Any suggestions on how to actually phrase a cover letter or application when you genuinely have no desire to fly for an airline?
The only sure way is to be above the age limit for the airlines, which is a bit difficult these days with all the anti discrimination legislation, but the older you are the better you look. Having a restriction or waiver on your ticket is another plus point, as is being significantly overweight.
RFDS need bush pilots, not children of the magenta line. Whilst it would be unreasonable to expect the same pay as an airline Captain, first officer level would be realistic as a Kingair can’t bring in the income that a B737 can. The trade off for lower pay is a more relaxed working environment without having every aspect of your day micromanaged with SOPs, over regulation and endless simulator checks.
If the RFDS paid the same as the airlines they would have a lot of applications on the files from airline Pilots who are fed up of the endless bulls**t and would rather do what they enjoy which is flying a plane. Once the golden handcuffs are on they are very hard to remove.