Hey beau
Your point is valid but this is not the only point being made by this thread.
I acknowledge that there seems to be a place in aviation for cadets but not to the extent that this becomes wholesale like it is becoming here in OZ.
The increased interest in pilot training by Australian Citizens and Humanitarian Visa holders as a direct result of making it more feasible by accessing VETFEE Help has driven up the costs of training by at least 50% since VETFEE HELP was made available a couple of years ago. In some cases (Jetstar) the increase is nearer to 100%.
What makes this wrong is that the training providers have jumped straight in to filter as much of this new revenue stream in their direction telling naive individuals whatever they want to hear to ensure that they get a signature and access to the cash!
I believe training providers are even running 'road shows' nationwide to net as much of the cash as possible. This is big business!!
What they do, and what they are offerring is not compliant with the laws of Australia but they don't care!!
They are just grabbing as much of this government cash as they can, while they can before the Government catches on that they are in breach of the law and put a stop to it given the are complicit with the whole thing!!
Essentially the Training Providers offer a Cadetship type course, sometimes reinforced by reference to its airline contacts, possibly with the impression that they can 'put a word in for you' and full of promise but the reality is that there is no job at the end.
ADVICE: GUYS THIS INDUSTRY IS NOT THAT EASY!!!!!!!
Gonna be a lot of disappointed individuals at the end of their course when they have a **** load of debt and when checking out the job pages realise that they are not qualified for any of the relatively few flying jobs listed. I don't see airlines reducing their minimums anytime soon!!
There is no pilot shortage in this country neither will there be. Any shortage will always be managed by skilled migration. You don't have to wait and see, it is happening now and there is no shortage just perhaps a skills gap!!
The industry in Europe demonstrates this. In Europe there seems to be more graduated cadets than positions and many positions that are available are casual in nature and many of those in the cold or clinging onto a few hours each month are drowning in a sea of debt and repayments.
Cadetships use to be just that, a firm commitment between an airline and a talented individual and were reserved for the chosen few talented ones. Not any more they are just as I say "designer courses" but in the end they don't make you any more qualified than the next guy.
Your argument focuses on the ability of an ab-initio cadet to act as a first officer on high capacity RPT multi- crew operations. Some will have the necessary aptitude and skills but most will not.
The practice of all Aviation employers in this country, Government included specifying high minimums for 'entry level' first officer positions perhaps suggests that they do not agree with you. Despite the wider government view that high minimums are necessary on their own contracts their own aviation specialist department CASA certainly seems to support your argument, or alternatively is powerless and/or gutless to do anything about it.
Good for Thought
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The Kelpie
Last edited by The Kelpie; 7th Jun 2013 at 11:23.