Well said
Oz and i'm glad you spoke up- this thread has been rankling me since i found it, but i have been holding my tongue lest i become just another mudslinger in an already dirty thread. Now i'll try and add something useful...
The Honorable CP of NCA- not everyone's cup of tea, but what you give so you shall receive, in buckets. Does not suffer fools nor whiners gladly but for those who go up there and get on with it he will give a grudging respect. Respect, no matter your personal opinion, is due to him- he has flown over 15k hrs in some of the harshest conditions on this planet. Simply put, he is doing something right. He may not really teach you, but YOU can learn from him. YOUR choice.
NCA is not an airline, nor does it pretend to be. It is kind of an entry level, bush operation where a young pilot, who is not a whinger or a ratbag to quote from the "potpurri of bush techniques", can cut his/her teeth and learn some serious survival skills and the ability to think on your feet at all times. Not all of it is what you would take back to an airline, but if you do it right personally, stay disciplined and stick to the techniques, plus have some luck on your side you will be well off wherever you go.
If you want to work for an airline NOW, desire 5star (or even 3 star) accomodation, want high pay with low TT, like to be pampered to, have a phobia of guns, "coloured" persons, potholes, bad smells, pigs, chickens, smoke in the crew room, steep mountains and/or tropical weather (to name a few) then i would advise you stay well clear of NCA. But if you are up for an adventure, a bit of learning, a lot of fun and don't pack too many pre-conceptions, then buy a ticket to Lae and see what you think. BTW it used to be that you had to go up there under your own steam before any chance of getting a job... any one confirm?
Now my last bit before i PO (not that PO you lechers)- i work now in some of the ****tiest parts of this globe (no violins please)- make PNG look like kindy, yes hercs, yes warzones, yes certainly not everyones cup of tea but MORE IMPORTANTLY i am priveledged enough to work with these old war dogs (who would bag me for saying that
) some of whom date back to Air America (not at all the movie) and the wars in between- serious heavy metal operators. Now don't get me wrong, i have trouble tying my shoelaces, but what i learnt at NCA has been an invaluable help in holding my own in the company of a group of professionals of such experience i didn't even know still existed years ago when i left Aus.
So take my words also with a grain of salt- they are but my humble and often ignorant opinion. If nothing else, i hope that i have helped even the tables a bit more for Capt Mutley and His Band of Merry Men up there in Lae.
HJ
PS my apologies in advance to anyone who feels the need to discuss my post with me right now, in a few hours i am off to feed the needy 20 tonnes at a time- for the next 3 months, so just hold that thought...