getaway,
no aoc needed if airline already has one. Think outside the box. Not a true charter or lease of an aircraft but flying an aircraft of an existing airline, that has aircraft parked, can't sell them for anything worthwhile.
That's not what you were originally proposing.
Let me refresh your memory........you said:
have spoken to quite a few other pilots about starting an airline & obviously they would not be paid anything, just taking a share of profits.
So which one is it?
The way I'm seeing it is you want to start an airline with your mates, work for free, and fly aircraft of an existing airline. Good luck, but I really reckon you're going to have a very hard time getting CASA to...
Think outside the box... to accept that proposal.
As LB says, it takes a special kind of genius to come up with that plan.