Octas,
It may surprise you that there is other aviation occurring in Australia other than high capacity RPT.
Admittedly not much since the Skull was, as has been suggested by others, directed to wipe out all forms of aviation except RPT and the RAAF.
The reason of course is that Secondary airports are far too valuable as real estate to keep them as airports.
Might be illegal for developers to contribute to politicians in NSW & other states, but this doesn't apply federally, and we all know politicians natural affinity for money.
The dwindling GA end of aviation still needs a few ATPL licences, mainly in the top end which will likely survive the longest, until the wealthy owners wake up that it's far cheaper to operate their machines on a foreign register.
As with most things in the land of OZ, money rules.
Under the new part 61 the cost of obtaining that coveted piece of paper that says you are an ATPL holder places it beyond most aspiring pilots.
The piece of paper is meaningless anyway, if you ever gained one how much of the so called theory that you struggled to learn did you ever use in practice?
The flight test? Pretty much exactly the same standard as an instrument rating, so if you have that why bother with another test?
The ATPL is in reality a process, not a qualification.
It's been said that the airlines will adjust their recruitment standards as the number of ATPL dwindles. I think it far more likely that they will look at the cost of providing an ATPL under Australian reg's and decide a 457 visa is the way to go.
Last edited by thorn bird; 14th Dec 2014 at 21:06.