Fellow QF cadets

[The Bunglerat]

Fingers, you really are going to have to learn to choose your words more carefully.

Whilst it's true there are some small-minded folk out there who have a chip on their shoulder concerning cadets, the true gentlemen and professionals of aviation do not harbour any bitterness towards YOU - just your ATTITUDE.

Many pilots feel you do not deserve the opportunity you've been given, because you haven't served a true apprenticeship. Compare...

Aspiring GA Pilot:

First job = instructing/scenic flying/parachute dropping for minimal - and I mean MINIMAL pay (if getting paid at all), and inspite of this he's still grateful just to be given the opportunity to fill up some pages in his logbook. Timeframe of 1 year, maybe 2.

Second job = charter flying (multi-engine if he's lucky), on an aircraft at least 30 years old, barely airworthy, autopilot doesn't work very well, radar (one can only dream) doesn't work too well either, still on minimal pay (but that's okay, the second job as a casual bottleshop attendant makes sure he can stock the cupboard with 2-minute noodles for the week so he won't go too hungry), actually come to think of it, if he ditched the charter job and went fulltime at the bottleshop, he might even move up another tax bracket! Timeframe anywhere between 2 to 3 years.

Third job = Regional airline (turbine if he's lucky), aircraft in better condition and the equipment actually works for a change, money is now starting to resemble what the average punter considers a normal wage (but still below the national average). Timeframe 1 to 2 years.

Fourth job = Major airline. Whoo-hoo! Gets to fly some heavy metal, big ego boost, money is now affording the privilege of enjoying some quality of life (until you factor in the sizeable loans that still have to be paid back to cover the cost of all that training), so maybe there's not so much left in the pocket after all, but at least he's finally achieved his dream of flying jets for the majors. It only took the poor bastard anywhere from 5 to 8 years (and that's after training, don't forget), but hey, he's finally living the dream, right?

And now the Qantas Cadet...

First job = F/O on a Metro/Brazilia/whatever, in other words something that actually has some decent performance, decent equipment, flying regional airline ops, ...Hang on a minute, isn't this Job No. 3??? Nah, he got to skip the first two and the associated 1 to 4 years of flying crap equipment for no money.

Second job = The Big Rat. Whoo hoo! B744, B747, A330, A380, oh bugger, decisions decisions (actually they tell you what you're going to fly, but you don't care because it looks sexy no matter what, and you can stroke your willy while thinking about all the hot girlies you're going to score with - because you fly JETS for Qantas). The only thing that sucks in all of this is having to kill 18 months bumming around in your Metro before you get a seat at the table.
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Maybe now you can see why you've incurred so much wrath. You have been extremely fortunate to be selected for a programme that fast-tracks your career in a very serious way. This is why there are some out there who feel you haven't earned it. As already mentioned, a stint with A*r N*rth is most certainly not doing the hard yards. There are scum-of-the-earth jobs out there that you will never even come close to experiencing (nor would you want to). And there are many talented, hard-working, deserving professional pilots who, through no fault of their own, will never get to realize their dream of flying for any airline at all, not just QF.

This has been a very sobering lesson for you indeed, and in some ways I pity you - but you're certainly the wiser for it now.

P.S. I have had extensive experience working with QF cadets, and they have my utmost respect. Nearly all of them have been extremely hard-working, respectful, and most of all grateful for being in a position that I and many others will never experience. They know what's at stake, and they have all looked forward eagerly to any opportunity to gain experience at a GA/regional level for a couple of years before going to Mainline. Gibbo, if you're reading this: Way to go mate.