Official Work Experience Thread

[Tiger01]

I know there has been a few threads from time to time in regards to Aviation Related Work Experience. However it would be good to consolidate these ideas into one thread.

So i have a week long work experience block coming up soon (currently year 12), what have been some of the placements and experiences you've had? Obviously now there's little to no chance of actually gaining anything in the air. But what ground related ideas can you suggest that involve aviation?

[tmpffisch]

Tiger. Aviation Related Work Experience threads have been consolidated here - http://www.pprune.org/search.php

What happened to doing work experience in year 10?

[Tiger01]

tmpffissh,

Work experience in years 10, 11 and 12 seems to be the norm now.

[seneca208]

I did my work experience (grade 11) at Boeing Defence Australia at Amberley RAAF base.

[Track5milefinal]

Mine was with an Offshore Heli Operator, general maintenance, awesome 2 weeks :ok:

I miss the smell of Kero!! ;)

[Chocks Away]

Go for it!
I got a reply back from TAA/Australian Airlines @ Tullamarine/Melb many years ago. This was one of dozens of letters I sent out to many different Industries, not knowing where to go or where my interest lay... few replies back... this TAA reply piqued interest so I went for it.

An amazing week of work experience was had, covering ALL aspects of the airline operation. It was superb. On the last day it ended with a jump seat ride in the B727 off to Cooly return... my first flight ever... I was blown away and bitten by the flying bug!

Don't hold back. Write to everyone and see who replies then take your pick.
It's an amazing opportunity many people don't utilize, which will put focus and direction to your studies.

Happy landings:ok:

[tobz92_ymen]

i did mine at the Qantas training centre in Airport West, Melbourne in April 2008. Was awesome got about 6 hours sim time over the whole 5 days i was there, helps if u have an asic before you go so you dont have to get a security clearance to us the simulators.

I know that Australasian Jet at Essendon Aiport do work experience aswell

[hoss]

in 1987 in year 10 i did a week with east west airlines f-27 and f-28. i would start the day in flight operations double checking the flight log entries or anything else they could find for me. by lunchtime i would be sent off to the terminal in sydney and off for a ride on the jumpseat to ask all the questions and put the hard word on the hosties etc.

on one particular night, on a freight run up to brissy a very cool captain kicked the fo out somewhere abeam the hawkesbury river and let me have a fly. they had a laugh watching me handfly my first ever aircraft and after a few exhausting minutes we all concluded in engaging the autopilot, my first time flying and in an f-27 as well. the fo returned to his seat about 20 miles from eagle farm, a very memorable flight.

a few days later i was enrolled at tafe to start studying theory at night.

about a week ago i taxied past that exact aircraft vh-ewp at mackay, it was old back then in 1987!

thank you again east west airlines.

good luck tiger01.

[WannaBeBiggles]

Hey ben_093, when did you do your work experience at BAL Amb and in what area?

We had a work experience kid in our section called ben for a week or so.

[seneca208]

C-17 Project. :)

Did it at the start of March this year if I remember correctly.

[Tiger01]

After sending several emails with few replies, I've managed to secure work experience with Qantas at Sydney. Looking forward to it !!

[Signature]

I gave up 'Schoolies Week' in 1998 to do four days of work experience with Ansett. The last day was a jumpseat ride to Coolie (now Gold Coast) in a 'new' A320... Technically I did visit Surfers Paradise during Schoolies... I just wasn't there very long.

It's a fantastic opportunity, and an invaluable chance to see behind the scenes. I hope all big carriers still participate.


Have fun!

[haydos172]

mmm if only that was the case :(. iv been told by all the major airlines that they do not take people doing work experience, and unfortunately the Airservices Australia course seems to be down as well...im trying my luck with some of the charter companies at YMEN. guess ill wait and see how it goes...fingers crossed!

[Speedbird 9]

Last year, when I was in year 12, I did 3 days work experience with Air Services Australia, more specifically down at the old control tower in Sydney. The first day was spent in TCU, second at the new control tower and 3rd back in TCU for the morning and the in the maintenance part of Air Services during the afternoon. It was really interesting to find out and see for myself what was behind the scenes and the amount of work that goes into making sure all the planes in the sky are 'safe'. I must confess that I have absolutely no idea how most of the radar equipment and co work though, as although it was explained to me in great detail, I was sitting there nodding and saying "right" and "yes" from time to time while all the information just rushed in one ear and straight out of the other! I would recommend air traffic control work experience because although it does get etremely boring at times, the insights you gain will help you become a better pilot, well that's my opinion anyway...
Speedbird 9

[Buster Hyman]

I did my work experience whilst in Year 10 back in 1881...sorry, 1981. I did it at Ansett International Ground Handling & had an absolute (I hate that word) ball! I enjoyed it so much that within 5 years I had a full time gig there.

I particularly enjoyed the Load Control role & vowed that this was where I wanted to be. I achieved that in roughly 1989/1990 & stayed there until around 1997 when I realised that the same blokes I'd met during work experience were the same blokes I was working with! In other words, they were there for life & I realised that my mistake was that I'd set my sights too low. Don't get me wrong, I think Load Control is THE greatest job going (If you can't fly) in aviation, but I was never planning to retire there!

Circumstances prevented me getting that opportunity to retire anyway. :(

Enjoy your time, learn what you can learn & if you eventually want a flying job, ask questions of the crews when you can!:ok:

[mcgrath50]

Also, be on your best behaviour, be inquisitive and never show your bored. You will get menial tasks to do. I did work Experience in a maintenance facility in Year 10, so spent many hours screwing and unscrewing panels, in Year 11 I spent time at an airlines head office, spent many hours filing records. Did I enjoy it? Hell no! Did I learn something? A bit in the first hour. Did I ask if they had any more of that stuff they wanted me to do? Hell yes!

If you keep your nose clean, don't take long lunch breaks (chances are once you have eaten you'll want to go back to work anyway as you won't know anyone) and work hard you might get a job offer or at least a contact in the right place of the company.

Best weeks of my life without a doubt.