Thanks for all the comments. Some I agree with, some I don't, some I don't want to but probably need to.

I think it is fine for an airline to pick and choose and, while it is disappointing that I might be discriminated against on the basis of age, so be it - it wont affect my desire to continue training and aspire to an eventual pilot role at some stage in my 40's. The most frustrating element is the advertised BS from the airlines that say "this is available to anyone". If this isn't the case, then don't state this.You don't have to specify the narrow band of applicants you are looking for, just don't get peoples hopes up by making overt false statements that include people you aren't looking for.

In any case, I acknowledge there is a slim chance of making it all the way to RPT, a slimmer chance of widebody, and a highly remote chance of CPT. But the journey for me is as much fun as the prospect of the end destination. I'd be proud to say I worked as hard as I did, at the age I am, to get to any full time pilot position. Good luck to all who are in a similar position as me, and a tip of the hat to everyone who has made it.

QANTAS PILOT ACADEMY Application
 

How do you get into the program? (Advantaged selection)
Hi I am:
- 18
- Completed School (Studied Maths, Physics and English)
- 10-20hrs of flying
Will this possibly give me entrance into the program? Should I build more hours and possibly get an RPL? Does having an RPL advantage you into the selection of the program?

You're a female. You're already advantaged.

I’m a male. But what I have achieved, do you think that will be enough or it will give me an advantage?

I'm not an expert on the recruitment process, but it seems like you do satisfy their minimum requirements. Having 10-20 hours' flying experience isn't necessarily an advantage, but if you really enjoyed it then you could use this experience to strengthen your application by saying that this shows you're really keen on flying.

In addition to those minimum requirements, they'll be looking for mature individuals who think logically, can get along with people, and can remain composed under pressure. They are also looking for people who are keen on flying as a career, as it does get tough later down the road. Usually the one or two paragraphs that you write on your application form would be their way of making an initial assessment on a few of those things above, so make sure it is written carefully and has a logical and coherent flow to it. Good luck!

TempoTCu - you have shown multiple times on this thread that you are mature-minded, committed, and determined to succeed in your career change.

I’d gladly have you as part of my crew - don’t give up, perhaps continue as a self funded student outside the academy route with a school that has airline exposure and experience.

When the world gets over this corona downturn - and it will , like all other cycles in history - you will get a gig flying, and you will love it.

You need two things to succeed in aviation - persistence, and persistence.

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I just want to be clear that I am not suggesting that I have been discriminated against - I'm just seeking feedback on what I can do (if anything) to overcome the constant rejections. This isn't about finding or making excuses, its about tapping into every resource available to learn and improve.

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Most of your readers have sacrificed their time, money and lives to be professional pilots. They have failed, picked themselves up, swept hangers, worked in 50 degree cockpits, had friends killed.

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If the application process requires any writing other than the entry of data (name, age, number of hours etc), I would recommend that you ask someone with deep written communication expertise to review what you have written.


I have reviewed many (many) applications for many (usually six-figure salary) positions, and the applications with any grammatical and other errors usually do not make it past the initial review. In a highly competitive process, the reviewers are trying to cull as many applicants as quickly as possible.

In the second quote above, the writer is in effect saying that the persons to whom s/he referred have conspired to murder people: “They have ... had friends killed.” The “hanger” point has already been picked up. I would chuckle at the former and cringe at the latter, and flick the application to the ‘reject’ pile. (However, I hasten to add that the writer was merely making an anonymous post on PPRUNE, so it is not a context in which anything important is at stake. I am not suggesting that the writer would write in the same way in a formal application.)

That said, someone very close to me spent a couple of decades in seat 0A of international heavy metal operations, and I suspect he will go to his grave never having understood the correct use of apostrophes and the difference between “your” and the contraction of “you are”. He was lucky enough too bee in the rite places at thee write thyme.