Hello everyone,
I'm currently a Year 11 student studying in the Sydney region, and taking high level mathematics and physics at school. I was wondering if there is any up to date information on the best flight schools around Sydney, as I do not currently have any flying experience whatsoever. A majority of the recommendations were provided many years ago, and I'm not sure if the instructors are still working or have maintained the same quality of service. I do not mind travelling to rural areas of NSW, as long as the drive isn't unreasonably long (5 Hours +).
I plan to complete a University degree after graduating from high school, whilst beginning to take up self-funded flying to obtain my PPL and CPL. My end goal is to become a Commercial Airline Pilot. However, unlike many people here I do not plan on remaining in Australia and pursuing a career with Virgin Australia / Qantas / Jetstar, unless I successfully gain entry into the airline through Virgin Australia's Cadetship (Highly Competitive) or the new Qantas Flight School that's opening their doors the year I graduate High School.
I'm not sure if the Qantas Flight School guarantees employment after high level performance as they plan to train 500+ pilots a year once operating at full capacity, and I'm not particularly keen on having an unnecessary $150,000 debt if it does not guarantee me employment in the end and can be done for much cheaper. I plan to head over to Asia, preferably Hong Kong (I'm from Hong Kong) and fly for an airline based there instead such as Cathay Pacific.
The living costs associated with being based in Hong Kong do not matter to me too much, as I saw that it was a major deciding factor in some pilots rejections for SO Direct Entry, as I have family I can live with in Hong Kong. I'm also aware of the horror stories regarding CX employment, but I'm hoping that will change in the few years it will take for me to even be considered being their pilot.
I am aware that pilots will have to fly up in Northern Australia for a few years to build up hours flying Cessna 404's and other aircraft, but I was wondering if I would need to take alternate action if I plan to work overseas, or would I still need to work through the stepping stone of rural australia -> Virgin ATR? Thank you so much for reading this far if you have.
Thanks!
Kind Regards,
Alex
TLDR: What are the best flying schools in Sydney in 2018/2019 that are still operational? If I plan on pursuing my aviation career overseas, what different steps do I have to take after obtaining my CPL?