Originally Posted by
LostWanderer
That being said, a lot of Australian guys and gals there are probably (in the near term) unemployable in Australian airlines anyway, When I was over there almost none had an Australian ATPL and most hadn't even attempted a single subject so probably stuck with what they can get short of converting or doing the exams. Doubt that has changed much either.
LW,
This just points out the place of a regional job in a pilot career: steppingstone. We all know that first job is usually the toughest to get and a regional job for this group of Aussies fills an important square. Regardless of how GoJet ranks among regionals (not too high I'm afraid), they still come away with TJ airline experience they can peddle elsewhere if not in the USA. Perhaps, experience they might not have gotten at home ? All in all, a positive situation.
As for the future of the E3 visa, I don't know but suspect it won't be changed much if at all. I think I recall that there are many E3 slots going unclaimed each year (at one time there was a proposal to let the Irish into the program to use up the unclaimed spots). So maybe the Imperial Federal Kakistocracy could make some symbolic "cuts" and not really affect the real-world outcome.