High Altitude a friend of newbies

[geisha girl]

Be aware new CPL'S high altitude will give you ago, he gave me ago after a diffucult time, thanks Stefan. A great mate and friend.

[Dakota Queen]

Pardon?:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Screw Jac]

Agreed Geisha Girl........


There are plenty of knockers out there, but as they say always take somebody as you find them....

Stefan does give you a go....You earn your stripes, but it's sweeter when earned....

Ive seen in my time low time pilots perservered with even when they haven't made the grade. My present good fortune is a result of hard work from me and belief from my boss!

Dreams do come true!
Thanks old mate!:D

[Capt Vegemite]

Those cuppla bunnies in bikinis sittin on a Baron with fishin rods...is HA persisting with them?:D

[OpsNormal]

Veg, the last one I saw HA with was in a helicopter...... :D

[nasa]

Sent me a disgusting SMS from the Gold Coast NY Eve :D :D

[Sheep Guts]

What can say Geisha Girl, he has the tennacity to stand up to the best of them. He was turned down by many a Company in Darwin, some those Companies still exist, some of THEM he now owns.

He picked me up with a little over 500TT , I was meat bombing in Darwin with Pete.Thanks Pete Lonnon and Drew Innes too by the way, for giving me a leg up aswell.
Stefan knew that I had operated at Maud Creek before so he picked me. Thanks Stefan. But ofcourse thank you aswell to Dave Goodward who gave me my first chance with Brolga in 1994. Where ever you are Dave, I hope its greener pastures.

Its Characters like HA,Pete, Drew and Dave Goodward who gave first starters a chance, with that N.T. pioneering spirit, make the N.T. a plaCe of hope for upandcomming pilots. If you are a budding aviator on the east coast dont despair, hop on a jet to Darwin Town. There is a reward for hard honest workers.
:D ;)

When I win the Florida State Lottery, I will come back with 2X 350s,2X1900Ds,1XQ400, 1XGV, and BBJ for me

Regards
sheep


P.S. Thanks HA, having a beer for you on me Birthday 35 .Respect mon everyting Chris and Currie;) :)

[Aussiebert]

i've seen HA cop flack on here, but i am reassuered to know he's out there giving guys a break

[nasa]

JeeeeeZussss Stef, how many aliases have you got:p :rolleyes: :D

[radar o'reilly]

Also be aware punters that HA cannot give jobs to everyone.

In all my dealings with Stefan he has always been a great bloke. I am surprised by the poop dished out to him on D&G, but then again, it is about situations I know nothing about.

But Stefan and his company, like all others, has desirable minimums. I spent a year in Darwin visiting HA (and all the other companies) weekly and got to know most of his staff as well as him. I've no doubt he saw 10 other pilots per day as well.

But in the long run I don't believe that I was close to a job as I only have 200TT. Most new CPL's will have the same or less.

HA has MANY MANY people to choose from. By his own admission he would love to give all of them a go. But no-one has jobs for you AND all the punters that are there alongside you that have similar total time. Don't quote me, but I believe Stefan likes (or requires) 350TT minimum.

Darwin is great for some, but not really the first-timer haven it is sold as. Good luck to all on your quest for your first job.

Seasons Greetings HA, I hope all is well for you and NAC.

Just my 2c.

[Sheep Guts]

Radar,
I know you werent commenting directly on my post, but I do realise, I think most people, that EVERYONE cant get a job. If Darwin isnt a FIRST TIMER haven, maybe the Bush Oustations from it are.
I challenge you Radar please to name a better place. If you say Kununurra or Horn Island maybe equal, but no extra jobs there Id say.
I hope you finally got a job Radar. Did ya try a slab of green on Friday Arvo?.Did he ask you to work in the hanger?

Happy New Year

He has employed people with 200TT, I know Ive done ICUS with them :D Some are good sticks, some arent.

[Mr. Hat]

Radar, if you get your first job in Darwin consider yourself pretty lucky. In Darwin there is a lot of 1. beer, 2. good mates and you guessed it - 3. backpackers:D .

If you can't get a job in Darwin widen that seach until you gradually exclude ALL three of the above. At the end of the search will be a 172 or if you are lucky a 182 which you will fly for between 0 and 8 hrs per week. 6-12 months later you will have those 350-400 hrs in your logbook. The rest is obvious..1 then, 2, then lots of 3 :D .


Good luck.

[radar o'reilly]

gidday there Sheep Guts.

mate, good post. I can't really disagree with any of it. To put my finger on a singular "first-timer haven", I simply can't do it. If I could, I don't think I would have been looking for my first job for 3 years.

Being as I have 200TT and have never actually flown a paid hour, I try not to poke my head out too often on D&G. I guess I just wanted my fellow newbies out there to know that I agree that HA is a great bloke, and he is definitely one of VERY FEW companies that will take "Low-Timers" (some sort of commercial flying time, different to complete newbies. no commercial time at all)

but my experience, although not vast, is that heading to Darwin, Kunnunurra or similar places is pretty much fruitless without something commercial in the book. Be it meatbombing (as you described), glider towing, instructing, ANYTHING.

where you get it, I dont know. when you get it, well done, because I haven't yet. there are external factors that haven't helped me, but that is not the subject at hand. I am also no longer in Darwin, so I am effectively out of the race up there.

I am just trying to be the little man in the corner, with his hand raised, to say that heading north with BARE ratings is a very big call. Go where you can get the zero to 8 hours a week (thanks Mr Hat) until you get 450 to 500 hours, then "head North", anywhere North. It should put you closer to the pointy end of a very big pile of pilots.

there are a bloody lot of "low-timers" up there, and probably just as many newbies. the law of average is gonna put the geurnsey on the low-timer first. not always, but pretty damn close.

Don't be suprised by the number of newbies who venture north, knocking back 4 or 5 hours meatbombing (or whatever) a week because they think that "up north" they will get the 700 to 800 hours a year that charter pilots are getting. Call it blind, call it ignorance, but it is a mistake people are making.

I am almost a bit weird Sheep, I actually get a good feeling from hearing about others out there getting jobs, even though I am not. It gives me hope that my day will eventually come. It is fantastic that HA gave Geisha Girl a go, as he has with many others.

thanks for the good wishes and advice. I leave an open invite to all opinions on my post. :D

P.S. - Didn't try the beer on Friday, thought it might be pushing a little hard, just tried to make the best of my short weekly visit. And no invite to hangar rat. :)

[Tinstaafl]

Sheep Guts,

One of those you mentioned is the shonkiest operator I've ever had the misfortune to know. His poor reputation was known as far away as Sydney.

I took great pleasure in shopping him to CASA. Although it was unfortunate for the pilots working for him I'm bloody relieved he's out of business!

[Sheep Guts]

Tinbstaffl
Sir there are many shonky operators out there, some of them get court most dont. All be it you must refering to Brolga, well I d say there are still others out there the same. If you want to red flag someone from the past thats ok. But Sir its all in the wash now. Please name me an operator that is a clean skin? I challenge you. I bet you wont somehow....

Regrds
Sheep

P.s. Did he have outstanding debts with you, if so I understand your comments. This part of aviation I hate. People not honering their obligations get up my nose aswell. Alot of people get stung.
But then again alot of people over charge too:D.Two way street really.

My response to this thread was a congenial admiration for some of the operators that gave me ago. Whatever other instances or missgivings they have had in the past is not relevant here.

[the wizard of auz]

Sheep guts, mate I'm a clean skin, but then I dont get close enough to the yards coz I reckon I could get earmarked and branded if I did.........Ooooooo, the thought of those castrating knives scares the hell out of me. Besides I have done my apprenticeship, so I dont go near the yards to prove a point.:D
some times you just have to love doing airwork in the bush.......noone cares what I'm up to. :D

[Mr. Hat]

Wizard your posts bring back a lot of memories. I'm glad thats in the past now - I won't forget where I started.

4 me - you can't beat the city lights - thats just me though:D .

Radar - try buying (or better flip thru) those outback newspapers and magazines. Often they have believe it or not - POSITION VACANT: PILOT. Another one - try getting to know a few people at the Department of Primary Industries they know all the Station Managers. Most of that land you see as you are driving to your next destination is cattle country - its big and as a result it needs an a/c to keep an eye on everthing. If you get to know the right people you will be fine - there ain't that much competition out there for a 200 hr per year flying job. Everyone wants 600 hrs in 8 months flying a beautiful 210 out of Kunnas... "cattle station? you have to work hard out there and its only 200 hrs per yr on a 172..I'm off to Kunnas". That what most people say anyway. Good luck.