Thread: Pilot shortage causes cancellation on rural Australian routes

Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

I bet a good percentage of those who flew Lancasters and B17's were clerks, farmers, carpenters, etc. and never finished high school. Are not airliners almost automated these days and the pilots job is to talk to the controllers, take over if something fails, drink coffee, and fondle the stewardesses.

Every job is easy if you trivialize the effort to know how to do it properly.

Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

I bet a good percentage of those who flew Lancasters and B17's were clerks, farmers, carpenters, etc. and never finished high school. Are not airliners almost automated these days and the pilots job is to talk to the controllers, take over if something fails, drink coffee, and fondle the stewardesses.

I think you need to enter this era, what happened than is far what happens now.

Originally Posted by goingbush

The country is stuffed, there will be aircrew on 457 Visas soon !!

The world is stuff.....and there ain’t no way to fix it.

Originally Posted by goingbush

The country is stuffed, there will be aircrew on 457 Visas soon !!

There are more than a few on 457 visas already.
I wont post a commentary on this or the operators who participate.

We already have 457 visa-holding pilots.

That bloke from Rex is a whinger. He got caught out a couple of years ago attempting to exploit vulnerable cadet pilots in an industrially unlawful attempt to force them to work outside their industrial agreement by coercion. The courts found against Rex.

What’s going on with regional airlines is nothing new. Rex’s pilots have been leaving and going to other airlines since the days it was called Hazelton and Kendell. Nifty Nev needs to realise that pilots don’t necessarily see a regional airline as a viable career, especially when Rex has been attacking its pilots T&C’s for more than two decades. When treated this way, pilots only see Rex as a stepping stone to something better.
The same goes for Qantaslink. Until recently, its pilots were predominately actively (and secretly) excluded from career progression into the Qantas mainline operation. So logically, the majority of its pilots (including myself) sought careers outside the Qantas group in companies such as Virgin Australia or overseas, typically the Middle East or Hong Kong. Unsurprisingly, the shortage has suddenly forced a change of heart and now inexplicably, Qantaslink pilots are now suitable to be employed Qantas mainline. Especially if you’re of the female gender

Terms and conditions in the whole aviation industry have been spiralling downwards since 1990. Conditions in other industries have progressively improved (in comparison). It’s no wonder that few people are interested in flying as a career, when they can find a better paying job with less study and training required elsewhere. No problems in other industries with the opportunity to lose your job 3 or more times a year with continual checking your proficiency, etc.

Now, the big (new) problem for the Aussie airlines is the overseas airlines in places like Asia and the Middle East are meeting the market and paying pretty decent rates for experienced expat pilots. This is creating problems for Virgin and Qantas, because typically their experienced pilots are long-termers, ie career pilots that tend not to leave before retirement. Those highly experienced long-termers are looking elsewhere for whatever reason (probably the double the Aussie going rate after tax), creating a problem that has never existed previously in Australia.

The draining of these top-level pilots has other effects for these companies, such as safety and efficiency. Safety being the key factor, gained by decades of experience that these senior pilots are taking overseas.

The days of $29 Sydney-Gold Coast fares are most likely numbered.

Originally Posted by bsperka

This is already available. Griffith University offers it, amongst others.

Also Southern Cross University Coolangatta.

Theres a very real opportunity for our well educated milennials here, but it may be too long term for them , they like to change jobs often. But I wish I was 20 again , I'd be doing it.

but what the uni's teach and what the industry wants are two different things.

the majority of the costs is in flying hours which is not covered by hecs.

Originally Posted by Eevo

but what the uni's teach and what the industry wants are two different things.

the majority of the costs is in flying hours which is not covered by hecs.

They get you to commercial pilot certification. Then you need to get hours, usually in remote communities. Need to get a gig as you have minimum hours.
Then work your way up in experience and hours. 1000 hours minimum to get a better gig. Harder again if you are female.