Merged: Qantaslink Traineeship/Cadetship/General Employment

[training wheels]

Hey, can anyone confirm that there's no Spatial Reasoning nor Diagrammatic Tests with the QantasLink Psych tests?

[ops_are_normal]

That would be confirmed training_wheels, there is no stupid boxes/patterns etc. Well wasn't on mine anyway!

[adamk]

the people who are doing the interview in the next few weeks, which have completed the psych test on the 11th of April, would you be able to be so kind as to tell me after you had your interview, and that you have asked, when you'll be starting your course?

My boss and I need to get an idea of how sc*** he is if I leave the place (when i get in *finger cross)

Thanks

[Kenny050]

It is a little unnerving people with so little experience will potentially be 2IC with so many lives in their hands. In terms of being in control of such a large aircraft with its various systems, good training can completely take care of that - after all, military trainees are doing their first PC9 solo after 5 hours on type, after 60 hours in a CT4. The Army dudes are going first helo solo in a jetranger after about 8 hours.
What does concern me, as said before, is the lack of experience in dealing with crap weather, emergencies, diversions etc - the kind of thing all the best training in the world can tell you about but not necessarily expose you to. Its this exposure that comes with experience, previously gained on much smaller aircraft with much smaller consequences... Bring back the bug smashers

[AviatoR21]

I disagree, all around the world fresh CPL/IR pilots go straight onto a jet job like a A320 or B737. They are trained as first officers and with the help of the EXPERIENCED captain they will be guided and shown the right path. I take my hat off to those people who did the hard yards up north but hey that era is coming to an end.

[Dragun]

I agree with Kenny. Anyone can be taught to rote learn procedures and sure, people all around the world are being put into the right seat of A320s and 737s with no experience. This doesn't mean they're capable beyond the normal operating procedures of the FCOM.

I'm not saying they can't do the job in a general basis - but I hear line captain after training captain after line captain complain about how the lack of experience in the guys coming through now (including cadets and low time guys) are just making their job harder and harder by the week. Training captains who have become instructors for flying IFR, making radio calls, having to teach crosswind landings in some cases! You can come up with any reasoning you want, but they're the facts straight from the captains these people will be flying with. The aircraft is designed to be operated with 2 pilots...in essence, the captain is not there to "guide and show them down the right path".

Having said that, I think if companies are willing to implement traineeships like these then people would be crazy not to take it. It's definitely a golden opportunity and one that won't last forever.

[KRUSTY 34]

Good points Dragun, and most likely the way of thing to come. but what happens when the blind are leading the blind? The larger operators will generaly still have an "Experienced" pilot in the left seat. Not Ideal, but definitely vital. It's the smaller airlines that will and are now trying to come to grips with truely inexperienced crews in the cockpit. No ILS to ILS for these guys.

Low capacity operators like REX have been alluding to low hour candidates that it may be possible for them to log ICUS whilst in the normal course of their duties! Thus gaining one essential component for upgrade. Notwithstanding the fact that CASA would have to come to the party, the Captain ( the real captain of course) of these flights would have to sign off on it. In the current environment, not bloody likely!

hopefully there will be enough pilots left who have seen first hand the grim initiations of the past and protect the travelling public from short sighted management types with even shorter memories.

[empacher48]

Certainly what has been said here makes sense, if they take on the right balance of low timed guys, People with experience - but not enough to meet a minimum requirement, Direct Entry FOs. Then over all safety should not be too significantly impacted. But if every pilot they employ from now on has 200 hrs total time, then I would be concerned.

I applied for this only a few weeks ago, with 1500hrs total time, 100 hrs multi command (all PIC Multi Turbine), ATPLs and MEIR (but not current).

[Pete206]

QL Traineeship

I applied after the first add in Jan. Did not hear anything until late march when advised by email to do the apptitude tests by early April. Two weeks following this date received a phone call for sim and interview date late may. Sim is Q400 has any one had a go at this one yet?

TT & TIC > 1000hrs ATPL's IREX complete near complete MEIR long time ago.

Cheers

[Lasiorhinus]

Originally Posted by KRUSTY 34

Low capacity operators like REX have been alluding to low hour candidates that it may be possible for them to log ICUS whilst in the normal course of their duties! Thus gaining one essential component for upgrade. Notwithstanding the fact that CASA would have to come to the party, the Captain ( the real captain of course) of these flights would have to sign off on it. In the current environment, not bloody likely!

Why not, Krusty? Why would a captain operating in an approved operation refuse to sign off on a co-pilot's ICUS?

[zendj]

Email from QL - Invite for SHL Testing

Did anyone get an email from QL over the last few days inviting them to do the SHL testing.....? - and happen to notice the multitude of others also invited (due to the fact that QL sent the email with all the recipients in the TO field and not BCC)?
Pretty serious breach of privacy I say!

[HappyBandit]

Any ppl from Bris going to Mel for training tomorrow?

If there are any Brissie pilots going to Melb tomorrow for training PM me.

[Dragun]

Remember flying regionals is Multi Crew.Multi crew allows operators to place a lesser houred pilot in the right seat.All the QL candidates have the aptitude to progress and grasp whats in front of them,they will do well.Don't worry about the passengers in regards of a 500hr TT or 1000hr TT pilot in the right seat because at the end of the day they are tasked and trained with a Captain by them and also "It is just an aircraft".Once a pilot has been drilled in the Sim and has Base and Line Checks periodically,they will be fine.....

With correct training and repetition, a human regardless of age will operate efficiently....

I had a friend once who used to say "It is just an aircraft". Him and I used to argue over that and I warned him one day it would come back to bite him. It did the day he died when his aircraft ran out of fuel during take off. He thought there had been enough in it for his flight and hadn't checked properly. As much as it hurt to see that happen, I couldn't help but remember him say all the time "Don't worry mate, it's just an aircraft".

You said "with correct training and repetition". Flying IS made up of repetition with small mistakes along the way which hopefully, if not too big, end up with a rich tapestry of experience. Whilst cyclics form a good basis for emergency situations, being told exactly what to expect in a cyclic and when to expect it don't really make for the real thing. I've experienced a few engine failures and similiar in my time now (both single pilot and multi crew) and I can assure you that I was glad that I had experience in conjunction with good training with which to deal with the situation when it arose.

Krusty - I don't know what will happen when the blind are leading the blind. By that time I hope to be well away from the regional arena but I do feel for the captains of the near future. Operating will become a lot more work and I know many are adding that to the reasons of leaving the company and some from aviation altogether.

I guess time will tell. Good luck to all those applying

[capt_akun]

For those working in the general aviation sector who has interviews coming up. Have you talked to your boss about it, and how did he react to it?

I am in the bads, as I thought I'll be nice to let him/her know about it so s/he can maybe has a head up on things just in case I have to leave and he's bled without a pilot in the busy season. Only to find out that majority of my flights have been canceled, and given to another pilot. An act of goodness just over my sorry a$$. Ughk! Even worst is that he asked me whether I know anyone that can filled my place, or that whether I can come back in between interviews and starting (if getting in)... Am i just unlucky? or STUPIDLY NICE!



will have to look for a new job if qantaslink doesn't want me. any taker?

[training wheels]

Originally Posted by ops_are_normal

That would be confirmed training_wheels, there is no stupid boxes/patterns etc. Well wasn't on mine anyway!

Thanks for that. I was about to go down to the supermarket and look for empty box cartons to practice on. Well, I guess no need to do so, now.

Are the practice psych tests from SHL similar to the real thing in terms of depth and degree of difficulty?

[ops_are_normal]

Can't really remember sorry, to be honest I don't think I even did any practise exams, just shut the door and cracked a can of red bull. must have worked some how...

From what I've been reading and hearing the majority of people don't get it all finished or feel that flash afterwards but you can only do what you can (Unless your some sort of robot.)

I didn't even know what I'd got myself into until there seemed to be a never ending amount of random questions, I was expecting the whole stage 2 Sydney testing thing like all other entry levels do...

I'm not even sure if all those exams they send people are the same... But those sample questions and test probably get your brain fired up and going down the right thought process for the real thing anyway.


Good luck.!

[KRUSTY 34]

Thanks Dragun, beat me to it!

[pilotdreams1977]

Hi Guys....just a quick question

Gday everyone, just a quick question.

Has everyone that has applied got offered the online testing? And then everyone who has completed the testing got offered the interview? And once done the check ride and interview got offered a place on the training course?

It just seems that everyone who has applied has seemed to pass each stage and then has been offered a place on the course.

Does anyone know of anyone who hasn't been offered a place or not made it through to the next stage? I have heard of guys coming out of the interview thinking they have made a complete fool of themselves and the interviewers rolling their eyes.......but somehow they were offered.

Or do they intend to then weed them out during the training course itself?

[empacher48]

Has everyone that has applied got offered the online testing?

I applied a few weeks ago, and haven't heard anything.. As they say on the website you'll get an invitation to do that when you're competitive. So I guess when I'm competitive I'll get the invite.

As far as everyone getting through, what do you base that on? (Just curious) The number of people posting on here that got in is a small number of people compared with who have gone through the process. Some posts ago there were figures thrown around like some 800 pilots have applied, and interviewing around 50 people a month. (or something like that), I don't think QL would have the cash to put 800 people through the training course to weed them out! And I don't think anyone would post on here that they had missed out - well I wouldn't anyway.

[Lasiorhinus]

Lots of people don't make it past the interview.

It seems that, if you get in, they will tell you before you leave Sydney. If you dont get in, they promise to contact you in the next few days - and then post a rejection letter.

I dont have figures to hand, but less than half of those interviewed are being offered places on the course.