RFDS QLD section
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RFDS QLD section
To any concernd in the qld section rfds.
Can I say first of all that it is admirable the work that you do and the "Mantle of Safety" you provide is clearly respected by all in the QLD community.
However as far as an aspiring applicant is concerned you're requirements seem to be... um.. less than realistic for the position sought in this current environment!
Copied from website here
Essential Qualifications and Experience:
It is essential that candidates seeking employment with the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (Queensland Section) understand that important emphasis is also given to the following Desirable Qualifications and Experience.
It is unlikely that any candidate will enjoy all of the characteristics listed below; nevertheless they form an important part of the recruitment process.
Desirable Qualifications and Experience:
Important emphasis on the "Desirable Qalifications and Experience"! ... As a long term applicant with still no opportunity!..... That PC12 out there in the bush must be akin to the space shuttle.... Cause it seems to be easier to get a job with just about any airline in the world, be paid more, and have a better base than it is to try to remain within Australia on one of our single engine turbo props!
Any one have some insight as to the reasons for this!
Can I say first of all that it is admirable the work that you do and the "Mantle of Safety" you provide is clearly respected by all in the QLD community.
However as far as an aspiring applicant is concerned you're requirements seem to be... um.. less than realistic for the position sought in this current environment!
Copied from website here
Essential Qualifications and Experience:
- Australian Commercial Pilot 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
- a sound work ethic
- Demonstrated maturity and stability of employment
- Excellent communication skills
- A philosophy sympathetic to the ideals of the RFDS
- An empathy for the bush and its people
It is essential that candidates seeking employment with the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (Queensland Section) understand that important emphasis is also given to the following Desirable Qualifications and Experience.
It is unlikely that any candidate will enjoy all of the characteristics listed below; nevertheless they form an important part of the recruitment process.
Desirable Qualifications and Experience:
- Current Australian Air Transport Pilot Licence
- 5000 hours as Pilot-in-Command
- 3000 hours as Pilot-in-Command of a multi-engined aircraft
- 500 hours as Pilot-in-Command at night
- 2000 hours as Pilot-in-Command of a turbo-prop or turbo-jet aircraft
- Grade One Instructor Rating (Multi-engine) or military equivalent
- Check Pilot Experience within a CAR 217 Organisation
- Minimum eight Instrument Rating Renewals completed
- Demonstrated willingness to reside within a remote area
- Pilots with turbo-prop experience preferred
Important emphasis on the "Desirable Qalifications and Experience"! ... As a long term applicant with still no opportunity!..... That PC12 out there in the bush must be akin to the space shuttle.... Cause it seems to be easier to get a job with just about any airline in the world, be paid more, and have a better base than it is to try to remain within Australia on one of our single engine turbo props!
Any one have some insight as to the reasons for this!
Without getting into a p!ssing contest on the exact number of hours stated above (and they are guidelines as indicated) the experience requirements for RFDS are, and should be, higher than an FO on any heavy metal.
IMHO the pay should reflect this too. If it did, there would be very little turnover.
If you are the long term applicant, have you contacted them to find out why you have been overlooked?
BTW - some of the desirable quals make it sound like there is an upcoming C&T position, not just line pilot skills.
IMHO the pay should reflect this too. If it did, there would be very little turnover.
If you are the long term applicant, have you contacted them to find out why you have been overlooked?
BTW - some of the desirable quals make it sound like there is an upcoming C&T position, not just line pilot skills.
1. They pay the money, they ask whatever qualifications they want.
2. The admirable operations they carry out, including night emergency flights, requires special skills and experience.
I live in the bush. The RFDS pilots walk on water!!
2. The admirable operations they carry out, including night emergency flights, requires special skills and experience.
I live in the bush. The RFDS pilots walk on water!!
pylonracer,
Straight up, you seem like the kind of person who wants to get into the above mentioned organisation, work there for 1-2 years, get some turbine time, then off you go to your airline job. Forgive me if I am wrong.
Unfourtanate for many hour building, airline wanting pilots, being the smart organisation that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is, they keep the minimums high, to ‘weed out’ the one’s who couldn’t be bothered ‘hanging around’ to get into the organisation. They are not what you would call a stepping stone. They are more of a long term employer to which you give the minimum return of service as agreed in your gentlemens agreement at the start, and then if you’re in it for the right reasons you will stay for many years afterwards.
You will find most of the pilots in the RFDS, even now, are quite happy where they are, and don’t want to move on to anything else. That’s the kind of job it is. It’s for those who find flying at FL380 for 4hrs straight boring, and enjoy the people on people role that the RFDS gives.
There are many pilots who were born in the country, and would rather live in a regional centre, doing the job the RFDS pilots do and gaining the job satisfaction that you end up with at the end of every day. To them, it’s not about the hours you do every year, nor the countdown until they can go for their Qantas interviews, because most of them don’t want to.
A friend of mine went through the interview process with the QLD section some time ago now. Of most interest was that the flying component was a very small part of the interview. The biggest part was trying to suss out exactly what kind of person you were, and if you ‘fitted the mould’ of the RFDS. It is a small team environment you work in every day, and it is most important that you’re there to get the best outcome for everyone, and not just gain the most hours in a day you can.
So, yes, the RFDS QLD Section does have high requirements. But if you’re aiming for the RFDS and the very satisfying and enjoyable job that comes with it, and not that $120,000 a year job in Qantas, then you don’t really care what the requirements are. If you have the right sort of attitude, the maturity, and the determination, you will enjoy the ride that is GA and enjoy the satisfaction when you finally do land that RFDS job.
Ohh, and one more thing…. QLD’s minimum’s are actually (I’m pretty sure) the lowest of all the sections.
Straight up, you seem like the kind of person who wants to get into the above mentioned organisation, work there for 1-2 years, get some turbine time, then off you go to your airline job. Forgive me if I am wrong.
Unfourtanate for many hour building, airline wanting pilots, being the smart organisation that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is, they keep the minimums high, to ‘weed out’ the one’s who couldn’t be bothered ‘hanging around’ to get into the organisation. They are not what you would call a stepping stone. They are more of a long term employer to which you give the minimum return of service as agreed in your gentlemens agreement at the start, and then if you’re in it for the right reasons you will stay for many years afterwards.
You will find most of the pilots in the RFDS, even now, are quite happy where they are, and don’t want to move on to anything else. That’s the kind of job it is. It’s for those who find flying at FL380 for 4hrs straight boring, and enjoy the people on people role that the RFDS gives.
There are many pilots who were born in the country, and would rather live in a regional centre, doing the job the RFDS pilots do and gaining the job satisfaction that you end up with at the end of every day. To them, it’s not about the hours you do every year, nor the countdown until they can go for their Qantas interviews, because most of them don’t want to.
A friend of mine went through the interview process with the QLD section some time ago now. Of most interest was that the flying component was a very small part of the interview. The biggest part was trying to suss out exactly what kind of person you were, and if you ‘fitted the mould’ of the RFDS. It is a small team environment you work in every day, and it is most important that you’re there to get the best outcome for everyone, and not just gain the most hours in a day you can.
So, yes, the RFDS QLD Section does have high requirements. But if you’re aiming for the RFDS and the very satisfying and enjoyable job that comes with it, and not that $120,000 a year job in Qantas, then you don’t really care what the requirements are. If you have the right sort of attitude, the maturity, and the determination, you will enjoy the ride that is GA and enjoy the satisfaction when you finally do land that RFDS job.
Ohh, and one more thing…. QLD’s minimum’s are actually (I’m pretty sure) the lowest of all the sections.
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Puff, that may be true with QLD's prereqs (being the lowest hr wise) but I think you'll find most successful applicants are closer to the 'desirables' in pylonracer's post. The last time I heard QLD section's average pilot hours were around 8-9 thousand, with usually at least a third of that at night.
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ps Gidday Torres back in NQ after nearly 7 years in the desert with Westops!!!
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ps Gidday Torres back in NQ after nearly 7 years in the desert with Westops!!!
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Pylonracer,
maybe you should update? I hear there is a changing of the guard in the recruitment section there. I also hear there is a shortage of pilots too.
As for the requirements listed, puff has said some admirable things. The small-team work is the major part of the job. RFDS is really quite different to any other pilot job in that you are part of a small team (doctor, nurse, pilot, and of course the coordinating doctors/team remotely located who can be a challenge to deal with) that lives in each others' pockets when on shift. Also, the bases usually are quite small, so everyone needs to get on with each other both at work and socially. When you work with a good team it's the best job going. Combine that with making real and tangible differences in peoples' lives it is the best job around. If you have people who are not team players, then you wish you were back in your old job! QLD Section has quite a few of the new B200s with the Proline 21 avionics, so the gear is good.
The requirements for pilots are based not so much on flying skills, but more on the maturity in the individual and he/she's arimanship ability too. The ability to make a safe, accurate aviation decision (which pilots do from time to time) with someone's life in the balance is not something that can be taught, but life skills and maturity can help with. Unfortunately there is no endorsement or qualification that RFDS can list on their minimum qualifications to reflect this, so the hours and experience have to show it. Look up Compressor Stall's posts from a few years back and you'll find a good description of the reason for life skills and aviation experience. (High Stally, how's the cold?)
maybe you should update? I hear there is a changing of the guard in the recruitment section there. I also hear there is a shortage of pilots too.
As for the requirements listed, puff has said some admirable things. The small-team work is the major part of the job. RFDS is really quite different to any other pilot job in that you are part of a small team (doctor, nurse, pilot, and of course the coordinating doctors/team remotely located who can be a challenge to deal with) that lives in each others' pockets when on shift. Also, the bases usually are quite small, so everyone needs to get on with each other both at work and socially. When you work with a good team it's the best job going. Combine that with making real and tangible differences in peoples' lives it is the best job around. If you have people who are not team players, then you wish you were back in your old job! QLD Section has quite a few of the new B200s with the Proline 21 avionics, so the gear is good.
The requirements for pilots are based not so much on flying skills, but more on the maturity in the individual and he/she's arimanship ability too. The ability to make a safe, accurate aviation decision (which pilots do from time to time) with someone's life in the balance is not something that can be taught, but life skills and maturity can help with. Unfortunately there is no endorsement or qualification that RFDS can list on their minimum qualifications to reflect this, so the hours and experience have to show it. Look up Compressor Stall's posts from a few years back and you'll find a good description of the reason for life skills and aviation experience. (High Stally, how's the cold?)
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Quite right you blokes.
The east coast has lots of facilities and infrastructure which does not exist in the outback, so many things are different. The job IS different.
One of the basic things a real outback pilot knows about is the hostile climate, and isolated airfields with no telephones etc. You NEVER drop pax at a strip and fly away until you know that there is transport for them. If no one is there you "buzz' the community until someone does come out.
If you are not a bushman you should not be out here. The flood of city slickers with short term agenda's are out of place.
In recent times there has been a case of a pax who died after being dropped off and left alone at the airstrip.
Don't know who the operator was, but it MUST be fixed.
One of the basic things a real outback pilot knows about is the hostile climate, and isolated airfields with no telephones etc. You NEVER drop pax at a strip and fly away until you know that there is transport for them. If no one is there you "buzz' the community until someone does come out.
If you are not a bushman you should not be out here. The flood of city slickers with short term agenda's are out of place.
In recent times there has been a case of a pax who died after being dropped off and left alone at the airstrip.
Don't know who the operator was, but it MUST be fixed.
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Just out of interest I think you will find that a couple of the recent new pilots are reasonably young and with just the minimum essential requirements.
My understanding is that the right attitude plays a very big part in your employability.
My understanding is that the right attitude plays a very big part in your employability.
Hurlingham, I believe you are correct.
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Bushy,
Interesting reply/statement to a thread called RFDS QLD section.
You may want to think about starting a new thread on that subject and not mistakenly imply QLD RFDS are involved, (imply by the fact you mentioned it on this thread)
You may also want to gather more information on the sad incident.
For the record..I was not the pilot of that flight nor have anything to do with either company.
The new gear in theBE200 makes life as a single pilot in medivac type conditions a hell of a lot easier.
The decision making and overall picture are a huge part of the job.
Interesting reply/statement to a thread called RFDS QLD section.
You may want to think about starting a new thread on that subject and not mistakenly imply QLD RFDS are involved, (imply by the fact you mentioned it on this thread)
You may also want to gather more information on the sad incident.
For the record..I was not the pilot of that flight nor have anything to do with either company.
The new gear in theBE200 makes life as a single pilot in medivac type conditions a hell of a lot easier.
The decision making and overall picture are a huge part of the job.
You'd expect a tight ship with a very professional, experienced and respected Chief Pilot who has probably forgotten more than others know about aviation and leadership. A great team, revered out here in the bush!
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I sincerely hope they find what they are looking for.
BUT
Almost overnight the whole pilot employment paradigm has changed. The bar in our org is set about the same as theirs, the number of pilots that can get to jump over it, let alone pass the "people friendly" test is becoming visibly smaller even unto invisible.
The only alternative is to change the employment paradigm without lowering the standards.
It means you have to lower the bar (sometimes a lot) and look a lot harder at individuals who previously may not have made the first cut. There is real quality there even down to quite low experience levels. We have the luxury of two crews ops so we are able to mentor these guys with an experienced Capt beside them. We are also paying the price of the lack of higher level industry training opportunities available to aspirants. Our training budget is now a whole lot bigger than we intended.
One thing that sticks out like the proverbials is the general lack of a broad aviation knowledge base and awareness of the enormous advances in cockpit technology that have taken place just in the last 10-15 years. Cuppla days to get to grips with the flying, cuppla weeks to learn the gizmos in the cockpit.
Had an excruciatingly delicious shadenfraude experience just recently when an "experienced old hand, proclaimed guru and legend in his own lunchbox endorsed on type" picked up a "modern" all glass aircraft we had just sold. The reply to the offer of "can our Chief Pilot to give you a bit of a run through before you go" was in the mode of "run along sonny". One and a half hours later with the engines running and heads down in the books and much gesticulating from within the cockpit they taxied away to TO. I have a feeling they may have departed on the STD BY gear.
Moral of the story? It's a whole new world out there and it only arrived last week.
BUT
Almost overnight the whole pilot employment paradigm has changed. The bar in our org is set about the same as theirs, the number of pilots that can get to jump over it, let alone pass the "people friendly" test is becoming visibly smaller even unto invisible.
The only alternative is to change the employment paradigm without lowering the standards.
It means you have to lower the bar (sometimes a lot) and look a lot harder at individuals who previously may not have made the first cut. There is real quality there even down to quite low experience levels. We have the luxury of two crews ops so we are able to mentor these guys with an experienced Capt beside them. We are also paying the price of the lack of higher level industry training opportunities available to aspirants. Our training budget is now a whole lot bigger than we intended.
One thing that sticks out like the proverbials is the general lack of a broad aviation knowledge base and awareness of the enormous advances in cockpit technology that have taken place just in the last 10-15 years. Cuppla days to get to grips with the flying, cuppla weeks to learn the gizmos in the cockpit.
Had an excruciatingly delicious shadenfraude experience just recently when an "experienced old hand, proclaimed guru and legend in his own lunchbox endorsed on type" picked up a "modern" all glass aircraft we had just sold. The reply to the offer of "can our Chief Pilot to give you a bit of a run through before you go" was in the mode of "run along sonny". One and a half hours later with the engines running and heads down in the books and much gesticulating from within the cockpit they taxied away to TO. I have a feeling they may have departed on the STD BY gear.
Moral of the story? It's a whole new world out there and it only arrived last week.