Sky's the limit after payout
Fri "The Australian"
Sky's the limit after payout
By Emily Smith
January 23, 2004
MARK Bennett's head has been in the clouds since childhood but it was only a $200,000 redundancy payout that allowed him to pursue his dream of becoming an airline pilot.
However, he quickly found out it would take more than money to get him into the pilot's seat of a jumbo jet.
The number of trained pilots in Australia is about double the number of major airline jobs, forcing most newcomers to take low-paying jobs as instructors or in airport administration.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority says there are about 3000 jobs flying big jets in Australia but competition is stiff.
Mr Bennett has set his sights on becoming a co-pilot and has taken a job as first officer for a regional airline in Papua New Guinea, allowing him to gain experience on twin-engine aircraft.
He will leave Australia for two years but hopes this will give him the experience necessary to apply for a job as a first officer with one of the major airlines.
"When I was 28 I applied for the Air Force but I was told I was too old," he said.
"I thought long and hard about another career but I can't see that there is anything else I want to do."
The 33-year-old airline hopeful started flying when he lost his job at Energy Australia and is now one of the 6046 trained air transport pilots in Australia waiting to break into the airline industry.
Achieving his goal has so far proved slow and expensive.
With 1700 hours under his belt, Mr Bennett estimates his dream has cost him a total of $300,000.
If he can reach his goal, however, he can earn $90,000 as a first officer and more than $140,000 as captain.
He has been working for four years as an instructor at the Australian Flight Training School at Bankstown airport in Sydney and has also worked in the Northern Territory flying charter planes.
"As a junior instructor I would hang around the airport in the hope that someone would walk in off the street and ask for a flying lesson, so I could build some hours," he said.
Mr Bennett said three-quarters of those who gained a commercial licence had aspirations to fly big aircraft.
"I am attracted by the lifestyle and the excitement of flying the larger aircraft," he said. "And it is better money."
Virgin Blue head of recruiting Bruce Highfield said the airline looked for people with a range of experience.
"We want to see people who have headed up to Papua New Guinea to get their hours up, people who have shown their commitment to their craft by chasing the difficult jobs," he said.
Virgin chief pilot John Raby said the airline had about 3000 applicants for pilot positions on their database.
"It is easy to get your commercial licence in Australia, but it is very difficult to get that first job," Mr Raby said.
"And it is difficult to get the experience with twin-engine planes."
Virgin Blue is planning to recruit more co-pilots in 2004 when it acquires six new aircraft.
The airline's pilot recruits must also pay for their type rating, involving a set of exams and training in a flight simulator, which can cost up to $30,000.
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