Jetstar Hiring.... Cadets?!?!

[bagchucka]

Pilot Cadet Program - Jetstar Airways

[c173]

party time

[novice110]

And let the games begin ladies and gentlemen!
Bring it.

[Wizofoz]

I can't for the life of me see why Jetstar would do this, unless it has a financial interest in the training fees being paid.

I've flown with the product of such c=schemes in the UK and the UAE, and in the end, the graduates make decent enough FOs and eventually make perfectly acceptable Captains...

HOWEVER that is in environments where there isn't the large GA scene like in Aus.

With hundreds of highly experienced guys waiting in line for a chance at a Jet, why would J* give preference to zero experience newcomers?

Whilst I have no problem with Cadets generally, I can also assure everyone that a guy or gal with significant GA or Regional experience makes a great FO and a very good Captain in as short a time as the company needs.

[RodH]

Nice and cheap too!!!!
The TOTAL cost of our Jetstar APP FIRST OFFICERTM course is AUD154,456 including the fees for the SUT Associate Degree education which unlocks Government FEE-HELP
Jetstar will pay $21000 for the A320 end.

[Artificial Horizon]

Having experience helping with similar cadet programmes in the UK, I can tell you that these cadets are a win/win for Jetstar. After the salary sacrifice over 6 years I can almost guarantee that Jetstar will end up having made money from this deal. The way it used to work in the UK is the airline would get a significant discount on buying the bulk training off the provider, the cadet pays the out of the brouchure price for the training and then salary sacrifices a significant proportion of the FO pay for a few years. I see that Jetstar is going to bond the cadet for 6 years. Jetstar gains a guaranteed flow of pilots into the right hand seat who effectively are 'trapped' for 6 years during which they will no doubt be eligible for upgrade to command, also on a reduced wage. The upside for the cadet is a career path without having to p*ss around in GA, no matter what anyone says (having flown with many 200 hour jet pilots) these cadets will make fine airline pilots. Interesting times ahead, it is about time this part of the world caught up.

[hcmcmcclown]

Am I too old?

I am 40 years old with over twenty years experience as an LAE in the engineering side of RPT operaters, and am looking at a change of careerpath.

I am between jobs and am asking for any advice from experienced airline pilots. Do you think I am too old to apply for this cadet program? Would my experience be suitable for this cadet scheme?

Any advice appreciated.

McClown.

[Mr Sheen]

Makes the Qf cadet program look cheap...Hmm what would the better option be??

[Offcut]

I'm stoked that my tax payer dollars will be spent funding Jetstar cadets to attend CTC so they can then become a source of dirt cheap labour for an airline in direct competition with my employer, who happens to be majority owned by the taxpayers of New Zealand. Is there no logic left in this country?

[c173]

will this become pretty much the only lane of entry to the airlines in the near future??

[Sqwark2000]

Fark'n hell!!! $AUD84K for an A320 rating....

So the cadet will repay $42K over 6 yrs whilst bonded.... $7K nett salary sacrifice per year (about $10k gross based on 30% income tax)

So in effect, that's about the normal cost if you were to do it privately therefore you are funding your type rating over 6 years through salary sacrifice.

Isn't that going back to how they used to do it??


Crikey!

[waren9]

Puts a new slant on "buy yourself a job" i guess. Applicants will have to weigh up a six year bond and a sh1t salary versus more certainty over the GA path. Dont know which'd actually cost more.

As for the "subsidy" from Jetstar, I doubt it. I'd be willing to bet my left one that students will not be drawing a salary until completion of line training. i.e. Jetstar will get maybe 150 (or more) productive hours with each F/O for free. This is "pay for your line training" by another name.

The devil is in the detail, and for advertising purposes they will tart up the deal with lots of magic numbers.

This is has a commercial advantage for Jetstar and thats it. Pure and simple.

[Sqwark2000]

Reading it again, the wording is shady already. Total cost of the ACP is $84K and J* will fund 50% through sponsorship to a maximum of $21K?? If 21K is the max that's approx. $63K to sacrifice over your 6yr bond.... $15K gross salary sacrifice/yr

But if you want to start from scratch and do the Ab-initio programme it only costs an additional $16K for your CPL/MECIR/ATPL Theory (with meals, accom and transport in NZ). That part of it is cheap actually.

[shortshortz]

And that $15k pre tax will come off a wage for a Jetstar Junior FO, they won't meet the requirements for a Jetstar First Officer

[atminimums]

I sincerely hope that not too many young, aspiring pilots get sucked into this program.

I myself came close to accepting a spot on the Q cadetship (2009), until I pulled my head in and woke up. There is no such thing as a free ticket, and in this game, even money doesn't promise 5hit.

Even if a potential cadet (or the parents) has the funds to spend on a program like this, it does not mean he/she has the skill or motivation in order to finish the program to an acceptable level. At least training the old school way allows a trainee pilot to gauge whether or not it is the right thing for them at the different stages along the way.

I really hope that those young, or even older ones out there aspiring for an airline job have the chance to think this through before committing to such a farcicle program.

mins

[Cypher]

I sincerely hope that not too many young, aspiring pilots get sucked into this program.

HAHAHAHAHHHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

If the REX cadetship debacle was anything to go by, there will be people lining up around the corner to try and get into this program..

People see.. Jetstar, Shiny Jet, Airline Job, Cadet Program, Cessna 150 to Airbus A320....

People don't see, sh!te pay, 6 year bond, limited upgrade potential, Salary sacrifice, $150,000ish upfront...

Here we already have a 40ish year old person already experienced in other fields of aviation, asking and expressing a interest in joining the scheme...

To be honest, my hat goes off to Jetstar, because they've basically found a way for the F/O to become a fare paying passenger..

If what happened to the CTC/Easyjet scheme is anything to go by and what it's become, this will become another revenue stream for Jet*.. and become familiar with the term 'hold pool'....

All day every day low wages!!

[The Green Goblin]

One thing is for sure, it will obliterate the Rex cadet scheme

I'll be pissed if I find out this is why the cancelled the upcoming ground schools however

[The_Pharoah]

lol I laugh when I the comments on this thread...quite funny really. Jetstar comes out with the cadet scheme and all the knives are out. But then again err, whats the alternative? $80k CPL + MECIR (or three year av degree) and then what? take your ticket and join the queue of backpacking CPLs all hoping for the 2 slots flying old bugsmashers around FNQ or NT for pittance?

I'm probably going to get flamed for this but what the hell. Isn't the ultimate aim for a lot of pilots to get into an airline? sure its not QF or VB or Cathay but, as evidenced in other threads, there is NO future in GA if you want to actually own a house and make a living. So I don't get it....yeah okay 6 year bond, but you'd 'theoretically' have a few thousand hours, even as FO and who knows a probable upgrade to the LHS or the ability to jump ship complete with rating and hours. But whats better, you're INside looking OUT...not the other way round. I for one wouldn't mind this programme esp when most of the outlay is done by the govt (which you pay back in accordance with FEE HELP anyway).

So I say good on you Jetstar (and hopefully VB). Its not perfect but then again...whats the alternative eh?

[Going Boeing]

Reading it again, the wording is shady already.

Of course it's shady - Buchanan is ex Boston Consulting Group and his business training is "don't put anything in place unless there is a buck in it". Without a doubt, JQ will make money out of everyone who signs up for this cadetship.

If the young aspirants are smart enough to take a long term view (ignore the glare from the shiny jets), they would find GA training cheaper and most of the jobs they subsequently get (prior to an airline gig) will give them some of the best experiences in life (airline flying is so restricted now through the use of QAR's etc that many pilots reflect back on the fun flying they did prior to joining an airline).

[damo1089]

good luck getting it done in 18 months. Oxford cant even deal with their current load.