Thought this would have made the BB,
The Night Fleet has formally advertised for applicant's to complete a EMB-110 type rating course. The advertisement is aimed at non-Massey University pilots and offers a ground course and 5 hrs flight training charged at chock to chock for a mere $NZD10,000 (GST incl.). Additional hours are flyable at $1850/hr.
Min. experience to apply was 1000TT incl. 200 multi (I think).
It mentions that it that does not guarantee a job but will put you into a selection pool for it's regular ATO's in the future from which if selected all line training and checking will be at company expense.
1. Sounds a bit like transglobal/Citijet when they started as a freight outfit
2. If aimed at NON-Massey grads then what are the differences for a Massey grad. Probably the 1000TT requirement is waived so there could be 200hr Massey grad co-piloting a night IFR turbine in your skies soon!
3. 5hrs chock to chock!!! How much time will be spent on the ground getting to learn and practice 2-crew checks etc. probably a lot! requiring the applicant to complete additional flying at $1850/hr
4. This company is aligned with Massey Uni which factory produces alot of pilots per year. How realistic is it that a non-Massey pilot will be invited to the "old boys" club for a permanant job with the 1 and only working EMB-110 in the country!!!
IMHO, you would have to be very careful before shelling out big dollars for this scheme, it stinks of Citijet except for the 1000tt requirement. Airwork's SA-227 Metro deal is better than that where for the same price you get a ground course, type rating and 25hrs line flying to get you started. They have heaps of people doing these courses and only a small percentage actually continue to part/full-time flying with Airwork, but atleast there's more than 1 Metro in the country and more than 1 operator of type.
So what does someone else think. Comments invited
S2K