And dragging this back to recruitment.....
Suffice to say, if recruited you can expect to be based at any of the longhaul aircraft bases, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane on most likely the A330 or 787 (unless you win the lottery and get a 380 spot).

Regardless of where you choose to live you will be expected to be at your base ready to operate as required under the award. As an S/O and it's a flying duty, that usually means ready to do a walkaround, participate as required pre-flight and be sufficiently rested to jump into a front seat at around 20,000ft on climb for up to 6 or 7 hours - assuming it's a longer sector. Most often though, you'll get the first break and do the latter 6 or 7 hours before top of descent (on 3-pilot sectors). As IsDon says, how you make that work is up to you. Most are making it work, but it only takes a few who wont, to change the current documented 'Commuting Guidelines' into 'Commuting Rules'.

If you don't feel that's for you, you think you can manipulate the system to your advantage or you have other interests that are more important than being fit for duty as required, withdraw your application now as you may still get a gig but your colleagues will soon tire of your attitude.

If you have enough enthusiasm to tackle that, then come on in, the water's great!! :ok:

Spoken as a commuter for 29 years.

There are a few documents relating to Fatigue including a very generalised 'Commuting Guidelines' document but it adds little to what has been discussed in the last few days here and elsewhere. It essentially provides you with some thoughts that you need to consider and how to best ensure you're fit after commuting to your base for a duty:
Some of the many considerations include:
Where and when am I going to get some sleep?
Do I need to commute to my base the night before, even if it's just for a standby?
Do I have a backup plan if my commuting flight is cancelled, delayed or is suddenly full due to disruptions,
Should I look for a commuter pad with some other pilots or do I have others I can stay with?…..

Qantas do not formally restrict any commuting at your own expense and most commuters are fairly conservative in their approach.
Have I ever missed a duty in 29 years of commuting? No, but I've come close a couple of times when the 'proverbial has hit the fan', but that can happen driving to work too. Qantas are not unreasonable if you've made every reasonable effort to get to work no matter where you are coming from.

Commuting's doable to and from just about anywhere but you need to plan ahead.

No IsDon you are the one who made the statement. I am curious as to whether it is based on fact or just an attempt to denigrate someone who has a different view to you.

A frame of reference.
 

As Qantas is heavily recruiting, some new hire pilots might consider commuting cross continent. It is important to understand the difference between opinion, personal experience and regulatory issues.

Irrespective of the cheapness of the seat in which one sits the 'frame of reference' is provided by two key insights:

1. The UK CAA and the British Airways response to fatigue mitigation
2. AIPA's documented concerns with respect to new TOD limits and their implications.

With respect to point 1, the UK is also a signatory to ICAO Annex 6. That the provisions relate to a dual responsibility to mitigate fatigue, may perhaps explain, why British Airways have acted. It doesn't look a cookie cutter response, it seems a risk averse and logical position to adopt.

Unfortunately, referring to point 2 above, neither science nor indeed your own association (AIPA) considers your strategy is optimal.
Thank you to your colleagues for providing a frame of reference. This below is reproduced from AIPA submission regarding changes to CAO 48.1

A 2240 Sydney time departure, having woken on the East Coast in the morning, even with in-flight rest will not mitigate fatigue.
Further, your association considers the degradation of crew rest 'due commercial imperative' to be a further reason why fatigue cannot be mitigated in-flight, stating;


As a superior driver, perhaps the sharp bend can be handled at 120km/h. The legislation considers that the best way is to write rules so everybody gets around the bend safely, and thus prescribe a lower speed limit.

No one does.
Would anybody spend three hours in traffic in Perth?

Oh and an addition commuter guideline.
If you're going to pax from east coast to west and operate, it's probably a good idea to choose a flight that has a better than even chance of you getting a Business class seat.
5 hours in a middle economy seat on a 737 between some (less than hygenic, talkative, aggressive……) people is not particularly conductive to restful relaxation before a long tour of duty. :{

What stops a Management Pilot spending the day in the office then operating a flight from Sydney to Bangkok? Nothing.

What stops a Management Pilot spending the day in the office and operating Sydney to LAX, or Melbourne to LAX? Nothing.

But hey......a pilot gets up late after sleeping in their own bed, jumps on a jet, has a meal, watches a movie, reads a book, has a nap, catches up with a friend/colleague and then operates a ULR flight and suddenly everybody has an expert opinion on how it is wrong and "putting lives at risk."

What stops a pilot from living on a farm, spending the entire day in the fields or doing mechanical work then driving 2-3 hours and doing a ULR flight? Or a pilot living in Newcastle, spending the day in their lawnmower business, then driving 2-3 hours and operating SYD-LAX? Or a pilot living in Lismore running their Macadamia Farm and then driving to BNE to operate to SFO? Or a pilot living in Melbourne spending all day looking after their challenging toddler, while their partner is at work, then operating a flight to LAX or SFO?

Nothing.

I know who is going to turn up to work feeling more rested.

A no paxing rule before a ULR flight is a completely ludicrous and ill-thought idea that has no merit. Why don't you contact CASA and tell them that EVERY pilot should be wearing a sleeping/activity monitoring device which is then checked at sign on, and if the pilot hasn't turned completely rested for any flight then they are stood down - irrespective of whether it's SH, LH or ULR flying? Maybe we should be getting CASA to write into the rules a maximum travelling time of 30 mins by road in order to be deemed fit to fly? No? Don't agree? To hard to achieve in Sydney? Won't that throw the cat amongst the pigeons. How many pilots would be cleared to operate then? The people who are stupidly, with absolutely no experience in the matter, commenting about paxing before a flight need to really consider what they are spruking. The pilot has the responsibility of confirming whether they are fit to fly. Why is that nobody questions the other examples that I have given? We all know that those things have and do occur.

Idealistic twaddle, with zero merit.

And the flights mentioned are generally midday departures

For someone with a start date within the next 6 months, could someone give a realistic indicator of promotion and SO salaries? Some people say its impossible to support a family on single income especially being an SO but what about 737 pay? I am interested in Perth base opportunities.

There was a time when no one cared that much about what the salaries were going to be. If you wanted a particular job, you applied! That must indicate there are plenty of choices out there now?

Crosscutter, thank you for your feedback. I have read this thread in its entirety and I was just gathering info on current, as in 2019 promotion opportunities. Tough decision has been made hence why I applied, I need to be a bit realistic as I will be taking a huge paycut to be back in Oz. So, ground schools forecast every month I presume? Maybe ill be better off getting on the earliest one ASAP.