What do I take up north

[nomorecatering]

Ok, now thinking about heading up north.


Obviously you pack your car with evrything you can fit in. head up north. You get there and dosh at a mates house till ya get a job.

What do most guys do, if you geta job do you start buying furnitre, such as a bed, rent a place. what about leases up there, I imagine mostlandlords/estate agents would want ta12 month lease, and pilots being notoriously unstable employment wise. Do they chase you if you leave early.

Would appreciate any advise as to what guys have done in the past.

[redsnail]

Me and a mate we went to KNX. We took our flying gear and copies of DG certificates etc. My little car was pretty full.
Take a sleeping bag, one that zips out to make a doona is a good bet. A pillow, and if you're fussy, one set of sheets etc. A tent (caravan parks). Put your resume etc on floppy disk or if you're real flash, burn a CD. (If you got a laptop, bewdy but be careful with security - most libraries/schools let you use their stuff)
CD walkman with speakers are useful. I guess an MP3 player would do the trick too.
Depending on where you're going some recreational stuff. Ride a bike? Take your lid. Running shoes etc. All things to help you enjoy your time where ever you end up.
It's rare that you'll walk straight into a nice flying job. So, a pair of black trousers/white shirt is handy for bar work and the like. They don't take up much room and saves you paying the exorbitant country prices.
If you don't know any one then plan to kip at a backpacker hotel. From what my mates told me it was well worth it. :E
From there head off to where the pilots hang out and make some friends.

[Sheep Guts]

Better still and not to undermine anything Redsnail has said. Buy yourself a swag they are a great portable bed and keep your bedding inside it.

[flying_phonebox]

If you get a gig at one of the 'communities' you'll most likely be spending alot of your time sitting around so bring some things to entertain i.e playstation + tv.

In kununurra rent will be pretty pricey and hard to find but again should u venture off the beaten track and get a job at a community then most likely the pilot house will be included in your pay or be pretty reasonable.

Loads of threads on what to take previously but make sure you bring a camera cos you simply will not believe what you seee up here.

Oh and bring lotsa mullah.

[The Bullwinkle]

Most importantly, take with you a positive attitude and a sense of humour!!!!!!!!

Good Luck..............:ok:

[Ang737]

And absolutely **** loads of drinking money....

[wb727d]

pack some porn plenty of porn

[Chocks Away]

Absolutely Bullwinkle!:ok:
...oh and a stubby cooler and broad brimmed hat!

[CurtissJenny]

I also took a folding chair and a card table. A bike is great low cost transport at the job location. .Also take a tool kit for both working on your car and maybe the aircraft that you will be flying. Plastic crates are great for carrying gear in and can make for good seats with a wooden lid.
An alarm clock is a must. A 240V fluro inspection light is both good to use on your car and makes a great bed light for studying up all those company orders.
A roll of 100 mph tape - unlimited uses. With this stuff you can turn beer cartons into shelves and other containers for use in a rent-room.
A rain coat for those rainy days. The other kind also for those rainy nights !
I agree on having some music or better still a radio/CD player to listen to.
A first aid kit.
A leatherman knife or similar.
Charts, a DG certificate, log book, licence, medical. Update the medical if it is due for renewal in the short term. I heard of one guy who had to get a renewal three weeks after he started in an outback community mega miles from an avmed doc.
A spare watch, a spare headset, both good value.
A pair of Blunnies are good footwear.
Basic spares for your car eg. a spare tyre, air cleaner, oil filter, spare oil, fan belt. Make sure that your car is not an orphan up-country. Get the car serviced before you start out for the north.
Likewise get your fangs looked at before you go north.
A fire extinguisher.
Some good maps and a list of who to contact and where thay are located. Have a game plan on where to travel to.
Have a good mobile and a message bank. Use a server that will give best coverage in the area you are planning on chasing a job in. You will need a 12V car charger and a 240V charger for that mobile.

If I think of anything else I will come back to you.

[cjam]

Take endorsements in the a/c that are most common up that way and a BFR that wont expire for a long time. It's not like down south where there are people just waiting to endorse you, up that way everyone is flying pax and cargo around doing actual work, not training you to do actual work.

[Ibol]

.................surfboard:ok:

.....unless your kinda nowhere near the ocean..

which would suck:{

[The Voice]

not much need for a board up here .. unless there's a cyclone nearby :E

[FEW VB 1700]

I reckon the surfboard was the most stupid thing I took, I felt like a tool. Leave it at home, something to look forward to when you get back there.
Get a Telstra Telecard, they are great.
Initially don't worry about leases, they tie you down, you can always stay in less permanent accommodation.
When you get there, buy as little furniture as you can get away with.
Swags are cool but take up heaps of room. Never took a blow up mattress but I probably should've.

[Capt Claret]

A former SBP (thanks Spider) advised me in this regard, and I've taken the advice ever since.

Explain (with humility) that you're a pilot and your job can take you anywhere in the country at short notice. By suggesting that you have to go when directed, you should be able to have a special clause inserted into your lease, allowing you to break the lease with short (say 2 weeks) notice in the event that your 'employer' transfers you.

Of course if you just decide to move on then the usual lease terms would apply, though damned if I know how the real estate agent would be able to determine the difference.

[Checkerboard]

And take a spare liver if you can get a hold of one!!:E :E

[The Voice]

waterwings would be handy at the moment :E