Royal flying doctor service
 

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.

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. :D

Cheers,

WQ. :ok: