recommended quals for new CPL?

[Bigglesx]

Hi all, just after some info/opinions. I am wanting to get some time clocked up after I complete my cpl license and am thinking of heading to WA, Kunnunurra, Broome area to find some first time work. What I am unsure on is, what ratings/endoresments should I have as a minimum on top of the CPL before I go? Also, is the work up that way seasonal? Cheers.:cool:

[Lefthanded_Rock_Thrower]

Get a bus licence and senior first aid certificate at an absolute minimum, most first jobs are working with tourists, these will help.

[Bigglesx]

What type of bus license? Do you mean like 30 seater type bus license?:suspect:

[redsnail]

He does indeed mean a 15 or 20 seater. You'll be driving those depending on who you work for.

Dangerous good certificate is a must.
First Aid certificate is a very good idea.

Work is seasonal, predominantly during the Dry season aka Winter. However, most go up during the Wet to get established.

Spend some time researching the area before you go so you have half an idea as to what to expect lifestyle and job wise.

[kingtoad]

I'd say too, that a Light Rigid or Meduim Rigid Drivers Licence will never go astray. Also a bit of experience in Cessna 200 series.

[metrosmoker]

Seasonal work, what a joke. I hear that all the time. Let me tell you son, the locals will have you flying grog around 365 days of the year. Nothing seasonal about their drinking habits!

[Bigglesx]

redsnail, what does the dangerous goods certificate involve and what exactly will it allow me to do?
The CPL course I'm doing is an integrated one in which I'll have somewhere between 150 to 200 odd hours once completed. Any thoughts on, for example, going looking for work with say... 170 hours? Would it be wise to have a multi engine rating? or maybe to have completed ATPL subjects, or even IREX out of they way? :yuk:

[Bigglesx]

metrosmoker, good to hear the work is not necessarily seasonal. Racking my brain as to whom the grog would be delivered to, do you mean to the aboriginal communities and all?, because I thought it was banned in their towns now? Or have i got the wrong end of the stick here?:ugh:

[Paul Alfred]

There have been stacks of posts on this topic since it has concerned so many of us. Use the search function on the forum......I typed in 'Darwin, commercial, hours' and got this link:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=23085&highlight=darwin+commercial+hours
The typing is old but a lot of stuff still relevent. We have seen some of these companies now advertising on the AFAP website so things are getting easy for low time pilots;
http://www.afap.org.au/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=98&nav_cat_id=127&nav_top_id=73&dsb=559
Good Luck Buddy :ok:
PA

[Di_Vosh]

G'day mate,

A Dangerous Goods awareness course gives you information on:

What is DG
Types of DG
What it may look like (i.e how to identify it)
What you may or may not allow on your a/c.
How you load DG on your a/c (if carrying it)
etc.

I'm not sure about instructing, but it's unlikely that you'll be hired by any charter firm without a DG awareness cert.

They aren't hard to do, and there are a couple of places that do them online. Check out the AFT webpage or look the AVCATS webpage. There are also Prune threads on DG, so do a search on that as well.

And as P.A. said, this topic gets a going-over every few months. Try a few searches.

As to your other suggestion (doing IREX and ATPL theory), get them out of the way now if you can. You don't need your CPL to be eligible to do these (you need the CPL theory, obviously) and I'd suggest that you do them while you're still in the "studying" state of mind.

Cheers,

DIVOSH!

[kimwestt]

You might have a litttle problem trying to use that nickname up in the Kimberly's, a bloke a while ago was given that, and I believe that he is still flying, and is still known by that nname!!!!!!
As for the rest of your Q's, have every qual you can get you hand on - - esp people skills.
Good luck.

[turnerab]

Mate I have got up to Broome about a month ago and sticking it out here. it is unlikley you will get a gig up here straight away, but if you stick around chances are you will get in. There are plenty of casual jobs here to keep you going in the meantime - but the key is perseverence. If you show the CP's/Owners you are serious by sticking around, you should get a gig. Also helps if you know someone up here allready, but not essential. A CPL/NVFR is really all you need plus the DG cert. see airsafe.com.au. I have been to both DRW and KNX prior and there are oportunities there, but KNX might drive you nuts as it did me because of the lack of accom/things to do. If you want some more info PM me.

[Swift6]

Why not try Derby - there's 2 operators and one that gives bare cpl people a gig. Not a bad place to live despite what some think.