Jump pilot vs The Great Move Up North
G'day all, I'm a CPL student beginning to plan for ~6 months down the track when I achieve my license and need to find that elusive first job. Seeing lots of my peers posting on here about their lack of success up north, waiting alongside dozens of other pilots for positions that aren't readily available.
I'm starting to think my prospects will be better if I search for work as a jump pilot or out on a pastoral station. I'm from a small town in WA, moved to Melbourne for uni + flying and now continuing my flying in Bendigo - so at a minimum I'm getting used to moving around. Some people seem to think hours as a jump pilot are less valuable than scenic/charter but surely getting paid to fly is better than sitting on the ground. As for mustering, my plan is just to trawl through Facebook and get in touch with some station managers/pilots. Sounds like a low level rating is a must-have.
Just looking for anyone who can advise on the lay of the land around northern WA/NT or any advice on getting mustering pilot work. Also tossing up whether I should go get my MECIR or just head out into the world with my CPL and only ~150 hours (integrated course).
Sorry to add to the dozens of other posts like this one, but I can assure you I've read every bloody thread since the year 2000 about finding work as a low hour pilot!
Last edited by hazza4257; 16th Jan 2024 at 04:21.