Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > PPRuNe Worldwide > The Pacific: General Aviation & Questions
Reload this Page >

QantasLink trainee first officer...

The Pacific: General Aviation & Questions The place for students, instructors and charter guys in Oz, NZ and the rest of Oceania.

QantasLink trainee first officer...

Old 21st Nov 2020, 21:39
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Darwin
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
QantasLink trainee first officer...

Hi All,

I recently finished all of my training (frozen ATPL) and have a lot of debt (discussed elsewhere!), and looked at different ways of kickstarting my flying career. Does anyone know much about how difficult it is to get a shot at the "Qantaslink Trainee First Officer" role? The minimum requirements seem quite low (but a bonus for me!). Any tips or experience would be great!

Nigel

Source - https://www.qantas.com/au/en/about-u...perations.html
nigelsomers is offline  
Old 21st Nov 2020, 21:54
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Timbuktoo
Posts: 259
Received 144 Likes on 43 Posts
Offer to work for free?
brokenagain is online now  
Old 21st Nov 2020, 23:17
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: these mist covered mountains are a home now for me.
Posts: 1,783
Received 29 Likes on 12 Posts
Offer to help promote Qantaslink with exciting youtube 'How To..." videos.
Runaway Gun is offline  
Old 21st Nov 2020, 23:45
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,244
Received 188 Likes on 84 Posts
Go into more debt and get an instructor's rating. Then go and build your hours teaching others. If you wait for recruiting opportunities in an airline even at the regional level you will be waiting for a while. There are currently hundreds of airline pilots driving headers and working at Woolies so the need for new pilots will take some time.
Lookleft is offline  
Old 21st Nov 2020, 23:50
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: N/A
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by nigelsomers
Hi All,

I recently finished all of my training (frozen ATPL) and have a lot of debt (discussed elsewhere!), and looked at different ways of kickstarting my flying career. Does anyone know much about how difficult it is to get a shot at the "Qantaslink Trainee First Officer" role? The minimum requirements seem quite low (but a bonus for me!). Any tips or experience would be great!

Nigel

Source - https://www.qantas.com/au/en/about-u...perations.html
Hi Nigel,

If you've done an Aviation degree through a uni that has partnership with Qantas, you can apply for the Qantas Future Pilot Program, which may eventually lead to a FO position in QLink.

If not, then I think your best bet is to build experience through instructing or by flying in GA for a while before the industry recovers. For the latter, be prepared to relocated to remote regions of Australia & work a few temporary jobs (bars, cafes, servos, farms etc) whilst waiting for flying work. Basically the idea is to show them you're persistently keen to fly and willing to do whatever it takes to get a flying job.

The selection process involves a group exercise, a behavioural-based interview based on how you dealt with different situations in life, a few technical questions based on briefing an approach plate (usually the RNAV 24 into Ballina). This all takes place in day 1. I would recommend looking into the 'STAR' method of answering the behavioural-based interview questions - Situation, Task, Action, Result.

On day 2, if you pass the interviews, you'll be given a sim assessment, which is typically on the 767 sim, but this might change based on sim availability/maintenance. It involves some basic instrument flying and air work, as well as a VOR & ILS approach. Get used to reading VOR radials using an RMI only, and flying sector entries using an RMI only (push the head, pull the tail!). It would also be a good idea to brush up on your raw data flying. Configure early for the approach & slow down sufficiently before descending on the glideslope, as the sim you'll be flying will depict a larger aircraft than what you would've been flying, and will have a lot more inertia. Similarly, when intercepting radials/localisers, start turns a bit earlier due to the extra inertia, or else you might end up overshooting your target radial/localiser. Prepare thoroughly by studying the simulator study pack they'll send you prior to attending the interview & know all your attitudes and thrust settings by heart!

I would also buy the QLink interview information/preparation package off Pinstripe solutions & read through all the .pdf files.

It might take a while for you to secure the role, given the big hold file & COVID right now. But with the right mindset & a bit of persistence, you'll succeed.

All the best!
Time Map Ground is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 00:29
  #6 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Darwin
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Lookleft
Go into more debt and get an instructor's rating. Then go and build your hours teaching others. If you wait for recruiting opportunities in an airline even at the regional level you will be waiting for a while. There are currently hundreds of airline pilots driving headers and working at Woolies so the need for new pilots will take some time.
Do you think there is a demand for instructors now? Worried about more debt because I already have way too much debt from all of the training to date.
nigelsomers is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 00:30
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: australia
Posts: 376
Received 26 Likes on 14 Posts
Originally Posted by nigelsomers
Hi All,
finished all of my training (frozen ATPL)
No such thing as a "frozen ATPL" despite what the training provider who sucked $100K+ out of your VET funding allocation told you.

You have "Passed all of your ATPL subjects but do not have an ATPL yet".

In the same way that a PPL holder who has passed all their CPL subjects doesn't hold a "frozen CPL".
mikewil is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 00:38
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: N/A
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'd usually refer to it as "CPL with ATPL theory credit"
Time Map Ground is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 00:49
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: The White House
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Why the hell would you want to be in this industry?

If you pay me $60/hr you can be my C206 FO.

Last edited by Dubya; 22nd Nov 2020 at 01:09.
Dubya is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 01:17
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: australia
Posts: 376
Received 26 Likes on 14 Posts
Originally Posted by Dubya
Why the hell would you want to be in this industry?

If you pay me $60/hr you can be my C206 FO.
I think QLink prefer command time so maybe make it left hand seat time in the 206 and call it ICUS (you could probably charge $80/hr for that)
mikewil is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 02:45
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: NSW
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I feel you are fishing for some magic answer that will get you in a turboprop/jet next week. Sorry to say mate but there isn’t one. You have a long road ahead if you want to get there, especially with the current state of the industry.

Pack your car up, set up base in Kununurra, Broome or Darwin, knock on doors and start networking. Start as a hangar rat and get a foot in the door. If not, work doing anything you can. Don’t offer to work for free.

It wasn’t unusual for guys/girls to be in town for over a year before they saw any flying work. That’s the way it is, and many have done it before you.


Jetdream is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 03:35
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,244
Received 188 Likes on 84 Posts
Do you think there is a demand for instructors now? Worried about more debt because I already have way too much debt from all of the training to date.
I recommended that pathway a little while back to a bloke in your situation and he ended up at QLink. Its also the pathway I took many years ago and I am now in the LHS of a jet. Nothing is guaranteed but as I understand the situation, instructing is still the one area of aviation that hasn't been hit badly by C19. Given the size of your debt at the moment extra for an instructor's rating won't be that much but you won't be able to put it on fee help. Your best option would be to do the rating with a school that can offer you a job afterwards. Thats my advice, others have a different view especially about instructing but from where I am currently sitting I haven't flown for a while but instructors havent stopped. Good luck and hang in there.
Lookleft is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 06:49
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Malaysia
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi all,
Hope you all are well. i wonder is there any flying club in shanghai please? would like to fly or train in Shanghai.
Blessings
Ming
Ming06 is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 06:50
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow
Posts: 944
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by mikewil
No such thing as a "frozen ATPL" despite what the training provider who sucked $100K+ out of your VET funding allocation told you.

You have "Passed all of your ATPL subjects but do not have an ATPL yet".

In the same way that a PPL holder who has passed all their CPL subjects doesn't hold a "frozen CPL".
Google will disagree with you. Frozen ATPL is commonly used especially in a CV.
pineteam is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 08:01
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: In a pipe in the upstairs water closet
Posts: 305
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by pineteam
Google will disagree with you. Frozen ATPL is commonly used especially in a CV.
In Europe, yes. Because that is a qualification. In Australia, not so much. Simply because it well, isn't.

Fuel-Off
Fuel-Off is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 08:48
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: australia
Posts: 376
Received 26 Likes on 14 Posts
Originally Posted by pineteam
Google will disagree with you. Frozen ATPL is commonly used especially in a CV.
Sorry, I should have been more specific. Frozen ATPL has no meaning in Australia.
mikewil is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 09:22
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: FNQ ... It's Permanent!
Posts: 4,281
Received 162 Likes on 83 Posts
Frozen ATPL = Non Existent qualification. To put it bluntly, it’s a wank!
Capt Fathom is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 09:35
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow
Posts: 944
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Haha! But for the poor fellows just out of school any extra bits are adden into a CV. I definitely remembered having this on my CV and some other ridiculous adds on. xD
Having a frozen ATPL is still better than just a CPL. For instance, many guys in my outfit were never upgraded or upgraded later than they could cause they were unable to pass the ATPL exams.
pineteam is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 10:16
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: london
Posts: 741
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I would like to give OP some more serious advice than the definition of frozen ATPL

Objectively the pandemic will be suppressed in H2 2021 in the first world and Q2 2022 worldwide but we have permanently changed behaviour. People will come back to offices but business travel will be lower. Taxation will go up and remain up for a decade eating into leisure and therefore vacation travel budgets. In short pilot recruitment will be suppressed hard for many years.....I was one of the last schoolboys to apply for a BA scholarship. When they stopped them the following year it was going to be for 2 years. I am now near retirement......

But as someone who does no longer earns his living from flying I have seen that a degree, the ability to pass exams and the aptitude to gain qualifications stands an individual in good stead for many other jobs. Many industries will be short of people to make businesses work. Biotech has scientists but often lacks management. Hospital management is crying out for competent people. The list is long. Infrastructure is about to increase exponentially. So consider a change of industry. You can still fly recreationally or even come back in a decade.
homonculus is offline  
Old 22nd Nov 2020, 10:31
  #20 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Darwin
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by homonculus
I would like to give OP some more serious advice than the definition of frozen ATPL

Objectively the pandemic will be suppressed in H2 2021 in the first world and Q2 2022 worldwide but we have permanently changed behaviour. People will come back to offices but business travel will be lower. Taxation will go up and remain up for a decade eating into leisure and therefore vacation travel budgets. In short pilot recruitment will be suppressed hard for many years.....I was one of the last schoolboys to apply for a BA scholarship. When they stopped them the following year it was going to be for 2 years. I am now near retirement......

But as someone who does no longer earns his living from flying I have seen that a degree, the ability to pass exams and the aptitude to gain qualifications stands an individual in good stead for many other jobs. Many industries will be short of people to make businesses work. Biotech has scientists but often lacks management. Hospital management is crying out for competent people. The list is long. Infrastructure is about to increase exponentially. So consider a change of industry. You can still fly recreationally or even come back in a decade.
Very insightful! If the pandemic occurred earlier I would have never started my training. So I'm a situation with a few others in my recent group with alot of debt and a... frozen ATPL? or "credit" (whatever the correct term is. The college use "frozen ATPL" as the term). So to consider a change of industry when I've just graduated is very soul destroying. How long were you flying in the industry for?
nigelsomers is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.