What next?

[Gyro drifter]

Hey guys

Ive been looking through various forums on pprune concerning the first job topic for fresh CPLs. I myself will be finished my training up to CPL in a couple of months and was just wondering on how the industry is at, at the moment. My intention is to start off in the GA sector gain some time on SE and then hopefully graduate to ME. I however still have a year of University left where im doing a degree in aviation. I will probably finish the degree first before moving away and also in that year complete ATPL subjects so i leave with frozen ATPL and i dont have to worry about it later. I also have access to a British passport and i have read in other posts that if you are able to work in Europe it is much more streamline path into the airlines.

Id appreciate any comment on this subject.

Gyro

[HEALY]

The first thing with regards to getting your CPL goodluck. Use the next two months to get to know more about the company you are at and the possibilities of any work. Although I dont know where you are flying (Odds are with a large school at the end of the road) find out first hand from anyone who has just started work or in the process of job hunting.

Do not do any additional/unnecessary ratings unless you are going to need them. Having an Instructor rating does open the door to a few companies but as it has been stressed on here many times, only Instruct if you want to instruct.

The job front is very competitive and people go to any lengths to make themselves more employable or get known to the powers to be. There are jobs out there if you are willing to a) travel b) work for little money or c) fly in some trying places. I stress this is not always the case but be prepared. CPL training is only the beginning to learning how GA works.

Alot of people I know have got jobs purely on working hard, talking to people and keeping their nose clean. I assume you are training at JT so you have to remember it is a very small world there (as at most training AD's I guess) and opportunities can come out of anywhere.

Doing the ATPL's is a good idea because it saves the hastles later on down the track ie saves the flights from up north to sit the exams if thats where you end up.

It would also be very wise to jump on the net and have a look at the CASA website regarding proposed new regulations for Small Acft Operations and how it will effect employed pilots with regards to Check and Training/Min qualifications. This may/may not commence next year so have a bit of a background as it will effect the way companies employ new pilots.

Regarding British Passport their are many who have gone over there and found success. They talk of Dash 8's and Brasilias compared to C152/C210 for first jobs. It is expensive though. As an example I have an ATPL with dual passport and it was going to cost me 30 000 POUNDS to get the equivilant. I gave that the 2 finger salute an stayed. All I would say is it is very big gamble.

[haughtney1]

I can only echo Healys sentiments....I had a NZ CPL + IR..travelled to the UK..and whilst its taken me 7 months of hard graft to get my JAA ATPL and around £10000 or so, I am now flying a brand new Grand Caravan on private ops as well as para ops...and more than that, Ive got chief pilots interested in me purely because I am flexible. Having said all that the winter here sucks.. and Id prefer to be driving an Airbus in Spain or somewhere. Keep being persistant...dont accept no as a definite no...be prepared to make the coffee, clean the windscreens, or load the freight, you'll get there.


Smoooth Landings


H