Sky's the limit after payout

[Wirraway]

Fri "The Australian"

Sky's the limit after payout
By Emily Smith
January 23, 2004

MARK Bennett's head has been in the clouds since childhood but it was only a $200,000 redundancy payout that allowed him to pursue his dream of becoming an airline pilot.

However, he quickly found out it would take more than money to get him into the pilot's seat of a jumbo jet.

The number of trained pilots in Australia is about double the number of major airline jobs, forcing most newcomers to take low-paying jobs as instructors or in airport administration.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority says there are about 3000 jobs flying big jets in Australia but competition is stiff.

Mr Bennett has set his sights on becoming a co-pilot and has taken a job as first officer for a regional airline in Papua New Guinea, allowing him to gain experience on twin-engine aircraft.

He will leave Australia for two years but hopes this will give him the experience necessary to apply for a job as a first officer with one of the major airlines.

"When I was 28 I applied for the Air Force but I was told I was too old," he said.

"I thought long and hard about another career but I can't see that there is anything else I want to do."

The 33-year-old airline hopeful started flying when he lost his job at Energy Australia and is now one of the 6046 trained air transport pilots in Australia waiting to break into the airline industry.

Achieving his goal has so far proved slow and expensive.

With 1700 hours under his belt, Mr Bennett estimates his dream has cost him a total of $300,000.

If he can reach his goal, however, he can earn $90,000 as a first officer and more than $140,000 as captain.

He has been working for four years as an instructor at the Australian Flight Training School at Bankstown airport in Sydney and has also worked in the Northern Territory flying charter planes.

"As a junior instructor I would hang around the airport in the hope that someone would walk in off the street and ask for a flying lesson, so I could build some hours," he said.

Mr Bennett said three-quarters of those who gained a commercial licence had aspirations to fly big aircraft.

"I am attracted by the lifestyle and the excitement of flying the larger aircraft," he said. "And it is better money."

Virgin Blue head of recruiting Bruce Highfield said the airline looked for people with a range of experience.

"We want to see people who have headed up to Papua New Guinea to get their hours up, people who have shown their commitment to their craft by chasing the difficult jobs," he said.

Virgin chief pilot John Raby said the airline had about 3000 applicants for pilot positions on their database.

"It is easy to get your commercial licence in Australia, but it is very difficult to get that first job," Mr Raby said.

"And it is difficult to get the experience with twin-engine planes."

Virgin Blue is planning to recruit more co-pilots in 2004 when it acquires six new aircraft.

The airline's pilot recruits must also pay for their type rating, involving a set of exams and training in a flight simulator, which can cost up to $30,000.

===========================================

[bonvol]

And therein lies the reason why there will never be a pilot shortage in Australia, leaving the Airlines to continue exploiting us all, pay for endorsements, reduce terms and conditions etc.

"I am attracted by the lifestyle and the excitement of flying the larger aircraft," he said. "And it is better money."

Well, the lifestyle is ordinary, except if you are a young fella chasing virgin hosties and the better money is fast disappearing, if it hasn't gone already.

[Capn Bloggs]

Flying training, still considered by politicians to be "silver-tail" stuff, is one of the few expensive higher education courses that is not covered by HECS, despite being on a par, if not more difficult than a lot of other "under-water basket-weaving" courses like history. Why should doctors, dentists and worst of all, the blood sucking lawyers, get their higher education training subsidised by the taxpayer and pilots can't?

[chimbu warrior]

If this bloke got a $200k redundancy payment at age 28 he was definitely in the right job to start with......................................how can I get a job with Energy Australia?

I don't actually want to work there, just get made redundant.........................

[compressor stall]

300K yeah thought that was a bit of a poetic licence there.

[Hugh Jarse]

$300k buys a lot of ICUS in a Chieftain:}

[slice]

Possibly counting lost income from previous well paying job as compared to poorly paid GA instructing work.

Previous job to GA charter in the last 5 years has, I have calculated, cost me in excess of $100K. Not unexpected but it would be nice to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel


:sad:

[zzyyxx]

Capn Bloggs - I've never heard of a dentist practicing dentistry as a hobby or a lawyer practicing law as a hobby, nor a teacher teaching as a hobby. Therein lies a major difference between pilots and other professionals who have gone through the university system.

Also, is there any social value in being a pilot? What exactly do pilots contribute to the greater good?

As a tax payer I don't mind the fact that dentists/doctors/lawyers/teachers etc have their education subsidised because they by and large contribute something of value to our society.

Yes, even 'blood sucking' lawyers whose skills can be accessed by the poorest of the poor through Legal Aid. Unlike air travel, even with the introduction of low cost airlines.

[swh]

zzyyxx,

Also, is there any social value in being a pilot? What exactly do pilots contribute to the greater good?

Next time you get crook in a remote area, just dont share your view with the people who get the medical attention out to you, it does not go down well with me.....

We will not charge you for the privilage ..... dont care what you look like ...or it its self inflicted ... just get the care to the people who need it... any time of the day, any day, anywhere, any Wx.

[Kaptin M]

"What exactly do pilots contribute to the greater good?"

We - the domestic pilots of Australia - tried to prove we were not necessary in 1989, but strangely the Government (and a lot of others) didn`t agree with us, zzyyxx.

Actually it would be interesting to see how long (if ever) it took before anyone noticed the effect on the mass population of a "blood sucking' lawyers" withdrawal of labour.

"I've never heard of a dentist practicing dentistry as a hobby or a lawyer practicing law as a hobby, nor....."
:O But I know a few pilots who pratice gynaecology for a hobby :E
And some doctors who make c:mad:ts of pilots!!

[compressor stall]

Well said swh

*pictures zzzyyxx driving across remote stretch of highway. Pulls off 100m into the scrub at night. Gets bitten by snake whist taking a pee in the night. Mrs zzyyxx goes off to roadside, flags down a roadtrain, and he radios for help. Call is recieved at 0200.

Wheels are put in motion, and an airmed aircraft is in the air at 0300. A strip at the nearest roadhouse is lit with flares. on a night blacker than a proctologist's worst nightmare with half the flares blown out and the windsock in tatters, and aircraft lands safely dispatching a doctor and nurse.

In the back of the roadhouse ute, zzxxxyy is transported to the strip. SWH prepares the stretcher, takes one look at the patient and says "oh, it's you".... *

The same could be said for the boys and girls who run pax, freight and mail to remote communities when all roads are cut off for 6 months a year. Remote australia as we know it will collapse without aircraft.

[zzyyxx]

Hook, line and sinker

[dogcharlietree]

zzyyxx please extract your head and look into the real and sometimes silent world of excellent aviators.

You said; What exactly do pilots contribute to the greater good?

How about the chopper and fixed wing guys that helped in the 1998 Sydney-Hobart yacht race?
How about the numerous medevacs that go on throughout Oz for organ transplants?
How about the medical flights carried out by the RFDS and Air Ambulances?
How about the RAAF Orion SAR flights that spend hours searching for some weekend sailor and his family lost in gale force seas.
I could go on and on....

Yes, there are lots of us out there who do these jobs and by their very nature, they are almost all in atrocious weather conditions.
We don't beat our chests. We don't ask for recognition. We just do the job that we are trained to do.

Perhaps your question would be better asked to the people and families of those who have been rescued or saved.
Obviously you have not been exposed to the real world!

[swh]

Hey CS,

I think it would be more likely to pick him up with forms 1 & 3 signed ......

;)

[compressor stall]

zzyyxx Nice backtrack! No-one thought you might be joking as jokes require a degree of intelligence, wit and humour. We'll make allowances for you next time.


swh Yeah, it would be sweet justice. :ok:

[OpsNormal]

Originally by zzyyxx....

Yes, even 'blood sucking' lawyers whose skills can be accessed by the poorest of the poor through Legal Aid. Unlike air travel, even with the introduction of low cost airlines.

My italics.

Oh dear... Obviously you've never seen the amount of money handed-out hand over fist by the federal governement to various institutions out in the boonies of the outback NT, WA, SA and QLD to 'help' out there. I would go out on a limb and say that the federal government by far (however indirectly they - or should I say that you and I, the taxpayer, pays for it), is the biggest single funding resource of air travel in this country by far. So that kinda blows your "not available to those who need it most" theory.

Oh man, you've obviously never ventured any further than your corner store in life, or have you not being paying attention along the way?

[tenke]

Greater good!!!...Try getting around this big country on a camel!

[amos2]

zzyy...whatever!... is an absolute arsehole...

don't waste your time with him! ;)

[zzyyxx]

Oh dear.......someone struck a nerve, didn't they?

amos2 - name calling! How sad. How does making what was obviously a stupid comment make me an arsehole? If I hit my wife and kids then I'd be an arsehole. A bit of perspective, please.

But then this is what many people use this site for, isn't it? The opportunity to vent frustrations and call people names. Slagging off at Virgin pilots for lowering wages and working conditions in Australia. Slagging off at Impulse pilots for lowering wages and working conditions in Australia. Slagging off at Qantas pilots because they've got it better than most of you. Slagging off at anyone who has an opinion you don't like.

I thought capn bloggs was joking when he suggested that the Australian tax payer subsidise Aviation Degrees, so I responded in the same (you're right - not terribly funny) way. After all, since when has it been a pre-requisite in this country to have a degree in aviation in order to get an airline job?

And guys, I concur!! Some pilots do contribute to the greater social good, especially in rural and remote areas. As do other transport operators, right around Australia - truck drivers and ambulance drivers especially. So lighten up - don't take everything so seriously. ;-)

[bigfella5]

Just for the record.......dear God, Benny,.....I know finding a chicky babe can be a bit of a prob for ya bud....but mate....is this really gunna work for ya?....I mean, getting your mug in a national newspaper????

Ah well......I hope the good Marys are kind to ya in PNG
P.s Hows ya cricket average now?

[Gunnadothat]

Compressor Stall wrote in response to baited comment......

***Wheels are put in motion, and an airmed aircraft is in the air at 0300.***

Shouldn't you make that an ARMED aircraft and just put zzyyxx out of his self-imposed misery?????:p

GDT

[VB_Capt]

bonvol, a virgin hostie??? Thats an oxymoron if ever I heard one! ?@?@Oh sorry?A you mean a hostie who works for Virgin Blue.

[bonvol]

Yeah, I know.

If they were Virgins when they got in I'm sure all the randy ******s in VB will fix the affliction quick smart:D

[Reverseflowkeroburna]

Good to see we've all untwisted and laundered our knickers lads,


It has obviously been made clear to all that the coordinates of zzyyxx are not anywhere remotely located near the real world.

And no I don't see docs, dentists etc. practising as a hobby ................but then I don't go out and commit aviation as a hobby either; I stubbornly attempt to make a living out of it!!!?????

Now some of us best head off for a BEX and nice lie down!!!