My adventure in the Top End
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Use your strengths...?
Hey Krazy, Have you considered moving to Darwin, Jabiru, Kununurra as an accountant? This would allow you to get to know the people in the area, and then when something comes along (as it enevitably does), making the transition across to flying, at least your income would be stable and you could pick the best operator as you got to know them. I presume Rio Tinto would hire accountants at Ranger, which would possibly allow you the freedom of shift work. Just a thought. Good luck mate!
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Have you considered moving to Darwin, Jabiru, Kununurra as an accountant?
Cheers!
Does the pub at Darwin airport still advertise for topless bar maids?
Used to pay $60.00 an hour, so you could drop the wife/girlfriend/patrner/backpacker/bonkbuddy off for a six hour shift and you could spend the time annoying the various operaters for a flying gig and then call in for a few cold ones at the end of the day.
Win Win situation I say.
Used to pay $60.00 an hour, so you could drop the wife/girlfriend/patrner/backpacker/bonkbuddy off for a six hour shift and you could spend the time annoying the various operaters for a flying gig and then call in for a few cold ones at the end of the day.
Win Win situation I say.
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Are you a carpenter or something useful?
Does the pub at Darwin airport still advertise for topless bar maids?
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Firstly, I would like to reiterate again to anyone else thinking about this and not sure whether they should make the trek or not (ie., me 1 month ago). Do it! Especially if you like travelling and like seeing new places. And I don't mean make the commitment up front to MOVE to whoop whoop if you are unsure about it. Come up, drive around, meet people and see the places. There really is no need to make a commitment up front to stay in one particular place.
Yes, many people say it's good to hang around one place and dig yourself in there. I do not disagree, this definitely seems like one way to get a job. But, you don't need to randomly pick a place off the map and then go there. Try a few places, see where you like and what place you'd like to hang around (if at all). Whilst I may be at a disadvantage with SOME places for not hanging around (ie., not deciding yet where I will base myself), I have had the opportunity to meet lots and lots of other people in the industry in the mean time (and see some interesting places). Some senior people even have agreed with me that it's good to see lots of places and meet lots of people at least initially.
Anyway, a few thousand KMs later I am chasing up a couple more leads. Only one serious one to go. Interestingly, a few of the leads I have been chasing on this trip have been unrelated to me being on this trip (although for at least one, being on the trip meant I was able to meet the relevant people!) What I would like to say though, is there are leads out there. Yes, there are lots of pilots, but I'm finding that there are opportunities to be had. I'm not saying I've got a job yet, I'm just saying that I can see there are opportunities about that are beyond the obvious. Maybe I'm talking BS - but I'm hoping that in a couple of weeks I can say that I wasn't!
Oh - and I LOVE the lightning storms!!!
Yes, many people say it's good to hang around one place and dig yourself in there. I do not disagree, this definitely seems like one way to get a job. But, you don't need to randomly pick a place off the map and then go there. Try a few places, see where you like and what place you'd like to hang around (if at all). Whilst I may be at a disadvantage with SOME places for not hanging around (ie., not deciding yet where I will base myself), I have had the opportunity to meet lots and lots of other people in the industry in the mean time (and see some interesting places). Some senior people even have agreed with me that it's good to see lots of places and meet lots of people at least initially.
Anyway, a few thousand KMs later I am chasing up a couple more leads. Only one serious one to go. Interestingly, a few of the leads I have been chasing on this trip have been unrelated to me being on this trip (although for at least one, being on the trip meant I was able to meet the relevant people!) What I would like to say though, is there are leads out there. Yes, there are lots of pilots, but I'm finding that there are opportunities to be had. I'm not saying I've got a job yet, I'm just saying that I can see there are opportunities about that are beyond the obvious. Maybe I'm talking BS - but I'm hoping that in a couple of weeks I can say that I wasn't!
Oh - and I LOVE the lightning storms!!!
Krazy - well said. I'm going to make the drive up in the next 3-4 weeks (wish I could do it earlier but unfortunately I cant... hopefully I wont miss out
)
My reasoning is "what have you got to lose?". In the end, if the **** hits the fan, it isn't for you & you don't like it - you can at any time pack the car again and drive back to where you came from (or buy a plane ticket back)... That said I'm definitely going to have a drive around a lot of places, look around to see what I like and then decide who I'm going to bother for a job
I'd rather sit around up north waiting for a job opportunity than in Melbourne... even if worst came to worst I'd just consider it a nice scenic holiday I've always wanted to take.
)My reasoning is "what have you got to lose?". In the end, if the **** hits the fan, it isn't for you & you don't like it - you can at any time pack the car again and drive back to where you came from (or buy a plane ticket back)... That said I'm definitely going to have a drive around a lot of places, look around to see what I like and then decide who I'm going to bother for a job
I'd rather sit around up north waiting for a job opportunity than in Melbourne... even if worst came to worst I'd just consider it a nice scenic holiday I've always wanted to take.
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Great thread! I can't wait for Krazy to write "I got the job, flying a C206 on scenics!" I know 1000's have gone before you and its a common career path but to be following you in real time and not just talking about it after the event is actually very exciting. Bringing back memories, its the 'thrill of the hunt'!
Stick at it until you achieve your goal (as corny as that sounds). I don't want to read "Sorry guys, I've run out of money and I'm heading back home, flying is not for me." I (and everybody else following you I'm sure) will kick your arse!
Stick at it until you achieve your goal (as corny as that sounds). I don't want to read "Sorry guys, I've run out of money and I'm heading back home, flying is not for me." I (and everybody else following you I'm sure) will kick your arse!
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Krazy & Onezeroonethree
I'm doing exactly the same thing and am in the same boat as you both and headed up in early May.
Hopefully we can look back at this thread in a few months when all 3 of us have jobs (as pilots) and have a laugh!
Its a huge move but a once in a lifetime opportunity and a great experience!
Good luck to all
I'm doing exactly the same thing and am in the same boat as you both and headed up in early May.
Hopefully we can look back at this thread in a few months when all 3 of us have jobs (as pilots) and have a laugh!
Its a huge move but a once in a lifetime opportunity and a great experience!
Good luck to all
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I hope this isn't getting too political for pprune, but I must say that spending time in Northern Australia seeing the plight of Aborigines in the towns around here is quite an eye-opener, and quite a sad indictment on Australia. It's not like I grew up in areas which didn't have an Aboriginal population (even though I may live in one now), but it was very different to what I see up here - or at least very different to what I see as an adult.
People talk about the issues of living up North - the remoteness, small towns, cost, etc. But I imagine many other people would find the 'in your face' reality of racial divisions in society quite hard to live with too. Sure, there are amusing things, such as watching 3 locals fight over a case of beer in the middle of a street. But that's quite sad too. Seeing people drinking almost non-stop, then passing out drunk in just about every public place, seeing blatant racism, seeing people beg. It's a big slap in the face for those of us that come from the comfy life-style down South where we think Australia is a lovely place to live, first world, and everyone has a good life.
I really don't want to start a political debate here. I just want to make those people who have not yet come up here but are thinking about it, to be aware of yet another aspect of Northern WA and NT life that us Mexicans aren't so used to.
People talk about the issues of living up North - the remoteness, small towns, cost, etc. But I imagine many other people would find the 'in your face' reality of racial divisions in society quite hard to live with too. Sure, there are amusing things, such as watching 3 locals fight over a case of beer in the middle of a street. But that's quite sad too. Seeing people drinking almost non-stop, then passing out drunk in just about every public place, seeing blatant racism, seeing people beg. It's a big slap in the face for those of us that come from the comfy life-style down South where we think Australia is a lovely place to live, first world, and everyone has a good life.
I really don't want to start a political debate here. I just want to make those people who have not yet come up here but are thinking about it, to be aware of yet another aspect of Northern WA and NT life that us Mexicans aren't so used to.
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Yes Krazy, and if you travel further afield in search of work as a pilot, to Australia's north and east, you will find poverty and a lack of opportunity for locals too, a percentage of which is of their own making because change is too hard to do. Adjust or remain behind, in this world, has been the way since before the Ice Ages ! (There is always a cost though, and a nostalgia for the Old Ways)
Wait 'till you start flying them around Krazy, they will drive you crazy!
The average IQ of indigenous people is around 70 points. Due to being an isolated small island population they did not have the chance and opportunity for mutations to occur randomly in the population, to evolve higher levels of intelligence which is why they look and act primitive. The population in Tasmania was so small and isolated they were considered to be the most primitive people in the world not even being able to 'make fire'.
Suddenly combine this with a modern lifestyle where lateral thinking and problem solving is required daily and you work out that they are not equipped to deal with what we impose on them.
There was a study done in Broome back in the 80's with Aboriginal children where they were asked to pick the larger quantity of fluid. A glass was poured into a tall thin glass, and a glass and a half poured into a short wide glass in front of them. 8/10 chose the tall thin glass.
You will see this often when trying to explain 5 seats in an aircraft mean 5 people, not 7 or 8.........it can take them a while to work it out
The average IQ of indigenous people is around 70 points. Due to being an isolated small island population they did not have the chance and opportunity for mutations to occur randomly in the population, to evolve higher levels of intelligence which is why they look and act primitive. The population in Tasmania was so small and isolated they were considered to be the most primitive people in the world not even being able to 'make fire'.
Suddenly combine this with a modern lifestyle where lateral thinking and problem solving is required daily and you work out that they are not equipped to deal with what we impose on them.
There was a study done in Broome back in the 80's with Aboriginal children where they were asked to pick the larger quantity of fluid. A glass was poured into a tall thin glass, and a glass and a half poured into a short wide glass in front of them. 8/10 chose the tall thin glass.
You will see this often when trying to explain 5 seats in an aircraft mean 5 people, not 7 or 8.........it can take them a while to work it out
Last edited by Blueskymine; 10th Feb 2010 at 23:22.
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A glass and a half was poured into a tall thin glass, and a glass poured into a short wide glass in front of them. 8/10 chose the tall thin glass.
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Blueskymine, those comments could get you in trouble...
The idea that one race is superior to another is a dangerous road to start down. Nazi Germany and Communist Russia under Stalin carried out horrible attrocities based on that very belief. What you believe affects how you act people.
It's the 'HUMAN' race - we have to find a better way than repeating mistakes of the past...
The idea that one race is superior to another is a dangerous road to start down. Nazi Germany and Communist Russia under Stalin carried out horrible attrocities based on that very belief. What you believe affects how you act people.
It's the 'HUMAN' race - we have to find a better way than repeating mistakes of the past...
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I doubt living in a squaller beating your mrs and kids and sleeping in parks boozed off your brain for weeks on end is cultural.
I still disagree with the idea of making blanket remarks on race related opinions of 'intelligence' levels.