$100K type rating bond???
There is a course on CFIT?
The following users liked this post:
Would you be obliged to pay a bond if they fired you, say for habitual tardiness or poor performance or being politically incorrect. Would they pay your salary until the end of your 2 years if they decided to shut down the operation or were shutdown by the regulator for example or got rid of the Jetstream.
There are numerous reasons a pilot might need to move on apart from taking a better job. Could be domestic situation, mental health, failing a medical or even just living in Newcastle would be good reasons.
There are numerous reasons a pilot might need to move on apart from taking a better job. Could be domestic situation, mental health, failing a medical or even just living in Newcastle would be good reasons.
Would you be obliged to pay a bond if they fired you, say for habitual tardiness or poor performance or being politically incorrect. Would they pay your salary until the end of your 2 years if they decided to shut down the operation or were shutdown by the regulator for example or got rid of the Jetstream.
There are numerous reasons a pilot might need to move on apart from taking a better job. Could be domestic situation, mental health, failing a medical or even just living in Newcastle would be good reasons.
There are numerous reasons a pilot might need to move on apart from taking a better job. Could be domestic situation, mental health, failing a medical or even just living in Newcastle would be good reasons.
As for what happens when the company goes broke, almost certain the fine print will not give back any monies paid, and you will receive any normal entitlements earned to that date as per the EBA or whatever agreement.
In reality you should not sign these sort of bond agreements without a lawyer viewing it first, $100k is a lot of money, even half of that.
Unfortunately I’d estimate that about zero percent of pilots take that up.
But they shouldn’t have to either.
A sorry state
It’s a a bond … it’s not as though the candidate has to pay it upfront.
We are all grown ups. If you had a bare CPL with 200TT, then 2 years is small bananas. Different story if you had say 2500 hours with 1000 multi and tons of single pilot IFR.
For a barebones CPL, it’s a workable deal. For an experienced IFR charter pilot, it’s a complete dud of a contract.
Horses for coursee.
We are all grown ups. If you had a bare CPL with 200TT, then 2 years is small bananas. Different story if you had say 2500 hours with 1000 multi and tons of single pilot IFR.
For a barebones CPL, it’s a workable deal. For an experienced IFR charter pilot, it’s a complete dud of a contract.
Horses for coursee.
The following users liked this post:
Update: I had a friend of a friend reach out to me. They are currently flying for the company. I was told everyone there has been told not to comment on this forum or face the consequences. I was also advised the details here are accurate in terms of pay and bond with approximately 90% pilot turn over in the past 12 months. Players choice but I believe I've dodged a huge bullet here. Thanks again to everyone who provided me with solid advice 👏
There’s been an incredibly low number of pilots
learning to fly since COVID hit.
Anyone who accepts a BS bond deal in the current industrial is an A-grade muppet.
Pilots with 1000TT and 50 multi are getting jet jobs in Australia.
The idea that some people are putting up almost $100k worth of personal risk to fly a J32 is frankly, very frightening.
Get your CPL/MECIR. Work in GA and get 1000 hours as quick as you can and then start applying.
Even the cadet schemes are just becoming scams to lock people in and prevent them
from leaving.
If:
a) the cost of the course is excessive, or
b) the penalty for leaving early is harsh, or
c) the return of service is excessive, or
d) the bond is for an aircraft type that few operators use, or
e) you have to write a letter of solemn promises to the CEO and mow the grass…
… then it’s probably not the deal for you.
The current Australian pilot shortage (which is only going to get significantly worse for a long time) is the result of
a) not enough investment for many years in training and GA
b) an over-regulated GA industry that has crumbled
c) managers, who rather than address the core issues such as terms/conditions and the points above, are coming up with ways to try and lock pilots down.
Licensed pilots are the asset here. They need you to make their money. Don’t de-value yourselves.
Bond schemes in the current climate simply should not exist. If you want someone to come fly your aircraft you should make an environment conducive to making people want to stay.
Even mainline have SOs and FOs leaving as soon as they get their type rating. And yet rather than read the room and make it a good and rewarding place to work, they’re still trying to divide and conquer industrially.
If I had teenage kids, I wouldn’t even recommend they do the Qantas Cadetship. A bunch of money with zero guarantees and a long time potentially locked into crap subsidiaries like the Dash 8.
Go and get your licence, a thousand hours in GA and then decide where YOU want to go and on YOUR terms.
$95k to fly a Jetstream? Give. Me. A. Break.
The following 2 users liked this post by Slippery_Pete:
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2023
Location: Darwin
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey versado, thanks for reaching out. My inbox was full of messages from current and recent ex-pilots telling me to steer well clear. Everything from legal action against current employees and ex employees to dodgy maintenance. It is safe to say I'm definitely not considering ever working for this operator.
BK Breadroll… if you have a bare CPL and 250hrs TT… then it will be worth enduring two years just to get 1500+ hours in a multi crew turboprop. The aircraft type is irrelevant, your next employer will value that experience.
Besides, tootling around in a radar equipped pressurised aircraft is streets more comfortable than getting banged about in a C210 in summer up north.
On the other hand if you have >1500 hrs TT, then it’s a rubbish deal.
Good Luck.
Besides, tootling around in a radar equipped pressurised aircraft is streets more comfortable than getting banged about in a C210 in summer up north.
On the other hand if you have >1500 hrs TT, then it’s a rubbish deal.
Good Luck.
My inbox was full of messages from current and recent ex-pilots telling me to steer well clear. Everything from legal action against current employees and ex employees to dodgy maintenance. It is safe to say I'm definitely not considering ever working for this operator.
The following users liked this post:
Moderator
$100,000 bond on a Jetstream 32? 
Sounds like they also give you the aircraft as a bonus?
Expensive endorsement on a 56 year old aircraft design, well down the road to extinction.
Sounds like they also give you the aircraft as a bonus?
Expensive endorsement on a 56 year old aircraft design, well down the road to extinction.
The following users liked this post:
The following users liked this post:
B1900C/D
Metro 23
Jetstream 32.
You can buy 4 J32s for the price of one B1900D... if you can find one.
The Bond amount reflects the cost to the company in training you up.
The NEED to bond pilots reflects the mercenary actions of some pilots who take the training and the endorsement and scarper, leaving the operator (in this case) roughly $100k down the hole.
It is the smaller companies further down the tree least able to waste the time and money training people who just leave, and least able to afford to bribe people to stay. The companies further up the tree are simply taking advantage.
On the other hand, I seem to remember all the big operators dropping their pilots like the proverbial hot potato when COVID hit while the little operators kept everyone looked after.
Moderator
You can buy 4 J32s for the price of one B1900D... if you can find one.
The Bond amount reflects the cost to the company in training you up.
I would have thought $100K a bit rich to give a reasonably qualified and experienced pilot a conversion onto a J32?
No expert but 747 rating probably $30-$40 k usd ? 737 less ? $100k I’d get a global 7500 rating . Guess this offer comes with a job ? Feel sorry for kids who get bitten by aviation bug these days . Best advice would be to marry well to have support required for career in aviation . Good luck !
It’s a bond… no one is being asked to pay anything. After two years it gets written off to zero.
Now, if you only had 250TT, you’d be grateful for a chance to get a couple of years experience which will help you find a much better job. What’s not to like?
Now, if you only had 250TT, you’d be grateful for a chance to get a couple of years experience which will help you find a much better job. What’s not to like?
The following 2 users liked this post by lucille:
The following users liked this post:
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2023
Location: Darwin
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The above mentioned company about to go into voluntary administration or shoring up their future? The grapevine rumours say 90% of their pilot workforce have moved on during the past couple of months to a large Brisbane based RPT/mining charter company. Engineering and admin staff have allegedly started being laid off in the past month and their CEO is allegedly in talks to hand back some of the leases they have at Newcastle Airport.
No expert but 747 rating probably $30-$40 k usd ? 737 less ? $100k I’d get a global 7500 rating . Guess this offer comes with a job ? Feel sorry for kids who get bitten by aviation bug these days . Best advice would be to marry well to have support required for career in aviation . Good luck !