You will need to apply for an ARN (aviation reference number) through casa first, and then you need to book a visit with a DAME and a DAO (doctor and eye doctor that are approved by casa, they list all the docs details on the casa website). I had my eye doctor (DAO) visit today, $305 dollars later and they confirmed that I can indeed see things, and I have my DAME visit tomorrow. Hopefully thats all I have to do, but if not Im sure he can advise what further things I have to complete. After that, harass casa! :)

Ill update here tomorrow night about the DAME part of it, but with the eye doctor part, either plan to catch a bus or have someone drive you, because you CAN NOT drive afterwards. They will test all your vision and stuff, and then they will put some eye drops in your eye that dilate your pupils and then they will stick you on a machine that lets them look into the back part of your eyes. The eye drops will give you blurry vision for at least 2 or 3 hours maybe even more, and when I say blurry I mean it. I couldnt read anything at all this afternoon, not a single thing.

Good luck to everyone who made it on the course. Glad to see some people are getting on course 6 months after their initial application.

Someone at Airservices will book a DAME visit for you, but you'll have to book the eye specialist appointment yourself. The main problem is CASA. They're basically stuck in the 60s as far as public service efficiency is concerned.

Don't worry too much if you can't get it all done in time. The next enroute course starts in Melbourne in September, you can just relocate down here if they recourse you :}

It's not as bad a people make out, honest :O

Not for me? The lady on the phone that offered me the position told me to ring up and book my medicals the moment I hung up the phone from her. No offer at all from them to book my medicals. Maybe they assumed it was easier for us to do it and fit it in with our schedule especially at short notice.

Also, can anyone advise if we get reimbursed the costs of the medicals when we start the course?

You do get reimbursed. When I went through we were given an account number that could be used by the DAME to book it to Airservices. It changes all the time though. We've been told our timetable is subject to change daily. Obviously, recruitment is too.

If you do not pass the assessment day exams, do you get any feedback on why you failed?

Yes you do.
I was going to say "yep" but there's a minimum message size of ten characters :O
Seriously though, I know this thread has gotten a bit too big for anyone to read properly, but there's a few comments if you go back about a dozen pages, about feedback.

I'm somewhat concerned that although I think I did well in the various tests and interview, I was somewhat nervous in my briefing and not succinct and direct enough in the delivery.

I guess I'll know for sure in a month or two. Hate waiting.

Hi

I have just joined the forum. I am in Melbourne and have completed the online test and phone interview and my application is marked "On-Hold for Upcoming Assessment Centre". I was asked if I was available on 24/25 May but obviously am on hold for the next testing day. No idea when that is.

Reading back through the many pages on this thread there have been a few questions on pay and condition. These are cover by the collective agreement. See here:

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/..._2009-2012.pdf

One thing I did notice was a post by willadvise on page 90 where he/she says: "Minimum rest after 10 days working is only one day off."

That doesn't seem to right according to section 18.9. Time off between shifts.

Is it covered by another section of the agreement?

<edit>

Thanks to the poster that sent me the message. It is covered in the preceding clause 18.8(b) "Including additional hours or emergency duty, the maximum number of consecutive shifts worked will be ten (10)".

Try not to stress too much, I thought I did pretty well on nearly all of the tests, but I was fairly concerned about one in particular. Turns out I had nothing to worry about, someone told me later they were very happy with me, so it's not like you have to be stellar in every section :)

Thanks, Fatty. That is reassuring. Trying not to stress so much - but it is compounded by the fact that I spent 4 weeks preparing as much as I could, every single day, given the limited information on what the assessment day would be like. Thinking so much about one particular topic which you don't have absolute control over is exhausting.

Boom! Got the nod from ASA today; I'm on the November 7th tower course in Melbourne!!!!

Good luck to everyone in the application process, I know the waiting can be torture. It's all worth it when you hear the good news on the other end of the phone.

If anyone is looking to rent a room near the facility around that time frame, can you please PM me?

Cheers!

Congratulations Canuck! Its such a relief when you answer the phone and hear the good news isnt it :)

well done :ok:

I have only recently just applied, still waiting to hear back from my initial application! Long way to go yet.

I would be interested to hear from you guys that did get the nod from ASA as to what qualifications you guys went in with when you applied? PPL/CPL? uni degrees/diplomas in which disipline? combination of both?? What do you think ASA like to see?

Harry,
They want to see that you're suitable for the job, doesn't matter what your qualifications are, as long as you've got the minimums.

Steve is right, the minimums are fine, thats all I had. I hold no degrees, I do fly but dont yet have a PPL or any formal qualification there and pretty much nothing else to formally present to anyone but I made it :) Just give it your best and Im sure you will be fine, regardless of what qualifications you have.

The minimums are more an intelligence level/ability to learn thing. I got into a course with no aviation experience and a commerce degree, in the same course as someone that used to sell furniture. It's more about how you present yourself as someone that's able to do the job, not someone that knows everything.

i put my initial application in 3 weeks ago? how long should i expect to hear back as to whether I have made it to the next stage or not?

When I saw the DAO, afterwards, the receptionist gave me some paperwork that I had to sign before I left, and I remember thinking, "you gotta be kidding, you should know that I can't see ****". There was a bunch of blurry black lines at the bottom of the form, so I just took a stab and signed above one of them.

As mentioned above, if you've met the minimums required, it really doesn't matter what qualifications you have. There are people in the college now with PPLs/CPLs and many hours of flying experience; and then there are people with 0 hours. There are people in the college now with uni degrees; and then there are people who finished high school not long ago.

Me too haha! I had to sign in this box which I couldnt make out properly, so I took a stab at signing in the middle of it. You would think they would make you sign it beforehand!