Moving to the Top End for flying
 

Hi all,

I am a CPL pilot living in New Zealand with relatively low hours (about 275TT). I recently obtained my pilots license and have plans to move to Australia’s (ideally with a charter company, however I am open to anything) Top End at the start of next year in pursuit of a pilot job as New Zealand’s GA scene is pretty dry at the moment due to COVID. I also have no plans on getting an instructor rating currently due to cost and poor job opportunities (in NZ at least).

Could anyone please give me advice if this is a move that is worth doing, what the job prospects are like in the Top End, and any advice on what to expect with moving, flying and living in the Top End.

Cheers

Hmmm…. Have a read of this thread.

Always a gamble mate, it's one we all take, works for some, not for others, don't be a knob and bring your knee pads with you- be sure they're comfy, you'll spend alot of time in them.

The thread that you've been directed too is a great idea of what it's like. It is an experience and it's character building.

Before heading straight to the top end, maybe go south to lake Eyre, try working with Wrights Air (or named something similar). Don't rely on phone calls, be a man- drive in, dress smart and walk in and let them know you're more than happy to pour beers, paint fences, clean toilets etc to be a team player. It's all about getting a start. Also, you do t have relatively low hours- you have nothing and have loads to learn- be humble and open.

Skip.

Cheers mate,

I’m hoping that there’s more action next year

Cheers for the advice. I’ll definitely keep wrightsair in mind, although the drive to their operations seems like a bit of a mission... probably worth looking into more.

TFK722

Do it! There are a lot of opportunities in the NT for first job pilots. The basic list is as follows.

Territory Air Services
Chart Air
Air Frontier
Katherine Aviation
Kakadu Air Services
Air Arnhem
Gunbalanya Air Charters
Black Diamond Aviation
Marthakal
Arafura Aviation
Jandakot Flight Center
Northern Territory Air Services
Hardy's (Not a first job but advisable 2nd)
and any flight school if you have an instructor rating

Savannah Aviation in Burketown QLD is also a solid option for a first job on a Twin. GSL, Air Fraser and Daintree are in QLD as well.

Plenty more out there and a quick stalk of FR24 and 16right will give you a huge list of operators to target.

If you can't find something in the current climate you're doing something wrong.

Great list, thanks for this! Going to be job hunting pretty soon so this sort of information is incredibly helpful.

Yellow Pages! :E

Much appreciated mate. I'll definitely look into the companies you have mentioned and talk to them when I begin my job search next year :)

Comprehensive list, don't be signing any training bonds for something like a Baron or 310 (... or 210) :=, you'll be doing the industry a disservice...and you'll probably feel like a goose for doing so after a few hundred hours flying them.

I can recommend:

Territory Air Services (Has recently become a very tidy operation, huge hours)
Chartair (Good career GA spot, probably no need for the step to Hardys/Hinterland)
Air Arnhem (Smaller outfit in Gove, you'll get taken care of)

All other operators are typical GA spec, not too bad, not too great either... also don't confuse NTAS with TAS, you'll be in for a rude shock or pleasant surprise respectively.

Thanks for the recommendations :) also, what do you mean by training bonds? Is this to do with a GA course or?

I recall there being an earlier thread and the advice given was to prepare yourself. This included drivers licence for bus, manual car, first aid certificate, dangerous goods, fork lift certificate, RSA, RCG, WWCC, etc, etc. Being culturally aware. Being weather aware. So a bunch of skills (and knowledge) that would make it easier to get a non-aviation job and could make it easier to get an aviation job. Good luck.

Thanks Missy :) I'll try find that thread. Out of curiosity, you mention a manual car as one of the things to prepare myself (as the thread mentioned), why is that?

Hi,
I found the thread but it didn't contain as many gems as I was expecting.

Edited from a post on that thread.

Not every car / truck / bus will be an automatic.

As Warnie said to his son (Jackson) - Manners are free, Don't give up, Be present.

Good luck.

Very much agree, be very careful of the training bonds, although more operators are doing this now due to movement around the industry. Just know what your signing up for.

Some companies definitely treat their pilots better than others but honestly take what you can, get your hours and get out of there :ok:

Very helpful thread. Does anyone know the best time to head to the top end? Some people say 'there's no perfect time' but I'm trying to minimise my lease breaking costs here in Brissy.

I forgot to ask, there's a "Ga ready" course hosted in Darwin which costs $4750. Anyone done this and is it worth doing it for networking purposes and the 5+ hours on the C210?

No perfect time! The sooner you get up there, the better. Opportunities are always popping up year round and 99% of employers will only hire those already up in location. Some companies go busy during the wet, others thrive during the dry, a lot stay busy year round.

I would avoid the GA course at all costs. Go seek the set up down at MKT if you are after 200 series time or to learn familiarity with the Darwin airspace.

The people who run the GA course are genuinely not interested in developing and growing you as a pilot. If you don’t fit the model they seem to be looking for (plenty of other posts describing the type), you are ostracised since day 1 of the course. They use it for candidates to essentially pay for an interview, nothing more.

Don't do the GA ready course, you already have a licence, those guys are just there to pinch a few extra dollars, have a look at the thread, "What happened" that's an experience of GA readiness that you need, maybe bring your own pineapple to sit on for the next few years- remove the spikes.

As for moving up, I would say, no time like the present. Definently before wet season starts, for your own safety and the companies they would want you to be semi comfortable in the plane and to be making correct judgement calls on where your limits are.

But don't just expect to get a job, shake a tree up there and a junior pilot falls out- bring knee pads and your own gag ball- really show you want to go the extra mile.. :)

A waste of money designed to exploit eager low time pilots.