What was your first flying job?
Fresh CPL, approached by a friend of a friend wanted me to fly him to BK-PF-BK once a week. He paid my endorsement for a turbo Seneca III. 180 kts cruise, autopilot, GPS....I was on top of the world. Did 7 trips all cash paid, leave empty come home late at night with 4 fat laundry bags. One day he failed to turn up for the trip. Read about him in the paper the next day. 
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Fresh CPL and a friend knew of a friend of a friend who needed a friend to fly his friend (mining exec) around to his mines in Central QLD in his private Seneca.
Awesome job, did it for a couple of months and then got a PA31 job back home which im doing now.
Its all about the people you know in this industry it would seem...
Awesome job, did it for a couple of months and then got a PA31 job back home which im doing now.
Its all about the people you know in this industry it would seem...
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First job - aerial spraying in a Piper Pawnee..
I turned up on my first day and was pointed at a pristine Pa 25-235 Pawnee B, introduced to my mixer who had a ute load of DDT and MoGas drums and then given a box of matches with the instructions "if ya crash, make sure it burns"
I turned up on my first day and was pointed at a pristine Pa 25-235 Pawnee B, introduced to my mixer who had a ute load of DDT and MoGas drums and then given a box of matches with the instructions "if ya crash, make sure it burns"
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My firstest was illegal charters in SE aircraft way out in the
mulga yonks ago when one could get away with doing em.
Helped pay for my CPL!
My first real job was charters in SE aircraft way out in the
mulga yonks ago when one could get away with doing VFR.
Helped pay for my twin ratings!
mulga yonks ago when one could get away with doing em.
Helped pay for my CPL!
My first real job was charters in SE aircraft way out in the
mulga yonks ago when one could get away with doing VFR.
Helped pay for my twin ratings!
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UnaMas - Wasn't a silver sneaker with individual DVD screens and a Sandel HSI was it?
First aviation job was VFR CHTR in a C172. Progressed to a C182 doing CHTR, then all-hours freight. A lot of private flying in 182 & Bonanza, then up to IFR CHTR in the Sneaker, Baron, Chieftain, Aztec, Cheyenne; then RPT in 404 & B200, then C208 & PC12 airwork.
First aviation job was VFR CHTR in a C172. Progressed to a C182 doing CHTR, then all-hours freight. A lot of private flying in 182 & Bonanza, then up to IFR CHTR in the Sneaker, Baron, Chieftain, Aztec, Cheyenne; then RPT in 404 & B200, then C208 & PC12 airwork.
Spotting forest fires in WA. Fantastic experience, great mates, brilliant boss(es) (Alex MacDonald. Max and Sue Folks) paid at the then award rate, which they didn't have to do and the right ethos and culture for a real rookie to work in.
Steep learning curve, invaluable experience and an introduction to the most wonderful country I've ever lived in.
Took the job on thinking after my illustrious training course, my RAF flying scholarship (awarded to kids who could do joined-up writing I now realise) and my overall general huge self-belief (arrogance? conceit?) that it was well beneath my status and that well, Qantas would send for me in a week or two and I had nothing better to do whilst I waited.......
Boy did I get a wake-up call.
I fervently hope and even pray that all of you newly-qualified CPLs out there get a break as vsaluable as that one was to me. I owe my former bosses, and colleagues an immense debt of gratitude.
Good luck to you all.
BSD.
p.s. BSD? the rego of the first aeroplane I was ever paid to fly.
Steep learning curve, invaluable experience and an introduction to the most wonderful country I've ever lived in.
Took the job on thinking after my illustrious training course, my RAF flying scholarship (awarded to kids who could do joined-up writing I now realise) and my overall general huge self-belief (arrogance? conceit?) that it was well beneath my status and that well, Qantas would send for me in a week or two and I had nothing better to do whilst I waited.......
Boy did I get a wake-up call.
I fervently hope and even pray that all of you newly-qualified CPLs out there get a break as vsaluable as that one was to me. I owe my former bosses, and colleagues an immense debt of gratitude.
Good luck to you all.
BSD.
p.s. BSD? the rego of the first aeroplane I was ever paid to fly.
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Loading chem into Braves and Ag waggons out on the cotton, occasional flights in the Cherokee to go and get parts or burgers. was a good start got me from ppl to commercial MECIR and instructor by saving every second pay check.
First job was flying mostly the grey haired and foreign over one of our greatest treasures, Kakadu National Park, for Kakadu Bob, with the odd bit of charter thrown in for something different.
Then progressed onto something a bit more exciting, flying bags of mail around Outback NT from Alice Springs and then Darwin, with the odd bit of pax charter thrown in. That was some of the best flying I did and long lasting memories.
Followed that by starting on a twin working with a good friend who has parted many a good bit of knowledge, experience and wise words over the years to help me on my way.
Now I'm lucky enough to be belting around the skies in some nicely equipped B200's.
Would I change anything about the way I've done it all? No way in hell!
Would I recommend it to others, hell yes!
morno
Then progressed onto something a bit more exciting, flying bags of mail around Outback NT from Alice Springs and then Darwin, with the odd bit of pax charter thrown in. That was some of the best flying I did and long lasting memories.
Followed that by starting on a twin working with a good friend who has parted many a good bit of knowledge, experience and wise words over the years to help me on my way.
Now I'm lucky enough to be belting around the skies in some nicely equipped B200's.
Would I change anything about the way I've done it all? No way in hell!
Would I recommend it to others, hell yes!
morno
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.. started off instructing on a casual basis, then instructing on a full time basis overseas, followed by another overseas instructing gig, and now flying in a domestic airline ... overseas.
I still remember my first ever flight as a commercial pilot. Got out of the aircraft, went inside the building and it then occurred to me that I no longer needed to pay for the flight I just flew. A great feeling!
I still remember my first ever flight as a commercial pilot. Got out of the aircraft, went inside the building and it then occurred to me that I no longer needed to pay for the flight I just flew. A great feeling!
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VFR freight charter and banner towing out of MB in the 80's (C180, C185 and C206).
Although a humble start, it was probably far more personally satisfying than having Mom and Dad buy an aeroplane for me...like that guy who's Dad bought him a B58 and told him to fly to Flinders Island to buy crayfish and then sell them back in Sydney... Dad bought him an Mu2 sometime later so as 'junior' could get the turbine time.
But that's not really a first 'job', is it?
Although a humble start, it was probably far more personally satisfying than having Mom and Dad buy an aeroplane for me...like that guy who's Dad bought him a B58 and told him to fly to Flinders Island to buy crayfish and then sell them back in Sydney... Dad bought him an Mu2 sometime later so as 'junior' could get the turbine time.
But that's not really a first 'job', is it?
Last edited by Anthill; 21st Jul 2012 at 05:55.
It got better after that, a pilots strike had just finished, pilots were scarce and the PM at the time reckoned that pilots were only glorified bus drivers. Any idiot with a Cpl could get a job. One of the majors took one look at my log book with Chieftain time and I got a command gig in a 747. Not long after that I got my CIR, married a hostie, won Tatts, retired and brought a Super Cub and a rural spread.
Sure has been good to me this flying caper, I recommend it to all the kids I meet.
Sure has been good to me this flying caper, I recommend it to all the kids I meet.
Hey Bobby . . . slow down boy . . .. . if you think you had a good start . . .. .you're no match for my mate Merv. Merv did about 2.000hrs chisel charter on a PPL all round the SW Pacific, then in Raratonga was seduced by a billonairess with a Turbo Goose who had Merv fly her back home to the Bahamas where she had him as her toy boy for a year. Fortunately for Merv a bloke with even more cojones than he the trifle exhausted arrived at their base in an R2600 re-engined Cat fitted out like a luxury yacht and suggested to Gladys that she join him on an expedition to the Galapagos I think it was. So Merv packed up his kit and did an aerial hitch-hike to San Diego where the last I heard of him he was polling one of those Fairchild F227 Friendships round the night skies with a lot of serious partying down the back all of it in excess of 5,280 feet AMSL.
Charter flight: Port Moresby to Gurney,(Milne Bay), to Port Moresby in C182 VH-DFQ, (SPAC), on 16th Nov, 1965 - exactly 7 days after my CPL flight test in Brisbane. DCA Examiner was Capt Tom Drury.
happy days,
happy days,
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Started out in aviation in 2005 running the camera system on aerial survey flights. After well over a year, with still no actual prospects of doing any flying I resigned. Found a part time gig on a Cherokee Six. Up well before dawn and back well after dark, for 1.6hrs in the logbook - twice a week. Nine months later I had cracked 400hrs TT and moved to Botswana. Got lucky there - C206 initially, then C210 and bit of C172 for fun. The C208 followed in due course. After three years headed north to Tanzania and got another C208 job (much better pay and G1000 though!) Started getting a little twin time in 2011 when I got released on the C404 with almost 3000hrs of single time.
Still hunting down the 500 multi that most operators down in oz are looking for
Maybe in another few years!
I've applied (always in person) to probably 30 companies and have been offered 3 flying jobs out of it. Probably another 30 companies by email and have received a total of one reply.
My best advice is to persist, persist, persist. It can and will happen if you put enough into it. Also try to stay debt free so you can go chasing opportunities wherever they are and however much they pay.
Good luck
Still hunting down the 500 multi that most operators down in oz are looking for
Maybe in another few years!I've applied (always in person) to probably 30 companies and have been offered 3 flying jobs out of it. Probably another 30 companies by email and have received a total of one reply.
My best advice is to persist, persist, persist. It can and will happen if you put enough into it. Also try to stay debt free so you can go chasing opportunities wherever they are and however much they pay.
Good luck
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I got a few crumbs from the flying school I got my Commercial at, in the way of the very odd charter. I sat in the office all day being the booking clerk and charter quoter, while the boss watched TV in his lounegroom over the road. His wife was happy. He was with her for a change instead of always being at the aerodrome.
Because I was at the aerodrome and could network with the aircraft salesmen I cracked a job flying a brand new Bonanza.
Sold my car... the job supplied one and accommoodation (under the boss's house) and went off on the start of my career.
Four days later I was back home 'Let go/resigned' after I'd had two arguments with the boss.
Me... VIRTUALLY FRESH OUT OF FLYING SCHOOL dreadfully under-qualified to be the 'chief pilot' of a brand new charter company (We could and did that, back then). I was also a product of the time, where older men were to be respected and ALWAYS RIGHT, so I accepted being pushed about that people don't now.
The boss... a self made, bush, businessman who overcame obstacles by bulldozing over them. He'd started out as a fencer with his brother and both had become big men in town in other country industries. He couldn't understand my working within the rules.
We had a bit of an argument about my saying no, to flying over 900 NM from base in centralish Oz to the NW coast with a part for a machine, have a bit of a sleep in the arvo, then fly back night VMC.
Night VMC had just come out and I had it. Told him at the interview I could fly at night ... thinking of a couple of routes east that it was quite legal to fly.
He couldn't understand why I wouldn't fly over two deserts with two NDBs at the only two towns between departure and destination.
I pointed out that if we had an engine failure we'd be dead. He flared up at my insinuating that his brand new Beech could possibly have an engine failure (but we were taking a gene over to an equally iconic machine) and I decided I better get to hell out of it before I died.
He had mentioned a number of laws I'd be breaking in normal ops. He didn't understand the rules and there were blokes around with much more experience than me, who would bust them.
I returned home with my tail between my legs thinking 'I was a bit of a girl really'.
I got a charter to the town a couple of months later (Back at the flying school getting crumbs I was paid for, but unpaid for the days sitting behind the desk) and said hello to a few people I knew.
They told me that the boss had gone through three more pilots before he got the present bloke who was an old bush pilot.
He told the boss he was the pilot and would do what he deemed safe and the boss wouldn't interfere or he'd lose his pilot.
They were about the same age and background, so the operation prospered.
The boss lived a pretty wild, western life, where it was fun to give each other a bit of a scare.
Some one gave him a scare which went wrong and he was killed.
Sad really, he was a good bloke who you had to admire.
I later cracked a job because a man 'knew me' and I was away, landing up with a most lucky 'blessed by bein' in the right place at the right time' career.
Because I was at the aerodrome and could network with the aircraft salesmen I cracked a job flying a brand new Bonanza.
Sold my car... the job supplied one and accommoodation (under the boss's house) and went off on the start of my career.
Four days later I was back home 'Let go/resigned' after I'd had two arguments with the boss.
Me... VIRTUALLY FRESH OUT OF FLYING SCHOOL dreadfully under-qualified to be the 'chief pilot' of a brand new charter company (We could and did that, back then). I was also a product of the time, where older men were to be respected and ALWAYS RIGHT, so I accepted being pushed about that people don't now.
The boss... a self made, bush, businessman who overcame obstacles by bulldozing over them. He'd started out as a fencer with his brother and both had become big men in town in other country industries. He couldn't understand my working within the rules.
We had a bit of an argument about my saying no, to flying over 900 NM from base in centralish Oz to the NW coast with a part for a machine, have a bit of a sleep in the arvo, then fly back night VMC.
Night VMC had just come out and I had it. Told him at the interview I could fly at night ... thinking of a couple of routes east that it was quite legal to fly.
He couldn't understand why I wouldn't fly over two deserts with two NDBs at the only two towns between departure and destination.
I pointed out that if we had an engine failure we'd be dead. He flared up at my insinuating that his brand new Beech could possibly have an engine failure (but we were taking a gene over to an equally iconic machine) and I decided I better get to hell out of it before I died.
He had mentioned a number of laws I'd be breaking in normal ops. He didn't understand the rules and there were blokes around with much more experience than me, who would bust them.
I returned home with my tail between my legs thinking 'I was a bit of a girl really'.
I got a charter to the town a couple of months later (Back at the flying school getting crumbs I was paid for, but unpaid for the days sitting behind the desk) and said hello to a few people I knew.
They told me that the boss had gone through three more pilots before he got the present bloke who was an old bush pilot.
He told the boss he was the pilot and would do what he deemed safe and the boss wouldn't interfere or he'd lose his pilot.
They were about the same age and background, so the operation prospered.
The boss lived a pretty wild, western life, where it was fun to give each other a bit of a scare.
Some one gave him a scare which went wrong and he was killed.
Sad really, he was a good bloke who you had to admire.
I later cracked a job because a man 'knew me' and I was away, landing up with a most lucky 'blessed by bein' in the right place at the right time' career.
Last edited by sixtiesrelic; 23rd Jul 2012 at 23:12. Reason: Spelling
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You people
I had that fateful morning, driven to the second rate airport at which I fully expected to pass in one event a Commercial pilot licence (frozen ATPL) and CIR with some witless wonder called an ATO. Lord knows the family had paid enough; so the idiot who 'done' me for speeding simply set the tone for the day, after all, who would be dumb enough to book a Ferrari doing 130 Kph in a school zone; really, you people.
Anyway, I breezed out of the 'joint', now a fully paid up Captain and finally be able to buy my 4 x half inch gold stripes to go with the 'windswept and interesting', shirt open look I had cultivated. There, in the car park was a Shire Goddess (382434) with a flat tyre; her poor little Porsche had a sore paw. I immediately assisted and whipped out my latest version android phone and actually spent 3 minutes explaining to the person answering my call the need for speed and that certain people should not be kept waiting. Meanwhile, I drove the beautiful heiress to an elegant restaurant close by, which just happened to serve her favourite Thai food.
Long story short, her Daddy was so pleased that a person (Captain no less) of my calibre had acted as the 'white knight', he set us up with an AOC a Gulf stream 5 and half a million operating capitol. Since then we have had to struggle a bit (Daddy's company has recently developed a small problem paying the bills) but fearless as I am, I have applied for a position with the CASA as a 'type specialist'. I expect the salary, perks and (mooted) possibility of a consultancy will see 'us' (and probably Daddy) through the next, short term financial crisis.
It is truly this easy, for the right folk. – Selah.
Anyway, I breezed out of the 'joint', now a fully paid up Captain and finally be able to buy my 4 x half inch gold stripes to go with the 'windswept and interesting', shirt open look I had cultivated. There, in the car park was a Shire Goddess (382434) with a flat tyre; her poor little Porsche had a sore paw. I immediately assisted and whipped out my latest version android phone and actually spent 3 minutes explaining to the person answering my call the need for speed and that certain people should not be kept waiting. Meanwhile, I drove the beautiful heiress to an elegant restaurant close by, which just happened to serve her favourite Thai food.
Long story short, her Daddy was so pleased that a person (Captain no less) of my calibre had acted as the 'white knight', he set us up with an AOC a Gulf stream 5 and half a million operating capitol. Since then we have had to struggle a bit (Daddy's company has recently developed a small problem paying the bills) but fearless as I am, I have applied for a position with the CASA as a 'type specialist'. I expect the salary, perks and (mooted) possibility of a consultancy will see 'us' (and probably Daddy) through the next, short term financial crisis.
It is truly this easy, for the right folk. – Selah.
Last edited by Kharon; 24th Jul 2012 at 09:25. Reason: Forgot - Ah forget it.
