Originally Posted by
yellokiwi
Hi,
I live in NZ and am currently at a flight school completing my CPL (ATPL diploma).
I would like some advice from people who have already gone through this or maybe know people that were on the same boat as me.
This year, I'm turning 29 years old and I'm also married. Due to my age and marital status, I would like to know what the best option or path is into getting a job at an airline flying jets. My current idea is to finish flight school, become an instructor and gain the hours required, from there hopefully landing a job flying turboprops with airnz. This however would take another 2-3 years after becoming a flight instructor and how many years on turboprops until I get onto the jets. Are there any options going overseas after graduating flight school with only 250 hrs? (maybe second officer with cathay but repaying student loan would be impossible right) Can paying for my own way into getting 500 hrs be an alternative route than becoming a flight instructor? (I do have financial support from my parents and my wife if this was the case). I'm just worried not landing a job at this point would have huge consequences since I wouldn't have a job and would have to spend more money to become a flight instructor and wait it out. Would airlines even hire someone with no real job experience but with 500+ hrs (including other minimums like multi engine hrs etc).
I am open to relocating to a different country if options are out there and is a faster route into getting a job at a major airline than the current plan. I'm Korean by the way and have seen regional ads for 250hrs but I don't know the jargons in korean and since I won't be considered an expat I doubt the conversations would happen in English between me and the captain. Their salary is pretty bad too so even if I want to work in Korea later in life, it's better to work somewhere else first then work as an expat for double or even triple the salary right? Don't have too much info on this to be honest just heard stuff.
I just feel like I'm running out of time and started to feel the pressure of having to buy a house and supporting a family (looking to having kids soon...)
I would appreciate any advice.
I would recommend going to Cathay buddy. Spend a year or two there, then Air NZ jet will interview you. What is the big drive to go straight to a jet ASAP? Money?