REX minimum requirements

[pilotboy007]

Are Rex serious? They want 2000 hours TT with 500 Multi under IFR. That's for an FO position! The only other operator that wants those sort of hours is Cobham. Anyone care to comment?

[Boney]

I think these requirements are fair enough.

After all, they would want people that can move into the left hand a year after joining, if that was to ever occur. As we know, those sort of hr requirements are not a guarantee that it will be smooth but the odds are it will.

Saabs and aircraft of their type don't have Auto Throttles etc (from memory, Auto Pilot can not even be hooked up to VNAV). No ILS to ILS flying but dark night approaches with CTAF traffic etc and the Saab just loves icing up while you are at it. It can be very demanding work (although Regional Managements don't appreciate that fact one bit).

You young ones have been very spoilt over the last 10 years.

Go back to the late 90's when there were 10 drivers for every job.

Skytrans in Cairns had a fleet of Titans/Cessna 402's and Cessna 310's.

Up in the Torres Straits they had a couple of Britten Norman Islanders where you spent your first year living like an animal. In 1999 when I was sniffing around, the requirements for a taste of that glamourous life was.

2,500 TT
700 Multi Command.

However, when there is huge Airline growth for 2yrs every decade, all of a sudden, flying an aeroplane apparently becomes easy and requirements tumble.

[smiling monkey]

Fair enough Boney, but why does Qlink and VARA have lower minimums despite flying similar type of ops and destinations?

[Snakecharma]

The published numbers are minimums. Having a lower minimum doesn't guarantee that they will take anyone with that experience, it just gives the recruiters more options.

When you get a hiring boom many of the operators are all competing from the same talent pool, so the more experienced troops get soaked up quickly, if they set the minimums at the level they expect to hire at, then there is no room to move. If they set a lower minimum (but still at a point that they can manage from a training perspective) then they can look at the demographic of the new hires and perhaps mix them up so you have a combination of experienced and less experienced people, who will have different expectations in relation to command, type changes and base transfers etc (potentially will retire at different points as well).

Single pilot ifr ops are the hardest thing you will ever do. Regional flying isn't as hard in many ways, but harder in others - a much greater reliance on the crew, throwing bags, trim sheets, briefing/feeding/managing the punters, multiple sectors into uncontrolled ports/ctafs etc. lower pay than the airlines for harder (in my opinion) work.

In many ways I would funnel the more experienced people into the regional style operations and the less experienced ones into the jet, but that isn't what the prospective new hire wants, for valid and reasonable reasons.

If I could figure out a way of paying regional pilots more it would be good but unlikely given the way the market for pilots works.

[Tee Emm]

They want 2000 hours TT with 500 Multi under IFR. That's for an FO position!


They want that experience because they know there is a huge oversupply of commercial pilots in Australia and it is a way of culling out the mob. Yet elsewhere you have 300 hour pilots flying as second in command on all sorts of overseas jet transports including the 777 and A330. From the sublime to the ridiculous.

[Altimeters]

Another reason being is because Rex are operating under a low capacity AOC. Without the books nearby I can't remember the exact requirements but when operating in this low capacity the minimums are higher. The likes of Qlink and VARA flying bigger aircraft operate under a high capacity AOC (issued by the regulator), even though link have a couple of -200s left they are still operating under the same high capacity AOC.

I stand to be corrected though. :ok:

[pineappledaz]

So why do Rex have a high direct entry hour requirement when they have a cadet $cheme?

[triplefox]

I would suggest they have high direct entry requirements because they have a cadet scheme. As Boney said, they want guys who can move into the LHS relatively quickly, hence the 2000hr min requirement.

[Capn Bloggs]

Another reason being is because Rex are operating under a low capacity AOC. Without the books nearby I can't remember the exact requirements but when operating in this low capacity the minimums are higher.
Please explain?? Are you suggesting this "low AOC means higher requirements" is some CASA thing? Or are you suggesting that Rex is more out of control than Qlink and so it needs better pilots?? :confused:

[drunk_pilot]

It's a command requirement for low capacity RPT. Refer CAO 82.3 Appendix 4:


Aeroplanes exceeding 5 700 kg MTOW

Air transport pilot (aeroplane) licence
Command (multi-engine aeroplane) instrument rating


2 000 hours total experience as a pilot, that includes:

500 hours as pilot in command (or acting as pilot in command under supervision) on multi-engine aeroplanes under the I.F.R.; and
50 hours as pilot in command (or acting as pilot in command under supervision) on the aeroplane type; and
100 hours experience as a pilot on night operations.

[Capn Bloggs]

OK, thanks Drunk. I learn something every day. :ok:

[HighFlyer55]

Rex are essentially employing direct entry soon-to-be captains, therefore they need to meet the CAO requirements.

Snake is correct, the guys I know in VARA and QLink all had well over the minimum requirements before they got a look in.

[Capt Claret]

They want 2000 hours TT with 500 Multi under IFR. That's for an FO position! ...
Anyone care to comment?

If I recall correctly the minimum requirements when I got my first RPT job in about 1991, flying a Mohawk, were 2500 hrs, several IFR renewals, and I can't remember the command time requirement.

So, not too onerous I'd have thought.

[Tee Emm]

500 hours as pilot in command (or acting as pilot in command under supervision) on multi-engine aeroplanes under the I.F.R.; and
50 hours as pilot in command (or acting as pilot in command under supervision) on the aeroplane type; and


I have suspected this for some time. ICUS is the new command time. After all, they are equal according to the highlighted text
Next we will hear is dual will be equivalent to ICUS (after all you are under supervision) :E

[KRUSTY 34]

CASA watered down the requirements for the ATPL some years ago.

They reduced the Non ICUS component (actual command time) from 100 hours down to 70. As most integrated Cadet schemes produce only around 70 hours of real command experience, this eliminated one barrier to former Cadets attaining a Command. Particularly on Low-Cap Ops.

[wheredidwhogo]

Probably a few experienced Nth QLD pilots maybe jumping ship soon to fill the seats of the new routes (REX) have picked up from Skytrans. Think you will find most if not all would qualify with those requirements?

[Spinnerhead]

At last, a rational reply!

[4forward8back]

Apparently REX also now require an Aerobatics Rating :E

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/RXA3554/history/20141026/1930Z/YWYY/YMML

(I'm sure it's just a Flightaware error. Happened during the severe storms in Melbourne Monday morning)

[jsfboat]

Are they only hiring Australians? . I applied but never heard anything, have Beech 1900, Saab 340, and -145 time in the US. I heard they picked up a few pilots from Colgan, but not sure if it's true.

[swh]

Do you have the right to live and work in Australia ?

Do you have a CASA licence ?

[ga_trojan]

Are Rex serious? They want 2000 hours TT with 500 Multi under IFR. That's for an FO position! The only other operator that wants those sort of hours is Cobham. Anyone care to comment?

I remember chatting to Kendall 'Back in the day' and circa late 1990's you needed 5000 hours to be competitive for a FO positions.

Personally I think 2000 Total is probably a reasonable number and yes 5000 was ridiculous. (And realistically 2000 hours is only 4 years of experience if you fly full time and in a high hour job maybe 3.)

So yes Rex are serious and maybe some more attitude correction time in GA might be required:hmm:

[deadcut]

Personally I think 2000 Total is probably a reasonable number and yes 5000 was ridiculous. (And realistically 2000 hours is only 4 years of experience if you fly full time and in a high hour job maybe 3.)

Oh yea only 4 years to then end up getting paid $46,000 while a 210 award is $40,000. :ok:

Is this also back in the day when there was bulk twins flying? You could probably count the number of companies who operate twin IFR Pistons these days on your two hands! :yuk:

[Ken Worth]

Is REX or indeed any regionals hiring these days?


Where does one record IFR hours in the log book? I just fly, sometimes ifr sometimes vfr but never have I bothered to count hours flown under the ifr as opposed to hours in imc.
Seems an odd requirement to me. Surely common sense would indicate if an individual had 500 multi a fair whack of that would be under the ifr.


Having said that if they only pay 46k per year as stated above they would struggle to recruit anyone from a Titan or Chieftain etc when the going rate for these types seems to be around the 60k.

[KoolKaptain]

I'm not too sure where this $46000 figure is coming from... The actual figure for a first year FO is $54000 and after your second anniversary you earn almost $63000. That said, their EBA is almost done, so (assuming a 3%pa wage increase) it's likely that a direct entry new start from today would, after 2 years be earning close to $67000. If they were lucky enough to jag a command then that figure (after two years in the company) would be approx $99000. As I said... Where that $46000 figure comes from I don't know...

[pilotboy007]

This still doesn't explain why REX's requirements are so high compared to QLink and Virgin. That's what I'm getting at.

[Capt Fathom]

It is what it is! No point getting worked up about it!

You just have to go along with it and fit in when you can!

[BPA]

The answer is on page 1. REX is low capacity RPT and must comply with CAO82.3 and therefore the minimum hour requirements as listed. Qlink and VARA are high capacity RPT and must comply with CAO 82.5 which doesn't list minium hour requirements.

[Howard Hughes]

This still doesn't explain why REX's requirements are so high compared to QLink and Virgin. That's what I'm getting at.
You're not listening, several people have already supplied the answer, it's all about time to command. Assuming you get a job at QLink or Virgin with the minimums, you will spend more time in the right seat before command.

Lesson one to being a good F/O is listening! ;)

[WillieTheWimp]

They really aren't that high. It's the minimum required by the CAO's for a command, which is what they will hire you for. However, without any similar multi crew turboprop time you will need some time in the RHS to get up to speed before swapping hands. Typically less than 12 months. As others have said, certainly no shortage of FO's with the cadets.

Vara you will need those sought of hours if you want a look in, possibly even some turboprop if you want to be competitive.

As for qlink, well a year 12 certificate will get you an interview. Have seen many pilots with only 500 total time let alone any multi time get a gig there.

Companies can stipulate whatever hours or requirements they want. If you don't meet them just keep chipping away until you do, then apply. Easy as that!!!