Capt Wally

.........there is no actual shortage of applicants to the RFDS...........just a shortage of ones that they find suitable !
The RFDS are at times caught between a rock & a hard place when it comes to filling pilots postions. Some applicants are simply not experienced enough as per my other detailed typical scenario post amongst these pages but others are in some ways way over qualified (if that's possible) mainly due to the fact that their are numerous multi crew drivers out there that seek employment with the RFDS for one reason or another (pilots dispute had 'em looking in their hunderds at the RFDS)...............sure they where no doubt once excellent single pilot guys but have long since perhaps lost that thinking egde & now almost require help from the other seat.
Bushy yr right they (as in RFDS drivers) are rewarded in monetary terms better than GA in general & the rostering can be all over the place............but it's not about money in that business at the end of the day it's about careing, getting the job done the best way possible & helping others in need, RFDS is or can be a career making/having a real difference..........the "rewards" are but secondary 'cause we all love flying right?

Capt Wally

air med

Bushy.
Like you I would have been a surprise if there were not many applicants lining up for a RFDS gig, but sadly it is true.
I know for a fact that one RFDS base put an ad out a few weeks ago and only got 2 replies, did the same thing then next week and got none.
Wally hit the nail on the head, they are taking single engine time guys with low multi time, outback and remote experience is low, but are prepared to work with and help the new one's out. The thing that does make us angry is that, having a doctor in the back and a nurse reading a book on along night home and the wage bill for the 2 of them is 300,000, yet the poor guy up the front is just getting 52-55000. You would think with a country in high boom, that all RFDS bases, start hitting the goverment for more money to get extra equipment, able for bases to put on more pilots and staff, but no, they have to scrap the bottom of the barrell to make ends meet.
Old john Flynn wouls be turning in his grave.
Wally you were on the money, it is a great gig and great work, thats why we do it.
Happy flying to all

neville_nobody

Why would they need to take low time guys when there are plenty of guys flying single engine turbines around these days in remote areas, namely Cairns, Torres Straight and (until recently) Alice Springs ? I was of the understanding that they still wanted the "magical" 500 Multi Engine Command which is becoming harder to come by as the years go on.

A37575

Hey, Wally old chap. You make it sound like only hairy chested he-men with red dust on their thongs can qualify for an interview with the RFDS. Ever tried flying a 737 into black night Pacific atolls? I tell you what, there wasn't the Superman image with those pilots that you project for RFDS pilots. Yet their skills were good. Wasn't it only a few months back on Pprune that mentioned mentioned wryly that the dam-buster pilot Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC, DSO, DFC who spent most of his young pilot career getting shot at, would not qualify for even a 210 job in Australia because of lack of remote area experience. He was also too young at age 24 to qualify because he only had 800 hours. Puts the RFDS nonsense in perspective doesn't it?

If the RFDS bothered to train pilots for the job rather than bitching about how short they are of pilots, then you would likely get some good applicants.

Bendo

Can someone explain this?

General RFDS experience minimums as published on their website:

Australian commercial pilots licence.
Current command instrument rating (multi-engine) with two renewals.
2000 hours as pilot-in-command.
1000 hours as pilot-in-command of a multi-engined aircraft.
200 hours night operations as pilot-in-command.
Pilots with turbo-prop experience preferred.

As published on the SE section website:

Total Command Time - 3000 hours minimum
Total Night Hours - 500 hours minimum
Total Multi engine command - 500 hours minimum
Instrument Flight Time - 500 hours minimum
No. of Instrument rating renewals - 5

I have been flying in the same region as all the "Mike Victa" aircraft for about 10 years and Kimberley before that. I know where I would rather live for lifestyle alone - is this the reason for the higher minima?

alky

High and seemingly rediculous requirements placed on applicants are generally due to the limits placed on the RFDS by the commercial contracts it enters into. The only thing the service can do is apply for an exemption to relax the limiting requirement on a one off basis. Otherwise, its' hands are tied.

Jet_A_Knight

Bendo, I believe that the SE Section minimums are related to requirements regarding the NSW Ambulance contract.

Captain Sand Dune

Thread hijack!!

Question for RFDS pilots that may be involved with recruiting; what is the maximum age limit for RFDS applicants?

bushy

Has anyone stopped to wonder why the contracts require a certain number of hours.

3000 is not a lot of hours.

GA is now flooded with young pilots who want to get 500 twin in the first year and get out.

MBA747

Can you blame those who want to get out after 500 hours twin. If employers treated them fairly, paid the award rate and cut out the varbal abuse perhaps the younger pilots would stay on. Why should a young pilot who perhaps is a lot better educated than his employer, who has invested over 70K in training have to put up with the abuse of the tradesman type employer.

Hopefully you treat your staff better.

Captain Nomad

I was led to believe that the inflated SE section requirements were due to the internal Sydney basing requirements being blanketed over the whole section a number of years ago?

bushy

MBA747
No, I would not blame a young pilot for leaving if he was unfairly treated, verbally abused, and paid less than the award. I would expect him to do so.

If he was "much better educated than his employer" I would have to wonder why he did not do some research about job prospects before he started, and why he took such a job.

I would consider him to be a well educated fool.

Do you know anyone like this?

Chimbu chuckles

Lets define 'better educated' as it might apply to a 20 yr old

Education doesn't end at HSC....in fact one might be so bold as to add that it has just started at that point

Capt Wally

......................A37575......just for the record seeing as yr comments might be heading in a personal way as in attacking an individual (sadly) yes I have as a matter of fact flown into a Pacific attol/s on a very black night in shocking blinding rain after transiting the Pacific with the bare minimum of fuel & with a medical team aboard all the time wondering whether we are simply going to make it !!!..........oh & just for the record I wasn't in a B737 where you have assistance beyond yr Coey I was in a aeromedical LR35 sometimes cramped in there for up to four hrs & often with a 'green' coey who was experiencing at the time a very steep learning curve as we all are under such arduous conditions. So no, no 'he man' with a hairy chest (just checked, ok so I have a hairy chest ):-)

So to finish off some other comments here the RFDS often require high experience levels purely for contract reasons as others have stated amongst these pages but I still believe that the high hrs requirements are there for very good reasons. I don't need to explain here further I don't make the rules I like all else here have to abide by them.

Capt wally:-)

p.s............The age limit in the Sth Eastern Section (as asked by someone else here) isn't specificly stated or enforced mainly due for discrimination reasons. So fly on after 60 if yr made of the right stuff