Qantas Recruitment
The general rule should be to take the first available start date. Seniority is very important!
B787 bases are PER, MEL, SYD, and BNE. Destinations YVR, LHR, LAX, FCO, DFW. Most patterns 6-9 days.
A330 S/O bases are SYD and BNE. Destinations SIN, MNL, LAX, HNL, DEL, BKK. Usually 3-6 day trips.
B737 F/O SYD or MEL probably available very soon after joining.
The mix of flying for each aircraft type and base is likely to change!
B787 base pay is higher for the first 18 months, then the A330 base pay is higher, with the gap significantly widening the longer one remains as an S/O.
B787 bases are PER, MEL, SYD, and BNE. Destinations YVR, LHR, LAX, FCO, DFW. Most patterns 6-9 days.
A330 S/O bases are SYD and BNE. Destinations SIN, MNL, LAX, HNL, DEL, BKK. Usually 3-6 day trips.
B737 F/O SYD or MEL probably available very soon after joining.
The mix of flying for each aircraft type and base is likely to change!
B787 base pay is higher for the first 18 months, then the A330 base pay is higher, with the gap significantly widening the longer one remains as an S/O.
The general rule should be to take the first available start date. Seniority is very important!
B787 bases are PER, MEL, SYD, and BNE. Destinations YVR, LHR, LAX, FCO, DFW. Most patterns 6-9 days.
A330 S/O bases are SYD and BNE. Destinations SIN, MNL, LAX, HNL, DEL, BKK. Usually 3-6 day trips.
B737 F/O SYD or MEL probably available very soon after joining.
The mix of flying for each aircraft type and base is likely to change!
B787 base pay is higher for the first 18 months, then the A330 base pay is higher, with the gap significantly widening the longer one remains as an S/O.
B787 bases are PER, MEL, SYD, and BNE. Destinations YVR, LHR, LAX, FCO, DFW. Most patterns 6-9 days.
A330 S/O bases are SYD and BNE. Destinations SIN, MNL, LAX, HNL, DEL, BKK. Usually 3-6 day trips.
B737 F/O SYD or MEL probably available very soon after joining.
The mix of flying for each aircraft type and base is likely to change!
B787 base pay is higher for the first 18 months, then the A330 base pay is higher, with the gap significantly widening the longer one remains as an S/O.
Around how many days off between trips, and standby days is the norm?
B737 F/O SYD or MEL probably available very soon after joining.
The mix of flying for each aircraft type and base is likely to change!
B787 base pay is higher for the first 18 months, then the A330 base pay is higher, with the gap significantly widening the longer one remains as an S/O.
The mix of flying for each aircraft type and base is likely to change!
B787 base pay is higher for the first 18 months, then the A330 base pay is higher, with the gap significantly widening the longer one remains as an S/O.
What would a reasonable timeframe for LH FO be, will going straight to SH help or hinder?
be warned going to SH early means you cannot go back to LH unless it’s as an FO, (back bid not withstanding) this means you might be stuck in short haul for more than a decade!
LH FO previously around 10+ yrs. And going to SH has no impact whatsoever, movement is determined by your seniority alone.
be warned going to SH early means you cannot go back to LH unless it’s as an FO, (back bid not withstanding) this means you might be stuck in short haul for more than a decade!
be warned going to SH early means you cannot go back to LH unless it’s as an FO, (back bid not withstanding) this means you might be stuck in short haul for more than a decade!
"Stuck" in SH? With new hires on the 787/330/350 they would be getting paid less than a SH FO. The only ones who wouldn't would be senior A380 SOs and the ones who can be senior enough (and I'm talking the ones more senior than 330 FO) to write their own roster otherwise you'll be junior for a long time. The A380 has to have a limited future, so by the time you'd be in company long enough to reap the rewards of being a senior 380 SO the fleet would be close to retirement.
Potentially waiting an extended period to make it to LH FO would mean a lot of time out of a control seat, you'll probably find the transition easier if you went to SH and got a lot more hands on sectors rather than remaining as an SO until you could get to the RHS.
Potentially waiting an extended period to make it to LH FO would mean a lot of time out of a control seat, you'll probably find the transition easier if you went to SH and got a lot more hands on sectors rather than remaining as an SO until you could get to the RHS.
Firstly, whilst the 737 FO does make more per hour than a330/787 SO at present and you are in a control seat.
Most guys n girls coming into the operation already have a wealth of experience and for most, this is not their first jet.
There is a swap of priorities for some to pursue quality of life over renumeration.
The way I’d describe it, is that SH FOs are paid around 20% more to do twice as much work. Now for myself as a LH SO, I enjoy the extra time off to pursue other hobbies and business. This is just me and your own experience might be different. But with the hours I’m currently doing I’m earning the same amount as SH FO and scratching a fraction of the work.
DT
Seniority rotates in SH. So a junior roster sucks. All golden triangle. Many low density days, or reasonable density but 4 SYD-MEL returns etc….. working 18 days (that’s the max in a 28 day roster) but 3 will be reserves, so you may get 3 extra days off, or you may not. once you move up to around half way, life improves remarkably. Now getting overnights in nice places. 5-6 hours density per day and working 12-14 days for the roster. when you reach the lofty hieghts in your last 4 or 5 BP near the top, you are doing 9-11 days of work with high density PER/DRW/BRM/NAN returns. But you have so many days off, that you can pick up a bit of open time and work 12-14 for a much higher credit. Then you fall back to the bottom, and it starts again. The rotation takes 15 BId Periods (28 day Long)
PS. It gets better every BP you move up the list, so it sucks at the bottom, but each subsequent BP sucks a bit less than the previous one, until it doesn’t suck anymore. And it is pretty good more than it sucks during the whole rotation. That’s my experience anyway.
PS. It gets better every BP you move up the list, so it sucks at the bottom, but each subsequent BP sucks a bit less than the previous one, until it doesn’t suck anymore. And it is pretty good more than it sucks during the whole rotation. That’s my experience anyway.
The highest density trips are popular as it means you can work less days per month for your required hours by doing long dense days of flying.
You could have 19 days off out of 28 when senior or about 9 days off when “junior”, give it take depending on hours.
Mostly day trips though the mix of flying can and does change. Overnights mostly only a couple of days long - depends on the base.
If you’re looking for info on SH SYD and MEL, then I assume you would want LH SYD or MEL.
currently LH FO on the 330 in the most junior base (MEL) is over 10 years.
don’t rush to the 737. There’s plenty of time to enjoy the lifestyle LH offers. Jump over about 3-4 years before LH FO if you really want to. Remember though the 737 is a dying fleet now, the flying will look very different in a few years, and no one really knows what the 321 will look like yet.
I came early, I’ve been here a long time, if I had my time again Id’ve stayed LH SO about another 5 years.
currently LH FO on the 330 in the most junior base (MEL) is over 10 years.
don’t rush to the 737. There’s plenty of time to enjoy the lifestyle LH offers. Jump over about 3-4 years before LH FO if you really want to. Remember though the 737 is a dying fleet now, the flying will look very different in a few years, and no one really knows what the 321 will look like yet.
I came early, I’ve been here a long time, if I had my time again Id’ve stayed LH SO about another 5 years.
I personally don’t think you need to download anything. Just go and do it.
Well no one can tell you exactly how long a command will be for someone starting today. Presently most junior SH is 17-22 years dependent on base, LH 23 years. However you have to factor in almost 9 years of zero recruitment (09-16 and 20-22) in there.
At one point just prior to the GFC hitting the most junior SH commands went about 9-10 years, which would be consistent with time to command with constant recruitment.
A large demographic retirement shift will start from 2025 onwards.
At one point just prior to the GFC hitting the most junior SH commands went about 9-10 years, which would be consistent with time to command with constant recruitment.
A large demographic retirement shift will start from 2025 onwards.
Large number of very experienced externals have also received nothing yet, while QF has apparently also been targeting Air NZ Turboprop pilots (as explained by one himself)...read nothing into it as the entire system does not make sense 
I don’t think they’re targeting any one particular group. Just that there was a massive pile of applications in the first place, so there’s likely to be a pretty broad cross section of pilots.
They generally don’t “target” one group over another. A number of pilots from one area may have gotten invites to start testing and been vocal about it, creating an impression those from that background are being specifically targeted.