Originally Posted by
Ollie Onion
Why do you need 'experience' to be an SO?
That’s a question for the Airlines hiring department, they set the minimums.
Few years ago Air NZ proposed an SO Cadetship where Pilots would be hired with 500hrs as an SO on minimum wage (thereabouts) to build hours before going to the regional fleets as an FO. Didn’t get very far.
Bottom line is, both QF and Air NZ vastly overstate their entry requirements for the SO position, but if that’s who they want to hire, the experience will cost them, if it’s needed or not.