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2nd Aug 2005, 23:53
One of the key factors in the dissapointing employment statistics often discussed today is directly attributable to the 'ease' of entering the profession.
Up here in QLD and especially over recent years, I have seen a growing trend of 'non-traditional' students entering the profession. By non-traditional I mean students who didn't achieve the requisite results required to enter uni, and are lured into flying by the stands at tertiary careers fairs, where they are painted a rosy-picture of employment prospects by an all to eager intructor one again donating his free time to the interests of his flying school.
Also, in order to fund the training they are relying on their parents (nothing new), only their parents aren't doctors/lawyers/bankers/business owners, they're your everyday mum and dad types with ordinary occupations who purchased their family home prior to 1998 and with relative ease can access the equity to fund their offsprings lofty ambitions.
I know that if I were waltzing through the tertiary expo and looking at the various TAFE's picking what course I may be vaugely interested in only to stumble across a flying school with a glossy looking 'pilot' telling me that I will be up front in a jet in a few years with relative ease - I would naturally be very interested. This interest further fuelled when I hear phrases such as;
"You don't need an OP (QLD speak for UAI)."
"You need Maths B and Physics to get into Qantas but you can do a bridging course with us."
"You don't need to be Einstein, Flying's not that hard."
Such comments only add to the natural appeal of flying and after telling Mum and Dad that "(insert trade here) isn't for me, I'm going to be a pilot", the parents are naturally so proud that the rush off to the local branch to get the valuers out to revalue the house and access the funds.
Its this 'new' market that the schools are praying on as the GPS mummies boys/girls of the past refuse to earn 20K/PA in GA and go off to uni to get a degree and earn some real money.
It is this plethora of 'new' potential candidates that would otherwise have never flown that dilute the truth of the statisics on fresh CPL pilot employment. If you are bright, personable, know what really happens in GA, know how to network and will give it your all to get there, of course your going to get work. Its those that were told how easy it is a couple of years ago- that finally acquired their CPL/ME-CIR and are now walking the streets wearing a 'Will Fly for Free' sandwich board.
Upgraded
Up here in QLD and especially over recent years, I have seen a growing trend of 'non-traditional' students entering the profession. By non-traditional I mean students who didn't achieve the requisite results required to enter uni, and are lured into flying by the stands at tertiary careers fairs, where they are painted a rosy-picture of employment prospects by an all to eager intructor one again donating his free time to the interests of his flying school.
Also, in order to fund the training they are relying on their parents (nothing new), only their parents aren't doctors/lawyers/bankers/business owners, they're your everyday mum and dad types with ordinary occupations who purchased their family home prior to 1998 and with relative ease can access the equity to fund their offsprings lofty ambitions.
I know that if I were waltzing through the tertiary expo and looking at the various TAFE's picking what course I may be vaugely interested in only to stumble across a flying school with a glossy looking 'pilot' telling me that I will be up front in a jet in a few years with relative ease - I would naturally be very interested. This interest further fuelled when I hear phrases such as;
"You don't need an OP (QLD speak for UAI)."
"You need Maths B and Physics to get into Qantas but you can do a bridging course with us."
"You don't need to be Einstein, Flying's not that hard."
Such comments only add to the natural appeal of flying and after telling Mum and Dad that "(insert trade here) isn't for me, I'm going to be a pilot", the parents are naturally so proud that the rush off to the local branch to get the valuers out to revalue the house and access the funds.
Its this 'new' market that the schools are praying on as the GPS mummies boys/girls of the past refuse to earn 20K/PA in GA and go off to uni to get a degree and earn some real money.
It is this plethora of 'new' potential candidates that would otherwise have never flown that dilute the truth of the statisics on fresh CPL pilot employment. If you are bright, personable, know what really happens in GA, know how to network and will give it your all to get there, of course your going to get work. Its those that were told how easy it is a couple of years ago- that finally acquired their CPL/ME-CIR and are now walking the streets wearing a 'Will Fly for Free' sandwich board.
Upgraded