View Full Version : Darwin/NT
Hi All
Just wondering if anyone could give an insight as to what the employment situation is like in Darwin and the NT at the moment.
What companies are employing/downsizing and their requirements: hours, endorsements and any other qualities needed????????????
Thanks in advance
CTA
Ang737
17th Sep 2003, 11:12
Jump on the next Flying Kangaroo or Red Rocket and go up and have a look. Bet your balls (if you have then) that you wont get a job when you not there... If in facts your are there already just do the rounds of the GA area and hassle your way in... If that fails go to the Cav on Friday night and enjoy yourself....
Ang ;)
Where is the Cav? Is that a pub where lots of pilots hang out?
Mr. Hat
17th Sep 2003, 13:41
My advice, don't bother. Lots of high timers waiting for jobs.
Try some where new/different.
Boomerang
17th Sep 2003, 21:43
CTA, all depends on your experience. If you are a brand new CPL, what's been said is probably accurate. If you have an ATPL, CIR with several renewals, and a swag of twin time, then you can apply to some of the larger operators. (Even without being here) Of course as always, if you know someone, it goes a long way. Good luck old chap.
Mr Hat, what are high timers? 500hrs? 1000hrs? 2000hrs? 5000hrs? In fact, anyone want to hazzard a guess as to the average number of hours the darwin hopefuls have? Also...where is this cav? Do they serve jugs?
Ang737
18th Sep 2003, 07:05
CJam
When I was in Darwin recently there was steady flood of pilot with various levels from bare CPL to Frozen ATPL/CPL with 1000 hrs. From what I have heard they are all still there. This means that the operators can and do up their requirements to suit demand...
I say if your a low time pilot hit the road with a mate and stop at every airport on the way. The Cav is on Cavengah St in the CBD. Good for a beer or two or three...
All the best with the hunt anyway....
Ang ;)
Mr. Hat
18th Sep 2003, 07:47
cjam sorry I wasn't more specific. By hightimers I meant people who's experience is really beyond an entry level job. Lets say 1500 hrs for example.
If I were starting out I'd try and shake as many hands as possible at the entry level SE piston places. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't go to Darwin and stand in line waiting for the next job to come up. Remember, and I've said it before - there are millions of 172s in sheds around the country - its the newbies job to find them.
Good luck.
Thanks MH and Ang,
I'm not up there at the moment but am always interested to see what is going on there. Does Darwin seem to have hiring booms and then lulls or is it a constant trickle of the truly devoted getting through?
I also seem to have vague recollections of stumbling out of a place on Cavagnah street that had a long garden bar out the front, opposite side of the street to the irish place....could this be the Cav?
High Altitude
18th Sep 2003, 11:56
Cjam me tinks you drank to much in Darwin...
Sounds to me like your describing Rorkes on Mitchell Street???
The Cav is on Cavenagh Street the next one over.
New joints... Ducks Nuts... Whatch out for the Smirnoff Blue (50%) in the Vodka bar though...
But damn its getting hot... must drink cold Tooheys...
Kanga767
19th Sep 2003, 08:24
The next one over from Mitchell street is Smith street.
nick murry
19th Sep 2003, 08:43
G'day CTA
Try Hardys,
They always like to see low time pilots in their office!! :)
Ahhh yes HA, Rorks rings a bell, and you may be right, the next thing I remember after that I was in East Timor. Didn't take long to dry out there! Reading this thread makes me hot, time for a VB.
Ang737
19th Sep 2003, 10:51
Nick
a hint of sarcasism I detect. I went into Hardy's in May and they want 1000 hrs. Not so low when one has well below that mark. I heard that Hardy's put some full timers back to casual. Business must be tough
Ang ;)
Is turbine time any sort of a bonus when looking for work up there? I don't suppose it would be if you are trying to get in at entry level aye, do many of the operators that have single pistons also have twin turbines?
Thanks for all the replies so far, I am not currently living in the top end and was thinking of maybe making the move I have about the 900 mark so from the posts it sounds like I would be joining the que. It there a time of the year when it is best to arrive? And could anyone do an update on what companies have hired lately or what companies are downsizing or putting full-timers onto casual.
tinpis
19th Sep 2003, 14:39
Tinpis scratches head and thinks..where the hells the Cav?...booooiing ! the old Don of course!
Christ that usda be a blood bath if you were such a :mad: to get booted from the old Stella Maris thats where you ended up,floor complete with blood encrusted saw-dust screeching wimmen the works.
Tinpis hasnt got a mobile phone so I cant sit at the new pissoirs on Mitchel St. I wouldnt be able to talk to the person next to me.
Darwin is turnin into a Flash Harry outfit allright.
But I love it
:ok:
Boomerang
19th Sep 2003, 19:18
Air Ngukurr has piston singles and a Bandit. NAC have piston singles, twins, and a turbine in the managers office (sorry Stefan, couldn't resist ;) )
High Altitude
22nd Sep 2003, 06:38
Boomerang... ;) There's not even one in here.... Well maybe on the trusty ole screen...
Its nearly 8 years now I'm sure one is just around the corner;) ;) ;) .
How to get a job in Darwin.
(1) Be in Darwin.
(2) Have the minimum quals (CPL, roughly 300hrs, DG certificate. Twin IFR nice only for the fact that you have flown to the higher standard but not required, instructor rating=whats that? :) ) and keep them current.
(2) Have a personality.
(3) Be prepared to let others see who you really are and what you can do.
That means -- getting out on a Friday or Saturday and being prepared to meet the other drivers.
Yes, there are hundreds of guys and girls up here waiting for a chance. Always has been. All of them have the basic quals. The employers WILL hire people coz SOMEBODY has to fly the planes that are here. But they have their choice, and the resume is not where they make their decision. You need a mate on the inside who thinks you are worth fighting for..More like --
Scene: Kitchen sink in GA hangar, chief and a couple of pilots picking over which is the cleanest coffee cup in the sink...
"Fark its going to be busy next week"
"Will ABC have its new donk by then?"
"yep, better be, the DEET charters will be full on by then. Just hope Foxtrot doesn't sh!t itself"
"we need another driver"
"no we don't, you guys just need to learn how to work for a living"
"you can't stretch it with flight and duties, and I'm not missing my brothers wedding. Ive paid for the ticket"
"Fark! I forgot about that! Cant you leave Saturday morning?"
"no farking way, i told you about that and you said buy the ticket!"
"bluddy inconvenient if you ask me"
"I did and you said do it!! Come on, Bill Bloggs could do a couple of Saturday charters"
"is that skinny prat still up here?"
"he's doing a flight every week or so at the parachuting. Hes got 600 hrs and an instrument rating. He'd be okay"
"nah, hes a w@nker, wouldn't leave me alone at The Cup, nearly told him to fark off back to melbourne"
"you weren't such great company yourself with that toilet seat around your neck. thought you had used it between race 4 and 5 for what it was designed for and forgot to flush"
"you really want a job to come back to? keep talking like that!"
"look boss, you need somebody to cover. we are working our rings off, jane is on the qantas hold file, steve has been sniffing Fergals' ring over at Arafura for weeks, and you have no-one to cover the work if they go. You'll be crosshiring heaps!"
"Bill Bloggs is a prat, and I don't care if he flew the space shuttle. No."
"Well, what about Andre? He's just driven back from Kunnanurra, flown a 206, not as experienced but hasn't p!ssed you off?"
"Andre?"
"Andre, the tall guy"
"The one with the WB trayback?"
"Yeah, him. He knows his sh!t"
[pregnant pause while boss thinks]
"one job. one job only, ok. he can do the bathurst next wednesday, pretty hard to fark that one up. But [boss points finger] YOU TELL YOUR MATE not to fark it up, and make sure he knows his sh!t, cos if he stuffs around, you aren't going to Brissie on Saturday"
I must have heard a hundred conversations like that.
Message to the newbie -- you have to be known to be the subject of a conversation like that. Mix. Stick around. Pick up what you can.
Benefits? get a job and you get lots and lots of flying. Try roughly 4,500 hrs in 5 years in my case!
Dis-benefits? if it is easily discovered that you are a self important tosser, you have no chance :D Other disbenefit is that you will probably sustain liver damage in the process!:ok:
High Altitude
23rd Sep 2003, 09:02
Fark thats funny but true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In the ole days it was p*ssed at The Vic............
Now they don't let me do that anymore.................
You know whats really sad/funny alot of guys don't like recommending people as so many get let down by people screwing up.
HA...
That sounds like good advice ITCZ, how does it normally work, that you end up drinkning with the lads who have jobs though?
Do people hang around the apron so much that they get asked along? Do they go to one pub in particular? , perhaps they put their wiz wheel in their top pocket and sit at the bar muttering the lift formula under their breath.....or do you just have to have a mate already in there? If I do decide to head up that way I will not know a soul on arrival and although I like to hit the town with mates, I don't like hanging around getting in the way while people are trying to work so I can't imagine knowing anyone but the person who interviewed me. Darwin is not so small that you're bound to meet pilots in pubs is it?
High Altitude
24th Sep 2003, 09:19
Cjam...
Darwin is very fvcken small...
Pilots downing brews everywhere...
Try "The Cav" on a Friday night...
"The Vic" any night in the wee early hours...
"Rorkes"
"The Nuts"
Another good idea is to look around for shared accomodation with working pilots... Maybe try Prune...........
You sound like you have a good attitude so theres the first hurdle jumped...
loveboat
24th Sep 2003, 09:50
thats the best and only way to get a job.
on the rounds at the airport, handing out the resumes ask the pilots where they go for a drink.
Meet them out - don't be afraid to get wasted and blow some cash at the bar!!!! Its the best way for them to get to know you and the best way to make friends so you can get someone on the inside!
Make it a regular occurence - every night on the piss!!!!!!!! - get amoungst it and show them a personality! The working pilots aren't going to recommend cold fish for a job, they want to be able to work with you!!!!!!
This was my approach and i had a great time working in the territory and made alot of great life-long friends!!!!!
the boat :ok:
Mr. Hat
25th Sep 2003, 07:34
ITCZ - have heard that same exact conversation myself. Typical:ok:
cjam - try and take a good mate up with you or organise to meet a mate that can put you up for a while. Nothing worse than knowing noone.
The best thing you can do is get a regular job that will pay the bills and in between shifts pop in for a hand shake down at the airport. Keep it short and sweet.
Good luck mate - it'll happen - don't stress.
gday mr hat are u who i think ?
did u sit through Bruce D's lectures back in 2000
with the yibida yibida man
i almost chocked to death in the back of your flee wagon.
cheers
i forgot to add your ex hated me
Cheers for the info folks, good idea about finding flatmates through pprune. I think I will look for a single unit though because it suits my situation/ major reason for the shift, ( my three year old lives there with her mum, this way the little one could stay over without joining the all night parties!). Any ideas on how much I will be looking at for an average single unit per week? Also, I have an a/c engineering background, (RAAF airframe/engine tech), I have no lame licences so would there be work for an extra set of hands around a hangar or is it all licenced guys/gals up there? Lastly.....what is involved with getting a dangerous goods ticket? Thus far I haven't needed one.
Later skaters, Cjam
Boomerang
25th Sep 2003, 21:20
An AVERAGE single unit, I guess about 150 upwards. Coming into the wet season again you may be lucky as I believe there are more vacancies, shorter leases etc. BTW Check you have aircon unless you can handle a bit of heat and humidity. I can't :{ ;)
Dangerous goods ticket? Awareness, yes if you are a pilot (CAR 262). The full acceptance course, I doubt it.
Can't help you with engineering info unfortunately.
Cheers Boomerang, not quite sure what you meant about the DG licence though, did you mean that I wouldn't need one? I thought it was pretty much mandatory up thata way. Is it like a one day course or more like a one week course....is there a course? It would have to be a couple of hundred bucks as well wouldn't it, any info appreciated, otherwise I might have to get off my ass (similar to a donkey) and ring around like a normal person. cjam
Boomerang
27th Sep 2003, 09:21
Every person employed as a commercial pilot is supposed to have completed a Dangerous Goods Awareness course. This is just to make you aware of what are potentially dangerous goods, so you can avoid them, or if your company does carry DG, then you will know how they should be packed if indeed you can carry them etc.
If your company carries dangerous goods, and you are expected to accept DG at remote locations (where nobody is likely to be qualified) the you must have completed the longer (2-3 days?) Dangerous Goods Acceptance course.
The Awareness course can be done by correspondence, and is pretty cheap,less than $100 I think, and is valid for two years. I personally have always used Airsafe in Inglewood WA (don't have their number sorry).
Thanks Boomerang, you're a champion.
Capt L
28th Sep 2003, 15:22
I also did my DG Cert through Airsafe.
Give them a ring (08 93705018) and they will send you out a work book and a questionnaire. All you do is fill in the questionnaire, send it back and in a few days you'll get the certificate. The work book is good to hold on to if you ever need to refer back to it.
Thanks for the number Capt L, I'll give them a bell.