What would you do?

[Capt. J]

Hello,

This is a poll to see your opinions. Can't find the Poll option :rolleyes: Anyway, here it goes.

As we all know, you will need to go through a few years of GA before you are able to enter the airlines. If you get into a Cadets Scheme, the airline finds the job for you (QANTAS). I would like to know what YOU would choose, some people call the years through GA an 'adventure' and some call it 'hell'. What do you think of it? Would you choose going through a few years of GA of tough work and see what the real world is like?

Or would you rather get into Cadetship and have less hassle? And not as much hard work as the others that chose to go the other way?

I await your replies. I would choose Cadetship not because I don't want to experience all the hard work in GA but my aim all my life has been to be a 744 Pilot and in order to get to my dream the fastest way, would be trying to get into the Cadets.

Thanks for reading! And sorry if this topic has been brought up before :uhoh:

Cheers,

Capt. J

[U2]

Why don't you ask someone who has done both!

[34R]

Being in the GA scene presently, I know I will look back in years to come and regail over a cold one the many war stories that will come to mind with fellow aviators who walked the same path.

Having said that, if I had been offered the chance to proceed directly to go and collect $200, that would have been fine with me. In fact it would be my preferred option, no contest!

[JSM]

Wouldn't miss GA for the world, GA is some of the best flying you will ever do as many of my fellow flying mates, and im sure plenty of airline skippers would agree. Hopefully if i make it to the flight deck of something big i will be able to look back on the preciouse skills that GA is teaching me

[bushy]

GA is the most important flying in Australia. It is not just a training ground for future airline pilots. Most of the newbies from the city flying schools will not get an airline job, but will gradually get more and more demoralised and negative as they realise what the facts of life really are. We do not want negative pilots. If you consider GA as a temporary thing you have to tolerate for a while, then do not go ouit bush looking for a job. This is important, and often difficult work that requires experienced, responsible,and capable pilots with lot's of local knowledge. Hoiw many 21 year old captains do you see in the major airlines? GA needs this sort of experience, but is undermined by a flood of newbies from the city who work for our competitors for very little.i

[Sheep Guts]

If I did it all again. I would have tried the Cadet Route. I know this sounds negative. But quite honestly Im sick of the GA thing been doin it for nearly 10 years now. I suppose Id make a Good FOI someday definitley know all the short cuts :).

If you go the Cadet Path, it would go like this:

1. Cadet training School

2. Placement with a Regional on Turbo Prop ^ 5700 as an F/O

3. Then placement with an Airline a F/O on Jet

4. Then eventually after alot of ICUS a Command on a Jet


If you went my way then well........:rolleyes:

1.Trained a bit here and a bit there when I had the cash.

Worked friggin everywhere

Darwin N.T.
Katherine N.T.
Ngukurr N.T.
Halls Creek W.A.
Oenpelli N.T.
Coburg N.T.
Gove N.T.
Tapachula, Mexico
Panama City, Panama
Kingston, Jamaica
Montego Bay, Jamaica:O

Still only flying Turbines under 5700kg
Otters and King Airs

Hey but I can say Ive never flown from the Right Seat and have never flown as an F/O :E Allthough Ive had a few............

So you see I havent got there yet. Im still having fun along the way. Also possible ventures for biographies latter on in life.
So you see compared to a Cadet I havent even got to second base yet?

So its all relative MON!

Sheep

:ok:

[splatgothebugs]

Go GA, the experiences you gain in GA will help you become a better pilot. So when you do have a major emergency one day you should be more level headed because chances are you have been through a few in GA and managed to survive.:ok:

In saying that though...................................if I had the chance to jump straight to a 744 I would have.

Prob didn't help much:)

splat

[rearwhelsteer888]

Very much depends on what you got into flying for,what do you want out of it ,money or adreniline
you can get lots of money flying from ILS to ILS or you can get no money doing circling approaches at night.There is one thing Im sure of Its never boring.
What ever floats your boat I spose.
I'm pretty happy circling at night for a few years,"In command",much better fun than blowing the capt for years as a SO,Then again your still going to have to do that as a direct entry FO.
The beauty of GA ,especially in multi eng charter is that you are posed with a new challenge almost every time you fly,I find that enjoyable.There will be a time when that GA wears thin though I'm sure of that.
RWS888:E

[Capt. J]

Thanks for the replies. I have been told by many Captains that GA is hard work but is great fun and it also teaches you a lot of things as stated in the replies. You will see the real world in GA and experience, agree? :D

Sheep Guts, Cadetships with Qantas aren't paid for, you have to pay it yourself. Once again, thanks for the replies and valuable advice.

Kind Regards,

Capt. J

[Howard Hughes]

Gidday all,
Just to let you know, cadets still go in to QANTAS as SO's.
However you will have the benefit of 2 years seniority gained whilst working as an FO with a regional operator.
So at least your ahead of the DE guys and can bid for the better routes!!
Cheers, HH.
:ok:

PS: If I was given the chance again, It'd be CADET all the way for me!!

[404 Titan]

Capt. J

Rule number one in this industry when you are starting out. You take what you can get. If you get a chance at a cadetship you would have rocks in your head if you didn’t take it. If you don’t make it this way there is also the military, who by the way pay you while you are training or GA. All can be very rewarding in their own different ways but also have their down side. Some of the Pro’s & Con’s are:

GA.
Pro’s:
1. Costs less than a cadetship.
2. Learn from a very early stage to make command decisions. Single pilot.
3. A wealth of life experiences that will be a huge value to you for the rest of your flying career.
4. Command flying experience.
5. Gain experience relatively quickly.

Con’s:
1. Has the potential to lead to an undisciplined flying environment.
2. Crap pay.
3. Dodgy operators.
4. Higher accident rate.
5. Lack of job security

MILITARY.
Pro’s:
1. You are paid while undertake the training.
2. Learn from a very early stage to make command decisions.
3. Every hour is quality experience.
4. Disciplined flying environment.
6. Command flying time.
5. High job security, (during peace time anyway).

Con’s:
1. Generally don’t fly many hours per year.
2. After a certain period of time you will be required to undertake non-flying duties. During this time you will not accumulate many hours at all.
3. The nature of the flying can be very dangerous.
4. You are required to stay in the military for a certain period of time once you graduate, i.e. return of service.

CADETSHIP.
Pro’s:
1. If you pass all the training you are virtually (not always) guaranteed a job.
2. Quick way to an airline career.
3. Good pay.
4. Job security.
5. Generally high tech equipment.

Con’s:
1. If you have to pay for it yourself, i.e. Qantas, it is very expensive.
2. If you fail the training or don’t come up to speed it can be a very expensive lesson.
3. Most cadets I have seen, while their flying is generally very good, can struggle when they come up for command because they don’t have much command making experience. Some also fail to demonstrate the appropriate level of assertion that is expected of a good commander. This isn’t to say the same problems are not seen from pilots in airlines from a GA or Military background, it isn’t, but as a general rule those from a cadet background generally have a tougher time of it when it comes to command upgrade.
4. You miss out on a wealth of life experiences that can be gained in GA or the Military by going straight into an airline environment.
5. Once you are in an airline what else is there to achieve in your aviation career? I.e. you have already made it so to speak.


My history prior to the airlines was 10 years in GA both in Aus and PNG. I wouldn’t change it for the world. (That’s not to say though that if a Cadetship had come along eighteen years ago I wouldn’t have taken it. I’d be lying if I said that). The experiences I’ve learnt along the way are priceless and the friendships are for life. Some of my friends have helped me get jobs while in return I’ve helped some of them. I have scared myself s**tless numerous times and thank god, lived to tell the tale. There have been many happy times and many sad. I have now reached the pinnacle of my aviation career and I can honestly look back and say I have had a ball getting here.
:ok:

[Capt. J]

Hello,

That's a very nice post! Thanks for explaining it and surely you must've gone through lots of good times and sad times but you've made it :ok: Thanks to everyone else for replying to my post, this information has given me some advice, ideas, experiences and surely has taken me one step further in aviation :)

Yet, I still have 3 years to decided which path I'll choose to go with, now 3 years is a REALLY long time in aviation as I'm sure all pilots and aviators know and believe :rolleyes: I'll decide when the time comes closer and see what the aviation industry is like then but once again, thank you very much for the valuable replies WITH advice! :D See you guys around, meanwhile I better get back to my studying and homework! :8

Many Thanks,

Capt. J

[Sheep Guts]

Capt J.
Sheep Guts, Cadetships with Qantas aren't paid for, you have to pay it yourself


Not sure I implied that Cadet ship was free. I know it costs a stack of money, thats why I couldnt even considerate when I made the decision.

404Titan

The cons you portray for a G.A. are really relevant to Australia and PNG. I am flying still in G.A. I have Job security, good pay and we have low/ average accident and incident figures. Our flying can also be very dangerous Airwork. By the way why didnt you put accidents in the Cons list for Military or Airline.
That is a mind set"Paradigm" from your perspective. Whos to say the Millitary have a good acccident incident rate?

Ok I maybe picking hairs here but otherwise you post was very good to read.


Sheep

[Lodown]

I've been trying to have an accident for years in the belief that it is necessary to have at least one on the resume to get into Qantas.

[404 Titan]

Sheep Guts

My intention was for that to be covered in point three of the Con’s of flying for the military. As for flying for a major airline in Australasia, North America, and Western Europe, which is what we are really talking about here, the statistics speak for them selves. It is way safer than GA or the military. That isn’t to say there isn’t any risk. There is, just like there is when you get up in the morning, but what I am saying is the risk is much less.