Medical class 1 aus
 

Hi can someone help me with a class 1 issue with restrictions with a lazy eye.

Nilana,

Not to be unpleasant but have you seen the state of the world and the industry right now? I would be pursuing something else entirely and then watching how things unfold over the next few years. Sadly it’s not likely to improve anytime soon.

I’ll have a crack at the limited answers I can supply! Haha!

1) No idea about the QF academy but as far as school goes;
- finish Year 12
- passes in English, Maths B, Physics, Chemistry
That will set you up well no matter where you go in life. In the past these have been minimum requirements for some airlines and the RAAF

2) I went the self funded aero club path so can’t comment on the good/bad of University training. HOWEVER, all the naysayers on here will tell you now is a bad time to start training. So perhaps a course that finishes in 3 years could be an advantage in this current climate...

3) There has never been a ‘pilot shortage’. There has however been a shortage of experienced pilots. Basically with a CPL and IR you are all but useless to any employer. However once you get a +1000 hours and/or some turbine time, all of a sudden you will find doors start to open. Get a licence and get a job, after that you’ll find it easier, the first job is the hardest.

4) no idea. Check the website perhaps?

5) Again no idea. But given the current state of the industry, think about what YOU would do if you finish your training and QF aren’t hiring cadets?? During the GFC (2008) Qantas cadets were told ‘we don’t need you’, some of them waited 8-10 years for QF to call with a job offer.

A jet job with JQ/QF/VA may be the dream goal, but how are you going to get there? If you miss out on a Cadetship, you need to be ready to move north to find charter work or spend more $$$ to get an instructor rating and hope for work down south. Build the hours in GA and then apply to an airline once you have 1-2000 hours.

if you don’t get an answer here talk to Dr Hooke https://aopa.com.au/pilot-medical-support-panel-update/

should I enrol into AUSTRALIAN WINGS ACADEMY
 

I am considering enrolling into Australian wings academy next year (2021) and I have seen a few negative threads but that was a long time ago. I would like to become an airline pilot one day hopefully for Qantas and Jetstar and despite Covid-19 the industry will bounce back. My question is:

Should I enrol into Australian Wings Academy?

Getting a Degree Before Becoming a Pilot
 

I am finishing my HSC this year and I would like to become a commercial pilot but I am unsure on if I should get a degree for essentially just a backup option for a career before I go onto becoming a pilot. I have been looking at degrees however nothing other than being a pilot interests me. I live in the Newcastle area so was looking at Hunter Valley Aviation Full-time diploma of aviation which is part of the BASAIR aviation college which I would need to be 18 on commencement but I am still 17 until mid-2021 so that was another reason for doing a degree in between. Some of the questions that I would like to know are;

1. Is it worth doing a 3-4 year degree at Newcastle Uni in something I'm not exactly interested in like Computer Science in this time between finishing school and doing flight training?

2. Is it worth getting a degree now if I will be a pilot and the degree will become outdated by the time I may need to use it and I feel it will be a waste of time?

3. Another thing I think about is should I just do a degree and work in an industry I'm not currently interested in that pays well and just fly privately? So basically passion vs salary however pilot would eventually pay well in time?

4. Then another option is doing a Bachelor of Aviation degree (or RMIT Associate Degree) and Graduate Diploma/Certificate which I would prefer doing than another degree by moving elsewhere where it brings me the problem of not having the funds to live?

Number 3.

Progress your CPL while getting paid to work.

It’s a shame if that’s the case as Bruce Hartwig (sadly recently passed away) was one of the nicest guys you could ever have the pleasure to meet.

(Hartwig Air was formerly Bruce Hartwig Flying School, and Bruce went to work for FTA as a ground school instructor who flew as well, and was particularly helpful to people who needed a little extra knowledge to get them through their training.)

What sort of thing are they up to?

Remember the test of defamation is truth - whether you can prove the veracity of your statements. If not, you will be paying the piper and his legal costs.

Very good advice. And don't forget that liability for defamation is shared by both author and publisher of the web site, not necessarily in equal portions. Since it is of no interest whatsoever to the readers of this site, its better consigned to the digital trashcan of the ether.

Good advice above, however, I’ll add that if you do go down the degree path, perhaps consider doing something non-aviation, you never know when you might need to change direction at short notice. Wish I had!

Which University or Flight School for CPL in Melbourne
 

Hi everyone, I'm looking to eventually have a career in aviation and am having a hard time deciding between the option of doing a Bachelors Degree in Aviation (either Swinburne or RMIT, both seem to have partnerships with airlines) or simply a diploma of Aviation (CPL). I don't have rich parents to pay out of pocket, so I'm somewhat limited in options that will have FEE-HELP cover the cost of the 150 hours in obtaining a CPL.

Other than RMIT and Swinburne, the Royal Victorian Aero Club looks like a great option.

Let me know what your thoughts are on what are my best options, would love to hear from Melbourne pilots about your journey in becoming a pilot.

Military flying clubs for training?
 

Hey all, first time post.

I'm a member of the ADF in non-aviation employment. Pre-Military days I recall people telling me about their own 'good old days' where by if you were a RAAFie you had the option of getting your PPL free or discounted or when the pilots proper just got given some GA aircraft to keep their hours up. After day dreaming about an RPL/PPL for sometime, the thought of this just popped into my head again. So after a little research I've come across a few RAAF flying clubs who's membership seems to only be open to ADF members - after doing some extremely basic arithmetic their costs appear to be nearly half or even a quarter of what a commercial aviation school would offer (not incl. testing, exams, etc). The catch appears that their might be a waiting list for training, they operate from military airbases and that they (rightfully so) operate at non or low-operational hours for the priority military traffic - Thereby limiting flying to weekends. All of these are things I don't care about or have access too.

Does anyone have any experience with Military flying clubs to get their non-professional licence?

Yoursaye, Check PM

Hi peoples,

Have a keen sense of adventure right now and would be excited to pack the car and go job hunting in the N.T. Except I'm not sure what the prospects are in the current market. And would it be a bit too late now as we are heading into the wet?

Thanks

Hi Kundry,
It has worked well in the past but then isn't now. How are the travel restrictions? Is there any demand for GA flying?
I'd make some phone calls first before risking it.
Make sure you've got every thing current. You might be on the ground for a while.
Get things like Dangerous Goods (if required), First Aid certificates, Driver's licence for larger vehicles (eg minibus).

Reputable Flying School Northern Victoria
 

Hi,
Can anyone please help me and recommend a good flying school in Northern Victoria. I am quite young and new to aviation but really enjoy it. I completed some lessons at a Moorabbin flying school prior to Covid. It was ok however I live and work in the Kilmore district and it is a nightmare travelling to Moorabbin. I am not really interested in large flying schools and am keen on smaller schools with experienced instructors. Thanks in advance for any replies

I hear good things about Gawne Aviation in Shepparton.

Contact the Kyneton Aero club, they have a C172 and an experienced instructor.

Yes, Kyneton Aero Club is a great place to start out. All very friendly and relaxed.

I can highly recommend Gawne Aviation Shepparton. They have been in the business for a long time with excellent instructors and in house examiners. It's a very friendly flying school with reasonable rates.
Shepparton has a great climate almost year round. As well as that the training area is nearby and you will get into the air quickly rather than idling on the ground wasting time and money. They will mentor and teach you right as many of their former trainees have progressed to various professional pilot jobs including airlines.
Good luck with your aviation aspirations. It can be a challenging road but it is rewarding when you make it.

Advice on Sydney flight schools.
 

Recently redundant cattle driver looking to get my AFR done and my FIR and MEIR current again to try my luck at the flight schools again. Being from WA originally I'd greatly appreciate any insight anyone has about good or not so good flight schools in the greater Sydney area?
Thanks in advance everyone!!!

I did my AFR down in Wollongong with NSW Air and renewed my instructor rating as well. Did the Instructor check with Curtis Aviation at Camden who were great. Also a lot of stood down airline staff at Alto-cap at Camden doing flying and instructor refreshers.

Multi engine and IFR training approval course
 

Hi All,

Can people please recommend a flight school that conducts multi engine and IFR training approvals to upgrade an instructor rating.

I would prefer a location in South East Australia, however open to all locality's pending the Covid 19 situation and border restrictions......

Regards.

Downwind.

I’ve seen people getting into GA jobs in the last 3 months. One of the GA companies actually hired because the individual was in the NT and not sitting back at home like the other 5 resumes that were looked at because 4 people quit in the space of three weeks. Don’t question it mate just go for it. There are blokes up here already camping out for that first job.

Wannabe pilot looking for advice
 

Hey folks, I was hoping I could get some general advice on Australian aviation training and careers, as I don't know anyone in the industry and I’m in quite a unique situation. I've used Google and this forum's Search feature, and haven't found anything that answers my questions; apologies if I’ve posted this in the wrong place. I’ll try to keep it short, and not ask stupid questions. I can’t promise I’ll succeed!

My life situation:
I'm 44, living in Melbourne, and lucky enough to be retired. I have enough money to live out the rest of my natural life, and I can afford to fly decent hours privately (10+ per month). I finished work two years ago, and now finally have the means to follow my passion in aviation, and at age 44 I’m thinking I’m too young to stop working. I would love to start a new career as a pilot.

My aviation situation:
I studied aviation in my high school years as part of the Ansett Aviation Scholarship, but didn't have the money to do the last two years, which were in the cockpit and not theory. I started my Rec Pilot Certificate in early 2020, but had to stop due to COVID as well as a health issue, both of which are now resolved.

Q1.
I am leaning towards a job as a flight instructor. I understand it’s incredibly competitive, but I’m lucky enough that I can chip away at it for years until it’s a reality. I’ve met instructors in their 50s and 60s who only started in the last few years, which is what gave me this idea. Do I need a Commercial Pilot License to become an instructor? If not, what kind of quals do I need? What other piloting careers are there which might be achievable given my circumstances? I just want to fly…

Q2.
While I live in Melbourne, I am strongly considering the move to Hobart or NZ. However, I can’t seem to find many schools in these area? Am I blind/terrible at Googling?

Q3.
I don’t think you chaps can give school recommendations, (feel free to do so if you can!), but what’s the best way to find a school that is reputable and honest? I’ve heard horror stories, and considering I’m looking to spend over $70k plus the better part of two years to get my CPL, would like to do due diligence. Alas, there is no publicly available resource that I can find which shows how sound these businesses are, the rate at which they pass students, how they help place students into jobs, etc

Thanks for your time, and hope you all have a better 2021 than the year we’ve just had!

Q1:
to be employed as a pilot (including as an instructor) you will need a commercial licence (and to be an instructor, an instructor rating on top of the CPL).


My 2c
In general, making a career out of being a pilot typically takes more than just qualifications, you need to be willing to build experience to work your way up and that can be a hard road. At 44 with not much experience you will be competing for jobs with people a lot younger at the entry level positions.

As an instructor if you:
a. have good aptitude for flying and had good solid training yoursel,f
b. have good people skills (and teaching aptitude) and some real world experience
c. do not mind working hard
opportunities for instructing are there. Not everyone makes a good instructor and not everyone enjoys the job though, just being a good pilot doesn't mean you will be a good instructor.
It usually isn't paid well compared to other GA jobs. Depends on what you want though - pay isn't everything. Also not all flying schools are equal (as employers and as providers of a good job environment).

If you want to fly, go for it. Do your PPL with a good school (good doesn't necessarily mean big). You will get to know more about the industry and possibilities as you progress and will be better placed to see if flying for money is what you want to do and what area (eg instructing) is where you want to aim for (or move through).

At that point if you still want to go for it as a career, then push on with your CPL. Don't skimp on getting good experience on the way - if you have the finance and time and are not in a hurry add aerobatics, tailwheel, multi engine, etc. At 44 you are going to be behind the curve for many positions but I know of a handful of people who have found a niche starting in their 40s. If you want a high paying glamorous career flying cutting edge aircraft... probably not likely.

Others will have a different take.

You have to be careful even when a school comes with recommendations, caveat emptor and all that. Had two experiences, one came highly recommended due to the quality of instructors and instructing, but the business side less so, to the extent they were cashing cheques of students who had paid up front on they day they folded, trading while insolvent, had foreseen the likely outcome and made arrangements where fuel had been purchased at a particular aero club to let me know if they had trouble getting paid and I'd pay the bill, which is what occurred, and I deducted that amount when the administrator presented his invoice for monies due.

If I could give a thumbs up it would be to the Latrobe Valley Aero Club, even got a student a job a week before they did their commercial ride, and the arrangement was made during an instruction flight when the business concerned rang the instructor asking for recommendations, but we're talking a decade ago.

The very best of wishes in your ambition.

Oh, and never ever pay monies up front, I repeat, never ever pay monies up front, I repeat .........

You only need a PPL to instruct however the instructing you can do with it is very limited, realistically you need a CPL with Instructor rating. Think Par Avionics in Tasmania used to do flight training. At your age there is no problems with a career instructing. As for schools don’t pay up front and visit as many as possible, generally I find smaller schools are good as you get more one on one time (and hopefully if you go all the way through you may end up with an instructing job at the end). If time and money isn’t a problem go for trial flights at a few schools and see what feels the best fit for you and ask lots of questions.

Thank you very much for your responses, really appreciate it.

I believe that I do have an aptitude for aviation, and study in general. Hard work is also fine considering I don't think anything aviation related is fascinating. Though cleaning the club house toilets may not be quite as much fun. I'm also pretty good with people, as relationship building was critical in my former career. Regarding the getting my hours up, what would you suggest is the best way to pursue this? Note that I can offer to work for free, full time, which might give me an edge over others? I'm happy to do as many quals as I can, so will also do those other courses you've mentioned along the way.

In the immediate future I'm going to plow into my PPL - I've heard great things about Lilydale Flight School in Victoria (La Trobe is a bit far to commute there regularly). They also offer the CPL course, so I'm assuming it would be good to have the continuity of training there? It sounds like there are also some schools in Tassie that I can look into should I make the move there - Par Avionics for one. Thanks again - I can't wait for 2021 to begin so I can really devote myself to this new direction. It's incredibly exciting, and I can't believe that - whatever happens - I'll be able to make my dreams of flying come true. (urgh, I'm such a gushing noobie, aren't I?!)

It seems like asking about certain schools is ok? Any thoughts on Lilydale Flying School? Given my goal of a CPL, what other great schools are there in the Melbourne and Hobart areas?

Par Avion in Hobart is the main and only (maybe apart from the Aero Club?) GA flight training in Tassie.

I'd recommend self funding so you know exactly where your money is going. Tassie is a lovely place to live if you like nature and especially so if you are into mountain biking.

GA Roadtrip Job hunt
 

Hi everyone,

The time has come to begin the infamous job hunt for that first flying job. I have chosen to begin a circuit road trip next month beginning in Victoria heading all the way up to the NT and back to talk to numerous GA operators and ask some questions to see if they have any work. I am not expecting a job especially at this time, more would just love to soak up all the info that anyone is willing to give me.
Apart from the obvious advice such as 'look professional' and 'Be knowledgable' is there any advice anyone would give me?
As well as advice, any operators that are a must to visit on my journey that would give a look into a low hour pilot?

For reference, I am a 210 hour CPL, with MECIR.

Cheers guys,

Why go back? I’ll give you your first piece of advice, you won’t get a job sitting in Victoria, no matter how enjoyable your trip up north was. You need to move up north, find somewhere to setup camp, and just get any old job so that you’re Johnny On The Spot when a job does come up.

Interesting thought. I have been told that especially in these Covid times GA is quite slow and moving up may not be the best course of action as I may be up there for a prolonged period without any bites. Rather a short road trip to make connections and learn. And if nothing comes of it then I can go back to Victoria and possibly retrain/reskill so that I am not wasting my time flogging a dead horse.
Thanks though.

Have you actually spoken to any of the operators or pilots up north? They will give you the truth about how busy they are and how the state of the industry is up north.

Hearsay from people that aren't there isn't worth anything.

Go north, find any job in an area you think may have some flying work, settle in.

NO ONE WILL EMPLOY YOU OVER THE PHONE FROM VICTORIA.

Planning ahead
 

Hi everyone

So I'm about 90% through my PPL in NZ and I'm looking to get my CPL, Multi and Instrument rating. My partner is locked in with her employer for about the next 5 years so I've got plenty of time to get licensed up etc.

I've been pointed in the direction of some places in Darwin that will take low hour pilots but I was hoping to get some help from anyone that's done it before. I guess some advice on what to expect starting with how busy the work might be and what would be a realistic pay to expect at first?

Any other help would be awesome.

CPL Australia - Best training facilities
 

Hi,
I am interested in becoming a commercial pilot in Australia and potentially working overseas in the future.
I would like any advice on achieving this and what do you recommend is the best path (private or cadetship)?

Thanks.

Maybe have a read of this thread: Fresh Grade 3 Instructor with $120,000 debt. Driving street sweepers...

There are several other similar threads here within the last 3 months or so if you go back and take a look.

You want them to research without doing anyone giving away the answers straight away?