Pilot shortage causes cancellation on rural Australian routes

**HUE166** · 23rd July 2018, 08:56 PM

That's true Hugh. Many of course have made that application despite being 'locked in' to longevity contracts. What the majors have been doing there is paying out the contracts on behalf of the applicants. That's where REX have left their net open. I think it's a bit rich of REX to be crying foul the way they are at the moment.

I do know of a couple that have been approached but I wouldn't say that was the norm.

It' that fire in the belly that will see a trainee through although, as you mentioned, it is a lot less risky to do it now.

It's very typical of gen Y to want everything immediately in all sectors. We've just had to let one go because he had the wrong attitude. It's harder to find the good ones now.

**Eevo** · 23rd July 2018, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by HUE166

It's very typical of gen Y to want everything immediately in all sectors.

yes but we wont work for peanuts either.
companies out there offering 30$ per hour, 2 hours a day, 4 days a week, contracts.

why would anyone become a pilot when thats the starting ground?

**HUE166** · 23rd July 2018, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by Slunnie

HUE166, I read that article in the CWD a number of times also, and I noted a comment aboutRex paying about $54k but training was about $130k.

A fortnight ago I met a fellow from Indianapolis, he was a teacher, trained to be a pilot, he kept getting chartered so went full time flying and now 2up flys a wealthy business man around the world, mainly northern hempisphere. His employer wanted to spend time on the Greek Islands, so thats where they were going! The pilots fly with their wives. Perhaps the airlines are not the only options.

The airlines certainly aren't the only option. I couldn't stand them.

**HUE166** · 23rd July 2018, 09:35 PM

Originally Posted by Eevo

yes but we wont work for peanuts either.
companies out there offering 30$ per hour, 2 hours a day, 4 days a week, contracts.

why would anyone become a pilot when thats the starting ground?

That's not a bad standard Eevo. There's no point working for that kind of money when you've put so much into your own trading. There's more out there than that. If that's what they are paying then they'll get what they pay for.

**Eevo** · 23rd July 2018, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by HUE166

There's more out there than that.

i dunno. ive got a firefigher mate who did his training at parafield. it was through a government scholarship/grant. he got his PPL and called it quits. said the industry was cutthroat and bs. He now employed as a firefighter.

my goals are different. i want to fly a water bomber for the CFS. but as its a paid job, the requirements are ridiculous . flying isnt hard but paying for the qualifications is.

**HUE166** · 23rd July 2018, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by Eevo

i dunno. ive got a firefigher mate who did his training at parafield. it was through a government scholarship/grant. he got his PPL and called it quits. said the industry was cutthroat and bs. He now employed as a firefighter.

my goals are different. i want to fly a water bomber for the CFS. but as its a paid job, the requirements are ridiculous . flying isnt hard but paying for the qualifications is.

That's what I do Eevo. The requirements are actually pretty lean and the flying gets way harder than what is experienced in the airlines. It's horses for courses I suppose. Stick with it. It's well worth while.

**Eevo** · 23rd July 2018, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by HUE166

That's what I do Eevo. The requirements are actually pretty lean and the flying gets way harder than what is experienced in the airlines. It's horses for courses I suppose. Stick with it. It's well worth while.

in SA the requirement (from aerotech) is 1000h turboprop. (plus a few others things).

while ive got a mortgage, ive given up on on flying. ive not been PIC for 2 years now.

**HUE166** · 23rd July 2018, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by Eevo

in SA the requirement (from aerotech) is 1000h turboprop. (plus a few others things).

while ive got a mortgage, ive given up on on flying. ive not been PIC for 2 years now.

That's a shame Mate. That 1000 hours is all paid and paid quite well. Do me a favor and give Sam a call and get those ag hours done. Where are you up to with your flying? Have you done your ag rating?

**Eevo** · 24th July 2018, 03:25 AM

Originally Posted by HUE166

That's a shame Mate. That 1000 hours is all paid and paid quite well. Do me a favor and give Sam a call and get those ag hours done. Where are you up to with your flying? Have you done your ag rating?

i'm not sure we're talking about the same thing. the 1000h isnt paid. it was the previous experience requirement for applying for the job.

**Hugh Jars** · 24th July 2018, 05:04 AM

Originally Posted by HUE166

That's true Hugh. Many of course have made that application despite being 'locked in' to longevity contracts. What the majors have been doing there is paying out the contracts on behalf of the applicants. That's where REX have left their net open. I think it's a bit rich of REX to be crying foul the way they are at the moment.

Gidday HUE166,

Most cadets are bonded (and some regular line pilots are too, for endorsement costs etc), as you mentioned. I am unaware of QF or VA ever paying out bonds to release pilots from their obligations to their current employer. Virgin certainly don't, as the responsibility for the bond rests with the pilot. I doubt the majors are that much in need of pilots (yet). Particularly for relatively inexperienced (and bonded) cadets that generally require more training resources at that stage of their careers.

Virgin has traditionally preferred more experienced pilots, such as turboprop captains or ex-military for direct entry into the company. They are thinner on the ground these days, so they are taking people with less experience.

When I was doing recruiting into the QF regionals (2000-2008), the average applicant had several thousand hours and usually a turboprop command (RFDS, Air Ambo or freighters etc). That gradually reduced over the years (as supply started to dry up) to around 500hrs and a command instrument rating with multi time. That was in 2008, and the pool of available pilots has shrunk since then (as you would know).

Rex's whingeing is one-sided. You have to ask yourself why their pilots want to leave? I have mates that do/did work there, and basically they couldn't wait to leave because their management was so aggressive and adversarial towards staff. I even know one bloke who left the industry altogether from Rex, and he was a captain with over 20 years service. He just hated the place so much that he had to get out.

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