Location
Saying
"You won't be sent anywhere quiet, like Tasmania, Hamilton Island, Coffs, or Alice, because you'll never get rated and besides, all the guys coming up for retirement want to finish up at places like that, well, except Alice maybe"
is totally wrong.
People have been consistently sent to GAAP and outstation and regional as first posting for over the last 10 years.
And what logic is it that you wouldnt get a rating at a quiet airport?? People have been sent first off to all of those stations recently, and rated at them. They provide a much better experience base than people who go to one place(cap city) and just sit there forever with no varied experience.
Sydney has traditionally received the least number of abinitio's(not including bankstown), but I guess as they are getting really really short there is a chance.
Chances are you will just go where there is a need, be it Alice Springs, Tasmania or North QLD.
Whether or not you get a say in where you go.............the best example is a couple a while ago who said "we dont care where we go, as long as its together"..1 to cairns, 1 to Perth. That is true!