Aussie regionals or Asia airlines???
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Aussie regionals or Asia airlines???
G'day folks, looking for some advice regarding the next career step from GA with 2000+TT and ATPL's onwards to the airline world, Aussie regionals or invest in a rating (which we now all pay for anyway) and have a crack at the ever expanding Asian market.
Cheers,
FT.
Cheers,
FT.
Where do you want to live? I turned down a major Asian carrier for an Australian regional purely for lifestyle reasons. You get to a point where you don't really give a sh!t about what you fly, but rather the lifestyle and conditions that go with it.
I'm very glad I made the decision I did in hindsight. I find myself getting bored on the longer regional sectors as the pilot flying. I couldn't imagine how batsh!t boring it would be for 12 hours or so as an SO.
Just my two cents.
I'm very glad I made the decision I did in hindsight. I find myself getting bored on the longer regional sectors as the pilot flying. I couldn't imagine how batsh!t boring it would be for 12 hours or so as an SO.
Just my two cents.
Pretty boring flying 12h + sectors as the Captain too-depending on what movies are playing on the IFE as you relax on your 6 hr break. 
Join an Airline where you don't have to be an SO-after all it is the window seat that counts!!SO hrs count for squat - ask the QF guys. If you are going to pay for a type rating make sure you have a job to go with it. No hours in the seat means worthless (but very costly) type rating. Once you have 2k hrs jet time doors open-but be careful what you wish for.
Join an Airline where you don't have to be an SO-after all it is the window seat that counts!!SO hrs count for squat - ask the QF guys. If you are going to pay for a type rating make sure you have a job to go with it. No hours in the seat means worthless (but very costly) type rating. Once you have 2k hrs jet time doors open-but be careful what you wish for.
Last edited by clear to land; 19th Sep 2012 at 15:35.
Some ok advice given above. It really depends on what you want. Living in Asia is not like living in Australia (obviously). However there will be advantages and dis-advantages both career wise, and from a lifestyle point of view to each.
It can be also down to plain old luck. If your timing is right, you may have excellent career progression living in Oz..... or you may get the same or better career progression living in Asia.
For me, I would love to move back to and work in Oz..... but..... on my current leave system, with my current low tax rate, with my current guaranteed bonuses, and with my house being paid off by my employer, as a Direct Entry Captain. And the chances of that ever happening.... Zero!! So I accept my lifestyle in Asia (which at the end of the day is what you make of it, and personally it is very good), and the very quick career progression which I did not have in Australia.
Again, up to you and your needs.
b.
It can be also down to plain old luck. If your timing is right, you may have excellent career progression living in Oz..... or you may get the same or better career progression living in Asia.
For me, I would love to move back to and work in Oz..... but..... on my current leave system, with my current low tax rate, with my current guaranteed bonuses, and with my house being paid off by my employer, as a Direct Entry Captain. And the chances of that ever happening.... Zero!! So I accept my lifestyle in Asia (which at the end of the day is what you make of it, and personally it is very good), and the very quick career progression which I did not have in Australia.
Again, up to you and your needs.
b.
Without previous jet time I think you will have a hard time getting a job in Asia. I personally tried that route and generally they will prefer to train up locals than employ expats FOs.
Well, sometimes you get lucky in Asia. I know a few Australians who were recruited for a major domestic airline in Asia (and they were not P2F either). One guy was fresh from a flight school in Sydney with 220 hours TT.
Well, sometimes you get lucky in Asia. I know a few Australians who were recruited for a major domestic airline in Asia (and they were not P2F either). One guy was fresh from a flight school in Sydney with 220 hours TT.
Last edited by neville_nobody; 22nd Sep 2012 at 05:45.
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Simple answer, if your young and single, go for it (Asia) . If you are older and have a family (or want one soon), don't do it to them. As a lot of expats find out, you can have 1000s of hours and check/training on a 777 or A330 and it counts for squat in the little sheltered workshop called Australia, there are always exceptions of course but by and large you will always end up starting at the bottom if/when you want to return.
My AUD2c/HKD$100
My AUD2c/HKD$100
Good advice above, if you're young and single the move may end up being a permanent one. Two years soon turns into five and five becomes ten. You will most likely end up with an Asian wife, I've seen it happen so many times.
After a while the ties with Australia loosen, visits become less frequent and you watch less of The Australian Network on cable.
Returning becomes less of an option as you get older, you've attained some seniority with your airline and a few more years to a wide body command looks better than the back end of the Virgin list as 35 year old B737 F/O in Melbourne with no expat package.
You soon get used to a higher standard of living, I'm having a few days off in Thailand staying in a 5* hotel in BKK for AUD$100/night including breakfast. Next month I'm looking a diving in Bali.
Go back ? You must be joking.
After a while the ties with Australia loosen, visits become less frequent and you watch less of The Australian Network on cable.
Returning becomes less of an option as you get older, you've attained some seniority with your airline and a few more years to a wide body command looks better than the back end of the Virgin list as 35 year old B737 F/O in Melbourne with no expat package.
You soon get used to a higher standard of living, I'm having a few days off in Thailand staying in a 5* hotel in BKK for AUD$100/night including breakfast. Next month I'm looking a diving in Bali.
Go back ? You must be joking.
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I'll bite on the " higher standard of living " Metro :
I earn 1/2 what I earnt in HK and yet, without going into specifics, mine and my families standard of living and not least of all health, is far better than it was in HK. Oh, and we are less than 5 hrs from Thailand and Bali if we want to go and spend our holidays with bogans.
Each to their own, some people actually like living in crowded smoggy expensive cities, no argument there, but don't talk about standard of living.
I earn 1/2 what I earnt in HK and yet, without going into specifics, mine and my families standard of living and not least of all health, is far better than it was in HK. Oh, and we are less than 5 hrs from Thailand and Bali if we want to go and spend our holidays with bogans.
Each to their own, some people actually like living in crowded smoggy expensive cities, no argument there, but don't talk about standard of living.
It's what you make of it, IF you can adapt to a new environment and culture you can do very well over here. If not, then better off staying home.
I know of one pilot who commutes from Bali for work, where a pilots salary means you can live like a king. A few CX pilots moor their yachts at the Royal Phuket Marina.
Giving up the full time maid and holidays every month in exotic locations would be a bit difficult in exchange for the sky high taxation, political correctness and burdensome bureaucracy offered in Australia.
I wouldn't want to go back even if I could afford to.
I know of one pilot who commutes from Bali for work, where a pilots salary means you can live like a king. A few CX pilots moor their yachts at the Royal Phuket Marina.
Giving up the full time maid and holidays every month in exotic locations would be a bit difficult in exchange for the sky high taxation, political correctness and burdensome bureaucracy offered in Australia.
I wouldn't want to go back even if I could afford to.
MM, you had me up to "living like a king in Bali". 
Bali is the "S Bend" of Asia, no self respecting king would be within cooooeeee of the joint.
I suggest living like a king in Bali is similar to living the high life in Redfern.
Now living on a yacht in Phuket, where is my ticket?
Bali is the "S Bend" of Asia, no self respecting king would be within cooooeeee of the joint.
I suggest living like a king in Bali is similar to living the high life in Redfern.
Now living on a yacht in Phuket, where is my ticket?
Last edited by RENURPP; 24th Sep 2012 at 02:02.
how about an Aussie expat working for one of the Asian Jetstars? Any internal transfers available to Jetstar oz? Or is it a case of join the back of the queue if you move back?
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Maybe you should go try and live in SYD on Rex wages for a week, I think your decision to go fly the shaven Asian will be an easy one. You clearly have not traveled much have you? Decision made
Decision made
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!!!!2. Education: required graduates in any field or with a diploma in aviation & hospitality management.
3. Weight: between 49 kilos to 54 kilos.
4. Height: 5.4" or 157 cms.
5. Skin: fair.
6. Body: slim.
7. Face & body: no marks on face or any tatoo on any parts of body as candidates will have go through the body scan by the airline´s lady doctors.
8. Age: between 20 yrs to 24 yrs