2006 Qantas Cadets
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Alice Springs
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Obscene lottery
Because for years Australia's major airlines have been bludging off the GA and military systems for recruits. They got lots of ex military pilots that had been trained at taxpayers expense, and used it as a buckshee training school. Eventually the military woke up and wrote contracts that ensure they get a reasonable return of service.
GA has been flooded by a large inflow of wannabies who just want to use the industry as a logbook filling exercise, and have no interest in the job. Many are working for nothing. Some are paying for ICUS, and this is being used to subsidise cheap charter. This is encouraging a group of operators who exploit them for operations that would otherwise be unviable. It is encouraging the pooer quality operators who, like many of the wannabies are only looking for a short term advantage.
GA needs a return of service too. A continual turnover of apprentice pilots is not good for economics or safety. So- no more free endorsements or training.
They have killed the goose that laid the golden egg.
B Alert
The GA charter industry is not here just to provide cheap training for airline pilots either.
The cadet system at least gives them an assessment before they spend their money, and they have a reasonable chance of sucess.That is the important thing. If the airlines were serious they would contribute to the training of the chosen ones. If they do not they should at least interview and assess and sign an agreement with them.
Outside the cadet system there is just what appears to be a huge confidence trick that takes peolpes money.
All because of the obscene lottery which is being run by our bludging airlines. For every pilot who gets an airline job many, many wannabies are trained to cpl level and beyond, with nowhere to go.
GA has been flooded by a large inflow of wannabies who just want to use the industry as a logbook filling exercise, and have no interest in the job. Many are working for nothing. Some are paying for ICUS, and this is being used to subsidise cheap charter. This is encouraging a group of operators who exploit them for operations that would otherwise be unviable. It is encouraging the pooer quality operators who, like many of the wannabies are only looking for a short term advantage.
GA needs a return of service too. A continual turnover of apprentice pilots is not good for economics or safety. So- no more free endorsements or training.
They have killed the goose that laid the golden egg.
B Alert
The GA charter industry is not here just to provide cheap training for airline pilots either.
The cadet system at least gives them an assessment before they spend their money, and they have a reasonable chance of sucess.That is the important thing. If the airlines were serious they would contribute to the training of the chosen ones. If they do not they should at least interview and assess and sign an agreement with them.
Outside the cadet system there is just what appears to be a huge confidence trick that takes peolpes money.
All because of the obscene lottery which is being run by our bludging airlines. For every pilot who gets an airline job many, many wannabies are trained to cpl level and beyond, with nowhere to go.
Last edited by bushy; 15th Jan 2007 at 05:39.
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Can we possibly move on???
dolittle, hornet - at least someone can throw a bit of perspective at this endlessly debated topic. Having seen the thread earlier today I had resolved to post something similar and returned only to see my thunder had well and truly been stolen.Not that I'm a cadet fan, I just can't stand an argument based in emotion or arbitrary figures/standards. Show me a pilot that bends his plane for lack of knowledge or flying ability and I'll happily take a number to say he shouldn't have had the job - cadet or otherwise. There's enough posts in this site from (purportedly) experienced airline captains saying they've flown with high standard cadet FO/SOs to throw any other arguments on the quality/safety front out the door.
I harken back to a post from our good friend Keg some time ago reminding us that there are heaps of military pilots getting around who've never flown a piston and only have a few hundred hours but somehow manage (soon) to be able to handle A330, B737, C17, C130 etc into uncontrolled poorly prepared strips - perhaps with an AD threat.
All that without reaching the magic 2013th hour when you get issued your command ability and situational awareness, yet relatively few RAAF bashing posts get around the site.Good luck to the cadets waiting for a job - I trust the hard work you'll have to put in to be a competent and safe turbine RPT pilot will be well rewarded. All the same to any GA pilots waiting for that magic phone call.
Can we now put a final end to the subject of whether or not these guys should be allowed the privilege of an airline job so these threads can stick to responses that might actually give the thread starter the information they were seeking???
