My adventure in the Top End
 

In the spirit of Kash360's thread, I thought I would blog here about my upcoming job hunt rather than my usual travel blog spot. If it helps others out (people who were in my boots up to a week ago), then great. If you don't like it - then feel free to tell me to blog somewhere else!

Anyway, after many many months of oohing and aahhing, I finally made a last minute decision to 'go for it'. I am a career changer. I have had good desk jobs in the past and have a new job lined up for the near future (having quit my last job last year). But, after many years of flying privately, and finally doing my CPL last year, I can't hold off any more. If I never give it a go, I'll never know. I have tried everything short of going to the Top End to get a job, but have realised, it just ain't gonna happen unless I'm there in person. The hard part is, it's so different to what I'm used to in the 'normal' professional world. But, when in Rome....

So, after sleeping on it last night, I bought my ticket this morning to Darwin. I leave tomorrow morning. I'm all packed - I hope - and roaring to go. I have lists and lists of companies to go visit and people to meet. Many of whom I've spoken to on the phone. I've also been fortunate enough that I have been put in touch (by people on here and elsewhere) with various people in the industry (from line pilots, to CPs, to pilots doing way cool stuff that I'm still to new to even dream of right now). So, the adventure begins.

I haven't given up my upcoming job yet. It's hard to let go of such a great safety net when you're a fully grown adult! Thankfully, I've got a bit of time before things have to be finalised.

So - if you are in Darwin, Jabiru, Kununurra, Wyndham, Broome, etc. etc. and are up for a drink, let me know!

Given that I've never been to the Top End before even as a tourist, I'm looking forward to this. Even if I get nowhere in terms of getting a job, I'm looking forward to the adventure!

First step: organise a car for myself in Darwin (to those who suggested I drive up - I wish I could - but time isn't on my side).

First thing ya gonna need is an umbrella

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/tinpis/IDR633.gif

Cars
Ask where the roadside car markets are ( corner of Totem and Bagot on Sat-sun is one)
If you are insane check the dealers

Yeah it's pissing down right now, going to be an interesting fright today!

Cars
 

You may also want to check the notice boards on the Backpackers, as some of the travellers are selling up before going back O/S.

Also, ask to check the notice boards at the Charter companies.

DIVOSH!

Hey Krazy,

Keep us all updated on how you go. I hope to be doing the same thing in a years time once I finish my CPL.

I also will be doing the career change thing and leaving the safety of a well paid job (Why do we do it? :)). Hhopefully, I shouldn't have a problem getting a job in my current profession (I.T.) until I get that first elusive Pilot Job.

Anyway good luck and all the best up there!

Elusive pilot jobs may cause illness :hmm:

You won't find too many good, cheap set of wheels in Darwin. You WILL find a lot of very high km vans and old Falcon wagons, etc, that have belonged to backpackers, and that they now want to quit, because they've finished with them. Sometimes you can get a bargain if you catch them as they are getting ready to leave. Remember that waving a few notes in cash works wonders. If you do a deal, and need to go get more $$'s or a bank cheque, remember to seal the deal with $50 or $100 deposit - or it might be gone by the time you get back.

Gumtree is pretty good for sussing out stuff - there's a 1994 Camry there with a few dents for $400. You can't kill that model Camry, and if you ain't fussed about appearances, it will get you around, until you find something better.

Used Cars in Darwin - Gumtree Free Classifieds - 1

Well, after being annoyed beyond all belief by QANTAS trying to get over to Darwin, I finally arrived 5 hours after planned and the humidity hit me smack in the face (as expected). First time here and I already like the city.

I organised myself a car today. Thanks for all those suggestions. In the end I bought a nice and girly Toyota Echo from a private seller. I decided the key features required were mechanical stability (ie., good servicing and no issues) and functioning aircon. This did the trick quite nicely.

I also popped out to the airport to meet some of the operators there. I found people overall to be quite friendly and willing to have a chat and give suggestions. However, nothing here seems particularly promising. I either fall well below the minimum requirements as a fresh CPL, or I am just one the dozens of people/CVs (many of whom have 5 times the experience I do). Still, you never know your luck in a new city! I did get the impression that due to the GFC and severe pilot surplus of late, many organisations have raised their minimum requirements because they can. That sucks. But hey, what can you do?

Anyway, I wasn't expecting much out of Darwin, it was just a convenient starting point. Tomorrow I head to Jabiru to make contact with the people I have spoken to on the phone. Again, Jabiru doesn't sound like it will be promising by any means, but since it is not too far away, and in an area of the country I'd like to see anyway, I'm going to stop by.

I am getting the impression that the 'popular' places already have dozens of pilots in wait. I also have the feeling that to get a job in these places, I would have to sit and wait potentially for a year. And I don't mean sit and wait while I do something else (like continue working in my professional capacity), but sit in town and do work which is unrelated to my profession. The downside of this is that I would be risking distancing myself more and more from my 'old' profession without any assurance of ever working in my 'new' profession....

Anyway, time to check out Darwin at night!

Positive
 

Someone give this bloke a job. Please.!
And yes Tin you are a silly old git. But a funny one.
Cheers M:ok:

While in Jabiru might be worth giving the cowboys over the East Alligator a call ?.
Gunbalanya, at Oenpelli.?
Goodluck.
Just a thought.
M

OK - I don't get tin's comment. Maybe I'm too much of a newbie - but there is obviously something funny in it...

And re: Gunbalanya - already had a chat, and plan on another chat when I am literally around the corner....

If you are going to get a job in the NT, Jabiru/Oenpelli is the place!:ok:

As you are about to find out when looking for that first job.....very rarely do things go to plan. A 5 hour delay is probably not the most disappointing thing you are going to have to endure in your search for work.

Well, thankfully the Echo performs very well - even at 130km/h! After feeling like I was back in the 80's where an overnight storm cuts off electricity to a major city for 6 hours, I made my way over to Kakadu NP. It's beautiful here!

Unfortunately the CPs I want to talk to aren't around today, so will stay in town for a couple of nights at probably one of the more expensive places I'll be staying at this trip, and hopefully catch up with them tomorrow and/or Monday. In the mean time, I plan to make the most of my time here and be a bit of a tourist tomorrow. Looks like there are some good short hikes around.

Thanks for the PMs full of suggestions and hints - keep 'em coming :-)

WORK.?
Forget about flying, they want to see dedication and committment, re Ice Pilots and the poor bastard rampy loading frieght for six months. Its entry level stuff.
Poor wages, hot hard work. Especially in Arheimland in the wet.
To be honest the Chief pilik doesn,t want to be there either.
M:ok:

In agreement
 

yep, I second WannabeQF. how do you approach these guys? They've heard it all before and how do you ask for a job or even ask for their time to talk about employment?

Though you were desparate to be a flight attendant Wannabe?:confused:

There is no answer to that! What works with one CP might not work with another due to differences in personalities', or even what sort of day they are having.

It's all a numbers game, the more people you ask, the more likely it is someone will say YES!:ok:

Up until a couple of years ago I had every 'thanks, but no thanks' letter that I had received, I had over 200.:eek: That doesn't include those who didn't reply and those I met face to face. So you see, ask the question enough times and someone will eventually say YES!

The good news is, once you get your first yes, it's easier from there!;)

HH
'The good news is, once you get your first yes, it's easier from there!http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...lies/wink2.gif'

Until you don't fit the profile because you have 'Too Much',
or 'Wrong Types' - Requires Training,
or you're too 'Old' !!!
(or any other reason that comes to mind when people aren't needed right this instant...)



Anyway young fella, keep at it, its character building as the other African thread proves yet again. This is what sorts out the 'Really Wannabees' from the 'Maybe Wannabees' . A screening procedure.
(then again - some Daddy's will influence their offspring into a position without the drama and starvation).

Well, today was a day of being a tourist. It's great up here. The landscape is beautiful and coming from drought country, it's amazing seeing so much water everywhere. Just fantastic! No progress on the work front though. However, to answer a question which a couple of people have asked - how do I approach the CP?

Well, I am taking my skills and knowledge from the old world (ie., that of my previous profession) and trying to apply it here. Firstly, let me say that going in to an operator's office is a bit like asking a girl out on a first date. I'm talking about the adrenalin rush part of it. Given the circumstances you pretty much expect to get no where, but you are going to try your hardest, put on a brave smile, and do your best to show them what you're made of.

My view is that you have to come across as yourself, as the person you really are. There is no point ever getting a job on false pretences as it won't last very long, and it will do more harm than good in the long run. So I act myself.

The other thing I try to do is differentiate myself from the crowd. Firstly, age. I think a little extra age can be seen as a good thing and a bad thing. So naturally I try to emphasise the good side of my age. Together with that I can show that I'm different because I have other knowledge and experience to draw on. Anyone coming from another career will know what I mean. Whilst, for example, being an accountant doesn't give you flying experience, you can use it as a selling point as any small business does book-keeping, BAS's, etc. Not saying that you would do all those things, but for a business to have skills and knowledge in-house is always helpful. The same applies to most professions. Lastly, any flying skills I have which may be different to the standard I try to bring in. I'm a low timer (like many), but I do have time in a C210. Whilst talking about this hasn't got me a job yet, I think it brings me a tiny bit closer.

In the end, I also know CPs are busy people and probably do get harassed a lot. I try to not waste their time, and try to read their body language. When you show up - the pilots and CP know immediately why you are there. So I don't believe there is any point wasting their time talking about other rubbish first. By all means, I am not saying don't be friendly, just be weary of their time.

All this being said - not sure if anyone really should take my advice since I don't have a flying job [yet]!!!

My biggest advice to you is to keep your identity anonymous on here. It will not be too hard to work out who you are judging by your car, your age and previous occupation. When starting out the industry seems vast, in actual fact it is very small and after a few seasons you will know almost one guy in every company in Australia as people move on.

While pprune is a great resource, operators despise it as quite often their businesses are put through the wringer on here, sometimes founded, sometimes unfounded.

Most Pilots in the industry have heard of pprune, many read yet don't contribute and others keep away from it. Only a small percentage of the guys on here who contribute represent the amount of guys who read it.

Don't mention the 'p' word to an employer, don't let them ever work out who you are. Don't mention dates, things that have happened to you, etc etc etc. Always speak in a general round about way.

Sometimes your views/opinions can be misused or taken out of context and used by people who seek to overtake/under cut or have an agenda against you for their own reasons. For as many great people in the industry there is just as many who are not.

Good luck and enjoy your journey. The topend is a wonderful place to be.

Thanks for the advice GG. I figured those who are reading this and meeting me would have no problem working things out. In the end though, I am careful with what I say here. My intention is really just to document my experiences and hopefully help out others like me down the track.

Sure, I hope no operators take anything I say out of context. I reckon it would be a damn hard job to take anything I've said so far out of context, but I guess anything can happen! Thanks for the advice!

I guess I shouldn't disclose on here that I'm a tall, blonde female. Now no-one will be able to figure out who I am! :-p

You shouldn't have any problem getting employment then!:E

Seriously though everybody reads PPRuNe, but most aren't willing to admit they post. If you follow a simple rule and don't write anything you wouldn't say to someones face then you shouldn't have a problem!:ok:

Many on here know who I am!;)

Although, I guess the difference is, you already have a job in the industry!

Well, I left A and am now at B. Again, great place. If nothing else, I'm loving discovering this part of the country!

Again, have come across some really helpful people here, with pointers and advice about who to contact and try. Unfortunately, they're nearly all people/places I have contacted (or am on my way to see). I really am discovering how small the industry is....

Anyway, it's been useful and shortly I am off to C. I'm not expecting much and therefore do not have my hopes high. But you never know - and if anything, it's just on the road to more places!

I have heard from a couple of operators that having a instrument rating would be helpful up here. Makes perfect sense given the weather, but it's an expensive thing to do when a) it's not tax deductible, and b) even with it, there's no guarantee of a job afterwards anyway. It's quite an investment. However, maybe for others who are yet to get their CPL and want to get some sort of rating/endorsement whilst building up the hours - that would be a worthwhile path.

I am going to start having to make decisions about work 'back home' shortly. At some point I will need to accept my adult responsibilities, but not just yet!

Post note: one thing I find amusing about this place (the NT): before I bought a car in Darwin I checked with the MVR (motor vehicle registry) twice - once on the phone and once in person - to confirm that I can transfer registration even though I don't have NT residency. I was told it's not a problem, they just 'lock' the rego so I can't renew it unless I have residency by then. All good. I buy the car, and head to pay stamp duty and do the paperwork. Different MVR, and this time I'm told that it can't be done because I don't have NT residency. I need to do it in my home state. Well, that's not happening any time soon! The long and the short of it, because the seller will send in their disposal form, there is nothing more for me to do. The bonus? given that I can't transfer the rego, I don't have to pay stamp duty. Bloody idiots!

Just for a laugh?
Is A Mitchell ST.?
Is B Langtrees, Redhouse or Pinkhouse in KAL.?
Time will tell.
Theres always the longrass. The fabled spinifex princess.:=
Goodluck
M

Go to Broome. No rating required. Not right away anyway.

"I guess I shouldn't disclose on here that I'm a tall, blonde female", then if u add: and crashed and puts out..............You will get a job for sure.

No disrespect to all hard work working honest ladies up there. Or even the dishonest ones........It is not your fault. :)

Not true.

Any training you undertake must be for progression in the existing company. You can't do a MECIR and claim it as a tax deduction to gain employment at another company if your company does not require it.

Same goes for ATPL subjects, or anything else.

The bonus? given that I can't transfer the rego, I don't have to pay stamp duty. Bloody idiots

I would be very, very careful my friend, with regard to third party insurance
Have a biffo, worse kill someone sleeping on the road, and you will have lawyers crawling all over you like flies

Exactly what GG said. Just because you got away with it, doesn't make it legal. I quote from the ATO:

In order to get a tax deduction....

and;

In other words, just because you are qualified in a profession, doesn't mean your continued study entitles you to a tax deduction.

Well, having left location B I am now in C. Again, I am loving the countryside. It may sound kinda corny, but it's really nice to see so much of the country I've grown up in! This place is so large there always seem to be new places to see.

On the job front however, things aren't looking overly promising. There are definitely a lot more pilots than there are jobs out and about. Sure, if the hiring in the larger companies goes ahead in the coming months, there may be more jobs available at the lower end of the scale, but who really knows if that's going to happen.

I have received a couple of leads through PMs, and I thank you for those. A couple are proving potentially promising (whatever that means) and others are dead ends. Some may, if anything, just get me some free flying on weekends. A wishful thought for now.

I am making a big effort of talking to operators/CPs on the phone prior to arriving in town and meeting them in person. The idea is twofold: 1 - less of a surprise to them. 2 - they might tell me to not waste their time (and my time), which makes my route planning a lot easier if I know there is no point going to certain locations.

One thing I am hearing more and more of is the time requirements. I have spoken to a few places today where their requirements are as low as 250 or 300 hours (of course I have also spoken to some who have 400 and 500 hour minimums). My point being, I feel a bit positive that there are some with hour requirements that aren't as high as I first thought they would be. Not that I'm saying getting another 100 hours is easy (nor cheap), but it's something to think about.

What I have realised in all this is the dog eat dog nature of things. I know that for me, personally, it is hard (in fact downright bad for my mental health) to not be working in something mentally stimulating. So whilst I admire pilots who will wait in a location for up to 12 months for a job, working at Coles or a servo in the mean time, I don't think it's something I can do. 10 years ago, I reckon I could. Today, I think it would really be damaging to my health. I'm sure there are others like me out there who have come from a life of working 40 stimulating hours a week. It's not easy to all of a sudden do nothing with your time. Unfortunately, I think that might bode badly for people in my shoes. But in the end, I'm pursuing this career for happiness - and there is no point becoming a mental wreck on the road to happiness now is there?

joke?
 

this is sarcasm, right?

It's the mentality of a pilot who chooses operate overweight in to a possibly unsuitable landing site (especially overweight!) while low on fuel and in weather conditions below minima that leads to airlines using psychometric testing.

Those sorts of flight conditions aren't mentally stimulating. They are just high risk & scary. It's not the same. With experience most pilots recognise and choose to avoid putting themselves in risky situations. Doesn't stop their flying from being mentally stimulating. The challenging part is how to get the flight done safely & legally while *avoiding* the risk.

All good guys, he's a tool who doesn't even have a CPL, he's tried to pass himself off as 'Dennis the heavy jet captain'.

QF, just to let you know, you've just become my pet project...

So it is not just me.. is it ?

QF does have several persona's or alter egos.

Sorry for the thread drift, - but of course they all do eventually anyway.

All the best up North.

I may be able to help out with accommodation in Darwin, at a push.
PM if you want... i also work about a little up there. May have some info also.

a question or two?
 

Hey, like Krazy, I'm heading up from Perth up to Broome with a few stops in between. Looking like this March, not the best timing but had to apply for leave etc from my current job and cheapest tickets etc.. got a couple of questions for you guys (some of whom seem to be in the know about Oz - i'm a kiwi...)

Is the time of the year going to make quite a big difference??

Does having 500 hours make a significant difference to employment chances as opposed to a 200/250 hr fresh cpl?

MEIR will have lapsed...will this make a big difference?

Does it help to chat with them and see if there's a possibility that they'll give me a call if something comes up later in the year? Does this even happen??

Thanks for your help in advance, I'm trying to make the most of the time I have there so any advice is appreciated.

If i've posted in the wrong forum let me know and i'll remove and repost...

I'll leave huey's discussion to the other thread where it's taken hold. In the mean time, I spent most of the day travelling again in order to follow up a couple of leads. I agree with what everyone (especially those who have 'been there, done that') is saying: find a place and stay there if you can. This definitely seems to be the way to get a job in the current climate. I don't necessarily advocate this as being the way things should work, I am saying that this appears to be the way things do work. At least at the moment.

I have a suspicion after talking to some senior people in GA, that things aren't always like this. ie., there are definitely times when supply doesn't far exceed demand like at the moment, and during those times, hiring could work a little differently. But these are the times we find ourselves in, so this is what we must do.

It's not easy though to say to yourself you are going to hang around somewhere where you know for a fact there are many more pilots than there will be jobs. Sure, some pilots will leave, and sure, people will (I assume) get hired on their merit - so some are obviously better than others. But it is a hard thing to do.

For now, I still have leads (and I use that word EXTREMELY loosely) to follow up. Unfortunately a couple were at point Z and a couple at point Y. Opposite directions. But, I can only go one step at a time.

One thing I have found is that all the people here (as in the North West of this country) in my situation are all pretty friendly and you can't go wrong meeting them and making new friends!

Krazy thanks for taking the time to write about your findings up north. Gives a great insight to those of us who will be making the trek up there one day.

Is second that Diversion,

Keep up the good work Krazy

And when your new friends get jobs, they will be able to let you know when someone leaves, so you can be 'Johnny on the spot'!:ok: