Aussie pilots can finally relax... well new ones atleast

[Big_saint]

Apparently student loan funding is going to no longer be available for student pilots in NZ as of 2012. With all funding for 2011 students having to atleast complete a diploma course in aviation. A final word will be made in March next year, but it looks like NZ will no longer be spitting out pilots faster than the All Blacks can score against the wallabies.

Supposedly the government is trying to look at larger airlines offering cadetships or footing some of the bill for what is essentially free training for most of them.

But is all water cooler gossip at the moment... but we'll see...

[27/09]

Supposedly the government is trying to look at larger airlines offering cadetships or footing some of the bill for what is essentially free training for most of them.

Why not go back to how it was before student loans? The self funding worked quite well. You got a good standard of student, they were there because they had a passion. There was still plenty of pilots to fill the needs of the airlines and other operators.

Really the evil of student loans can be traced back to Massey Aviation. They, as a University, were able to offer fully funded courses, the only flight training provider in the country to be able to do so.

This put every other flight training organisation at a severe disadvantage, hence the growth of the Polytech courses which also allowed full funding. If no one had funding for pilot training the good operators would survive due to word of mouth and results and the flashy over hyped places would dissappear.

[kalavo]

Why not go back to how it was before student loans? The self funding worked quite well. You got a good standard of student, they were there because they had a passion. There was still plenty of pilots to fill the needs of the airlines and other operators.

Because nobody is coming in to the industry now that the "reward" at the end of the tunnel, is starting salary in other industries. The shortage is starting, the NZ student loans delayed it for a bit, the Australian equivalent has delayed it a bit more, airlines are offering cadetships in the hope of offering a quicker path, but at the end of the day, less and less people are coming through the system and companies are finding it a lot harder to fill slots. I know the people we're getting now don't tick half the boxes we required two years ago - they just don't exist now, whereas before people had to tick those boxes to be competitive enough for an interview.

[27/09]

Because nobody is coming in to the industry now that the "reward" at the end of the tunnel, is starting salary in other industries.

I'm not sure there is a lack of people for the reason you state or there is a lack full stop. However I do agree that the rewards are not as good as they used to be and airlines will need to recognise that fact sooner or later.

I know the people we're getting now don't tick half the boxes we required two years ago

This may be true, caused more by the big intakes by some airlines up till the GFC and the expansion that is starting again now which is taking the experienced pilots rather than a reduction in the supply of pilots. Cadets won't necessarily fix this problem either.

[lilflyboy262]

Well I did a certificate in aviation, that was just a simple CPL.
Im pretty sure it wouldn't be hard to cobble together a diploma in aviation.

But I have heard this funding cut how many times now? Its what made me leave school a bit early back in 2004. (Thank god to the stupid NCEA system that had let me achieve level 3 within 2 terms)

[notaplanegeek]

big saint... you got a link to back this up?

[Big_saint]

All this information has come from the providers, but has only been by word of mouth at the moment. As I said it is not definite and a final decision is not going to be made till March apparently.

Also I know of Air NZ staff going through log books and course structure at an aero club so maybe it is just the start...

[notaplanegeek]

Better get in quick and get the Heli cpl too