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I need a job - where do I start??

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Old 6th Nov 2008, 12:26
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I need a job - where do I start??

Hi all..

I have a CPL, MECIR (but with very few hours on a twin as I did my CPL in a single) and just over 200 hours total time and I now want a job!

A few questions:

Where do I start?
What are my options?
What are my chances of getting a job?

Thanks in advance for your help and advice!
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Old 6th Nov 2008, 17:08
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Go north

and do a search if that works on your subject as there are plenty off treads on going north and getting 1st jobs ets.
good luck
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Old 6th Nov 2008, 19:02
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AFAP Latest Job Ads in Australia and Pacific - Australian Federation of Air Pilots
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Old 6th Nov 2008, 23:57
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Even gooses fly

Hey mate,
it wasnt that long ago I was asking the exact same questions.
I was in WA at the time and the places to go were Broome and Kununurra.
That was before the big boom in WA really got going so I waited in KNX for about 4 months before getting work.
Take money and patience and be prepared to work at Coles for a while (unless things are still booming up there..?)

If you want to get in early, get more hours before you go. You could do that by getting a meat bombing gig. Try Hillman Farm (South west WA) or Pete's Skydiving out of Karatha. Karatha is a f hole though.
Exmouth in WA is a magic town. If you like fishing, sun, drinking etc you will love it. Try NorWest Airwork there. They do a fish spotting gig of some sort.
If you get work there, you could do a season and still get out of there in time to get North for the dry.
Might also be the time of year to try out for CALM in WA they do a firespotting thing. (need tailwheel time)

About your chances, Id say this. If you are willing to stick to it you will definetly get a job. Might not be a great one though. Make a plan and stick to it and you will succeed. (Even gooses fly.)

My other advice is to think seriously about how you will do the job once you get it. Relax about getting one and think more about what you want and how you will do it once you have it.

You will come across plenty of skuttlebutt about bad working conditions and being made to do some dodgy things.
Consider your personal limits and boundaries and be prepared to stand up when they are tested.
Good luck and enjoy it.
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 01:06
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(Even gooses fly.)
Ever watched a Pelican take off/land? not a pretty sight, but majestic once airborne! Sorry for the thread drift, I must be getting old!

Go North young man, it is by far the quickest way! Jabiru, Oenpelli and Darwin were my old stomping grounds, all these areas have had ads on the AFAP website recently...
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 02:16
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tooty

Quote ""Karatha is a f hole though.""

I recently did a job out off Karatha, that is the one in WA a mining town.

If you advice that being a hole i don't think you been up north in the comunities yet.

Karatha is one off the most civilised places I worked out off.
even got a Mc donnalds and a movie theater. Pubs and clubs to drown your sorrow, and bleu ocean water to swim in after a days work!!

The downside off it is finding accomodation for people whom have to pay for it themselfs.
Or so i believe. our company pay's for our nights sleep, so i didnt really go house hunting.


Go norht my friend, start ringing around. get a 1 page CV ready, wich are easy to read. ( i have seen one bloke sent a cv in about 6 pages with 3 off them all sorts off qualifications gained in the navy with no relevence to civie life)
Fair enough that he mentioned that he has been in the navy, as to me that means he would have some disipline.

Maybe a few things before you go north, do a DG course and maybe even your CRM.
yep sounds funny hey?? you will be flying single pilot for a while but some mining company's start to require that.
We have to do one and we don't even have pax on board when we work.

chek out AFAP website as there has been recently a few jobs advertised up there.
be prepared to work in comunities. suck flies and dust, but you will gain great experience and hours.

all the Best

ps and get your self a GPS
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 02:30
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Rollo's boys are pretty quite at Norwest airwork right now, a pilot just left and i don't think they will replace him until the whaleshark season kicks off again.

Karratha is a top spot, but you need some pretty big hours to get a job, or be the KFS hangar rat and take ICUS time for a few years, although in two years you will have about 1500 hours, 800 multi, 350ish command, 300 turbine icus not to bad for staying in the one spot.

Geraldton, the Abrolhos season will be starting in March you may get a gig with GAC or Batavia, GAC Cp is Wendy, Batavia is Paul, although Carolyn runs the show. Shine has a very good reputation, but you will be looking at it once you have closer to 1000 hours, CP is James

Port Hedland has Polar, they have some nice machines don't know to much about them, but they have some entry level aeroplanes such as a 206 and a few barons and caravans littering the field, so worth a call!

Broome is a funny spot - everyone seems to be paying casual on hourly rates, the new guys struggling, the senior guys cleaning up, Leos is a good hour building spot, but no twins, Broome av have progression and last time i were in Broome, CP's name was Pauline, she is still more than likely there.

Kunnus is a top spot, you will enjoy living in the backpackers with all the other pilots, slingair and alligator alike and drink much booze and all hit on the same backpackers - may the best man win! (its rumoured aeroplanes were used late at night as a quite spot for some nooky as to have privacy away from the backpackers :P) Alligator would be my pick and the CP is Eldan.

Wyndham has Wyndham aviation I didn't deal with them to much, and Wyndham is an interesting spot, but the pilots were happy from all accounts.

Derby has Bushflight and Golden Eagle - use the search function on this forum!

Darwin is a hoot, but second job territory!

PM me if you want to know more!
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 03:13
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I recently did a job out of Karratha, that is the one in W.A, a mining town.

If your advice is that Karratha is a hole i don't think you've been up north in the community's yet.

Karratha is one of the most civilised places I have worked out of.
The town have even got a Mcdonalds (no bloody Hungry Jacks though) and a movie theater. They also have pubs and clubs (a pub is always standard in even the smallest ****e hole of a town) to drown your sorrow, and blue ocean water to swim in after a days work!! (you're keen to swim anywhere near Karratha, a few hundred metre trek through the mangroves to see mud that you would sink up to your armpits in, you have to drive 45 minutes up the road to Point Sampson for a white sand beach)

The downside of it, is finding accomodation for people whom have to pay for it themselves, or so i believe. Our company pay's for our nights sleep (wow wish i could charge all 365 of mine, along with morning naps and cockpit dozing!), so i didn't really go house hunting.

Go north my friend, start ringing around, get a 1 page CV ready, which are easy to read. ( i have seen one bloke send a c.v in consisting of about 6 pages, with 3 of them listing all sort's of qualifications gained in the navy with no relevance to civie life) - I totally agree if it's over a page it's to hard to scan your relevance to the job, a simple flying summary is best. Fair enough that he mentioned that he has been in the navy, as to me that means he would have some dicipline.

Maybe a few things before you go north, do a DG course and maybe even your CRM. First Aid is a requirement in some company's too
Yep sounds funny hey?? you will be flying single pilot for a while but some mining company's are starting to require it. We have to do one and we don't even have pax on board when we work. You don't fly the ship MDG do you?

Check out the AFAP website, as there have been recently a few job's advertised up there.

Be prepared to work in community's - say G'day to clear prop. Suck fly's and dust, but you will gain great experience and hours.

All the Best

P.S Get yourself a good GPS
Pheeeeeeeeeeeew i was extremely bored as you can tell, you're a lot of work Kiwi!
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 04:04
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Thanks mach, just one thing PLEASE don't EVER call me a kiwi again.
and it's not MDG. it's MDG. lol. But not for much longer.hehe

Cheers

I didnt think my spelling was that bad, good to see. I might get some spelling classes next time I am as Bored as you.
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 04:10
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No matter how good your right seat survey guy is, never start the engine and let him get in afterwards!!

I've seen many a folk trip on the gear legs of a 210 and go flying head first towards the prop, not a good look on your resume
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 04:23
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A bloke I used to load super for, chopper a cockie's arm off once. (many years ago. He came for a briefing flight. got out off the plane (engine still running) Old mate walked away, relized he forgotten to tell the pilot something, turned around and walked into the prop.

I asked him sh#t what did you do than?
He replyed. wel what could i do? I am not a docter but a pilot so I continued working while they docter looked after old mate.

You mentioned that no matter how small the place is you work out off it has got a pub, there are quiet a few comunities in the NT without a pub.

They do have the grid tough, hehe, that is if your interested intermingling with the locals.

Also a word off advice to the new bee's going north, DO NOT get conned into flying in grog for the local people, the indiginous that is. They try and offer you money. But not a good move. By all means take a bottle off red to try to impress the nurse. (still maybe illigal in some places but maybe worth the risk....)

cheers
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 04:55
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MDG ya say I know it well.
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 05:22
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How do you get all the way through your training without having a clue on what to do next? Has you school given you any advise or where to look or what to do? Or has mum and dad just given you a stack of cash and now your not sure what to do with yourself?
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 07:21
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I wondered about that too. I know before i starded my CPL that i wanted to fly ag. and had asked around lots on how to get there and what to do.
Unfortunatly they all forgot to mention that there was a drought coming in the next few years and that my career would be short lived because off it.
I didnt fork out a lot off $$$ and than wake up one morning, yahoo i am a commercial pilot without out a job now what??

Anyway, i supose different people go different about how they aproach life.
Lets asume you want to fly airlines, than this is what you are going to do:

You will now go and get your first job (flying singles, because thats what usualy happens)
than you move onto twins.

than if you have enough hours you can start applying to the likes off REX or qantas or whoever will like you.

Than they think, " hey we like the photo off this guy on his CV lets ring him"
than you go for an interview (aperently as i never been there but so i have heard)

You do the interview, they still think your good looking and have the other requirements so they take you on.

Well from what i understand you sort off go on the waiting list untill they really need you. (make sure you keep your good looks)

Than you start ground school, than sim training, than line training.

than one day you wake up and you are FO or maybe even SO.

When you get to that, than you do some time with them. At some stage you can start aplying for the job in the LHS. I am not sure how this goes but then just post again on PPRUNE and someone will tell you

And by than I have learned to spell better.

Surely there are people who know a lot better how it all works and they will fill in all the gaps I left in this post.

But for now, go and get the job my friend.
If you have a car drive up there and personaly deliver your CV's.
you might just happen to walk in the door at the right time. someone might just have handed in his/her notice because they move on to something bigger and shynier, or because they have the sh#ts with the operator. but it could be your start.

cheers
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 07:40
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gadude I think you mean 'then'... (not 'than')
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 07:40
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Its then not than. geez
 
Old 7th Nov 2008, 07:51
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ok then
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