A lengthy title, but some of my 'favourite' topics that seem to come up regularly. Before you hit the submit button to post such a topic, I suggest you have a long think about it yourself and consider whether Pprune is the place to post.
Most of the people who post such questions seem to have either money or some sort of age/family issue to contend with. You are posting in a desperate attempt to find some sort of justification for your life decision. Instead of posting the question on pprune, how about speaking to people at your local aero club/airfield, fellow students, former students, or god forbid - speak to your wife about the pros and cons about your potential aviation career. Pprune is far from the most reliable source of information.
What particularly irks me is the 'should I go for <insert name> cadetship'? Like you have any choice son! The chances of you getting into said cadetship are so small that you shouldn't be basing your life around such a move in advance. How about apply for any cadetships that seem remotely suitable for you and if you get the nod then make your final decision. You can always say 'no' if it ends up not being right for you - they'll always have someone else on the list to pick.
Do I really have to go north? Unless you like teaching and want to become an instructor (which will take you around 3-5 years longer than charter to get to the next stage), or you win the lotto that is the Jet* cadetship, then the answer is YES! Sorry, but there are no capital city jobs for newbies - any that do exist have been snapped up by those with considerably more experience. Throwing people out of planes isn't a long-term career and I've never heard of anyone who has gone straight from 182 meat bombing to a Q400. So pack your bags, fill the car up and hit the road NOW! If you don't know when the dry season is up north you better look up Wikipedia before you ask an experienced pilot that question, particularly a chief pilot.
And guess what? Don't complete your CPL and wait for Qantaslink to ring you offering a place as a trainee - it isn't going to happen. I know of at least 6 pilots with this attitude, and three years since the traineeship began they are still waiting for that phone call. Sorry, QLink isn't going to call you. They don't care that you've just passed your MECIR as well and now have 101 hours PIC - they are going to pick the many many pilots with upwards of 1500 hours that have also applied. Or even the backlog of Qantas cadets who were shafted a couple of years ago and had to fight for themselves to get jobs.
Last but not least - am I too old/I have kids/wife etc etc? I'm sorry, you've made a life choice that has potentially ended your aviation dreams. If you cannot live on a minimal wage for a long period of time, most likely in a remote location, then aviation isn't for you. Even the Jet* cadetship isn't for anyone with multiple kids and a mortgage unless you wife is earning top dollar as an executive.
There are exceptions to some of the above, but they are rare. If you really want to take that next step I offer the following advice:
- Log out and do not log back in to pprune until you've kick-started your career. There are too many jaded people, some with hidden agendas, who will get you down.
- Do the research and examine all of the pros and cons before you spend any more money. If it seems hopeless for you, it probably is.
- Speak to your financial backer or significant other about what is going to happen over the next 10 years. You may have to shift your goals to achieve what you want in aviation and real life.
Aviation is an amazing career, but a tough nut to crack.