Originally Posted by
Jarrod Smith
G'day, my name is Jarrod Smith and if you didn't guess already I'm from Australia. I am seeking some much-needed advice regarding cadetships, university and flying schools. To begin with, I am 18 years old studying a Bachelor's of Aviation in Queensland and aiming to become a commercial airline pilot as my final goal. I am finishing up my studying for the first trimester of uni and I've heard a lot about it being a waste of time and that I would have a better chance getting into a flight school and going from there. I have attempted cadetships and was unsuccessful, I feel as if waiting for another cadetship intake to show up can take up a lot of time. The time I would rather spend flying. I am seeking some advice from pilots who have gone in all these directions and see which is best for me, as I am coming across a big decision. To help some of you answer, what is my preference? I am leaning to the idea of joining a flying school and going from there. However, there are some doubts in my family that I would have a harder time finding a reliable job as a pilot this way. Or that this method would take too long, with poor pay and work conditions. What are the pros and cons of these below and overall which do you believe would the most beneficial?
Q1: Are universities worth it? (Bachelors of Aviation)
Q2: Are cadetships worth it? (Just keep studying and waiting)
Q3: Should I find a flying school and begin my journey there?
Can I grab any personal opinions on these questions possibly advice or personal experiences which could aid? If you think I should proceed a different pathway please suggest it also.
Thanks for reading,
Jarrod
i wont proclaim to have any experience of the Australian education system because I don’t however in my personal option going to University to study a degree not related to a fall back option or something you’re interested in is a waste of time. Let’s say you gain your degree in aviation, get a commercial flying job and then lose your license Or Medicals.... what then ?
If you go to the uni route / vocational training. Study something or anything you can imagine enjoying besides flying incase god forbid that privilege gets taken from you. However due to my lack of knowledge you may very well need a degree to get into an airline if it’s anything like the American Majors where a 4 year degree is usually mandatory however American aviation jobs is a whole other topic for a different day. But my advice remains - if you do need a a degree, make it something you find interesting besides aviation that you’d be happy to do if one day you had no other options. Work a part time job on the side. Finish uni, start working and complete training in your spare time.
2, Again from limited knowledge I believe cadetships are outrageously expensive, I’d go so far as saying Australia is one of if not the most expensive place to train in the world. I really don’t know enough about the aviation industry over there to give you any remotely useful advice on this one besides the age old integrated vs modular debate in the U.K. will the integrated schools get you into an airline straight away ? Yes if it’s sponsored by whichever airline, not necessarily if it’s just the training. I have 2 friends who trained at one of the big schools in the U.K. one Sponsored by a Middle Eastern carrier and one who was a whitetail cadet. They still took 6 and 12 months to start flying respectively. In theory if you have around £45,000 and the aptitude you could complete everything from PPL to CPL/MEIR in 12 - 14 months if you had a considerable amount of luck with weather on your side and a desire to spend that amount of Time in certain parts of Europe.
3, Do your research, look into all options whether that be the US, South Africa, Europe or Aus. Find which way will suit you best and go from there. Take everyone’s advice with an. Pinch of salt and don’t be sold by the glossy brochures.