Fresh Grade 3 Instructor with $120,000 debt. Driving street sweepers...
Bloody Chinese Virus...
driftking92 - Hang in there, you are not alone. The reality is that the aviation industry has been decimated. The inertia of the recovery will be exponentially longer than the short term it took to destroy commercial aviation. There WILL be a recovery, of that, I am certain. How am I certain? Vaccines are being distributed, (albeit slowly), there is nothing else we, as humans can do now to fight the virus. People will travel again, it is just the time frame, that is uncertain. As for work, well done on getting a job. About 2500 yes, 2 and a half thousand, of my colleagues in EK were made redundant, or given 12 months unpaid leave. It has taken 6 months for some of them to find work (non aviation related). When I came back to Oz, I did my Multi eng instructor rating, (I was already a lapsed gr 2), and while I was at the flying school, I was surprised at how many young men and women were doing their Commercial training. The reality is, the market is now flooded with highly experienced pilots. This is not your fault, so, try to look on the bright side, you have your instructor rating, you have work. Eventually, the market will stabilise, airlines, will expand as the post covid recovery gets underway, and you will be ready to dust off your rating and begin the upward ladder climb again. I assume you are a 92 vintage, if so you have decades of fulfilling flying ahead of you. Hang in there mate.
driftking92 - Hang in there, you are not alone. The reality is that the aviation industry has been decimated. The inertia of the recovery will be exponentially longer than the short term it took to destroy commercial aviation. There WILL be a recovery, of that, I am certain. How am I certain? Vaccines are being distributed, (albeit slowly), there is nothing else we, as humans can do now to fight the virus. People will travel again, it is just the time frame, that is uncertain. As for work, well done on getting a job. About 2500 yes, 2 and a half thousand, of my colleagues in EK were made redundant, or given 12 months unpaid leave. It has taken 6 months for some of them to find work (non aviation related). When I came back to Oz, I did my Multi eng instructor rating, (I was already a lapsed gr 2), and while I was at the flying school, I was surprised at how many young men and women were doing their Commercial training. The reality is, the market is now flooded with highly experienced pilots. This is not your fault, so, try to look on the bright side, you have your instructor rating, you have work. Eventually, the market will stabilise, airlines, will expand as the post covid recovery gets underway, and you will be ready to dust off your rating and begin the upward ladder climb again. I assume you are a 92 vintage, if so you have decades of fulfilling flying ahead of you. Hang in there mate.
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Australia the Awesome
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Here's telling you straight. You won't get a flying job any time soon. One in your class did, so good luck to her. When you eventually do get an entry flying job it won't pay much, and paying off the training loan will eat into whatever income you make.
Your here and now option is this. Learn a trade. For example, roof tilers are getting $1000+ per day, and as far as I know you don't need to complete a three year apprenticeship for that. You will never earn $1,000/day as a flight instructor in GA. You might find that sort of money with 20+ years experience as a pilot. In the meantime, laying roof tiles and setting ridge caps will earn you good money.
Your here and now option is this. Learn a trade. For example, roof tilers are getting $1000+ per day, and as far as I know you don't need to complete a three year apprenticeship for that. You will never earn $1,000/day as a flight instructor in GA. You might find that sort of money with 20+ years experience as a pilot. In the meantime, laying roof tiles and setting ridge caps will earn you good money.
Count yourself lucky that someone or some government would loan you 120k. In my day we had to work and pay up front for licences.
If it’s not 89, it’s the GFC or it’s COVID.
Be a victim or be ready WHEN it turns........
If it’s not 89, it’s the GFC or it’s COVID.
Be a victim or be ready WHEN it turns........
2) Apart from not allowing yourself to feel victimised and sorry for yourself, there are many, many options. None of them perfect. Decide on a course of action which suits you best. Never get locked into the idea of not leaving Essendon or Melbourne or Victoria or Australia. The best advice I can offer is to look everywhere in the world and I mean everywhere. There is nothing to fear. Really!. Covid travel restrictions will eventually lift, start looking now.
Meantime, your street sweeper gig almost certainly pays more than a bare bones instructor or charter pilot plus they treat you with more respect and dignity than you’ll get with most flying jobs.
Not my current steed, but 'close enough'. The XRN Locomotive cab, in 360*. I've yet to fly anything with a microwave & kettle within arms reach! 
I know a CX A350 Captain driving a combine harvester and there is even a Facebook group, Pilots4Harvest2020 for those looking for work in the agricultural sector.
There are QF A380 pilots driving buses. https://simpleflying.com/qantas-pilo...80s-for-buses/
Aviation will recover over the next few years, hang in there.
There are QF A380 pilots driving buses. https://simpleflying.com/qantas-pilo...80s-for-buses/
Aviation will recover over the next few years, hang in there.
Current generations have NFI how good they have it. Something earned always has more value than something given. Separates the wheat from the chaff and all that....
Current generations have NFI how good they have it
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Back again in the Land of the Rising Sun to do some more Glider towing, eating great Japanese food, drinking Japanese Beer, perving on Japanese Women and naturally also continuing that search for a bad bottle of Red
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Made me think of all those lads at the end of WWII who knew nothing except how to fly and were competing for the few cockpit jobs available.
As he passed down a line going through the final procedures for leaving the RAAF in around mid '46 there were a few Men standing right at the end of the queue asking each Pilot if they wanted 'a career in the Airlines.'
Dad said that he was thinking about it but abruptly changed his mind when the bloke immediately ahead of him replied to the questioner and in a loud voice, "Shove it up your a**e!"
Dad later often wondered if he should have taken up the offer.
Aparrently the bloke in question had had more than enough of flying. Dad seemed to remember that he had a few 'gongs' on his uniform.
What to do, what to do? Is it just me or does anyone else wonder why people don't ask these questions before spending $120,000 of other people's money? Sure I understand the vision of sitting up front of a big shiny jet trumps the reality that very few ever make it to that, together with flying schools with management trained in the used car industry. Biggest culprit by far is any government that is a willing participant in such a ludicrous scheme for an industry that can't properly and fairly employ its current crop of pilots.
Only redeeming fact is by the time these loans are paid back $120,000 won't buy you a good family holiday
Only redeeming fact is by the time these loans are paid back $120,000 won't buy you a good family holiday
Megan; That comment made me think of my Late Father's experience at Demob, of which he told me a few times over the years
As he passed down a line going through the final procedures for leaving the RAAF in around mid '46 there were a few Men standing right at the end of the queue asking each Pilot if they wanted 'a career in the Airlines.'
Dad said that he was thinking about it but abruptly changed his mind when the bloke immediately ahead of him replied to the questioner and in a loud voice, "Shove it up your a**e!"
Dad later often wondered if he should have taken up the offer.
Aparrently the bloke in question had had more than enough of flying. Dad seemed to remember that he had a few 'gongs' on his uniform.
As he passed down a line going through the final procedures for leaving the RAAF in around mid '46 there were a few Men standing right at the end of the queue asking each Pilot if they wanted 'a career in the Airlines.'
Dad said that he was thinking about it but abruptly changed his mind when the bloke immediately ahead of him replied to the questioner and in a loud voice, "Shove it up your a**e!"
Dad later often wondered if he should have taken up the offer.
Aparrently the bloke in question had had more than enough of flying. Dad seemed to remember that he had a few 'gongs' on his uniform.
Aparrently the bloke in question had had more than enough of flying. Dad seemed to remember that he had a few 'gongs' on his uniform
What to do, what to do? Is it just me or does anyone else wonder why people don't ask these questions before spending $120,000 of other people's money? Sure I understand the vision of sitting up front of a big shiny jet trumps the reality that very few ever make it to that, together with flying schools with management trained in the used car industry. Biggest culprit by far is any government that is a willing participant in such a ludicrous scheme for an industry that can't properly and fairly employ its current crop of pilots.
Only redeeming fact is by the time these loans are paid back $120,000 won't buy you a good family holiday
Only redeeming fact is by the time these loans are paid back $120,000 won't buy you a good family holiday
I've been saying this for years. Then you see the video of the sickening way McCormack sang the praises of the likes of NK and you can see why pollies are allowing this rort to continue, there must be something in it for them. Rather than moan on PPRuNe, we should take this to our local Fed MP, however it's both sides that have been involved in keeping this gravy train going so don't expect they are going to stop it any time soon.
