looking for RFDS contact

[daida]

G´day mates!!!

i am just wondering if any of you guys from down under can set me up with someone who is working, if not even flying, for the RFDS.
I was on vacation in Australia in 2007 and since then the bug is itching me what it is like to work at RFDS as a pilot.
I already checked out the official websites and just want to get in contact with someone who can give me more impressions, information and need-to-knows first handed.
I am a military air transport pilot and i am just not satisfied with my duties any more.

thanx!!!

daida

[WannaBeBiggles]

daida, you'll get this sooner or later, unfortunately if you don't have the right to live and work in Australia you don't have much of a chance of flying over here.

If you do have the right to live and work here then search the forums on the RFDS, the various sections have been asked about quite a bit. Any questions on top of that would surly be answered by any number of ex and current RFDS pilots who frequent these forums.

[Jack Ranga]

unfortunately if you don't have the right to live and work in Australia you don't have much of a chance of flying over here.

I'm hearing a LOT of accents on the radio these days, most prominent South African. I'm wondering how many of them are 457? And how many of them 'have the right to live and work in Australia'?

Aviation companies don't seem to have a problem convincing politicians that there is a lack of experience at the moment. Aviation companies that want these pilots don't seem to be the most ethical of operators?

Maybe he's more of a chance than you all advise?

[rjtjrt]

"457" is a 457 Long Stay Temporary Business 457 Visa.
It seems likely this will degenerate into a discussion on 457 visa's and overseas pilots working in Australia, rather than an answer to your question. Hopefully I am wrong and more will address your question and maybe a current or past RFDS pilot will contact you.
John

[baswell]

Do what I did: marry an Australian. Visa problem solved.

[Howard Hughes]

PM sent.:ok:

[Capt Fathom]

Do what I did: marry an Australian. Visa problem solved.


PM sentNo more PMs please, Howard has volunteered! :E

[Howard Hughes]

Howard has volunteered!
Will I need to move and change my name?;)

[Stationair8]

Hope you included all the good bits Howard, things like,
1. Back of the clock operations,

2. Single-pilot operations,

3. Not every aerodrome has an ILS,

4. NDB circling approaches at night time,

5. Not every aerodrome has T-Vasis, PAPI or HIAL,

6. Your the flight planner, dispatcher, refueller and in some cases engineering support,

7. Four or five 12 hour nights shifts in row,

8. 24 hour standby shifts,

9. But at least its only turbines now, not like the good old days with Navajos and Chieftains.

[Cravenmorehead]

What about theQueen-airs? Now that would sort out the boys from the Sheila's. But call me a romantic

[RENURPP]

9. But at least its only turbines now, not like the good old days with Navajos and Chieftains.
Bit rude, you forgot the QueenAir!

[Howard Hughes]

You forgot the Nomad, have none of you ever watched the Flying Doctors?;)

[Super Cecil]

3. Not every aerodrome has an ILS,

Hard to believe a dirt runway in the middle of nowhere wouldn't have an ILS?

5. Not every aerodrome has T-Vasis, PAPI or HIAL,

Impossible!!!! How could you land an aircraft WITHOUT those?

6. Your the flight planner, dispatcher, refueller and in some cases engineering support,


Fancy having to do a flight plan and FUEL YOUR OWN AIRCRAFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some of you blokes don't live in the real world

[outnabout]

Super Cecil, I like your work :D

[...still single]

Fancy having to do a flight plan and FUEL YOUR OWN AIRCRAFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh, the humanity!
Whatever shall I do? Wherever shall I go?

[anonymouspilot]

7. Four or five 12 hour nights shifts in row,
Would anyone mind posting what an average roster might look like. Days off per month, and do they have dispos for duty times etc.
Thanks

[The Butcher's Dog]

The Nomad..........like expediting to an accident in a Gogomobil (not the dart)!

[indamiddle]

daida, before you accept the PM from howard make sure 'she' is everthing she claims to be. currently only marriage between a man and a woman is recognized as legal down here.

[Towering Q]

NDB circling approaches at night time,

Any aerodrome that has an NDB will have a GPS RNAV approach, no need for any circling when there's a runway aligned approach.

Four or five 12 hour nights shifts in row

Can't do more than 2 night shifts if carrying >40hrs duty over previous 7 days. That makes 4 or 5 nights virtually impossible.

24 hour standby shifts

On call for 12hrs on nights and 10hrs for days if 2 pilots on, 12hrs if only 1 on. Where did 24 come from?:confused:

[Stationair8]

Still a number of aerodromes about with only NDB approaches or RNAV that require a circling approach.

The RFDS did have the option of 24 hour standby at certain bases, and you could do 10 of them in a row in 14 days, likewise flying six days straight was legal provided you had two days off in the fourteen days!

Likewise a lot of remote bases did run with four or seven night shifts in a row, quite legal under the CAO48 exemption, if you are doing on call from home, but does have some big limitations if you fly over a certain number of nights or have late night ops.

There was also a concession to opertae the C90, B200, C425 and C441's without a serviceable autopilot for up to three days.

The "city" RFDS boys have it pretty easy, stable roster ,eight hour shifts, spare aircraft, Mobil/BP refueller etc.

Don't forget to mention flies in the e-mail HH, especially the pesky ones that crawl up your nose and in your eyes while trying to refuell out of drums when it is 50+ in the shade!

[morno]

Depends on the section you work for as to the Fatigue Management. Each section is different.

What isn't different though, is that there is NO section that has 24hr standby shifts.

morno

[Howard Hughes]

Don't forget to mention flies in the e-mail HH, especially the pesky ones that crawl up your nose and in your eyes while trying to refuell out of drums when it is 50+ in the shade!
Who does that? I have refuelled twice in my tenure with the RFDS, but then again I might be one of those 'not living in the real World'!;)

[Towering Q]

while trying to refuell out of drums

Westops policy prohibits refuelling from drums.

[morno]

Yeah only because you lot do bugger all else TKFS, :E

[Under Dog]

Geez I know of an Aeromedical operation here in Aus that requires you to be on standby 24hrs and its not the RFDS.

Regards The Dog:ok:

[daida]

Thank you all so far for all the good answers!!!
i got the PM and will get in contact with you HH!!

mit Fliegergrueßen

daida