RALF
That was funnier than hell...thanks.
I am sure you have all read 'Warning of skills shortage crisis' in fridays Australian. In this artical newly formed industry Group AUSAC (Australian Aviation Council) had the audacity to accuse the government for 'lacking a trategic aviation policy' to deal with the skills shortages including pilots.
Here is a copy of my letter to the editor, I suggest that everyone here does their level best to air their views in the press.
"Dear Sir
According to CASA’s ‘rough guide’ the average pilot will spend $60,600 just to pass the tests for all their licenses and ratings up to the level of a commercial pilot. Beyond that they still have to attain the highest level of civilian aircraft license, the Air Transport Pilot License which, will require them to fly an additional 1250 hours more than they already had at the commercial level, if they want to fly for the airlines. How they get those hours is up to them and most often those scarce few, lucky enough to have the tens of thousands more it costs to get the myriad of instructor ratings will auction themselves off to whatever flight school they can simply to fly these extra 1250 hours for the privilege of not writing a cheque for between $150 and $350 per flight hour.
All said and done the very lucky get to spend the better part of $100,000 for their training and will still have an uphill battle to secure one of the few low paid flying jobs available in Australia. With Virgin, Jetstar and since yesterday, Qantaslink now asking for applicants to pay for their company required training on a 737 or Airbus A320 (Both $30,000+) its no wonder the number of licensed pilots has dropped by 2001 since 2001. The industry is asking its workforce to spend on its own education, in excess of $100,000 for a $45,000 job in the case of Qantaslink and for not much more remuneration in the cases of Virgin and Jetstar. Baring all this there are still 30,390 licensed pilots in Australia and AUSAC (‘Warning of skills shortage crisis’ 01/04/05) is accusing the federal government of ‘lacking a strategic aviation policy’ to avert the pending pilot shortage that the airlines are doing their level best to create. There never has been a pilot shortage and there never will be. The airlines are now actively driving them out of the country to greener pastures."
MJB