Australia: Training, Licence Conversion, Job Prospects

[High Nr]

Advancement Checklist.

Do you hold a CHPL and are undertaking the following:

• Self funded Tertiary Education, Bachelor of Aviation or Science.
• CASA ATPL Subjects.
• Computer Skills Courses.
• IREX Credit.
• Advanced First Aid Qualification.
• Human Factors Training or Facilitators Course.
• HUET or Sea Survival or both.

Then your on the correct course for a rewarding and enjoyable career.

If not?? Why not!!!

Anyone care to debate why an employer needs [or should] to fund your career?

[7balja01]

who here is with the union?

[Sambo Boy]

Better get used to being paid less than tradesmen... so a tradesman spends four years gaining his qualifications and you spend six month getting your pilots license, then don't tell me... you ran out and bought some gold bars and started to call yourself captain. Look this has been hashed over so many times before but get the stick out of your A**E and don't drag the rest of us down with your "I'm better than you" attitude.

And if joining AFAP seems like a good idea, why don't you do it??

[7balja01]

who are you talking to?

[wineboy]

I am not sure what we are trying to achieve here? I fly for a company that some would consider one of the major player's in the world market - CHC. I earn a good salary for what I am employed to do i.e. ME-IFR ops. I have been fortunate during my employment to be able to voice my opinion on wages and conditions. I hope that no one sells themselves short! The AFAP does do a good job in the IR department.

[7balja01]

hear, hear!

BTW SB,
who were you talking to about dragging us down.....attitude

i dont understand.

jacob.

[sling]

Have a crack you boys who are after a 30% increase... Have you not realised that costs across the board have gone through the roof.. eg. Fuel 100% in two years for one.
Don't forget the Australian market can get hammered by the GLOBAL ECONOMY... If you push the industry into unrealistic economics, the O/S boys will come in and have a field day..
Work harder and smarter, if you are not happy take advice from Sammy; get a trade and belt nails in all day long...............
The only way to negotiate with the big boys is to do it gradually; bite of a couple of % each year and be patient, christ it's taken you this long to work your way into and up through the industry.

[7balja01]

sling,

Why bother spending 50k+on a CPL just to belt nails or seccumbe to your employers wrath?

Why bother with choppers? Why bother with aviation at all?

jacob.

[BigMike]

You are right Jacob. Best course of action for you is to work hard and become a rich software developer, then own your own helicopter, several sports cars, large boat moored on the Gold Coast, and a phone book full of admiring females keen to go out with you.

You of course won't. Instead you will spend every cent you earn on flying (ok, a little bit on beer and woman) end up in a low paid job in an industry full of crooks, con-men, dreamers, and people ready to shaft you in a second if it's to there advantage.

BUT, you will get to do some things that many people could only dream of, fly in some amazing parts of the world if you are prepared to travel, meet some fantastic people who will become friends for life, and hopefully be able to look back at the end of your flying career, and be pretty happy about that choice you made all those years ago.

BM

[Quick Release]

Hey BM

My best days to date are still the good old days at KC.. ahhh to be care free.

[BigMike]

Ahhh, KC (Kings Canyon, Oz) Beer, Babes, and a 500... those were the days..

[7balja01]

no-one needs to be rich($1 000 000+)

if im earning 50 grand a year (with a family) im a happy man. Bill gates go to hell

jacob.

[Chamonix]

Wow Sling, someone touch a nerve…or a purse string? Sound like it’s coming out of your pocket, anything else we should know.

[last third]

So much BS so little time

Thanks for all the Rhetoric and the off the beaten track warries about S- - T (NOT!).

Can we get back to the thread so some of the new to the industry folks can be enlightened and maybe wade through the "avoid areas" of RW aviation.

Ta Muchly!!!!

Lasty

[that chinese fella]

For as long as low hour pilots prostitute themselves (either voluntarily or due to circumstance) and the industry, then wages will always be comparably poor compared to other "professions".

It is also linked to the poor hourly charter rates and a reluctance for anyone to be brave enough to charge a truly accurate amount it cost to operate, not just the helicopter, but the efforts of all who make a booking/contract possible.

When people tell me I have a great job, I say it is until pay day, but would I rather be doing something else? - not really. I agree with BM.

It's all part of the "Those Magnificant Men in their flying machines" syndrome!

[BigMike]

last third, from your response I'm guessing you are new to the industry as you havn't put forward any advice yourself. If you look a little further back in this thread you will find the question about salaries has pretty much already been answered.

The low hour guys work for nothing or very little unless they are very lucky.
There are guys on more, working for corporate owners, but most people seem to be on between 40,000 - 60,000. It depends a lot on experience, endorsements held, and type you are flying. Government pays more, ie Police, SAR, with the guys working offshore relatively well off compared to the charter pilots.

The Australian GA award is here: http://afap.org.au/files/AV8BANS5GE/...0GA%20AFAP.pdf

Off course you would have found out all this before you started spending money on a licence, didn't you?

[trapezoid]

Big Mike,

I think you will find that last third is an Army lad, an Oakey boy actually, judging from his user name.

But I have been wrong before.

[neat12]

Awards in Australia

A touchy subject hey...

Is it against the law not to pay the award?

If so, what are the penalties for an employer not paying the award wage and not complying with the award conditions?

[neat12]

Is it such a big secret?

Aren't there other helicopter pilots out there that would be interested to know?

[masteroff]

Yes it is against the law. Federal award, federal law. The only way to enforce it is to make the phonecall to the appropriate people.

And good luck!