Go North or get a real job?
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Go North or get a real job?
A question to all the economic/aviation expertsout there. As I have now got my licence/life etc sorted out and am ready to head North, I have been offered a very good paying job with a half decent aviation player down south.(Not flying)
My question is, do I take the job and see what happens to the aviation sector in the next few months or go up now while there is still some work to be had and make myself more employable for the future?
I'm leaning towards staying put for a while and getting some money back in the bank as well as seeing where the economy goes. I know the first few things that suffers in a downturn is tourism and aviation.
Any wisdom on this matter is much appreciated.
My question is, do I take the job and see what happens to the aviation sector in the next few months or go up now while there is still some work to be had and make myself more employable for the future?
I'm leaning towards staying put for a while and getting some money back in the bank as well as seeing where the economy goes. I know the first few things that suffers in a downturn is tourism and aviation.
Any wisdom on this matter is much appreciated.
If you want to be a pilot then go North and go flying. Sitting around doing desk jobs won't get you any closer to an airline job. People leave high paying professional desk jobs to go bush and be pilots so the sooner you bight the bullet the better. If the music stops too, you will be better off in the industry than on the outside.
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When did they leave these jobs.
Many people have left good paying desk jobs to go and fly but did they do it in the face of the biggest stock market dive since the Great Depression? I think not. I cant see how being in an industry when it tanks is better than not being there when it tanks?
Telling me to man up and get out there is an answer I have already heard. I would like to know if anyone has a differing opinion? I was wondering if anyone who was starting out when the '87 crash happened would like to comment?
Nev and Plankbender, if you fall into the catergory I just mentioned, then I will take your advice graciously and leave this thread alone.
Plankbender, who gave you the power to tell the moderator which threads should stay open and which one's shouldn't?
Cheers
Telling me to man up and get out there is an answer I have already heard. I would like to know if anyone has a differing opinion? I was wondering if anyone who was starting out when the '87 crash happened would like to comment?
Nev and Plankbender, if you fall into the catergory I just mentioned, then I will take your advice graciously and leave this thread alone.
Plankbender, who gave you the power to tell the moderator which threads should stay open and which one's shouldn't?
Cheers
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At the end of the day if you really want to fly you got to head off. I know people that got the licence ect then got into office jobs and are still there years later. So the question is why did they fork out 60k for a licence? Had they gone up north they'd be more than likely in or close to a jet job that pays more than their current office job. I suppose what you are concerned about is recruiting coming to an end and getting stuck in ga forever. Understandable concern but you have to decide to either take the risk or spend the rest of your life telling people that you are "actually a pilot" whilst standing at the photocopier.
Personally had you not already forked out the cash for the training I'd say take the office job and forget the pilot thing. You've made the sacrifice and now you have to go and find out what this flying thing is all about.
Good luck.
One more point is relevant i suppose. How much money is the office job offering? Some flying jobs in ga pay pretty well today.
Personally had you not already forked out the cash for the training I'd say take the office job and forget the pilot thing. You've made the sacrifice and now you have to go and find out what this flying thing is all about.
Good luck.
One more point is relevant i suppose. How much money is the office job offering? Some flying jobs in ga pay pretty well today.
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Uh, crank, just trying to be funny 
Honestly, if you can get a job up north, take it, a lot of the companies there are integral parts of the transport infrastructure in remote Australia, and won't be affected much by less Japs trampeling the reef..
I would argue the chances of you losing your desk job would be about as high as losing your flying job up north in a full blown recession (which isn't too likely here either btw). Maybe even bigger as you're more at the money making end of the business as a pilot than as a paper pusher..
I'll be doing the same, plan is to finish the CPL's this year and then get a flying job somewhere. I won't put my career plans on hold just because the economy isn't going full steam ahead. As a case in point, I made most of my money as an IT consultant in the years immediately following the dot com collapse.. individual fortune often has very little to do with the state of the economy..
Go get 'em, tiger
Honestly, if you can get a job up north, take it, a lot of the companies there are integral parts of the transport infrastructure in remote Australia, and won't be affected much by less Japs trampeling the reef..
I would argue the chances of you losing your desk job would be about as high as losing your flying job up north in a full blown recession (which isn't too likely here either btw). Maybe even bigger as you're more at the money making end of the business as a pilot than as a paper pusher..
I'll be doing the same, plan is to finish the CPL's this year and then get a flying job somewhere. I won't put my career plans on hold just because the economy isn't going full steam ahead. As a case in point, I made most of my money as an IT consultant in the years immediately following the dot com collapse.. individual fortune often has very little to do with the state of the economy..
Go get 'em, tiger
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You will never have a more 'real' job than the one you will have up North!
I too started out in 89, no economic downturn will ever make it harder to get a job than it was in 89/90! Guys with 6000 hours and jet time working as ab-initio instructors and doing single engine charter!
Whether there is an economic downturn or not, during the wet there will still be communities whose only way of getting food/supplies will be by air, they will always need pilot's! The $8 Billion being spent to 'kick start' the economy, is nothing compared to what the Government spends up North on an ongoing basis to provide communities with what can only be described as 'basic' services!
Go now, get the experience and when the economy turns upward again you will be in a prime position to prosper when times are good! It all comes down to what YOU want...
I too started out in 89, no economic downturn will ever make it harder to get a job than it was in 89/90! Guys with 6000 hours and jet time working as ab-initio instructors and doing single engine charter!
Whether there is an economic downturn or not, during the wet there will still be communities whose only way of getting food/supplies will be by air, they will always need pilot's! The $8 Billion being spent to 'kick start' the economy, is nothing compared to what the Government spends up North on an ongoing basis to provide communities with what can only be described as 'basic' services!
Go now, get the experience and when the economy turns upward again you will be in a prime position to prosper when times are good! It all comes down to what YOU want...
Last edited by Howard Hughes; 17th Oct 2008 at 01:27.
Many people have left good paying desk jobs to go and fly but did they do it in the face of the biggest stock market dive since the Great Depression? I think not. I cant see how being in an industry when it tanks is better than not being there when it tanks?
Telling me to man up and get out there is an answer I have already heard. I would like to know if anyone has a differing opinion? I was wondering if anyone who was starting out when the '87 crash happened would like to comment?
Telling me to man up and get out there is an answer I have already heard. I would like to know if anyone has a differing opinion? I was wondering if anyone who was starting out when the '87 crash happened would like to comment?
I see jobs ADVERTISED IN A NATIONAL PAPER that when I went North you were literally queuing up for. You would go to drop off a resume and there were already other guys around handing them out. The fact is up north they need aviation to get around so even if the worlds ends tomorrow jobs will always be there. Now is the time, get in while it is easy to get in.
Times for getting a GA job have NEVER been better
You should also watch this, sounds like you need it.
YouTube - Chopper harden the fuk up
Economic down turn or no...the whole business of spending between $60 to $80 k on a licence, when all you can realistically expect to make (to start with at least) is at best $33 ish flying singles...makes the whole process a little ludicrous when compared to other 'professions'...why get 'sensible' now!? 
Last edited by Unusual-Attitude; 17th Oct 2008 at 11:48.
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I'm working out bush in the NT, building my hours and I can tell you simply that there are jobs up here right now. I was GA roadkill for a while and have made the leap back into the industry and when you compare GA now to say five years ago these are days of plenty. First jobs are much easier to come by and upgrades to twins / city bases are fast. If you want to be a pilot and go the GA route in Australia right now is as good as it gets.
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25k to drive a single?? maybe two years ago if you read pprune to much and still thought that pilots were falling out of trees up north!
33k is the minimum you can be paid f/t and most of them pay it!
33k is the minimum you can be paid f/t and most of them pay it!
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The industry IS facing difficult times ahead, and those difficulties are not likely to go away. But you are vulnerable to this in any aviation company - whether you're pushing a pen or a throttle.
I don't know what your aviation goal is - but consider this: You may well be too late for the industry - and never make it to your goal. But when you're 80 years old, sitting in your rocking chair, looking back on your life, will you regret not giving it a crack and finding out?
I actually gave up on my dream of being a pilot back in 2002 for various reasons (including that aviation was doomed). BUT I changed my mind a few years later, and now regret wasting that time! If I had not dilly dallied, I would be much closer to a big shiny jet and a huge pay packet
Having said all that, my dad would tell you not to be so stupid and go with a nice proper job in a stable industry!
Just my 2c.
I don't know what your aviation goal is - but consider this: You may well be too late for the industry - and never make it to your goal. But when you're 80 years old, sitting in your rocking chair, looking back on your life, will you regret not giving it a crack and finding out?
I actually gave up on my dream of being a pilot back in 2002 for various reasons (including that aviation was doomed). BUT I changed my mind a few years later, and now regret wasting that time! If I had not dilly dallied, I would be much closer to a big shiny jet and a huge pay packet
Having said all that, my dad would tell you not to be so stupid and go with a nice proper job in a stable industry!
Just my 2c.
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rest of your life telling people that you are "actually a pilot" whilst standing at the photocopier.
Take is from someone who is currently between aviation jobs (I'm just taking a breather for the family) FLY FLY FLY. GA up North is recession proof. communities have to eat, the government has to get nurses and doctors to the community, lawyers and judges have to make the rounds, Child Protection needs to shuffle people every day, community members have to get into town or go stir-crazy, funerals have to go ahead (body flights, mourners and hangers-on), babies have to get to hospital to get born and get back to the bush (before we taint them with our city-slicker Gardiya ways no doubt), the post (and banking) won't fly itself, etc etc etc.
FLY NOW or I'll take your job... or I'll just keep hanging around the photocopier/water-cooler/cubicle 31C ("hey, it's a lady") in my silk scarf, leather helmet and Ray Ban Aviators
regaling everybody with tales of how cool I really am.FRQ CB