampen your spirits as nothing ventured nothing gained however as Twist and Shout has said the industry here is at its lowest point I've seen in over 20 years. I am one of many recently out of work from a major offshore operator and there are quite a few of us with a lot of varied experience still looking for work.

Good luck on your journey :)

[bgdfly]

I will have to agree with belly tank, at 30 years in the game in oz, this is the worst I have ever seen it. There are no "lights at the end of the tunnel" and I would strongly advise you to spend your money in another direction. Having said that, all sectors of our military continue to advertise strongly. That would be the only avenue I would recommend to anyone seeking a rewarding career with a fair return on investment.
(Sorry for the rain...)

[gulliBell]

Migraine history would certainly preclude the OP from a military flying career.

When the offshore industry stagnates the rest of the industry bottle-necks as there is no more progression from everything else into offshore.

As for Question 2. SAR and Ambulance requires IFR. Muster and scenic does not. There is no progression from muster/scenic to SAR/ambulance.

[Ascend Charlie]

Further to Gulli's input:

Usually a pilot progresses from singles to twins to IFR by working with a company which has all of these. If the company wants you to move up into these slots, they will usually pay for you to do the training, but bond you for a period of time to ensure they get their money's worth.

Mustering doesn't use twins and they are VFR only.
Scenics use singles, and are Day VFR only - to do night charter requires a twin (only NVFR, not IFR) but the pilot must hold an instrument rating.
There is very little twin IFR charter in Oz.

So, you would need to build enough hours somewhere for a company to put you into a turbine, then some other company lets you move up to a twin after proving yourself, then maybe after some twin time you get an instrument rating and a copilot slot maybe on coastwatch, then maybe move up to EMS/SAR.

Lots of "maybe" in there. Lots of luck. And networking.

There is a less-known way to get a foot in the door, and that is by instructing at a school that teaches IFR. You can then build single turbine and IFR time, perhaps even NVG

[ComradeCandle]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not worried about truthful admissions, I want a clear understanding of what I am getting into. It's disappointing to hear about the state here, even globally it looks a bit grim. I might have to look at hours privately and in training and look at flight a bit down the track.

Thanks for the replies on migraines, it sounds frustrating, especially when they have so many causes they get lumped into a single classification.

So turbines and twins seem to be the first goal of starting. Then look at IFR training down the line, but there isn't much available in Oz that will cover it.


Thanks again for the feedback, it's helpful to have some answers to work with. I will keep trawling the forum but it can be difficult filtering out so many posts.

[2leftskids]

I can only comment on the career progression but I would say that like a lot of pilots considering a career in rotary wing you've got the cart before the horse. I personally don't think it is worth worrying about where your career will ultimately end up. What may seem appealing as a future job now may seem much less so as you gain industry experience and knowledge. No doubt there will be highs and lows along the way and once working opportunities are bound to come your way that you haven't considered yet.


My suggestion is, if you really want to fly for a living, just take it one step at a time. Get your medical, get a license, get a job, get some hours and experience and then make the most of the opportunities when they come along.

[gulliBell]

I think the first goal of starting is to have all the financials sorted out first. It's a big investment to get the license, and there is no guarantee you will ever get a pilot job at the end of it. You do not want to find yourself in the position of owing money at the end of your training when you don't have an income to pay it back. The easy part is getting the license. The hard part is getting a flying job that pays an award salary.
Turbines and twins is not something you need to be thinking about now, or for many years to come.
There are far more opportunities in fixed wing, and if anybody starting out now had a big chunk of change to spend on flying training I think the aiming point should be commercial aeroplane, not commercial helicopter. In any event, do not spend money on this that you don't have.