Where's the best place to start?

[Highbypass]

Hi all.

Here it is.

I'm a mature 32 year old. Very happily married. One 2-year-old. One in the oven. 1100 hours total. MECIR. 750 hours command. In love with my family. Mad about flying. :D

I'd like opinions on the best place to base myself and my family. The place has to be a large(ish) town. Ie. no communities. Places like Makay, Karratha, Cairns, Broome, Geralton etc. would be ideal. It has to have at least two, or even three operators at the local airfield. I don't mind instructing work for a little while, but would prefer not to instruct. I'm prepared to and would rather be working and living in the same place for at least a couple of years.

Please don't bother with comments like, "Get rid of the wife and kids and you'll have a chance"...or..."Geez, you don't want much, do ya pal."...or..."would ya like fries with that?" No fries. Just a chance for a descent lifestyle for my family and a good flying job in the best country in the world.

I am extremely proud of my family. If I was single working in a comunity, I would give up anything to have what I've got now. A good start in a town with plenty of flying would top things off.

Thanks............H.:cool:

[compressor stall]

Most of the places you mentioned would be good, except Cairns. Cairns itself is not the place to be without 400 multi IFR. (Which you may have although your post does not specify).

Cairns, however, is a stopoff for the Torres Strait, which would be possible to live on Horn with your better half - certainly a hell of a lot better than dragging her out to some Arnhem Land community.

I guess she won't be working soon with one to pop soon, so not a huge issue.

Consider Gove as well, a couple of operators out there, and not a bad place to be (rent is ridiculous though) with a young family.

Oh, and the further north you go, the less instructing there is as a rule.

Ring/call the companies and see. Some may prefer a slightly older, hopefully more mature pilot!

Good luck to you both.
CS

[maxgrad]

Not easy to hear but you must take the risk and step out.
many up north will discount your hours instructing but they are going to miss out on a good employee!
I'm a father of three (yes same woman and no, I am still with her) and in GA. It does work , just reduces your choices.
LUCK!!

[Highbypass]

compressor stall and maxgrad. Thanks heaps to both of you.

Comp, you've confirmed my initial impression on the Cairns scene. I only have 100 multi, 60 of that command. Thanks for the encouraging words. I hope my maturity will get me through my lack of "mobility". :D

Max, I had heard that most operators up north discount your instructing hours. I'd love to say that it's their loss because it's true.....but the fact is that their narrow mindedness is my loss too.

Please, more suggestions on locations in addition to these would be greatly apreciated.

Ta blokes.................H.:cool:

[Mainframe]

Highbypass Hi, you're in a tough industry and the work is usually where you don't want to live, especially with a family.

You are more likely to get work in remote (zone A tax allowance) areas but the downside is the following:

Renting a house is usually difficult on a pilot's salary.
Most of these places are not ideal for a new baby ( high risk of disease, no doctor, no hospital, no pharmacy and a long way to somewhere where this one).

Children's schooling is difficult or non existent.

You will have many nights away, leaving your wife alone in a place that she will probably hate anyway.

You don't come at 5:30pm every night so your wife can't plan meals with you, herself and the kids.

Yes, Gove, Broome, Horn Island, Karratha, Mackay, Cairns and other civilised places exist, but you need to stick out your present job and build your hours if you want to go to the nicer places.

The hours/experience is not a nasty bit of work by narrow minded people, it is determined by

(i) CASA, CAO 82, Low Capacity RPT requirements e.g. Horn Island, Torres Straits.

( ii ) Insurance Companies do call the shots depending on the equipment being operated and where it is operating, phone some in Aviation insurance or go out to Essendon and have a chat

( iii ) AviPro, the mining industry safety auditor that audits charter companies flying mining staff

( iv ) Government/ corporate travel departments and ISO 9001/9002 requirements.

So it's not really a conspiracy, just simple risk minimisation.

There was a previous thread on instructors and commercial pilots that fleshed out most of the issues.

And another factor to consider is the number of operators who fall by the wayside, leaving you in debt and a long way from nowhere.

OK, if you're still with me, have a look at Aero Tropics (Cairns/Torres Straits) website, but most other Cairns operators want and get 2,000hrs with 500 multi. Try Savannah Aviation in Burketown, Air Mount Isa, and sorry, can't tell you on this forum who to avoid, but ask around and you will find out.

It is courageous of you to want to inflict a charter pilot's lifestyle on your family, it's still a difficult lifestyle even when you get to Airlines. It is not normal 9 to 5 weekdays stuff, it is highly disruptive of normal family life and can introduce stress into what was a good marriage.

Hopefully you can find the job that lets you live a normal life, most of us who have made it to Nirvana had to endure interesting places, interesting employers and interesting incomes.

Talk about this post with your wife and make sure you go into it as a fully informed team and are able to endure the hard yards that lead usually to the normal, predictable and properly paid job.

p.s. I forgot, try Surveillance Australia, the Coastwatch operators, part of NJS. Bases in Broome, Darwin, Horn Island and Cairns, and normal married life is possible with them.

[Highbypass]

Mainframe , thanks very much for your valuable input. All taken on board and appreciated. Check your messages.....................H.:cool:

[Gravox]

When I drove up the west coast a couple of years ago now, I stopped in at Geraldton. A beaut spot. Can't remember the name of the operator there but he suggested to me that there may have been a job going shortly for an instructor, (he also did Charter work), I remeber he had a C206 on floats, and twins, and he mentioned that there would be progression if I were to hang around. I didn't hang around, and headed to Darwin, ooops that was a mistake. Give him a call. If you are having troubles finding his number let me know and I'll go look for his business card, but I'm sure someone will know who I'm talking about. And if my memory services me correctly there was also another flying school on the field.

Port Hedland also had a couple of operators, Polair and Golden Eagle... try giving them a call. I remember Golden Eagle saying something about getting a C210 for freight work, again that was a while ago, perhaps it fell through. Good LUCK. When I drove up the west coast i didn't have much luck, but then I only had 650 hours, perhaps with a 1000hours you'll have a better chance.

[the wizard of auz]

Gravox, the guy your talking about is Chris Shine of Shine aviation. He has a tidy little operation in gero.Dont think he has the 206 anymore though, I heard a yarn that it got busted.
there is also another operater in Geraldton that operates a C337 and a couple of Bonazas out to the Islands and a bit of general charter.
Geraldton is a bastard town to live in though........and its bloody windy all the time.

[Highbypass]

Hi all.

Thanks once again for all your valuable input.

I'd like any information and/or opinions on Kalgoolie if anyone can help. Also on Mackay. Operators, the towns themselves ie. lifestyle etc. Any information or experiences would be valuable.

Many thanks again........................H.

[Gravox]

In Kalgoolie there is an operator called GAS, Goldfield Air Services, can't remember the whole fleet, but think they had C310s. They also have a flying school, where I believe you progress from instructing to charter.

Mackay, not much there. best source is to check the yellowpages.
I'll check the black book of business cards and get back to you on that... would imagine it a nicer place to live than Kal

[Highbypass]

Thanks to all of you, including private messages. Keep them coming.......................H.:cool: