Royal flying doctor service

[WQ - ingo]

What is the typical route most pilots take to gaining employment with them?

I understand the criteria is set pretty high with regards to experience and can imagine selection is fierce.

Do most seek pastures new after a duration within the airlines/military?

The minimum requirements are as follows;

• Current command instrument rating (multi-engine) with two renewals
• 2000 hours as pilot-in-command
• 1000 hours as pilot-in-command of a multi-engined aircraft
• 200 hours night operations as pilot-in-command
• Pilots with turbo-prop experience preferred
• A sound work ethic
• Demonstrable maturity and stability of employment
• Excellent communication skills
• A philosophy sympathetic to the ideals of the RFDS
• An empathy for the bush and its people

And desirable requirements are;

• Current Australian Air Transport Pilot Licence

• 5000 hours as Pilot-in-Command

• 3000 hours as Pilot-in-Command of a multi-engined aircraft

• 500 hours as Pilot-in-Command at night

• 2000 hours as Pilot-in-Command of a turbo-prop or turbo-jet aircraft

• Grade One Instructor Rating (Multi-engine) or military equivalent

• Check Pilot Experience within a CAR 217 Organisation

• Minimum eight Instrument Rating Renewals completed

• Demonstrated willingness to reside within a remote area

• Pilots with turbo-prop experience preferred

Seems they require some pretty experienced of pilots, which is what you'd expect i guess. If only the airlines were this selective.

I ask purely out of interest. So just to advise, i do not see this as an easy way to gain hours to bulk up my cv, in fact it seems quite the contrary.

Thanks.

WQ.

[redsnail]

It's rare for pilots to come from the airlines. RFDS is single pilot ops. You do work with a flight nurse and a doctor. (My sis-in-law's a Dr with them)

Mostly it's from pilots who've got some bush flying for a few years and then gone on to twin charter work, usually in the regional areas. A few have gone there after Coastwatch. It's usual to have a bit of turbine time before getting hired. Although, big piston twins are accepted too.

A few have left RFDS to go onto other things. One went to Antarctic Survey.
From the Desert to the Ice.

[WQ - ingo]

Cheers,

WQ.