G'day jimjim,
I don't think reserve time would overly assist you in your application for Pilot. One big thing to take in to the recruitment centres though - apply for the job that you want and if they tell you they aren't recruiting for that position at the moment, tell them that is all you want.
They have targets to meet and are fulfilling a role of someone not much better than a car salesman. Don't trust what they say, if you encounter someone in those centres that cares about you, then you have found a very rare individual.
Also - most of them have no idea about the roles they are selling you.. no more of an idea than any random person who has a friend of a friend that does the role.