gidday there Sheep Guts.
mate, good post. I can't really disagree with any of it. To put my finger on a singular "first-timer haven", I simply can't do it. If I could, I don't think I would have been looking for my first job for 3 years.
Being as I have 200TT and have never actually flown a paid hour, I try not to poke my head out too often on D&G. I guess I just wanted my fellow newbies out there to know that I agree that HA is a great bloke, and he is definitely one of
VERY FEW companies that will take "Low-Timers" (some sort of commercial flying time, different to complete newbies. no commercial time at all)
but my experience, although not vast, is that heading to Darwin, Kunnunurra or similar places is pretty much fruitless without
something commercial in the book. Be it meatbombing (as you described), glider towing, instructing, ANYTHING.
where you get it, I dont know. when you get it, well done, because I haven't yet. there are external factors that haven't helped me, but that is not the subject at hand. I am also no longer in Darwin, so I am effectively out of the race up there.
I am just trying to be the little man in the corner, with his hand raised, to say that heading north with BARE ratings is a very big call. Go where you can get the zero to 8 hours a week (thanks Mr Hat) until you get 450 to 500 hours, then "head North", anywhere North. It should put you closer to the pointy end of a very big pile of pilots.
there are a bloody lot of "low-timers" up there, and probably just as many newbies. the law of average is gonna put the geurnsey on the low-timer first. not always, but pretty damn close.
Don't be suprised by the number of newbies who venture north, knocking back 4 or 5 hours meatbombing (or whatever) a week because they think that "up north" they will get the 700 to 800 hours a year that charter pilots are getting. Call it blind, call it ignorance, but it is a mistake people are making.
I am almost a bit weird Sheep, I actually get a good feeling from hearing about others out there getting jobs, even though I am not. It gives me hope that my day will eventually come. It is fantastic that HA gave Geisha Girl a go, as he has with many others.
thanks for the good wishes and advice. I leave an open invite to all opinions on my post.
P.S. - Didn't try the beer on Friday, thought it might be pushing a little hard, just tried to make the best of my short weekly visit. And no invite to hangar rat.
