Kununurra SITREP

[maus88]

G'day all,

In Kununurra at the moment there are somewhere between 30 and 40 new CPL's holed up at the local backpackers.

From approaches to the 3 operators here there are approximately 15 positions, possibly 20.

At the moment one operator is looking to begin hiring in 2 weeks and the other major operator is not looking for about a month and then only for 4 positions with another 4 the month after and a further 2 the month after that.

Non aviation related jobs in the township are few and far between at the moment as the town waits for the upcoming tourist season (around a month from what the shop owners have told me.)

This is not meant to put you off coming, or encourage you to come. I simply thought that you would appreciate having all the facts first.

Cheers,


p.s feel free to PM me for any more information.

[Monopole]

So not much has changed then in the last 15 years ?

[BlinkC182]

Hey that's a good tactic maus88

I heard it was more around the 100 mark at the backpackers.

Also, angry crocs now roam the streets, drop bears have been seen in the local Boabs and the pubs are all outta beer!

You'd be mad to go to Kununurra.

[Hill Roller]

So maus88 what exactly would you suggest someone thinking of going up there do, just stay at home and wait a year while you sit there waiting for a job opportunity??

[Tambo1]

I was in Kununurra a few weeks ago. The reality is that you really have to be there by the end of Feb, or not at all. I guess there is a small chance that something might come up during the year (perhaps if the industry starts to move a bit), but it's a tough call to make. I think all that Maus is saying is it's going to be pretty tough there...and in a month there are going to be a lot of disapointed & unemployed pilots.
I also think they take a lot of consideration as to who was up there the earliest. So the people who were up there Nov/Dec/Jan have already got an advantage over anyone planning to go up. But yea...if you think it's better than sitting on your bum on the East Coast, then definitely go for it

[kingRB]

having all the facts first

that made me laugh.

Nice try though

[Ixixly]

Ops Normal!! Honestly if post that turns you off it you probably weren't going to last long anyways!!

[maus88]

Kununurra situation...

I have no advice for anyone about the trek up north. It really is a personal decision. My post wasn't designed to put people off or encourage them. There is so much crap espoused by people in this forum/industry that I thought some honesty wouldn't go astray. So for those of you who want to chuck your 2 negative cents worth in, how about you go find somewhere else to play.

Call the Kimberley Croc backpackers and ask to speak to Ngaire. You can ask her yourself how many pilots she has sitting around the place. More keep arriving each day it seems so competition is going to be very tough this year. One operator has even stated their preference is to employ pilots with a night VFR.

As pointed out by Tambo1, I was simply trying to let anyone who is interested in the situation up here know where things are at. Some of the guys have been up here since late November and the operators up here do seem to be well aware of who has stuck it out.

[Hill Roller]

I simply thought that you would appreciate having all the facts first.

The only Facts a non Instructor Fresh Cpl needs to know are:

#1 There are little to no jobs in major capital cities for you.

#2 The Kimberley is still your best shot at employment regardless of how many pilots are sitting there.

So what if you dont get a job this year, you will have a great time and make a lot of mates most of whom will probably be employed, giving you a leg up for the next season.

So for those of you who want to chuck your 2 negative cents worth in, how about you go find somewhere else to play.

You are the one posting '2 negative cents worth'

Non aviation related jobs in the township are few and far between at the moment as the town waits for the upcoming tourist season (around a month from what the shop owners have told me.)

Kununurra is a large regional centre and tourism is not the only industry there, if you are having difficulty finding a job its probably because you aren't looking hard enough.

[1723KG]

I cant believe that fresh pilots still go up North without a NVFR in the first place. Unless you meet the minimums as per CAO 40.2.1 you wont be able to go at night even if you do have an Instrument rating. That particular rating will IMHO get you much further up the pile of resumes than not having one. The last few pilots that I have seen coming through have not had a NVFR but had an Instrument rating and have not done any night flying at all whilst on the singles and the opportunity has arisen. Apart from getting valuable experience at night, the 100 hours of night command/copilot time has to be met somehow in order to gain an ATPL.

My advice is this. Base yourself somewhere nice, get a shared house with another pilot (hopefully an employed one), get a good paying job (non flying) and do your ATPL subjects whilst you are networking towards the first job. See if any of the operators in the town that you are at would be prepared to hire you an aircraft for an hour or so a month to stay current and that may get you a foot in the door not the least getting you current on the aircraft that you may get a check ride on. Network the hell out of the town and get to know the guys that fly for the companies that you want to work for.

Make sure you have the current ERSA, ERC low and the WAC and each surrounding WAC of the area you propose to work in. You want to be able to fly your checkride and ICUS flights under your own steam without having to borrow any gear, and you should be able to fly like a local to that aerodrome or area.

Think outside the square a bit and realize that not all of the jobs are in Broome/Kunnunura. There is every chance that there are jobs further west than those places.

1723.

[Zoomy]

You'd be mad to go to Kununurra

You kids turn the radio down, aint got no time for that. I gotta get me a pilot job eh.

To all already in Kunnas, good luck. If you don't get a gernsey straight away, go and enjoy all that the North/North West has to offer.
I am screamingly close to bringing me tribe back up there me self.

[outta track]

I think you will find that the largest operator in Kunnas will only take low time folks that have been trained by their wholly owned flight school on the east coast.....

[Monopole]

There is so much crap espoused by people in this forum/industry that I thought some honesty wouldn't go astray. So for those of you who want to chuck your 2 negative cents worth in, how about you go find somewhere else to play

maus88, The last two years where the KNX companies have had to advertise for pilots have been an exception rather then the rule.

Historically, pilots have had to 'hang around' for a few seasons or more before they got a gig. Most worked in the pubs or supermarket and many picked fruit or became tour guides. The backpackers has always been overflowing with unemployed pilots and the caravan parks all lined with pilots sleeping out of a one man tent or even their cars.

Some of you after a full year collecting beer glasses will be offered a job flying, some a job as a 'hanger rat', while others will get their new endorsment pulling beers and everyone move up a rung. You can get the sh!ts and move onto the next town (either east or west) and you will just find yourself in the same predicament, but again at the bottom.

The Port Headland, Karratha, Newman and (to a lesser degree) Canarvon operators generally require some reasonable experience.

So no-one is being negative maus88. The "crap espoused by people in this forum/industry" you speak of, is generally from the folks that have been their done that, and more often then not relished the time doing it.

So while the service you are trying to offer the guys about to embark on this pilgrimage may be admirable, it needs to be balanced with a little bit of historical fact by the the people who have been down this road.

So if you are still thinking of heading up north (anywhere) just do it. Dont be put off by the number of people floating around since November. Some of them may get a job elsewhere or just give up. Someone may win a few grand on a scatchie and go and do their ATPLs or somebody might break a leg. You just never know what will happen AND YOU NEED TO BE MR. JOHNNIE ON THE SPOT.

Oh and BTW, most of the operators might know who has been in town the longest, but if pilot number 100 was standing in front of them ready for work when a requrement to do a flight or another job came up, then its pilot number 100 that would get the gig.

[archangel7]

what do you mean by

30 and 40 new CPL's holed up

and

From approaches to the 3 operators here there are approximately 15 positions, possibly 20.

btw thanks for the post you've prob saved me the time and money from coming up there

[tinpis]

Who would have thought 29 years ago in Kunners, that one day the aspiring pahlit population would have exceeded the town pop . then. (Well the coherent sober ones at least)

[Super Cecil]

Who would have thought 29 years ago in Kunners, that one day the aspiring pahlit population would have exceeded the town pop . then. (Well the coherent sober ones at least)

)
What was the name of the old yank bloke with one arm that used to do the AG work in the Pawnee? That was back in the days when the only thing that was there was the flight service and that long haired hippie fella that used to muster in the B model 300.

[tinpis]

White Ant Helicopters. Kenny stopped operating after he took his boom off practising an auto on Kunners Subsequently became partner with Craig and started Aggliator
Aggie operated out of town on a strip near Ivanhoe crossing?
Only yank I can recall was Charlie terrorising the airways in his Beaver
Apart from the daily MMA F28 and the Coastwatch Shrikes, THAT was it.

[Horatio Leafblower]

From the 1990s: What hapened to Bob, the older guy with only one hand and a hook?

He had a Class 1 medical and a CPL, even had an instructor rating, but (for some strange reason) never got a flying job (not while I was up there anyway).

Was a tough bastard... had blown his hand off with a grenade when he was in the Army

[Super Cecil]

White Ant Helicopters. Kenny stopped operating after he took his boom off practising an auto on Kunners Subsequently became partner with Craig and started Aggliator
Aggie operated out of town on a strip near Ivanhoe crossing?
Only yank I can recall was Charlie terrorising the airways in his Beaver
Apart from the daily MMA F28 and the Coastwatch Shrikes, THAT was it.

Stewie Skogland or something like that, used to operate out of Kunanurra. Lost his arm when his was driving pissed (From finding gold somewhere) and a road train side swiped him. Craig was with another bloke there Murry? and they had the only hangar there I think, was a couple of years ago, memories a bit fuzzy. I remember that yank bastard you mention having his prop pulled off when he went to town. he paid his bill before they put it back on. Everybody remembers his daughters not his son, poor bugger finished up walking out of the place, Charlie was an absolute bastard.

[heated ice detector]

a good rumour was that charlie used to do 500 hrs in his cub before he brought in in for a 100 hrly, used to take months to get it serviceable again, apparently he used to put two guys in the back and one on each strut to fuse atach point (with cushion) and fly around within ground effect to show the mustering points for the next day, those were the days,