ATC IssuesA place where pilots may enter the 'lions den' that is Air Traffic Control in complete safety and find out the answers to all those obscure topics which you always wanted to know the answer to but were afraid to ask.
Just wondering if anyone has had a phone interview in the past few weeks, and if so have you received any feedback?
I'm in Sydney and had my phone interview about two weeks ago. My application status says "On hold for upcoming assessment centre" but I don't want to get too excited until I've been given the official thumbs up.
This is my second crack at the application process (I was scrubbed at my last Assessment Centre due to my presentation, everything else was fine apparently) and think if I can get through to the Assessment Centre again, I'd give it a fair shake. When I had my phone interview previously (in 2010), I got an email almost straight away saying I'd been successful in progressing.
I am still of the opinion that 'no news is good news' but wouldn't mind knowing for sure one way or the other!
No! I only got the call this afternoon. Figure I will do it tomorrow? The way the lady spoke on the phone it sounds like we are really going to have to harass CASA to get it in the 2 months!
Yeah that's the way she described it to me to. I got straight on the phone and booke ny dame visit and eye doc visit for the next couple of days, but I do already have an ARN. I think we wil be ok though.
Make sure you do push CASA and if there are any problems, push your DAME as well. It took me three and a half months to get my medical. It was a combination of paperwork not being sent to from the eye specialist and my GP, and CASA not bothering to let me know when they hadn't received paperwork. Then when I was finally approved, there was a stuff up in their accounts department which caused another delay.
Luckily I got my offer at the beginning of November and started work yesterday, so I had plenty of time.
Ill definately be on their backs about it. I had to get a class 2 medical a few months back and that came back reasonably quick so I'm hoping it will be pretty much the same.
You would assume ASA believe its possible to get the medical in time or they wouldn't offer places on the course this close to the start day.
You would assume ASA believe its possible to get the medical in time or they wouldn't offer places on the course this close to the start day.
It'd certainly do-able, but one of the guys that was supposed to start this week is still waiting on CASA. He may still be able to start this week as it's only induction.
Good to hear a few of you starting the course in the next few months! you will thoroughly enjoy your time training, especially with the trainers up here in Brisbane, good set of blokes. Don't worry too much about your medicals..just get them done over the next week, CASA always seem to pull through a day or two before its needed, with a bit of a heads up!
I have not long finished the college myself (in Melbourne) and now am fully operational in Brisbane, its been a tough year and a half but rewarding! so keep at it, and feel free to msg with any questions or worries you guys may have.
Can anyone tell me what is actually involved in the class 3 medical? I have had medicals before but that was a 30 min Dr visit with an eye test included which wasn't a huge deal. Just wondering what is so complicated that it could take CASA that long to process? And does anyone know the average length of time it take to get a medical cert? I start the enroute course in almost exactly 8 weeks. I have friends in the aviation business who have particular doctors they go to, so could I potentially go straight to that doctor or does it have to be arranged through CASA?
You will need to apply for an ARN (aviation reference number) through casa first, and then you need to book a visit with a DAME and a DAO (doctor and eye doctor that are approved by casa, they list all the docs details on the casa website). I had my eye doctor (DAO) visit today, $305 dollars later and they confirmed that I can indeed see things, and I have my DAME visit tomorrow. Hopefully thats all I have to do, but if not Im sure he can advise what further things I have to complete. After that, harass casa!
Ill update here tomorrow night about the DAME part of it, but with the eye doctor part, either plan to catch a bus or have someone drive you, because you CAN NOT drive afterwards. They will test all your vision and stuff, and then they will put some eye drops in your eye that dilate your pupils and then they will stick you on a machine that lets them look into the back part of your eyes. The eye drops will give you blurry vision for at least 2 or 3 hours maybe even more, and when I say blurry I mean it. I couldnt read anything at all this afternoon, not a single thing.
Someone at Airservices will book a DAME visit for you, but you'll have to book the eye specialist appointment yourself. The main problem is CASA. They're basically stuck in the 60s as far as public service efficiency is concerned.
Don't worry too much if you can't get it all done in time. The next enroute course starts in Melbourne in September, you can just relocate down here if they recourse you
Someone at Airservices will book a DAME visit for you
Not for me? The lady on the phone that offered me the position told me to ring up and book my medicals the moment I hung up the phone from her. No offer at all from them to book my medicals. Maybe they assumed it was easier for us to do it and fit it in with our schedule especially at short notice.
Also, can anyone advise if we get reimbursed the costs of the medicals when we start the course?
You do get reimbursed. When I went through we were given an account number that could be used by the DAME to book it to Airservices. It changes all the time though. We've been told our timetable is subject to change daily. Obviously, recruitment is too.
so stoked! now im scrambling around trying to organise my medicals!
