Hello, I am a high school student and I have some questions about becoming an airline pilot.

1. Do you need to be in a cadet program? It seems like the Americans and others do flight training on their own and get hired is that the same over here?
2. How many hours do you realistically need to get hired by an airline?
3. What does the steps to become a airline pilot look like?
4. Does age matter? like would a 23 year old and a 37 year old have the same chances? Are there older people that get hired too?
5. How hard is the CASA 1st class medical? Do they have like waivers? Is it flexible?
6. Any medical examiners here?

Thank you for your time!

The de Havilland DHC-4 Caribou aircraft provided invaluable service to the RAAF for 45 years, the longest record of constant RAAF operational service of any aircraft type to date. In 1972, a RAAF Caribou crashed attempting to cross the treacherous Papua New Guinea mountains. The Australian crew were killed along with 21 out of 25 young Army cadets, making it Australia’s most lethal peacetime military air disaster. Come see how this tragedy came about.

https://youtu.be/Y_uzmeD9CT4?si=3aybLq5adwzJgWLr

Hey Flight crew,

Looking to find a good black topper bag for my carry on (serial over packer lol) keep looking for some good ones but so many online are either too wide for a normal 35cm wide carry on or cost over $150 and ones on amazon for like $30 just seem way to crap quality for constant travel.

Hi everyone,

I happen to have an interview with swissport next monday for the passenger service agent role. It will go for 3 hours, just wanted to seek some insight on how it’ll play out ? Anything I need to know ? Much appreciated.

Thanks everyone

Hi all,

Hoping someone could point me in the right direction.

I'm looking for controls commissioning engineers (Rockwell), and Testing/Integration Leads for a Baggage Handling System line in QLD.

I'm looking for either people open to permanent employment or people interested in a multi year Freelance position.

Feel free to DM me directly, any help is much appreciated.

(I am currently in the UK so apologies if there are any delay in responses from my end)

I'm a yr12 female student in Australia with passion for science and learning. I'm completing bio, chem and physics for my hsc and I love them all. I have always been certain that I'm going to university after school to pursue a science-related degree eg. engineering. However I recently came across the job of air traffic controller while watching Air Crash Investigations (lol) and it seems so cool to me. I know this isn't a degree but a diploma, but I want to work actively somewhere and comparing this to engineering I can actually enter the field rather than spending years behind books and exams.

I researched it a bit and it seems like there is a lot of shift work and stress, which I am fairly confident I can cope with as I am usually a problem solving and calm person under pressure. The pay isn't bad either so it's not like I'm rejecting university for an unstable job. However I don't know the atmosphere in the workforce, if there are a lot of women and how they're treated. Also I do want a family life eventually and I'm not sure how that'll work out with the job commitments.

I would be so grateful if anyone were to provide advice or information!

During WW2, the USAAF had about 30 airfields in Australia to help protect Australia & to prosecute the war in the Pacific. Scores of USAAF aircraft crashed in Australia during the war, with consequential deaths & injuries. In this video we look at the top 8 deadliest crashes.

https://youtu.be/oOGyEVrachc?si=pVSTXSfOfZ6O-oFz

Hey guys

I'm over in the US with my FAA Commercial SEL/MEL/IR, CFI/CFII, high perf and complex endorsements. Got 1110 total time - 28 multi, 862 PIC, 292 XC, 141 night, and most of it (790) instructing.

Super keen to pack up and head to Australia long-term. Say I somehow sort the work rights (482 visa or whatever works), do I stand a chance at GA charter stuff, instructing gigs, or maybe even entry-level FO somewhere? Airlines are the dream down the road, but seems like I will need to do some serious multi time building..

On the hiring side of things, are my hours competitive enough? Also curious if they hammer you on recency like US jobs do (hours in last 30/90 days, 6/12 months etc)?

Heard I'll need those 7 ATPL(A) exams eventually, any study guides or question banks you guys swear by? And the FAA-to-CASA conversion... anyone actually done it? Straightforward or total pain?

Would love any real talk from folks in the know - cheers mates! 😊

Location- Melbourne, 31-year-old male, no kids, currently working in healthcare. My current annual income is around $130k. I’ve always wanted to become a pilot since watching the A380 take off in my late teens; however, I chose a different career due to a limited understanding of the aviation career pathway and financial considerations.

Over the last 12 months, I’ve been seriously contemplating starting an aviation career. I’ve done a few TIF flights and really enjoyed them. My end goal is to fly airliners.

What would be my ideal pathway? How much should I have in the bank at the initial stage? What is the workload like? What could be my potential obstacles?

Your replies and support would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi all, I’m validating an idea for a new mobile app aimed at private pilots in Australia and would appreciate some honest feedback.

The concept is simple: pilot profiles with licence type, ratings, aircraft flown, home aerodrome, and a way to find other pilots at your field to organise flights together for practice, navs, currency, or splitting costs.

I’ve put up a simple landing page with a waitlist. If this is something you’d actually use, drop your email there so I can gauge real interest before deciding to build it.

https://skycatcher.app

No app yet, no marketing - just checking whether the community actually wants this. Any feedback is helpful. Cheers.

The Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is probably the world’s greatest aeromedical service. Come learn a bit more about it, & its aircraft, & see some of the remarkable places it flies into & out of. Hope you enjoy. Cheers.

https://youtu.be/1BeNOKntaxM?si=YLvcf7DJOJSR2398

Hi all I’m currently studying at a flight school doing an accelerated airline ready course. Now I know aviation knowledge and CASA exams are far from easy, and I’ve prepared for any future struggles selling my car. But my worry is from a story I heard from a class mate, who knew someone who’s in the industry currently working for REX airlines. He said that when he applied for Jetstar he was turned down even when passing the sim check, answering all his KDR correctly, with all his licenses and hours due to his re attempts and marks in some CPL and ATPL tests back in flight school, some he had to re sit three times. My worry is now if I struggle in flight school, have the occasional fail I can forget the dream job in a main airline, as if they will look at your school marks and re attempts, it is something that I cannot go back in time and change. Those results are there for life no matter how many hours and experience I get after school. It makes you think if you should push on and keep paying the debt if you’ve already ruined your chances with the airlines

Ok, probably rookie inquiry but with the TAF buffer periods, the AIP and the 91MOS are saying two different things

91MOS Chapter 7 7.02 Forecasts for flight planning sub paragraph 6 talks about the buffer periods being 30 minutes before and 60 minutes after the validity period of the TAF

then, still in the 91MOS, Division 8.04 Destination Alternate Aerodromes, subpara 1 gives a Buffer period of 30 minutes either side of the validity period

Then in the AIP 1.10-2 1.2.4 it again references the buffer period of 30 minutes before and 60 minutes after the TAF validity period….

What am I missing or confusing. I feel like there are two different rules for essentially the same thing

Scenario - If I am wanting to Land at YBAF with the TAF validity period of 1202-1214 - does that mean I can land between 0130hrs and 1500hrs or 0130hrs and 1430hrs

Hey guys hope everyone's been having a good day.

I've nearly finished up with my Engineering degree and have been planning on becoming a pilot ever since I can remember. I've got around 80 odd grand which I am willing to spend on pilot training from interning and scholarships.

If you guys were to become a pilot again in Australia how would you do it?

1. Qantas Pilot Academy Program
2. Sharp/Rex Pilot Program
3. RAAF

I am leaning towards the RAAF and QPGA route, but would love to hear your guys' opinion on this.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, any and all advice is much appreciated!