Your opinion on cadetships (Jetstar/REX+others in Australia)

[Rondair]

Everyone always has negative feedback about cadetships (except for Qantas'), provide your reasons and lets see if they're valid.

 

Cheers

 

 

[facthunter]

One of the difficulties with cadetships is the lack of command time. I can't see how you could go into the left seat in 2 years starting from a bare cadetship, as there is usually a stipulated minimum command hours requirement. Laying out a lot of money without a certainty of a job at the end of it is scary. Pilot Friendly Airline?. Whatever that meant went out the door 22 years ago. The Aviation game and Airlines are difficult to predict and in a lot of cases the wage is dismal. Don't forget you fly in ALL weather, at all times of the day. You are subject to call-outs and roster changes frequently and if you work up to the flight time limitations you are likely to find driving home and falling asleep a hazard. You may be asked to break the rules to keep your job. It is not all glamour and pushing buttons. Nev

 

 

[Rondair]

Thanks for the replies guys, Ignition have you applied with REX for the 2012 course? I'm a bit confused as when to apply as I'm in year 12 now.

 

 

[Rondair]

Okay i didn't know that thanks. How big is the pool of applicants roughly and do they choose about 9 or so?

 

Thanks

 

 

[Guest SAJabiruflyer]

I thought about attempting to enter one of these Cadetships, but the reality is, I think that what I am enjoying as a hobby would not neccessarily translate to enjoying it as a job. Having been self-employed since 2001, I think i'd have trouble being "bossed" around by anyone (except my wife haha). Speaking with several active and retired Commercial Pilots, it seems their opinion in general is "its just another job" and I've heard comments such as "all I do now is enter information into a computer and the plane does the rest". Having said that, I strongly encouraged a friend up in Qld to continue with his Aviation studies at Uni in Qld, because he has a true passion for aviation - but alas the constraints of time and wife would not allow him to continue

 

 

[Rondair]

I'm in year 12 anyway, so I don't think I have to worry about family and kids just yet! Thanks for your input mate. But by the time family comes around, I think a cadet pilot will probably have enough hours to secure a job where ever they want to be based if they haven't already. What do you think about that (it's a thought)?

 

 

[winsor68]

A fellow pilot who did his Ra-Aus solo right after me is studying Aviation at Uni... apparently when you go this route you can use HECS to pay for flying lessons. Food for thought.

 

 

[Rondair]

Yer it's about $83,000 at Swinburne I think. I'm not too sure about what it is at rmit. But if I don't get into a bachelor program at Swinburne, I don't think I will go to go on uni. I think Oxford is quite expensive, for a tif they charge $399 whilst mfs only charge $200. Does anyone know why it's double the price at the same airport?

 

 

[motzartmerv]

The qlink program has entry requirements of ATPL, MECIR passes in HSC english and maths. So the $18 grand you speak of is not a comparable sum with the REX cadetship which takes you with zero flying.

 

Dash 8's are not the best aircraft to fly?..where did this come from? They are one of the worlds most popular and proven RPT regional aircraft. By all accounts are quite heavy on the controls, but lets face it, how often does the pilot 'fly' it anyway.;)

 

No matter which way you go, getting a job in aviation will cost you money. There is no free ride. The cadetship programs can be a good start, but like Nev I have concerns about the command time. The standard industry flow would be something like this:

 

Student gets CPL at around 150-200 hours total time. Bloke gets a job doing scenics out west, or fire spotting etc. Builds time to around 400 hours COMMAND in C172,182,206 or the like. If he's lucky he will then get a charter job in a small twin, where he will spend a year or so building twin time to around 500 hours. Its not until this point is he going to be looking at a turbine job, single usually but may slide into a turbine twin.

 

The story goes on like this until he has direct entry experience for a regional.

 

So this would take at least 2 years to get to this point, all the while building command time.

 

I still don't understand how cadets, being trained by the company, bypass this essential few years of experience somehow slide into the right seat of a regional. The only way i could see this working is by having the guy sit in the right seat for 4-6 years.

 

Anyway, like I said, its gunna cost you no matter which way you get into it.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Bandit12]

If you are young and single, go for the traditional route! Get to experience everything to do with aviation, you might find yourself not wanting to fly for an airline anyway. Cadetships are great in theory, but one look at the precarious state of world finance should give you an indication of how quickly circumstances can change, and whether there may be a job at the end, or even an airline at the end.....

 

 

[ahlocks]

..I still don't understand how cadets, being trained by the company, bypass this essential few years of experience somehow slide into the right seat of a regional...

They are building career airline pilots, moulded the way they want them, from scratch - Not a bad idea if you think about it.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Yea, i get that, but, theres no substitute for experience. IMHO

 

 

[Guest Jake.f]

I have looked at cadetships a lot, also at degrees in aviation.

 

I think the only one I will bother to apply to is the one Cathay Pacific runs, unless I am reading totally wrong they cover the cost of the course for you?

 

I think that then you are bonded for 5 or 6 years to a second officer position based in Hong Kong which is a big commitment, but hey I'm up for a new experience.